So Jesus is an archetype, "salvation" is about getting in touch with your nature instead of evading it/being estranged from it, we shine light on our the darkness in order to understand our nature (read: not the supernature espoused by the superstitious), and the reward is fulfillment, richness instead of emptiness, attainment, consummation, enlightenment, etc. ?? And no actual demons and devils and hell involved?

Without the soul, the human animal is simply like every other creature of this world. How come you don’t realize this?

Why would a creature of this world be entitled access to fulfillment, wealth, enlightenment?

You’re hoping for the treasure of the soul while denying its existence? While denying its story?

This sounds dangerously like the "the human species didn't evolve argument." A lion when eating, experiences fulfillment; a horse when running freely, experiences pleasure and wellbeing; chimpanzees when grooming each other experience rewards and the fulfillment of their natural social togetherness. All this evolves to different places and levels for different species.

Let's hear your definition of what the soul is and how you know it is there.

I certainly recognize and believe in the spiritual aspect of human existence. It's just that I don't believe in 1st Century claims about it, just as I don't believe in 1st Century claims about a lot of things. It's a good tack and leads to far more fascinating ideas about spirituality than superstitions and myths.

"If the human race is to rise to the full height demanded by its dignity and its intelligence," we must move toward ideas not formed a thousand years pre-medieval, and that are ignorant, superstitious and barbaric on their face. Belief in such is not a measure of morality, but is only so claimed within the religions themselves.

We have some pretty good evidence that man makes up gods. Yes? No? Or, "I better steer clear of that subject."

Yup. It's a story about human beings.

secret... what secret?

the meaning... Knowledge means that it is to late to go back to simply taking it for granted.

I would say that he discovers them. They encapsulate psychological realities. The deities may not exist, but the underlying qualities ascribed to them are real.

Yup. The personifying of elements of reality and "The Mystery" into a tangible entity. We're getting somewhere.

The characters (i.e., religion, myth and stories) are often the most effective way of exploring these elements of reality and understanding ourselves.

And that needs to be done by not taking them literally. Which is the problem.

Would you say that you have a relationship with “The Great Mystery”?

Is it not just an object but a subject as well?

Do you consider TGM dead or alive? Static or dynamic?

Including the Darwinian story, which is THE story of this world. It’s a story dominated by struggle and death. Wisdom is acknowledging this and faith is refusing to make peace with it.

Any story, including religious stories, which accepts a Darwinian type of death submits to the Darwinian lord of this world. This includes my Christian siblings who are under the deception that they will enter the kingdom after a Darwinian death. You are not in the Christian story but in the Darwinian story.

To be in the Christian story is to stand in defiance of Darwinian death and the Darwinian lord of this world. Only then will you have a chance at a Christian death and resurrection.

everything that makes us inclined to all think alike is problematic.
mass brainwashing occurs through religion, but there are obviously other factors involved.
mass brainwashing occurs also through Patriotism.
"if all think alike, than no one is thinking"-Walter Lippman.

also, there is no factual basis behind the concept of one or many gods.
and even if that god existed, what were the forces that created him?

Admission: science has yet to figure out the origin of our universe

It may be too complicated a puzzle to figure out.

What's this, candid questions about my metaphysics since I don't cede it all to myths as literal?? That's progress too.

Yes, I would say there is a relationship between, not The Great Mystery per se and its constituents, but between whatever generated The Great Mystery and its constituents.

Yes its a subject of some sort.

As far as dead or alive, our definitions there are as misleading and limited as the "wave or particle" dichotomy. It's oversimplified BS. To the extent the definition holds up at all, I would say alive and dynamic.

Can it communicate with you?

I say yes.

Can it communicate with me?

the problem with creating a mythical concept, that of one or many gods, is that it enables other lies

once you've established one lie, (that of a benevolent creator(s), then it's easier to make the case that that creator has special powers, reincarnation, assignment to heaven/hell etc

would you think a rabbit would go to hell? no, you wouldn't. and neither would a human being. and that's very good news for all life.

No. I'm the chosen one. It's akin to Calvinism ... I'm of the elect, you can't change it, it's the universe's will, it's my job to communicate to those willing to believe this truth, you're going to hell if you don't believe it, and I don't have anything to verify this but my very convenient belief, but that's just the way I roll on this. Sound familiar at all?

Interestingly, I just had a word overlap synchronicity on the word "belief" ... just as I wrote it a video I had playing about the universe being alive said it.

Why did Jesus not instruct the multitudes to wash their hands with soap regularly? He could have prevented millions of sicknesses and deaths with that simple instruction. But he didn't want to. Or ... he didn't know a damn thing about microorganisms infecting people.

To apply realism to the religion is to acknowledge that, yes, we need both a new approach to religion and improved spiritual ideas generally.

You: “Let’s separate out a safe space and create our own morality, off limits from the evil toxic masculinity.”

Me: No. The Son of Man will violate your safe space. He will steal meaning, purpose, joy, and life from you. And he will delight in your demise.

You are not the lead author of reality and the Son of Man doesn’t respect the boundaries of the social space.

“…But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.”

You guys were so close to being on the same page and then... The Bible isn't a science book. The stories depict human nature, and its passages are there to aid in the salvation of souls. It's a map that helps those with faith endure the ever-present dangers of life, not avoid them. Think about someone who was afflicted by a disease that could have been avoided if we had known about soap to the suffering experienced by Job.