Revision history for ChrisCase
Additions:
Hello, my name is //Chris Case// and I am the founder and curator of this resource //""OpenMindSpace.org""//. I created this site, to share the intriguing and often rare information, that I have gathered, mostly in my own mind, over many years of [[Freethought | free thinking]]. I aim to create a resource that gives a bigger picture, to help engender a more holistic understanding of our selves and the reality in which we live.
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- [[ChrisCaseJourneyThroughFreethought Journey Through Freethought]]
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[[Biographies]]
[[Biographies]]
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Hello, my name is //Chris Case// and I am the founder and curator of this resource //""OpenMindSpace.org""//. I created this site, to share the intriguing and often rare information, that I have gathered, mostly in my own mind, over many years of [[Freethought free thinking]]. I aim to create a resource that gives a bigger picture, to help engender a more holistic understanding of our selves and the reality in which we live.
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Deletions:
==Late Adolescence: Learned About Eastern Spirituality==
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more of a searcher than a //believer//. I suspect that I got from this, the notion that we don't necessarily need to adopt a //belief// on something that cannot be known; but that we can continue to search and see where things lead. I am happy that I took that route; because I have been searching ever since and because of this //open minded// approach, I have been able to absorb information with few inhibitions.
==Late Adolescence: Learned About Eastern Spirituality==
==Late Adolescence: Learned About Eastern Spirituality==
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==Late Adolescence: Learned About Eastern Spirituality==
Additions:
more of a searcher than a //believer//. I suspect that I got from this, the notion that we don't necessarily need to adopt a //belief// on something that cannot be known; but that we can continue to search and see where things lead. I am happy that I took that route; because I have been searching ever since and because of this //open minded// approach, I have been able to absorb information with few inhibitions.
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As with most people, I have been through many different phases in the development of my mind. In my own situation, I have been willing to keep an open mind, for the most part. I've been willing to consider a wide array of ideas, on a wide array of topics, without necessarily having to embrace or reject those ideas; more to keep them in mind as possibilities and see what develops.
==Early Childhood: Critical Thinking on Religion==
Some of my earliest memories of //free thinking// (probably around the age of 10-12) had to do with the questioning of the religious views, that were laid down before me. When I was a relatively young child, I was sent to //Church// and //Sunday School//, typically once a week on Sunday. I felt the desire to try and make sense of what I was being taught, since it seemed important to some of the people around me. I found, however, that I arrived at conclusions that were different than what anyone else was willing to discuss openly.
I remember hearing the stories of the Christian //Bible// and how it was routinely described as the //Word of God//. It occurred to me that, if this is indeed the case, that I should find out more about this body of documents. How did this information get from the deity called //God//, to the people of Earth? I sought out answers from the people I could ask and, to my surprise, came up mostly empty. Most of the people I asked did not know, or care, where the //Bible// came from. Indeed, they did not even bother to verify the amazing claim that this book came from the creator of the universe! I found it astounding that people would believe such a claim without, at the very least, having some in-depth understanding of the history of the document.
Who wrote the //Bible//? Who translated the //Bible//? Who edited the //Bible//? How do we know that the document ever did, or still does, contain the will of the supreme deity of the universe?
Few of the people I asked seem to have even pondered any of these questions. This was a bit shocking to me, considering how important their religion was to them. I would have thought that they would have had good answers to all of these questions, given the extraordinary claims they are making about their religion. I was starting to realize that there is a strong undercurrent of anti-intellectualism in the major religions and even an annoyance at those who ask difficult questions.
In fact, the questions I asked were so annoying, that I was routinely kicked out of //Sunday School// class. As it turns out, if you don't know the answer to an inconvenient question, you just brush it off and try to ignore the question altogether. I found this very frustrating the paradoxical nature of the prevailing religious beliefs. If it is so important, why not discover the answers?
As it turns out most of these people were not very curious about their own religion. Having already been given the answers that they sought, to assuage their fears about not knowing much about the mysterious nature of the reality in which they inhabit; they simply leave it at that. Many were actually afraid that questioning what they were told was some kind of a //sin//, that they would be punished for; so that gave them the excuse they needed, to avoid delving into it any further.
==Early Adolescence: Learned About Alternative Views on the Internet==
I had the great fortune of coming of age in the 1990's, during the advent of the web as a means of publishing ideas. This broke down the gatekeepers and allowed me to freely search for information myself. After awhile of being alone in your views, its relieving to know that you are not alone and that others have already written fascinating books and research papers on the matters that you are concerned with. One, particularly fascinating document, that I came across, which resonated with me early on was Robert G. Ingersoll's article from 1896 titled [[WhyIAmAgnostic Why I Am Agnostic]].
I found Ingersoll's //Why I Am Agnostic// to be a breath of fresh air. It was nice to see someone stating, in such a well thought out way, the things that I had been thinking for years. Even better, this individual had done alot more thinking on this than I had; so I was able to gain the benefit of his insignts as well.
I would have to say that this experience with [[Agnosticism]] was perhaps one of the key experiences, in which I learned to be more of a searcher than a //believer//. I suspect that I got from this, the notion that we don't necessarily need to adopt a //belief// on something that cannot be known; but that we can continue to search and see where things lead. I am happy that I took that route; because I have been searching ever since and because of this //open minded// approach, I have been able to absorb information with few inhibitions.
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===Notable Writings===
- [[ChrisCaseJourneyThroughFreethought Journey Through Freethought]]
- [[ChrisCaseJourneyThroughFreethought Journey Through Freethought]]
Additions:
I would have to say that this experience with [[Agnosticism]] was perhaps one of the key experiences, in which I learned to be more of a searcher than a //believer//. I suspect that I got from this, the notion that we don't necessarily need to adopt a //belief// on something that cannot be known; but that we can continue to search and see where things lead. I am happy that I took that route; because I have been searching ever since and because of this //open minded// approach, I have been able to absorb information with few inhibitions.
==Late Adolescence: Learned About Eastern Spirituality==
==Late Adolescence: Learned About Eastern Spirituality==
Additions:
I had the great fortune of coming of age in the 1990's, during the advent of the web as a means of publishing ideas. This broke down the gatekeepers and allowed me to freely search for information myself. After awhile of being alone in your views, its relieving to know that you are not alone and that others have already written fascinating books and research papers on the matters that you are concerned with. One, particularly fascinating document, that I came across, which resonated with me early on was Robert G. Ingersoll's article from 1896 titled [[WhyIAmAgnostic Why I Am Agnostic]].
I found Ingersoll's //Why I Am Agnostic// to be a breath of fresh air. It was nice to see someone stating, in such a well thought out way, the things that I had been thinking for years. Even better, this individual had done alot more thinking on this than I had; so I was able to gain the benefit of his insignts as well.
I found Ingersoll's //Why I Am Agnostic// to be a breath of fresh air. It was nice to see someone stating, in such a well thought out way, the things that I had been thinking for years. Even better, this individual had done alot more thinking on this than I had; so I was able to gain the benefit of his insignts as well.
Deletions:
Additions:
Some of my earliest memories of //free thinking// (probably around the age of 10-12) had to do with the questioning of the religious views, that were laid down before me. When I was a relatively young child, I was sent to //Church// and //Sunday School//, typically once a week on Sunday. I felt the desire to try and make sense of what I was being taught, since it seemed important to some of the people around me. I found, however, that I arrived at conclusions that were different than what anyone else was willing to discuss openly.
I remember hearing the stories of the Christian //Bible// and how it was routinely described as the //Word of God//. It occurred to me that, if this is indeed the case, that I should find out more about this body of documents. How did this information get from the deity called //God//, to the people of Earth? I sought out answers from the people I could ask and, to my surprise, came up mostly empty. Most of the people I asked did not know, or care, where the //Bible// came from. Indeed, they did not even bother to verify the amazing claim that this book came from the creator of the universe! I found it astounding that people would believe such a claim without, at the very least, having some in-depth understanding of the history of the document.
==Early Adolescence: Learned About Alternative Views on the Internet==
After awhile of being alone in your views, its relieving to know that you are not alone and that others have already written fascinating books and research papers on the matters that you are concerned with. One, particularly fascinating document, that I came across, which resonated with me early on was Robert G. Ingersoll's article from 1896 titled [[WhyIAmAgnostic Why I Am Agnostic]].
I remember hearing the stories of the Christian //Bible// and how it was routinely described as the //Word of God//. It occurred to me that, if this is indeed the case, that I should find out more about this body of documents. How did this information get from the deity called //God//, to the people of Earth? I sought out answers from the people I could ask and, to my surprise, came up mostly empty. Most of the people I asked did not know, or care, where the //Bible// came from. Indeed, they did not even bother to verify the amazing claim that this book came from the creator of the universe! I found it astounding that people would believe such a claim without, at the very least, having some in-depth understanding of the history of the document.
==Early Adolescence: Learned About Alternative Views on the Internet==
After awhile of being alone in your views, its relieving to know that you are not alone and that others have already written fascinating books and research papers on the matters that you are concerned with. One, particularly fascinating document, that I came across, which resonated with me early on was Robert G. Ingersoll's article from 1896 titled [[WhyIAmAgnostic Why I Am Agnostic]].
Deletions:
I remember hearing the stories of the Christian //Bible// and how it was routinely described as the //Word of God//. It occurred to me that, if this is indeed the case, that I should find out more about this body of documents. How did this information get from the deity called //God//, to the people of Earth? I sought out answers from the people I could ask and, to my surprise, came up empty. Most of the people I asked did not know, or care, where the //Bible// came from. Indeed, they did not even bother to verify the amazing claim that this book came from the creator of the universe! I found it astounding that people would believe such a claim without, at the very least, having some in-depth understanding of the history of the document.
Additions:
==Early Childhood: Critical Thinking on Religion==
Deletions:
Additions:
Hello, my name is //Chris Case// and I am the curator of this resource //""OpenMindSpace.org""//. I created this site, to share the intriguing and often rare information, that I have gathered, mostly in my own mind, over many years of [[Freethought free thinking]]. I aim to create a resource that gives a bigger picture, to help engender a more holistic understanding of our selves and the reality in which we live.
I feel as if my adventures in free thought are worth sharing with the world, in a comprehensive, easy to read format and that this resource can provide a way of chronicling, refining and even growing that knowledge base organically. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, its that when you express an idea, you learn something from that process and so do others; because you have to think about the concepts from a different angle, so people who aren't already familiar with the concepts can understand.
I feel as if my adventures in free thought are worth sharing with the world, in a comprehensive, easy to read format and that this resource can provide a way of chronicling, refining and even growing that knowledge base organically. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, its that when you express an idea, you learn something from that process and so do others; because you have to think about the concepts from a different angle, so people who aren't already familiar with the concepts can understand.
Deletions:
I feel as if my adventures in free thought are worth sharing with the world and that this resource can provide a way of chronicling, refining and even growing that knowledge base organically. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, its that when you express an idea, you learn something from that process; because you have to think about the concepts from a different angle, so people who aren't already familiar with the concepts can understand.
Additions:
Hello, my name is //Chris Case// and I am the curator of this resource //""OpenMindSpace.org""//. I created this site, to share the intriguing and often very rare information, that I have gathered, mostly in my mind, over many years of [[Freethought free thinking]]. I aim to create a resource that gives a bigger picture, to help engender a more holistic understanding of our selves and the reality in which we live.
Deletions:
Additions:
As it turns out most of these people were not very curious about their own religion. Having already been given the answers that they sought, to assuage their fears about not knowing much about the mysterious nature of the reality in which they inhabit; they simply leave it at that. Many were actually afraid that questioning what they were told was some kind of a //sin//, that they would be punished for; so that gave them the excuse they needed, to avoid delving into it any further.
Deletions:
Additions:
Who wrote the //Bible//? Who translated the //Bible//? Who edited the //Bible//? How do we know that the document ever did, or still does, contain the will of the supreme deity of the universe?
Few of the people I asked seem to have even pondered any of these questions. This was a bit shocking to me, considering how important their religion was to them. I would have thought that they would have had good answers to all of these questions, given the extraordinary claims they are making about their religion. I was starting to realize that there is a strong undercurrent of anti-intellectualism in the major religions and even an annoyance at those who ask difficult questions.
In fact, the questions I asked were so annoying, that I was routinely kicked out of //Sunday School// class. As it turns out, if you don't know the answer to an inconvenient question, you just brush it off and try to ignore the question altogether. I found this very frustrating the paradoxical nature of the prevailing religious beliefs. If it is so important, why not discover the answers?
As it turns out most of these people were not very curious about their own religion. Having already been given the answers that they sought, to assuage their fears about not knowing much about the mysterious nature of the reality in which they inhabit; they simply leave it at that.
Few of the people I asked seem to have even pondered any of these questions. This was a bit shocking to me, considering how important their religion was to them. I would have thought that they would have had good answers to all of these questions, given the extraordinary claims they are making about their religion. I was starting to realize that there is a strong undercurrent of anti-intellectualism in the major religions and even an annoyance at those who ask difficult questions.
In fact, the questions I asked were so annoying, that I was routinely kicked out of //Sunday School// class. As it turns out, if you don't know the answer to an inconvenient question, you just brush it off and try to ignore the question altogether. I found this very frustrating the paradoxical nature of the prevailing religious beliefs. If it is so important, why not discover the answers?
As it turns out most of these people were not very curious about their own religion. Having already been given the answers that they sought, to assuage their fears about not knowing much about the mysterious nature of the reality in which they inhabit; they simply leave it at that.
Additions:
==Early Childhood==
I remember hearing the stories of the Christian //Bible// and how it was routinely described as the //Word of God//. It occurred to me that, if this is indeed the case, that I should find out more about this body of documents. How did this information get from the deity called //God//, to the people of Earth? I sought out answers from the people I could ask and, to my surprise, came up empty. Most of the people I asked did not know, or care, where the //Bible// came from. Indeed, they did not even bother to verify the amazing claim that this book came from the creator of the universe! I found it astounding that people would believe such a claim without, at the very least, having some in-depth understanding of the history of the document.
I remember hearing the stories of the Christian //Bible// and how it was routinely described as the //Word of God//. It occurred to me that, if this is indeed the case, that I should find out more about this body of documents. How did this information get from the deity called //God//, to the people of Earth? I sought out answers from the people I could ask and, to my surprise, came up empty. Most of the people I asked did not know, or care, where the //Bible// came from. Indeed, they did not even bother to verify the amazing claim that this book came from the creator of the universe! I found it astounding that people would believe such a claim without, at the very least, having some in-depth understanding of the history of the document.
