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To: Cronos; Alamo-Girl; xzins; caww; kosta50; YHAOS; James C. Bennett; wmfights; metmom; ...
They believe that there is no creator god, that the universe has always existed and will always exist — they argue with those who believe in a creation that it is not possible for something to be created out of nothing.

It is not possible for man to create something out of nothing. So their "argument" is correct — as far as it goes. But the argument has no necessary application to God. I gather Jains and Buddhists do not see this.

They reject creation out of nothing — but then the supreme achievement of their eschatology is the attainment of the state of "nothing" — of personal oblivion, the total annihilation of ego identity, the merging of self with Self....

Question: Does this make "Self" a sort-of "nothing," too?

I confess I can't figure out this stuff. :^) But I do note that the natural sciences did not rise in the East, but only in the Western cultural context, preeminently informed by Christianity and certain ancient Greek philosophers....

Thank you so very much, Cronos, for your fine synopsis of the main currents of Eastern religious belief!

2,118 posted on 01/30/2011 11:12:34 AM PST by betty boop (Seek truth and beauty together; you will never find them apart. — F. M. Cornford)
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To: betty boop
They reject creation out of nothing — but then the supreme achievement of their eschatology is the attainment of the state of "nothing" — of personal oblivion, the total annihilation of ego identity, the merging of self with Self....

Indeed. Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dearest sister in Christ!

2,120 posted on 01/30/2011 11:15:41 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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