Welcome to Gaia! ::

Yes, I am extremely interested in religion, and I usually do believe in the supernatural. But I'm also an existentialist, and used to be a nihilist, so Nietzsche is the one I'm most apt to quote since I know his material best. And I might not agree with EVERYTHING he says, but what he has to say about truth and reality, I do agree with, at least for the most part. sweatdrop

I do study religion extensively, I do conduct research. But I grew up secularly, and never have been a member of any religion. Because of my past, I still have a foot in each door. Some days I am an atheist, other days I'm a theist. Some days I believe in the supernatural, other days I think it's just something that arises from human's need to find some sort of meaning in life, even if that means they have to create it. Both sides of me bleed into each other.

Buuuut, that's not something I USUALLY broadcast around, because it is really confusing.

What do I believe is real and what is fluff? I don't know. I usually test things for myself. I've personally experienced things that two years ago I would have said were impossible. I don't necessarily think any claim is auto-fluff, but when the context and presentation are taken into account, as well as any possible motives to make it up, I can quickly pick out claims that I believe are false.

Whenever I make a seemingly impossible claim, I try to present some form of evidence or reference to it. One person's words don't really mean much, but when they're backed up by other sources they hold a little bit more weight.

For instance: Have you ever seen an atom? Probably not, but because of all the scientists that have observed chemical reactions and looked through microscopes, we accept that atoms exist because it makes the most sense and the mechanics are demonstrable.

My reality is malleable. I may not believe in something today, but who is to say that won't change in six months? If you're looking for specifics of what I consider fluff, once again I think it falls on presentation. The majority of what I would deem fluff is either overactive imagination or misrepresentation or misunderstanding of things, either physical phenomenon or metaphysical phenomenon.

And don't forget that majority seems to rule on matters of what's real.

Ok I think its fair to say all you guys have clearly shown reality is fluff so know what about everything else?

I can't be sure what's real and what isn't real, so I'm always in question.

I know that the self exists, simply because I know that I experience suffering, which confirms that I exist. As for the rest of you, I can't be sure so I can only take your word when it comes to your existence.

So, in short.....

Annica ftw ninja

Its only subjective to something unknown and/or theories but things that are known are real, like an orange, we all have seen an orange so they are real.
Now dont give me philosophy becuase it just goes in circles.

Philosophy will only go in circles if you want it to.

The only reason why we consider oranges to be real is because we all have common experience of it, but if common experience adds up to reality, then there'd be many things in this fancy world that simply came into being just because people willed it. Which isn't the case.

But you seem to have ignored the point I was making, which is that what people believe and what is true are different things. Some things which are considered real by many will never even be considered to exist by others.

Aww, but that's taking all the fun out of it. I thought this was a perfect time for Descartes' Dreaming argument. But instead, I'll just extend Blind's comment.

Reality is subjective because perception is subjective. We have all seen an orange, because we live in a first world country capable of growing and importing fruit that can be shipped all over the nation. But if you lived in, say, a third-world arctic country and you've never seen an orange, would it exist? I mean, sure it would exist to those of us who have seen it, but to those who have not, it wouldn't exist. You could spend years trying to convince them that oranges exist, but that doesn't mean they'll believe it.