tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327333371501195810.post6414458626637071453..comments2013-07-20T04:03:09.426-07:00Comments on Big Spoon, Little Spoon: Another another JourneyAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14975202493088895766noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327333371501195810.post-26097134068788154892010-08-09T12:58:50.631-07:002010-08-09T12:58:50.631-07:00Drew: Probably the biggest impact Anna has had on ...Drew: Probably the biggest impact Anna has had on my view of religion is that she has made me reflect on it more. It's something that I naturally want to put on the back burner, but that can't happen when it's important to someone so important to me! She has pulled me out of my shell, a bit, and pulled me out of the house on Sunday mornings, sometimes. The places we've gone together and our conversations have made me think about religion, and what it means to each person, and watching Anna reflect on her beliefs has been inspiring to me.<br /><br />As for the each individual making their own decisions: yes, of course it's communal; life is communal. Watching people live their own lives, how they treat themselves, how they treat other people, and how people's beliefs contribute to that, plus the experiences we have with each other and the interpretation we give them are all important in shaping your own belief system. I'm Randian (Aristotelian?) enough to believe that, if there is a group of people who hold certain beliefs and are systematically unhappy, the belief system probably doesn't promote human flourishing; this is why legalistic belief systems don't appeal to me.<br /><br />As for where it will go? No clue.<br /><br />Erin: They're very contextual, but any story that makes you reflect on ethics should ultimately lead to similar conclusions. We're all people, and we all want to be happy, and there aren't an infinite number of ways to live and be happy in a social world.Ryan Langrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15080552998325983982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327333371501195810.post-34121425695126151192010-08-06T07:43:43.019-07:002010-08-06T07:43:43.019-07:00I agree about stories... stories ensure attention ...I agree about stories... stories ensure attention because they're entertaining and they convey more information than you'd think because they are packed with contextual subtleties. They're trickily tough to pin down though, as their meanings can change with time, with each telling, and with each listener's own context.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327333371501195810.post-28830332173899625252010-08-05T16:08:33.877-07:002010-08-05T16:08:33.877-07:00I really enjoyed this post Ryan! (no surprise, rig...I really enjoyed this post Ryan! (no surprise, right?) ;)<br /><br />I've enjoyed sharing, listening, and learning as you and Anna both continue your religious journeys. You both come from very different religious backgrounds, but I have gleaned that you two have found a healthy place for the religious side of your relationship. I continue to look forward to watching you two evolve in your religious life. And not as some objective observer, but as your friend, a friend who shares in this uncertain and constantly shifting religious journey.<br /><br />I'd actually be interested to hear more of your thoughts (both of your thoughts) on how you two believe you have impacted each other religiously. While I like a lot of what you say here, I think that your very relationship illustrates that religion is a much more relational event than your somewhat individualistic account allows. Obviously you two are a very special case, and I think you are right, Ryan, that in the end, we are the only ones that can make our own choices. Still, the source material we use to make those choices is immensely communal - even lovingly relational. :)<br /><br />So how do both of you see your own religious journeys as interrelated over the course of your relationship so far? And if you were to play the prophet, where/how do you see it developing?Wildflowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00595612308425401053noreply@blogger.com