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Quote by Iris Murdoch

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A Severed Head

This novel delves into the complex dynamics of relationships and the human psyche, focusing on themes of obsession, psychological manipulation, and the consequences of extreme behavior. more

Author

Iris Murdoch
Iris Murdoch

Iris Murdoch was an Irish-Canadian philosopher and author, born on July 15, 1919, in Dublin, Ireland, and passed away on February 8, 1999. She is celebrated for her philosophical novels that intertwine moral and ethical dilemmas with complex narratives. Murdoch's work has left a lasting impact on the literary world, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century. more

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“Secrets I am all secrets now. I know when you walk into a room. I don't need to see or hear you behind me, but I know you're there and wish you'd touch my shoulder when you walk by. How can you do that, without a sound, send electricity, a current through a room full of people? When did this crazy secret life start? People see me but don't see I've changed. The me people see isn't the tangled me inside, trying not to think about you, your laugh splashing like a waterfall on a hot summer day.”

LovePoetryThoughtsCrush
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“What is the use of religion in the modern world? In my mind, religion can be of no use for any intellectual in the sense what is directly written there. Whatever literally means in religion can independently be thought by the rational mind, of course, if there is any need to think over such mythology. Most of what rational mind can obtain in scientific way cannot even be discernible by religious thinking. There is no need to emphasize that the fundamental base of the modern world is out of the province of religious thinking. The language of religion itself is out of date. The whole description of afterdeath, for example, seems trivial nowadays. Imagine that afterdeath you go to pass the examination of ‘goodness’ or ‘badness’ before the Holy Spirit as it is shown in religion. He asks what you have done in so-and-so time and space, and you answer miraculously remembering every detail in your life, fully visualizing everything before your eyes. Nothing can be forgotten, nothing can be hidden. I don’t claim, whether it is true or false, at least here and now, I want to emphasize the fact that the language of such description is out of date. Considering that the history of religion and the Holy Scripture goes back long, long before the emergence of the modern world, it is explainable. Whatever is written there coincides with pre-modern world thinking. For instance, if a religion emerged nowadays, its Holy Scripture would contain concepts and ideas according to modern world thinking. There would be no need for questioning you by the Holy Spirit. In my eyes, there would be rather a description of the computer lab with ‘angels’ sitting at the computer and checking your memory-card in which is written all information about your life. The brain, which can pass the examination of ‘goodness’ would be connected to ‘heaven’ program system, which in turn would send to that brain positive signal as if your body is really experiencing sexual or other kind of pleasures as it is described in religion. Similarly, if you brain fails in that examination, it would be connected to ‘hell’ program system sending to your brain negative signals as if your body is really undergoing the punishment known by religion. So can modern religion be of the modern age. The human mind can never entirely grasp what would happen after death, so why should you poison your mind with mythology from ages past?”

ReligionThoughtsHoly Spirit
Author:Elmar Hussein
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