Re: Reality can be known?


On Feb 5, 2008, at 6:41 PM, Kent Johnson wrote:

Hi Doug.

I think this is an impossible question to answer except to say the
Writings tell us we can know reality but we cannot know the essence of
things.

I find that answer difficult to characterize. If I am not mistaken, you are
ending consideration of the topic and blaming the Baha'i Writings for your
failure to investigate further. Please correct me.

Kent-
It seems so simple to me. We cannot know the essence of anything so therefor why talk about it? We cannot know the essence of God but yet we CAN talk about God because the Manifestation gives us Attributes we can talk about. We can talk about things, material and spiritual realities because there are qualities and effects we can discuss but we cannot talk about their essences so why bother? I see no point in investigating but if you do then share what you find and I may or may not feel compelled to comment.

I have told you my answer several times. If this is your final answer the
conversation has no where to go. For me, such an answer in not satisfying
on any level.

You have told me what several times?

...and simply forget talking about essences
since they cannot be known anyway.

Is God, the Essence of essences, to be forgotten as well?

I explained that above,

doug

--Kent


"Douglas McAdam" <douglasmcadam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:aq-dnTJasKn8cTXanZ2dnUVZ_j-dnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Kent-
I think this is an impossible question to answer except to say the
Writings tell us we can know reality but we cannot know the essence of
things. So we can use our mind and come up with factors, or aspects of a
thing we can know and call the sum total the reality of a thing and that
has already been done and simply forget talking about essences since they
cannot be known anyway.

doug

On Feb 5, 2008, at 6:03 AM, Kent Johnson wrote:

What is the difference between the reality of a thing and its essence?

--Kent

"Douglas McAdam" <douglasmcadam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:v9SdnV1CAqbf3zXanZ2dnUVZ_oKhnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Because the Writings say we can know the reality of things and so
regardless that we cannot know the essences of things we can know their
reality, in a limited sense of course because everything in this world
that we know is relative to the absolute which includes the essences.

That is my take on it.

We must independently investigate reality and we can know and deal
intelligently with reality as far as we can on this plane of existence.
And reality consists of material and spiritual aspects and we have the
perceptual powers to see both.

regards,
doug

On Feb 4, 2008, at 8:43 AM, Kent Johnson wrote:

Hi Doug:

I could not know the essence of things but that I could know their
reality.

I don't know the difference between the reality of a thing and its
essence.

--Kent













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