Attachment is the root of all suffering.

I’m sure he would be “rolling in his grave” (not that he’s in there) to hear people are characterizing his beliefs in this way. Any genuine Christian would that’s for sure. There is no such thing as a Christian who disbelieves in the historical Christ. It’s a contradiction of terms

All ideas come from the brain and all these stories came from Mesopotamia that proves without a shadow over doubt it’s all man-made stories

Sounds like intuition or revelation.

The origin of all religion derives from fear coupled to ignorance.

How can something that is detached be one with something else ? , Religious claims are usualy very illogical to me.

🙏 I just discovered your beautiful channel, thank you. I'm a student in Advaita Vedanta, a follower of Ramana Maharshi and believe that Eckhart was an Advaitist as well 😊 So many different paths bringing us to the same Reality or Oneness. Also as Carl Jung said:"Who looks outside dreams; Who looks inside awake". With loving kindness 💜 🙏 🕉️ Tat twam asi

How beautiful

Elaborate contradictory dogmatism was seed of future destruction for Christianity. List of dogmas and legalistic restrictions got so long that eventually there will be only fundamentalists left willing to turn their brains off and some heretical mystics who will dont even attend church, just medite with bible in hand in their homes.

👍🏿....its been a while....nice to hear You 😉

Sympathetic atheist here -- I think the problem, is that Christian mysticism is at odds with what might be thought of as modern "Industrial Christianity" or "Commercial Christianity", that is, the hyper-authoritarian, ironically materialistic version of Christianity of the kind proferred by say, American prosperity gospel or worse, political evangelicalism. One look at transparent tv con-men like Joel Osteen or other, more Right-wing bigots I won't even name sends any thinking person running in the opposite direction. It's not atheists Christianity needs saving from, it's those guys. On the other hand, even as an atheist, I find ideas like "The Cloud of Unknowing" and Whitehead's Process Theology fascinating. I grew up reading C.S. Lewis and I still love him, I find his best arguments not in his apologetics, but in his fiction, it's there where you find the feeling of what Christians say Christianity is all about. Just my two cents!

Yeah, once you learn more about Eastern spirituality, mainstream Christianity seems like spirituality for babies tbh.

Great video!

Wow now i understand the peigenism in christianety fully. You gone astray.

I think he was almost burnt at the stake. He simply died just before they could do that to him.

LMAO. Christianity without Christianity. What a trash is the modern world. 🎉

Catholic Church is not the church. Protestant sects are not the church. Now you can go and look up what the real Church is, the one that is actually 2,000 years old.

"Every-thing is a tool" makes sense in a proper context, once there is a recognition about what "not this not that"/ no-thing-ness/ non-duality is 🙃❤️ Much more could be said... 😁❤️

I guess what hes saying here is that when you cannot see where your going , its nice to know if someone is kind enough to show us the way!

How does it make sense to say, "Truth is posterior to God". Posterior meaning prior? Posterior meaning behind? Why not say "Truth is to the left of God" or "Truth is North of God"? This language just leads to agnosticism.

The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith. Some have strayed from these ways and turned aside to EMPTY TALK 1 Timothy 1:5.

Which St. Gregory? There were a lot of them and many were mystics?

Those people are all good to think with, nice choices. I like the suggestion of Girard. I haven’t read him in a long time… may be time to revisit. I need to go through the twentieth century French intellectuals again sometime… may be useful for this project

You didn't define what "works" means. But if you mean increasing membership, based on current trends of growth in Prosperity Gospel, NAR, and NIFB/Greg Locke style churches, what "works" is greed, desire of power, and hate.

God had meant for you to be perfect in all your ways and a friend to him throughout all of eternity... You are not your body, you are not your mind, you are a spirit that uses both these things. But your vision is blurry and you choose to know only through your physical senses, that is why God can't find you... You were never meant to be a mortal... You are the only animal in existence that God would want to have a conversation with... God created you in his image to live forever and rejoice, but you have chosen the temporary and have lost your way, this is why you live in vain only choosing that in which you are familiar and comfortable in the physical sense. That is why you choose, money, social validation, material wealth, and quick thrills, because you know deep down you'd have to bring yourself to a more profound form of humility in order to face your God who made you and confess that you were wrong... but no matter... whatever sins, whatever burdens, whatever feelings you may have... What happens on earth is forgotten yesterday and is forgiven for tomorrow. God loves you and wants to be with you, don't choose ego and pride over happiness. If you believe in God, no matter what, whether you are wrong or right, you have nothing to lose... as opposed to the alternative... God is waiting for you! He's been waiting since the beginning and will continue to do so... You think it's "too good to be true" but that is what you project from your heart which has been molded by the iniquities of this world by men like yourself, men who would take the word of the Lord and twist it to sound right in their own minds or believe half-heartedly and expect reward. God wants to be with you but can't because you've turned from him.... You are like a fish out of water thinking their is nothing beyond matter but their is a spiritual realm, YOU are living proof of this! Seek God in the scripture, find humility, find truth, reject ego, reject arrogance. If God is real and created you, why call him evil if you are not the same? I say to you, their is so much you have chosen to forget... Those with ears let them hear, for it is the sight that truly blinds a man! ... 1 Corinthians 2:11-16 Isaiah 5:20-21 Romans 1:18-32 Romans 2:1-29

​@weirdwilliam8500 It appears you've fallen victim to KZbin cencership as I cannot provide you with anymore truth than what I've already given... sorry.... seek and ye shall find! Luke 17:21

I am the way the TRUTH and the life

This is because the idea of ​​the existence of a god in Christian terms is completely irrational. Any defense of Christianity will necessarily be irrational and so, only a defense that responds to emotional needs.

Monotheism purged mythic a long time ago, the only thing kept their institution going is through violence, the real decline of Christianity is they lost the right to direct law enforcement. While Islam and Zionist can spill guts and burn book in the name of righteousness. That is why they are the only growing faith in a rapidly secularized world. You are in the wrong game boddy.

The problem with Christianity is that it's based on Judaism and Judaism isn't a religion as much as it is a national identity.

So well done, thank you from the bottom of my heart

Freud already debunked mysticism.

I'm no theologian Clint - I'm a simple physicist (these days, far more simple than used to be) but I have a question about something which I think lies at the heart of the 'moving away' from Christianity. It concerns the basic premise that I am a sinner. I 100% reject the notion that Adam and Eve existed as real human beings. I can accept they are symbolic - but that's another issue. If I don't accept the reality of Original Sin, it seems to me that the whole edifice of Christianity comes tumbling down. Am I correct? The reason for asking is that although I know very few people who claim to be Christians, but those who do, accept Original Sin, at least in some form. Most people I know reject this concept, and therefore also reject the whole Christian saga. However, many of this group also accept that there is something which could be referred to as the Absolute, or even the Creator. This, as I see it, is the problem for the Church, or indeed for any Christian denomination. (Just for info, weekly church attendance in the UK runs at less than 2% of the population. Although around 65% claim to believe in some type of 'higher power' but not the God of the Bible.)

Christianity is the voice and body of Jesus Christ.

This touches on a lot of things I've learned throughout the years. I had originally left turned my back on Christianity from around the age of 13 to 20 because, being in the Southern US, I only understood Christianity from a rather fundamentalist perspective. Two major turning points for me was in taking a university class on Biblical literature wherein I learned that Christian interpretation was/is more diverse than I had understood, and in reading from or about the saints/mystics alongside Kierkegaard, Simone Weil, Emil Cioran, and, eventually, Meister Eckhart. If it were not for these two points, I probably would not have been interested in Christianity and I probably would not have joined the Religious Society of Friends. I have just recently read Paul F. Knitter's "Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian" wherein he quotes someone (I forget who) who explicitly says that Christianity needs to turn to mysticism in order to survive and he touched on how the average Christian's understanding of theology never surpasses a childish understanding, so when confronted with pressing issues, most simply fall out of the faith and that does match my experience in New Atheist circles. What sucks is that you can explain a mystical, alternative, or simply a non-literal/hermeneutical approach to Christianity to either a Christian or atheist and be met with the accusation that these approaches are not actually Christian. As was said, people likely would not consider Eckhart as Christian. In any case, I do hope to see change for the better in the future.

Thats the point. It works.

I left largely because of christian bullying. No freedom of thought, control control control, the lies we were forced to believe. I don't think the modern world should have a place for a bronze age religion.

I don't think Christianity will shift to a mystic position. A mystical philosophy is simply too difficult for most people to wrap their heads around. Most people are average intelligence and their lives are focused on work, family, social media, and TV. They find something like Meister Eckhart abstruse, incomprehensible, sand through their fingers. They *need* concretized images, a clear story, and defined theological beliefs to hang on to. Mysticism is too esoteric for them. I don't believe the shift you're describing will happen. .... I've had what I consider spiritual or transpersonal experiences in my life. They have fed me spiritually and let me know what is important and what is not. They seem quite personal to me, though, and not about the sort of Unity Consciousness or Oneness that mystics describe over and over. I am not a mystic. I like individuality too much. I suppose you could say I'm more interested in Differentiation Consciousness than Unity Consciousness. I also tend to be verbally precise, so the intentional obfuscation and contradiction of mystical language annoys me. I think, "Stop trying to be clever and just say it plainly." Perhaps I'm asking too much. But most mystical language seems like an abstraction that I can't do much with. If that's true for me, I'm sure it's true for the vast majority of Christians. .... Anyhow, if Christianity survives, I don't think it will be by becoming a diffuse, universal mysticism. That's my opinion, anyhow. Thanks for the thought-provoking video.

Good afternoon. I have to respectfully disagree. I think the problem is quite other than - as you present - that the philosophical framing no longer works for people. I think the problem is multi-faceted, but in order to be brief: 1. The arguments presented in favor of Christianity are generally poor, even though better ones exist. Most people - in America at least - think Christianity boils down to "I believe it because the Bible says so." Even a lot of the Christians seem to think that. 2. The better arguments are philosophical and complicated. Most people simply can't be bothered; they're too busy scrolling Facebook. 3. Those that do look into it are convinced by easy-to-understand - but shallow and silly - catchphrases, such as "there is no evidence for god." Take Christopher Hitchens. While admittedly a wonderful orator and someone who was extremely enjoyable to listen to, when you get down to it, his philosophical arguments were quite weak. He persuaded with wit, charm, and humor, not good argumentation. This is very similar to something like the Daily Show, where strong analysis gives way to mocking quips and goofy faces. The general populace isn't looking for a great philosophical argument, they're looking to be entertained. And THAT is why Christianity is declining. In our self-centered, hedonistic society, Christianity is not only a road block, it's just plain BORING. Thanks - a former atheist.

As an atheist I have had mystical experiences. Especially when seeing the beauty of nature. The stars, sunset etc. Mysticism is an internal state that is accessible to everyone in all walks of life. It says nothing about if there is a specific God despite how you may feel internally. Secondly apologetics is like a battle plan. It sounds all great and fine in the war room but put it out on the field (a debate/discussion) and they quickly fall apart due to blatantly obvious counter points apologetics fail to consider.

I think we are forgetting to ask. Should Christianity survive?

Christianity has become synonymous with corruption, hypocrisy, cruelty, and hatred. And also, overthrowing democracy. It’s so unappealing.

Well, LOL, if Truth is posterior to God, then you are assuming the conclusion before you even start. Not even worth addressing seriously. Have a good day. You don't care about what is true or false, only about your contingently-held irrational beliefs. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.

"You can stop right there, your majesty, it's turtles all the way down"

I discount mysticism because these mystics only seem to be able to access visions of other realms when they have put themselves through extreme mental duress (or they have mental conditions like schizophrenia.) Why should I believe these are genuine experiences with a higher power when it is impossible to differentiate between a hallucination and a divine vision? If you have a vision of a saint you are a mystic. If you can't tell who your family is and curse uncontrollably then you are possessed of devils. Seriously, hijacking mental illness for its own purposes is just another in the long list of manipulations that religion foists on the unsuspecting.

Conservative Catholics will say your perspective here is heresy, whilst protestants will say it is a path to agnosticism or neo paganism.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." Matthew 23:27 I always felt this to mean the kind of religious practice that is devoid of the mystical. I have never been able to find a way into the church due its lack of focus on the mysticism in the teachings. It is vital for the church to recover this if it is to survive.

99% of the things that dawkins, hitchens and harris (never heard of dennett) talk about boil down to "god's not real". most christians, no matter how well put the argument of an atheist is, will not stop believing in god because of an atheist. that would defeat the purpose of faith. they just do not care about your opinion. more like, it is irrelevant. religion makes them comfortable. religion is a support system. religion is a community. religion is history. atheism the lack of all of these things.

I am an atheist/agnostic and your acknowledgement of Bruno and Nietzsche in this video is highly pertinent. I have been reading Simone Weil's "On the Abolition of All Political Parties" and in that book there is an essay written by Czeslaw Milosz. He mentions "Man will become a God for man." This mirrors what you are saying at the 5:00 mark. In addition, Nietzsche even mentions - " Man is God in miniature." Interesting stuff indeed. Have you read anything by Rene Girard ? He and Weil have helped me see Christianity and its relationship to man in a far more compelling light.

I appreciate your points, I have my disagreements but I want to inquire is why should your definition of Truth be a priority?, was it demonstrated? I love the Prince of Egypt, but that doesn't mean I'm observing some "truth", aesthetics are not truth values. Not everything that is true is useful. Again I appreciate the discussion but I remain unconvinced.