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Should I stay calm (which I’m not doing very well) when my supervisor tells me to have a blessed ...
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 19, 2020:
Why would it disturb you so unless you are uncertain? Just bear it out and think true thoughts, such as that she means well.
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 19, 2020:
Why would it disturb you so unless you are uncertain? Just bear it out and think true thoughts, such as that she means well.
It does seem unfair to me that people who are layed off get the unemployment money PLUS the ...
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 26, 2020:
Unemployment is insurance, paid for out of paycheck deductions and by the employer as part of ones compensation.
$1200 is not enough to become jealous over. Anyway, those in essential services do indeed get the stimulus.
Have you read your birth certificate? Does it say that you are entitled to a fair life? Life ain’t fair.
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 26, 2020:
Unemployment is insurance, paid for out of paycheck deductions and by the employer as part of ones compensation.
$1200 is not enough to become jealous over. Anyway, those in essential services do indeed get the stimulus.
Have you read your birth certificate? Does it say that you are entitled to a fair life? Life ain’t fair.
Mississippi state flag: Lawmakers take major step to change it
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 28, 2020:
It never fails to boggle my mind how people who claim to be liberal manage to wrap themselves so tightly in the white robes of hatred, hypocrisy and self righteousness, all based on stereotyping, negative judgments and irrational associations.
Apparently once you classify certain people, a certain flag, certain religious groups, certain political parties as “evil”, that classification is permanent and every new action must be interpreted in the context of that classification.
It must be very unpleasant to carry such a burden. It would be more rational and happier, if a classification must be made, to classify everyone as “good”, and to promote love, understanding and empathy.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 28, 2020:
It never fails to boggle my mind how people who claim to be liberal manage to wrap themselves so tightly in the white robes of hatred, hypocrisy and self righteousness, all based on stereotyping, negative judgments and irrational associations.
Apparently once you classify certain people, a certain flag, certain religious groups, certain political parties as “evil”, that classification is permanent and every new action must be interpreted in the context of that classification.
It must be very unpleasant to carry such a burden. It would be more rational and happier, if a classification must be made, to classify everyone as “good”, and to promote love, understanding and empathy.
Well, looks like I kinda jumped right in my first day here.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 27, 2019:
Welcome.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 27, 2019:
Welcome.
Someone's Gotta Tell the Freakin' Truth.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 17, 2019:
If you are saying that *every* religious leader is amongst the very top echelon of the planets “worst” individuals then I would have to disagree. Most religious leaders are good people.
Besides that, a bad person is just one who behaves in a way that I don’t like. Badness is purely subjective.
I guess you could say that you don’t like the behavior of some religious leaders.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 17, 2019:
If you are saying that *every* religious leader is amongst the very top echelon of the planets “worst” individuals then I would have to disagree. Most religious leaders are good people.
Besides that, a bad person is just one who behaves in a way that I don’t like. Badness is purely subjective.
I guess you could say that you don’t like the behavior of some religious leaders.
god didn't create people. People created god
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 30, 2020:
Mankind “created” the objective gods of mythology as a sort of art-form. Our minds like to have objects in space and time as symbols for the indescribable.
Real creation is not something you do once and are done with. As a conscious extension of ultimate reality we (I) create continuously. I am the creator and the creation.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 30, 2020:
Mankind “created” the objective gods of mythology as a sort of art-form. Our minds like to have objects in space and time as symbols for the indescribable.
Real creation is not something you do once and are done with. As a conscious extension of ultimate reality we (I) create continuously. I am the creator and the creation.
Starting a new life.
Want to be happy.
Where do you begin?
WilliamFleming comments on May 13, 2018:
IMO the way to be happy and live a good life is to think only true thoughts. Every second of conscious awareness is a joyous, mind-bending miracle, but we often obscure that beauty with a screen of false thoughts.
After I read “Help Yourself to Happiness” by Maxie Maultsby Jr., I learned to be happy. It was like flipping a switch.
WilliamFleming comments on May 13, 2018:
IMO the way to be happy and live a good life is to think only true thoughts. Every second of conscious awareness is a joyous, mind-bending miracle, but we often obscure that beauty with a screen of false thoughts.
After I read “Help Yourself to Happiness” by Maxie Maultsby Jr., I learned to be happy. It was like flipping a switch.
I Have A Dream: What if we (Atheist / Agnostics / Freethinkers / Humanist and Free People of All
...
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 20, 2019:
I am happy with the country we have. A variety of opinions on various subjects, including religion, is healthy and desirable.
Whenever opinionated people have tried to exclude those who disagree the result has been failure.
Religious people do not disturb me in the least. I have my own weird form of religion that I call bewilderment.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 20, 2019:
I am happy with the country we have. A variety of opinions on various subjects, including religion, is healthy and desirable.
Whenever opinionated people have tried to exclude those who disagree the result has been failure.
Religious people do not disturb me in the least. I have my own weird form of religion that I call bewilderment.
Alabama editor calls for Klan to night ride again
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2020:
Circulation 1800.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2020:
Circulation 1800.
Supernatural VS Atheist
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 21, 2018:
I too have heard a very convincing ghost story. A story is just a story, but in this case various family members repeated the exact same story at different times, many years apart, so I tend to believe. Also I was shown the object of the haunting.
I do not like the concept of the supernatural. Just because a phenomenon is anomalous and mysterious does not mean it is not natural—just that it is not understood. Read about modern physics and you’ll learn that the basic structure of reality is outside the realm of human perception. The paranormal pales in eerieness compared to quantum field theory.
If advances are made in the study of the paranormal, those phenomena may well become seen as just part of nature.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 21, 2018:
I too have heard a very convincing ghost story. A story is just a story, but in this case various family members repeated the exact same story at different times, many years apart, so I tend to believe. Also I was shown the object of the haunting.
I do not like the concept of the supernatural. Just because a phenomenon is anomalous and mysterious does not mean it is not natural—just that it is not understood. Read about modern physics and you’ll learn that the basic structure of reality is outside the realm of human perception. The paranormal pales in eerieness compared to quantum field theory.
If advances are made in the study of the paranormal, those phenomena may well become seen as just part of nature.
Someone on Facebook asked this question: is there one God, many gods, a higher power, or only ...
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 10, 2018:
I have about decided that the god concept is nothing but a metaphorical symbol for the great mysterious reality beyond our everyday matter/space/time model. “God” is not something to be believed or disbelieved, rather, the concept should prompt deep awareness, extreme awe, appreciation and gratitude for the staggering implications of existence.
Science is in a totally separate category. It’s is our workhorse for learning about our world. We should respect and use its findings while recognizing its limitations.
This is only what I myself am currently thinking. I know that most Christian Churches want you to say that you believe. They think that by believing you will somehow worm your way into heaven. How ridiculous! The fact that some people are off in a supernatural la la land does not invalidate the god concept IMO.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 10, 2018:
I have about decided that the god concept is nothing but a metaphorical symbol for the great mysterious reality beyond our everyday matter/space/time model. “God” is not something to be believed or disbelieved, rather, the concept should prompt deep awareness, extreme awe, appreciation and gratitude for the staggering implications of existence.
Science is in a totally separate category. It’s is our workhorse for learning about our world. We should respect and use its findings while recognizing its limitations.
This is only what I myself am currently thinking. I know that most Christian Churches want you to say that you believe. They think that by believing you will somehow worm your way into heaven. How ridiculous! The fact that some people are off in a supernatural la la land does not invalidate the god concept IMO.
I’ve been studying the Tao Te ching for over a year now.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 4, 2020:
Is there a particular translation or commentary that you recommend?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 4, 2020:
Is there a particular translation or commentary that you recommend?
Should anyone suggest that the US is a Christian nation:
'Philip Alston, the UN special ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 2, 2018:
I doubt if all those changes will be made. Trump is sort of blustery, but even if he wanted to do those things his power would be limited. He’d need congressional backing.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 2, 2018:
I doubt if all those changes will be made. Trump is sort of blustery, but even if he wanted to do those things his power would be limited. He’d need congressional backing.
God? Anyone...?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 12, 2019:
The word is only a symbol, but it can refer to various concepts from silly mythical gods to ultimate reality. There is definitely an ultimate reality but I shy away from labeling that as “God”. Some people do however.
Ultimate Reality is not a “he”.out there somewhere. We collectively are Ultimate Reality—not our bodies but our essence as conscious beings.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 12, 2019:
The word is only a symbol, but it can refer to various concepts from silly mythical gods to ultimate reality. There is definitely an ultimate reality but I shy away from labeling that as “God”. Some people do however.
Ultimate Reality is not a “he”.out there somewhere. We collectively are Ultimate Reality—not our bodies but our essence as conscious beings.
What do you think about this photo?
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 13, 2019:
Interesting information, but probably not totally accurate. There are various conflicting stories about all the various mythological figures. I feel really dubious of that December 25 birthday. There have been different calendars used at different places and times.
I think that much or all of the Christ story was fabricated, but that is not of much interest to me at this stage. I am in such a state of utter amazement in response to conscious awareness and the stark fact of existence that old stories bore me. The miraculous present moment is real and is at hand.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 13, 2019:
Interesting information, but probably not totally accurate. There are various conflicting stories about all the various mythological figures. I feel really dubious of that December 25 birthday. There have been different calendars used at different places and times.
I think that much or all of the Christ story was fabricated, but that is not of much interest to me at this stage. I am in such a state of utter amazement in response to conscious awareness and the stark fact of existence that old stories bore me. The miraculous present moment is real and is at hand.
If only...
If churches paid taxes.....
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
You might tax the income of church employees but churches themselves make no profit to tax. They take donations and a lot of that is generally redistributed to the community. It would be like taxing the Red Cross.
The white IRS inset leads me to think they are talking about all tax exemptions and subsidies (farm subsidies?), not just churches. If so this is yet one more example of someone’s sleazy, dishonest attempt to promote their personal hateful agenda.
Using that logic, if only the IRS paid a 50% tax on the money it takes in we could all retire and live a life of ease and luxury.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
You might tax the income of church employees but churches themselves make no profit to tax. They take donations and a lot of that is generally redistributed to the community. It would be like taxing the Red Cross.
The white IRS inset leads me to think they are talking about all tax exemptions and subsidies (farm subsidies?), not just churches. If so this is yet one more example of someone’s sleazy, dishonest attempt to promote their personal hateful agenda.
Using that logic, if only the IRS paid a 50% tax on the money it takes in we could all retire and live a life of ease and luxury.
Put here as random, beautifully drawn and poignant cartoons about the deaths of 2 animals:
...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
Great! Very different.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
Great! Very different.
At our cores, everyone has a set of morals, but I think most people say they “are moral” or ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 18, 2019:
“Friendly” would be a better term. Friendly people don’t try to harm others, and they both give and receive. Moral sounds like a mushroom and suggests self-righteousness.
WilliamFleming comments on May 18, 2019:
“Friendly” would be a better term. Friendly people don’t try to harm others, and they both give and receive. Moral sounds like a mushroom and suggests self-righteousness.
Hi all, just want to check in; didn't realise such a group existed and look forward to good times ...
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 12, 2019:
Welcome!
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 12, 2019:
Welcome!
To you "Spiritualists" out there:
How were the "rules" of your afterlife set up?
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 14, 2018:
I put myself down as “spiritual”, but none of your questions apply to me. I am not claiming that there is a soul that flies up to heaven at death, etc. “Spirituality“ to me means that a person realizes that our perception of reality is illusional and that behind the scene lies true reality that we can not detect with our senses or understand in terms of our matter/space/time model. The nature of that higher reality is a profound mystery. Science, with its mathematical models gives only a superficial glimmer. Viewed in this way, the implications of existence are staggering.
Sir Arthur Eddington:
“The universe is of the nature of a thought or sensation in a universal Mind... To put the conclusion crudely — the stuff of the world is mind-stuff.”
“We are no longer tempted to condemn the spiritual aspects of our nature as illusory because of their lack of concreteness.”
“The scientific answer is relevant so far as concerns the sense-impressions... For the rest the human spirit must turn to the unseen world to which it itself belongs.”
So far as “believing in a creator”, I for one have not ruled out that possibility, but I would never phrase it in that way. It’s not about belief, and it’s not about “a creator” IMO. To create means to bring into existence at a particular time. The meaning of existence is very obscure and time does not exist in the most recent theories of physics, so questions about a creator are probably meaningless. What does it mean to say that you believe in something when you haven’t the faintest idea of the nature of that thing. The most rational response IMO is not belief but total bewilderment.
So far as your last paragraph, you are stating your opinion that consciousness arises from the body and disappears upon death. That is just your opinion and is not proven fact. The nature of deep conscious awareness is unknown and possibly unknowable.
I lean toward the idea of universal consciousness, or Ultimate Reality as embodied in the Brahman concept. There is no proof but my confidence level is currently 89.46%. :-)
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 14, 2018:
I put myself down as “spiritual”, but none of your questions apply to me. I am not claiming that there is a soul that flies up to heaven at death, etc. “Spirituality“ to me means that a person realizes that our perception of reality is illusional and that behind the scene lies true reality that we can not detect with our senses or understand in terms of our matter/space/time model. The nature of that higher reality is a profound mystery. Science, with its mathematical models gives only a superficial glimmer. Viewed in this way, the implications of existence are staggering.
Sir Arthur Eddington:
“The universe is of the nature of a thought or sensation in a universal Mind... To put the conclusion crudely — the stuff of the world is mind-stuff.”
“We are no longer tempted to condemn the spiritual aspects of our nature as illusory because of their lack of concreteness.”
“The scientific answer is relevant so far as concerns the sense-impressions... For the rest the human spirit must turn to the unseen world to which it itself belongs.”
So far as “believing in a creator”, I for one have not ruled out that possibility, but I would never phrase it in that way. It’s not about belief, and it’s not about “a creator” IMO. To create means to bring into existence at a particular time. The meaning of existence is very obscure and time does not exist in the most recent theories of physics, so questions about a creator are probably meaningless. What does it mean to say that you believe in something when you haven’t the faintest idea of the nature of that thing. The most rational response IMO is not belief but total bewilderment.
So far as your last paragraph, you are stating your opinion that consciousness arises from the body and disappears upon death. That is just your opinion and is not proven fact. The nature of deep conscious awareness is unknown and possibly unknowable.
I lean toward the idea of universal consciousness, or Ultimate Reality as embodied in the Brahman concept. There is no proof but my confidence level is currently 89.46%. :-)
The afterlife and beyond
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I don’t actually identify as an atheist, but I think that the only afterlife is the continuum of life and conscious awareness that is going on right now. In so far as you identify with the entire river of life from one end to the other you are immortal.
Our sense of self as a separate organic body is nothing but illusion. Our perceptions are framed by the model of space, time, and matter, but beyond that model is ultimate reality, which is not understood from our limited perspectives.
The concepts of creation, afterlives, even time, location, and existence itself are based on our superficial, symbolic way of perception. We are in heaven (defined as a higher reality) all the time but lack the ability to realize that.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I don’t actually identify as an atheist, but I think that the only afterlife is the continuum of life and conscious awareness that is going on right now. In so far as you identify with the entire river of life from one end to the other you are immortal.
Our sense of self as a separate organic body is nothing but illusion. Our perceptions are framed by the model of space, time, and matter, but beyond that model is ultimate reality, which is not understood from our limited perspectives.
The concepts of creation, afterlives, even time, location, and existence itself are based on our superficial, symbolic way of perception. We are in heaven (defined as a higher reality) all the time but lack the ability to realize that.
2018 SHINY STOCKINGS Joan Chamorro presenta Alba Armengou & Scott Hamilton & Sant Andreu Jazz Band -...
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 8, 2019:
A Spanish group—very nice.
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 8, 2019:
A Spanish group—very nice.
I believe it's a good practice to base one's worldview, to the extent humanly possible, only on ...
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 22, 2018:
My world view consists of abject bewilderment. That’s because as I see it, science provides only superficial answers.
Maybe we need two world views: one based on science, that helps us survive in our daily physical existence, and another based on a keen sense of awe and wonder, where new ideas are pounced upon with greed regardless of whether they arise from science, metaphysics, mysticism, philosophy or art.
The latter is a subjective world view and should not contain firm beliefs at all. It is a world view of personal experiences.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 22, 2018:
My world view consists of abject bewilderment. That’s because as I see it, science provides only superficial answers.
Maybe we need two world views: one based on science, that helps us survive in our daily physical existence, and another based on a keen sense of awe and wonder, where new ideas are pounced upon with greed regardless of whether they arise from science, metaphysics, mysticism, philosophy or art.
The latter is a subjective world view and should not contain firm beliefs at all. It is a world view of personal experiences.
The vicissitudes of naming places.
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 12, 2019:
Something tells me you are playing devil’s advocate here. Just love to get an argument going, aye?
Let’s rename Australia “Trump Island”.
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 12, 2019:
Something tells me you are playing devil’s advocate here. Just love to get an argument going, aye?
Let’s rename Australia “Trump Island”.
Beyond No-Self
By The Dalai Lama
“In other words, the yogi who has brought an end to ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2020:
It’s a long article and will take time to digest, but I can see that an enlightened yogi could not reasonably think of himself as an enlightened yogi, but as selfless—as not existing. The true yogi would not be thinking at all but experiencing union. Not even union, because for there to be union there’d have to have been a self to unite.
Maybe just experiencing oneness, realizing that the previous sense of self was illusion.
Thanks
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2020:
It’s a long article and will take time to digest, but I can see that an enlightened yogi could not reasonably think of himself as an enlightened yogi, but as selfless—as not existing. The true yogi would not be thinking at all but experiencing union. Not even union, because for there to be union there’d have to have been a self to unite.
Maybe just experiencing oneness, realizing that the previous sense of self was illusion.
Thanks
Dwindling tolerance.
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 28, 2018:
I would never go willingly to a place with a blaring television, and certainly not where there were multiple TV’s. How can you hear anything?
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 28, 2018:
I would never go willingly to a place with a blaring television, and certainly not where there were multiple TV’s. How can you hear anything?
We all hold some assumptions to be true and they lie too deep to be proved; one could call them ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 17, 2019:
Assuming :-) that what you say is true, it would seem useless to engage in arguments. Each person’s assumptions, being unprovable as they are, are unassailable. For example, I might frame my world view on the assumption that there is a higher intelligent power in the universe aka God or Ultimate Reality beyond the sensory world of our perceptions. If your assumption is that the objective world of our perceptions is all that exists, and that intelligence arises only from electrochemical processes in the brain, then we will never agree unless we are willing to modify those basic assumptions. I can simply say that my belief in God is an assumption, requiring no proof, and that my assumption is just as valid as your assumption.
This point is courageously driven home by Donald Hoffman in his theory of Conscious Realism, where he frankly assumes the existence of an hierarchy of conscious agents. No apologies are needed for our basic assumptions, even though they are only guesses. From assumptions there might be derived a brilliant philosophy or scientific theory wherein phenomena fall together perfectly and in which predictions are borne out.
I think we are deluding ourselves if we think that mankind has some sort of profound knowledge and understanding of reality, all based on rational proof. The truth is that we are in a sea of bewilderment, with only a bit of tenuous and superficial understanding based on assumptions.
WilliamFleming comments on May 17, 2019:
Assuming :-) that what you say is true, it would seem useless to engage in arguments. Each person’s assumptions, being unprovable as they are, are unassailable. For example, I might frame my world view on the assumption that there is a higher intelligent power in the universe aka God or Ultimate Reality beyond the sensory world of our perceptions. If your assumption is that the objective world of our perceptions is all that exists, and that intelligence arises only from electrochemical processes in the brain, then we will never agree unless we are willing to modify those basic assumptions. I can simply say that my belief in God is an assumption, requiring no proof, and that my assumption is just as valid as your assumption.
This point is courageously driven home by Donald Hoffman in his theory of Conscious Realism, where he frankly assumes the existence of an hierarchy of conscious agents. No apologies are needed for our basic assumptions, even though they are only guesses. From assumptions there might be derived a brilliant philosophy or scientific theory wherein phenomena fall together perfectly and in which predictions are borne out.
I think we are deluding ourselves if we think that mankind has some sort of profound knowledge and understanding of reality, all based on rational proof. The truth is that we are in a sea of bewilderment, with only a bit of tenuous and superficial understanding based on assumptions.
What is it that motivates you guys to get out of bed every morning?
WilliamFleming comments on May 7, 2018:
Every second of conscious awareness is an absolutely staggering and joyous miracle.
WilliamFleming comments on May 7, 2018:
Every second of conscious awareness is an absolutely staggering and joyous miracle.
Interesting Big Bang theory
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
It’s an intriguing idea but I’m not really understanding. How would you define a force wave? Is it a continuous wave or one with just a sudden burst like a shock wave.
One thing that just popped into my head as I wrote: The conjectured force wave might create some sort of gravity-like effect. If the matter is falling toward the wave maybe that would explain why the expansion is accelerating.
I have no credentials to speak about this stuff.still, you never know what might come from ideas.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
It’s an intriguing idea but I’m not really understanding. How would you define a force wave? Is it a continuous wave or one with just a sudden burst like a shock wave.
One thing that just popped into my head as I wrote: The conjectured force wave might create some sort of gravity-like effect. If the matter is falling toward the wave maybe that would explain why the expansion is accelerating.
I have no credentials to speak about this stuff.still, you never know what might come from ideas.
"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 14, 2018:
Einstein couldn’t imagine that particular kind of God but he did have other God concepts:
“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
“I believe in Spinoza's God, Who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God Who concerns Himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.”
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 14, 2018:
Einstein couldn’t imagine that particular kind of God but he did have other God concepts:
“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
“I believe in Spinoza's God, Who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God Who concerns Himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.”
What if you could eat only one food for the rest of life? , what food would you choose and why?
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 16, 2020:
Fish, but I probably wouldn’t live long without fruits and vegetables.
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 16, 2020:
Fish, but I probably wouldn’t live long without fruits and vegetables.
Does the end justify the means?
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 25, 2019:
If the intent is greater good for all, then yes, any means can be used. If all we are seeking is selfish gain, then no.
We are not perfect however, and often we are mistaken in our assessment. People get hurt. Think of a doctor who orders chemotherapy for a cancer patient. There is a chance the treatment will kill the patient, yet to do nothing might also bring death.
It’s not about morality but about analysis.
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 25, 2019:
If the intent is greater good for all, then yes, any means can be used. If all we are seeking is selfish gain, then no.
We are not perfect however, and often we are mistaken in our assessment. People get hurt. Think of a doctor who orders chemotherapy for a cancer patient. There is a chance the treatment will kill the patient, yet to do nothing might also bring death.
It’s not about morality but about analysis.
How are you finding happiness during the pandemic?
WilliamFleming comments on May 2, 2020:
Things are not much different for me, mostly because I am retired and living in a secluded place. I feel no sadness, despair or worry. My time is spent in meditation, walking in the woods, working in the garden and in the workshop. I also read and play sudoku, solitaire, hearts etc. and listen to music on my iPhone.
Everyone I know is taking the epidemic in stride, so I’m not worried on their behalf. I am concerned for the many families that suddenly have no income, and for the state of the economy.
I really do think that this Coronavirus is being vastly overplayed. Compared to epidemics of history this is nothing. It is certain that we will move through this event successfully and will soon return to our normal lives.
WilliamFleming comments on May 2, 2020:
Things are not much different for me, mostly because I am retired and living in a secluded place. I feel no sadness, despair or worry. My time is spent in meditation, walking in the woods, working in the garden and in the workshop. I also read and play sudoku, solitaire, hearts etc. and listen to music on my iPhone.
Everyone I know is taking the epidemic in stride, so I’m not worried on their behalf. I am concerned for the many families that suddenly have no income, and for the state of the economy.
I really do think that this Coronavirus is being vastly overplayed. Compared to epidemics of history this is nothing. It is certain that we will move through this event successfully and will soon return to our normal lives.
Electing an atheist president? [bigthink.com]
WilliamFleming comments on May 2, 2019:
I would not vote for AN atheist. I would vote for good, qualified leaders however, regardless of their religious opinions. If your personal identity is some sort of “ist” that means you might try to stamp society with your lame-brain ideas ala Stalin, Pol Pot, Chairman Mao, et al. After all, the deeper questions of life remain deeply mysterious.
WilliamFleming comments on May 2, 2019:
I would not vote for AN atheist. I would vote for good, qualified leaders however, regardless of their religious opinions. If your personal identity is some sort of “ist” that means you might try to stamp society with your lame-brain ideas ala Stalin, Pol Pot, Chairman Mao, et al. After all, the deeper questions of life remain deeply mysterious.
America Isn’t Growing Hostile Towards Christians, It’s Growing Hostile Towards Religious ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 9, 2020:
It’s a pretty good article.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 9, 2020:
It’s a pretty good article.
Children Raised Without Religion Are Kinder And More Empathetic, Study Finds
(This may have been ...
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 13, 2019:
The study has been retracted.
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30875-9
See discussion below by TheMiddleWay
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 13, 2019:
The study has been retracted.
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30875-9
See discussion below by TheMiddleWay
PSA be aware of this
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 11, 2020:
Both liberal and conservative values are needed, and they are not mutually exclusive. From a higher perspective we are all one. Unity is better than divisiveness because unity is real while divisiveness has to be invented and reinforced through lies and exaggerations, demonization and stereotyping.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 11, 2020:
Both liberal and conservative values are needed, and they are not mutually exclusive. From a higher perspective we are all one. Unity is better than divisiveness because unity is real while divisiveness has to be invented and reinforced through lies and exaggerations, demonization and stereotyping.
If a person that doesnt believe in a Higher Power (God) (Christ) do you believe that they should be...
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 16, 2019:
We should accept people period.
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 16, 2019:
We should accept people period.
Ties between the Isha upanishad and a unified field theory of physics?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 6, 2019:
Great post sir!
Namaste
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 6, 2019:
Great post sir!
Namaste
Evangelical Christians Helped Elect Donald Trump, but Their Time as a Major Political Force Is ...
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 14, 2018:
Trump was not elected by White evangelicals. Donald Trump was elected by a broad spectrum of voters from around the country. Only 20% of Americans report being White evangelicals, and only 77% of those voted for Trump. The numbers just aren’t there but I guess it feels good to have someone to blame.
http://www.people-press.org/2018/08/09/an-examination-of-the-2016-electorate-based-on-validated-voters/
The connection between religious association and voting is tenuous. Probably only half of Protestants are active church members. Because of cultural heritage they might SAY that they’re an evangelical, but it is a meaningless bit of data that has nothing do with their vote.
Why do people assume that people voted for Trump because of their church membership? Correlation does not prove causation. If you grew up in an agricultural region there is a good chance that you will have conservative values. Part of that conservatism might be expressed through membership in a Baptist or Methodist Church. To then say that folks voted for Trump because of their church—that borders on the ridiculous IMO.
All the talk about evangelical churches being hypocritical haters—that’s hogwash. I think it is clear who the haters are. They are busily engaging stereotyping and innuendos.
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
RESOLUTIONS:
http://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/resolution-7-on-sensitivity-and-unity-regarding-the-confederate-battle-flag
http://www.worldreligionnews.com/issues/southern-baptists-pass-resolution-to-no-longer-denounce-gay-people
Finally, it is noteworthy that the evangelical candidate in the last presidential race was Hillary Clinton.
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 14, 2018:
Trump was not elected by White evangelicals. Donald Trump was elected by a broad spectrum of voters from around the country. Only 20% of Americans report being White evangelicals, and only 77% of those voted for Trump. The numbers just aren’t there but I guess it feels good to have someone to blame.
http://www.people-press.org/2018/08/09/an-examination-of-the-2016-electorate-based-on-validated-voters/
The connection between religious association and voting is tenuous. Probably only half of Protestants are active church members. Because of cultural heritage they might SAY that they’re an evangelical, but it is a meaningless bit of data that has nothing do with their vote.
Why do people assume that people voted for Trump because of their church membership? Correlation does not prove causation. If you grew up in an agricultural region there is a good chance that you will have conservative values. Part of that conservatism might be expressed through membership in a Baptist or Methodist Church. To then say that folks voted for Trump because of their church—that borders on the ridiculous IMO.
All the talk about evangelical churches being hypocritical haters—that’s hogwash. I think it is clear who the haters are. They are busily engaging stereotyping and innuendos.
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
RESOLUTIONS:
http://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/resolution-7-on-sensitivity-and-unity-regarding-the-confederate-battle-flag
http://www.worldreligionnews.com/issues/southern-baptists-pass-resolution-to-no-longer-denounce-gay-people
Finally, it is noteworthy that the evangelical candidate in the last presidential race was Hillary Clinton.
We know that the human mind did not evolve to know reality as such but only those aspects of reality...
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 16, 2018:
I agree fully with this assessment. “Ultimate Reality” is not a thing to be believed or disbelieved. About all we can do with regards to Ultimate Reality is to stand in awe and appreciation.
Maybe the word “God” has been ruined through misuse, and should be abandoned.
Matias, I hope that you continue with your wonderful posts.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 16, 2018:
I agree fully with this assessment. “Ultimate Reality” is not a thing to be believed or disbelieved. About all we can do with regards to Ultimate Reality is to stand in awe and appreciation.
Maybe the word “God” has been ruined through misuse, and should be abandoned.
Matias, I hope that you continue with your wonderful posts.
“I’m not perfect, I’m just forgiven” is the most enabling statement ever made!
Christians...
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 2, 2020:
Since Christians often attack atheists for not having morality, therefore atheists should attack Christians for being hypocrites.
Another option would be to live in ecstasy and joy through each passing moment and make no negative judgments.
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 2, 2020:
Since Christians often attack atheists for not having morality, therefore atheists should attack Christians for being hypocrites.
Another option would be to live in ecstasy and joy through each passing moment and make no negative judgments.
Does Atheism Attract A Specific Political Affiliation?
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 19, 2018:
I favor libertarianism and that sounds like what you are. I can’t select that option on your poll however because it is listed as “fringe” and is thrown in with some horribly distasteful parties.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 19, 2018:
I favor libertarianism and that sounds like what you are. I can’t select that option on your poll however because it is listed as “fringe” and is thrown in with some horribly distasteful parties.
Meditation in the Time of Disruption
[theringer.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2018:
I downloaded that Headspace app. I’m going to try it out. Initially I like it. Thanks for your post.
I walk almost every day on a trail in the woods, and I do a sort on meditation while I walk. I pay attention to my breathing and to the movement of my body as I walk. Then I pick out a tree up ahead and try not to have a thought until I reach that tree. Then I immediately pick a new tree farther away, etc. My walks usually last about fifty minutes.
It’s just something that I am learning on my own. Do any of you do anything like that?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2018:
I downloaded that Headspace app. I’m going to try it out. Initially I like it. Thanks for your post.
I walk almost every day on a trail in the woods, and I do a sort on meditation while I walk. I pay attention to my breathing and to the movement of my body as I walk. Then I pick out a tree up ahead and try not to have a thought until I reach that tree. Then I immediately pick a new tree farther away, etc. My walks usually last about fifty minutes.
It’s just something that I am learning on my own. Do any of you do anything like that?
Flat Earthers
I think the only reason Flat Earthers exist is to give scientologists something to ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 2, 2018:
I don’t pay’em any mind. I suspect they’re just trying to get attention.
As I said in an earlier post, the planetary model with a spheroidal earth orbiting the sun is nothing but a mathematical model. Reality is much different. Models are useful for different purposes. The flat earth model is useful by land surveyors for small surveys.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 2, 2018:
I don’t pay’em any mind. I suspect they’re just trying to get attention.
As I said in an earlier post, the planetary model with a spheroidal earth orbiting the sun is nothing but a mathematical model. Reality is much different. Models are useful for different purposes. The flat earth model is useful by land surveyors for small surveys.
I am feeling euphorically happy about today, and I'm all about spreading positivity and ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2018:
I feel your happiness!
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2018:
I feel your happiness!
The “War on Christmas” Revisited.
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 7, 2018:
End the war on Yule Tide.
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 7, 2018:
End the war on Yule Tide.
A Small Dark Light: Ursula K.
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 15, 2018:
Sounds fabulous. My copy is coming in right now.
Thank you.
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 15, 2018:
Sounds fabulous. My copy is coming in right now.
Thank you.
"You shouldn't do that" is a challenge. Is "Watch me" your response?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
I can fully understand your sassy stubbornness. It’s amazing what a person can do if they just try. Sure, there’s danger, but there’s danger in existence. It’s all in what you’re comfortable with.
I had some younger guys order me not to climb my own ladder because they thought I was too old. As they were driving away I was climbing. I recently pressure washed my entire A-frame roof off a 32’ ladder.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
I can fully understand your sassy stubbornness. It’s amazing what a person can do if they just try. Sure, there’s danger, but there’s danger in existence. It’s all in what you’re comfortable with.
I had some younger guys order me not to climb my own ladder because they thought I was too old. As they were driving away I was climbing. I recently pressure washed my entire A-frame roof off a 32’ ladder.
A physicist, a biologist, and a mathematician are sitting on a bench across from a house.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2020:
Is it because there’s -1 person in there??
(2-3=-1)
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2020:
Is it because there’s -1 person in there??
(2-3=-1)
A Different Kind of Theory of Everything | The New Yorker
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 20, 2019:
Wow!
This merits some thought.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 20, 2019:
Wow!
This merits some thought.
The Coming Collapse
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 28, 2018:
Fear-mongering at its worst.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 28, 2018:
Fear-mongering at its worst.
Do you suppose dogs think in yips, barks, and growls?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 26, 2019:
I don’t know but I doubt it. Humans can think and act without using language. Think of an athlete, say a hockey player. While playing hockey there’s not time to verbalize your thoughts, and most of the thoughts are subconscious anyway.
For a dog, responding to a voice is probably little different than responding to a smell. Since dogs don’t talk there’s no need for them to formulate words in their minds.
I do think that dogs are consciously aware though. They communicate well with body language, and they can read our body language very well.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 26, 2019:
I don’t know but I doubt it. Humans can think and act without using language. Think of an athlete, say a hockey player. While playing hockey there’s not time to verbalize your thoughts, and most of the thoughts are subconscious anyway.
For a dog, responding to a voice is probably little different than responding to a smell. Since dogs don’t talk there’s no need for them to formulate words in their minds.
I do think that dogs are consciously aware though. They communicate well with body language, and they can read our body language very well.
So how good is your eyesight?
And when compared to a digital camera?
[youtu.be]
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
Very interesting! Thanks.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
Very interesting! Thanks.
I love all of you
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 26, 2019:
Great post Jeff, nicely phrased! I understand you perfectly.
Namaste and I love us back.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 26, 2019:
Great post Jeff, nicely phrased! I understand you perfectly.
Namaste and I love us back.
Should I Worry?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2018:
Just ignore it. There is nothing shameful or immoral about male sexuality. If you show respect and set a good example as a human being, he can not help but respect you in return, and other women in suite.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2018:
Just ignore it. There is nothing shameful or immoral about male sexuality. If you show respect and set a good example as a human being, he can not help but respect you in return, and other women in suite.
A very sad commentary on the closed society of the police forces.
WilliamFleming comments on May 30, 2020:
It’s the same where I live. Where people know each other they generally behave better.
WilliamFleming comments on May 30, 2020:
It’s the same where I live. Where people know each other they generally behave better.
In the past six years I have lost a daughter, my son, my wife and most recently my right leg.
WilliamFleming comments on May 13, 2019:
God is within us. I salute your courage.
WilliamFleming comments on May 13, 2019:
God is within us. I salute your courage.
MEN ONLY: What is your race/ethnic origin?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2018:
Ethnic Cracker.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2018:
Ethnic Cracker.
What will your ego let you do in the following scenario?
[hellocaremail.com.au]
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 5, 2019:
Of course it is a duty to help people. I’m not sure how ego comes into play in that scenario.
People in cities see so many unfortunates that they become hardened, and they are afraid of liability or entanglement. Calling the police would be an option.
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 5, 2019:
Of course it is a duty to help people. I’m not sure how ego comes into play in that scenario.
People in cities see so many unfortunates that they become hardened, and they are afraid of liability or entanglement. Calling the police would be an option.
Scientists create quantum sensor that covers entire radio frequency spectrum
[phys.org]
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 21, 2020:
Maybe the same technology can be used to develop more sensitive receivers in general, such as for radios, cell phones, TV, etc.
Exciting!
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 21, 2020:
Maybe the same technology can be used to develop more sensitive receivers in general, such as for radios, cell phones, TV, etc.
Exciting!
Do we know if Socrates was a historical character or a literary device used by Plato?
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 14, 2019:
Wikipedia gives some references that seem to verify the life of Socrates. For example, Socrates was a soldier during the Peloponnesian War and was mentioned by others as fulfilling that role nobly.
How could Plato have pulled off such a prank and not been exposed?
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 14, 2019:
Wikipedia gives some references that seem to verify the life of Socrates. For example, Socrates was a soldier during the Peloponnesian War and was mentioned by others as fulfilling that role nobly.
How could Plato have pulled off such a prank and not been exposed?
Stephen Wolfram’s proposal aims for a fundamental theory of physics | Science News
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 14, 2020:
Fascinating!
Suppose Wolfram achieves his goal and discovers a process that models reality. It would be an enormous accomplishment, and there would be a lot of spin-off, but on a basic level would that mean that we truly understand reality? I suspect not but don’t really know.
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 14, 2020:
Fascinating!
Suppose Wolfram achieves his goal and discovers a process that models reality. It would be an enormous accomplishment, and there would be a lot of spin-off, but on a basic level would that mean that we truly understand reality? I suspect not but don’t really know.
Where Did the Universe Come From?
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 26, 2018:
According to current quantum theories of physics, time does not exist. See Carlo Rovelli’s book “Reality is Not What it Seems”. If time is merely an illusion “come from” is not a meaningful concept, and your question can not be answered, especially not within the framework of our matter/space/time model. Although we do not understand ultimate reality, IMO we can experience just a glimmer of the staggering implications of existence.
Have you read about “Conscious Realism”, a theory of Donald Hoffman, a cognitive scientist? I think you might enjoy reading about his ideas.
My opinion is that the doctrines set forth by traditional Christian Churches are erroneous and harmful, especially when fear and guilt are used to get people to say that they “believe”. But the setting forth of false doctrines in no way addresses or invalidates the God question. Questions about ultimate reality are valid and worthy of our utmost attention.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 26, 2018:
According to current quantum theories of physics, time does not exist. See Carlo Rovelli’s book “Reality is Not What it Seems”. If time is merely an illusion “come from” is not a meaningful concept, and your question can not be answered, especially not within the framework of our matter/space/time model. Although we do not understand ultimate reality, IMO we can experience just a glimmer of the staggering implications of existence.
Have you read about “Conscious Realism”, a theory of Donald Hoffman, a cognitive scientist? I think you might enjoy reading about his ideas.
My opinion is that the doctrines set forth by traditional Christian Churches are erroneous and harmful, especially when fear and guilt are used to get people to say that they “believe”. But the setting forth of false doctrines in no way addresses or invalidates the God question. Questions about ultimate reality are valid and worthy of our utmost attention.
This question is for my education and not intended to have any political content.
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 8, 2019:
Not all of them are afraid. Some people are just drawn to firearms. I can relate to that myself, though so far I have managed to keep my arsenal down to just a few hunting rifles and shotguns and a 22 magnum revolver. For awhile I was coveting the Kel-Tek CMR-30 but knowing that it has absolutely no purpose, with supreme effort and will power I have so far abstained.
I’m not sure why we have those urges. It’s something in the subconscious mind.
Of course in some situations people are preparing for real threats. A couple of years ago a group was going around raping and robbing old people in our vicinity. People were arming themselves left and right.
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 8, 2019:
Not all of them are afraid. Some people are just drawn to firearms. I can relate to that myself, though so far I have managed to keep my arsenal down to just a few hunting rifles and shotguns and a 22 magnum revolver. For awhile I was coveting the Kel-Tek CMR-30 but knowing that it has absolutely no purpose, with supreme effort and will power I have so far abstained.
I’m not sure why we have those urges. It’s something in the subconscious mind.
Of course in some situations people are preparing for real threats. A couple of years ago a group was going around raping and robbing old people in our vicinity. People were arming themselves left and right.
Reincarnation
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2018:
I am constantly being reincarnated as my body rebuilds, my mind evolves, and my memories get pruned to make room for new memories. Even if I have memories from a previous life I’m not necessarily that same person who lived before. My sense of personhood as a body is an illusion.
Perhaps the real self is Universal Consciousness.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2018:
I am constantly being reincarnated as my body rebuilds, my mind evolves, and my memories get pruned to make room for new memories. Even if I have memories from a previous life I’m not necessarily that same person who lived before. My sense of personhood as a body is an illusion.
Perhaps the real self is Universal Consciousness.
A gift to all of us who have or had mothers.
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 9, 2019:
Though there is some truth there, I think the case is dramatically overstated. I take a more pragmatic view.
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 9, 2019:
Though there is some truth there, I think the case is dramatically overstated. I take a more pragmatic view.
I have realised that the wholesale condemnation of one particular religion boosts the supremacist ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
In my area there are interfaith councils that promote mutual understanding and respect among the various religions. The most fundamentalist of the groups don’t participate at all, or if they do they give only lip service while they promote their own partisan views.
It would help if we didn’t view ourselves as Muslims, Christians, atheists, etc, but as human beings with religious feelings or with opinions about religion.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
In my area there are interfaith councils that promote mutual understanding and respect among the various religions. The most fundamentalist of the groups don’t participate at all, or if they do they give only lip service while they promote their own partisan views.
It would help if we didn’t view ourselves as Muslims, Christians, atheists, etc, but as human beings with religious feelings or with opinions about religion.
My response
God: I will unleash a virus that indiscriminately kills the old, the weak and frail.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 28, 2020:
Obviously if there is some sort of God it is not very concerned with individual organisms but with the whole, and for good reason. What happens in nature is what has to happen, and it is neither good nor bad. Our role is to try to survive, but to understand and accept whatever comes our way.
Individuals create their own anxiety, fear and panic through thinking untrue thoughts.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 28, 2020:
Obviously if there is some sort of God it is not very concerned with individual organisms but with the whole, and for good reason. What happens in nature is what has to happen, and it is neither good nor bad. Our role is to try to survive, but to understand and accept whatever comes our way.
Individuals create their own anxiety, fear and panic through thinking untrue thoughts.
There are basically two types of agnosticism:
the first one takes place and participates in the ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 13, 2019:
I try to stay out of the debate but it is not because of laziness. I sincerely think that it is futile to debate about a higher level of reality that can not be understood or known.
The debate is over existence, right? Our human concept of existence involves sustenance over time, but time is nothing but an illusion according to modern physics. Clearly we do not even know what it means to exist. We do not understand our own existence—how can we have an intelligent discussion about the existence of this God figure?
It is perfectly reasonable to point out the mythical nature of old scriptures, to disbelieve the many far-fetched tales of the Bible, to ridicule the idea of hell. But when it comes to ultimate reality beyond the sense world we are totally in the dark and to pretend otherwise demonstrates a lack of basic awareness.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 13, 2019:
I try to stay out of the debate but it is not because of laziness. I sincerely think that it is futile to debate about a higher level of reality that can not be understood or known.
The debate is over existence, right? Our human concept of existence involves sustenance over time, but time is nothing but an illusion according to modern physics. Clearly we do not even know what it means to exist. We do not understand our own existence—how can we have an intelligent discussion about the existence of this God figure?
It is perfectly reasonable to point out the mythical nature of old scriptures, to disbelieve the many far-fetched tales of the Bible, to ridicule the idea of hell. But when it comes to ultimate reality beyond the sense world we are totally in the dark and to pretend otherwise demonstrates a lack of basic awareness.
The Germanic languages as they are roughly distributed throughout Europe as of 2018.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 18, 2018:
Very interesting. I didn’t know there were so many variations.
In addition, world-wide there’s English spoken around the world of course. Those Germanic tribes made their mark on the world.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 18, 2018:
Very interesting. I didn’t know there were so many variations.
In addition, world-wide there’s English spoken around the world of course. Those Germanic tribes made their mark on the world.
Does aggressive antitheism beget anti-atheism?
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 18, 2018:
It seems silly to divide up into groups based on who believes or doesn’t believe stuff, and attack each other. Nobody knows or understands our underlying reality. All we know is that we are experiencing conscious awareness in a beautiful and magnificent reality that we don’t understand.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 18, 2018:
It seems silly to divide up into groups based on who believes or doesn’t believe stuff, and attack each other. Nobody knows or understands our underlying reality. All we know is that we are experiencing conscious awareness in a beautiful and magnificent reality that we don’t understand.
Suppose religions were something like mites (the comparison is not at all absurd, because mites are ...
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 11, 2019:
Good advice IMO.
And that same attitude can be extended to all of nature. Rather than wallow in fear, anger, or disgust over some perceived condition, it would be more fruitful to seek understanding. Things are as they are for natural reasons.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 11, 2019:
Good advice IMO.
And that same attitude can be extended to all of nature. Rather than wallow in fear, anger, or disgust over some perceived condition, it would be more fruitful to seek understanding. Things are as they are for natural reasons.
It has been said by fururists that within less than 30 to 50 years.
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 20, 2019:
We already are immortal in one sense, but not in the way most people envision. Our sense of self as an individual in a body is just illusion IMO. It is an illusion that depends, among other things, on memory. Lose your memory and you start over as a new personality. Most of the memories of today will have no application in a thousand years, and would be a hindrance. We are constantly changing—my personal self is not the same as it was when I was young, but my core being of conscious awareness is the very same thing, and the same thing as yours, immortal by default.
In my short novel, “The Staggering Implications of the Mystery of Existence”, available in the Kindle Store, I explore this very subject.
WilliamFleming comments on Apr 20, 2019:
We already are immortal in one sense, but not in the way most people envision. Our sense of self as an individual in a body is just illusion IMO. It is an illusion that depends, among other things, on memory. Lose your memory and you start over as a new personality. Most of the memories of today will have no application in a thousand years, and would be a hindrance. We are constantly changing—my personal self is not the same as it was when I was young, but my core being of conscious awareness is the very same thing, and the same thing as yours, immortal by default.
In my short novel, “The Staggering Implications of the Mystery of Existence”, available in the Kindle Store, I explore this very subject.
What’s Wrong With Equestrian Atheism
The Four Horsemen are/were good guys.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 13, 2019:
I am in full agreement. What is called religion by most people today is a relatively new invention. In the old days it was just life.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 13, 2019:
I am in full agreement. What is called religion by most people today is a relatively new invention. In the old days it was just life.
Human Future?
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 2, 2020:
We are programmed by nature to want to survive, but I don’t think nature cares much. If our species doesn’t make it others will evolve and fill the gap. “They” are us also.
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 2, 2020:
We are programmed by nature to want to survive, but I don’t think nature cares much. If our species doesn’t make it others will evolve and fill the gap. “They” are us also.
Can bad people lead meaningful lives?
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 29, 2019:
I don’t see how anyone could think that an individual human life is sacred or precious. Individuals are frail and temporary by design. Life as a **process** though obviously has value or it wouldn’t exist.
Looking at nature as a whole I don’t see where the concept of morality has a place. Morality is nothing but a superficial human concept—a person who is behaving the way I want him to behave is a moral person.
Sometimes a pack of wolves will go on a killing spree, lay waste to a herd of caribou and leave the meat to rot. Is that immoral behavior? No, they are acting out inherited impulses derived through millions of years of evolution. That is the behavior that works for nature—who are we to sit in judgment?
It would indeed feel stressful to be in constant disagreement with natural processes. Better IMO to view our bodily selves as illusions and identify with the whole—with universal consciousness beyond space and time.
“It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life”
Damn! I’ve never been a Catholic. Why in hell am I quoting the prayer of St. Francis, and on an atheist web site no less! Please disregard the above quote.
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 29, 2019:
I don’t see how anyone could think that an individual human life is sacred or precious. Individuals are frail and temporary by design. Life as a **process** though obviously has value or it wouldn’t exist.
Looking at nature as a whole I don’t see where the concept of morality has a place. Morality is nothing but a superficial human concept—a person who is behaving the way I want him to behave is a moral person.
Sometimes a pack of wolves will go on a killing spree, lay waste to a herd of caribou and leave the meat to rot. Is that immoral behavior? No, they are acting out inherited impulses derived through millions of years of evolution. That is the behavior that works for nature—who are we to sit in judgment?
It would indeed feel stressful to be in constant disagreement with natural processes. Better IMO to view our bodily selves as illusions and identify with the whole—with universal consciousness beyond space and time.
“It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life”
Damn! I’ve never been a Catholic. Why in hell am I quoting the prayer of St. Francis, and on an atheist web site no less! Please disregard the above quote.
What is your favorite "meaning of life quote"?
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 9, 2019:
Edwin Schrodinger:
Consciousness cannot be accounted for in physical terms. For consciousness is absolutely fundamental. It cannot be accounted for in terms of anything else.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 9, 2019:
Edwin Schrodinger:
Consciousness cannot be accounted for in physical terms. For consciousness is absolutely fundamental. It cannot be accounted for in terms of anything else.
Why r ppl still talking of heaven in this the Information Age?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 21, 2018:
There is a heaven and we’re in it right now all the time.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 21, 2018:
There is a heaven and we’re in it right now all the time.
What is respect?
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
To respect means to take a second look, in other words, to know fully and appreciate. The opposite would be to take for granted, to stereotype or to have a prejudicial opinion.
You are grouping all religions and religious people together and saying that they define respect as unquestioning deference to authority. You are being disrespectful IMO.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
To respect means to take a second look, in other words, to know fully and appreciate. The opposite would be to take for granted, to stereotype or to have a prejudicial opinion.
You are grouping all religions and religious people together and saying that they define respect as unquestioning deference to authority. You are being disrespectful IMO.
The Story of Life - How Life Came From Non-Life
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 27, 2018:
So life is nothing but chemistry. But what is chemistry? We don’t know what sub-atomic particles are for example. We don’t know what space and time are, except maybe just illusions. Our one link with reality is the experience of conscious awareness, and the nature of that is a total mystery. Hell, we don’t even know what we ourselves are.
We should not sit so smugly on the golden throne of scientific knowledge when at heart we are almost totally ignorant.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 27, 2018:
So life is nothing but chemistry. But what is chemistry? We don’t know what sub-atomic particles are for example. We don’t know what space and time are, except maybe just illusions. Our one link with reality is the experience of conscious awareness, and the nature of that is a total mystery. Hell, we don’t even know what we ourselves are.
We should not sit so smugly on the golden throne of scientific knowledge when at heart we are almost totally ignorant.
Has the world become even more insane of late or is it that we just hear more of the insane people ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 10, 2020:
I think the average person sees these news stories and instantly identifies them as lurid outliers, not worth reading. The fact that someone has said something ridiculous is not real news.
If Gaisie actually brings back Kobe Bryant I’ll take notice.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 10, 2020:
I think the average person sees these news stories and instantly identifies them as lurid outliers, not worth reading. The fact that someone has said something ridiculous is not real news.
If Gaisie actually brings back Kobe Bryant I’ll take notice.
I get it, The United States is not a Chiristian nation on the Books.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 15, 2020:
Under the constitution the government can not favor any one religion. Can you name any laws that favor Christianity? If there are any they should be challenged in court.
Politicians want to win favor with the voters, and for that reason there are some government policies and laws that facilitate religious groups. You have to remember that the overwhelming majority of Americans are not hostile to religion and have no objection to the word “God” being uttered or stamped on coins. They have no objection to congressional prayer breakfasts or to tax breaks for religious groups. Many people consider religion to have a positive influence on society and there is some evidence that it does.
I myself have no objection to those kinds of religious involvement and I don’t believe that they are prohibited by the constitution. In a democracy you can’t have everything your own way.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 15, 2020:
Under the constitution the government can not favor any one religion. Can you name any laws that favor Christianity? If there are any they should be challenged in court.
Politicians want to win favor with the voters, and for that reason there are some government policies and laws that facilitate religious groups. You have to remember that the overwhelming majority of Americans are not hostile to religion and have no objection to the word “God” being uttered or stamped on coins. They have no objection to congressional prayer breakfasts or to tax breaks for religious groups. Many people consider religion to have a positive influence on society and there is some evidence that it does.
I myself have no objection to those kinds of religious involvement and I don’t believe that they are prohibited by the constitution. In a democracy you can’t have everything your own way.
Your happiness is my misfortune - that is the logic of tribal thinking.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 26, 2019:
It is an example of dualistic thinking at its worst. Happiness and misfortune are in different categories altogether. Happiness is the default, universal state. To achieve the sensation of misfortune a person has to go through mental contortions, continually feeding untrue thoughts into his subconscious mind.
It takes hard work and determination to achieve unhappiness, and it begins with the belief that you are guilty and need to be punished or the fear that your tribe is under attack or is going to be absorbed by others.
Maybe there’s survival value to a tribe in the whipping up of fear, anger, outrage, etc. For society at large though it would be more beneficial to identify mainly with the larger group—the state, the nation, the world, and to foster unity and peace.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 26, 2019:
It is an example of dualistic thinking at its worst. Happiness and misfortune are in different categories altogether. Happiness is the default, universal state. To achieve the sensation of misfortune a person has to go through mental contortions, continually feeding untrue thoughts into his subconscious mind.
It takes hard work and determination to achieve unhappiness, and it begins with the belief that you are guilty and need to be punished or the fear that your tribe is under attack or is going to be absorbed by others.
Maybe there’s survival value to a tribe in the whipping up of fear, anger, outrage, etc. For society at large though it would be more beneficial to identify mainly with the larger group—the state, the nation, the world, and to foster unity and peace.
The biblical "god" is merely a manifestation of the violent, male-dominant, hunter-killer left ...
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 11, 2019:
Things are as they are for reasons. Rather than judge the male half of humanity so harshly I’d prefer to understand why it is that the sexes are different.
Because of biology women are vitally necessary for the survival of any group. Therefore it falls to men to perform the most dangerous jobs. Obviously for nearly all of our existence hunting has been very necessary. As for war, competition and the protection of one’s home have been equally vital. Those tribes that failed at hunting and self-protection have left no descendants.
We are just what we are and it’s OK.
WilliamFleming comments on Aug 11, 2019:
Things are as they are for reasons. Rather than judge the male half of humanity so harshly I’d prefer to understand why it is that the sexes are different.
Because of biology women are vitally necessary for the survival of any group. Therefore it falls to men to perform the most dangerous jobs. Obviously for nearly all of our existence hunting has been very necessary. As for war, competition and the protection of one’s home have been equally vital. Those tribes that failed at hunting and self-protection have left no descendants.
We are just what we are and it’s OK.
How should we re-evaluate the biblical prophets in the light of what we now know about mental ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2018:
According to Paris Williams in “Rethinking Madness”, psychoses are a person’s technique for escaping an unbearable life situation. Most people work through their psychoses and emerge with heightened spiritual awareness with joy and appreciation for life.
If Williams is correct, saying that the prophets of the Bible had experienced psychoses would not be an argument against theism.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2018:
According to Paris Williams in “Rethinking Madness”, psychoses are a person’s technique for escaping an unbearable life situation. Most people work through their psychoses and emerge with heightened spiritual awareness with joy and appreciation for life.
If Williams is correct, saying that the prophets of the Bible had experienced psychoses would not be an argument against theism.
Professionalism: Do you agree with this venn diagram's definitions?
WilliamFleming comments on May 28, 2018:
There might be some truth there but the boundaries should not be so fixed and defined. They should be soft and indefinite, ala fuzzy logic.
A professional is still a human, with at least some human limitations.
WilliamFleming comments on May 28, 2018:
There might be some truth there but the boundaries should not be so fixed and defined. They should be soft and indefinite, ala fuzzy logic.
A professional is still a human, with at least some human limitations.
Earth Is Hotter Than at Any Time Since Steam Engine Was Invented
[bloomberg.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 9, 2020:
https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1256/wea.248.04
According to this study earth was as hot or hotter in the early 1940’s, yet the Bloomberg graph does not reflect that warm period.
WilliamFleming comments on Jan 9, 2020:
https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1256/wea.248.04
According to this study earth was as hot or hotter in the early 1940’s, yet the Bloomberg graph does not reflect that warm period.
Complete the following sentence: If everyone could have more _______, _______, and ________; the ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 16, 2018:
Awareness, appreciation & gratitude
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 16, 2018:
Awareness, appreciation & gratitude
The natural world is full of grisly cases of predation, parasitism, a universe of ghastly horrors ...
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 10, 2019:
The answer to the dilemma is in the opening chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. The only dilemma is in our mistaken thinking and ignorance regarding who we are.
There is a huge and complex jungle of organisms extending through time and space. If you are identified with one of those organisms the world will appear to be cruel and unjust. But those organisms have no real existence—they are nothing but temporary arrangements of energy patterns, like waves on the ocean. IMO it is impossible for an arrangement of molecules to have conscious awareness—from the perspective of ultimate reality they are robotic, neither good nor bad but behaving perfectly as they were designed to behave.
Our true Self (singular) is Consciousness itself.
Sir Arthur Eddington:
“The universe is of the nature of a thought or sensation in a universal Mind... To put the conclusion crudely — the stuff of the world is mind-stuff.”
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 10, 2019:
The answer to the dilemma is in the opening chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. The only dilemma is in our mistaken thinking and ignorance regarding who we are.
There is a huge and complex jungle of organisms extending through time and space. If you are identified with one of those organisms the world will appear to be cruel and unjust. But those organisms have no real existence—they are nothing but temporary arrangements of energy patterns, like waves on the ocean. IMO it is impossible for an arrangement of molecules to have conscious awareness—from the perspective of ultimate reality they are robotic, neither good nor bad but behaving perfectly as they were designed to behave.
Our true Self (singular) is Consciousness itself.
Sir Arthur Eddington:
“The universe is of the nature of a thought or sensation in a universal Mind... To put the conclusion crudely — the stuff of the world is mind-stuff.”
The practice of islam is in violation of all the human rights liberals are supposed to believe in: ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 22, 2018:
We should not stereotype them. I’ve know some wonderful people who practice the Islamic faith. There’s nothing wrong or evil about the basic tenets of Islam.
WilliamFleming comments on May 22, 2018:
We should not stereotype them. I’ve know some wonderful people who practice the Islamic faith. There’s nothing wrong or evil about the basic tenets of Islam.
Those of us who favor critical thinking and arguments based on scientific evidence should avoid ...
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 4, 2018:
I agree with all of this except that I’ve never heard anyone say that Hitler, Stalin, and Mao’s atrocities were motivated by religion. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc. were atheists but I don’t think their main motivation was atheism. In general the atheist state concept has been an abysmal failure.
I would like to add one more myth: “There is ZERO evidence for religious belief”. Evidence is all around us: The fact that the universe exists, the presence of life, consciousness and self-awareness, free will. All that is evidence for those with open minds.
Many of the most brilliant and creative people throughput history have been deeply religious, and even today, approximately half of all scientists believe in God.
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 4, 2018:
I agree with all of this except that I’ve never heard anyone say that Hitler, Stalin, and Mao’s atrocities were motivated by religion. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc. were atheists but I don’t think their main motivation was atheism. In general the atheist state concept has been an abysmal failure.
I would like to add one more myth: “There is ZERO evidence for religious belief”. Evidence is all around us: The fact that the universe exists, the presence of life, consciousness and self-awareness, free will. All that is evidence for those with open minds.
Many of the most brilliant and creative people throughput history have been deeply religious, and even today, approximately half of all scientists believe in God.
Just a thought that I've had since I was young trying to understand the rotation of the earth, and ...
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 13, 2019:
Maybe those UFOs that appear to instantly accelerate to incredible speeds are actually traveling in time rather than space. (or as well as in space).
WilliamFleming comments on Sep 13, 2019:
Maybe those UFOs that appear to instantly accelerate to incredible speeds are actually traveling in time rather than space. (or as well as in space).
I dislike any organized religion
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 28, 2019:
Welcome, but be prepared for a lot of flak over your god/goddess belief. No flak from me. I consider myself a religious naturalist, which you can learn about on Wikipedia.
Some of the New Thought churches might appeal to you, especially Unity.
Enjoy.
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 28, 2019:
Welcome, but be prepared for a lot of flak over your god/goddess belief. No flak from me. I consider myself a religious naturalist, which you can learn about on Wikipedia.
Some of the New Thought churches might appeal to you, especially Unity.
Enjoy.
Save this video and if you or anyone you know is diagnosed with Covid19 insist your doc watch it.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 10, 2020:
I do not feel comfortable insisting that my doctor watch a video. I trust that professional doctors are staying current in their field.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 10, 2020:
I do not feel comfortable insisting that my doctor watch a video. I trust that professional doctors are staying current in their field.
Atheists, is atheism the default of the failed philosophical hypothesis of a god or is it the ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 22, 2018:
Logically I see no difference in the assertion that you do not believe in God, and the assertion that you believe that God does not exist. If you said that you were undecided or that you didn’t know, that would be different.
I am not an atheist. I lean toward the concept of universal awareness, which could be labeled as God I suppose. Labels are just labels. I think that for a person to state that they believe no God exists, for that statement to be meaningful they would have to specify how they define God and which concepts of God they do not accept.
WilliamFleming comments on May 22, 2018:
Logically I see no difference in the assertion that you do not believe in God, and the assertion that you believe that God does not exist. If you said that you were undecided or that you didn’t know, that would be different.
I am not an atheist. I lean toward the concept of universal awareness, which could be labeled as God I suppose. Labels are just labels. I think that for a person to state that they believe no God exists, for that statement to be meaningful they would have to specify how they define God and which concepts of God they do not accept.
Honoring the Enemy
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 25, 2018:
Beautiful bit of information.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 25, 2018:
Beautiful bit of information.
Proof that there are no gods?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2020:
There is no such proof. I don’t get the point.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2020:
There is no such proof. I don’t get the point.
I am going out to eat for the 1st time since January.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 4, 2020:
Seems like the Bellini is starting to have some effect.
Enjoy! :-)
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 4, 2020:
Seems like the Bellini is starting to have some effect.
Enjoy! :-)
Why the electric-car revolution may take a lot longer than expected
[technologyreview.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 23, 2019:
Maybe when sodium ion batteries come on line we’ll see a significant drop in electric car costs.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium-ion_battery
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 23, 2019:
Maybe when sodium ion batteries come on line we’ll see a significant drop in electric car costs.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium-ion_battery
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