Like
Haha
Sad
Hug
Wow
Hmmm
Grrr/Dislike
Send SmileNavigation
Comments
What might the happiest possible society look like?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
We can strive for equality but happiness is up to individuals. The only reason for not being happy is that you are loading untrue ideas into your subconscious mind. Feeling inferior because of someone else’s wealth is a prime example.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
We can strive for equality but happiness is up to individuals. The only reason for not being happy is that you are loading untrue ideas into your subconscious mind. Feeling inferior because of someone else’s wealth is a prime example.
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.
Where Talking about Wealth a Bigger Taboo than Talking abut Sex [bbc.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
I haven’t heard anyone in the US bragging about their money —maybe a few politicians, but not people.
I see though that Wikipedia has taken to giving the net worth of celebrities. I don’t know why.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
I haven’t heard anyone in the US bragging about their money —maybe a few politicians, but not people.
I see though that Wikipedia has taken to giving the net worth of celebrities. I don’t know why.
Popeyes burned by continued violence at locations nationwide
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
Sounds like there’s a full scale chicken sandwich war in progress. Keep your head down and lie lowly.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
Sounds like there’s a full scale chicken sandwich war in progress. Keep your head down and lie lowly.
I'm in my flak shelter - but there's a lot here to think on whether it's your way or not! ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
I am completely on board with the first five numbered assertions. Number six, not so much. Taking strong political stances on issues is not about unity but divisiveness. Declaring that your position on social and political questions is the only correct position—that is not spirituality but sheer ego. Fighting a battle for the advancement of women while ignoring the needs of men—that is partisanship.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
I am completely on board with the first five numbered assertions. Number six, not so much. Taking strong political stances on issues is not about unity but divisiveness. Declaring that your position on social and political questions is the only correct position—that is not spirituality but sheer ego. Fighting a battle for the advancement of women while ignoring the needs of men—that is partisanship.
I just finished Chris Hedges book "When Atheism Becomes Religion", about the movement of the "new ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
It is a good point. In order to hammer home our arguments and vent our emotions we commonly select the most extreme examples to lambast. For example, a relative handful of extreme right wing preachers come to represent “evangelicalism”. Furthermore, the views of the handful are distorted and exaggerated in order to make them appear to be more of a threat than they really are. It’s the same with these New Atheists. If they are a dire threat it is only because anyone believes they are a threat. We have the option of ignoring them if we wish.
It’s a way of saying, “These others are evil, idiotic, ignorant, and a danger to life on earth. I’ll be your leader. Join with me in a seething cauldron of perpetual anger and fear”!
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 14, 2019:
It is a good point. In order to hammer home our arguments and vent our emotions we commonly select the most extreme examples to lambast. For example, a relative handful of extreme right wing preachers come to represent “evangelicalism”. Furthermore, the views of the handful are distorted and exaggerated in order to make them appear to be more of a threat than they really are. It’s the same with these New Atheists. If they are a dire threat it is only because anyone believes they are a threat. We have the option of ignoring them if we wish.
It’s a way of saying, “These others are evil, idiotic, ignorant, and a danger to life on earth. I’ll be your leader. Join with me in a seething cauldron of perpetual anger and fear”!
The Curiosity rover detects oxygen behaving strangely on Mars
(this webpage has lots of ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
Very interesting. Back in 1976 the first Mars lander detected life but the finding was pushed aside.
https://www.space.com/41689-nasa-viking-mars-life-search-gil-levin.html
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
Very interesting. Back in 1976 the first Mars lander detected life but the finding was pushed aside.
https://www.space.com/41689-nasa-viking-mars-life-search-gil-levin.html
On the future - of capitalism, inequality, the planet and many other things... [mobile.abc.net.au]
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
It’s an interesting article, but any number of things could happen that would throw off the rather pessimistic predictions of the analysts.
Humans are intelligent and resourceful and will deal with problems as they arise.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
It’s an interesting article, but any number of things could happen that would throw off the rather pessimistic predictions of the analysts.
Humans are intelligent and resourceful and will deal with problems as they arise.
Within or without you ?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
Just about everyone here is going to say neither. If you are thinking of God as an object or thing then I would also say neither. Since no one has the least idea of what they are talking about when they speak of God, we are all free to make up our own concepts if we choose.
I’m going to say “God” is both within and without. That is because I am God—actually an extension of God, along with everything else.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
Just about everyone here is going to say neither. If you are thinking of God as an object or thing then I would also say neither. Since no one has the least idea of what they are talking about when they speak of God, we are all free to make up our own concepts if we choose.
I’m going to say “God” is both within and without. That is because I am God—actually an extension of God, along with everything else.
I welcome the diversity on here.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
In the case of children, it is imposed or taught from “above”. As adults, many or most are comfortable with their particular faith and they enjoy a sense of belonging. Also some of them are awestruck with the sheer fact of existence and they get pleasure from joining with others in reverence and worship.
There is also that irrational fear and guilt that might have been imposed on them. Some of them think that when they die they will get into heaven because they believed.
I really don’t think that religion explains reality, and I think religious people know that. Their attitude is to accept on faith and trust that things are in the hands of God.
On the other hand science doesn’t explain reality either. Some of the most intelligent and knowledgeable people alive are deeply religious. For that reason I extend respect to all regardless of their opinions about religion.
KIP THORNE: (Nobel Prize winning physicist)
"There are large numbers of my finest colleagues who are quite devout and believe in God [...] There is no fundamental incompatibility between science and religion. I happen to not believe in God."[13]
(Wikipedia)
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
In the case of children, it is imposed or taught from “above”. As adults, many or most are comfortable with their particular faith and they enjoy a sense of belonging. Also some of them are awestruck with the sheer fact of existence and they get pleasure from joining with others in reverence and worship.
There is also that irrational fear and guilt that might have been imposed on them. Some of them think that when they die they will get into heaven because they believed.
I really don’t think that religion explains reality, and I think religious people know that. Their attitude is to accept on faith and trust that things are in the hands of God.
On the other hand science doesn’t explain reality either. Some of the most intelligent and knowledgeable people alive are deeply religious. For that reason I extend respect to all regardless of their opinions about religion.
KIP THORNE: (Nobel Prize winning physicist)
"There are large numbers of my finest colleagues who are quite devout and believe in God [...] There is no fundamental incompatibility between science and religion. I happen to not believe in God."[13]
(Wikipedia)
What are your thoughts?
[enotes.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
Some people seem to need and want religion, and for various reasons. If religion had been serving no purpose it would have long since died out.
Live and let live.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 13, 2019:
Some people seem to need and want religion, and for various reasons. If religion had been serving no purpose it would have long since died out.
Live and let live.
Hello there
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 12, 2019:
Welcome. Dive right in.
It’s great to have people from around the world.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 12, 2019:
Welcome. Dive right in.
It’s great to have people from around the world.
Does anybody on this site believe that we have freedom of speech in Canada?
[nationalpost.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
I don’t think you can be prosecuted for what you say unless you are inciting violence or threatening someone, so in that sense you/we have freedom of speech.
But I think an employer has a right to fire people because of what they say, especially if it is said on TV. They really need give no reason.
It’s one thing to complain about illegal immigrants—it’s another thing to complain about immigrants in general. All citizens are equal.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
I don’t think you can be prosecuted for what you say unless you are inciting violence or threatening someone, so in that sense you/we have freedom of speech.
But I think an employer has a right to fire people because of what they say, especially if it is said on TV. They really need give no reason.
It’s one thing to complain about illegal immigrants—it’s another thing to complain about immigrants in general. All citizens are equal.
Dr.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
Excellent video, and it gets right to the point with great clarity.
It’s the essence of Rational Behavior Therapy.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
Excellent video, and it gets right to the point with great clarity.
It’s the essence of Rational Behavior Therapy.
Relational Structure
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
According to physicist Carlo Rovelli, there are no “things”, only relationships. A particle of matter is an interaction between covariant gravity fields and can only be understood in terms of those fields. In a similar way, we might think of a bolt of lightning as a “thing” but we’d be hard pressed defend that idea because lightning has no definite boundary or location. It is more of an event than a thing—it is a relationship of other relationships.
What is a waterfall? What is a person? What is a mythical being?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
According to physicist Carlo Rovelli, there are no “things”, only relationships. A particle of matter is an interaction between covariant gravity fields and can only be understood in terms of those fields. In a similar way, we might think of a bolt of lightning as a “thing” but we’d be hard pressed defend that idea because lightning has no definite boundary or location. It is more of an event than a thing—it is a relationship of other relationships.
What is a waterfall? What is a person? What is a mythical being?
OK so we all get bored to death with the meaning of 'spiritual' question.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
It is to be open-minded to new evidence and willing to entertain ideas that clash with established dogma.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
It is to be open-minded to new evidence and willing to entertain ideas that clash with established dogma.
Today's humanism certainly has several roots, and the free thinkers of the Enlightenment are only ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
I think it was a correct perception by those early humanists that mankind lives in a higher unseen realm and that our bodies must deal with the day to day world of sense perception just as do other animals. I would not use the word “divine” to describe the unseen world however because that suggests magic and the supernatural.
Those early humanists were off base in my opinion when they elevated humans to a higher position than that of animals. We are human because we have human bodies, which are just a type of animal body. We are “divine” because our true selves (Self) consist of universal conscious awareness. But animals are also extensions of the one Self. We are one with all of life.
I agree Matias that the modern atheist/materialist type humanist must be in quite a quandary to uphold the special place of humans, seen as nothing but a chance assemblage of molecules. For example, octopuses, with their eight brains can do many things not possible for other creatures, but that is no reason to declare yourself an octopusist.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 11, 2019:
I think it was a correct perception by those early humanists that mankind lives in a higher unseen realm and that our bodies must deal with the day to day world of sense perception just as do other animals. I would not use the word “divine” to describe the unseen world however because that suggests magic and the supernatural.
Those early humanists were off base in my opinion when they elevated humans to a higher position than that of animals. We are human because we have human bodies, which are just a type of animal body. We are “divine” because our true selves (Self) consist of universal conscious awareness. But animals are also extensions of the one Self. We are one with all of life.
I agree Matias that the modern atheist/materialist type humanist must be in quite a quandary to uphold the special place of humans, seen as nothing but a chance assemblage of molecules. For example, octopuses, with their eight brains can do many things not possible for other creatures, but that is no reason to declare yourself an octopusist.
I am not a religious person. I do not have any belief at all. I pra.ctise peace.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
Great attitude That’s also what I try to practice, and I neither believe nor disbelieve.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
Great attitude That’s also what I try to practice, and I neither believe nor disbelieve.
Does anyone know of a resource in the US that assists people with paying for hearing aids?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
I have a neighbor who recently bought a very cheap imported Chinese hearing aid and he is very pleased with it.
I’ve never understood why a hearing aid should cost in the thousands.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
I have a neighbor who recently bought a very cheap imported Chinese hearing aid and he is very pleased with it.
I’ve never understood why a hearing aid should cost in the thousands.
As far as I can tell, there exists no objective purpose to life.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
So far as individual organisms, they come and go, and are of little significance. Viewed from an overall perspective however, there is great significance—infinite significance in reality itself. So far as we identify with the whole we will experience that significance.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
So far as individual organisms, they come and go, and are of little significance. Viewed from an overall perspective however, there is great significance—infinite significance in reality itself. So far as we identify with the whole we will experience that significance.
I am fifty-seven today 😮. Unholy mother of a non-existent deity--how did that happen?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
Happy birthday young lady.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
Happy birthday young lady.
This is the village a mile from where I live
We had Torrential rain on Friday, through to Saturday ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
Looks bad. Best of luck in dealing with this flood.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
Looks bad. Best of luck in dealing with this flood.
Medical study proves validity of speaking in tongues - The Christian Post
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2006/11/tongues-mind
https://www.dana.org/article/speaking-in-tongues-glossolalia-and-stress-reduction/
This is from Wikipedia:
“In 1972, William J. Samarin, a linguist from the University of Toronto, published a thorough assessment of Pentecostal glossolalia that became a classic work on its linguistic characteristics.[11]”
Samarin determined that the words uttered are random mixtures of syllables from the speakers particular language and that there is no correlation among the speech of different speakers. I’m assuming also that two episodes from the same speaker would have no meaningful similarities in terms of common words.
Speaking in tongues is just random noise but it might have value in inducing a trance.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2006/11/tongues-mind
https://www.dana.org/article/speaking-in-tongues-glossolalia-and-stress-reduction/
This is from Wikipedia:
“In 1972, William J. Samarin, a linguist from the University of Toronto, published a thorough assessment of Pentecostal glossolalia that became a classic work on its linguistic characteristics.[11]”
Samarin determined that the words uttered are random mixtures of syllables from the speakers particular language and that there is no correlation among the speech of different speakers. I’m assuming also that two episodes from the same speaker would have no meaningful similarities in terms of common words.
Speaking in tongues is just random noise but it might have value in inducing a trance.
The American Dream Is Killing Us
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
It is an interesting article, rather pessimistic and despairing. That “American Dream” concept is an invention. There is a good basis for the idea regarding immigrants, but the average American I think has never been swept up in such an idealistic idea.
If you look at actual consumption of goods and services as measured by GDP per capita, the standard of living has been steadily rising forever.
https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-per-capita
In general we have more to eat, better housing, more and better clothing, better health care, and critically, many many more entertainment options than in earlier years. The more we have the more we want. Compare life today with life in 1950 and you’ll see what I mean.
I contend that with thought and self-discipline almost anyone can get by. The value of life is not measured by consumer goods.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
It is an interesting article, rather pessimistic and despairing. That “American Dream” concept is an invention. There is a good basis for the idea regarding immigrants, but the average American I think has never been swept up in such an idealistic idea.
If you look at actual consumption of goods and services as measured by GDP per capita, the standard of living has been steadily rising forever.
https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-per-capita
In general we have more to eat, better housing, more and better clothing, better health care, and critically, many many more entertainment options than in earlier years. The more we have the more we want. Compare life today with life in 1950 and you’ll see what I mean.
I contend that with thought and self-discipline almost anyone can get by. The value of life is not measured by consumer goods.
I don't think there is evidence of conscious awareness outside of a developed brain.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 10, 2019:
I don’t see how the firing of neurons could possibly lead to conscious awareness, no matter how many neurons are firing or in what order or pattern. No one has satisfactorily explained how such a thing could happen so far as I know.
I lean toward thinking that consciousness is a primary quality of reality.
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 Nov 10, 2019:
I don’t see how the firing of neurons could possibly lead to conscious awareness, no matter how many neurons are firing or in what order or pattern. No one has satisfactorily explained how such a thing could happen so far as I know.
I lean toward thinking that consciousness is a primary quality of reality.
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.”
SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT PROBABILITY & NOT PROOF??
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 9, 2019:
If a person wonders about something or other and is actively trying to learn about that subject, then they are not very concerned with belief or disbelief. They are just interested in finding the answer, or reformulating the question into something more meaningful. They are not interested in fake, superficial arguments over beliefs—they want substantive understanding. They are open to and excited by promising new ideas.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 9, 2019:
If a person wonders about something or other and is actively trying to learn about that subject, then they are not very concerned with belief or disbelief. They are just interested in finding the answer, or reformulating the question into something more meaningful. They are not interested in fake, superficial arguments over beliefs—they want substantive understanding. They are open to and excited by promising new ideas.
How do you feel about exaggerating to make a point?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 9, 2019:
Hyperbole can be an effective way of conveying your strong feelings, but IMO it should be obvious to the listener that you don’t mean it to be taken literally.
A lot of news outlets take a story, twist and exaggerate it to serve their purposes. It’s plain lying and it only makes them look bad to those who research further. It affects their reputation.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 9, 2019:
Hyperbole can be an effective way of conveying your strong feelings, but IMO it should be obvious to the listener that you don’t mean it to be taken literally.
A lot of news outlets take a story, twist and exaggerate it to serve their purposes. It’s plain lying and it only makes them look bad to those who research further. It affects their reputation.
"Experientia docet" –Tacitus, Experience teaches .
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 9, 2019:
Very good point. No one person has the whole picture. We know what we know but we are unaware of our ignorant areas and often resort to stereotyping to fill in the gaps.
It might take a long time to grow in knowledge but at least we can try through conversations to understand each other. That won’t happen as long as we are yelling and screaming and demonizing each other.
“...grant that I may not so much seek...to be understood as to understand.”
Damn! I’ve done it again—quoted the prayer of St. Francis, and on an atheist web site no less, and I’ve never been a Catholic! Disregard.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 9, 2019:
Very good point. No one person has the whole picture. We know what we know but we are unaware of our ignorant areas and often resort to stereotyping to fill in the gaps.
It might take a long time to grow in knowledge but at least we can try through conversations to understand each other. That won’t happen as long as we are yelling and screaming and demonizing each other.
“...grant that I may not so much seek...to be understood as to understand.”
Damn! I’ve done it again—quoted the prayer of St. Francis, and on an atheist web site no less, and I’ve never been a Catholic! Disregard.
Kepler achieves a world-first for satellite broadband with 100Mbps connection to the Arctic
...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
I wonder if the public will see that kind of satellite service someday.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
I wonder if the public will see that kind of satellite service someday.
Report: Churches Cost Taxpayers $71 Billion Annually | Michael Stone
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
If an organization shows no profit what exactly are you going to tax? Local property taxes maybe, but federal income taxes don’t apply. Those **working** for the organization do pay taxes, just like everyone else.
To call it a tax subsidy when there is no profit to tax is ridiculous—the government is not granting anything when it doesn’t tax non-profits. To confiscate donations that people make to their associations would amount basically to a tax on those who donate.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
If an organization shows no profit what exactly are you going to tax? Local property taxes maybe, but federal income taxes don’t apply. Those **working** for the organization do pay taxes, just like everyone else.
To call it a tax subsidy when there is no profit to tax is ridiculous—the government is not granting anything when it doesn’t tax non-profits. To confiscate donations that people make to their associations would amount basically to a tax on those who donate.
Has anyone got any ideas?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
There already are groups like Unitarians that are open to all and promote secularism. They seem to have very few members in general. I think the trouble with such groups is that they become polarized over political and social issues. They vote on some highly divisive resolution, and the losers drop out.
Will you allow Trump supporters in your group? Will they feel welcome? Will Deists be welcome?
A philosophical discussion group might work if there were strict rules of conduct and if all were welcome.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
There already are groups like Unitarians that are open to all and promote secularism. They seem to have very few members in general. I think the trouble with such groups is that they become polarized over political and social issues. They vote on some highly divisive resolution, and the losers drop out.
Will you allow Trump supporters in your group? Will they feel welcome? Will Deists be welcome?
A philosophical discussion group might work if there were strict rules of conduct and if all were welcome.
It is interesting the number of people on here commenting on how they are surrounded where they live...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
I’m with you on this one. I live in rural Alabama, depicted by some as an evil hotbed of right-wing “Evangelicals”. Yet all my most immediate friends are non-believers, and church people never bother me in the least.
I can see though that for some people, family members might pressure them. It might be hard to escape your family.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
I’m with you on this one. I live in rural Alabama, depicted by some as an evil hotbed of right-wing “Evangelicals”. Yet all my most immediate friends are non-believers, and church people never bother me in the least.
I can see though that for some people, family members might pressure them. It might be hard to escape your family.
It seems there are people in this world that believe that there is historical truth and accuracy in ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
Most of the Bible is myth, allegory and outright lies. It’s hardly worth stewing over.
Within that collection of literature there might be a few ideas that are worth taking into consideration. After all, the Bible is just an assortment of old writings of various degrees of authenticity and quality.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
Most of the Bible is myth, allegory and outright lies. It’s hardly worth stewing over.
Within that collection of literature there might be a few ideas that are worth taking into consideration. After all, the Bible is just an assortment of old writings of various degrees of authenticity and quality.
I believe "Central New Jersey" exists, more that any deity exists. Can anyone prove me wrong?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
“Central New Jersey” and “any deity” are both nothing but fluffy mind stuff. The concept of existence is just meaningless chatter anyway.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
“Central New Jersey” and “any deity” are both nothing but fluffy mind stuff. The concept of existence is just meaningless chatter anyway.
I have an idea!! Let’s talk about the word “spiritual”!!!
No one’s thought of THAT yet! ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
Very great post skado! You are a masterful writer.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
Very great post skado! You are a masterful writer.
I am always stunned that even highly intelligent and educated people sometimes talk rubbish, that ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
There is an interesting Wikipedia article on Polkinghorne, who, besides being a renowned physicist, is also an Anglican priest.
While I certainly do not support or agree with Christian Church dogma, there is a way of looking at the so-called trinity that makes at least a little bit of sense. It is really an exercise in futility to try to describe ultimate reality, which can not be described adequately within the framework of our illusory human model of reality. Nevertheless I will present my thoughts.
Ultimate reality, called God by some, is all that there is. All separate “things” are separate in thought only, being actually extensions of the whole. We do not normally see that because, for survival, we evolved to divide reality into separate objects. We categorize and rank our perceptions according to survivability. (See *The Case Against Reality* by Donald Hoffman)
Calling ultimate reality a “trinity” is not saying there are three gods, or even three gods in one. All it means is that on a human level there are two ways of thinking about ultimate reality. There is the “son” which is us collectively—actually deep conscious awareness or universal consciousness. We do not normally, in our daily lives, think about reality that way because for survival we are having to sort out and categorize sensory input according to its level of good vs bad.
Within our selves is our subconscious, brain-based mind, ever busy making sense of reality through symbolic associations. It is our interface with true reality that, like a computer interface, converts the abstract into readable print or images, etc. We could dramatically label that as the “Holy Ghost”, though I shudder to do so on an atheist web site. The Holy Ghost doesn’t amount to much. If we could experience ultimate reality directly we wouldn’t need that way of thinking.
So we can choose to experience reality through conscious awareness, often enhanced by meditation, or we can study and contemplate reality in our thoughts. That’s two, and reality itself makes three. To label that as “The Trinity” is an exercise in pomposity and is misleading in the extreme. On my computer I can watch a video or I can read a book—big deal.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 8, 2019:
There is an interesting Wikipedia article on Polkinghorne, who, besides being a renowned physicist, is also an Anglican priest.
While I certainly do not support or agree with Christian Church dogma, there is a way of looking at the so-called trinity that makes at least a little bit of sense. It is really an exercise in futility to try to describe ultimate reality, which can not be described adequately within the framework of our illusory human model of reality. Nevertheless I will present my thoughts.
Ultimate reality, called God by some, is all that there is. All separate “things” are separate in thought only, being actually extensions of the whole. We do not normally see that because, for survival, we evolved to divide reality into separate objects. We categorize and rank our perceptions according to survivability. (See *The Case Against Reality* by Donald Hoffman)
Calling ultimate reality a “trinity” is not saying there are three gods, or even three gods in one. All it means is that on a human level there are two ways of thinking about ultimate reality. There is the “son” which is us collectively—actually deep conscious awareness or universal consciousness. We do not normally, in our daily lives, think about reality that way because for survival we are having to sort out and categorize sensory input according to its level of good vs bad.
Within our selves is our subconscious, brain-based mind, ever busy making sense of reality through symbolic associations. It is our interface with true reality that, like a computer interface, converts the abstract into readable print or images, etc. We could dramatically label that as the “Holy Ghost”, though I shudder to do so on an atheist web site. The Holy Ghost doesn’t amount to much. If we could experience ultimate reality directly we wouldn’t need that way of thinking.
So we can choose to experience reality through conscious awareness, often enhanced by meditation, or we can study and contemplate reality in our thoughts. That’s two, and reality itself makes three. To label that as “The Trinity” is an exercise in pomposity and is misleading in the extreme. On my computer I can watch a video or I can read a book—big deal.
Fresh amputee w post surgical infection , miserable as he can be , arrived w all the signs and ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 7, 2019:
To say that God has a plan is not necessarily a falsehood. It all depends on what is meant by “God”. It’s like saying that everything in nature happens for reasons and that things will work out for the greater good. Your being there to express concern was of the utmost importance. In times like that human contact means everything.
In contrast to your story, once I came into a campground and saw a guy trying to put up a large tent, so I went to help. In the course of conversation he told me that he had come to have both his legs amputated the next day. I was struck with horror and could hardly talk. He consoled me by saying that everything would work out and that it would be no big deal. “If God wants me to die, I’ll die”, he said.
Damn!
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 7, 2019:
To say that God has a plan is not necessarily a falsehood. It all depends on what is meant by “God”. It’s like saying that everything in nature happens for reasons and that things will work out for the greater good. Your being there to express concern was of the utmost importance. In times like that human contact means everything.
In contrast to your story, once I came into a campground and saw a guy trying to put up a large tent, so I went to help. In the course of conversation he told me that he had come to have both his legs amputated the next day. I was struck with horror and could hardly talk. He consoled me by saying that everything would work out and that it would be no big deal. “If God wants me to die, I’ll die”, he said.
Damn!
SPIRITUAL.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 7, 2019:
Great definition. I’m with you.
The trouble with those dictionary definitions is that they are not sufficient. “Relating to the human spirit of soul”—what is the human spirit or soul? “Relating to religion or religious belief—how do you define religion? And those definitions definitely don’t define the word as it is used by self-described spirituality aware people.
Are you going to send in the suggestion to the dictionary companies?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 7, 2019:
Great definition. I’m with you.
The trouble with those dictionary definitions is that they are not sufficient. “Relating to the human spirit of soul”—what is the human spirit or soul? “Relating to religion or religious belief—how do you define religion? And those definitions definitely don’t define the word as it is used by self-described spirituality aware people.
Are you going to send in the suggestion to the dictionary companies?
Is religiosity natural or does it need indoctrination?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 7, 2019:
Very good post Matias, and I am very much in agreement. It is why religious people should rationally be treated with respect and dignity.
Muddling the issue is that what we think of as religion is a mishmash of various practices, beliefs and expressions, some of which are maturational naturalness and some practiced.
Prehistoric people didn’t set out to create religion—they didn’t have the concept. What they did was respond to the spark of conscious awareness with excitement, awe and reverence, and they expressed that through stories, rituals, etc. They were not trying to be religious—they were just living. A child of today is filled with that same excitement, awe and reverence. There are thousands of ways those emotions might be expressed, depending on culture, tradition, etc.
As children we are primed for natural religion, but we have to be taught belief in particular dogmas. I never truly believed that Jesus died to save me from my sins and that if I believed I would go to heaven. That makes no sense, but I still feel religious.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 7, 2019:
Very good post Matias, and I am very much in agreement. It is why religious people should rationally be treated with respect and dignity.
Muddling the issue is that what we think of as religion is a mishmash of various practices, beliefs and expressions, some of which are maturational naturalness and some practiced.
Prehistoric people didn’t set out to create religion—they didn’t have the concept. What they did was respond to the spark of conscious awareness with excitement, awe and reverence, and they expressed that through stories, rituals, etc. They were not trying to be religious—they were just living. A child of today is filled with that same excitement, awe and reverence. There are thousands of ways those emotions might be expressed, depending on culture, tradition, etc.
As children we are primed for natural religion, but we have to be taught belief in particular dogmas. I never truly believed that Jesus died to save me from my sins and that if I believed I would go to heaven. That makes no sense, but I still feel religious.
The universe may be conscious, say prominent scientists - Big Think
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
Thanks for posting this! I’m saving it in a handy place to read when I get time.
I’m in the middle of reading Donald Hoffman’s new book, *The Case Against Reality*, which complements this article.
There are plenty of reasons for thinking that the universe might be conscious, and many prominent physicists have hypothesized the idea in various forms. For example:
Max Planck said in 1944, "As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter".
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.
There are many others.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
Thanks for posting this! I’m saving it in a handy place to read when I get time.
I’m in the middle of reading Donald Hoffman’s new book, *The Case Against Reality*, which complements this article.
There are plenty of reasons for thinking that the universe might be conscious, and many prominent physicists have hypothesized the idea in various forms. For example:
Max Planck said in 1944, "As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter".
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.
There are many others.
Only now do we understand the true cruelty of Trump’s family separation.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
“Over the past few decades, the number of imprisoned parents in the U.S. has skyrocketed. From 1991 to 2007, it jumped by more than 357,000. Today,[2018] more than half of the 2.2 million people in the nation’s prisons and jails are parents of minor children.”
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/12/03/how-incarcerated-parents-are-losing-their-children-forever
I’m not saying it’s right in the case of illegal immigrants, but that 5460 children must be compared to the millions of children across the US who have been taken from their parents over the years, and before Trump was elected.
Those who enter the country illegally have, after all, broken the law. If laws are going to be enforced people have to be charged and jailed. The alternative is simply to open the borders to all comers. To establish that policy would require legislative action. I don’t see politicians moving in that direction.
A more humane method would be some kind of family holding camp, but that might grow to gargantuan size and could become very expensive. Is it fair to provide food and housing to illegal immigrants and not to citizens in need?
Some positive suggestions would be better than Trump bashing. Here’s a balanced article on the current state of affairs:
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2019/09/23/immigration-court-asylum-seekers-what-to-expect/2026541001/
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
“Over the past few decades, the number of imprisoned parents in the U.S. has skyrocketed. From 1991 to 2007, it jumped by more than 357,000. Today,[2018] more than half of the 2.2 million people in the nation’s prisons and jails are parents of minor children.”
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/12/03/how-incarcerated-parents-are-losing-their-children-forever
I’m not saying it’s right in the case of illegal immigrants, but that 5460 children must be compared to the millions of children across the US who have been taken from their parents over the years, and before Trump was elected.
Those who enter the country illegally have, after all, broken the law. If laws are going to be enforced people have to be charged and jailed. The alternative is simply to open the borders to all comers. To establish that policy would require legislative action. I don’t see politicians moving in that direction.
A more humane method would be some kind of family holding camp, but that might grow to gargantuan size and could become very expensive. Is it fair to provide food and housing to illegal immigrants and not to citizens in need?
Some positive suggestions would be better than Trump bashing. Here’s a balanced article on the current state of affairs:
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2019/09/23/immigration-court-asylum-seekers-what-to-expect/2026541001/
I BELIEVE THAT ALL RELIGIONS BRAINWASH THEIR KIDS
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
Churches that teach children things with which I agree are imparting liberality, wisdom, truth, goodness.
Churches that teach children things with which I disagree are doing brainwashing.
Not all religions are the same. Some religions make a lot of sense. Even fundamentalist religions have a few good points. If the parents are steeped in that religion I would just say that I think they are mistaken but that they are doing what seems right for themselves and their children.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
Churches that teach children things with which I agree are imparting liberality, wisdom, truth, goodness.
Churches that teach children things with which I disagree are doing brainwashing.
Not all religions are the same. Some religions make a lot of sense. Even fundamentalist religions have a few good points. If the parents are steeped in that religion I would just say that I think they are mistaken but that they are doing what seems right for themselves and their children.
I university of Alabama said protestor trump and lose your tickets
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
Not so. Student newspaper warned organizations about disruptive behavior.
“Any organizations that engage in disruptive behavior during the game will be removed from block seating instantly for the remainder of the season.”
Sounds reasonable to me. Disruptive behavior in a crowded stadium could result in mayhem and cancellation of the game.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
Not so. Student newspaper warned organizations about disruptive behavior.
“Any organizations that engage in disruptive behavior during the game will be removed from block seating instantly for the remainder of the season.”
Sounds reasonable to me. Disruptive behavior in a crowded stadium could result in mayhem and cancellation of the game.
I'm moving to Iceland!! This is from 2017 but I never saw it before
[patheos.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
It’s all just satire. 91.5% of Icelanders belong to the Church of Iceland, the official state-supported church.
Don’t buy your ticket yet.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
It’s all just satire. 91.5% of Icelanders belong to the Church of Iceland, the official state-supported church.
Don’t buy your ticket yet.
You may find this comparison of Europe and the USA interesting.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I’m not sure if “share” of income means much. The meaningful question is whether people are able to earn an adequate amount of goods and services.
There’s a CPA in my neighborhood who earns $20k before breakfast every day.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carr,_Riggs_%26_Ingram,_LLC
I’m not getting my “share” of his earnings, but I seem to have the things I need, peanut butter and other groceries, a few clothes, a house, etc.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I’m not sure if “share” of income means much. The meaningful question is whether people are able to earn an adequate amount of goods and services.
There’s a CPA in my neighborhood who earns $20k before breakfast every day.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carr,_Riggs_%26_Ingram,_LLC
I’m not getting my “share” of his earnings, but I seem to have the things I need, peanut butter and other groceries, a few clothes, a house, etc.
Typical - barely educated preacher from semi-developped country comes to lay waste to what little is...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
If the people decide to change and burn their old symbols there’s nothing that can be done about it. It is their choice, just as it was the choice of Germanic tribes to turn away from Woden and become Christians. Everything is in constant flux anyway so I’m not going to lose any sleep.
Maybe this is an example of matriarchy run amok.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
If the people decide to change and burn their old symbols there’s nothing that can be done about it. It is their choice, just as it was the choice of Germanic tribes to turn away from Woden and become Christians. Everything is in constant flux anyway so I’m not going to lose any sleep.
Maybe this is an example of matriarchy run amok.
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.
Prejudices are interesting things--there are socially acceptable prejudices and socially ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
We are all prejudiced by necessity because none of us has the whole picture. For that reason I try not to be judgmental when I see what seems like prejudice—it’s just that the person’s experiences are different than mine. Sometimes I screw up and get defensive, as when someone is running down the South. That defensiveness comes from deeply seated stuff that I don’t fully understand.
In my younger days I sometimes had that very experience of being snubbed by woman at a bar. Only about a fourth of the women would smile and engage in pleasant conversation. Oddly, as I think back, nearly every one who so responded was of Irish ancestry. Am I prejudiced here?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
We are all prejudiced by necessity because none of us has the whole picture. For that reason I try not to be judgmental when I see what seems like prejudice—it’s just that the person’s experiences are different than mine. Sometimes I screw up and get defensive, as when someone is running down the South. That defensiveness comes from deeply seated stuff that I don’t fully understand.
In my younger days I sometimes had that very experience of being snubbed by woman at a bar. Only about a fourth of the women would smile and engage in pleasant conversation. Oddly, as I think back, nearly every one who so responded was of Irish ancestry. Am I prejudiced here?
Dot Sullivan, 101 years old - Sydney, Australia, on Donald Trump:
That man is a nutter.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I am disturbed to read such a proposal.
Is this what liberalism is all about?
Warning: It is illegal to advocate or incite such action.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I am disturbed to read such a proposal.
Is this what liberalism is all about?
Warning: It is illegal to advocate or incite such action.
For all my Queens who wore a hijab or know someone stuck in one, this is for you.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I almost never go outside without some sort of hat—it’s habit and tradition from way back. Nobody makes me wear a hat.
Whenever I see a woman wearing a hijab I see beauty and practicality. I assume she’s wearing what she wants to wear, through utility, habit and cultural tradition. Such practice, though written into holy scriptures, is still based on tradition and on the need for protection from the sun.
What she wears should be up to her and is not anybody else’s business. Maybe it is her choice to adhere to the rules of Islamic faith.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I almost never go outside without some sort of hat—it’s habit and tradition from way back. Nobody makes me wear a hat.
Whenever I see a woman wearing a hijab I see beauty and practicality. I assume she’s wearing what she wants to wear, through utility, habit and cultural tradition. Such practice, though written into holy scriptures, is still based on tradition and on the need for protection from the sun.
What she wears should be up to her and is not anybody else’s business. Maybe it is her choice to adhere to the rules of Islamic faith.
When a religious person says I’ll pray for you.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I don’t pray, however I do meditate and contemplate, which are a sort of communion with ones self and potentially with universal consciousness if such there be. For that reason I would not be offended in the least by someone offering to pray for me.
If they are just trying to irritate you, take a second or two to see it for what it is. You could say nothing, or something trivial and non-confrontational. My favorite is “Perhaps you’re right”. If they see that you are not flustered they’ll leave you alone.
Of course there’s that third option that I mentioned before. Hit’em upside the head with a baseball bat. That’ll teach’em to keep their damned mouths shut.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
I don’t pray, however I do meditate and contemplate, which are a sort of communion with ones self and potentially with universal consciousness if such there be. For that reason I would not be offended in the least by someone offering to pray for me.
If they are just trying to irritate you, take a second or two to see it for what it is. You could say nothing, or something trivial and non-confrontational. My favorite is “Perhaps you’re right”. If they see that you are not flustered they’ll leave you alone.
Of course there’s that third option that I mentioned before. Hit’em upside the head with a baseball bat. That’ll teach’em to keep their damned mouths shut.
Catholic Church investigating nuns who returned pregnant after Africa trip
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
It’s no big deal—hardly newsworthy. People change their minds all the time. I wish them well, and the children also.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 6, 2019:
It’s no big deal—hardly newsworthy. People change their minds all the time. I wish them well, and the children also.
Does anybody else see the general timbre here of late being of battle lines being drawn up of ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 5, 2019:
I can’t say it’s much different. I stick around only because of a few people, and you are one of them.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 5, 2019:
I can’t say it’s much different. I stick around only because of a few people, and you are one of them.
[bps-research-digest.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 5, 2019:
Interesting article. They seem to be talking about superstitions. I’m not sure if religious people are all in the category under discussion.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 5, 2019:
Interesting article. They seem to be talking about superstitions. I’m not sure if religious people are all in the category under discussion.
To any educators in the group.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 5, 2019:
I haven’t taught evolution, but I took a botany course, very much about evolution theory. Not one person objected on religious grounds, though there must have been religious people in the class.
A lot of religious people fully accept evolution, but they think the process is guided by a higher intelligence rather than random chance only.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 5, 2019:
I haven’t taught evolution, but I took a botany course, very much about evolution theory. Not one person objected on religious grounds, though there must have been religious people in the class.
A lot of religious people fully accept evolution, but they think the process is guided by a higher intelligence rather than random chance only.
The question of the so-called "fine-tuning" of the universe and its basic constants is one of the ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 5, 2019:
It is amazing that the universe is just the way it is and that it is suitable for life. Even more amazing is that anything exists in the first place. I am absolutely staggered by the sheer brazenness of it all. How dare it be so!
I lean toward that last option. Just to say that God did it explains nothing unless you can define and understand God. In the same way, to say that the universe occurred as a random, chance event is equally unsatisfying. What is the system through which all these random events are supposedly occurring? How was such a system established? Where are these almost infinitely numerous other universes and under what overall reality do they exist?
Any honest and aware person is totally mystified, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t move toward understanding. The trouble is that we are trying to fit all of reality into our limited artificial framework of perception and it just can’t be done. Our concept of existence has no real meaning—it’s just symbolic mind-stuff. Our basic definitions and assumptions are sitting on quicksand, and besides that, we don’t understand our selves.
Donald Hoffman’s new book is entitled *The Case Against Reality, Why Evolution Hid the Truth from our Eyes*. Hoffman has leapt out of the trace-chains of physicalism and is marching off in a new direction. I just started reading, but I’m hoping to gain insights into conscious awareness.
Conscious awareness is like a beacon off on the horizon, barely visible through the fog, but offering hope. That is the direction we need to move in my opinion.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 5, 2019:
It is amazing that the universe is just the way it is and that it is suitable for life. Even more amazing is that anything exists in the first place. I am absolutely staggered by the sheer brazenness of it all. How dare it be so!
I lean toward that last option. Just to say that God did it explains nothing unless you can define and understand God. In the same way, to say that the universe occurred as a random, chance event is equally unsatisfying. What is the system through which all these random events are supposedly occurring? How was such a system established? Where are these almost infinitely numerous other universes and under what overall reality do they exist?
Any honest and aware person is totally mystified, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t move toward understanding. The trouble is that we are trying to fit all of reality into our limited artificial framework of perception and it just can’t be done. Our concept of existence has no real meaning—it’s just symbolic mind-stuff. Our basic definitions and assumptions are sitting on quicksand, and besides that, we don’t understand our selves.
Donald Hoffman’s new book is entitled *The Case Against Reality, Why Evolution Hid the Truth from our Eyes*. Hoffman has leapt out of the trace-chains of physicalism and is marching off in a new direction. I just started reading, but I’m hoping to gain insights into conscious awareness.
Conscious awareness is like a beacon off on the horizon, barely visible through the fog, but offering hope. That is the direction we need to move in my opinion.
Should children be protected from fairy tales as suggested by John Locke in 1693?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Some of those fairy tales seem like rough fare for children. I wonder if scientific studies have been done that compare the subsequent lives of children who are read different kinds of books as toddlers.
In my experience children are tough as nails, but there are limits. What about television and computer games. A modern kid is likely to spend way more time on those than in reading books.
My parents read us all those old fairy tales and we were not damag.... Oh wait! Maybe that explains a lot.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Some of those fairy tales seem like rough fare for children. I wonder if scientific studies have been done that compare the subsequent lives of children who are read different kinds of books as toddlers.
In my experience children are tough as nails, but there are limits. What about television and computer games. A modern kid is likely to spend way more time on those than in reading books.
My parents read us all those old fairy tales and we were not damag.... Oh wait! Maybe that explains a lot.
Done deed, for sure.
[churchandstate.org.uk]
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
This 2004 article is full of wild speculation and fear-mongering. There were a lot of predictions about how the evil religious right was going to take over the government. Those predictions have totally fallen apart. Meanwhile the author, Christopher Hedges has become an ordained Presbyterian minister.
It is such a ridiculous article, full of lies and propaganda that I can’t stand to read it in detail, but I did notice this:
“The Christian Right has fought successfully to have Creationist books sold in national park bookstores in the Grand Canyon, taught as a theory in public schools in states like Alabama and Arkansas.”
Upon googling I discovered that a creationist book was sold for a time at the Grand Canyon but was removed in 2014.
So far as creationism being taught in schools “in states like Alabama and Arkansas” I can report that Alabama requires by law that Darwinism be taught in all public schools.
I don’t know why anyone would take this deceptive, fear mongering Presbyterian preacher seriously.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
This 2004 article is full of wild speculation and fear-mongering. There were a lot of predictions about how the evil religious right was going to take over the government. Those predictions have totally fallen apart. Meanwhile the author, Christopher Hedges has become an ordained Presbyterian minister.
It is such a ridiculous article, full of lies and propaganda that I can’t stand to read it in detail, but I did notice this:
“The Christian Right has fought successfully to have Creationist books sold in national park bookstores in the Grand Canyon, taught as a theory in public schools in states like Alabama and Arkansas.”
Upon googling I discovered that a creationist book was sold for a time at the Grand Canyon but was removed in 2014.
So far as creationism being taught in schools “in states like Alabama and Arkansas” I can report that Alabama requires by law that Darwinism be taught in all public schools.
I don’t know why anyone would take this deceptive, fear mongering Presbyterian preacher seriously.
Over the span of 6 million or so years of man-not-kind do you think you have had an original ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Most philosophical ideas have been pondered down through the ages, but each person has to ponder them all over again in order to bring them into their psyches and have them resonate.
New ideas are continually popping up also.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Most philosophical ideas have been pondered down through the ages, but each person has to ponder them all over again in order to bring them into their psyches and have them resonate.
New ideas are continually popping up also.
Fox's 'Family Guy' Calls Religious Believers 'Stupid People,' 'Idiots'
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Unable to access the site. Some of the worlds most creative and intelligent people down through history have been deeply religious. Even today about half of US scientists believe in some sort of God concept.
Such arrogant and domineering language accomplishes nothing. What is stupid is to resort to labeling and name-calling. Intelligent people present evidence and logic to support their positions, and they do it in a respectful way.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Unable to access the site. Some of the worlds most creative and intelligent people down through history have been deeply religious. Even today about half of US scientists believe in some sort of God concept.
Such arrogant and domineering language accomplishes nothing. What is stupid is to resort to labeling and name-calling. Intelligent people present evidence and logic to support their positions, and they do it in a respectful way.
Socialism or Capitalism?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Some of both. They are not mutually exclusive.
I favor state capitalism.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Some of both. They are not mutually exclusive.
I favor state capitalism.
Maybe the difference between Agnostic & Atheist is the same as "I don't know" vs. "I don't care"?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
That could very well be. If a person is not searching for answers either their mind is made up or they simply don’t care.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
That could very well be. If a person is not searching for answers either their mind is made up or they simply don’t care.
Man who robbed bank to get away from wife sentenced to home confinement.
NYPOST.COM
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Cruel and unusual punishment.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
Cruel and unusual punishment.
Religion and philosophy are only projections of what is reality..?
Any Thoughts..?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
I have no problem with your first question, but in your illustration you replace reality with science. Science is not reality, it is an attempt to formulate reality, just as is philosophy.
If I were going to make an illustration I would have conscious awareness give birth to artistic expression, with religion being part of that expression. From artistic expression comes philosophy, and from philosophy comes science, which is a special and refined philosophy.
Science is not the end-all be-all of reality—that would be conscious awareness.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 4, 2019:
I have no problem with your first question, but in your illustration you replace reality with science. Science is not reality, it is an attempt to formulate reality, just as is philosophy.
If I were going to make an illustration I would have conscious awareness give birth to artistic expression, with religion being part of that expression. From artistic expression comes philosophy, and from philosophy comes science, which is a special and refined philosophy.
Science is not the end-all be-all of reality—that would be conscious awareness.
Are there songs that have distinct religious messages or even religious overtones that you like ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
The Coronation Mass by Mozart is very beautiful and uplifting.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
The Coronation Mass by Mozart is very beautiful and uplifting.
Are there songs that have distinct religious messages or even religious overtones that you like ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
I very much like the first verse of “How Great Thou Art”.
The other verses sink into dogmatic Christian doctrine.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
I very much like the first verse of “How Great Thou Art”.
The other verses sink into dogmatic Christian doctrine.
Are there songs that have distinct religious messages or even religious overtones that you like ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
Here’s a beautiful and inspiring religious song, originally posted by Skado:
https://youtu.be/XLwtqwnI6ko
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
Here’s a beautiful and inspiring religious song, originally posted by Skado:
https://youtu.be/XLwtqwnI6ko
Ok, so what are they going to do with a 1-ton rock?
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
Some people like to have landscaping boulders. I have one myself. Large boulders are rare in this area, but there was one on the property that I had moved into the front yard, called a garden by Brits.
I just planted my winter garden BTW—vegetables.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
Some people like to have landscaping boulders. I have one myself. Large boulders are rare in this area, but there was one on the property that I had moved into the front yard, called a garden by Brits.
I just planted my winter garden BTW—vegetables.
In my opinion, evolution is the greatest stumbling block for a theistic worldview, especially when ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
I personally do not favor a theistic point of view. That kind of god idea might spring from a desire to be a baby again—to have an easy and plush existence where all one’s needs are met by the parents.
At the same time, I can not accept that the universe with its consciously aware creatures came about through blind, random chance occurrences. That concept seems like a non-answer, raising more questions than it answers. It would be just as reasonable to say that God did it—neither response is meaningful.
What I lean toward thinking is that we are the creator—not our organic bodies but We collectively as conscious awareness itself, and that creation occurs continuously, moment by moment. That idea makes more sense in view of the findings of modern physics where time is said by some to be a non-existing illusion
We are only pitiful victims from the perspective of individual organisms. From a universal perspective, this is the best of all possible worlds.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 3, 2019:
I personally do not favor a theistic point of view. That kind of god idea might spring from a desire to be a baby again—to have an easy and plush existence where all one’s needs are met by the parents.
At the same time, I can not accept that the universe with its consciously aware creatures came about through blind, random chance occurrences. That concept seems like a non-answer, raising more questions than it answers. It would be just as reasonable to say that God did it—neither response is meaningful.
What I lean toward thinking is that we are the creator—not our organic bodies but We collectively as conscious awareness itself, and that creation occurs continuously, moment by moment. That idea makes more sense in view of the findings of modern physics where time is said by some to be a non-existing illusion
We are only pitiful victims from the perspective of individual organisms. From a universal perspective, this is the best of all possible worlds.
Keystone Pipeline spill over 380,000 gallons of crude oil in North Dakota
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 1, 2019:
That spill is in an older section of the pipeline, not the section recently contested. It’s just a half acre. Maybe they’ll get it cleaned up soon.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 1, 2019:
That spill is in an older section of the pipeline, not the section recently contested. It’s just a half acre. Maybe they’ll get it cleaned up soon.
Too many scandals in the church-especially the conservative religions!
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 1, 2019:
Which are the conservative religions? Has some sort of tally been made of scandals in various churches?
Every organization has scandals—businesses, schools, etc. scandals only become scandals when they are made public and are talked about. No telling how much questionable activity never becomes a scandal.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 1, 2019:
Which are the conservative religions? Has some sort of tally been made of scandals in various churches?
Every organization has scandals—businesses, schools, etc. scandals only become scandals when they are made public and are talked about. No telling how much questionable activity never becomes a scandal.
Well i still believe the fact that there is an higher power, human creator, there should be a maker ...
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 1, 2019:
You have every right to your belief, and it is just as rational as to believe that the universe and life just sort of popped into existence on accident.
More rational actually.
I would only add that from a human perspective it is impossible to understand ultimate reality beyond the senses, so belief and disbelief don’t apply.
There is an ultimate reality beyond our sense-world—that is definite, but questions about creation, immortality, space, time, location, those questions are meaningless from a cosmic perspective.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 1, 2019:
You have every right to your belief, and it is just as rational as to believe that the universe and life just sort of popped into existence on accident.
More rational actually.
I would only add that from a human perspective it is impossible to understand ultimate reality beyond the senses, so belief and disbelief don’t apply.
There is an ultimate reality beyond our sense-world—that is definite, but questions about creation, immortality, space, time, location, those questions are meaningless from a cosmic perspective.
I'm agnostic & somewhat spiritual but that doesn't necessarily mean I want to talk about it.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 1, 2019:
I like your perspective and I feel much as you do. I consider myself to be spiritual in the sense of being aware and appreciative of the profound mystery of existence. IMO that trumps belief or disbelief.
I do not label myself as either an atheist or agnostic. Those are just emotions, not something that I want to base my identity upon.
I look forward to your input.
WilliamFleming comments on Nov 1, 2019:
I like your perspective and I feel much as you do. I consider myself to be spiritual in the sense of being aware and appreciative of the profound mystery of existence. IMO that trumps belief or disbelief.
I do not label myself as either an atheist or agnostic. Those are just emotions, not something that I want to base my identity upon.
I look forward to your input.
Latest Australia shark attack sparks tourism concerns
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I wonder if, as that guy from England was having his foot bitten off, he was thinking “Oh no, this is going to be bad for tourism.”
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I wonder if, as that guy from England was having his foot bitten off, he was thinking “Oh no, this is going to be bad for tourism.”
Only 350,000 gallons of oil spilled. What's the big deal?
[thehill.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
A half acre has been impacted.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
A half acre has been impacted.
As an Agnostic I am always interested when the sciemce takes a serious look at a spiritual topic.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I read one of Stevenson’s books, and I am persuaded at this point.
These reincarnation phenomena are not “supernatural”. Nothing is supernatural. An understanding of reincarnation is currently outside the realm of established science, but at some point, brilliant and eager minds will learn more and science will advance.
If these carefully conducted studies don’t fit into your world view, the problem is likely not with the studies
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I read one of Stevenson’s books, and I am persuaded at this point.
These reincarnation phenomena are not “supernatural”. Nothing is supernatural. An understanding of reincarnation is currently outside the realm of established science, but at some point, brilliant and eager minds will learn more and science will advance.
If these carefully conducted studies don’t fit into your world view, the problem is likely not with the studies
House of representatives are voting on a formal impeachment process resolution of Trump.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I’d say the chance of DT getting booted out is zero.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I’d say the chance of DT getting booted out is zero.
House votes to pass impeachment
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I will not pay actual money to read that deplorable newspaper.
I get their crosswords—that’s all I can handle.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I will not pay actual money to read that deplorable newspaper.
I get their crosswords—that’s all I can handle.
IS CHANGE GOD?
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
Maybe god is everything.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
Maybe god is everything.
The Real Origins of the Religious Right - POLITICO Magazine
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
Too much attention is given to right wing evangelicals. They do not represent Protestants in general. A Pew poll I saw reported that only 11% of evangelicals identify as strongly conservative, and even for those, the connection between religion and politics is weak.
There are a few high-profile televangelists and a few colleges and churches such as the Bob Jones University that are utilized by the media to stir up fear and disgust, but in general, protestants are not much different than the general population. The Southern Baptist Convention, which is the largest evangelical group, has, in fact, adopted a number of very liberal resolutions.
I am not totally convinced that the root of the religious right is a desire for racial segregation. Whether true or not, it is a moot issue now. It makes good ammo for smearage purposes I guess.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
Too much attention is given to right wing evangelicals. They do not represent Protestants in general. A Pew poll I saw reported that only 11% of evangelicals identify as strongly conservative, and even for those, the connection between religion and politics is weak.
There are a few high-profile televangelists and a few colleges and churches such as the Bob Jones University that are utilized by the media to stir up fear and disgust, but in general, protestants are not much different than the general population. The Southern Baptist Convention, which is the largest evangelical group, has, in fact, adopted a number of very liberal resolutions.
I am not totally convinced that the root of the religious right is a desire for racial segregation. Whether true or not, it is a moot issue now. It makes good ammo for smearage purposes I guess.
The Darwinian ‘Struggle for Existence’ is Really About Balance – The Evolution Institute
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I read somewhere that Darwin never used the term “survival of the fittest”, and to his death he declared that he was being misquoted and misunderstood, and that natural selection is not the only driver of evolution.
Natural selection is easy to understand and it so neatly explains things that we **want** to believe it. It feels good to think that everything is well understood and under control, but actually the evolution of life is incredibly complex and shrouded in mystery.
Epigenetic studies show that the dna of organisms can be changed by the environment. Species can evolve almost instantly over wide areas.
It’s weird.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 31, 2019:
I read somewhere that Darwin never used the term “survival of the fittest”, and to his death he declared that he was being misquoted and misunderstood, and that natural selection is not the only driver of evolution.
Natural selection is easy to understand and it so neatly explains things that we **want** to believe it. It feels good to think that everything is well understood and under control, but actually the evolution of life is incredibly complex and shrouded in mystery.
Epigenetic studies show that the dna of organisms can be changed by the environment. Species can evolve almost instantly over wide areas.
It’s weird.
Fans of Ayn Rand
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
I lean toward libertarianism. It’s been so long since I read those Ayn Rand books I remember very little, but they resonated somehow. I recently read a Henry Hazlitt book.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
I lean toward libertarianism. It’s been so long since I read those Ayn Rand books I remember very little, but they resonated somehow. I recently read a Henry Hazlitt book.
I came upon this year's ago and feel it is still very relevant.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
We hear little about Plasma cosmology and the steady-state model. I’m eager to learn more about those but I don’t have the background for more than a layman’s summary.
There are a lot of areas where the spirit of science is not being upheld, and that is regrettable.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
We hear little about Plasma cosmology and the steady-state model. I’m eager to learn more about those but I don’t have the background for more than a layman’s summary.
There are a lot of areas where the spirit of science is not being upheld, and that is regrettable.
Helping autonomous vehicles see around corners
[news.mit.edu]
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
I don’t fully understand, but it is very interesting.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
I don’t fully understand, but it is very interesting.
British elections are announced.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
Wikipedia, under *United Kingdom Company Law* states the following:
“English law recognised long ago that a corporation would have "legal personality". Legal personality simply means the entity is the subject of legal rights and duties. It can sue and be sued. Historically, municipal councils (such as the Corporation of London) or charitable establishments would be the primary examples of corporations.”
The concept of corporations having some of the same rights as individuals has been established in US law since the early 1800’s, and is the law in many countries around the world, and for good reason.
It’s a great post overall.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
Wikipedia, under *United Kingdom Company Law* states the following:
“English law recognised long ago that a corporation would have "legal personality". Legal personality simply means the entity is the subject of legal rights and duties. It can sue and be sued. Historically, municipal councils (such as the Corporation of London) or charitable establishments would be the primary examples of corporations.”
The concept of corporations having some of the same rights as individuals has been established in US law since the early 1800’s, and is the law in many countries around the world, and for good reason.
It’s a great post overall.
US women upset by random baby congratulation cards [bbc.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
Funny! What would happen if they sent a card to a man?
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
Funny! What would happen if they sent a card to a man?
John Polkinghorne, theoretical physicist, theologian, and Anglican priest (!), writes the following...
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
It seems legitimate to me to wonder why.
In a court trial it is usually very pertinent to question motives, to ask why, and to ask if the crime was intentional and willful. Those questions are part of the body of evidence.
Some of the jurors will not be persuaded, and will reject some of the evidence. The jurors get to vote and to possibly come to a decision. In our case we are still debating after thousands of years and no consensus is in sight.
It is a hung jury.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
It seems legitimate to me to wonder why.
In a court trial it is usually very pertinent to question motives, to ask why, and to ask if the crime was intentional and willful. Those questions are part of the body of evidence.
Some of the jurors will not be persuaded, and will reject some of the evidence. The jurors get to vote and to possibly come to a decision. In our case we are still debating after thousands of years and no consensus is in sight.
It is a hung jury.
So this is a religious physicist's take on science and religion.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
I enjoyed reading it very much. Thanks.
According to Barr:
“What many take to be a conflict between religion and science is really something else. It is a conflict between religion and materialism. Materialism regards itself as scientific, and indeed is often called “scientific materialism,” even by its opponents, but it has no legitimate claim to be part of science. It is, rather, a school of philosophy, one defined by the belief that nothing exists except matter, or, as Democritus put it, “atoms and the void.”
It’s what I’ve been saying all along. But having decided that materialism is incorrect, what does one do with that information? If Barr wants to be a Catholic, that does not bother me at all. I choose to sit in awe and wonder and relish the mystery of reality.
KIP THORNE:
"There are large numbers of my finest colleagues who are quite devout and believe in God [...] There is no fundamental incompatibility between science and religion. I happen to not believe in God."[13]
(Wikipedia)
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
I enjoyed reading it very much. Thanks.
According to Barr:
“What many take to be a conflict between religion and science is really something else. It is a conflict between religion and materialism. Materialism regards itself as scientific, and indeed is often called “scientific materialism,” even by its opponents, but it has no legitimate claim to be part of science. It is, rather, a school of philosophy, one defined by the belief that nothing exists except matter, or, as Democritus put it, “atoms and the void.”
It’s what I’ve been saying all along. But having decided that materialism is incorrect, what does one do with that information? If Barr wants to be a Catholic, that does not bother me at all. I choose to sit in awe and wonder and relish the mystery of reality.
KIP THORNE:
"There are large numbers of my finest colleagues who are quite devout and believe in God [...] There is no fundamental incompatibility between science and religion. I happen to not believe in God."[13]
(Wikipedia)
Causality, much like reality, isn't what it used to be...
[phys.org]
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
It’s a very intriguing article—what I can understand of it. I can’t help but wonder if the phenomenon of consciousness might play a vital role in nature. Maybe when a decision is consciously made to observe (follow) a particular path through reality, that entire path becomes “real” or illuminated. What we think of as a “past” event is just one of the cards in the deck that was chosen by universal consciousness.
From the last paragraph:
"In fact, the situation is really the same in all scientific experiments. There are a host of assumptions about the workings of the experimental apparatus that you have to accept in order to conclude that the experiment shows the effect you are looking for.“
In other words, everything we think we know rests on assumptions.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 30, 2019:
It’s a very intriguing article—what I can understand of it. I can’t help but wonder if the phenomenon of consciousness might play a vital role in nature. Maybe when a decision is consciously made to observe (follow) a particular path through reality, that entire path becomes “real” or illuminated. What we think of as a “past” event is just one of the cards in the deck that was chosen by universal consciousness.
From the last paragraph:
"In fact, the situation is really the same in all scientific experiments. There are a host of assumptions about the workings of the experimental apparatus that you have to accept in order to conclude that the experiment shows the effect you are looking for.“
In other words, everything we think we know rests on assumptions.
I've plateaued on leveling. I must not be Atheisting hard enough.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
Having a high level is very important for getting into atheist heaven. Keep on atheisting!
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
Having a high level is very important for getting into atheist heaven. Keep on atheisting!
The agnostic crowd is much more intelligent than the rest!! Sorry, but it is the truth.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
I imagine there’s some truth here. Those who identify as atheists or agnostics have the wherewithal to question and analyze, which might indicate high intelligence, however, the effect would only show up statistically for a large group. Those high IQ societies—they have lots of religious members. In fact about half of all US scientists report a belief in some sort of higher power.
To me it seems the smartest thing to do would be to respect everyone and to seek common ground. Dividing up and having a food fight is dumb, especially in that no one has all the answers or even understands our place in reality.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
I imagine there’s some truth here. Those who identify as atheists or agnostics have the wherewithal to question and analyze, which might indicate high intelligence, however, the effect would only show up statistically for a large group. Those high IQ societies—they have lots of religious members. In fact about half of all US scientists report a belief in some sort of higher power.
To me it seems the smartest thing to do would be to respect everyone and to seek common ground. Dividing up and having a food fight is dumb, especially in that no one has all the answers or even understands our place in reality.
I just don't think it's fair.
[nydailynews.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
Who?
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
Who?
Have your feelings and thoughts ever been so dark and haunting that you’ll do anything to get away...
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
*Help Yourself to Happiness* by Maxie Maultsby Jr. is a book that helped me overcome dark thoughts and emotions. It is Rational Behavior Therapy, well known by professional counselors, but so simple that almost anyone can treat themselves if they read carefully and do the exercises.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
*Help Yourself to Happiness* by Maxie Maultsby Jr. is a book that helped me overcome dark thoughts and emotions. It is Rational Behavior Therapy, well known by professional counselors, but so simple that almost anyone can treat themselves if they read carefully and do the exercises.
So, I hear many people say that the reason they believe in god is so they will go to heaven.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
I agree fully with what you are saying. And I would ask, of what value is a declaration of belief if made to keep from going to hell?
There’s no such thing as hell, and we are in heaven all the time.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 29, 2019:
I agree fully with what you are saying. And I would ask, of what value is a declaration of belief if made to keep from going to hell?
There’s no such thing as hell, and we are in heaven 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.
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.
Is hope realistic?
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
There need not be any existential angst. There is existential ecstasy, which is our most natural and default state.
That angst occurs when we build up a stressful story or world view in our subconscious minds through the thinking of untrue thoughts. We worry ourselves to death through fear of what might happen. If a person really doesn’t **know** what’s going to happen they really ought not speculate. The subconscious doesn’t know the difference in truth and speculation.
We are consciously aware of our existence, but we don’t understand it. Might as well just enjoy every moment.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
There need not be any existential angst. There is existential ecstasy, which is our most natural and default state.
That angst occurs when we build up a stressful story or world view in our subconscious minds through the thinking of untrue thoughts. We worry ourselves to death through fear of what might happen. If a person really doesn’t **know** what’s going to happen they really ought not speculate. The subconscious doesn’t know the difference in truth and speculation.
We are consciously aware of our existence, but we don’t understand it. Might as well just enjoy every moment.
I like this meme found at [foolquest.com].
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
Put that way, things seem dire and hopeless. I prefer to think that some religious people are reasonable and that common ground can be found.
What’s to prevent a religious person from saying, “If you could reason with atheists, there would be no atheists”?
In the purest meaning, an atheist is a person who is not persuaded of God’s existence, based on the evidence seen so far. If you are arguing over the issue, that means that your mind is made up and you think that any idea that conflicts with your firm opinion is wrong.
No one can prove or disprove things that are outside the human realm of understanding.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
Put that way, things seem dire and hopeless. I prefer to think that some religious people are reasonable and that common ground can be found.
What’s to prevent a religious person from saying, “If you could reason with atheists, there would be no atheists”?
In the purest meaning, an atheist is a person who is not persuaded of God’s existence, based on the evidence seen so far. If you are arguing over the issue, that means that your mind is made up and you think that any idea that conflicts with your firm opinion is wrong.
No one can prove or disprove things that are outside the human realm of understanding.
You're not free from religion until you deprogram your subconscious mind.
[trudreadz.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
That is certainly an interesting website! I had a preconceived idea of what it was about until I explored it a bit.
There are aspects of religion of which I do not want to be free. A person can have deep awareness, awe, appreciation, and reverence for life, and the result might be joy, contentment, and ecstasy. I will gladly throw out the bath water of belief in church dogma, but I chose to keep the baby.
But I don’t think the article is suggesting that anyone throw out the baby. There is no admonition to adopt a materialistic or physicalist stance typical of scientism. There are a variety of articles there that promote spiritual awareness.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
That is certainly an interesting website! I had a preconceived idea of what it was about until I explored it a bit.
There are aspects of religion of which I do not want to be free. A person can have deep awareness, awe, appreciation, and reverence for life, and the result might be joy, contentment, and ecstasy. I will gladly throw out the bath water of belief in church dogma, but I chose to keep the baby.
But I don’t think the article is suggesting that anyone throw out the baby. There is no admonition to adopt a materialistic or physicalist stance typical of scientism. There are a variety of articles there that promote spiritual awareness.
hi! i'm new here, what kind of luck have you all had meeting people on this site?
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
Welcome!
I have not tried to contact anyone outside the site, but I do enjoy interacting with everyone here. It’s a great group.
WilliamFleming comments on Oct 28, 2019:
Welcome!
I have not tried to contact anyone outside the site, but I do enjoy interacting with everyone here. It’s a great group.
Photos
Details
Skeptic, Freethinker, Spiritual
Here for community - BirthdayMarch 2
- EnjoysMusic, Science, Books, Outdoors, Love, Games
- EducationCollege
- Level8 (88,015pts)
- Followers 22
- Fans 0
- Following 18
- Fav. Posts 2
- Joined Apr 18th, 2018
-
Last Visit
Over a year ago
Not in search results