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God and I reached an understanding.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
I provided no religious training to my children other than my persistent philosophical rumblings, but now I’m trying to atone for my earlier neglect.
Here’s a great religious song that skado recently posted, and I have forwarded it to my adult children for their edification:
https://youtu.be/XLwtqwnI6ko
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
I provided no religious training to my children other than my persistent philosophical rumblings, but now I’m trying to atone for my earlier neglect.
Here’s a great religious song that skado recently posted, and I have forwarded it to my adult children for their edification:
https://youtu.be/XLwtqwnI6ko
Brazil Supreme Court criminalizes homophobia and transphobia - JURIST - News - Legal News & ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
Phobias are just fears. I don’t see how the court can outlaw fear. They can outlaw hateful actions but people can’t just switch off their fear. Besides that, a certain level of fear might serve a beneficial purpose.
I thought something might have been mistranslated but here’s the first part of the court declaration:
1. Até que sobrevenha lei emanada do Congresso Nacional destinada a implementar os mandados de criminalização definidos nos incisos XLI e XLII do art. 5o da Constituição da República, as condutas homofóbicas e transfóbicas, ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
Phobias are just fears. I don’t see how the court can outlaw fear. They can outlaw hateful actions but people can’t just switch off their fear. Besides that, a certain level of fear might serve a beneficial purpose.
I thought something might have been mistranslated but here’s the first part of the court declaration:
1. Até que sobrevenha lei emanada do Congresso Nacional destinada a implementar os mandados de criminalização definidos nos incisos XLI e XLII do art. 5o da Constituição da República, as condutas homofóbicas e transfóbicas, ...
Involved in advocacy groups?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
In the US anyway it would be advocating for what we already have. There might be minor threats and infractions from time to time and it is a worthy cause to guard against those infractions—challenge them in court perhaps. The ACLU is well established and would be a great venue in that regard.
It is not a black and white world. Judges have to balance the various conflicting elements of each case and make compromises. It is impossible to keep religion totally out of government and vice versa. It is enough that government not make laws regarding the establishment of a religion.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
In the US anyway it would be advocating for what we already have. There might be minor threats and infractions from time to time and it is a worthy cause to guard against those infractions—challenge them in court perhaps. The ACLU is well established and would be a great venue in that regard.
It is not a black and white world. Judges have to balance the various conflicting elements of each case and make compromises. It is impossible to keep religion totally out of government and vice versa. It is enough that government not make laws regarding the establishment of a religion.
Cognitive systems that underpin religious belief:
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
The idea that our ancestors might be alive and willful and that they might be expressing themselves through me—that I am them—now that is an intriguing thought. Am I wrong to read such a thing into this quote?
I am a we. We thank you for this quote Matias.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 17, 2019:
The idea that our ancestors might be alive and willful and that they might be expressing themselves through me—that I am them—now that is an intriguing thought. Am I wrong to read such a thing into this quote?
I am a we. We thank you for this quote Matias.
New report finds many non-believers still believe in the supernatural - Big Think
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 16, 2019:
There’s a tendency to label anything that has not been explained by science and does not fit the current scientific world view as “supernatural”. In my opinion there is some pretty convincing evidence for reincarnation. Does that mean I am superstitious?
When I was in elementary school we were taught that ball lightning was a superstition. Continental drift was a discredited fringe topic. Today both of these are established science.
Believing or disbelieving is of little significance, but keeping an open mind is of the utmost importance.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 16, 2019:
There’s a tendency to label anything that has not been explained by science and does not fit the current scientific world view as “supernatural”. In my opinion there is some pretty convincing evidence for reincarnation. Does that mean I am superstitious?
When I was in elementary school we were taught that ball lightning was a superstition. Continental drift was a discredited fringe topic. Today both of these are established science.
Believing or disbelieving is of little significance, but keeping an open mind is of the utmost importance.
Happy Father's Day to dads involved in their kids' lives
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 16, 2019:
Nice post—thanks!
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 16, 2019:
Nice post—thanks!
Strange how many people see depression as a form of not being happy!
There are many cases of ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 16, 2019:
What you do is not “think your way out of it”. You learn how to analyze the thoughts that you were having when you created the depression. The subconscious mind has no discrimination—it believes whatever you tell it, and worse, it controls your bodily reactions to reflect the lies you were thinking. Write down the untrue thoughts, label them as such, and then write down what is true about the situation. By writing it down all levels of consciousness become informed and you’ll feel better instantly, as though a switch has been flipped!
This is in no way new age bullshit. Read “Help Yourself to Happiness” by Dr. Maxie Maultsby Jr. Dr. Maultsby was no lightweight. He developed Rational Behavior Therapy, recognized the world over as an effective counseling method.
So far as drugs for chemical “imbalance”, thanks but no thanks.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 16, 2019:
What you do is not “think your way out of it”. You learn how to analyze the thoughts that you were having when you created the depression. The subconscious mind has no discrimination—it believes whatever you tell it, and worse, it controls your bodily reactions to reflect the lies you were thinking. Write down the untrue thoughts, label them as such, and then write down what is true about the situation. By writing it down all levels of consciousness become informed and you’ll feel better instantly, as though a switch has been flipped!
This is in no way new age bullshit. Read “Help Yourself to Happiness” by Dr. Maxie Maultsby Jr. Dr. Maultsby was no lightweight. He developed Rational Behavior Therapy, recognized the world over as an effective counseling method.
So far as drugs for chemical “imbalance”, thanks but no thanks.
New York Ends Religious Exemptions to Vaccines : NPR
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 15, 2019:
I can see a requirement that to attend a public school a person has to be vaccinated. Can the government actually tie someone up and vaccinate them against their will?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 15, 2019:
I can see a requirement that to attend a public school a person has to be vaccinated. Can the government actually tie someone up and vaccinate them against their will?
Is it just me or is it those who refuse to except the world for what it is that seek out religion?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 15, 2019:
Why not accept the fact that no one understands this world except superficially and that reality is a profound and staggering mystery.
The roots of religion lie in deep awareness, awe and reverence in the face of that mystery but a lot of those who claim to be religious are either ego ridden organizers or robotic followers with little true reverence.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 15, 2019:
Why not accept the fact that no one understands this world except superficially and that reality is a profound and staggering mystery.
The roots of religion lie in deep awareness, awe and reverence in the face of that mystery but a lot of those who claim to be religious are either ego ridden organizers or robotic followers with little true reverence.
The Hand of the Almighty
John R. Butler
[youtu.be]
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 15, 2019:
Perfect!
I love a good catchy gospel song.
Thanks.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 15, 2019:
Perfect!
I love a good catchy gospel song.
Thanks.
The mindfulness conspiracy | Life and style | The Guardian
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
I was unable to finish reading this article. It is a waste of space and boring as hell.
Media people make money by keeping you angry, stressed and full of grievances. If I were The Guardian I’d feel threatened too.
“Mindfulness” is not some new movement—it is nothing but meditation, developed by ancient Indian sages thousands of years ago. Yes indeed! Your stress and unhappiness are caused by your internal thoughts, and guess what—those thoughts are untrue. Through mindfulness you can learn to monitor your thoughts. Your grievances will melt away as they logically should, and you won’t talk about the “ravages of capitalism” because there are none.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
I was unable to finish reading this article. It is a waste of space and boring as hell.
Media people make money by keeping you angry, stressed and full of grievances. If I were The Guardian I’d feel threatened too.
“Mindfulness” is not some new movement—it is nothing but meditation, developed by ancient Indian sages thousands of years ago. Yes indeed! Your stress and unhappiness are caused by your internal thoughts, and guess what—those thoughts are untrue. Through mindfulness you can learn to monitor your thoughts. Your grievances will melt away as they logically should, and you won’t talk about the “ravages of capitalism” because there are none.
WHO NEEDS GOD?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
Lots of questions but IMO the wrong approach. The deep questions about existence in reality as a consciously aware entity are staggering in their implications. Let me tell you, there’s a lot more to this situation than meets the eye.
As an analogy think about gravity. Gravity is a very complex subject, not easily understood, but there are some ideas and theories. Can you imagine someone saying, “Does the quantum theory of gravity appeal primarily to broken people? Could the argument be made that quantum gravity theory, and by extension, quantum fields, be an answer for all the scared, ignorant, lonely, insecure, depressed people who feel helpless in a universe that doesn’t give a shit about them?”
No, such questions would not be asked. If a person wanted to take part in discussions about quantum gravity he would have to address the actual issues—say something of substance that applies to the subject at hand.
Even if you are a professional psychiatrist, psychoanalyzing your debate opponents will get you nowhere. There are some very real questions at hand that deserve serious attention.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
Lots of questions but IMO the wrong approach. The deep questions about existence in reality as a consciously aware entity are staggering in their implications. Let me tell you, there’s a lot more to this situation than meets the eye.
As an analogy think about gravity. Gravity is a very complex subject, not easily understood, but there are some ideas and theories. Can you imagine someone saying, “Does the quantum theory of gravity appeal primarily to broken people? Could the argument be made that quantum gravity theory, and by extension, quantum fields, be an answer for all the scared, ignorant, lonely, insecure, depressed people who feel helpless in a universe that doesn’t give a shit about them?”
No, such questions would not be asked. If a person wanted to take part in discussions about quantum gravity he would have to address the actual issues—say something of substance that applies to the subject at hand.
Even if you are a professional psychiatrist, psychoanalyzing your debate opponents will get you nowhere. There are some very real questions at hand that deserve serious attention.
HORRORS OF HINDUISM
The ancient Hindu tradition called ‘Sati’, wherein a widow would burn ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
We are talking here about an Indian funeral custom that clashes with our Western values. I’m not sure if that custom is an example of the “horrors of Hinduism” as a religion. “Hindu” just means “Indian”. The traditional religion of India is a very disjointed thing, having no organization or central authority.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
We are talking here about an Indian funeral custom that clashes with our Western values. I’m not sure if that custom is an example of the “horrors of Hinduism” as a religion. “Hindu” just means “Indian”. The traditional religion of India is a very disjointed thing, having no organization or central authority.
Though Atheism is not a religion, which one of them are more generous? :)
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
There seems to be a general idea that people belong in houses. When someone is seen to be living outdoors it is pointed out as a great tragedy, a social Ill, a horrible situation needing immediate correction.
Is there really anything wrong with being outside?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
There seems to be a general idea that people belong in houses. When someone is seen to be living outdoors it is pointed out as a great tragedy, a social Ill, a horrible situation needing immediate correction.
Is there really anything wrong with being outside?
Though Atheism is not a religion, which one of them are more generous? :)
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
Is this an example of moral grandstanding?
Is there any evidence that those calling themselves atheists and agnostics give a higher percentage of their income to the poor? What about simple non-believers? Does it matter anyway? What’s the point?
Is there anything liberal about trying to shame a class of people by implying that they are hypocrites? That action would itself appear as hypocritical.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 14, 2019:
Is this an example of moral grandstanding?
Is there any evidence that those calling themselves atheists and agnostics give a higher percentage of their income to the poor? What about simple non-believers? Does it matter anyway? What’s the point?
Is there anything liberal about trying to shame a class of people by implying that they are hypocrites? That action would itself appear as hypocritical.
Has anyone here been hypnotised, either by a stage hypnotist or clinically?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
I’ve seen it at shows but I simply can not allow myself to be controlled in that way. It is very fascinating though.
What is your experience in that regard?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
I’ve seen it at shows but I simply can not allow myself to be controlled in that way. It is very fascinating though.
What is your experience in that regard?
Canadian police chief gives $575 ticket to driver who tossed a lit cigarette out his car window
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
For best results a forest should be burned every three years.
Devil’s advocate here.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
For best results a forest should be burned every three years.
Devil’s advocate here.
French philosopher Jean-Pierre Faye was the first to describe the horseshoe theory, the concept that...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
Interesting. Conversely broad-minded genuine conservatives and broad-minded genuine liberals are not at loggerheads. In fact, a person can be both liberal and conservative at the same time.
The same pattern can be seen in other areas. For example, an extreme hater of religion who has a dogmatic materialist philosophy is little different than an extreme religious fundamentalist. Yet open minded atheists and open-minded religious people often get along well and find common ground.
Maybe instead of emphasizing our differences of opinion we should emphasize our degree of awareness and appreciation for the profound miracle of existence and our love and respect for our fellow beings.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
Interesting. Conversely broad-minded genuine conservatives and broad-minded genuine liberals are not at loggerheads. In fact, a person can be both liberal and conservative at the same time.
The same pattern can be seen in other areas. For example, an extreme hater of religion who has a dogmatic materialist philosophy is little different than an extreme religious fundamentalist. Yet open minded atheists and open-minded religious people often get along well and find common ground.
Maybe instead of emphasizing our differences of opinion we should emphasize our degree of awareness and appreciation for the profound miracle of existence and our love and respect for our fellow beings.
For their part, scientists chaffed at Washington’s “violation of church and state.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
I think the last paragraph would be a more apt quote:
“Washington dreamed of a nation, as he wrote to Newport’s Hebrew Congregation, that gives “bigotry no sanction … persecution no assistance.” What makes Americans American, he believed, is not the direction they turn to in prayer. Rather, it is the respect they owe fellow citizens who choose to turn in a different direction—or in no direction at all.”
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
I think the last paragraph would be a more apt quote:
“Washington dreamed of a nation, as he wrote to Newport’s Hebrew Congregation, that gives “bigotry no sanction … persecution no assistance.” What makes Americans American, he believed, is not the direction they turn to in prayer. Rather, it is the respect they owe fellow citizens who choose to turn in a different direction—or in no direction at all.”
Just wondering here.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
I look at the party platform and at the personality of the candidate.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 13, 2019:
I look at the party platform and at the personality of the candidate.
That a man can take pleasure in marching in fours to the strains of a band is enough to make me ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
Al didn’t know everything.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
Al didn’t know everything.
If only...
If churches paid taxes.....
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
You might tax the income of church employees but churches themselves make no profit to tax. They take donations and a lot of that is generally redistributed to the community. It would be like taxing the Red Cross.
The white IRS inset leads me to think they are talking about all tax exemptions and subsidies (farm subsidies?), not just churches. If so this is yet one more example of someone’s sleazy, dishonest attempt to promote their personal hateful agenda.
Using that logic, if only the IRS paid a 50% tax on the money it takes in we could all retire and live a life of ease and luxury.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
You might tax the income of church employees but churches themselves make no profit to tax. They take donations and a lot of that is generally redistributed to the community. It would be like taxing the Red Cross.
The white IRS inset leads me to think they are talking about all tax exemptions and subsidies (farm subsidies?), not just churches. If so this is yet one more example of someone’s sleazy, dishonest attempt to promote their personal hateful agenda.
Using that logic, if only the IRS paid a 50% tax on the money it takes in we could all retire and live a life of ease and luxury.
Some ancestral males disproportionately won the struggle to reproduce while others lost out entirely
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
Surely this dominance of the gene pool by a few males must apply to animal life in general. I think we should observe the workings of nature without judgment, and specifically not judge ourselves to be inferior because of our social status. We are not our bodies anyway IMO. Being the top dog, with 17 women, would have its drawbacks.
If it’s raining the best thing to do is let it rain.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
Surely this dominance of the gene pool by a few males must apply to animal life in general. I think we should observe the workings of nature without judgment, and specifically not judge ourselves to be inferior because of our social status. We are not our bodies anyway IMO. Being the top dog, with 17 women, would have its drawbacks.
If it’s raining the best thing to do is let it rain.
"Conservatives tend to exhibit less support for egalitarian policies and generally oppose ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
I’m not sure the tilt is all that monumental. Remember that 52% of White women voted for Donald Trump.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 12, 2019:
I’m not sure the tilt is all that monumental. Remember that 52% of White women voted for Donald Trump.
As individuals, we store very little detailed information about the world in our heads.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2019:
This is suggestive of the concept of universal consciousness. To what extent is evolution then driven by collective intelligence rather than the other way around? Could epigenetics be explained by collective intelligence?
It is a very interesting topic.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2019:
This is suggestive of the concept of universal consciousness. To what extent is evolution then driven by collective intelligence rather than the other way around? Could epigenetics be explained by collective intelligence?
It is a very interesting topic.
So, God is in control.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2019:
Christians have it wrong but there’s no need to dwell on that. It is a duty to proceed with your life as best you can. Time will heal your grief.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2019:
Christians have it wrong but there’s no need to dwell on that. It is a duty to proceed with your life as best you can. Time will heal your grief.
Have any of our scientific fraternity any comment on this?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2019:
I’m wondering...If a heavy metal asteroid struck anywhere on the moon the moon would suddenly be out of balance. Would that cause a shift in the axis of rotation so that the heavy spot would wind up at one of the poles?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 11, 2019:
I’m wondering...If a heavy metal asteroid struck anywhere on the moon the moon would suddenly be out of balance. Would that cause a shift in the axis of rotation so that the heavy spot would wind up at one of the poles?
In you mind, what are you first?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2019:
First and foremost I am a consciously aware entity. DNA testing has established that my body is 100% human. It is also a US citizen.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2019:
First and foremost I am a consciously aware entity. DNA testing has established that my body is 100% human. It is also a US citizen.
So.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2019:
For all you folks bashing Donald, remember, Barack Obama ran on a platform that was in opposition to gay marriage the first time. He changed with the political tide.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2019:
For all you folks bashing Donald, remember, Barack Obama ran on a platform that was in opposition to gay marriage the first time. He changed with the political tide.
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge.” -
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2019:
Only one thing is known with certainty, and that is that only one thing is known with certainty.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2019:
Only one thing is known with certainty, and that is that only one thing is known with certainty.
When we use evolutionary psychology to understand human behavior there are above all two common ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2019:
This sounds reasonable. Nature is what it is, neither good nor bad. Things happen for reasons, often reasons we don’t understand. Stamping natural events as good or bad is our human attempt to survive through data compression by creating mental icons so that our reactions can be efficient and timely. Dualistic thinking is itself a natural phenomenon, neither good nor bad, just part of our animal nature.
Through conscious awareness we can rise above dualism for part of our interactions with reality. By taking a broader view it is possible to escape from the fear and unhappiness caused by judgmental thinking. By constantly seeing the world as evil, dangerous, unfair, in-just, etc., we generate a lot of stress and discomfort within ourselves, and we set the stage for constant conflict with others.
Dualistic thinking is what got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden. :-) Remember that they ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good vs. evil, rendering them incapable of living a blissful life on a spiritual level. Through conscious analysis of their thoughts anyone can easily return to the Garden of Eden.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 9, 2019:
This sounds reasonable. Nature is what it is, neither good nor bad. Things happen for reasons, often reasons we don’t understand. Stamping natural events as good or bad is our human attempt to survive through data compression by creating mental icons so that our reactions can be efficient and timely. Dualistic thinking is itself a natural phenomenon, neither good nor bad, just part of our animal nature.
Through conscious awareness we can rise above dualism for part of our interactions with reality. By taking a broader view it is possible to escape from the fear and unhappiness caused by judgmental thinking. By constantly seeing the world as evil, dangerous, unfair, in-just, etc., we generate a lot of stress and discomfort within ourselves, and we set the stage for constant conflict with others.
Dualistic thinking is what got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden. :-) Remember that they ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good vs. evil, rendering them incapable of living a blissful life on a spiritual level. Through conscious analysis of their thoughts anyone can easily return to the Garden of Eden.
It pains me to block ladies. Women need to support each other.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 8, 2019:
I do a lot of editing, usually just minor things. I want my writing to be nearly perfect.
We should all support each other when possible because that is the most rational course. When we get off course in that regard we should just shrug it off and get on with life.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 8, 2019:
I do a lot of editing, usually just minor things. I want my writing to be nearly perfect.
We should all support each other when possible because that is the most rational course. When we get off course in that regard we should just shrug it off and get on with life.
Spirituality in Film & Literature
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Your question is probably not addressed to me. I don’t read many works of fiction but when I do, I want them to reflect real life and be believable.
I do like to read about the scientific inquiry into psychic phenomena. I don’t consider psychic phenomena to be supernatural however. The lumping together of every eerie topic under the heading “supernatural” doesn’t seem rational to me. Rather than dismiss potential fields of knowledge as supernatural I would rather maintain an open mind.
I have written a book called “The Staggering Implications of the Mystery of Existence”, available on the Kindle Store. If you like to read woo, this is it.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Your question is probably not addressed to me. I don’t read many works of fiction but when I do, I want them to reflect real life and be believable.
I do like to read about the scientific inquiry into psychic phenomena. I don’t consider psychic phenomena to be supernatural however. The lumping together of every eerie topic under the heading “supernatural” doesn’t seem rational to me. Rather than dismiss potential fields of knowledge as supernatural I would rather maintain an open mind.
I have written a book called “The Staggering Implications of the Mystery of Existence”, available on the Kindle Store. If you like to read woo, this is it.
Joseph Campbell - The Mythic Symbology of Release
[youtu.be]
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Very insightful message. I especially relate with the idea of identifying with consciousness itself rather than the carnal vehicle or body. It’s really what we are after all—nothing needs doing but to come to that realization.
Thanks for posting skado.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Very insightful message. I especially relate with the idea of identifying with consciousness itself rather than the carnal vehicle or body. It’s really what we are after all—nothing needs doing but to come to that realization.
Thanks for posting skado.
Being agnostic and being a close-minded dick are 2 different things
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Excellent points Jeff!
Wu is real!
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Excellent points Jeff!
Wu is real!
To think that our human species of all the species on earth and of all the "earths" in the universe ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Mystics do not always vaunt the human species. A typical view by mystics is that we are not our bodies-that all of life is one thing, and that ultimate reality is comprised of universal consciousness.
Those undesirable outcomes that you deplore are seen simply as part of nature, neither good nor bad.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Mystics do not always vaunt the human species. A typical view by mystics is that we are not our bodies-that all of life is one thing, and that ultimate reality is comprised of universal consciousness.
Those undesirable outcomes that you deplore are seen simply as part of nature, neither good nor bad.
The idea that we need a supernatural being to make us act morally assumes that there is something ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Yet there are examples galore of habitual criminals and miscreants who reformed themselves with the help of religion. Is there anything wrong with that?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
Yet there are examples galore of habitual criminals and miscreants who reformed themselves with the help of religion. Is there anything wrong with that?
One of basic flaws of arguments against religion as such put forward by Richard Dawkins and other ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
I don’t read or listen to those who preach religion or to those who preach atheism. Generally they are both caught up in an illusory perspective of reality and are not even arguing about the real issues. Those attuned to those issues have no interest in arguing. All they want is to directly experience reality moment by moment.
IMO religion at its core is not a belief system but a practice, and it is a practice not limited to church members. The practice of religion is not eliminated by respect for science either. Half the scientists in the US say they believe in some sort of God concept.
Those who, irrationally try to stir up a big battle between religion and science get no attention from me. I’m with you on this Matias.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 7, 2019:
I don’t read or listen to those who preach religion or to those who preach atheism. Generally they are both caught up in an illusory perspective of reality and are not even arguing about the real issues. Those attuned to those issues have no interest in arguing. All they want is to directly experience reality moment by moment.
IMO religion at its core is not a belief system but a practice, and it is a practice not limited to church members. The practice of religion is not eliminated by respect for science either. Half the scientists in the US say they believe in some sort of God concept.
Those who, irrationally try to stir up a big battle between religion and science get no attention from me. I’m with you on this Matias.
Soil restoration - important! [ecofarmingdaily.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 6, 2019:
I m surprised to learn that so much carbon is sequestered in soil—amazing.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 6, 2019:
I m surprised to learn that so much carbon is sequestered in soil—amazing.
Campground Worker Who Pulled Gun on Black Couple Charged with a Crime
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 6, 2019:
Being in jail might be a good way to lose weight.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 6, 2019:
Being in jail might be a good way to lose weight.
What if I make a REALLY good post?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 6, 2019:
It is extremely important to accumulate as many points as possible. In the afterlife, in atheist heaven, those with the highest points will be in the inner circle. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get to sit at the right hand of Sam Harris!
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 6, 2019:
It is extremely important to accumulate as many points as possible. In the afterlife, in atheist heaven, those with the highest points will be in the inner circle. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get to sit at the right hand of Sam Harris!
Truth as such has no value in itself
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 6, 2019:
Some religious beliefs are downright false, while others contain truth. The most inspiring religious ideas for me come from intuitive insights that can not be proven either true or false. Besides that, there are personal emotions such a reverence and awe for which the concept of true vs. false has no applicability.
The very concept of true vs. false is not all that profound IMO. It arises only in connection with communication such as language. That kind of truth is not absolute, but is relative to context. An assertion can be both true and false, as well as meaningless and meaningful. It can be both provable and unprovable. It all depends on definitions and assumptions.
We are very busy trying to absorb incoming sensory data, and through layer after layer of data compression, labeling, and icon creation we each create our private reality. Is it any surprise that we disagree so often about what’s what?
I plan to stay out of the business of religious people.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 6, 2019:
Some religious beliefs are downright false, while others contain truth. The most inspiring religious ideas for me come from intuitive insights that can not be proven either true or false. Besides that, there are personal emotions such a reverence and awe for which the concept of true vs. false has no applicability.
The very concept of true vs. false is not all that profound IMO. It arises only in connection with communication such as language. That kind of truth is not absolute, but is relative to context. An assertion can be both true and false, as well as meaningless and meaningful. It can be both provable and unprovable. It all depends on definitions and assumptions.
We are very busy trying to absorb incoming sensory data, and through layer after layer of data compression, labeling, and icon creation we each create our private reality. Is it any surprise that we disagree so often about what’s what?
I plan to stay out of the business of religious people.
You Can't Prove That God Doesn't Exist - Debunked - YouTube
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 5, 2019:
All that is debunked is that a trivial and simplistic abrahamic god concept with a specific superficial definition can not be disproven.
That the moon is not made of cheese is easily proven, but that does not address the question of whether or not the moon exists.
The debunkery, as titled, is debunked.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 5, 2019:
All that is debunked is that a trivial and simplistic abrahamic god concept with a specific superficial definition can not be disproven.
That the moon is not made of cheese is easily proven, but that does not address the question of whether or not the moon exists.
The debunkery, as titled, is debunked.
A couple of times, in the movie, "Religulous," Atheist, Bill Maher, is asked, "What if you're ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 5, 2019:
We have to go with our best reasoning and intuition. Of what value is a declaration of belief if made under threat of hell?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 5, 2019:
We have to go with our best reasoning and intuition. Of what value is a declaration of belief if made under threat of hell?
It's funny looking back at the young, silly me questioning the existence of god by cursing to the ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 5, 2019:
I don’t think God, if there is such, would notice a puny little human having a temper tantrum. I don’t think God would take much notice of a tsunami wiping out a hundred thousand humans. Hell, I think the entire physical universe as we know it could disappear in a big cosmic cataclysm and God wouldn’t give a damn.
Logically speaking, we shouldn’t care all that much either.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 5, 2019:
I don’t think God, if there is such, would notice a puny little human having a temper tantrum. I don’t think God would take much notice of a tsunami wiping out a hundred thousand humans. Hell, I think the entire physical universe as we know it could disappear in a big cosmic cataclysm and God wouldn’t give a damn.
Logically speaking, we shouldn’t care all that much either.
But.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 5, 2019:
We each get one vote. Why don’t all those horrified wage-slaving debtors, debilitated by GMO’s, margarine and plastic vote in a communist government instead of for Trump?
Majority you say? Maybe there’s not all that many of them as you are thinking.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 5, 2019:
We each get one vote. Why don’t all those horrified wage-slaving debtors, debilitated by GMO’s, margarine and plastic vote in a communist government instead of for Trump?
Majority you say? Maybe there’s not all that many of them as you are thinking.
There are points in your life where you make decisions.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 4, 2019:
We all make decisions that we later regret, but in all honesty we’d probably do the same thing over. I submit that your decision was a good one. You seem to be berating yourself for not having the courage to be open and honest, but is that rational?
You are demonstrating all kinds of courage by telling us all this. All of us are just humans, not perfect angels. You are perfectly okay as you are. You have the right amount of courage.
It might be true that you missed an opportunity, but what of it? There’s a down side to every perceived opportunity and we have to weigh both options. AND perhaps you helped that person by your presence. Romance is not a requirement.
I am just now getting rid of guilt in regard to my deceptive manner with women when I was a stupid young man hoping to get laid. Oddly they seem to understand and forgive—they have their own deceptiveness.
Let it all go and enjoy the miracle of each passing moment.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 4, 2019:
We all make decisions that we later regret, but in all honesty we’d probably do the same thing over. I submit that your decision was a good one. You seem to be berating yourself for not having the courage to be open and honest, but is that rational?
You are demonstrating all kinds of courage by telling us all this. All of us are just humans, not perfect angels. You are perfectly okay as you are. You have the right amount of courage.
It might be true that you missed an opportunity, but what of it? There’s a down side to every perceived opportunity and we have to weigh both options. AND perhaps you helped that person by your presence. Romance is not a requirement.
I am just now getting rid of guilt in regard to my deceptive manner with women when I was a stupid young man hoping to get laid. Oddly they seem to understand and forgive—they have their own deceptiveness.
Let it all go and enjoy the miracle of each passing moment.
Many atheists take it as self-evident that we are born as atheists, that not to believe anything ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 4, 2019:
IMO being taught a particular set of religious doctrines is pretty shallow, based on symbols of symbols of symbols. Probably in most cases the young children don’t take religious instruction very seriously. I think seeing their parents attending church, praying, etc would influence them more than words.
There is an innate religious impulse but it has nothing to do with belief or indoctrination. It has to do with becoming consciously aware of one’s existence and being struck with awe and reverence. That awe and reverence might be expressed through art, music, literature, science or spirituality.
We try to communicate with each other through symbols, hoping to convey to others our most profound emotions and thoughts. Over time, through constant repetition those symbols tend to lose their potency and become trite and meaningless. That’s what’s wrong with institutionalized religion. Even science gets to be institutionalized at times.
We are busy, busy, working ceaselessly to apprehend and organize the morass of sensory date as it comes in. Through layers of data compression and labeling we create “things” and form our own realities. We might try to make sense of someone else’s symbols, but for those symbols to mean much they have to resonate to some degree with our own world views. We might give polite lip service to our teachers but if we are aware and courageous we will not blindly accept their instructions.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 4, 2019:
IMO being taught a particular set of religious doctrines is pretty shallow, based on symbols of symbols of symbols. Probably in most cases the young children don’t take religious instruction very seriously. I think seeing their parents attending church, praying, etc would influence them more than words.
There is an innate religious impulse but it has nothing to do with belief or indoctrination. It has to do with becoming consciously aware of one’s existence and being struck with awe and reverence. That awe and reverence might be expressed through art, music, literature, science or spirituality.
We try to communicate with each other through symbols, hoping to convey to others our most profound emotions and thoughts. Over time, through constant repetition those symbols tend to lose their potency and become trite and meaningless. That’s what’s wrong with institutionalized religion. Even science gets to be institutionalized at times.
We are busy, busy, working ceaselessly to apprehend and organize the morass of sensory date as it comes in. Through layers of data compression and labeling we create “things” and form our own realities. We might try to make sense of someone else’s symbols, but for those symbols to mean much they have to resonate to some degree with our own world views. We might give polite lip service to our teachers but if we are aware and courageous we will not blindly accept their instructions.
In 1633, Galileo was ordered by the church to stand trial on suspicion of heresy, because he said ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
Bruno was burned at the stake for his stubborn adherence to scientific ideas.
Must have been painful.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
Bruno was burned at the stake for his stubborn adherence to scientific ideas.
Must have been painful.
What David French and Sohrab Ahmari Each Got Right - The Atlantic
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
Religious vs. secular wrangling bores me.The only thing of much interest to me in the article is the very first sentence:
“A story commonly told these days on both the left and the right says that American Christians, and especially evangelicals, are solidly behind President Donald Trump. The real story is far more complex, and has led many Christians to some fairly serious soul-searching, and others to ask hard questions about whether we even know what an “evangelical” is.”
A whole book has been written about so-called evangelicals, and it sounds promising.
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300241419/who-evangelical
The word “evangelical” is being thrown around carelessly and ceaselessly these days. Maybe I’ll read that book and report back.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
Religious vs. secular wrangling bores me.The only thing of much interest to me in the article is the very first sentence:
“A story commonly told these days on both the left and the right says that American Christians, and especially evangelicals, are solidly behind President Donald Trump. The real story is far more complex, and has led many Christians to some fairly serious soul-searching, and others to ask hard questions about whether we even know what an “evangelical” is.”
A whole book has been written about so-called evangelicals, and it sounds promising.
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300241419/who-evangelical
The word “evangelical” is being thrown around carelessly and ceaselessly these days. Maybe I’ll read that book and report back.
How to write holy texts
4 simple rules
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
Claim you found some gold tablets out in the woods.
Translate those tablets into the English of the King James era. You need not be a scholar of ancient languages. Say that angels made way with the tablets and that they are not available for study by professionals.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
Claim you found some gold tablets out in the woods.
Translate those tablets into the English of the King James era. You need not be a scholar of ancient languages. Say that angels made way with the tablets and that they are not available for study by professionals.
I have realised that the wholesale condemnation of one particular religion boosts the supremacist ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
In my area there are interfaith councils that promote mutual understanding and respect among the various religions. The most fundamentalist of the groups don’t participate at all, or if they do they give only lip service while they promote their own partisan views.
It would help if we didn’t view ourselves as Muslims, Christians, atheists, etc, but as human beings with religious feelings or with opinions about religion.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
In my area there are interfaith councils that promote mutual understanding and respect among the various religions. The most fundamentalist of the groups don’t participate at all, or if they do they give only lip service while they promote their own partisan views.
It would help if we didn’t view ourselves as Muslims, Christians, atheists, etc, but as human beings with religious feelings or with opinions about religion.
"Beliefs define how we see the world and act within it; without them, there would be no plots to ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
Beliefs are nothing but strong opinions. That’s my belief anyway.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
Beliefs are nothing but strong opinions. That’s my belief anyway.
What happens after you die?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
It depends on what you mean by “you”.
The continuum of conscious awareness interacts with the river of organisms. “When you die” is not a meaningful concept. Your true self is that continuum of awareness.
Of course if by “you” you mean one of the frail and temporary organisms with its particular set of memories, emotions and genes, then “you” will no longer exist. On the other hand, the sense of existence as an individual body was nothing but an illusion anyway so nothing is lost.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 3, 2019:
It depends on what you mean by “you”.
The continuum of conscious awareness interacts with the river of organisms. “When you die” is not a meaningful concept. Your true self is that continuum of awareness.
Of course if by “you” you mean one of the frail and temporary organisms with its particular set of memories, emotions and genes, then “you” will no longer exist. On the other hand, the sense of existence as an individual body was nothing but an illusion anyway so nothing is lost.
My father died today.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 2, 2019:
I’m sorry for your loss. Best wishes as you move into the future.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 2, 2019:
I’m sorry for your loss. Best wishes as you move into the future.
Just a reminder: in a 2016 article, Franklin Graham calls for school boards to be dominated be ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
Nothing to worry about. It’s not going to happen.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
Nothing to worry about. It’s not going to happen.
All White People are the Same: : : Sargon's comments about how the unlimited immigration into the UK...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
We are all about the same. Racial characteristics come and go over time. Humans of the future will be strong and beautiful and intelligent, and will have mixed ancestry, so there’s no cause for concern.
Trying to cling to a particular genetic makeup is a dead-end street IMO.
Pale skin like mine has no survival value at this latitude—maybe in the UK.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
We are all about the same. Racial characteristics come and go over time. Humans of the future will be strong and beautiful and intelligent, and will have mixed ancestry, so there’s no cause for concern.
Trying to cling to a particular genetic makeup is a dead-end street IMO.
Pale skin like mine has no survival value at this latitude—maybe in the UK.
Just got to say that I know we all agree and disagree on many points but discussion, in the most ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
And you are one of our best.
BTW this was just posted on this forum:
Antidronefreeman:
@t1nick - prick
Did you ever write anything intelligent?
Kick yer fkn granmar right in you liberazi dirty s-hole
Fix your mind
I went through everything including fucking grandmas for money you are too low down piece of trash takin average white cockmuncher. All I want is to use your face instead of a toilet bowl.”
Do you wanna take back your post? LOL!!
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
And you are one of our best.
BTW this was just posted on this forum:
Antidronefreeman:
@t1nick - prick
Did you ever write anything intelligent?
Kick yer fkn granmar right in you liberazi dirty s-hole
Fix your mind
I went through everything including fucking grandmas for money you are too low down piece of trash takin average white cockmuncher. All I want is to use your face instead of a toilet bowl.”
Do you wanna take back your post? LOL!!
There are a few on this site that think that capitalism is the end all be all.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
So far as material goods, humans are as well or better off as they have ever been. We are literally immersed in food, clothing and shelter. Besides that, we work relatively short hours and the hardest labor is done with the help of machines. I see little reason for grievance.
The economy world-wide has advanced through hard work, creativity, group cooperation, and trading. It is true that some people are at a disadvantage, but there are far fewer disadvantaged people today than there used to be, and there are more avenues for advancement today.
I’m not so sure that those robber baron types have much effect on general welfare. They might amass more money but money is not true wealth. Gambling is a zero sum game, but true wealth is created through hard work, creativity, risk-taking, and good management. One person’s wealth is not the cause of another person’s poverty.
Maybe there could be a special tax on income not tied to productivity, but it would be hard to determine, and I doubt if such a tax would result in greater general well-being. Most wealthy people became wealthy because of their contributions to society.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
So far as material goods, humans are as well or better off as they have ever been. We are literally immersed in food, clothing and shelter. Besides that, we work relatively short hours and the hardest labor is done with the help of machines. I see little reason for grievance.
The economy world-wide has advanced through hard work, creativity, group cooperation, and trading. It is true that some people are at a disadvantage, but there are far fewer disadvantaged people today than there used to be, and there are more avenues for advancement today.
I’m not so sure that those robber baron types have much effect on general welfare. They might amass more money but money is not true wealth. Gambling is a zero sum game, but true wealth is created through hard work, creativity, risk-taking, and good management. One person’s wealth is not the cause of another person’s poverty.
Maybe there could be a special tax on income not tied to productivity, but it would be hard to determine, and I doubt if such a tax would result in greater general well-being. Most wealthy people became wealthy because of their contributions to society.
What a beautiful and rare shred of what once was! Matriarchal and matrilineal peace and balance.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
It’s a fascinating and informative video. Thanks.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
It’s a fascinating and informative video. Thanks.
I don’t believe in god, but I do think that there is something either spiritual or universal going...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
You can take comfort in the dazzling and mysterious gem of consciously aware existence. Every moment of awareness is a miracle beyond all miracles.
Let your mind dwell only on truth and you will find comfort, joy, friendship, love...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
You can take comfort in the dazzling and mysterious gem of consciously aware existence. Every moment of awareness is a miracle beyond all miracles.
Let your mind dwell only on truth and you will find comfort, joy, friendship, love...
The "God" Part of the Brain: A Scientific Interpretation of Human Spirituality and God is a very ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
I haven’t read that book, but I am guessing how it goes. Neuroscientists have learned that when a person is having a spiritual experience a certain part of the brain becomes more active. Therefore spirituality is nothing but the firing of neurons, a rote mechanical process of no meaning or significance. There is no mystery involved—everything is well understood and under control. No questions please.
If I am wrong please advise me and maybe I’ll get the book. I don’t want to spend time and money on something stupid and bogus.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
I haven’t read that book, but I am guessing how it goes. Neuroscientists have learned that when a person is having a spiritual experience a certain part of the brain becomes more active. Therefore spirituality is nothing but the firing of neurons, a rote mechanical process of no meaning or significance. There is no mystery involved—everything is well understood and under control. No questions please.
If I am wrong please advise me and maybe I’ll get the book. I don’t want to spend time and money on something stupid and bogus.
I've posted this before but every time I do I get berated for doing so.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
I agree with what you are saying. The concept of existence vs. non existence is bogus from the start. We don’t know what it means to exist—how can we even begin to have an intelligent discussion over the existence of “God”? And you are right—“God” is just a label for something we can’t define or understand. To say that God did it is to say you don’t know.
For that matter, we don’t know who we ourselves are. We don’t know much of anything except superficially. There is Ultimate Reality beyond the world of our perception. I guess we could call that God but doing so wouldn’t alleviate our basic ignorance and bewilderment.
I hope you continue to offer your posts.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
I agree with what you are saying. The concept of existence vs. non existence is bogus from the start. We don’t know what it means to exist—how can we even begin to have an intelligent discussion over the existence of “God”? And you are right—“God” is just a label for something we can’t define or understand. To say that God did it is to say you don’t know.
For that matter, we don’t know who we ourselves are. We don’t know much of anything except superficially. There is Ultimate Reality beyond the world of our perception. I guess we could call that God but doing so wouldn’t alleviate our basic ignorance and bewilderment.
I hope you continue to offer your posts.
A Trump 2020 supporter at or Community Recreation Center has added stickers to his car that equate ...
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
My electricity is provided by a member-owned co-op, banking by a member-owned credit union. My insurance and financial management are handled by an association of member/owners. Some of my groceries come from a store that is 100% owned by the employees. Most of my shopping is done at Walmart or Amazon, both publicly owned by shareholders such as myself.
All of these entities are basically the same, examples of group effort, and they add immense real wealth to society. They all operate under government regulations.
Forget the capitalist/socialist dichotomy—that’s sort of bogus. LONG LIVE GROUP EFFORTS!
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
My electricity is provided by a member-owned co-op, banking by a member-owned credit union. My insurance and financial management are handled by an association of member/owners. Some of my groceries come from a store that is 100% owned by the employees. Most of my shopping is done at Walmart or Amazon, both publicly owned by shareholders such as myself.
All of these entities are basically the same, examples of group effort, and they add immense real wealth to society. They all operate under government regulations.
Forget the capitalist/socialist dichotomy—that’s sort of bogus. LONG LIVE GROUP EFFORTS!
What is your response to evil and suffering?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
A fourth response:
There’s no such thing as evil. What we perceive as evil is just the workings of nature. Things happen for reasons, but those reasons might be over our heads. The life or death of a single organism is of little significance.
There is no afterlife. Time is an illusion. We are in heaven right now. The sense of existence as a separate individual in a body is an illusion. We are not our bodies. Our true essence in Ultimate Reality is conscious awareness itself.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
A fourth response:
There’s no such thing as evil. What we perceive as evil is just the workings of nature. Things happen for reasons, but those reasons might be over our heads. The life or death of a single organism is of little significance.
There is no afterlife. Time is an illusion. We are in heaven right now. The sense of existence as a separate individual in a body is an illusion. We are not our bodies. Our true essence in Ultimate Reality is conscious awareness itself.
Are we living in a cocaine era?
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
I think I missed those sixties experiences that people talk about. I was either attending a largely segregated college, fighting in Vietnam, or working on construction projects. But I think you are looking back with rose-colored glasses—society was even more polarized then. Remember all the race riots, the anti-war demonstrations and rioting, the political assassinations? Remember the George Wallace campaign for president?
That’s not to say we aren’t polarized today. The quality of political discourse in this country is appalling. We need some better leaders, people who will unify us rather than cause division. We need real leaders who work for the well-being of the country rather than politicians who fight for personal power and glory. And we need to rally behind those leaders.
I have hope that things will improve. For now we have to take events day by day.
WilliamFleming comments on Jun 1, 2019:
I think I missed those sixties experiences that people talk about. I was either attending a largely segregated college, fighting in Vietnam, or working on construction projects. But I think you are looking back with rose-colored glasses—society was even more polarized then. Remember all the race riots, the anti-war demonstrations and rioting, the political assassinations? Remember the George Wallace campaign for president?
That’s not to say we aren’t polarized today. The quality of political discourse in this country is appalling. We need some better leaders, people who will unify us rather than cause division. We need real leaders who work for the well-being of the country rather than politicians who fight for personal power and glory. And we need to rally behind those leaders.
I have hope that things will improve. For now we have to take events day by day.
Hi Everyone. Past Memorial Day now, what are your summer plans?
WilliamFleming comments on May 31, 2019:
Sounds like fun. Enjoy!
WilliamFleming comments on May 31, 2019:
Sounds like fun. Enjoy!
It Turns Out Christians Have More Abortions Than Any Other Religious Group In America [mtv.
WilliamFleming comments on May 31, 2019:
We went through this before. 75% of Americans identify as Christians so Christians are underrepresented in the abortion pool.
So-called evangelicals are even more underrepresented. 23% of 70% is 16% in the abortion pool, yet Evangelicals make up almost a quarter of the total US population. According to Pew 8% of Americans are atheists or agnostics but they make up 12% of the abortion pool, making them heavily over represented.
Drawing unwarranted conclusions from studies does not help your illiberal campaign of demonization.
WilliamFleming comments on May 31, 2019:
We went through this before. 75% of Americans identify as Christians so Christians are underrepresented in the abortion pool.
So-called evangelicals are even more underrepresented. 23% of 70% is 16% in the abortion pool, yet Evangelicals make up almost a quarter of the total US population. According to Pew 8% of Americans are atheists or agnostics but they make up 12% of the abortion pool, making them heavily over represented.
Drawing unwarranted conclusions from studies does not help your illiberal campaign of demonization.
What is "big government"? And what is so wrong with it?
WilliamFleming comments on May 31, 2019:
By big government I think they are talking about the US federal government and complaining that it has grown far beyond its intended scope and purpose and has run up massive debts. Under the guise of regulating interstate commerce the federal government, for example, requires that lawn mowers and other implements be so equipped with safety features as to render them almost useless. The federal government has managed to intrude itself into the regulation of every facet of life—education, sports, food, health care and just about everything else. I’m sure that when those original thirteen colonies formed a federation and wrote a constitution they had no intention that the federation of states be all encompassing. Through taxation the federation controls most of the public money. They will “give” some of that money back to locals through various programs, but only if the local governments submit to stringent regulations and red tape.
It is like the EU. The members of the EU have no desire to have their local affairs micromanaged by the EU, thus you have Brexit. Imagine that in two hundred years the EU has grown in power to the point that it controls German factories, German schools, German farms, etc. that would be big government, with Germany being not much more than a province.
WilliamFleming comments on May 31, 2019:
By big government I think they are talking about the US federal government and complaining that it has grown far beyond its intended scope and purpose and has run up massive debts. Under the guise of regulating interstate commerce the federal government, for example, requires that lawn mowers and other implements be so equipped with safety features as to render them almost useless. The federal government has managed to intrude itself into the regulation of every facet of life—education, sports, food, health care and just about everything else. I’m sure that when those original thirteen colonies formed a federation and wrote a constitution they had no intention that the federation of states be all encompassing. Through taxation the federation controls most of the public money. They will “give” some of that money back to locals through various programs, but only if the local governments submit to stringent regulations and red tape.
It is like the EU. The members of the EU have no desire to have their local affairs micromanaged by the EU, thus you have Brexit. Imagine that in two hundred years the EU has grown in power to the point that it controls German factories, German schools, German farms, etc. that would be big government, with Germany being not much more than a province.
[cnn.
WilliamFleming comments on May 30, 2019:
I don’t know if there’s much that can be done. Anyone in the world is perfectly free to engage in a propaganda campaign—it’s done all the time. I’m not even sure if what Russia did should be called “interference”. They tried to exert influence.
If they had hacked the voting systems and changed the counts, then that would be interference.
WilliamFleming comments on May 30, 2019:
I don’t know if there’s much that can be done. Anyone in the world is perfectly free to engage in a propaganda campaign—it’s done all the time. I’m not even sure if what Russia did should be called “interference”. They tried to exert influence.
If they had hacked the voting systems and changed the counts, then that would be interference.
To my surprise, I received an award today
WilliamFleming comments on May 30, 2019:
Congratulations!
WilliamFleming comments on May 30, 2019:
Congratulations!
Happiness has proved elusive.
WilliamFleming comments on May 30, 2019:
I think individuals can learn to be happy in almost any environment. If people of today are less happy it might be because of mass media constantly feeding the public negative messages about politics and perceived social problems. Dwelling in one’s mind about the grievances of the world is 100% sure to create stress, fear, anger and unhappiness.
If anyone is unhappy they can become happy by learning to police their thoughts, turning away from thoughts that are untrue, negative, or judgmental.
WilliamFleming comments on May 30, 2019:
I think individuals can learn to be happy in almost any environment. If people of today are less happy it might be because of mass media constantly feeding the public negative messages about politics and perceived social problems. Dwelling in one’s mind about the grievances of the world is 100% sure to create stress, fear, anger and unhappiness.
If anyone is unhappy they can become happy by learning to police their thoughts, turning away from thoughts that are untrue, negative, or judgmental.
The Fringe Theology That Could End Religious Freedom
WilliamFleming comments on May 29, 2019:
Fear mongering.
WilliamFleming comments on May 29, 2019:
Fear mongering.
Here are Evangelical Christianity’s 10 biggest gaslighting tactics
WilliamFleming comments on May 29, 2019:
Why just evangelical? Those same ten items are also present in the other Christian churches as well.
WilliamFleming comments on May 29, 2019:
Why just evangelical? Those same ten items are also present in the other Christian churches as well.
Does anyone else also make a point of readign books which have been banned at one time?
WilliamFleming comments on May 28, 2019:
If you are talking about books being banned by government, prohibited from being printed or distributed, with punishment prescribed for violation, then you will get my immediate attention and I might want to read that book.
If a school decides that a book is inappropriate for its library I’m not concerned. If a publisher refuses to publish a particular book that’s their right and I don’t care. I am not aggrieved.
I have banned television in its entirety from my house.
WilliamFleming comments on May 28, 2019:
If you are talking about books being banned by government, prohibited from being printed or distributed, with punishment prescribed for violation, then you will get my immediate attention and I might want to read that book.
If a school decides that a book is inappropriate for its library I’m not concerned. If a publisher refuses to publish a particular book that’s their right and I don’t care. I am not aggrieved.
I have banned television in its entirety from my house.
Before I present this question I would like to say I have never seen an object in the sky, night or ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 28, 2019:
I have seen two objects in the sky that mystified me. Way back in the fifties I saw a white orb maybe half the apparent size of the moon. I would have dismissed it as a ballon except that it turned on edge and became a flat, horizontal disk. Then it rotated to a steep angle and flew away at incredible speed. It was a UFU, meaning that I don’t know what it was.
A few years ago I saw a large aircraft, something like a jetliners but without wings, and it was totally silent, it was about 2000 ft. high, and moving pretty fast. It could have been an experimental airplane of some sort.
Are we intellectually endowed? I hadn’t noticed.
WilliamFleming comments on May 28, 2019:
I have seen two objects in the sky that mystified me. Way back in the fifties I saw a white orb maybe half the apparent size of the moon. I would have dismissed it as a ballon except that it turned on edge and became a flat, horizontal disk. Then it rotated to a steep angle and flew away at incredible speed. It was a UFU, meaning that I don’t know what it was.
A few years ago I saw a large aircraft, something like a jetliners but without wings, and it was totally silent, it was about 2000 ft. high, and moving pretty fast. It could have been an experimental airplane of some sort.
Are we intellectually endowed? I hadn’t noticed.
"Science cannot locate freedom, because its world is one of causal relationships.
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
Just because there is a linear ordering of events doesn’t mean that event B was CAUSED by event A. Maybe the world is not one of causal relationships. According to quantum gravity theory there’s no such thing as time, and I don’t see how you can have causality without time. I think causality might be just an illusion.
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
Just because there is a linear ordering of events doesn’t mean that event B was CAUSED by event A. Maybe the world is not one of causal relationships. According to quantum gravity theory there’s no such thing as time, and I don’t see how you can have causality without time. I think causality might be just an illusion.
A question that some of the more scientifically minded christians sometimes will ask is:
If ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
To say that God did it is no answer at all unless you can define and understand God. It would be more honest to just say that you don’t know.
No matter what scientific explanations you give for nature, nature remains a deeply profound mystery.
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
To say that God did it is no answer at all unless you can define and understand God. It would be more honest to just say that you don’t know.
No matter what scientific explanations you give for nature, nature remains a deeply profound mystery.
What I really like about this sight is, no matter what you post the primary response is ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
The earth is best modeled by an oblate spheroid, but that’s only a model. The earth has lumps.
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
The earth is best modeled by an oblate spheroid, but that’s only a model. The earth has lumps.
"Science cannot locate freedom, because its world is one of causal relationships.
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
How can it be? All our experiences are framed by conscious awareness and a sense of free will. It is the one thing that is NOT an illusion.
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 May 27, 2019:
How can it be? All our experiences are framed by conscious awareness and a sense of free will. It is the one thing that is NOT an illusion.
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.”
I'm curious about what people on this site feel about the simulation hypothesis.
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
I think it really is a simulation in a certain sense. We create our own reality through imagination. Behind the scenes lies ultimate reality which we can not understand in terms of our space/time/matter model.
To say that we are nothing but simulated characters is not the whole story. The physical world, including our bodies is a sort of simulation but we seem to have a higher existence, as evidenced by free will and conscious awareness. We are the programmer.
The simulation hypothesis as usually presented opens up more questions than it answers. I like Donald Hoffman’s ideas.
WilliamFleming comments on May 27, 2019:
I think it really is a simulation in a certain sense. We create our own reality through imagination. Behind the scenes lies ultimate reality which we can not understand in terms of our space/time/matter model.
To say that we are nothing but simulated characters is not the whole story. The physical world, including our bodies is a sort of simulation but we seem to have a higher existence, as evidenced by free will and conscious awareness. We are the programmer.
The simulation hypothesis as usually presented opens up more questions than it answers. I like Donald Hoffman’s ideas.
He Pope compares abortion to 'hiring a HITMAN' as he says it can never be condoned
With the ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
In our arguments for a woman’s right to choose, I think we’d be more effective if we recognize and address that there is more to our opponents’ arguments than just mindless religious hypocrisy.
While there is certainly an element of religiosity, we are also fighting against an important human impulse, understandable by nearly everyone. That impulse is to love and protect the young. Even a vicious guard dog will not harm a newborn baby. I think that to decide on an abortion might be very painful.
It pains me a little bit even to thin my garden. There’ll be this perfect little stalk of corn, bursting with life, but I have to say, “Sorry fellow, there’s not enough room and I don’t want you.” I know that in the scheme of things a single stalk of corn is of little significance and I can’t tend every one that sprouts. You have to look for the best good overall.
As a teenager I used to raise pigs. I had this very fine sow with Danish ancestry, and she would have huge litters—too many. I’d go to the farrowing pen and see that she had ripped open a few of the pigs and they’d be writhing in pain and close to death. It was a painful and disturbing sight, but I learned a lesson. The mother is emotionally equipped to make tough decisions for the overall good of her offspring.
Women are tough. Leave them alone and stay out of their business. Let nature run its course. Men are the sentimental ones. If the Pope doesn’t like abortions let him not have one.
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
In our arguments for a woman’s right to choose, I think we’d be more effective if we recognize and address that there is more to our opponents’ arguments than just mindless religious hypocrisy.
While there is certainly an element of religiosity, we are also fighting against an important human impulse, understandable by nearly everyone. That impulse is to love and protect the young. Even a vicious guard dog will not harm a newborn baby. I think that to decide on an abortion might be very painful.
It pains me a little bit even to thin my garden. There’ll be this perfect little stalk of corn, bursting with life, but I have to say, “Sorry fellow, there’s not enough room and I don’t want you.” I know that in the scheme of things a single stalk of corn is of little significance and I can’t tend every one that sprouts. You have to look for the best good overall.
As a teenager I used to raise pigs. I had this very fine sow with Danish ancestry, and she would have huge litters—too many. I’d go to the farrowing pen and see that she had ripped open a few of the pigs and they’d be writhing in pain and close to death. It was a painful and disturbing sight, but I learned a lesson. The mother is emotionally equipped to make tough decisions for the overall good of her offspring.
Women are tough. Leave them alone and stay out of their business. Let nature run its course. Men are the sentimental ones. If the Pope doesn’t like abortions let him not have one.
In a few generations the caucasion race will be extinct.
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
Not extinct, but different. The various races are thoroughly mixed. Whatever emerges on the human landscape will be beautiful, strong and intelligent.
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
Not extinct, but different. The various races are thoroughly mixed. Whatever emerges on the human landscape will be beautiful, strong and intelligent.
I have known people who lost their faith in God during the Holocaust, and others who kept it.
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
I have total faith that humans will continue to kill each other en masse just as they always have. The question is how do we understand and live with human nature.
The question of faith in God is something else. Maybe shedding ones faith in God is a positive step because Ultimate Reality is not about faith or belief. Nature is what it is regardless of our shallow opinions.
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
I have total faith that humans will continue to kill each other en masse just as they always have. The question is how do we understand and live with human nature.
The question of faith in God is something else. Maybe shedding ones faith in God is a positive step because Ultimate Reality is not about faith or belief. Nature is what it is regardless of our shallow opinions.
Did Billy Graham do anything that injured our society?
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
One good thing he did was to turn away from the Calvinist version of hell.
Even though IMO traditional Christianity is a sham, I can not deny that many people have a psychological need for such shams. If millions of people say that Christianity has helped them to live better lives, who am I to argue? We are all entitled to our opinions. There are no absolutes.
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
One good thing he did was to turn away from the Calvinist version of hell.
Even though IMO traditional Christianity is a sham, I can not deny that many people have a psychological need for such shams. If millions of people say that Christianity has helped them to live better lives, who am I to argue? We are all entitled to our opinions. There are no absolutes.
Watch me explain existence
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
Jeff, your post resonates with me. There is conscious awareness and there are thoughts, sensations, and memory. Maybe our minds organize those thoughts and sensations into categories, creating space, time, and “things” as the basic framework for the graph. At first there’s just Conscious Awareness, but for convenience we think up the ideas of self and non-self.
However, I’m not absolutely sure I am ready at this point to be classified as a “poor shlub reality hemorrhoid”. Check back later—oh wait, there’s no such thing as time. :-)
WilliamFleming comments on May 26, 2019:
Jeff, your post resonates with me. There is conscious awareness and there are thoughts, sensations, and memory. Maybe our minds organize those thoughts and sensations into categories, creating space, time, and “things” as the basic framework for the graph. At first there’s just Conscious Awareness, but for convenience we think up the ideas of self and non-self.
However, I’m not absolutely sure I am ready at this point to be classified as a “poor shlub reality hemorrhoid”. Check back later—oh wait, there’s no such thing as time. :-)
If this means conservative Christians would move away from the rest of us, I'm all for it.
WilliamFleming comments on May 25, 2019:
If they propose to be a US state wouldn’t they be subject to the constitution the same as all the other states? The Supreme Court might have something to say about their proposals.
WilliamFleming comments on May 25, 2019:
If they propose to be a US state wouldn’t they be subject to the constitution the same as all the other states? The Supreme Court might have something to say about their proposals.
Majority in Brazil's top court to make homophobia and transphobia crimes - BBC News
WilliamFleming comments on May 25, 2019:
How can you enforce a law against fear? I understand laws against hateful acts, but we have no control over our fears. With awareness we can control our actions. Maybe something got lost in the translation.
Our fears often exist for legitimate purposes. IMO a measure of fear in connection with homosexuality can be a good and useful emotion, keeping us from straying off into a lifestyle that is not in our best interests.
WilliamFleming comments on May 25, 2019:
How can you enforce a law against fear? I understand laws against hateful acts, but we have no control over our fears. With awareness we can control our actions. Maybe something got lost in the translation.
Our fears often exist for legitimate purposes. IMO a measure of fear in connection with homosexuality can be a good and useful emotion, keeping us from straying off into a lifestyle that is not in our best interests.
2018 meditaçao JOAN CHAMORRO PRESENTA ALBA ARMENGOU & SCOTT HAMILTON - YouTube
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Very beautiful!
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Very beautiful!
It Turns Out Christians Have More Abortions Than Any Other Religious Group In America - MTV
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
It’s interesting that while one third of Christians in the US are evangelicals, they make up only 23% of those Christians who seek abortions.
This article says that abortion is a political issue, not a religious one:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/05/23/politics/abortion-religion-views-alabama/index.html
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
It’s interesting that while one third of Christians in the US are evangelicals, they make up only 23% of those Christians who seek abortions.
This article says that abortion is a political issue, not a religious one:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/05/23/politics/abortion-religion-views-alabama/index.html
It Turns Out Christians Have More Abortions Than Any Other Religious Group In America - MTV
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Seventy five percent of Americans say they are Christians, so one would expect Christians to have more abortions. At 70%, Christians are underrepresented in the abortion pool.
While abortion is illegal in Saudi Arabia, abortions do occur there.
https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/6994/safe-abortion-for-saudi-arabia
And guess what—almost all of those receiving those abortions are Muslim. Should we then conclude that being Muslim causes abortions?
We should be careful about drawing unwarranted assumptions from statistics.
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Seventy five percent of Americans say they are Christians, so one would expect Christians to have more abortions. At 70%, Christians are underrepresented in the abortion pool.
While abortion is illegal in Saudi Arabia, abortions do occur there.
https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/6994/safe-abortion-for-saudi-arabia
And guess what—almost all of those receiving those abortions are Muslim. Should we then conclude that being Muslim causes abortions?
We should be careful about drawing unwarranted assumptions from statistics.
Do you think that studying the history of the world helping to make everyone become agnostic or ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
I think that knowledge of the world’s people and their histories might help a person overcome a narrow dogmatic religious perspective, and might lead to a deeper appreciation for reality. Declaring oneself an atheist or whatever is of little significance.
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
I think that knowledge of the world’s people and their histories might help a person overcome a narrow dogmatic religious perspective, and might lead to a deeper appreciation for reality. Declaring oneself an atheist or whatever is of little significance.
Is populism democracy in action?
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
I’m thinking about that.
Double points. :-)
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
I’m thinking about that.
Double points. :-)
Todd Starnes Sold Us a War on Christianity. We Bought It. - Christ and Pop Culture
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Here’s an interesting paragraph from Wikipedia:
Firing from Baptist Press
Edit
In 2003, when employed by the Baptist Press, Starnes was accused of falsifying quotes from an interview of then U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.[8] The interview spawned national headlines and several members of Congress called on Paige to resign over comments on religion and the public schools.[9] Ultimately, the Baptist Press issued an apology noting "factual and contextual errors" made by Starnes and saying that he would "no longer will be employed to write for the Baptist Press".[10]
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Here’s an interesting paragraph from Wikipedia:
Firing from Baptist Press
Edit
In 2003, when employed by the Baptist Press, Starnes was accused of falsifying quotes from an interview of then U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.[8] The interview spawned national headlines and several members of Congress called on Paige to resign over comments on religion and the public schools.[9] Ultimately, the Baptist Press issued an apology noting "factual and contextual errors" made by Starnes and saying that he would "no longer will be employed to write for the Baptist Press".[10]
Protesters Outside UK School Insist “God Created Women for Men’s Pleasure” | Hemant Mehta | ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Great theory—I’ll buy that!
But what happened? Are we on track? When does this pleasure begin?
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Great theory—I’ll buy that!
But what happened? Are we on track? When does this pleasure begin?
"Live simply.
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Matias, will you explain the consciousness of necessity?
Is this your own composition? It’s very nice.
WilliamFleming comments on May 24, 2019:
Matias, will you explain the consciousness of necessity?
Is this your own composition? It’s very nice.
When you were a kid what did you think?
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2019:
I was fascinated with my body. I wondered who or what I was and what life was all about. I wondered where the world came from and why it exists. I wondered why I was me and not somebody else.
I still wonder about that stuff and I’m no closer to having answers. It’s mind-boggling.
I didn’t think I’d live very long, yet here I am, still a kid at heart, still mystified.
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2019:
I was fascinated with my body. I wondered who or what I was and what life was all about. I wondered where the world came from and why it exists. I wondered why I was me and not somebody else.
I still wonder about that stuff and I’m no closer to having answers. It’s mind-boggling.
I didn’t think I’d live very long, yet here I am, still a kid at heart, still mystified.
Why do i believe in science?
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2019:
I don’t believe in science. I don’t believe in anything. The answers given by science are limited and superficial and do not address the deep questions of existence. Science is a great boon for mankind but has no role as a belief system.
There are some very intriguing ideas in religion and metaphysics, but there’s nothing there deserving of hard belief. I look on metaphysics as art—no belief is required.
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2019:
I don’t believe in science. I don’t believe in anything. The answers given by science are limited and superficial and do not address the deep questions of existence. Science is a great boon for mankind but has no role as a belief system.
There are some very intriguing ideas in religion and metaphysics, but there’s nothing there deserving of hard belief. I look on metaphysics as art—no belief is required.
As a freethinker I don't believe in life after death.
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2019:
As a freethinker I think the concepts of before and after are illusory mind tools. There is no after. There is the continuum of life and of conscious awareness.
Our sense of self as a separate individual in a body is just imagination. Hoping for eternity in heaven for yourself is a foolish and unworthy endeavor. We are in heaven right now and would see that if only we looked.
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2019:
As a freethinker I think the concepts of before and after are illusory mind tools. There is no after. There is the continuum of life and of conscious awareness.
Our sense of self as a separate individual in a body is just imagination. Hoping for eternity in heaven for yourself is a foolish and unworthy endeavor. We are in heaven right now and would see that if only we looked.
Many are firmly convinced that religions are the greatest obstacle to peaceful and prosperous ...
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2019:
Oddly on the Internet there is very little discussion of the political issues facing us. What passes for political discussion is more like kindergarten squabbles.
How much immigration should be allowed? What would be the result of an open border. What should be done with illegal immigrants?
What social programs should we have and how should they be managed and financed? What is a reasonable taxation scheme,? What is the best economic system? How much government regulation is needed?
We could be discussing those issues in an intelligent manner, but all I hear is a lot of moral grandstanding, demonizing, and name-calling. Tribalism.
WilliamFleming comments on May 23, 2019:
Oddly on the Internet there is very little discussion of the political issues facing us. What passes for political discussion is more like kindergarten squabbles.
How much immigration should be allowed? What would be the result of an open border. What should be done with illegal immigrants?
What social programs should we have and how should they be managed and financed? What is a reasonable taxation scheme,? What is the best economic system? How much government regulation is needed?
We could be discussing those issues in an intelligent manner, but all I hear is a lot of moral grandstanding, demonizing, and name-calling. Tribalism.
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