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As a nonbeliever, do you fear death?
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 6, 2019:
My opinion is that our sense of self as a body is nothing but illusion. You can’t lose what you never had. It is nature herself that has conscious awareness. There is no space, no time, no matter. We are living in a sort of dream world made of symbols. Ultimate Reality is beyond our ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
@skado Yes, it is immortality of a kind, but not in the way most people think of immortality. To strive for perpetual life as a unique and separate individual seems kind of foolish in light of the extremely nebulous nature of personal identity, which depends wholly on memory, and varies over time. Universal consciousness is something we can identify with that goes on after we die. We live on through other people, but it’s “We” collectively. That’s what some people are saying, and the idea is appealing somehow. I don’t know if you looked at that last link, but there’s this: “Lest the idea of a unitary, group, or universal mind be dismissed as new-age woo-woo, we should note that some of the most distinguished scientists of the 20th century have endorsed this perspective. The renowned physicist David Bohm said, "Each person enfolds something of the spirit of the other in his consciousness. Deep down the consciousness of mankind is one. This is a virtual certainty... and if we don't see this it's because we are blinding ourselves to it." Anthropologist and psychologist Gregory Bateson: "The individual mind is immanent but not only in the body. It is immanent also in the pathways and messages outside the body; and there is a larger Mind of which the individual mind is only a sub-system..." Physicist Henry Margenau: "There is a physical reality that is in essence the same for all... [This] oneness of the all implies the universality of mind... If my conclusions are correct, each individual is part of God or part of the Universal Mind." Nobel physicist Erwin Schrodinger also believed that minds are united and one. He said, "To divide or multiply consciousness is something meaningless. There is obviously only one alternative, namely the unification of minds or consciousness... [I]n truth there is only one mind." https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spiritual-living-is-techn_n_600900 I really think there’s more substance to the concept than just fear of death, If nothing else the idea gives me a feeling of excitement. :-)
As a nonbeliever, do you fear death?
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 6, 2019:
My opinion is that our sense of self as a body is nothing but illusion. You can’t lose what you never had. It is nature herself that has conscious awareness. There is no space, no time, no matter. We are living in a sort of dream world made of symbols. Ultimate Reality is beyond our ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
@skado Actually I don’t argue for personal immortality—just the opposite. Well, I’ve said it over and over too many times. Here’s a different article that might interest you. If not it’s ok. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spiritual-living-is-techn_n_600900
Guilty while being black in America (again) ? [theroot.com]
TheMiddleWay comments on Mar 7, 2019:
*The man told the officer he lived and worked in the building, and gave the officer his school identification card,* [1] School ID card? The police were right to be suspicious given that most school ID cards don't have address information and even if they did, aren't a form of valid ID. BTW, ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
@TheMiddleWay It does make sense and I am relieved. Thanks.
Guilty while being black in America (again) ? [theroot.com]
TheMiddleWay comments on Mar 7, 2019:
*The man told the officer he lived and worked in the building, and gave the officer his school identification card,* [1] School ID card? The police were right to be suspicious given that most school ID cards don't have address information and even if they did, aren't a form of valid ID. BTW, ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
@TheMiddleWay Well, I don’t know. There could be more to the story than we are told, but my gut reaction very negative. These things seem to happen a lot. But you are right. BTW, I am ashamed and appalled that you were maltreated in my home state. Sorry.
Guilty while being black in America (again) ? [theroot.com]
TheMiddleWay comments on Mar 7, 2019:
*The man told the officer he lived and worked in the building, and gave the officer his school identification card,* [1] School ID card? The police were right to be suspicious given that most school ID cards don't have address information and even if they did, aren't a form of valid ID. BTW, ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
According to this official website a school ID card is legal for identification purposes in Colorado. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/atoms/files/Approved%20Identification%20Documents%20List.pdf The question in my mind is WHY ANYONE would be suspicious of some guy picking up trash. It reminds me of the time a Yale professor who happens to be Black got arrested in his own house. Somebody saw him through the front window and assumed he was a burgler. Ask yourself why such an assumption would be made.
I got into a fb discussion with someone and this is his argument.
Wallace comments on Mar 7, 2019:
I think the orthodox definition of *God* is "any being that is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent." At least that is so in my field. Of course, anyone can use the term differently, but they are then expected to define their special usage of the term so the conversation can proceed from there...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
@Wallace Thanks for your reply. I don’t actually say that Ultimate Reality is God, but I’ve seen it described that way. I am so befuddled, ignorant, and overwhelmed with the basic enigmas of existence and consciousness that I have no coherent ideas to add to any discussion about God. I only refer to “Ultimate” Reality because reality as perceived by us humans is an illusion IMO. We are looking at shadows but something is causing those shadows. We consciously create OUR reality, but in truth there is only the one reality, or nature if you’d prefer. I don’t argue over the existence of God. From a cosmic perspective, existence, along with creation, destruction, death, immortality, heaven, and afterlife are all meaningless concepts used by us pea-brained humans within our dream world. I base that on my interpretation of “Reality is not What it Seems” by Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli. From that perspective the “omnis” don’t seem all that grand or impressive as characteristics. To be everywhere at once and at all times fits right in with modern physics. Since there are a finite number of granules of space, each of the size of a planck length, then “knowing” the state of those finite particles of space would seem natural, but you might have to tinker with the meaning of “know”. Being all-powerful WITHIN OUR DREAM WORLD is not inconceivable but there has to be intention. As an analogy, within system parameters a programmer creating a computer game has total control over his simulated environment. We organisms have conscious awareness and intention, and on the level of Ultimate Reality might collectively be “God” or an extension or expression of Universal Consciousness.
Guilty while being black in America (again) ? [theroot.com]
IamNobody comments on Mar 7, 2019:
Could it be Jessie Smollett second cousin removed trying to pull another hoax?
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
The story is backed up with this link: http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_32490946/boulder-police-launch-investigation-into-contact-man-picking
Guilty while being black in America (again) ? [theroot.com]
indirect76 comments on Mar 7, 2019:
Why not put the bucket & stick down and speak with the police instead of being an ass and escalating the situation?
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
@indirect76 What proves racism in this case is that the officer had no reason in the world to assume anything other than that the man lived there or was working there. And the man DID cooperate! He presented proof of his residency. IMO such officers need to be fired and replaced with Black police officers.
Guilty while being black in America (again) ? [theroot.com]
48thRonin comments on Mar 7, 2019:
Yeah I’m not co signing anything about this until I see something that details the initial contact between the officer and the citizen. As a former law enforcement officer I want to hear from the officer ( Sir do you live here? ) and from there I will see as to who actually escalated this ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
And WHY would the officer assume anything other that the man either lived there or was working there? It’s a case of blatant racist profiling and that kind of thing needs to be stopped!!
I got into a fb discussion with someone and this is his argument.
Wallace comments on Mar 7, 2019:
I think the orthodox definition of *God* is "any being that is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent." At least that is so in my field. Of course, anyone can use the term differently, but they are then expected to define their special usage of the term so the conversation can proceed from there...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
I can see where that definition might work in a practical sense for many discussions, however, IMO in an ultimate sense it doesn’t say much. All it says is that God is not limited by the parameters of our everyday perception of reality—it doesn’t really define God, except to say that God is what is beyond our normal realm of existence. Maybe to a fish God is what is beyond the water, A theistic fish would say that “Beyond the Water” is the divine creator who sustains and provides. An agnostic fish would say that BTW is unknown and unknowable. An atheist fish would say there’s ZERO evidence for btw(s) and that he is withholding belief in such entities, and that the burden of proof is on the fish making a positive assertion. A few spiritually oriented fish might report having leapt out of the water and gaining brief glimmers of BTW, but they would be derided by the others as offering anecdotal evidence based on superstition and wu. Maybe God is what we don’t know, if there be such.
As a nonbeliever, do you fear death?
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 6, 2019:
My opinion is that our sense of self as a body is nothing but illusion. You can’t lose what you never had. It is nature herself that has conscious awareness. There is no space, no time, no matter. We are living in a sort of dream world made of symbols. Ultimate Reality is beyond our ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 7, 2019:
@skado Here I go again, making a bald-faced assertion of my speculative opinions as though they were absolutely true. :-( I reason that for conscious awareness to arise from electro-chemical processes in the brain seems impossible. Yet we do experience conscious awareness—consciousness is behind all we know. How can we understand anything at all, even our own selves except in terms of conscious awareness? Unless you accept ESP studies and such, I don’t know that there’s any hard evidence that can be tested, however a lot of smart people have advocated the idea of universal consciousness. Here’s one of many articles that talks about the concept: https://www.ecstadelic.net/top-stories/the-unified-field-and-the-quantum-nature-of-consciousness
Is life not to expand the mind as we spin on this beautiful blue marble in the cosmos?
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 6, 2019:
Possibly so. Another option might be that we ARE the expanding universal mind.
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 6, 2019:
@RDBernard I speculate that our bodies are nothing but unaware robots. The reason I think that might be is that I can envision no way that the firing of neurons in our brains could possibly cause the kind of conscious awareness that we enjoy. It follows that we are not our bodies and the sense of self as an individual body is an illusion. We ought not be aware but we are. That’s hard evidence. But perhaps it is nature that is really aware. It’s the idea of universal consciousness, a concept that potentially could explain some of the mysteries of nature IMO. Universal Consciousness: https://www.ecstadelic.net/top-stories/the-unified-field-and-the-quantum-nature-of-consciousness A good many leading physicists have talked about the concept as a possibility.
To walk the journey is to become one with it.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
Wow, somebody with some sense! Give us more.
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 6, 2019:
@skado So I’ve been had? :-(
In the debate of whether or not AI will create massive job losses, people seem too focused on past ...
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 1, 2019:
Why would we want work? Machines can make life easier for everyone. The goal should be less work and more play, more leisure for family and friends, for hobbies and sports. With the greater efficiency afforded by AI, products will be cheaper and hours can be cut.
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 3, 2019:
@GothRik Maybe things will get ironed out. People would be much better off if the health care industry could be overhauled. All told, life is better on average than in 1900, wouldn’t you think? Yeah, there was a lot of work to be done—plowing, hoeing, picking cotton, etc. lots of people lived in shacks with open wells and outhouses, and they died young. I agree though, we need fairer distribution of wealth.
In the debate of whether or not AI will create massive job losses, people seem too focused on past ...
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 1, 2019:
Why would we want work? Machines can make life easier for everyone. The goal should be less work and more play, more leisure for family and friends, for hobbies and sports. With the greater efficiency afforded by AI, products will be cheaper and hours can be cut.
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 3, 2019:
@GothRik A robot is nothing more than a labor-saving machine, used for greater efficiency. In 1900 cars were very expensive. When Henry Ford introduced efficiency into the manufacturing process cars became affordable. It was bad for those highly paid expert craftsmen who had previously made cars, and they had to adapt in the interest of the general population. IMO the more efficient our production the greater real wealth everyone will enjoy.
Mississippi passes Anti-Richard Dawkins law [patheos.com] Edit: This is satire.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 2, 2019:
Nothing but a hoax or satire or whatever. It’s not funny to me. Mississippi is a great state, full of intelligent and warm-hearted people. https://hoax-alert.leadstories.com/3470198-fake-news-mississippi-passes-anti-richard-dawkins-law.html
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 3, 2019:
@Bendog Can you support that allegation about human rights abuses? Seems to me your own state of Washington must rank near the top in that category while Mississippi ranks near the bottom. https://www.google.com/search?q=hate+crimes+in+washington+state&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us=safari Washington has a Black/White incarceration ratio of 6.4, Mississippi 3.5. https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Uneven-Justice-State-Rates-of-Incarceration-by-Race-and-Ethnicity.pdf Mississippi is a great state. I live Mississippi.
So has anyone else run into this?
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 2, 2019:
One person’s wu is another person’s profound insight. If you are mired in materialism and scientism it is only because you are wearing a blindfold. Study the ideas of the founders of modern physics and you might change your outlook for the better. Sir Arthur Eddington: The universe is of ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 3, 2019:
@genessa The implications are that there is something majorly overwhelming and inexplicable about our existence, about reality, about conscious awareness. The Implications are enormous. And if you don’t see that, if all you see is just a humdrum mechanistic nature, all explained by science through a materialistic philosophy. Then it is because you are wearing a blindfold.
Mississippi passes Anti-Richard Dawkins law [patheos.com] Edit: This is satire.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 2, 2019:
Nothing but a hoax or satire or whatever. It’s not funny to me. Mississippi is a great state, full of intelligent and warm-hearted people. https://hoax-alert.leadstories.com/3470198-fake-news-mississippi-passes-anti-richard-dawkins-law.html
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 2, 2019:
@Elganned Mississippi has 13 hate groups while Michigan has 31. https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map/by-state ‘Nuff sed.
So has anyone else run into this?
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 2, 2019:
One person’s wu is another person’s profound insight. If you are mired in materialism and scientism it is only because you are wearing a blindfold. Study the ideas of the founders of modern physics and you might change your outlook for the better. Sir Arthur Eddington: The universe is of ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 2, 2019:
@Elganned Sounds like you think your opinion on the subject outranks those of Eugene Weigner, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Edwin Schrodinger, Arthur Eddington, Werner Karl Heisenberg, Wolfgang Pauli, Max Planck, John Wheeler, and many other geniuses of physics. It’s not about the supernatural. It’s about the staggering implications of nature herself.
Mississippi passes Anti-Richard Dawkins law [patheos.com] Edit: This is satire.
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 2, 2019:
Nothing but a hoax or satire or whatever. It’s not funny to me. Mississippi is a great state, full of intelligent and warm-hearted people. https://hoax-alert.leadstories.com/3470198-fake-news-mississippi-passes-anti-richard-dawkins-law.html
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 2, 2019:
@Elganned I rode a bicycle through Mississippi and was highly impressed with the people I met along the way. And I’ve driven across the state many times and was never met by anything but kindness.
So has anyone else run into this?
Metahuman comments on Mar 2, 2019:
Do you think, in the end, there is no Essential Whattness of the Universe, of any kind? Are you then a robot ? Please understand, I am not speaking of anything Supernatural. Spiritual yes. Spiritual, to me, is the word I use to describe the feeling of relationship between my individual self and all ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 2, 2019:
Great post sir! Thanks!
Debunked: "Socialism Has Never Worked" - YouTube
WilliamFleming comments on Mar 2, 2019:
I haven’t actually heard anyone say that socialism doesn’t work. I hear them say that Marx-style communism doesn’t work, and there is a degree of truth in that sentiment I think. The video states several times that communism is not socialism, but rather is “right-wing” dictatorship created...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 2, 2019:
@BryanLV So now I’ve reard it said, but this is the first time IIRC. :-)
How can religion tolerate and defend rape , while it's intolerant of masturbation , the solution ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
Which religions are the ones that tolerate and defend rape? I missed it.
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 1, 2019:
@Triphid I have no interest in the subject. Find someone else to argue with.
Lost Cause for the Confederacy For those who think the civil war has ended think again
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 4, 2018:
This is just the kind of fear-mongering, irresponsible, exaggerated article that I abhor. The thesis seems to be that southerners are chomping at the bit to reopen hostilities. It is an idiotic idea with no basis. What I suspect is an effort to arouse political support for left-wing causes through ...
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 1, 2019:
@larsatrg I haven’t done any of the things you say. Goodbye.
How can religion tolerate and defend rape , while it's intolerant of masturbation , the solution ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
Which religions are the ones that tolerate and defend rape? I missed it.
WilliamFleming replies on Mar 1, 2019:
@Triphid I have no idea. Ask a Christian.
How can religion tolerate and defend rape , while it's intolerant of masturbation , the solution ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
Which religions are the ones that tolerate and defend rape? I missed it.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 28, 2019:
@Triphid We are talking about two different things. I grew up in a Baptist Church. The Bible was read often, and was considered to be the word of God. Yet anyone should know that not every passage is instruction by God in how to live or how to act. Even if rape was condoned or even promoted in the old society of the Middle East, that has no bearing on us today. Rape is certainly not condoned by Baptists. Protestants view the Old Testament as background information leading up to the birth of Jesus. According to them, Jesus came to start a new world order based on love and compassion, and that is the story of the New Testament, not the Old. It is kind of silly to point out some passage in the Bible that clashes with modern mores and to wage a virulent campaign against all religion based on that. In fact it is a total waste of my time to even talk about.
Here's some perspective
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
One of the greatest benefits of a religious mindset is to be able to reconcile and overcome unpleasant events and live in awareness and joy. In that regard, the story of Job is inspiring.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
@Triphid Spirituality for me is not about the supernatural, although for some people it might be. Ultimate Reality is not above or outside nature, it is nature herself. But it is above the limitations of our everyday perception of the world. It is the so-called concrete that is shadowy, ghostly, and ephemeral, while Ultimate Reality is real and unchanging. Sir Arthur Eddington: The universe is of the nature of a thought or sensation in a universal Mind... To put the conclusion crudely — the stuff of the world is mind-stuff. We are no longer tempted to condemn the spiritual aspects of our nature as illusory because of their lack of concreteness. The scientific answer is relevant so far as concerns the sense-impressions... For the rest the human spirit must turn to the unseen world to which it itself belongs.
How can religion tolerate and defend rape , while it's intolerant of masturbation , the solution ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
Which religions are the ones that tolerate and defend rape? I missed it.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
@Triphid, @LenHazell53 Absolutely, you are correct. The Bible is irrelevant to us. This is somewhat off topic anyway. What modern religion condones rape? I don’t know of any.
How can religion tolerate and defend rape , while it's intolerant of masturbation , the solution ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
Which religions are the ones that tolerate and defend rape? I missed it.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
@Triphid We are in total agreement regarding the Bible. The church I attended as a youth did not require us to read and study every word. At eighteen I left Christianity for good, and have no interest in poring over the Bible. There are other books that are more appealing. I do not want to waste any of my life in an angry, hostile attitude of arrogant condescension and judgmental condemnation of my fellow humans because of their religious opinions. My dictionary says that rapine is plundering. The original meaning of “rape” was to steal, as in “Rape of the Lock”. https://www.google.com/search?q=derivation+of+the+word+rapine&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us=safari
Here's some perspective
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
One of the greatest benefits of a religious mindset is to be able to reconcile and overcome unpleasant events and live in awareness and joy. In that regard, the story of Job is inspiring.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
@Triphid I in no way advocate for the existence of a “Sky Daddy Being”. That is about magic and the supernatural, and IMO there’s no such thing as the supernatural, unless you want to say that all of nature is “super”. What I entertain is the notion of Ultimate Reality. As a consciously aware being I am filled with a sense of wonder, awe, appreciation, and deep gratitude for reality. There is nothing about Ultimate Reality to “believe” or to argue about. There is a higher aspect to nature that we can not perceive or understand with our everyday matter/space/time model. In other words, the world of our perception is illusory. This fact is almost universally accepted by thinking people, and has been a part of scientific knowledge since the days of Faraday and Maxwell. Ultimate Reality is draped in profound, unfathomable mystery. Physicists have glimmers of insight, but those glimmers are superficial. You sound rather combative.
How can religion tolerate and defend rape , while it's intolerant of masturbation , the solution ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
Which religions are the ones that tolerate and defend rape? I missed it.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
@Triphid This is from eric.com: When Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, was violated by the son of a neighboring ruler, Shechem, her brothers murdered him, his father, and the all of the men of his city in revenge (Gen. 34). After the Unnamed Concubine was gang-raped and left for dead by men in the tribe of Benjamin, the other tribes went to war against them upon hearing of her injustice (Jgs. 19-21). And after Tamar was raped by her half-brother, Amnon, her brother Absalom killed him, and incited a rebellion against his father, King David (2 Sam. 13). Rape was neither covered up nor ignored. Instead, it was answered and avenged. It was such a cultural convulsion that it was answered with outrage and further violence. The cases of rape in Scripture tell us something about the cases of rape we are hearing today: These women must be heard and they must be protected. Deuteronomy 22:25-27 “But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case. When he found her in the field, the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her.” I was made to read parts of the Bible when I was young but it is of little interest to me now. I consider the Bible to be primarily a book of Jewish history. It is not God’s official word, given for our guidance, and it is not worth going into a fit over. We should just cast a sideways glance and move on. I in no way condemn anyone’s religion because of the brutality mentioned in the Bible. People in those days lived by a harsh desert code. To rapine BTW, is just to plunder.
Here's some perspective
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
One of the greatest benefits of a religious mindset is to be able to reconcile and overcome unpleasant events and live in awareness and joy. In that regard, the story of Job is inspiring.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
@Triphid In this one instance you might be right. :-) what I did was throw out my fundamentalist background but I remain very aware and appreciative of the miracles of life and nature. I don’t argue about God. Nobody is qualified in that area. We are all totally and abysmally ignorant of ultimate reality. That Bible Belt thing is sort of a stereotype IMO. Other parts of the US are almost as religious as the South, while the South is not monolithic. There are non-believers all around me, and probably half the population does not practice a religion. You can find whatever you want to find in the South, which constitutes one third of the US population.
Here's some perspective
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 27, 2019:
One of the greatest benefits of a religious mindset is to be able to reconcile and overcome unpleasant events and live in awareness and joy. In that regard, the story of Job is inspiring.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
@TheoryNumber3 The story is obviously nothing but allegory intended to illustrate a truth. Job’s God concept was not based on circumstances or events. Because he had a deep understanding and awareness nothing could change his opinion. It was not that Job had great piety, faith, or benevolence. He was simply courageous and smart enough to know that external events don’t negate truth. Sure, it was painful to lose his family and everything, but everyone dies at some point—it’s in the cards. The miraculous, wonderful thing is that any of us exist in the first place and have conscious awareness.
United Methodist Church Votes To Keep Bans On Same-Sex Weddings, LGBTQ Clergy : NPR
Dandewine comments on Feb 27, 2019:
I'm surprised. I always thought they were a more liberal inclusive denomination.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
The definition of a Methodist was well stated in the movie “A River Runs Through It”. A Methodist is nothing but a Baptist who can read and write.
Lost Cause for the Confederacy For those who think the civil war has ended think again
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 4, 2018:
This is just the kind of fear-mongering, irresponsible, exaggerated article that I abhor. The thesis seems to be that southerners are chomping at the bit to reopen hostilities. It is an idiotic idea with no basis. What I suspect is an effort to arouse political support for left-wing causes through ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 27, 2019:
@larsatrg You are right about that—slavery was a terrible institution and our country is much better off without it. But I don’t believe in absolutes. Much good often comes from what is adjudged to be evil. One good is that our country is blessed with descendants of the slaves, and they are creative, intelligent and robust people who are an asset in about every way. In reading those slave narratives I get the definite impression that the life of a typical slave was not one of torture and unceasing toil. Many of the former slaves in fact looked back with pleasure on the old days. I know I shouldn’t let it needle me, but the left-wing media seems intent on re-creating history to stir up anger, violence, and a sense of grievance and victim-hood. “Your great-great-great grandparents were slaves and you are a victim” seems to be the line. There is that all-out effort to demonize the evil white southerners—to assume a pompous air of moral and intellectual superiority, and yes, to promote the false idea that southerners are still fighting, chomping at the bit to reopen the Civil War and reimpose slavery. Thanks for clearing that up about the klan. I propose to move forward in an attitude of peace, harmony and mutual respect if possible. Sometimes I slip up.
Lost Cause for the Confederacy For those who think the civil war has ended think again
WilliamFleming comments on Dec 4, 2018:
This is just the kind of fear-mongering, irresponsible, exaggerated article that I abhor. The thesis seems to be that southerners are chomping at the bit to reopen hostilities. It is an idiotic idea with no basis. What I suspect is an effort to arouse political support for left-wing causes through ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 26, 2019:
@larsatrg Apparently you are in very strong disagreement with the sentiments expressed in the two quotes you gave. Neither statement was all that extreme. You might disagree with what was said, but to claim that, based on such statements,the Civil War is still being waged, as the title suggests, is nothing but hyperbole. Both of those statements, in fact, can be supported, and they are not ignorant/bigoted, as you said. It sounds to me as though you are the one still fighting the Civil War. You might consider reading the actual narratives of former slaves if you want to know what slavery was like. There are many such narratives, compiled by the government in the thirties, and they can be downloaded. It is a matter of historical record that the war was fought to prevent secession—Lincoln himself said as much. The US Army did not go marching into the South to free the slaves. If that had been the mission wouldn’t they have freed the slaves in your own Maryland first? It is true that had there not been slavery there would have been no war. It is true that the South mistakenly clung to slavery, which motivated secession. Slavery was one of the conditions which led to war, but was not the cause.To illustrate, the cotton trade was a condition, but was not the cause. You ask what percentage of Alabamians are klansmen. I don’t know but I do know that a person could spend their entire life here and never once have any contact with such groups. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center there are 23 hate groups in Alabama, and there are 21 in Maryland. So far as the KKK per se, here’s a link that is revealing: https://www.google.com/search?q=kkk+in+maryland&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us=safari#ip=1
Those who believe that humans have an "immortal soul" must be able to explain how this soul (or mind...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 23, 2019:
The soul concept makes no sense to me. Who or what is it that is supposed to be having a soul? One possible explanation regarding our existence is that the body might be nothing but a robot, lacking true awareness and free will. In this model our sense of self as a separate, bodily entity is nothing...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 25, 2019:
@Matias I agree that intuition alone is a poor guide, yet about every scientific discovery was preceded by intuitive ideas. There is certain evidence also, but not conclusive evidence obviously. It is perfectly understandable that you would be skeptical. An analogy is a radio. Someone who had never heard of radios would probably think that its sounds were being created solely by the radio itself. And hearing voices, they might conclude that the radio was conscious. They might point out that different radios make different sounds, which precludes Universal Consciousness. They might argue that when the radio is turned off or dies it shows no sign of conscious awareness.They would be both right and wrong because the sounds themselves are indeed created inside the radio. But without signals, encoded with information, the sounds would not be possible.
Those who believe that humans have an "immortal soul" must be able to explain how this soul (or mind...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 23, 2019:
The soul concept makes no sense to me. Who or what is it that is supposed to be having a soul? One possible explanation regarding our existence is that the body might be nothing but a robot, lacking true awareness and free will. In this model our sense of self as a separate, bodily entity is nothing...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 24, 2019:
@Matias Yes, the things you experience have to do just with you—your memories, your subconscious makeup, your genetic propensities. If you have awareness of your experiences though, that conscious awareness itself is generic or universal. When meditating, if a person can block off all thoughts and emotions he is able to experience pure consciousness. He realizes that there is nothing about consciousness that is peculiar to himself. It is not HIS consciousness—it is just consciousness, the same for everyone and everything through all of time. I certainly don’t understand it and I can’t prove universal consciousness—it’s something that appeals to me on an intuitive level. I think to get any glimmer of insight you have to be willing to let go our normal way of thinking about reality, but that is true for other fields also—relativity for example. Here’s an interesting article that discusses the concept: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spiritual-living-is-techn_n_600900
If you’re not registered then please do so especially if you live in a closed primary state.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 23, 2019:
You seem to assume that everyone is a Democrat.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 23, 2019:
@48thRonin Old retired guy here—not much to do. :-)
If you’re not registered then please do so especially if you live in a closed primary state.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 23, 2019:
You seem to assume that everyone is a Democrat.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 23, 2019:
@48thRonin Your post reads: “If you’re registered then please do so...” Are you wanting me to register twice? I’m already registered as a Republican but vote libertarian when possible. Should I use a different name this time? :-)
If you’re not registered then please do so especially if you live in a closed primary state.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 23, 2019:
You seem to assume that everyone is a Democrat.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 23, 2019:
@48thRonin I’m sure you mean “ If you’re NOT registered...?
Is universal cooperation possible?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 18, 2019:
Even though we might have evolved to be clannish that’s not the end of story. We are consciously aware entities, and we have the ability to look with love on all of nature, including even enemy tribes. We have no choice but to do so if we are aware, but it still might be necessary sometimes to ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 23, 2019:
@Moravian There are some very war-like people who promote war because it gives them a purpose. Maybe we can overpower their bad vibes with love and respect.
Is universal cooperation possible?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 18, 2019:
Even though we might have evolved to be clannish that’s not the end of story. We are consciously aware entities, and we have the ability to look with love on all of nature, including even enemy tribes. We have no choice but to do so if we are aware, but it still might be necessary sometimes to ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 23, 2019:
@Moravian That officer’s duty is to follow orders and he has no input regarding national policy. What is needed IMO is for us to elect libertarians. I did my part.
Those who believe that humans have an "immortal soul" must be able to explain how this soul (or mind...
Geoffrey51 comments on Feb 23, 2019:
My only argument is that this pre-supposes the brain and consciousness are synonymous
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 23, 2019:
@TheAstroChuck Yes, that our cousins are aware does not detract from the concept of universal consciousness. It reinforces that concept IMO.
Those who believe that humans have an "immortal soul" must be able to explain how this soul (or mind...
Geoffrey51 comments on Feb 23, 2019:
My only argument is that this pre-supposes the brain and consciousness are synonymous
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 23, 2019:
@Matias I think you have to differentiate between bodily sentience and deep awareness. A robot can be made to detect stimuli and can be programmed to react appropriately, but no robot has true awareness of itself or anything else. It is this seeming impossibility for some mechanistic process to create awareness that leads people into the concept of universal awareness. Can anyone explain how our brains cause conscious awareness?
States trying to stop teachers from teaching about climate change in the classroom. [psmag.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 20, 2019:
Teachers ought not advocate for political or social causes. In any class discussion both sides of an issue should be represented. Schools exist to awaken the students, not to brainwash them into some dogmatic belief.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 23, 2019:
@mooredolezal There are large numbers of qualified experts who are not on board with the zealous, religious-like campaign regarding climate change. It’s true that almost everyone agrees we are in a warm period. They agree that elevated levels of CO2 contribute to a warming earth. The disagreement is one of degree and level of urgency. They make these points: The level of warming is slight, 0.13C/decade. At that rate Boston will be as warm as NYC in 150 years. Climate models are unreliable. Remember. The Arctic was supposed to be ice-free by now. No one knows if the current warming trend will continue. The percentage of warming caused by humans is small. There would be warming even without human input. Not enough is known about the situation to justify a radical and costly campaign. For teachers to indoctrinate children with fear, guilt and panic is not science—it is nothing but emotional ego posturing. I say sure, teach and discuss the parts that are scientific and keep your fear-based OPINIONS out of it. https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00091.1 http://notrickszone.com/category/cooling/#sthash.Z0C3esnq.dpbs https://judithcurry.com/ http://www.drroyspencer.com/
States trying to stop teachers from teaching about climate change in the classroom. [psmag.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 20, 2019:
Teachers ought not advocate for political or social causes. In any class discussion both sides of an issue should be represented. Schools exist to awaken the students, not to brainwash them into some dogmatic belief.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 22, 2019:
@mooredolezal Science should be taught for what it is, not as a religion, and not twisted around into propaganda for some social cause.
Old but interesting summary of believes/science comparison.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 20, 2019:
Interesting to me is that two thirds of younger scientists (aged 18 to 32) say they believe in some sort of higher power. I wonder if that represents a coming trend, or will those younger scientists change their minds as they age.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 21, 2019:
@TheAstroChuck IIRC your figures are right in line with the study. Physicists and astronomers are more likely to be atheists than the other disciplines. Oddly, chemists tend to believe in a higher power. Thanks for your perspective.
Old but interesting summary of believes/science comparison.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 20, 2019:
Interesting to me is that two thirds of younger scientists (aged 18 to 32) say they believe in some sort of higher power. I wonder if that represents a coming trend, or will those younger scientists change their minds as they age.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 21, 2019:
@TheAstroChuck Thanks, I appreciate getting your inside view. My impression of the survey was that most scientists who are not atheists just say they believe in a higher power or something like that. I doubt many of them are hard-line fundamentalist conservatives. Maybe I need to read it again. There’s a lot of data to be read once a person learns how to get to pages two through four.
Is "White Face" racist, like some claim "Black Face" is?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 21, 2019:
Depends on the attitudes of the participants. I understand that the original cake-walk dances consisted of Blacks and Whites engaging in good-natured fun by aping each other’s speech and mannerisms. It’s what’s in the heart that counts. Anything less than deep love and respect is ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 21, 2019:
@SwampBatman Thank you.
Old but interesting summary of believes/science comparison.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 20, 2019:
Interesting to me is that two thirds of younger scientists (aged 18 to 32) say they believe in some sort of higher power. I wonder if that represents a coming trend, or will those younger scientists change their minds as they age.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 21, 2019:
@mojo5501 I agree that a literal interpretation of scriptures seems very odd for a scientist, but I think most or nearly all of them just say they believe in a higher power. That can mean various things. There actually is a breakdown by discipline on the latter pages, with chemists being most likely to believe in a higher power. I can see easily how the theory of evolution can resonate with spirituality. Studies in epigenetics cast doubt on the idea that random mutations followed by natural selection are the only drivers of evolution. In other words, evolution is not a mindless, mechanistic process but is guided by some mysterious force not well understood. I am flabbergasted that people continue on and on railing about the sanctity of their belief in the mantra of evolutionary science and they refuse to talk about epigenetics.
Old but interesting summary of believes/science comparison.
mojo5501 comments on Feb 20, 2019:
But the scientist is not necessarily held in high regard...unfortunately. I wish this could be changed. The public perception, mistrust and skepticism about science here in the U.S. seems to be increasing these days. I think of the anti-vaxers, the doubters of global warming, the folks who ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 21, 2019:
@mojo5501 I was missing most of the article until I learned how to get to the last three pages. That introduction sounds dire but the actual figures are less disturbing.
A sense of awe is very beneficial for our health and happiness according to a recent study.
brentan comments on Feb 21, 2019:
I remember a time when Americans expressed awe almost to the point of cliché. I can understand it after my first view of Snoqualmie Falls and the Columbian dam. You don’t hear so many positive expressions anymore as the country struggles with a new kind of civil war. My sense of awe comes from ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 21, 2019:
I’m not sure. I can see where humility is a more honest state of mind than being full of grandiose pride. Yet society needs a few very self-confident leaders. And we definitely need a sense of ego in order to survive in this world IMO. I think maybe a sense of awe in the face of reality arises through deep awareness and unflinching courage, and as such might lead to joy, happiness and well-being. Can’t get so awe-struck that we forget to feed and protect our bodies however.
Atheists are a minority.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 20, 2019:
There are a great many keenly intelligent critical thinkers who do not arrive at the atheist position. There are many atheists who are nothing but mouthpieces for scientism. Our opinions about religion are not very important IMO.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 21, 2019:
@SkepticPower31 If you are going to put it that way and talk about the “existence of god(s)” then I will have to agree with you. But what about people like Max Planck? He was certainly not an atheist, yet he professed no belief in god(s). He was a person with deep awareness who had a profound appreciation for the vast and staggering implications of the mystery of reality. Max Planck said in 1944, "As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter". Planck was not talking about god(s). He was talking about Ultimate Reality.
Old but interesting summary of believes/science comparison.
mojo5501 comments on Feb 20, 2019:
But the scientist is not necessarily held in high regard...unfortunately. I wish this could be changed. The public perception, mistrust and skepticism about science here in the U.S. seems to be increasing these days. I think of the anti-vaxers, the doubters of global warming, the folks who ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 20, 2019:
But only six percent of the general public said that science has a negative effect.
‘I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on earth’: A self-proclaimed white ...
HippieChick58 comments on Feb 20, 2019:
A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant and self-identified white nationalist was arrested after federal investigators uncovered a cache of weapons and ammunition in his Maryland home that authorities say he stockpiled to launch a widespread domestic terrorist attack targeting politicians and journalists. ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 20, 2019:
“His actions do not reflect those of the United States Coast Guard.” Oh great. That’s good to know.
Science . .
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 19, 2019:
It’s sometimes hard to prove that something exists, but in general proving negative assertions is no harder than proving positive ones.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 19, 2019:
@Dietl The question of whether a thing exists or doesn’t exist might be undecidable, but in general there is no problem proving negative assertions. Proving a Negative: http://departments.bloomu.edu/philosophy/pages/content/hales/articlepdf/proveanegative.pdf
Is universal cooperation possible?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 18, 2019:
Even though we might have evolved to be clannish that’s not the end of story. We are consciously aware entities, and we have the ability to look with love on all of nature, including even enemy tribes. We have no choice but to do so if we are aware, but it still might be necessary sometimes to ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 18, 2019:
@Moravian Ideally we would have no enemies. Realistically the human race was forged in conflict— Read history and you’ll read of continual warfare. I view the human condition as neither good nor bad, but just as a part of nature. Things are as they are for reasons IMO. As an old soldier, my body fought in a war but my true self was peaceful and loving.
Apparently I'm quite naive concerning the persecution of Agnostics in the real world.
AnneWimsey comments on Feb 18, 2019:
When I first got on here, I posted something similar....apparently I am Damn lucky to be living in New England!
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 18, 2019:
I live in a rural part of Alabama, in the heart of the mis-labeled “Bible Belt” and there are non-believers all around me. There might be attempts at indoctrination from time to time but I’ve never seen persecution. Nevertheless, New England truly is a great place IMO.
Breasts
Happyonearth comments on Aug 30, 2018:
I have read many of the responses here that delve into the cultural ramifications of the joke. My own feeling is that men are driven in most societies to see women's breast in a sexual way, whether this is due to nature or nuture is immaterial to the point that I would like to stress:. It does not ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 16, 2019:
Are you going to show off your penis in public? I’m not.
Liberals and Conservatives Are Both Susceptible to Fake News, but for Different Reasons - Scientific...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 14, 2019:
I can see that if a person has a strong belief in an ideology and they identify intimately with that ideology they’d be looking for evidence to reinforce their belief at every turn as an exercise in ego. The odd thing is that conservatism and liberalism are not opposites—in their purest form ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 15, 2019:
@PBuck0145 I’m not sure what that is but I like the name. I’m interested in State Capitalism, such as in Norway.
Science is a journey toward truth, religion is pretending you have already arrived there.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 14, 2019:
I disagree that all religion can be defined as pretending you have arrived at truth. A person can be deeply religious without believing anything at all IMO. The ultimate journey of religion is to realize that you are totally and abysmally ignorant. Science might be a journey toward truth, but ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 15, 2019:
@mordant The trouble with trying to explain reality is that our frame of reference is nothing but an illusion. You can explain away all day but if you are explaining things in terms of space, time, and matter your explanation is worthless. Science is good at making observations about relationships within the physical world and creating mathematical models that mirror those relationships. Science is a valuable tool for humanity but it can not say why things are as they are. Ultimate reality is unknown and unknowable IMO. A religious experience might give you appreciation for life as a conscious entity but it will not furnish you with understanding. Our role is one of ignorance and darkness but it is a dazzling darkness, lit wit awe and joy. I was brought up in a Baptist Church, and it was sort of like what you describe. The Bible was supposed to be the ultimate and absolute authority—the word of God. That of course is a ridiculous idea and a main reason I opted out. In my case, I felt the presence of a baby somewhere in all that bath water, and I have tried to hold onto that baby. Imbued with a sense of ignorance as I am, I do not argue for the existence of a god, What I know is that Ultimate Reality lies beyond the world of our senses, and conscious awareness of Ultimate Reality is a mighty fine thing.
Science is a journey toward truth, religion is pretending you have already arrived there.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 14, 2019:
I disagree that all religion can be defined as pretending you have arrived at truth. A person can be deeply religious without believing anything at all IMO. The ultimate journey of religion is to realize that you are totally and abysmally ignorant. Science might be a journey toward truth, but ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 15, 2019:
@mordant I think that awareness of the universe as mysterious, grand, and awesome is not a dogma, rather it is an experience, founded in conscious awareness. If I express such sentiments I am speaking only of myself. My personal experiences belong to me and are not subject to debate. What IS subject to debate is the idea that science explains reality. Reality can not be explained. I belonged to a Unitarian Church for a few years, and you have described them perfectly. They have substituted political dogma for religious dogma. I agree that there is “a true core of religious faith”. In other words, most Christian organizations prescribe certain beliefs and most of those beliefs are unbelievable and inane. My opinion is that religion is not organizations and that it does not consist of belief but experience. The religious concept only makes sense on an individual level—you can not force someone to have a religious experience. Individual people are primary and organizations follow.
Science is a journey toward truth, religion is pretending you have already arrived there.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 14, 2019:
I disagree that all religion can be defined as pretending you have arrived at truth. A person can be deeply religious without believing anything at all IMO. The ultimate journey of religion is to realize that you are totally and abysmally ignorant. Science might be a journey toward truth, but ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 15, 2019:
@mordant “The religious are not content to leave unanswered questions be, they have to answer them some way or other.” IMO you are over-generalizing and you miss the whole thrust of the religious impulse. It is true that many religious organizations set forth creeds to be believed, but not all do even that. It is true that some of those creeds are silly and untrue, but do those creeds purport to explain reality? No they do not. All they do in general is to point to the mystery and grandeur of reality. Where they speak of God, it is only an expression of reverence for what is. Religious people know that they can not understand reality rationally—they are interested in religious experience, not shallow reductionist explanations. Half of all scientists have some sort of God concept and they see no conflict between science and religion. It is just their opinion, as valid and worthy as your opinion on the subject. Beliefs and opinions are nothing but emotional value judgments.
The reasons the industrialized world will never get off fossil fuels until a crash causes an ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 11, 2019:
LENR seems to be getting a foothold but the news media won’t report on it. I think we’ll soon see some big changes.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 14, 2019:
@TheAstroChuck I’m not sure. Rossi is claiming a very high COP and he is offering to sell heat from his Ecat devices.Here are some studies that might interest you. https://scholar.google.lt/scholar?start=0&q=lenr+nuclear+reactions&hl=en=1,5=2018
Poverty exists because...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 12, 2019:
Not true. Where is the evidence for such an assertion? Who are these pompous “we” who claim they are trying to feed the poor? If each person concentrated on her own well-being rather than on the portfolios of wealthy people we’d all be better off.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 13, 2019:
@Lutherzme We have different visions, different perspectives of “the poor”. I respectfully view my fellow humans as strong, courageous, healthy, happy and aware. Others view them with pity and condescension, as objects of their solicitous benevolence, or as tools for the advancement of their political power.
The reasons the industrialized world will never get off fossil fuels until a crash causes an ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 11, 2019:
LENR seems to be getting a foothold but the news media won’t report on it. I think we’ll soon see some big changes.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 12, 2019:
@TheAstroChuck Actually that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about what was previously called cold fusion and is now usually referred to as LENR or low energy nuclear reaction. I’ve been following the saga since ‘79. There are a lot of promising new developments.
Birth order affects personality.
Annaleda comments on Feb 12, 2019:
I put eldest, but to my Pop, I’m an only child.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 12, 2019:
You must be a very special person. :-) I am very surprised to see the eldest category so much ahead. It’s not at all what I expected. Any idea why that might be?
The reasons the industrialized world will never get off fossil fuels until a crash causes an ...
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 11, 2019:
LENR seems to be getting a foothold but the news media won’t report on it. I think we’ll soon see some big changes.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 11, 2019:
@TheAstroChuck That’s what I think. Power plants, home and industrial heating, trains, ships, aircraft, cars, all powered by the new fire. It’ll be the end of fossil fuel usage. It’s very enticing. Maybe we’ll soon be hearing more. Trouble is it’s been brewing for years with lots of promises not realized. But now Rossi is supposedly selling his heat and is advertising for clients. It won’t hurt to hope.
WOTM: Can I Trust My Own Thinking? - misterdeity [youtube.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 11, 2019:
There is no conclusive evidence for the mechanistic/materialistic dogma advocated in the video. Recent studies in epigenetics cast doubt on the role of random mutations and natural selection as the sole driver of evolution. No one knows the answers to the deep questions of existence. It is ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 11, 2019:
@mordant I agree that the basic ideas of the theory of evolution are intact, however, there is a lot more to the story than the simplistic mechanistic ideas we were taught in school. What causes those genes to be turned on and off? It can not be understood with natural selection.
Is Suicide A Sin If You’re A Theist (or Just Plain Wrong If You’re An Atheist)?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 9, 2019:
A person can have a God concept without believing in sin. IMO there’s no such thing as sin, only mistakes. As you point out, in some circumstances suicide is a manifestation of courage and empathy. In most cases I think suicide represents defeat and lack of awareness. Each second of conscious ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 11, 2019:
@johnprytz Of course it’s a personal decision. Offering ones perspective on the issue is not the same thing as co-opting anyone’s rights. I will always advocate for hope, Joy and appreciation for life if possible. I myself have given some thought to the idea of staging a dramatic and joyous exit via self-cremation when the end is near if I am able to. I try not to make negative judgments on what people do, but urging unhappy people to stay alive seems almost like a duty.
Maslow went beyond self actualization... [youtu.be]
EllenDale comments on Feb 10, 2019:
I taught Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for 18 years. The only thing this model gives is breaking down what individual people could attain in the self-actualization phase. No need to make something easy more muddled and less precise. For instance the physiological needs could separate into degrees ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 10, 2019:
@EllenDale OK, thanks for that information.
Maslow went beyond self actualization... [youtu.be]
EllenDale comments on Feb 10, 2019:
I taught Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for 18 years. The only thing this model gives is breaking down what individual people could attain in the self-actualization phase. No need to make something easy more muddled and less precise. For instance the physiological needs could separate into degrees ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 10, 2019:
I’ve wondered in the past about the need for adventure or excitement. Does that fit in there somewhere?
How important is the role of the mysterious in your life?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 10, 2019:
Mystery is very important in my life. No, science does not de-mystify life—It’s just the opposite. Science opens up ever greater avenues of mystery. Every scientific finding spawns multiple mysteries of ever greater proportions. The last question is moot. There’s no such thing as a life ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 10, 2019:
@brentan “Imagination itself” : what an insight! Great quote and perfect for this post. Thank you sir.
It's interesting to see all the new atheists
David1955 comments on Feb 10, 2019:
While it is an interesting journey you have described, I'm a little perplexed by two, to me, inconsistent statements. The first, antitheist in 2007, and the second that we're all, religionists and non believers alike, going to the same destination just different paths. And what is that common ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 10, 2019:
IMO there is a common ground toward which religious and non-religious people might evolve. That common ground involves looking beyond belief in dogmatic ideas of all types both religious and materialistic—looking beyond belief itself and coming to a state of deep awe and awareness of the significance of nature in all her mystery. That common ground is transcendence or awareness of unity with reality.
Birth order affects personality.
racnismylife comments on Feb 9, 2019:
there should be more choices. i was one of four, the second child and only male. sex of siblings has a huge role in developing personalities.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 10, 2019:
I am very surprised to see that the eldest category seems to be winning. I don’t make much of it for the reason you say—there are a lot of different sized families with various age ranges. Maybe a statistician could make something out of it.
Is Suicide A Sin If You’re A Theist (or Just Plain Wrong If You’re An Atheist)?
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 9, 2019:
A person can have a God concept without believing in sin. IMO there’s no such thing as sin, only mistakes. As you point out, in some circumstances suicide is a manifestation of courage and empathy. In most cases I think suicide represents defeat and lack of awareness. Each second of conscious ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 10, 2019:
@johnprytz Yes, I agree that there are situations where it might be time to move on.
Birth order affects personality.
Grayghost comments on Feb 9, 2019:
I'm first of seven children (My parents were Roman Catholics and therefore practiced Vatican Roulette). I'm a serious atheist, most of the rest are somewhat lapsed Catholics, one more atheist (No. 4) and one Methodist (No. 6).
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
Sounds like a great family! I thought it’d be the rebellious youngest that would predominate here but looks like the eldest have taken the lead. It’s not a scientific survey and I’m not putting much stock in the results.
"For the sight being sent upwards by light and beholding the nature of the stars and their ...
Sayetsu comments on Jan 26, 2019:
The latter part of the quote - "why" the heavens move - is about a search for Meaning with a capital "M", I think. Why do they have to have a *reason* to move?
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
@Sayetsu How do you know?
Birth order affects personality.
GothRik comments on Feb 9, 2019:
I think birth order has some effect, but, environment and peers have a greater effect. My siblings- 1st born - agnostic 2nd - theist 3rd - atheist 4th - theist 5th - agnostic atheist (me)
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
@GothRik I was a terror to my younger brother. I don’t know why—I loved the guy.
Birth order affects personality.
GothRik comments on Feb 9, 2019:
I think birth order has some effect, but, environment and peers have a greater effect. My siblings- 1st born - agnostic 2nd - theist 3rd - atheist 4th - theist 5th - agnostic atheist (me)
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
@GothRik Nice optimistic attitude!
Birth order affects personality.
GothRik comments on Feb 9, 2019:
I think birth order has some effect, but, environment and peers have a greater effect. My siblings- 1st born - agnostic 2nd - theist 3rd - atheist 4th - theist 5th - agnostic atheist (me)
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
Not much of a trend showing up in this poll so far as I can see.
Birth order affects personality.
MissKathleen comments on Feb 9, 2019:
Not looking like it has much bearing on agnosticism/atheism. My sister is a religious, my brother did not practice religion but lived in fear of his god.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
I agree—no trend so far.
Birth order affects personality.
ladyprof70 comments on Feb 9, 2019:
As far as I know (I stopped following the empirical psychological research on this last year) there is no stable effect of birth order on personality.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
What you say appears to be borne out by this informal survey. There is no dramatic revelation as far as I can see.
Birth order affects personality.
Green_eyes comments on Feb 9, 2019:
4th of five.. all girls.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
Sorry but the votes got wiped out when I added “Only Child” as an option.
Birth order affects personality.
SleeplessInTexas comments on Feb 9, 2019:
I am the youngest child: Eldest brother: Southern Baptist Second eldest brother: Catholic Older sister: Catholic Me: Secularist 2 boys/ 2 girls.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
Sorry, your vote got wiped out when I added the Only Child option.
Birth order affects personality.
greyeyed123 comments on Feb 9, 2019:
I'm an only child.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
I’ve added that option.
Birth order affects personality.
Corvislover comments on Feb 9, 2019:
Only child????
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
I just added that option. Looks like all the votes got wiped out. Darn!
Stupid people: they are the bane of human existence.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 7, 2019:
Many people deemed to be stupid are actually very smart in their own way. Remember that every person alive is the culmination of a long line of survivors.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 9, 2019:
@dahermit I do appeal to authority and without shame or apprehension. There is not one thing illogical about pointing to the fact that many prominent physicists have advocated for universal consciousness, and in fact, that information is pertinent for anyone with an open mind. Yes, Universal Consciousness is theory and it is currently metaphysics. That is why I said that I “lean” toward the idea. There is much evidence, but so far that evidence has not been conclusively tested by scientific methods. Perhaps someday the concept will be considered mainline scientific knowledge, who knows? Until then it is an apt subject for discussion. Do you object to discussion?
Stupid people: they are the bane of human existence.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 7, 2019:
Many people deemed to be stupid are actually very smart in their own way. Remember that every person alive is the culmination of a long line of survivors.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 8, 2019:
@dahermit I do not label myself as an atheist or agnostic. I enjoy this site because there are many courageous and intelligent people here who have thrown off attachment to religious dogma and they provide for me intellectual and spiritual stimulation. Nobody has told me I have to leave...yet. Of course there is evidence for universal consciousness! It might not be the kind of evidence that is persuasive for YOU, however some of the most astute physicists and other intellectuals have embraced the idea. Universal Consciousness: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-consciousness-universal/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/bigthink.com/philip-perry/the-universe-may-be-conscious-prominent-scientists-state.amp http://jcer.com/index.php/jcj/article/view/565 https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/600900 https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/mach/amp/ncna772956 “God” is just a label or symbol for ultimate reality, and we can not detect or understand ultimate reality with our human model of space, time and matter. It doesn’t matter what you call it IMO.
Psychological characteristics of religious delusions [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] [m.youtube.com]
slydr68 comments on Feb 6, 2019:
Deeply religious peoples brains compare to brains of the mentally ill... all I need to know!
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 8, 2019:
@Closeted I agree there are a lot of people who are religious in name only. I try to avoid people who are hostile and argumentative. That’s just where they are in their development and nothing you say will change them. If you hate them for hating you get nowhere.
Stupid people: they are the bane of human existence.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 7, 2019:
Many people deemed to be stupid are actually very smart in their own way. Remember that every person alive is the culmination of a long line of survivors.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 8, 2019:
@dahermit Ha, Good Point. Nature as a whole is a marvelous miracle, and stray cats fit in there somewhere. Since I am currently using a human body to write this, I am biased toward humans I suppose. I lean toward thinking that the universe itself is what has consciousness and that “we” are that, all one thing. I saw where a frozen cat was dug out of a snow bank in Minneapolis and it survived.
Stupid people: they are the bane of human existence.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 7, 2019:
Many people deemed to be stupid are actually very smart in their own way. Remember that every person alive is the culmination of a long line of survivors.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 7, 2019:
@dahermit Of course not every person born is a superior specimen in every way, slated for success and reproduction. That doesn’t matter though. Everyone’s existence is a marvelous miracle and each person has strengths and capabilities that are not measured by IQ tests. Of course I am not making scientific claims—I am only expressing respect and admiration for my fellow humans. BTW “stupid” is not a scientifically precise term either. :-)
Psychological characteristics of religious delusions [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] [m.youtube.com]
Varn comments on Feb 7, 2019:
Some around here appear to freak when the religious are compared with the mentally ill. I’m not one of them.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 7, 2019:
@Varn you have that right, but remember that it’s only your opinion, not absolute truth.
Psychological characteristics of religious delusions [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] [m.youtube.com]
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 7, 2019:
It is true that psychotic people often have delusions of a religious nature. From that fact is it possible to equate religion with mental illness? Not in my world. Is the Dalai Lama mentally ill? Was Ghandi? Mother Theresa? John Nash thought at one point that he was king of the world. Can a ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 7, 2019:
@Closeted why would you present the article on this forum if not to imply...
Psychological characteristics of religious delusions [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] [m.youtube.com]
slydr68 comments on Feb 6, 2019:
Deeply religious peoples brains compare to brains of the mentally ill... all I need to know!
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 7, 2019:
Sir Isaac Newton was deeply religious. I wouldn’t mind having a brain like his.
Psychological characteristics of religious delusions [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] [m.youtube.com]
Varn comments on Feb 7, 2019:
Some around here appear to freak when the religious are compared with the mentally ill. I’m not one of them.
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 7, 2019:
Is disagreeing “freaking”?
Fascinating America is falling out if love with billionaires, and it's about time.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 2, 2019:
IMO the reason some people are poor is not because other people are wealthy. Money is not wealth, rather it is an accounting system whereby contributions to society are repaid in kind. If a person wants more they ought to think of ways to contribute more. Sitting there in envy will get you ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 5, 2019:
@greyeyed123 Yes, the market for higher education seems out of balance, with extremely high tuitions, forcing students to take on unsecured debt at a time when they have meager prospects. I know y’all don’t like for me to harp on the old days, but my dear father was able to pay my way through college and he was a long way from being wealthy. I believe that was the norm at the time—it was possible to get through college without taking on debt. I knew people who worked their way through college with part-time jobs. Enter politicians with their grand plans to mend perceived flaws and improve the world—they made student loans available. I might be wrong but it appears that schools leapt in to capture that money, with the result being a generation of disillusioned and angry young people. A similar problem exists with our disgusting, busted healthcare system. Originally hospital insurance was conceived of as a way people could subscribe to their hospitals with a moderate monthly fee. That plan worked as long as it was left alone. Compare that with what we have today—people are devoting a quarter of their working years just to pay for medical care. The free market is not working because people don’t shop for the best price—they don’t even know what is to be charged. The medical establishment is able to leap in and capture insurance dollars because the laws of supply and demand have been tinkered with. I apologize for projecting some sort of radical socialist view on you that you don’t have. I agree that we need certain regulations, and we need some government-sponsored social programs IMO. Maybe in cases where the market mis-judges the value of things the solution is analysis, awareness and the spread of information.
Fascinating America is falling out if love with billionaires, and it's about time.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 2, 2019:
IMO the reason some people are poor is not because other people are wealthy. Money is not wealth, rather it is an accounting system whereby contributions to society are repaid in kind. If a person wants more they ought to think of ways to contribute more. Sitting there in envy will get you ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 5, 2019:
@dokala, @greyeyed123 And for you to read I recommend “Economics in One Lesson” by Henry Hazlitt.
Fascinating America is falling out if love with billionaires, and it's about time.
WilliamFleming comments on Feb 2, 2019:
IMO the reason some people are poor is not because other people are wealthy. Money is not wealth, rather it is an accounting system whereby contributions to society are repaid in kind. If a person wants more they ought to think of ways to contribute more. Sitting there in envy will get you ...
WilliamFleming replies on Feb 5, 2019:
@dokala It’s not arguing that you are right when you just say that the other person is not grasping the concepts. If you want to argue that you are right you need to elaborate on those concepts and present evidence and logic. It is a matter of record that living conditions are much better in my region than they used to be—you could verify that easily if you wanted to. Why does it disturb you for me to point out how much better conditions are than they were in 1950. Sort of undermines your pessimistic aggrieved outlook doesn’t it?

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Skeptic, Freethinker, Spiritual
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