I think you have merely pointed out a control freak and that has less to do with religious beliefs and more about his own insecurity. Could have been any one of a number things in that case, control freaks aren't particular when they feel threatened, whether its god or jealousy or whatever. Blaming religious differences is I think misplaced here HL.
Having said that I dont think youre wrong in a basic sense, but for me its more about the difference between "feet on the ground vs head in the clouds"...more of a difference in psychological makeup.
But then I also have a problem with ppl who humanize and love their pets in a way that makes humans inferior to some mind numbing degree. That precludes human interaction with them. For me they are just on some other planet. I'm not against animals mind you, not against loving them; but raising them to a level above or even equal to humans is somewhat demeaning in my eyes and that too could be an issue with placing god before all else, for me anyway. For me a partner is number 1 of two, after that you can have relationships with mickey mouse for all I care; but subjugating to me to second place would be deal breaker for me.
If its something I couldn't do with someone else around, she wouldn't be the right one for me, so I don't really have a favorite thing. I'm going to be me regardless, so lookout!! I'm going to play with myself, and leave the toilet seat 'down'; because, the cat, for some reason has a habit of falling in. I'm willing to change that if she likes to pee standing up
No I dont think so Mike, I think they insulate themselves from fantasy and unproveable notions but at the same time question information that has viable content. Other than that I dont think I should speak for all athiests
Well Mike, reading is a waste if its without comprehension/understanding. I think being christain is about a behavior, not a religion or a god, but an abiding behavior. I think bibles and scripture only serve self righteousness, creating an "I am worthy" feeling and a you non beleivers are not worthy, which is pretty much how religion comes across anymore. Thats a creates a fractured, divided state Mike, I doubt any christ intended to fracture mankind, but religion sure likes to create an us versus them mentality, it spawns constant fracture.
yep, possible... quantum mechanics is also possible (not likely but possible I'm sorry the very notion of quantum anything makes me giggle ) The problem Dusty for me is what prove is there to support that energy/soul/aura somehow retains information? Cells do. Genes do, but these again are physical things and they too lose that information when they die off. (having lost their energy signature)
there's a lot more out there that we don't know. The problem as I see it is presuming to know without information or at least cursory proof, otherwise its a fantasy. Now...I'm not against conceptual notions, fantasies, theories; because they are the catalysts of discoveries. They are kind of like the bait that leads us to look for answers, they are however not the answers themselves and thats the problem.. for me anyway. A notion/concept does not an answer make. God as a supreme being, soul as a ghost, these are notions, not answers.
having a soul isnt about what you beleive. A soul is energy, an aura than can be see with Kerlian photgraphy. That energy surrounds all living things and as I have noted before other things that come to life because of energy, including motors, planets, trees, single celled organisms, dogs, cats, cell phones, the wring in your house, all have and use the same energy.
Belief does not equate to soul, unless your meaning of soul is as abstract and unproveable as a supreme god is and if that is the case you are standing on nothing more than an unsubstantiated "belief". I'm not saying you cant do that either, you can hang your hat where you like, but for me the word enlightenment means 'gaining information', not accepting unsubstantiated ghosts.
There's something out there in those black holes though personally I think they are full of old Hoover vaccuum cleaners, but we'll see..
because the dynamics of the word 'forever' means you would know about this forever enlightenment
and a personality is series of mixed and remixed impressions and experiences constantly and chemically readdressing itself in a mind (requiring brain cells). I think you're trying to 'humanize" energy, the same way some people humanize pets, giving them feelings and cognizant rational abilities.
Well as far as I know God's been around here since 5000BC and mankind (including believers) is still pretty dammed dark.
Sorry orla, but that just more fear propaganda. Enlightenment is self induced, self instructed. Whatever stimulus you attribute to being the instructor works, a god is not required to come out of the darkness.
you misunderstand the dynamics of 'transmission' Orla. Radio waves pass thru mass all the time, passing thru other molecules, in the air, etc. The difference is 'awareness/consciouness" for which higher brain functions are required. Your brain cells/molecules have the ability to become aware of the information.
An ant might well receive the info, but is unable to process it. Still the ant possesses energy as do plants, and all 'living' things, including magnets, motors that come to life because of energy. Having enegry/soul/aura isn't soley a possession of man. It is in fact quite possible for ants to someday to evolve higher brain functions, as it is for any species to develope eyes, feet, fins, whatever, though the likelyhood would favour daulphins at this point as the next cognizant species.
I think it's all about experience and passing information through generations. We live on in memories which for all intents and purposes is a mintal reality, though even over time unless we have become so famous will eventually erode and die away in our progeny. We don't seem to learn much form that information though because we seem to keep repeating history over and over
How can you be a soul? This is the question I have been asking you? Without a mind to process the information and without a body to experience that information, a soul/energy is useless to your being a you. It simply becomes non local energy that will be used by some other localised being, a plant or an ant or magnet, whatever requires some energy at the time.
lets assume for a minute, for our purpose that this soul is entity and I certainly beleive it is energy, a very proveable entity; but, we can even for you just say its some ghost, holy ghost if you like.
if this entity has its own information, its own abiltity to decide and choose course then you have just lost free will, yes?
Energy or holy ghost, soul, aura, spirit, whatever name you give it is not a cognizant entity. Its just energy. It responds according to the laws of physics and physical dynamics, providing life to bodies and in our case minds. Once the body dies, there is for you, no more cognizance, no more awareness, no more experience because the physical entity(body/ mind) that processes that energy is gone.
The energy will live on, because energy cant be created or destroyed but your 'percieved' presence will not. Presence depends on living cell structure,- awareness/consciouness depends on higher brain functions. Lose them and you no longer exist. local or non local.
an ability to reason/select is a function of chemical responses within the cerebelum, left side more linear functions, right side more conceptual. For most people one side is more develeoped than the other, but there are people with equally developed sides as well as those with no developement at all. IN either case they are mutually dependant, for experience and awareness.
those would be your eyes, and awareness interpreting external reality. Not many people have room for trees in their brain. ..you're still avoiding the question...
umm no we weren't, you decided to go somewhere else and not answer the question...actually we were talking about 'informed energy' (your assertion) on it's own, non local remember? How can a non local spirit/energy experience information without a body or a mind to be cognizant of it?
RE: The Atheist Starter Kit
I think you have merely pointed out a control freak and that has less to do with religious beliefs and more about his own insecurity. Could have been any one of a number things in that case, control freaks aren't particular when they feel threatened, whether its god or jealousy or whatever. Blaming religious differences is I think misplaced here HL.Having said that I dont think youre wrong in a basic sense, but for me its more about the difference between "feet on the ground vs head in the clouds"...more of a difference in psychological makeup.
But then I also have a problem with ppl who humanize and love their pets in a way that makes humans inferior to some mind numbing degree. That precludes human interaction with them. For me they are just on some other planet. I'm not against animals mind you, not against loving them; but raising them to a level above or even equal to humans is somewhat demeaning in my eyes and that too could be an issue with placing god before all else, for me anyway. For me a partner is number 1 of two, after that you can have relationships with mickey mouse for all I care; but subjugating to me to second place would be deal breaker for me.