Sure DB, but "Belief", in that context is tangent to all of the above thread content and primarily refers to the purported power of positive thinking, law of attraction, collective consciousness and subconsciousness, extrasensory perception and other paranormal instances. That is why it is your humble opinion.
On Aug 17, 11:26 am, DarkwaterBlight <[email protected]> wrote: > "To what benefit does belief > in a god hold other than a false comfort out of self delusion? Are > believers in god any better off than the rest of the people in the > world? Do they live longer, live more prosperous, live without > disease or present any other life circumstance that differentiates > them from the non believers?"- Slip > > I would say that belief of itself holds more power than disbelief > without even adding a god or gods into the eqution! An old parable > that is not exclusive to religion states; "What you believe is so, is > so." > In my limited experience and IMHO I 'believe' this to be true. > > On Aug 17, 11:57 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Divine Will did not create all the species that are present. Genetic > > mingling within the "primordial" pool generated new species which are > > basically chromosomal anomalies and mutations . Just consider the > > offspring of just 3 organisms such as A, B and C. You get AA, AB, > > AC, BB, BA, BC, CC, CA and CB. Now mix all those together and affix > > the multiplier to the group; it's exponential. It's like the mule, > > the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse and the numerous > > variations in aves and canine species. Mammoth creatures hadn't much > > of a chance for survival but mostly what remains today are smaller > > organisms including ourselves. There are a few giant creatures around > > like the elephant and whale. I do believe in afterlife primarily on > > account of my lucid dreams, a coma experience and the knowledge of > > parallel universes which make it quite possible for a consciousness to > > incarnate within a parallel plane of existence. We have not traveled > > so far as to establish life elsewhere but it does not mean life > > doesn't exist elsewhere. As methods of space travel increase our > > ability for distance and duration we may someday discover another > > solar system with life; then again we may not, but who knows. > > I'm still wondering what you have to offer in the way of > > substantiation of such beliefs aside from written texts by ancient > > people who lacked the scientific knowledge that renders many of the > > writings mere superstition and myth. Basically we are creatures that > > are part of the biological portion of the universe with > > characteristics that separate us from inanimate objects such as rocks. > > Our intelligence is something that evolved over millions of years; we > > were not programed with intelligence by an intelligent source. We > > have become what we are by our own invention and as gruff points out > > we have yet to reach our full potential. To what benefit does belief > > in a god hold other than a false comfort out of self delusion? Are > > believers in god any better off than the rest of the people in the > > world? Do they live longer, live more prosperous, live without > > disease or present any other life circumstance that differentiates > > them from the non believers? > > > On Aug 17, 8:07 am, RP Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Slip , I like your assessment of religion , but I have never talked > > > religion , I have talked of one God who may or may not be conscious , but > > > he > > > is intelligent to such a degree that a universe which has intelligent > > > design > > > has sprung from Him. Like you I don't believe in a after life. It is > > > strange > > > that one man who believes in God says that he will go to ashes after death > > > while another who doesn't believe in God says he will live many lives. I > > > like the beauty of this and often wonder about this divine will which has > > > made so many species , but to me I am simply an organism like any other > > > and > > > would die and attain the supreme peace that is in oblivion because whether > > > you agree or not even a life of luxury is painful as compared to the > > > everlasting peace of oblivion. > > > > On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 5:37 AM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > It seems many things and possibly all things are perishable but it > > > > bears no meaning nor represents any point beyond something being > > > > perishable. To consider life being a product of "intelligent" design > > > > requires a great deal of blind faith, for nothing in our history has > > > > ever demonstrated that notion as conclusive evidence but has clearly > > > > maintained itself to be deduction. Fact is that any real observation > > > > of life will reveal numerous design flaws which fail to meet any > > > > standard of a super intelligence. Health and disease concerns are > > > > evidence of a faulty design just from start; tack on the natural > > > > disasters that kill millions each year and the intelligence portion of > > > > your argument continues to shrink. > > > > > A feral child is born and throughout life fails to reach any level of > > > > discernible intelligence therefore it could be reasonably understood > > > > that intelligence in an of itself is a product stemming from multiple > > > > factors such as environmental influence. You fail to recognize the > > > > fact that we have ascended from a prehistoric time of limited mental > > > > capacity, that we were simply another beast roaming the earth, that > > > > other now extinct beasts of mammoth proportion were our co-inhabitants > > > > and very little if any of that existence exhibited signs of > > > > intelligent design. > > > > > Humans developed the ability to speak and communicate ideas which were > > > > shared among groups and through travel were extended to other areas. > > > > While some groups progressed others remained primitive, which is still > > > > evidenced today by primitive cultures who for some reason remain > > > > isolated in remote areas of jungles and forests. Early man conjured > > > > ideas from simple deduction based on environment and finally reaching > > > > a point of recognition of helplessness over certain conditions began > > > > to look elsewhere for help, ergo; gods were created. By mere > > > > observation of cultural systems whereby different charges were > > > > delegated to certain individuals it became clear that the environment > > > > must have been commanded by individual gods, ergo; the sun god, god of > > > > the sea and others. > > > > > Then of course there came the ultimate source of knowledge "religion" > > > > and along with it came power and the destruction that ensued. > > > > Individuals became aware that others less astute would turn to them > > > > for answers and so having answers was a must in order to establish one > > > > as being an authority. At the same time there were others who > > > > branched off with other ideas such as monotheism and established their > > > > congregation. One led to another and the ramification of the idea > > > > that there were gods filled the earth. Governments were literally > > > > built on the ideas and once it was realized that the resultant bi- > > > > product of religion was monetary wealth it became clear that others > > > > needed to be destroyed because they were taking away from the > > > > profits. > > > > > Well here we are living in a world with thousands of years behind us > > > > filled with a myriad of religious beliefs and a gazillion hours of > > > > "prayer" to imaginary gods imploring them to help us out of our > > > > misery. Still after all this time and effort we find ourselves > > > > floundering in the muck and mire of a self induced quagmire of world > > > > hunger and poverty. Your god and any other person's god has done > > > > nothing about hunger and poverty and it remains a crucial human > > > > issue. But there is a cure without a god. > > > > > There are simple solutions to world hunger/poverty but humanity is > > > > just not doing anything about it. There are simple solutions to > > > > homelessness but humanity is not doing anything about it. > > > > > What humanity "IS" doing is foreclosing on homes and farms, paying > > > > farmers not to grow crops as a means of controlling stock figures and > > > > numerous other blockage devices designed to encourage quagmires. > > > > > What humanity "IS" doing is setting up systems of government and > > > > financial institutions that create "Mega Wealth" and "Wars" to gain > > > > wealth and it "IS" being accomplished without any problem. > > > > Mega wealth>No Problem War>No Problem Hunger>Problem > > > > Homelessness>Problem Poverty>Problem > > > > > And here is the story about how religion gets going...... > > > > > First you have the sheep that are freezing in the cold while their > > > > wool > > > > is constantly being fleeced. They don't understand why they are > > > > always in the cold when they have so much wool. They look and see > > > > the fleecers living warm and cozy with their wool and see piles of > > > > wool not being used but sold to other fleecers. The sheep get tired > > > > of being cold so they start to buy back their wool but the prices are > > > > really high and some sheep can't afford to buy any, so they must > > > > remain cold, some are so cold that they freeze to death. Some of the > > > > sheep protest but many of them are jailed, assassinated and turned > > > > into mutton soup. > > > > One of the sheep named Shep tells the other sheep that the reason they > > > > are cold is because they were born as bad sheep and must pray to > > > > BahBah the great sheep deity. Shep teaches the sheep how to pray and > > > > tells the sheep they need to keep him warm so that he can keep > > > > teaching them about BahBah. The sheep gather whatever wool they can > > > > glean from the fields and barns and keep Shep warm. Thousands of > > > > years go by and many sheep replace Shep and the sheep continue to > > > > support the huge organization that Shep built, but the sheep are still > > > > cold and giving all their wool to the fleecers 'and' the Shep while > > > > waiting for BahBah to deliver them to freedom. Nothing ever happens > > > > but the sheep are told not to worry because as long > > ... > > read more »
