How very Protestant of you Gabby. Spinoza concluded much the same. The fundamentalists are out of order as they make sacred scripture into an Idol for worship. I don't do godswank myself, though it may be I'm regarded as too enigmatic to invite to coffee mornings and parties with talking snakes and golden salamanders. I can't kneel in fellowship based in rules with only socially approved epistemic authority.
On Oct 16, 6:45 am, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > Agree entirely, Rigs ! > > The " your-God - my-God " argument ... and "God power" ... ** sigh *** > > I believe, Jethro Tull says much of what I feel in : *"My God"* > > People -- what have you done -- > locked Him in His golden cage. > Made Him bend to your religion -- > Him resurrected from the grave. > > He is the god of nothing -- > if that's all that you can see. > > You are the god of everything -- > He's inside you and me. > > So lean upon Him gently > and don't call on Him to save you > from your social graces > and the sins you used to waive. > The bloody Church of England -- > in chains of history -- > requests your earthly presence at > the vicarage for tea. > > And the graven image you-know-who -- > with His plastic crucifix -- > he's got him fixed -- > confuses me as to who and where and why -- > as to how he gets his kicks. > > Confessing to the endless sin -- > the endless whining sounds. > You'll be praying till next Thursday to > all the gods that you can count. > > > > > > > > On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 8:01:47 AM UTC+5:30, rigsy03 wrote: > > > "God powers" might also be a way of saying possession of grace in a > > religious sense. Not sure what race has to do with this as we humans > > arrive with the same form- what separates us is equity in several > > ways. Political structure is a matter of timing and luck plus picking > > the right side/group for the most part if you insist humans are > > political by nature. I think there are agreed principals of ethical > > behavior- universals- murked up with particulars. There is also a > > recognition of evil as a force to contend with- internal and external. > > > On Oct 15, 6:40 pm, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I'll pick up the stone > > > (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/reasons-matter-when-i...) > > > > and argue that I cannot know if your Gods are false or not. Not > > > because I am not a religious man, or a black man, or a political man, > > > but because I am an individual and thereby only possess restrained > > > demonstrable God powers myself. > > > > On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 10:36 AM, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > All Gods that religious men speak about, brandish shall we say, are > > false. > > > > > The one distributing those "commandments" included. > > > > > Which is not what I would say about individuals who take initiatives > > to > > > > restrict people from moral turpitude and unethical conduct. > > > > > On Monday, October 15, 2012 11:01:46 AM UTC+5:30, Allan Heretic wrote: > > > > >> doesn't one of the commandments say something about false gods? > > > >> Allan > > > > >> On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 6:15 AM, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > Thank you, Vam- I hope it is another precious visit. > > > > >> > Politics has become a "religion", as well. Just substitue a few > > words > > > >> > in your paragraph. :-) > > > > >> > On Oct 13, 5:38 pm, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> >> Rigs, I can't help but think of the presence of a daughter and her > > > >> >> family > > > >> >> as " Happy Times " with grand-daughters ... noise, play, shout, > > > >> >> request, > > > >> >> demand and irritate, reminisce and gossip ,,, ! Hope it acrually > > turns > > > >> >> to > > > >> >> be a happy interlude . > > > > >> >> I have no doubts about severely debilitating and cosmic effects of > > > >> >> religions that junk reason and humanity, and demand their > > adherents too > > > >> >> to > > > >> >> remain steadfast with the irrational. An institutional frame of > > clerics > > > >> >> and > > > >> >> clergy for global control is no more than a prison, covered with > > very > > > >> >> beguiling but false promise of freedom. > > > > >> >> On Saturday, October 13, 2012 6:20:40 PM UTC+5:30, rigsy03 wrote: > > > > >> >> > Not sure if religion, cults, tribal mischief did not have the > > same > > > >> >> > effect Vam. Consider the countless wars, for instance. But I > > think > > > >> >> > western man has turn the Age of Machines into a new religion and > > one > > > >> >> > could draw many parallels- and has, via artists and authors. > > Anyway, > > > >> >> > after spending way too much time finding a new niche for my > > morning > > > >> >> > coffee maker before my daughter and two grand-daughters come for > > the > > > >> >> > Xmas holidays (!), I have certainly racked up the equivalent of > > a > > > >> >> > novena! BTW, a couple of years ago I noticed my feet were > > slightly > > > >> >> > stiff in the morning and I worried that my flight to the kitchen > > for > > > >> >> > a > > > >> >> > mug of coffee could be perilous so I bought one of those small > > coffee > > > >> >> > makers for the upstairs and now include a muffin- just to rev up > > the > > > >> >> > joints before I seize the day. :-) Anyway, this might be a good > > idea > > > >> >> > for any who need to warm/rev up. (This is my machine > > confession.) On > > > >> >> > the other hand, I have been negotiating with the Divine for a > > new > > > >> >> > lawn/ > > > >> >> > snow guy and I am on the brink of success! lol > > > > >> >> > On Oct 11, 6:28 am, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> >> > > Bingo ! * sounding the drums * > > > > >> >> > > But what gives it the merit also renders science blind to much > > that > > > >> >> > > is > > > >> >> > > essential to our humanity, which are abstract and non-material > > ... > > > >> >> > beauty, > > > >> >> > > ethics, morals, truth, compassion, happiness, love, etc. > > > > >> >> > > Albert Einstein expressed is eloquently ... as have several > > others. > > > > >> >> > > There has been much since science overwhelmed us. But > > everytime it > > > >> >> > > has > > > >> >> > > served to delete a part or measure of our humanity, mankind > > has > > > >> >> > > struck a > > > >> >> > > blow at its own foot ! > > > > >> >> > > On Wednesday, October 10, 2012 5:46:04 PM UTC+5:30, rigsy03 > > wrote: > > > > >> >> > > > I wasn't clear. I was thinking about new ideas and > > inventions > > > >> >> > > > which > > > >> >> > > > made older ideas and inventions obsolete or mere stepping > > stones > > > >> >> > > > to a > > > >> >> > > > greater truth. Science seems more open to changes and > > advances > > > >> >> > > > for the > > > >> >> > > > most part though Darwin had a struggle but that was because > > he > > > >> >> > > > stepped > > > >> >> > > > into religious territory which might mean that we are more > > open > > > >> >> > > > to > > > >> >> > > > change when it does not involve emotions and beliefs versus > > > >> >> > > > demonstrable facts. > > > > >> >> > > > On Oct 9, 9:08 am, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> >> > > > > It will still be more clever than the rest ! > > > > >> >> > > > > On Tuesday, October 9, 2012 5:04:27 PM UTC+5:30, rigsy03 > > wrote: > > > > >> >> > > > > > Until the next cleverest man/woman comes along! :-) > > > > >> >> > > > > > On Oct 8, 5:56 pm, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> >> > > > > > > " Machines are only as clever as they have been > > programmed > > > >> >> > > > > > > to > > > >> >> > > > > > > be. In some cases that may mean smarter than some > > humans > > > >> >> > > > > > > for > > > >> >> > > > specific > > > >> >> > > > > > > acts or purposes ... " > > > > >> >> > > > > > > If a machine is programmed by the cleverest man, > > > > >> >> > > > > > > it would not be ' only ' as clever as it has been > > > >> >> > > > > > > programmed > > > > >> >> > > > > > > but it would be more clever than every other man on > > the > > > >> >> > > > > > > planet ! > > > > >> >> > > > > > > On Monday, October 8, 2012 5:01:02 PM UTC+5:30, > > rigsy03 > > > >> >> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > >> >> > > > > > > > And certain ants have also figured out how to enter > > the > > > >> >> > > > > > > > honey > > > >> >> > bee > > > >> >> > > > as a > > > >> >> > > > > > > > parasite which has an ominous impact on pollination. > > > >> >> > > > > > > > Species > > > >> >> > pick > > > >> >> > > > up > > > >> >> > > > > > > > their behaviors from their groups- some are more > > > >> >> > > > > > > > dedicated- > > > >> >> > > > patterns > > > >> >> > > > > > > > can be disrupted.// Anyway, aren't you equating > > worth > > > >> >> > > > > > > > with > > > >> >> > money/ > > > >> >> > > > > > > > salary?//Machines are only as clever as they have > > been > > > >> >> > programmed > > > >> >> > > > to > > > >> >> > > > > > > > be. In some cases that may mean smarter than some > > humans > > > >> >> > > > > > > > for > > > >> >> > > > specific > > > >> >> > > > > > > > acts or purposes but still short of general > > intelligence, > > > >> >> > insight > > > >> >> > > > and > > > >> >> > > > > > > > adaptation.// Old age is not necessarily "lousey" > > except > > > >> >> > > > > > > > the > > > >> >> > final > > > >> >> > > > > > > > chapter is death and certain goals were not realized > > or > > > >> >> > possible. > > > >> >> > > > Hard > > > >> >> > > > > > > > work/age does not create arthritis- that is a myth. > > The > > > >> >> > > > > > > > 12 > > > >> >> > year > > > >> >> > > > old > > > >> >> > > > > > > > across the street has arthritis and started some > > exercise > > > >> >> > > > > > > > for > > > >> >> > > > > > > > violinists. > > > > >> >> > > > > > > > On Oct 7, 9:51 am, archytas <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > >> >> > > > > > > > > The archaeological evidence is that such things as > > the > > > >> >> > > > > > > > > move > > > >> >> > to > > > >> >> > > > > > farming > > > >> >> > > > > > > > > from hunter-gathering did not improve the human > > lot for > > > >> >> > those > > > >> >> > > > who > > > >> >> > > > > > > > > cleared and dug sod (arthritis etc. from the > > work). > > > >> >> > > > > > > > > The > > > >> >> > obvious > > > >> >> > > > > > issue > > > >> >> > > > > > > > > for present society concerns the > > ... > > read more » --
