Ah Lee, by that time you would have forgotten where you were coming from! I like monotheism, because it supports my view of myself as an individual. And it allows me to act upon it as such. I am aware that I am a social being though. Polytheism would be able to account for that, but would probably only confuse me.
On Sun, Oct 28, 2012 at 6:20 PM, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > Well that is true Rigsy, and perhaps your prediction is also true. However > religious faith is 'unreasonable' belief. As it is my stance that we all > hold to some of these along the way, then perhaps it is a wholly > human/sentient being trait and we'll not be rid of it, only time will tell. > Just one of the reasons I want to reach at least 400 years old. > > > On Sunday, October 28, 2012 12:52:50 PM UTC, rigsy03 wrote: >> >> Really? What about the Italian scientists who face prison time for >> failing to predict the severity of an earthquake? What harmony under >> the mantle of monotheism? Science and technology will make god(s) >> obsolete and society can still be managed through various value >> systems based on new realities and methods of control. Presently, we >> are trying to integrate two oppositional positions which accounts for >> a good amount of absurdity and disappointment. As extinct creatures >> might have warned us, sentimentality is deadly. >> >> On Oct 28, 2:12 am, Allan H <[email protected]> wrote: >> > I really do not see much beyond monotheism atheism holds little but >> > wishful madness, and as for polytheism the universes would be totally >> > different.. Just doesn't work.. You are right arrogance is a >> > tremendous problem which I seriously doubt man will over come.. those >> > that are arrogant have little reason to change.. It is the monotheism >> > that keeps some what harmony,, the problems I see come from man >> > changing the laws of God that have been handed down through the >> > generations .. It seems these changes are really designed to benefit >> > them and their goals. >> > >> > without a singular God there would be no harmony even with in nature >> > and the predictability of science would disappear. >> > Allan >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > On Sun, Oct 28, 2012 at 4:12 AM, James <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > I agree with S. W. Hawking where this is unknown territory, we have a >> > > tendency to being destructive and careless. We must evolve if we wish >> > > to >> > > survive, boldly while trying to work out that Achilles heel >> > > (arrogance). >> > >> > > Allan I was thinking similarly in part, I am not so sure monotheism is >> > > for >> > > everyone though. Where people can devise stories to fit a niche in >> > > nature, >> > > then further reconcile from that I think there is much less to say on >> > > God >> > > than people might, it may even be sacrilege to do so. In the sense of >> > > attempting authority on the nameless, a belligerent act so to speak. >> > > Agrarian civilization, centralization of authority, and cultural >> > > homogeneity >> > > (dare add monotheism) have allowed us to achieve major advancements >> > > but I >> > > question that we are approaching or even on track with a 'destination >> > > truth'. It seems we are a hollow shell filled with culture, but >> > > shouldn't it >> > > be the other way around?! >> > >> > > I keep looking, but I'm just not seeing that 10% innovation in the >> > > population, there is some serious parasitic drag somewhere in our >> > > equations. >> > > Sorry so subjective tonight Al. :) >> > >> > > On 10/26/2012 1:12 PM, Allan H wrote: >> > >> > >> The foundations of most of the religions are not that far apart.. it >> > >> is >> > >> the interpretation of them that gets the idea screwed up.. It seems >> > >> though that the creator places people that have a better link and can >> > >> help straighten the cultures so there is hope as to maintain the >> > >> same >> > >> ideas. so I think that there us a very real possibility that common >> > >> ground is available. >> > >> > >> poking a nd prodding out of curiosity is to be expected it is called >> > >> curiosity. >> > >> Allan >> > >> > >> Matrix ** th3 beginning light >> > >> > >> On Oct 26, 2012 3:18 PM, "Lee Douglas" <[email protected] >> > >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> > >> > >> Ohhh I don't know Andrew. >> > >> > >> As I have said we can of course speculate on all sorts of things >> > >> about alien life, but seeing as we can only ever think about from >> > >> our particular species POV, I question how useful such >> > >> speculation >> > >> would be. I think the most logical deduction we could make is to >> > >> say 'Well I really don't know', and that is indeed my line. >> > >> > >> Heh of course having said that and in the spirit of pure >> > >> speculation, given that our current understanding of universal >> > >> principles, and laws of physics etc.. seem to encompass the >> > >> totality >> > >> of the universe, I do not think it incorrect to draw some >> > >> speculative conclusions. >> > >> > >> Would alien lifeforms be carbon based as on our planet? I >> > >> suspect probably yes, but there are reasons enough to suppose >> > >> otherwise also. >> > >> > >> Would then non carbon life forms form different morality than >> > >> carbon >> > >> based life forms? Umm well I'm going with 'I don't know' for >> > >> this >> > >> one, as I lack an in depth understanding of neurology. >> > >> > >> As a theist who believes in a single creator God though I would >> > >> have >> > >> to agree with Allan. >> > >> > >> A large part of my struggle is with the message of God. Trying >> > >> to >> > >> recompense different religions with this single message is hard. >> > >> I >> > >> try to imagine that all religions are valid and look for >> > >> the similarities, I rather suspect as I grow I will have to claim >> > >> that some are wholly false and man made whilst others are >> > >> the direct message from God albeit fucked with by mankind for his >> > >> own nefarious ends(Christianity for example). So then the job >> > >> becomes separating the wheat from the chaff, as it were. >> > >> > >> How would intelligent alien life cope with God's message I >> > >> wonder, >> > >> and would they be in the boat as we? Perhaps they have no idea of >> > >> a >> > >> God at all? Or perhaps they may be the only beings who hold to >> > >> the >> > >> truth? Ahhh once again, I'm forced to say I don't know. >> > >> > >> Let us endeavour to understand the other sentient creatures we >> > >> share >> > >> this planet with first, then just maybe we can make better >> > >> educated >> > >> guesses. >> > >> > >> Heh yes you can assume from that I am in favour of granting >> > >> personhood upon those 'higher order' animals, enshrouded in law. >> > >> > >> On Friday, 26 October 2012 10:22:52 UTC+1, andrew vecsey wrote: >> > >> > >> I agree. Extra terrestrial visitors to earth would not be >> > >> comparable to us. They would have different values and >> > >> morals. >> > >> They would find all life sacred and would respect it, no >> > >> matter >> > >> how depraved or primitive. Perhaps they were the ones who >> > >> seeded >> > >> earth in the first place. They would probably recognize our >> > >> weaknesses and would let us either survive to our next stage >> > >> or >> > >> let us destroy ourselves. >> > >> > >> On Wednesday, October 24, 2012 1:19:42 PM UTC+2, William L. >> > >> Houts William L. Houts Lukaeon William L. Houts wrote: >> > >> > >> All right, I just wanted to run this by you guys. I know >> > >> it >> > >> seems I'm >> > >> always rattlling on about aliens, but they're really a >> > >> stand >> > >> in for, >> > >> well, for a lot of things. Anyway, I've been on Facebook >> > >> and recently >> > >> made a status report commenting on the conversation we >> > >> had >> > >> going on here >> > >> about hypothetical aliens and what they might or might >> > >> not >> > >> want from >> > >> us. And I was making the point that I made here: that >> > >> said >> > >> aliens will >> > >> turn out to be just as befuddled by it all as we are, and >> > >> are probably >> > >> in no position to give us the goods on life's mysteries, >> > >> or >> > >> even make a >> > >> good cocktail. >> > >> > >> Now, my friend Matt, who is very smart but also very >> > >> bitchy, >> > >> put forth >> > >> Professor Hawking's notion: that we'd better keep our >> > >> heads >> > >> down low, >> > >> because history tells us that when a more technologically >> > >> advanced >> > >> species meets a less developed one, the results are >> > >> usually >> > >> horrible for >> > >> the latter. I replied that yes, this does seem to be the >> > >> pattern in >> > >> Earth history. But, I went on, races which manage to >> > >> break >> > >> the >> > >> lightspeed barrier are going to have better things to do >> > >> than enslave 7 >> > >> billion people, or even mistreat them very much. Their >> > >> energy problems, >> > >> I said more or less, will have been solved to such an >> > >> extent >> > >> that they >> > >> won't have to vampirize us. Matt made it clear that he >> > >> thought I was >> > >> being terrifically naive. >> > >> > >> Now, Mat is quickly becoming a sour old queen, but I want >> > >> to >> > >> know: with >> > >> whom would you agree? Or is there a third answer which I >> > >> haven't >> > >> proposed here? >> > >> > >> --Bill >> > >> > >> -- >> > >> "I just flew in from the Land of the Dead >> > >> and boy are my arms tired." >> > >> > >> -- >> > >> > >> -- >> > >> > > -- >> > >> > -- >> > ( >> > ) >> > |_D Allan >> > >> > Life is for moral, ethical and truthful living. >> > >> > I am a Natural Airgunner - >> > >> > Full of Hot Air & Ready To Expel It Quickly.- Hide quoted text - >> > >> > - Show quoted text - > > -- > > > --
