Looking for God outside oneself can lead to magical gang gods at a level 
where only the fit and corrupt survive.  Many fairy tales are imbued with 
mystical thinking, including the bible.

On Monday, October 29, 2012 5:20:17 AM UTC-4, gabbydott wrote:
>
> I don't know why these far-away and up-above gods and godesses never 
> really made it into my heart. Maybe the down-to-earth fairy tales 
> resembled my surroundings much more. It gives me the creeps when 
> little street gangstas are referring to Nemesis and believe they have 
> got the key to the kingdom now. 
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 29, 2012 at 4:35 AM, rigsy03 <[email protected] <javascript:>> 
> wrote: 
> > I pray to a God everyday but am not sure which one. He is male and 
> > seems helpful. Today he bolstered my strength rearranging some 
> > furniture then rebolstered me moving stuff back as it was. However, I 
> > cooked a hearty meal of steak, potatoes and asparagus for insurance.// 
> > I think the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses represent human nature 
> > and traits- really provide some valuable insights for mere mortals. 
> > 
> > On Oct 28, 12:45 pm, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: 
> >> 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 
> >> 
> >> ... 
> >> 
> >> read more ยป- Hide quoted text - 
> >> 
> >> - Show quoted text - 
> > 
> > -- 
> > 
> > 
> > 
>

-- 



Reply via email to