Very insightful, Ash.  I think that imagination, especially collective 
imagination, is key.  The rest, historical expression which, while 
interesting, doesn't take the place of.  I see the bible as probably the 
best historical expression I've read, as diagrams of the imagination.  But 
that is reading with an uncommon view.

On Tuesday, December 11, 2012 9:23:18 PM UTC-5, Ash wrote:
>
> Regardless of view, what I think we are talking about is what tools best 
> fit the job, and if we are talking about progress I'd err on the side of 
> a healthy imaginative vein running through humanity and less mired in 
> myths and superstition. It is my hope that somewhere embedded in 
> folksonomy (wrong word probably) are clues to translate the talents of 
> creative psychic bursts and the low bass beats and tones that hold sway 
> of so many. 
>
> On 12/11/2012 8:24 PM, James wrote: 
> > That is where I have difficulty with 'right reason', and I do know where 
> > you guys are coming from, everyone seems to have a view on it, most 
> > people know it when they see it I think. It's a conscience for what is 
> > true like it or not, but it gets colored in agenda and motives that 
> > determines the depth and scope, what narrative representation someone 
> > can present. I think we are rife with personality cults, but that may be 
> > a peculiar oddity of my own view, everything depends on the person. In 
> > the wrong hands you get megalomaniacs in power, in the right hands you 
> > get timeless vanguards of noble and hopeless causes. 
> > 
> > On 12/10/2012 8:25 AM, archytas wrote: 
> >> I'm more materialist than RP in that I see religion as more to do with 
> >> what we do with and for each other - this said I prefer private prayer 
> >> to collective knee-bending. How does tolerance fare once religionists 
> >> become 'so pure' they can treat anyone else as infidel? 
> >> 
> >> On Dec 10, 1:33 am, James<[email protected]> wrote: 
> >>> The original post, that is, hmm sorry. :) 
> >>> 
> >>> On 12/9/2012 5:40 PM, James wrote: 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>>> RP, I have been considering your post and have taken it in the view 
> >>>> of a 
> >>>> biological perspective. It is one that I do think important but I am 
> >>>> still left wondering why to attach such significance in an exclusive 
> >>>> sense. It may be that I am overthinking the concept, it is one that I 
> >>>> hold respect for but not to a degree of conclusiveness. Is there more 
> I 
> >>>> should examine? 
> >>> 
> >>>> Browsing the TimesOfIndia recently I found talk about the common 
> views 
> >>>> on China and worry over world dominance. I imagine there are vicious 
> >>>> clashes between them and the Arab speaking regions, it seems 
> >>>> unfortunate 
> >>>> perhaps like being surrounded by strong interests on each side. I 
> >>>> obviously have little political world knowledge. :) 
> >>> 
> >>>> On 12/9/2012 1:15 PM, RP Singh wrote: 
> >>>>> Religion is first and foremost about prayer and worship. There is no 
> >>>>> need for that but we must accept a morality code and adhere by it , 
> >>>>> there should be a feeling of love for one's fellow creatures and 
> >>>>> tolerance towards them. 
> >>> 
> >>>>> On Sun, Dec 9, 2012 at 8:41 PM, archytas<[email protected]> wrote: 
> >>>>>> Given what they have done with some decent spiritual messages 
> >>>>>> Allan, I 
> >>>>>> sometimes think of 'them' as Xstains. I was born into the 
> tradition, 
> >>>>>> but thought it was twaddle by the time Sunday school was 
> interfering 
> >>>>>> with soccer and cricket. I have no doubt we should focus more on 
> >>>>>> spirituality, fellowship, hospitality, goodwill and sensitivity to 
> >>>>>> others. I just don't want to base this on a pack of lies, banning 
> >>>>>> women from hierarchies, prejudicing gays and xenophobic stuff about 
> >>>>>> outsiders and being part of god's chosen. It's hard to think like 
> >>>>>> this without being prejudiced against the 'worshipers of the blue 
> and 
> >>>>>> white striped rabbit' and purveyors of godswank. The inner danger 
> is 
> >>>>>> becoming religiously anti-religious. I'm actually rather touched by 
> >>>>>> good aspects of some of the stuff. 
> >>>>>> I have no idea why we are clinging to this rock - but I don't want 
> it 
> >>>>>> to be about being amused by Aussie pranksters making hoax calls or 
> >>>>>> murals celebrating vile killing such as one finds in the Vatican. 
> >>>>>> Science clearly provides us no answers to our spiritual plight and 
> >>>>>> religion as I witness it internally is largely about future memory 
> >>>>>> with less myth in it and less reason to take religion as we might 
> >>>>>> otherwise take opiates. 
> >>>>>> A colleague working in India is saying his students are reading 
> Mein 
> >>>>>> Kampf - more or less replacing the word Jew with Muslim and 
> agreeing 
> >>>>>> the plot entirely. We could do with some sensible religion and 
> >>>>>> economics to fill the void that leaves people this vulnerable. 
> >>>>>> Knowledge of thermodynamics or the biochemistry of life isn't 
> >>>>>> going to 
> >>>>>> do that for us. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>> On Dec 8, 10:01 am, Allan H<[email protected]> wrote: 
> >>>>>>> xtian aka christianity 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>> On Sat, Dec 8, 2012 at 8:02 AM, rigs<[email protected]> wrote: 
> >>>>>>>> It depends on what religion you are referring to. Very funny line 
> >>>>>>>> about Pilate! :-) 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>> On Dec 6, 4:09 am, archytas<[email protected]> wrote: 
> >>>>>>>>> Sounds like something Pontius Pilate might have used. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>> I guess that David Deutsch and constructor theory tries to get 
> >>>>>>>>> back to 
> >>>>>>>>> reminding science about its root guesses Allan. I take from 
> >>>>>>>>> 'Spartacus Ants' sacrificing themselves to destroy slaver ants 
> >>>>>>>>> that 
> >>>>>>>>> pre-human biology 'knows' something of survival instinct. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>> Descartes had it that until we could get to a point of 
> >>>>>>>>> re-evaluating 
> >>>>>>>>> against his radical doubt one had to trust in a beneficent god. 
> >>>>>>>>> Whilst we can criticize his system, I think anti-religious 
> science 
> >>>>>>>>> misses the beat on issues of how we can live until we know 
> >>>>>>>>> more. The 
> >>>>>>>>> spiritual thus has its place. There is plenty to avoid in its 
> >>>>>>>>> history 
> >>>>>>>>> of control fraud, abuse, sexism and war crimes - but plenty to 
> >>>>>>>>> learn 
> >>>>>>>>> in terms of grace and fellowship. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>> On 6 Dec, 08:15, Allan H<[email protected]> wrote: 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>> it is not for cleaning hands ,, it just gets rid of smell that 
> >>>>>>>>>> you 
> >>>>>>>>>> can not get rid of no matter how much you wash.. you just wash 
> >>>>>>>>>> after 
> >>>>>>>>>> youor hands are clean,, then the smell is gone. 
> >>>>>>>>>> Allan 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>> On Wed, Dec 5, 2012 at 11:27 PM, gabbydott<[email protected]> 
>
> >>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>>>>>>>>>> Hm, I have never thought of using a steel soap bar for 
> cleaning 
> >>>>>>>>>>> my hands. I 
> >>>>>>>>>>> use it occasionally for my pots and pans. And for the more 
> >>>>>>>>>>> difficult dirt on 
> >>>>>>>>>>> my hands I use a pumice stone or lemon. And more and more 
> often 
> >>>>>>>>>>> I wear 
> >>>>>>>>>>> gloves or buy frozen and precut garlic and onion. But thanks 
> for 
> >>>>>>>>>>> the tip. 
> >>>>>>>>>>> I'm sure that one day I'll make use of it. Why not steel 
> instead 
> >>>>>>>>>>> of stone, 
> >>>>>>>>>>> you're right. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>> On Tuesday, December 4, 2012 7:54:42 PM UTC+1, Allan Heretic 
> >>>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> Well actually Gabby I have this stainless steel soap bar 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> used for 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> getting rid of ordure off your hands things like onion, 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> Garlic ,, 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> any strong ordure ,, just tried it on the epoxy smell left 
> over 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> from 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> fixing my maxi egg coddler. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> now one of the greatest mysteries of the universe,, how does 
> it 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> work? 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> Allan 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, Dec 4, 2012 at 6:38 PM, gabbydott<[email protected]> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> The pointlessness of the points' business. Like Lee, I find 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> the God 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> concept 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> much more to the point. :) 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't follow Lee's sequencing model - first spirit, then 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> matter - 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> though. 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> This sounds very man-made to me. ;) 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> As for the storytelling aspect, yes, the Chronos story is 
> much 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> more 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> vivid 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> than the "God created (x) and saw it was good" story. That's 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> true. But 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> the 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> children are less likely to have bad dreams at night. Which 
> is 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> really 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> good. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> Sorry, Allan, I got carried away. What were you talking 
> about? 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> 2012/12/4 Allan H<[email protected]> 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> a series of creation is at best a wild guess with no 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> supporting 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> evidence.. 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Allan 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, Dec 4, 2012 at 4:42 PM, RP Singh<[email protected]> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You can pinpoint the beginning of this universe but not 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that of 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Creation with its series of universes. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, Dec 4, 2012 at 9:03 PM, Allan H<[email protected]> 
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That is not true the beginning can be pretty much 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pinpointed .. as 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> parallel universes that is just a wild guess with nothing 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to support 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> other than it sounds good. There is more evidence 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> supporting the 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> spiritual 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> realm than parallel universes 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Allan 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Matrix ** th3 beginning light 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Dec 4, 2012 2:26 PM, "RP Singh"<[email protected]> 
> wrote: 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In my view there is no beginning to creation. There is 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> beginning 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> end to universes There are infinite no. of universes in 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> parallel 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> continuously many universes are being born and many are 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> dying , 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> but 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Creation which includes infinite universes in eternal 
> time 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> , just 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> like 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the Spirit, is without beginning and without end. The 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> difference is 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that the nature of creation is dualistic and the Spirit 
> is 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> non-dual. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, Dec 4, 2012 at 5:34 PM, Lee 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Douglas<[email protected]> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hello Andrew, 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Heh I can envisage many things, but alas many of them 
> are 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> not 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> true. 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> distinguish between two things, matter and spirit. 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mattter is 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> all 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> is 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> physical, which includes physical 'matter' and also 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> energy. To 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> me 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> there 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> is 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> no paradox of who created the creator. Before the 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> begining there 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> was 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> only 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> God, God in spirit, and God created the creation out of 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the spirt 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> God. 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That is all matter comes from spirit. 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Friday, 30 November 2012 18:32:43 UTC, andrew vecsey 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lee, I can see where all matter has to have an energy 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> component 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> because matter is manifested as atoms which have 
> motion 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in them. 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But I 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> could 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> also envision pure motion without involving any 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> atoms...like a 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> vibration in 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the fabric of space, 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Friday, November 30, 2012 5:53:26 PM UTC+1, Lee 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Douglas 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Heh except of course that when it comes right down to 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it.energy 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> is 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> matter 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and matter is energy. 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Friday, 30 November 2012 11:22:14 UTC, andrew 
> vecsey 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote: 
> >>> 
> >>> ... 
> >>> 
> >>> read more � 
> >> 
> > 
>
>

-- 



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