An interesting way of looking at it. Without going into it too deeply,
I've been a "seeker" for many years now (still seeking) and my conclusion
is that people have their "warts" with or without religion. A belief
system is a belief system no matter what its nature.
In fact, the "seeking" path involves an effort to divest oneself of - by
observing - one's socially conditioned "robotic" behaviour and become LESS
predictable.
P.
At 12:51 PM 5/18/2006 -0500, you wrote:
People are apparently unpredictable because we spend too much time trying to
eliminate people's "warts" as conceived by this or that religion. People
become more predictable when we look beyond their "warts" to what really
motivates them to be good to others and to themselves.
Harry
Philip Winestone wrote:
> Yes - but one other thing... With engineering we more or less know what
> we're dealing with; the interactions of materials are quite
> predictable. Can't say the same for "society" - which is another name for
> a mass of unpredictable people... despite our ability to use statistics as
> a tool.
>
> P.
>
>
>
> At 11:40 PM 5/17/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>
>> Marx was a social theorist rather than a social engineer. The problem with
>> earlier social engineering projects is that the social engineer had
acquired
>> political power, which meant they could not be held legally and
financially
>> liable for their failures. We are comfortable with the idea of physical
>> engineering because mechanical, structural and electrical engineers are
>> held to account financially and legally for the harm they may cause.
>>
>> Harry
>>
>> Philip Winestone wrote:
>>
>>> The efficacy of legally sanctioned social impact studies went all the way
>>> downhill when Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital.
>>>
>>> P.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> At 02:25 PM 5/17/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>>>> Jed Rothwell wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Harry Veeder wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>> The consequences of denying the reality of cold fusion have had a
>>>>>> horrendous
>>>>>>> impact on the real world.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "The consequences of denying the reality of ___________ have had a
>>>>>> horrendous impact on the real world."
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Fill in the blank and take a number...
>>>>>
>>>>> Some things matter much more than others. If cold fusion can be made
>>>>> into a practical source of energy, it is the most important discovery
>>>>> in recorded history. Only prehistoric discoveries such as fire,
>>>>> agriculture or language have had a greater impact or more benefits.
>>>>>
>>>>> - Jed
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sure, but there have been costs too.
>>>>
>>>> Social impact studies should be required by law just as environmental
>> impact
>>>> studies are now required by law.
>>>>
>>>> Harry
>>>
>>>
>
>
