Pole

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Posts by Pole

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  21

  Missing Poster Alert!!!!

  by colorado5591 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  am i the only one who misses the posts and prescence of

  my brother, where have you gone?

  i miss you and long for your return.

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  Pole

  I miss him too, 'cause he's my crime accomplice. We shared files over 'da web!
  Pole
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  35

  Religious / philosophical exotism and cultural identity

  by Narkissos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this post is going to be shamelessly ethnocentric.

  i am a european.

  christianity, both catholic and protestant, as well as post-christian secularism, make up my cultural background.

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  Pole

  :It is interesting how much of the "Eastern" (or "Oriental", as the WTS likes to say) OT emphasizes the individual.
  But in terms of socio-political issues Oriental societies seem to be much more vulnerable to totalitarianism.
  Pole
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  25

  Went to church for 2nd Sunday in a row...

  by findingmyway in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  people remembered me from last sunday and actually made an effort to fellowship with me (even though i bolted for the door after the closing prayer).

  everyone seems very warm and genuine.

  i'm looking forward to going again next sunday.

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  Pole

  :out the frying pan and into the fire!
  You mean "the fryin pan" of the Watchtower? Dude! You're makin' progress!
  Pole
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  35

  Religious / philosophical exotism and cultural identity

  by Narkissos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this post is going to be shamelessly ethnocentric.

  i am a european.

  christianity, both catholic and protestant, as well as post-christian secularism, make up my cultural background.

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  Pole

  LT,
  
  I basically agree with your general claim that the chinese can get as "logical" as Westerners. I just wouldn't explain it in linguistics terms. Even languages used by "primitive" and mysticism-driven cultures have languages which are impressively structured and predictive according to their own logic. Almost like "god-given" (now, what am I saying?) if you consider the fact that there is little or no recorded conscious relfection in those cultures.
  Pole
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  35

  Religious / philosophical exotism and cultural identity

  by Narkissos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this post is going to be shamelessly ethnocentric.

  i am a european.

  christianity, both catholic and protestant, as well as post-christian secularism, make up my cultural background.

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  Pole

  Have you studied the structure of the Chinese language? It is logical par excellence, leading the people of China to have a mind that is structured in that logic to an almost excessive degree.

  
  That is if you believe in the extreme version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
  
  Pole
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  35

  Religious / philosophical exotism and cultural identity

  by Narkissos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this post is going to be shamelessly ethnocentric.

  i am a european.

  christianity, both catholic and protestant, as well as post-christian secularism, make up my cultural background.

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  Pole

  You cite an example of either/or/both, as a demonstration of logic failure. That would be a common failing with a Boolean structured mind. The state of "both" is common to the point of universality. They probably find the Western version of "logic" kind of primitive. The real point being that their mindset works for them.

  
  
  I don't like the way two-valued logic is being pictured here as the West's chief and only methodological asset. There are many different varieties of logic developed by our Western culture. Fuzzy set logic, muli-modal logic, Lukaszewski's notation. Aristotel stopped being the only game in town long time ago. So did Euclides. There are perfectly mathematical variations of geometry that you have never dreamt of.
  
  What still makes some aspects of the Western culture (such as the scientific method) distinctive is that no matter which type of logic you present as yours, you have to define your methodology of knowing in more rigid terms than those which get applied in Eastern philosophy. (At least that's my understanding. I'm ready to be corrected).
  
  Pole
• 
  35

  Religious / philosophical exotism and cultural identity

  by Narkissos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this post is going to be shamelessly ethnocentric.

  i am a european.

  christianity, both catholic and protestant, as well as post-christian secularism, make up my cultural background.

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  Pole

  :Just as you can't reduce the West to your idea of logic you can't reduce the East to this. In everyday life exclusive thinking ("either / or") applies everywhere in the world. Where people and cultures diverge is about the extent of its validity (ironically enough, it took contemporay Western science, namely 20th-century physics, to demonstrate that "either / or" is not a universally valid approach). Besides, non-exclusivistic logic is counter-intuitive everywhere -- that's why it had to be taught (albeit paradoxically), even in the East.
  Physics is probably the most celebrated example, but also in cognitive sciences the Aristotalian system of categorization has been largely abandoned. It just doesn't desctibe the world and the mid as well as we may have thought.
  So the Aristotelian "either or" is not the only Western way of staying clear of mysticism.
  Just my 2 cents.
  Pole
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  35

  Religious / philosophical exotism and cultural identity

  by Narkissos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this post is going to be shamelessly ethnocentric.

  i am a european.

  christianity, both catholic and protestant, as well as post-christian secularism, make up my cultural background.

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  Pole

  Narkissos,
  :When I was younger I fancifully identified with the languages I learnt or the countries I visited -- as if I could become another. Later I came to enjoy the journey as a foreigner -- learning about the others but even more about myself and my own culture, from the very contact or rub of difference.
  LOL. I can relate to that. I'm beginning to enjoy the foreigner's position now much more than I used to. It's simply more genuine and it give you a good excuse for cultural faux pas.
  Terry,
  :Look at any nation or society and you'll immediately be able to tell the Aristotelian-influenced ones from the mystics. The ones that are starving and living under absolute dictators cling to the Mystics. The technologically advanced ones have LOGIC.
  So you're saying it works for any nation? Then you should be able to give me 3 examples of this phenomenon. Go ahead.
  Pole
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  121

  Why do people hate Americans?

  by dorayakii in

  1. social
  2. current

  maybe the correct word is not "hate", but "distain" or "dislike"... .

  many people were against the war in iraq and dilike president bush, has this had a baring on how people view americans?

  when america flexes its military muscles how do you feel?

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  Pole

  One more thing:
  :So if I am to believe you why weren't you here?
  1) Because a large scale aid operation cannot be carried out in the US with the State Department witholding permission for four days.
  2) Because your mighty army couldn't contain the situation in terms of security for four long days.
  Pole
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  121

  Why do people hate Americans?

  by dorayakii in

  1. social
  2. current

  maybe the correct word is not "hate", but "distain" or "dislike"... .

  many people were against the war in iraq and dilike president bush, has this had a baring on how people view americans?

  when america flexes its military muscles how do you feel?

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  Pole

  :I guess our news is lieing to us then. Because we are even upset why it took so long for our government to react. So if I am to believe you why weren't you here? I have the facts shown to me daily that the world was not here to help. Yes they are going to help but not here now as of last night News story stating exsactly what I state in my post. So I am to believe you and not the Major News articles? What I am trying to say is we give over half of the worlds free bee's out but yet we are less the 2% of the world population.
  Skyman, if you don't believe me, then how do you explain the BBC news article above? Are you a big fan of Fox NEWS? LOL. I'd love to see your sources. All I have seen so far is another example of US megalomania-based "opinions".
  Pole