Sorry, I addressed my previous posting to "Skipper," whereas I intended to address it to "MIndchild." It is Mindchild's last full paragraph that I was responding to. Sorry, again.
NewSense
JoinedPosts by NewSense
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41
God and Man -- The Paradox....The Choice
by logansrun inhere's the deal: if you are an atheist you still must come to grips with the ultimate question, that is, why is there something rather than nothing?
even a universe with nothing more than a tiny electron floating about would require a reason as to why it exists.
our universe is one in which there are, almost literally, but not quite, an infinite amount of electrons (and protons, neutrons, etc.
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God and Man -- The Paradox....The Choice
by logansrun inhere's the deal: if you are an atheist you still must come to grips with the ultimate question, that is, why is there something rather than nothing?
even a universe with nothing more than a tiny electron floating about would require a reason as to why it exists.
our universe is one in which there are, almost literally, but not quite, an infinite amount of electrons (and protons, neutrons, etc.
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NewSense
Skipper:
Your last paragraph - "Does the idea of an all-knowing, all-powerful God..." sums up quite well the basic idea of Process Theology developed by the philosopher, Alfred Whitehead. Basically, this form of theology conceives of "God" as NOT being transcendent in regard to creation, but rather inherent or integral with creation. That is to say that God is part and parcel of an ever-evolving creation, rather than an entity above and beyond creation.
This concept goes a long way in explaining the so-called "problem" of evil. As soon as God ceases to be viewed as being the transcendent, head honcho in charge of everything, then all "responsibility" is for the existence of evil in the world is lifted off God's huge shoulders. Thus, the ancient paradoxical conundrum that has always plagued theologians - "How can an omnipotent God also be all-Good if such a God permits the existence of evil?" - is resolved in that such a question erroneously presupposes a transcendent, omnipotent Entity.
As Whitehead thought, the notion of process theology fits in quite nicely with most scientific paradigms, be they biological or cosmological. That is to say that most of what we see as reality is in a constant state of flux and evolution (Actually this idea can be traced back to the Greek pre-Socratic philospher, Heraclitus); so why should God be exempt from the process.
In regard to the idea of the universe requiring some absolute beginning, some point of origin, that is typically Western thought. Western thought is linear. However, in Eastern thought, no such problem exists. The universe is conceived as having no beginning, and no end. The universe is simply an eternal cycle of creation and de-creation.
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I didn't get the job
by Elsewhere ini have been doing contract work for about four years now and i have been trying to get a permanent position for well over a year.
last week i did an interview for a job that would have been perfect.
it was even very close to where i live... within a five minute drive.. this morning i got feedback and they really liked me, but decided to go with another candidate.
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NewSense
I have a suggestion for all of you Yanks, Brits, Kiwis, or Ozzies - that is to say anyone whose native language is English - who are looking for a job in the tech fields such as software design and information mangagement. My suggestion is to move to India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, or the Arab Emirates. Since you say that the good jobs are all leaving, I say that you should follow the jobs. After all, that's why my ancestors (I'm American), and the ancestors of many Americans, came to the U.S.; they were just following the jobs. I know a Kiwi (New Zealander) who makes about $500 U.S. each *day,* not each month - each day. He works in Shanghai, China for I.B.M. I admit that the salary of this particular guy is, indeed, above average. However, it is not at all uncommon for a well-skilled person to make a very high salary in many Asian nations.
Moreover, anyone whose native language is English has a distinct advantage because everyone whose native language is not English wants to learn English from a "native speaker" as they say. I mean, anyone who teaches basic business English conversation or technical writing almost anywhere in Asia is bound to get a *hourly* salary of at least $25-30$ U.S. And if you combine native English speaking ability with a specilized field of study such as I.M., or law, or medecine you have a good chance to secure a job that will make you quite wealthy.
One more thing. I saw the term "third world cesspool" used by some racist moron to describe entire nations. That person has absolutely no idea what Asia is like. Sure, there are certain areas in Asian countries that are on the same third world level as say..... certain parts of Mississipi, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. But the capitol cities and large metropolises of Asia, such as Kuala Lumpur, Beijing (Peking), Shanghai, and Jakarta are stunning in their architectural beauty. They used to say: "Go west, young man!" But now, the appropriate saying is: "Go east, young person of either gender (so as to avoid the gender-specific term 'man'")!
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Man and other animals
by Satanus inhere are some comments from the guardian mag on this subject:.
studies on pigs' social behaviour at purdue university in the us, for example, have found that they crave affection and are easily depressed if isolated or denied playtime with each other.
the lack of mental and physical stimuli can result in deterioration of health and increased incidence of diseases.
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NewSense
Humans are the only species who have culture; they are only species that produce works of art, literature, painting and music. They are the only sentient creatures endowed with a self-reflexive consciousness - they are the only creatures truly aware of themselves. Humans are the only species endowed with true abstract linguistic ability; we alone possess language - codes of communication light years beyond the hopelessly primative squeals, grunts, growns, and yelps of other species. Humans are the only species with an awareness of time - a recollection and awareness of the past and the ability to anticipate a future. Humans are the only ones with any awareness/conception of God and the infinite. Only humans are capable of understanding mathmatics and carrying out scientific experiments. Humans alone are capable of either a.) leading life on this planet to perfection or b.) destroying all life as we know it. In short, humans are the ONLY species worth a fat rat's ass on this planet; we're the only species that matters. The other lower species are there to do with as we see fit.
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save dogs from vivisection in Brazil
by Tammie ini got the following email:.
(names/emailaddresses removed).
this petition is not in english but we all know what vivisection (surgery performed on a living animal in medical reserch) involves so please show your support against it by signing this petition.
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NewSense
This is supposed to be a forum about issues concerning Jehovah's witnesses. This bull**** about dogs in Brazil is totally irrelevant. Please don't clog up the forum with this goddamn tripe. And, by the way, many many significant medical breakthroughs come from work on animals; in fact they can only come from such work. These discoveries help save countless *human* life, and ten million mangy mutts aren't worth a fat rat's ass in comparison to one human being's life. So, in summary, take your bull**** about mangy little bow-wows and stuff it where the sun doesn't shine. Or, barring that, at least post it somewhere else!!!!!!!
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If you could pick any job
by freedom96 inif you could pick any job, what would you do?
would you continue in your line of work?.
i would pick actor.
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NewSense
Generally, to become a librarian, people enter an academic course of study called a "Master's of Library Science" (M.L.S.). Of course, an M.L.S. degree is not required for *all* positions in all libraries. That is to say that a person will probably not have to have an M.L.S. if he/she wants to work behind the check-out counter at a public town library. However, if that same person were thinking of making a career in a university research library, then it would probably be a good idea to get an M.L.S. degree. So, it basically depends upon what kind of position a person is looking for, and at what kind of library. In any case, having an M.L.S. can only help a person in their job search and aferwards in their career.
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Witnesses Shouting in the City Streets ...
by dedalus in... except it quickly developed that they weren't witnesses at all.. weekends i sometimes work at a television station in downtown hartford, ct. depressed urban area, starbucks and subways and mcdonalds scattered like dirty coins beneath towering insurance buildings.
anyway, on my breakfast break i left the station, walked down to the convention center, and across the street from wendy's i saw two young men who, at a glance, strongly resembled witnesses or mormons -- they were wearing the cookie-cutter jc penney poly-synthetic-discount-clearance suits, and held large leather bibles in their hands.
one had a dark, cropped, curly beard.
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NewSense
Dedalus:
It's a great pleasure to finally meet a fellow resident of Connecticut on this board. I am presently living in Asia (in a heavily SARS infected area) but I was born in New Britain, Connecticut the (former?) machine capitol of the world. I grew up in West Hartford. My sister and brother-in-law now live in East hartford with their two children. I attended the University of Connecticut in Snores (excuse me, Storrs). I planned to return home for a visit this summer, but with the SARS epidemic raging here, I think that I will have to postpone and come home in the winter. Anyway, like I said, it was a pleasure meeting someone from Connecticut.
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Psychedelic Music
by Satanus ini sometimes enjoy listening to psychedelic music.
it must be because of permanent brain damage caused by the lsd i took when i was teenager.
some songs that fall into this category are:.
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NewSense
For the ultimate experience in psychedelic music, I recommend listening to just about any Donny and Marie Osmond recording while playing it backwards.
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NewSense
Teen,
If you are a teen, then I forgive you because of your youth. But you accuse me quite unfairly when you say I have a "hatred of all things American." That is a lie; nothing could be farther from the truth. As I have said, I am an American and I love my country. In my opinion, my love for my country compels me to speak against what I STILL view as an illegal and immoral war. I don't want to rehash this same old idea again and again. Just let me say that I know of at least one veteran of the first Gulf War who spoke out quite vorciferously against this latest atrocity in Iraq in which countless innocent men. women and children were slaughtered. He was a decorated veteran who loved his country enough to fight for it; so I don't want to read your damn unfounded accustations. It's people like you have whose minds have been so poisoned by the bull---- propaganda machine of the U.S.army that you can't think straight. Like morons, you equate criticism of the war with a lack of love for the nation.
So, cool your jets, O.K. because you don't know me from Adam. For all you know, I could be a vet myself. So knock it off with the accusations of anti-Americanism. The reason why I mentioned the soldiers in Iraq along with the unfolding legal case in California can be found in the sentence which says that presumably those soldiers are not just fighting against something, they are also fighting for a way of life. After all, don't we hope to give the Iraqi people democracy? Well our superior legal system is the hallmark of democracy. And if you "support the troops" that means you should support our legal system and way of life.
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NewSense
Another, related, idea came to my mind. I once saw a television program that featured several legal cases where men who had been tried, convicted and imprisoned years ago - before the advent of D.N.A. analysis - had subsequently been vindicated by D.N.A. testing and analysis. It was proven that they could not have been the perpetrator of the crime. Almost invariably, these were black men imprisoned for raping white women.
My point is that, despite the "safeguards" of our legal system, innocent people have suffered because of false accusation and false conviction. And this was because of the human foible which is a tendency to incriminate, mixed with racism (in the case of the men I just mentioned). This should make people all the more vigilant and determined to abide by the precepts of our legal code. It's the duty of cops (among other duties) to make arrests. It's the D.A.'s duty to proscute. It's the defense attorny's duty to defend; and it's the jury's duty to decide. Athough legal system is not perfect - which is an impossibility, anyhow - our legal system is the envy of many people in the world. As Americans, I hope that we can prove ourselves worthy of our system. And remember those innocent people (of all races) who have unjustly convicted and inprisoned. Myself, I would prefer to see a hundred guilty go free than to see one innocent soul put in jail.