i've always wondered that.
recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.
cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
Wow Viv, what a great question and great responses. I am not sure what it means that you have reached page 28 on posts, but I'll bet you had no idea you question would hit such a nerve.
In any event, As far as I am concerned the spirit is what we take from previous generations and hopefully move forward.
Thanks! That as good of an answer as any!
I give what is spirit exactly?
It would appear it's "whatever you want it to be".
i've always wondered that.
recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.
cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
Complete deja vu. Wow.
FHN, you yet again manage to contribute nothing while desperately trying to fine a way to feel superior to everyone.
I would argue that the influence to believe spirit was a supernatural force /influence on our lives comes from a more powerful/influential minority the minions following suit out of fear.
Still no closer to an answer.
This took 10 seconds to find...
Snare, thank you for bringing your expertise to this thread. Critical thinking appears to be at a premium.
i've always wondered that.
recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.
cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
Viv ...by mentioning those names you are still assuming that what they say is credible, it may well be but the ancient world and understanding of forces which have a bearing on our existence are far more than the sum of those you mention , I presume that you will agree?
I assume nothing. I provided the means to research by experts. You provide nothing but "galaxie says so". Making presumptions about me is an ignornat and foolish position to take.
In the context of spirit as merely the air we breathe who could argue with certainty that ancient peole saw it as just that.
Had you bothered to do any research you would find that not at all to be the case.
The main reasoning and acceptance of spirit as something other than a physical force comes to us courtesy of the bible and such like.
Had you bothered to do any research you would find that's not at all the case. Try harder.
I therefore see no confusion the ancient understanding of spirit being no more than the air we breathe as a physical force based on the evidence of effects of such is entirely possible,
You see nothing because you are making asertions without doing research or actually knowing what you are talking about. Claiming spirit, as it meant to the ancients, to be air, is abritrary and contrary to research.
Your answer can easily be summed as "Galaxie thinks it's a metaphor for air".
We are still no closer to an answer.
the unknown writer of the gospel of john put the following words in jesus' mouth, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.".
persuading countless generations that it is a virtue to believe incredible things on insufficient evidence, is one of religion's cleverest tricks.. the more incredible the claim; the more flimsy the evidence; the stronger the belief; the greater the virtue.. this is the exact opposite of how we operate in every other aspect of our lives.. rational people must demand objective evidence for everything they are asked to believe.
"extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence".. leaving the dogmatic claims of the watchtower is only a first step.
But, still, can you provide an example?
i've always wondered that.
recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.
cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
Viv... You are making an assumption that they thought it was magical.
Of course not. For instance, look up Pythia, Anaximenes, Etemuu. You'll discover quite a lot about ancient views on breath and air.
Don't you think they would see it as a physical force. We insult their intelligence not to think so.
You're confusing and conflating concepts. There is no reason to think it couldn't be considered both a spirit AND something that had physical impact.
It's a metaphor.
i've always wondered that.
recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.
cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
No one has been rude to you, Caliber. If there is a specific problem you have, please bring it up so we can address it.
Splash, what is the relevance of that question? How will it get us closer to an answer of what is spirit made of? Bear in mind that is spirit is undetectable, there's no way to know it exists or even how to look for it.
i've always wondered that.
recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.
cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
I am talking specifically about one aspect of what they identified as spirit they obviously were ignorant of the scientific make up of the air we breathe , any other ancient idea of what they thought spirit was is just speculation or interpreted by some eg bible writers as supernatural.
OK. Ancient people didn't know what air was and thought it was magical. Today we know better.
Likewise ancient people , although having in their appropriate language a word for water they did not know it as hydrogen and oxygen, therefore you cannot conclude that H2o is a metaphor for water. They are the same thing.
H2O, or, dihydrogen monoxide, is the molecule of water. It's a scientific descriptor describing what makes "water" (mostly). Water was to the ancients a physical thing you can see, touch, watch freeze, etc.
Spirit was used an explanation precisely because "there is something invisible that we don't know what it is, therefore it must be spirit", not because they didn't know the chemical composition. It was a mystery. Today, since we know better, we can rightly say that in the context of breathing and air, it's a metaphor. It has nothing to do with chemical descriptors because it's no longer a mystery.
the unknown writer of the gospel of john put the following words in jesus' mouth, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.".
persuading countless generations that it is a virtue to believe incredible things on insufficient evidence, is one of religion's cleverest tricks.. the more incredible the claim; the more flimsy the evidence; the stronger the belief; the greater the virtue.. this is the exact opposite of how we operate in every other aspect of our lives.. rational people must demand objective evidence for everything they are asked to believe.
"extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence".. leaving the dogmatic claims of the watchtower is only a first step.
Mr. Home, canyou provide an example of science working the way you describe? Right now it's just you saying it, an example would be quite helpful.
i've always wondered that.
recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.
cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
Caliber and Ruby, I'll file those answers under "Posters that turn rude when unable to answer a question."
i've always wondered that.
recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.
cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
IMO, it was on topic. The whole post made sense and I see your perspective and your point.
Your opinion is wrong.
kate - yes he was bang on topic.
Yours is also wrong.
I'm sticking with spirit being related to power in its many manifestations.
Still no idea what it's made of. This is a metaphor for "it's made of whatever". It just substitutes one form of "i don't know" for another.
eidt: viv I don't think it is possible to abstract brain states from the social world to study them in neuro science for example and then export those astracted brain states to society and expect it to fit without its social context. we are not simply machines
Completely off-topic. Also, try using actual sentences so it makes sense next time.
Still no closer to an answer, what is spirit made of? What is the stuff that makes up angels and demons and gods?
