151. The Transcendental Argument for God

Comment #85037 by 35bluejacket on November 4, 2007 at 3:57 pm

Jeez!! These verbose arguments sound like the same noises that come from the lecturns of theists.
Is there someone out there who can help me with the answer of this simple question: Are the laws of physics independent of man?

I'm trying to get some enlightenment here.

152. The Transcendental Argument for God

Comment #84889 by 35bluejacket on November 4, 2007 at 3:49 am

Stevencarrwork

Example. please...

Newton's physics were not mistaken, they just needed revision. They didn't deal with the great expanses of space. That is my understanding.


The question is: are the laws of physics independent of man?

153. The Transcendental Argument for God

Comment #84841 by 35bluejacket on November 3, 2007 at 10:41 pm

This question has been perplexing me for sometime, in a bit different form. Can an atheist claim that math and logic are just an invention of man or evolved? The profoundness of these desciplines weren't even understood by their uncovers. Did Pythagoras foresee a connection to Newton? That sounds unlikely. Do these pregnant systems of thought, that are worlds within themselves, stand independent of man and if so, how did they get there?
I need some enlightment here.

154. Pope's 'morning after pill' speech criticized

Comment #84696 by 35bluejacket on November 3, 2007 at 8:11 am

Actally a better "morning after pill" is U235. Just put it on a bed stand. It kills all sperm within a hundred yard radius and doubles for a nightlite.

155. What the New Atheists Don't See

Comment #84590 by 35bluejacket on November 2, 2007 at 4:38 pm

What the hell is Dalrymple talking about? Braving tons of philosophers, in my opinion, the true nature and purpose of man is "to seek meaning". This is our evolution. Grab a telescope, microscope, emerse ones self in the math of Newton, Godel or any of the greats. Stand in awe of the cosmos, atomic world, biology, etc. Swim in the fountain of knowledge that will flow through every door we open and will never cease to quench the desire of our hearts and its longing. No human imagination can hold a candle to the glorious mysteries of the universe. And through our efforts we will drag, as always, reluctant civilizatin with us.

Does this sound too religious?

156. Jury Awards Father $11M in Funeral Case

Comment #84272 by 35bluejacket on November 1, 2007 at 3:31 pm

Laws are important and bless our American founding fathers for their insite to organized religions, but laws are created to serve people, not viceversa. How many of us today are so convinced of the righteousness of rational thought and love of humanity to have been able to sacrafice ourselves and put a bullet in Hitler's or Stalin's brain and stop their occultism early on? The question is: how to stop all Dogma without becoming its victim.

157. Jury Awards Father $11M in Funeral Case

Comment #84254 by 35bluejacket on November 1, 2007 at 2:43 pm

It seems the Phoenix of Fundamentalism is rising. Visions of the Occultism of Nazi Germany come to mind.

158. If you don't accept the supernatural, you obviously think life is depressing, meaningless and cold

Comment #83654 by 35bluejacket on October 30, 2007 at 7:47 pm

Personally I see the numinous lifestyle of Lucretious as the best, neo-epicurian frugal, happy and free from all the strife and frustrations of the world, we stand more as observers taking in the beauty of the universe, all the while defending reason. My favorite quote is his "Such is the power of reason to overcome inborn vices, that nothng prevents our living a life worthy of gods."

159. War in Heaven: Hitchens Meets D'Souza on Home Turf

Comment #83488 by 35bluejacket on October 30, 2007 at 7:29 am

Like Lincoln said about Grant, find out what he has been drinking and pass it around to the other Generals.

160. Tests of faith over 'The Golden Compass'

Comment #83482 by 35bluejacket on October 30, 2007 at 6:46 am

In my opinion, fictional movies do effect childrens' minds. Raised in the south in the fifties I am thankful that when I was a kid there were movies like "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Inherit the Wind" and "The day the Earth Stood Still". Raised in a religious family, movies were the only outside source of different opinions.

161. Tests of faith over 'The Golden Compass'

Comment #83405 by 35bluejacket on October 30, 2007 at 12:01 am

In sum. Our gift from the garden of eden was the heavy responsibility of free will and rational thought.

162. Tests of faith over 'The Golden Compass'

Comment #83401 by 35bluejacket on October 29, 2007 at 11:43 pm

One interpretation of the garden of eden is that we have recieved the possibility of spiritual death (not physical death), by the eating of the fruit ie, the knowledge of good and evil. By rational thought it is not possible to know or judge if something is good, unless we have a comparison, like a relative evil and viceversa.

163. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #83392 by 35bluejacket on October 29, 2007 at 10:25 pm

"Such is the power of reason to overcome inborn vices, that nothing prevents our living a life worthy of gods." (Lucretius)

Thank you RD for inspiration.

164. A question of belief

Comment #82910 by 35bluejacket on October 28, 2007 at 8:28 am

I have lived in Texas for 11 years and it is my opinion that the average Texan believes that ignorance is a virtue.

165. Face to faith

Comment #82898 by 35bluejacket on October 28, 2007 at 7:38 am

If a religionist is not awed by lightning, thunder and a rainbow after knowing their science, they never had or knew the real meaning of faith, just superstition.

Hitchens, using the religionst's definition of faith says: "But faith, yet again, discredits itself by proving to be insuficient to satisfy the faithful."

166. A new website addition: Debate Points

Comment #81773 by 35bluejacket on October 25, 2007 at 6:52 am

Corylus

The common quote that "One man's opinion is as good as another," is absurd. If we but could ask the Donner Party as to which trail was best. They took the Hasting's trail which delayed their mountain crossing.

To use or not to use rational thought is not an option. There is no other system of thinking,(at least not in this universe). It is the foundation of all thinking, what ever the ideology. It is as fundamental as breathing air. To veer from it's path leads to error and further on insanity.

167. A new website addition: Debate Points

Comment #81392 by 35bluejacket on October 24, 2007 at 4:46 pm

Getting to the crux of nailing down a Christian or Moslem is to understand where they get their truth, and their faith stems from that. It is those Holy books. You must know and use them. They reject all other systems of knowledge. There is evidence enough in those books to support the diadem of rational thought.

168. Lou Dobbs Interviews Christopher Hitchens

Comment #79464 by 35bluejacket on October 17, 2007 at 10:35 am

I've seen discussions here about how to reach Christians. In my opinion the best way is to use their own book, as for a list of virgin births. consider the Prophet Melchizedek, who had neither father or mother, as explained by St. Paul. Hebrews 7.

169. Help Counter the New Atheist Crusade to 'Evangelize' America!

Comment #79456 by 35bluejacket on October 17, 2007 at 9:42 am

Sorry I didn't proof read.
"From the spark of disagreement comes truth."
Maybe someone can help with the author.

170. Help Counter the New Atheist Crusade to 'Evangelize' America!

Comment #79452 by 35bluejacket on October 17, 2007 at 9:36 am

From the apark of disagreement comes truth.

171. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78768 by 35bluejacket on October 14, 2007 at 8:01 pm

Yes, the original was in Greek. For some reason (no pun intended) the early clergies felt the need for the supernatural to draw believers. The Trinity and ceremonies were old theology; Greek, Egypt, India. Hard to let go of the old. There were many arguments before they had decided on 27 books and a canon Perhaps we should consider the ignorance of the clergy and followers then. But the day has come and truth (knowledge) will guide the way.

172. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78761 by 35bluejacket on October 14, 2007 at 6:59 pm

Thanks PGFM

Are you familiar with: "In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God and the Logos was God"
The Logos is rational thought or logic. St. John was of the school of Heraclitus who centuries earlier taught that the everchanging chaos of the cosmos was given order by the logos.
It would seem that the Christians have no choice but to revere rational thought next to God, or even God Himself.

173. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78751 by 35bluejacket on October 14, 2007 at 5:47 pm

The quote from Hebrews concerning the definition of faith would seem to be a call to reason. Religion and science have but one reality and the foundation is logic, or the "Logos" as the Greeks used to call it.

174. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78746 by 35bluejacket on October 14, 2007 at 5:14 pm

Notsobad:

KJV Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the "substance" of things hoped for, the "evidence" of things not seen"