tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post6363110779506835727..comments2024-03-27T11:16:36.951-07:00Comments on One Cʘsmos: Darwinism and Spiritual GenocideGagdad Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-30294475714233436302008-06-24T08:52:00.000-07:002008-06-24T08:52:00.000-07:00I love your haikus.There is poem, there is verse.H...I love your haikus.<BR/>There is poem, there is verse.<BR/>Hearty doggerel!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-71866245937714671982008-06-24T07:56:00.000-07:002008-06-24T07:56:00.000-07:00ray,anyone who steals or does other 'unacceptable'...ray,<BR/><BR/>anyone who steals or does other 'unacceptable' things (say, larry craig or elliot spitzer) seems to think they can, indeed, 'get away' with 'it'. Some thrill of doing something forbidden. Where do they take it? off into their own subjective experience, I suppose. Forbidden by whom? Sometimes, by their very selves... <BR/><BR/>yet neither our illustrious 'caught' sinning politicians, or those of us who don't get caught, can avoid the seeming underlying moral web that DOES dictate to us, both internally and externally, that certain things are indeed Wrong. Collectively we do define NAMBLA and such as wrong. <BR/><BR/>Admittedly, different societies do seem to define such collective-substrate morality differently (ancient Greeks and pedophilia, or Saudi or Pakistani Islam and rape) but even they wouldn't deny that there IS some sort of basic morality that we all should and deep-down-do subscribe to.<BR/><BR/>(I think that Hindi/Indian culture does seem to have a place somewhere in its philosophy that either transcends or dares to defy that moral-base-reality. western nihilism also tries to, with less success.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-16354825461791674402008-06-24T07:55:00.000-07:002008-06-24T07:55:00.000-07:00Ricky - The apology is welcome, but the attacks we...Ricky - The apology is welcome, but the attacks weren't a big deal. (Being indifferent to getting knocked around is not the same as being unaware of it. :-> ) I intended no offense, but there's enough obnoxious types out there that it's easy to develop a hair trigger.<BR/><BR/>Like Julie says, y'all think you've had an experience that I haven't. I don't even deny the experience, I'm just dubious about the interpretation thereof. Very sensible, sober people can be convinced they've seen UFOs, too. Until I experience either, I'm going to have to be skeptical.<BR/><BR/>I've been wrong before and changed my mind. Maybe not as often as I should, but that's being human for you. Like I said, the trick in life is to make <I>new</I> mistakes.<BR/><BR/>I also think that the notion that something is 'worrying' me is roughly on a par with Julie's psychoanalysis, or the remote diagnosis of Asperger's. But I <I>do</I> agree that a point of diminishing returns approaches on swift wings.<BR/><BR/>A small concluding haiku for now:<BR/><BR/>Mosaic's meaning<BR/>is not in those little dots;<BR/>still, they must be there.<BR/><BR/>Why look at the dots?<BR/>Because to make mosaics<BR/>you need the pieces.<BR/><BR/>Arrangement begets<BR/>the orthogonalilty.<BR/>Levels don't conflict.Ray Ingleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16290483120987779339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-66179460934677579222008-06-24T07:37:00.000-07:002008-06-24T07:37:00.000-07:00By the way, my Branding book said that creative pr...By the way, my Branding book said that creative professionals are good at 'Most Advanced Yet Acceptable' solutions. Or, Maya. <BR/><BR/>I just said to myself:<BR/><BR/>"Self, how true that is. How true that is."Ephrem Antony Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00032465992619034619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-39796154930809800302008-06-24T07:07:00.000-07:002008-06-24T07:07:00.000-07:00Two split sentencesCommas, inflections, et alSelah...Two split sentences<BR/>Commas, inflections, et al<BR/>Selah options: none.<BR/><BR/>Poetry in truth<BR/>Was always more about this<BR/>Breathe and speak the beat<BR/><BR/>Get me a slide rule<BR/>Get me a pen and paper<BR/>Still not a haiku<BR/><BR/>To wit, the silence<BR/>More important than the sound<BR/>hear Ahmed Jamal<BR/><BR/>Walls are not the house<BR/>But the space in between them<BR/>Is the place of life.<BR/><BR/>Five, seven, five now<BR/>Break the rules of good grammar<BR/>Understand me, still?Ephrem Antony Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00032465992619034619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-55047756732156467452008-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:002008-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:00Ben!“Hey Buddy.”:-)~Fortunately for me I figured o...Ben!<BR/><BR/>“Hey Buddy.”<BR/><BR/>:-)<BR/><BR/>~<BR/><BR/>Fortunately for me I figured out the “333” (to my satisfaction) before I traded in my home for an electron microscope and secret lair. Of course I was very far from that place. That joke means something no matter how unfunny it is. There’s probably a certain amount of scientist in everybody. We’re observing, interpreting, accepting and rejecting data all the time. Some just have more energy and determination than others for certain types of inflo. And if I lost all my links and notes and data tomorrow, the scientist would still be there; because it’s the quality, stupid.<BR/><BR/>The short answer to the 3s is, the mystery of these “sightings” did not reside external to me. (Long story, Ray – but I’ll send you a link (no joke) That was the tricky part. Cold numbers they were. Like Bob’s symbols. The mystery resided with-in me, a “who” who just knew they must mean something. They had to. I’ll tell you, I look back at the old me and giggle too. 40 years of picking up all these things; not just the 3s, way more nouns begging for verbs. Putting them in the box. Until one fine day I was finally determined ripe. Take a bath, He said. Or the tub was full with old tired water. Either way, the point is, it wasn’t entirely up to me; no different than it is for anyone else. A matter of time? A blink to some. How could I not love how it happened – it was in perfect proportion to me. A custom fit, eventually, but I would grow into it, my father said.<BR/><BR/>And Ray, honestly, I am sorry for getting personal (in the wrong way) a while back. But you should know that “you started it” when you rang the door bell. This was back when your name was Sorcerer (unless I mixed you two) and it was how your sales pitch offended from my perspective. I apologized then, and most every reply to you since has been with that little giggle you can’t see. It was like you were trying to tell me I didn’t have that tuna sandwich for lunch. When in fact it was the best one I ever had.<BR/><BR/>RE “my perspective” and that detachable scientist quality, here is an observation: The Master of Links (not you Nomo) seems incapable of re-pairing the ultimate one. Now, that’s not a judgment. An observable paradox at least. Which shows this scientist, once again, it’s ultimately not up to you. Or any “you”. Or any of us. It can’t possible be any other way, if God exists. And He does, of course.<BR/><BR/>I think it was Christopher who said something like, “either they all get to go, or none of us do.” I believe that, and believe I read that somewhere too – Tomberg, I think. (That’s a joke that rhymes with, “It’s 3:33am. Do you know A)where your links are? Or B) why you are linking them.” Inside joke. It’s a matter of time and how you spend it. And believe me, Ray, I offer you a seat so close to me than Hitler, Ray, you would not believe it. We’re buddies compared to that other guy.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, your suspense is over. We may be making it harder for Ray by replying to him. Trying to talk him into what you can’t talk him into. Can I say more? Did I say ignore? No. I think he needs some leisure time, “leisure” properly understood. I could be wrong and defer to the higher coons. But I don’t think so. There’s clearly something eating at you Ray and we all know it. This may be wonderful news.<BR/><BR/>Ray, if you found out you were wrong about a great deal, would you chuck the old notebook? Of course you would. Now don’t forget it.<BR/><BR/>That’s this morning’s obsermeditation from 30,000 feet. Thanks for flying with us.<BR/>Over and out.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10589423819039764711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-84038751257461263942008-06-24T06:25:00.000-07:002008-06-24T06:25:00.000-07:00Van -Maybe it's justsenryu, or without life, but -...Van -<BR/><BR/>Maybe it's just<BR/>senryu, or without life, but -<BR/>do you <I>want</I> verbose?<BR/><BR/>:-><BR/><BR/>Matthew - <BR/><BR/>In the real world,<BR/><I>can</I> you 'get away with it'?<BR/>What, then, do you get?Ray Ingleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16290483120987779339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-30478079659152731702008-06-24T05:51:00.000-07:002008-06-24T05:51:00.000-07:00Atheism and Agnosticism are often confused. (As a...Atheism and Agnosticism are often confused. (As are Atheists and Agnostics!) To believe that there is no God is not the same as not being convinced that there IS a God...<BR/><BR/>Whether it's 70% or more, most people do believe implicitly in a higher order or purpose. Whether they can articulate that or admit it, it comes out when they talk of morality-- for indeed, why act morally unless there's some deeper substrate to the universe? Why not steal or otherwise sin, if you could get away with it, unless there's some deeper Reason not to?<BR/><BR/>I myself am technically a half-convinced empirical agnostic-- which is to say, i'll believe it if I see it, but i HAVE seen a few things with my own eyes that science has no answers for, but various theologies or spiritualities DO...<BR/><BR/>gagdad's top-down, whole->part logic (as well as Michael Talbot's Holographic Universe) seem to hold a better framework to allow Mind to hold Science and G-d in a consistent logic, than other attempts I've seen...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-44650583199753446452008-06-24T05:37:00.001-07:002008-06-24T05:37:00.001-07:00Ray, I should probably leave it for Robin... but d...Ray, I should probably leave it for Robin... but dividing a sentence into lengths of syllables, does not a Haiku make.<BR/><BR/>Syllabic selection alone won’t put life into a Haiku – it’s a good illustration of what your missing though.Van Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08470413719262297062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-3987238934942384552008-06-24T05:37:00.000-07:002008-06-24T05:37:00.000-07:00Johan: Yes. Look carefully at the Lord's statement...Johan: Yes. Look carefully at the Lord's statements about 'ask it in My Name it shall be done' (there's more to it than just that) and being conformed to God's will is an important part of that equation. Not to say you could never get a prayer answered otherwise, just don't ... expect a genie-like performance.Ephrem Antony Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00032465992619034619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-76189900958018718312008-06-24T05:22:00.000-07:002008-06-24T05:22:00.000-07:00To Kepler Sings:Darwinists wonder.That's why they ...To Kepler Sings:<BR/><BR/>Darwinists wonder.<BR/>That's why they <I>are</I> Darwinists;<BR/>wonder led them there.<BR/><BR/>To ben:<BR/><BR/>Wonder alone, just<BR/>sitting there, not drawing forth,<BR/>is much like stupor.<BR/><BR/>To johan:<BR/><BR/>Mind's purpose is to<BR/>make purposes. I thought you<BR/>liked paradoxes?<BR/><BR/>(Haiku are just as<BR/>likely to work as aught else<BR/>and are much shorter.)Ray Ingleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16290483120987779339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-30456906029311923552008-06-24T04:48:00.000-07:002008-06-24T04:48:00.000-07:00Julie - People can be moral or immoral with religi...Julie - People can be moral or immoral with religion. People can be immoral without religion. I presume those points are uncontroversial.<BR/><BR/>My contention is that <I>at least</I> some people can be moral without religion. That's been my experience, and I'm not aware of any study that's shown anything but slight differences on average in terms of moral behavior between the religious and non-religious in similar circumstances.<BR/><BR/>You see religion as a strong determiner of morality. I've never seen evidence that it's anything but a mild determiner of morality. Consider what happens when police go on strike. God doesn't go away then, allegedly, but police do. <A HREF="http://archives.cbc.ca/on_this_day/10/07/" REL="nofollow">Which one appears to have a stronger influence on moral behavior?</A><BR/><BR/>I don't think people are inherently good <I>or</I> bad. People are people. They have a deep streak of self-centeredness, but they also have a deep sense of community and fairness. Different circumstances encourage different ways of expressing those.<BR/><BR/>Under some circumstances, almost everyone will behave morally. Under other circumstances, almost everyone will behave immorally. Religion has historically been an important way that the desirable circumstances have been arranged, but it's not necessarily the only or best way.Ray Ingleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16290483120987779339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-58529412332302093212008-06-24T04:17:00.000-07:002008-06-24T04:17:00.000-07:00Ben said:"And we gno that God's will is for us to ...Ben said:<BR/>"And we gno that God's will is for us to align ourselfs with Truth, and to the degree we do that, we are doin' His will, and our prayers are bein' answered, although we may not always understand the answer or even like it, initially."<BR/><BR/>Of course, He moves in mysterious ways, and that's how it has to be most of the time (for obvious reasons). It cannot be like rubbing the genie-lamp to get wishes granted. It's all that you stated, a way of communicating and having a two-way experience.<BR/><BR/>"Most of the time God answers my prayers with something far better than what I requested!"<BR/><BR/>So many good things has happened in my life since I turned and opened up to Him... And at that time I didn't even prayed. It's a bit scary too, because I do have the feeling that I want to get closer, but still "keep a distance". It's hard to explain, but I think I'm just not used to all this :)<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your input, Ben!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-22501407681963362002008-06-24T02:31:00.000-07:002008-06-24T02:31:00.000-07:00Since Nomo isn't here at the moment, here's a vers...Since Nomo isn't here at the moment, here's a verse that ties in to what Johan is talkin' about cooncerning prayer:<BR/><BR/>Jeremiah 33:3 (King James Version)<BR/><BR/>3Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.<BR/><BR/>Plus, Rick loves that 333 thing! LOL!<BR/>I gotta admit, It's growin' on me as well.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-2044886076049370492008-06-24T01:24:00.000-07:002008-06-24T01:24:00.000-07:00Johan said... Ray, so purpose is made up by mind? ...Johan said... <BR/>Ray, <BR/>so purpose is made up by mind? <BR/><BR/>"Then what is the purpose of mind?"<BR/><BR/>Good one! Ha ha!USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-43841740117497264262008-06-24T01:21:00.000-07:002008-06-24T01:21:00.000-07:00Hey Julie!I love the new portrait! So...cheerful! ...Hey Julie!<BR/>I love the new portrait! <BR/>So...cheerful! :^)USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-32259129453149141052008-06-24T01:19:00.000-07:002008-06-24T01:19:00.000-07:00Far MORE than that, not far for than that. Then ag...Far MORE than that, not far for than that. Then again...LOL!USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-33716689226125904322008-06-24T01:17:00.000-07:002008-06-24T01:17:00.000-07:00Good point, Johan!Personally, I believe that praye...Good point, Johan!<BR/>Personally, I believe that prayer, first and foremost, ought to be a communion; a communication with<BR/>G-d. <BR/><BR/>Of course there is far for than that, giving thanks, worship, listening, singing, conversing, and petition, just off the top of my head.<BR/><BR/>And we gno that God's will is for us to align ourselfs with Truth, and to the degree we do that, we are doin' His will, and our prayers are bein' answered, although we may not always understand the answer or even like it, initially.<BR/><BR/>Most of the time God answers my prayers with something far better than what I requested!<BR/><BR/>And often, the answer, or the questyon is in the form of Revelations, which are meant for us to realize, experience, grow into the understanding of, and to Become more of our O'tential.<BR/><BR/>I rarely pray for myself, but I do pray for others, and I pray to God, and all I prayers is for the realized Hope of His will, which is the best outcome (but I admit I do sort of wince sometimes when I do this, because I gno God's answer can be painful). :^)USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-60090261149400798362008-06-24T00:58:00.000-07:002008-06-24T00:58:00.000-07:00Kepler Sings said-"The Darwinist has finally done ...Kepler Sings said-<BR/><BR/>"The Darwinist has finally done this to himself. He can no longer sit and look at something beautiful that came from the mind of God and just simply worship what God has wrought. Can a Darwinist look at a Sequoia, majestic and mighty and be filled with wonder?" <BR/><BR/>Indeed! Perhaps a one dimensional wonder is possible for the Darwinist, but not a complete Oneder.<BR/>And certainly, the only worship possible for a Darwinist is the worship of self or another charismatic manimal.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-28284672837181875972008-06-24T00:37:00.000-07:002008-06-24T00:37:00.000-07:00River C:"Also, haven't we been through this in Bru...River C:<BR/>"Also, haven't we been through this in Bruce Almighty? Answer everyone's prayer no matter how minor and you get Chaos."<BR/><BR/>Is it then just as simple as saying that God answers prayer then our will is in line with Gods will?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-39594099912499868932008-06-23T23:37:00.000-07:002008-06-23T23:37:00.000-07:00Thanks Julie :)Thanks Julie :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-22884661925817878662008-06-23T23:21:00.000-07:002008-06-23T23:21:00.000-07:00This sentence in your post cannot be overemphasize...This sentence in your post cannot be overemphasized: <BR/><BR/><I>But once you understand that truth -- not to mention, virtue and beauty -- are real and that man is free, you are no longer a Darwinist.</I><BR/><BR/>The Darwinist has finally done this to himself. He can no longer sit and look at something beautiful that came from the mind of God and just simply worship what God has wrought. Can a Darwinist look at a Sequoia, majestic and mighty and be filled with wonder? <BR/><BR/>Does his mind then contemplate that the Sequoia cannot exist alone? That in order for there to be that Sequoia, there had to be an earth, a sun, microbes, a spinning Galaxy, just the right gravity, just the right distance from the sun, just the right things happening for billions of years to produce the environment for that Sequoia, and all of it beauty added to beauty. <BR/><BR/>The Darwinist has started the process of Hell in himself, first a dead spirit, then a polluted intellect, then the worst of all, the loss of wonder, the loss of awe, until all is ordinary and to be exploited.<BR/><BR/>Kepler SingsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-53399870604170168592008-06-23T23:09:00.000-07:002008-06-23T23:09:00.000-07:00And of course is isn't just one virtue working to ...<I>And of course is isn't just one virtue working to assist another... the Virtues are One, as different facets of dazzling diamond.</I><BR/><BR/>Yep - absolutely.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-84328564149737710772008-06-23T22:03:00.000-07:002008-06-23T22:03:00.000-07:00It's damn tricky, Ximeze. Especially when your cri...It's damn tricky, Ximeze. Especially when your critic first says, "Well, okay, but you look mad (the expression was neutral). You're usually smiling" Then, when you get the smile in he says, "yeah, that's better, but the <I>eyes</I> aren't smiling..." This, followed by "Now you look older."<BR/><BR/>*dramatic sigh*<BR/>It's sooo hard to be me...<BR/><BR/>:)<BR/><BR/>Walmart Shopper, what a lovely observation.<BR/><BR/>Now, time for some much needed rest.juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15975754287030568726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-17057739713422416312008-06-23T21:47:00.000-07:002008-06-23T21:47:00.000-07:00Hey, a twofur. Blogger must really luv meHey, a twofur. Blogger must really luv meAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com