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romansh

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Posts posted by romansh

  1. 16 hours ago, RedAppleSpice said:

    But what would be the reason for being a christian instead of other religions?

    The reason would be human beings have evolved to be in groups, various sects fulfill this group need; as do fan clubs, sports teams, chess clubs, etc. Societies provide a raft of opportunities for affiliation, and there is societal pressure to join a Christian sect in the West.

    There is a pressure to join a religion never mind a Christian one.

  2. If you have a link to an image it is dead easy ...

    I right-click the image I want to paste ... a drop-down menu (Edge) gives me the option to copy image link and simply control V where I want to paste it   ... eg:

    cropped-100-0042_img-3.jpg

    The bonus is it takes up less room on the TCPC server site.

    and as a bonus

    md31179855697.jpg

  3. Did the graphic novel depict this scene? ;) 

    Quote

     

    “You sound to me as though you don’t believe in free will,” said Billy Pilgrim.

    “If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings,” said the Tralfamadorian, “I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by free will.  I’ve visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe, and I have studied reports on one hundred more.  Only on Earth is there any talk of free will.”  

    -- Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse–Five

     

    So it goes.

  4. 20 hours ago, Buckeyeinwv said:

    Any idea where someone like me might fit?  I call myself a Christian.  

    Some would argue, wherever you are is exactly where you should be. If by 'fit in' you mean someone to affirm your position ... I am the wrong person for that ;) I'd be happy to question your beliefs though.

    Welcome

    rom

  5. On 1/29/2024 at 3:41 PM, PaulS said:

    In the broader sense it is, but I thought you were indicating 'environment' as separate or different to our wants.  I do agree that 'environment' can encompass al

    From my perspective, separating "I" from the environment (and ultimately everything) is at best an illusion brought on by a lack of understanding and observation. This 'connectedness' is my religion in a semantic-literal way or perhaps my philosophy.

  6. On 1/25/2024 at 4:13 PM, PaulS said:

    I'm not convinced that the environment is responsible for changing our wants. For instance, in Australia we currently have a fair bit of debate going on around our National Day of Celebration on 26 January - Australia Day.  This date was selected as it is the date the first fleets from England arrived on Australian Shores and raised the English flag as they claimed the land (irrespective of indigenous peoples already living on the continent). The date itself has changed throughout history.  Currently the debate is about changing the date again to recognize that the arrival of England's Fleet to Australia wasn't much good news for the indigenous residents. But my point is that people are affecting the debate, and others are reflecting on those arguments.  So more than likely what i see is people favouring a particular point of view that in turn will change the environment.  Once that environment is changed, yes, others will probably change their thinking over time, but still, the change was initiated by people's thinking changing in the first place, I think.

    Is this not all part of your environment?

     

  7. 18 hours ago, PaulS said:

    they would have liked to change their wants,

    And here we see the beginnings of the infinite regress .. wanted to change wants.

    My point ... as expressed in the free will thread all too often, our wants are shaped by the environment, past present (and perhaps expected future).

    Using "age of consent" as proxy for marriage, it is a relatively new thing that children have to be older ... last two hundred years or so. Incidentally, Australia has a mish mash of consent ages.

     

  8. 20 hours ago, PaulS said:

    Definitely our wants get re-shaped, but I think you're asking if it's our wants that change and subsequently the culture changes as a reflection of those changed wants?  I tend to think it's both - maybe some people are ahead of the pack in changing their wants, but then that impacts culture, which then in turn changes and may make others reconsider their wants. I think.

    Using your 13 year old girl being given to marriage ... I suspect what changed was life slowly got less harsh and the age of being 'given' was raised as a result. I don't think people change their wants, at least not in the proactive sense.

    • Like 1
  9. Saved from what? It does not matter anyway, we were not in danger from that.

    While self-imposed labels are useful (sometimes limiting or occasionally misleading) in describing "where we are coming from", I find it strange that we label ourselves in millennia-old doctrines albeit somewhat modified. Being a non-theist Buddhist does that make one a kind of atheist?

    From a personal point of views, it is does not hurt to take look at the past and see what conclusions people have come to. But also we should take a look around today. What might have passed as wisdom two thousand or more years ago just might not pass muster today.

  10. On 1/16/2024 at 9:02 PM, PaulS said:

     

    And those 'wants' change over time.  For instance, it used to be acceptable for a Jewish girl of 13 or 14 to be given into marriage by her father.  Such an activity would be considered 'evil' today.  Our understanding of 'evil' adapts and changes with our society and culture.

    Or is it our wants have been reshaped?

  11. I came across this quote yesterday ... not sure what to make of it ...

    I think the notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone could live in harmony, is a really dangerous idea. Those who are afflicted with this notion are the first ones to give up their souls, their freedom. Your desire that it be that way will enslave you and make your life vacuous. -- Cormac McCarthy

     

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