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Alan McDougall

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Posts posted by Alan McDougall

  1. PeterJ,

     

    Well me not knowing "enough about the topic" implies you know the sufficient amount. I don't believe your arguments are unassailable, nor that the body of knowledge you would have me investigate, is based on sound, logical thinking. I am not asking you to explain Taoism to me, I am challenging your logic in defending Eastern Philosophy over Western Philosphy, and I am challeging your grasp of reality. I am not making any mistakes, as per my own understanding of reality, and I have no interest in being your student on the subject. I have only the interest in matching your take against my take, and seeing which one makes the most, logical sense. Especially, in reference to the thread topic of Karma and Reincarnation.

     

    You act as if I am not your equal and should not be nipping at your heels. I have asked you direct, logical questions, raising objections to various of your conclusions, and you have answered a few, but for the most part, not answered by instead telling everybody I don't know enough to even be talking to you.

     

     

    What does that appoach have even a little to do with the topic of whether or not Karma or Reincarnation are topics concerning the waking world, or the dream world.

     

    Regards, TAR

    Alan,

     

    I am sorry you have had a less than 100% enjoyable life. That, however is not sufficient enough reason to dismiss reincaration, just because you would chose not to go another round.

     

    If your thread topic was posted as a complaint, and you have no interest in investigating the logic deficit in believing in Karma, if investigating the deficits in the logic of you believing in your god would concurrently be questioned...then indeed engaging in this discussion with you, is pointless. I just now understand, that I lost all those rep points in this thread, because you and PeterJ don't want to be wrong, about your beliefs. And would rather chase me out of the discussion, than face such a possible admission.

     

    So be it. I will leave you both to your delusions.

     

    Disregards, TAR

     

    Dear, dear tar?

     

    Why are you so worried about you "REP POINTS" I have nothing against you or your rather odd logic and would be sad and sorry to see you exit debate!

     

    Peter J

     

    This being a religious subforum in my opinion does not lead to philosophical debates, which are never-ending and get absolutely nowhere.

     

    As for me I repeat!! Reincarnation and rebirth after countless rebirths, is an unpleasant idea, to which I refuse to prescribe. When we die, we leave this mortal body that decays due to entropy and go on to exist forever in ethereal planes, some lower than our earthly one and some higher.

  2. Alan - The idea of having to post a link to show that the Buddha did not teach reincarnation is exactly my complaint. This is a science forum and the topic is reincarnation and everybody has an opinion. How on earth would it be possible for it not to be well known here what the Buddha taught on the topic? I was objecting the use of the words, since rebirth is better, but I did at least assume that those expressing their opinions had got as far as Wikki.

     

    I know this is a science forum Peter, but this is a sub-forum created by the Owner of this site?

     

    So why the heck can't we discuss religion, religion is faith based and something that scientist can prove or disprove.

     

    As for me I hate the idea of reincarnation, I have gone through this life with some terrible struggles, pain and ill health.

     

    So why would I want to return to this bleak grey earth zone, be born, become a child again , go to school again and repeat the whole struggle of life again??

     

    It is appointed "ONCE FOR MAN TO LIVE" and then the judgment.

     

    Every person that has ever lived, will account for what they did or did not do during their very very brief existence on earth.

     

    Eternity come after and eternity is a very very long time indeed.

     

    There is a way that seems right to man , but the end thereof is death!.

     

    I have set before roads, choose the one that leads to everlasting life!

  3. From some reading it seems that even the Buddha did not believe in reincarnation?

     

    http://www.buddhistsagainstreincarnation.com/

     

    ‘Thy self to which though cleavest is a constant change.
    Years ago thou wast a small babe;
    Then, thou wast a boy;
    Then a youth, and now, thou art a man.
    Is there an identity of the babe and the man?
    There is an identity in a certain sense only.
    Indeed there is more identity between the flames
    of the first watch and the third watch,
    even though the lamp might have been extinguished
    during the second watch’ (57) .

  4. OK, let's join Alan in his pursuit of pedantry, and ask if there are any viable working hypotheses concerning karma and reincarnation?

     

    Why did you fail to respond to my post about the unicorn, 2+2=6 etc??

     

    I am most definitely not a pendanterist or dogmatic in any way or form and you know nothing about me, so it is very wrong to give me that type of attribute.

     

    Your quote "Alan in his"pursuit in my pedantry", makes no sense, why should I seek dogmatism?

     

    In fact I'm open minded and if anyone can prove the truth about reincarnation/karma to me, I would become a believer, however, not a dogmatic believer!

  5. Existence -was -Existence-is -Existence-will be.

    Within the writhing cosmic cloud of magnetic flux energy, that the always was, took on new form, evolved and coalesced again into a dense oneness of primordial glowing energy, which is and was and will be, the primordial source that moves between the everlasting cycle of order to chaos and chaos back to order.

    It became thought.

    Within a Timeless zone before existence came to be , a pool of infinite pure consideration held within it all the hopes, dreams, for creating new order within the realms of existence and reality and these immense waves of pure magnetic thought gradually coalesced and a mighty sentient consciousness emerged out of previous chaos.

    It knew itself and said "What am I"?

     

    Then it said

     

    I AM

     

    I am recorded the evolution of creation and existence as follows below!

     

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I experienced time only in my dreams and the cup of my dreams ran over as do rivers that overflow their banks. I dreamed infinity of dreams in first instant, and infinity multiplied by infinity in the timeless zone I thought of creating all possibilities in one awesome now.

    I awoke and thought the first thoughts within infinitely primordial mind I had become. Out of the realm of previous chaos I began to recreate outside the absolute realm and started the first realities based on new planes realms dimensions and textures.

    I had drifted eternally in and out of awareness and within the mind flux of pure energy. I tossed out the foams singularities, started the flow of time and withdrew into itself outside time or space and sustained my creation as a static force of infinite power.

    I became the Spirit as I twisted in agony of birth, boiling dissolving reforming writhing and vibrating, before existence or creation were reborn out of the thoughts programs of my mind I set up new realities and began to organize myself into a mighty being of thought and infinite intelligence.

    I looked outward and inward into the infinite boundless dark void and knew I was alone and became filled with unspeakable loneliness.

    Now aware of infinite
    potential of the vast unploughed fields of dark nothingness, I strode with great beams of Radiant Light toward the infinite horizons of eternity, sowing seeds of existence, before the timeless moment of creation.

    I grew out of nothingness by my own will, before anything else existed and with the mobilities of my original thoughts spoke out and created all that ever was, all that is, and all that will ever be.

    Before I could create I who am everything, had to withdraw of myself to open up a void in which to place the universes I was about to grow out of the thought seeds resting in my mind, waiting for planting.

    On the panorama of bleak blackness, I sewed seeds of universal radiant energy. Reality is the gem of my creation and the beauty of my achievement. I am it who lives, forever and forever. It is I who illuminated the everlasting darkness of the primordial void, with beams of dazzling light in living and translucent glory to share it with those who love me.

    At the moment of the thundering dawn of creating existence, I sent out the primordial heat to light up the universes for the seeds of life to be planted within them. I waited and watched as my creation grew and expanded and it filled my being with joy and satisfaction and I knew my workmanship was good.

    I walked down the road of forever and sat down on the throne of infinity. I am the light being and my everlasting purpose is to create and cause existence, I am both nothing and everything I am the light that dispels the dark.

    With infinite power and intellect I the nameless- ever- existing- one, looked out at a new empty infinite dark void. I am boundless I will create something with the potential to become like myself.

    Therefore, I separated into an infinity of fundamental fragments yet remained connected to my created beings as the great creator and father spirit.

    I set up polarities separating, the sons of light and the sons of dark and permitted enmity to exist between the forces of good and the forces of evil.

    I decided to separate existence into dualities and I withdrew myself into everlasting light and banished the rebellious- one into everlasting darkness. In this way all sentient beings could freely choose in which duality to exist.

    Opposing forces split the chasm, as light blazed to banish the dark and the dark flowed as thick darkness to blot out the light forever.

    I set up a plan to correct my primordial mistake and bring back those caught up and lost to the evil darkness, into the living light again.

    There was no cause to my existence I having no Cause I am therefore both the effect and affect sustains and shaper of all things that exist

    My acts of creation are cyclic events and my purpose reason for my existence. I formulate everything in the thoughts of my Mind and knew the first numbers.

    With the simplicities and realities of the fundamentals I made everything. I am the Prime Mover and there was no other proponent to my "first cause". I am the "immovable rock" and the" alpha point". I took these first fundamentals and weaved them into the fabric of the reality, creating all the limitless universes on the infinite timeless foam where before there was but nothing. You exist because I exist!

    We sang together the song of creation and the new universe began to vibrate with countless frequencies of light, glory translucent and everlasting with the vibrations of the song of existence.

    The singer sang the song, the painter the painting, the creator the creation.

    The universe then began to weave, dance, and vibrate flux and vortex into one colossal maelstrom, spiral in perfect order from the mind of the eternal one The Universe danced and sang with joy. The dancer danced and sang along with his new creation.

    I am life giver. Back before anything was conceived , I am Infinite pure "mind" and "thought" there is no dark only light within my infinite domain, so I moved upon the great void of dark and said "let there be" light' and there was light. From the light came love and life.

    To be continued if interest is shown.

    I am Life

    I am Light

     

    I am emotion

     

    Regards Alan

     

  6. I seem to have missed something here.

    Are we going to have a succession of threads titled

    "Why I reject unicorns and lepricorns, as illogical and nonsensical"

    "Why I reject the idea that 2+2 = 6 and and all brown things are green, as illogical and nonsensical" and

    "Why I reject the idea that the sea is boiling hot and and think that debate concerning whether pigs have wings as illogical and nonsensical"?

     

    On a scientific site, what does this thread bring to the party?

     

    John dear John,

     

    "It should be obvious that no one is trying to further scientific thought in this sub-forum"

     

    The title of this thread that you mock, is directly related to a religious topic, and if you can take the time to look at which subforum it occurred in you will notice "Religion"

     

    The Administrator/Owner created this sub-forum, which is about "Religion" and after more than 10,000 posts you should know by now that it is impossible to get consensus in these types of topics.

     

    To me it is fun to watch a debate unfold and where it leads. Lighten up and smell the roses John!

     

    Much of science seems illogical and 2+2 can =6, and remain within the boundaries of physics.

     

    Such as the "Flow of time"

     

    The sea might be boiling hot, simply because you left out which sea you were talking about. The primordial sea of planet earth was boiling hot, or a sea on another planet might be also?

     

    Unicorns might exist, how can you positive there is no such animal somewhere in our vast universe?

     

    Leprechauns might also exist, and their existence come down as the memories of small human like creatures that existed before mankind (Homo Sapiens) came on the scene some 150,000 years? ago?

     

    One should never lose a sense of wonder or the mysterious, no less a person like Albert Einstein made a comment much like this one.

     

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     

    http://blog.gaiam.com/quotes/authors/albert-einstein/66301

    The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of all true art and science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery - even if mixed with fear - that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds - it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity; in this sense, and, and in this alone, I am a deeply religious man.

    Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

  7. tar and Peter J

     

    tar you quoted the following below,

     

    tar

    Why must one consider reality an illusion, when it is so obviously real? Why else would we be calling it reality? You require another plane of exisistence for the soul to occupy. Heaven is not a far cry from the progressing soul of the believers in reincarnation. This is your thread, figuring that Karma and reincarnation are illogical. Yet you hold to the mystical, illogical tenants of your own religion. PeterJ decries the illogic of the believers in reincarnation, because it does not work, but accepts instead that his soul is operating under specific logical rules of rebirth, dictated by the universe.

     

     

     

     

     

    The question then begs, What is the real world and what is not?

    As far as reality is concerned, it has been scientifically proven that our human sensory capacity is extremely limited.

     

    Below is an excerpt of an article I wrote on sensory perception.

     

    However, the capacity of human sensory organs such as, the eye for sight, ear for sound, nose for smell, skin for touch, tongue pallet/nose for taste, are very limited and can easily be fooled. It is true that we humans are the most highly intelligent sentient beings on our planet and due of our relatively huge brains, were able to invent and perfect many artificial means and methods of increasing the range and sensitivity of our five senses, far beyond the barriers of the average capacity.

     

    What we perceive is not always a true reflection of reality. In fact, the brain makes best guesses about the outside world from surprisingly limited source of information. Research shows the brain reconstructs the rich tapestry of what we sense and experience from bits of scattered input data. However, much of it is just an illusion of the real world we construct in our brains to limit confusion.

     

    The reality we perceive us is a but a tiny fraction of the entire environment surrounding us, because God or evolution has designed us to only react or act only to very specific impulses, which are essential to sustain us as a viable and successful species on planet earth.

     

    In this we are not special and these limitations of evolution effect other animal species as well.

     

    We are internally programmed to perceive only within a narrow band and very limited range what truly surrounds us. Due to these embedded limiting sensory capacities and ingrained factors, we only respond to sensory signals, that are essential for our continued survival, as a viable sentient species on planet earth.

     

    As an comparison with the above paragraph. Let's examine the life of a frog, although its eye sends host of visual messages to the cortex of its brain, its brain ignores most of them as redundant, because just in the manner of humans, it is likewise programmed to react only to the movement or vibration of its food source, which is mostly insects.

     

    The frog is not concerned with the detail of stationary objects of the world around it. He will starve to death surrounded by food if it is not moving. :blink: His choice of food is determined only by size and movement.

     

    Another example of this is the security metal detector gate found in most airports, it will only beep when it senses metal and let any other object pass through.

     

    We miss a great deal of reality and cannot normally perceive exactly all that is really happening around us, because nature has created us dismiss much of what the brain takes in, as extraneous, irrelevant or redundant garbage.

     

    We have been programmed over the ages to only perceive that which is necessary for our survival as a viable species on planet earth. Our brains fill in the gaps and limitations of our sensory organs by creating a false picture of reality, to keep us comfortable.

     

    The brain assists us in determining what we see, as can be demonstrated by trying to read while moving your head or while tapping the corner of one closed eye Try it and you will notice what I mean. Your brain receives information from sensory receptors that inform it about body position and movement.

     

    Look at the Ames Room test on Youtube and you will be amazed how easily we can be fooled even though we know the two people in the Ames Room are nearly the same height and stature. Various other optical illusions have been invented to test perceptions and how the brain organizes the information it receives.

     

    It is thought that this organizing ability is partly genetically determined and activated by an individual’s early visual experience. Two special abilities of humans, which appear to be tied to our social evolution, are good face recognition and an ability to read the emotions of others.

  8. Well, it's no use asking me to show you the research when it's all out there and you don't want to read it. And if you had read my blog (or a dictionary) you'd know that metaphysics and mysticism are utterly different things.

     

    I've made no attempt to convince you. btw., I'm just pointing out that your view takes no account of the facts.

     

    How would you explain the utter failure of western philosophy? Do you not think it might be something to do with looking at things in the wrong way? Do you want to see another two millennia of failure? Do you not find it all completely boring and pointless? The modern academic philosopher is so useless that some scientists are calling for the abolition of philosophy. This the state it is in. Yet you buy into it hook line and sinker. As an ex-CEO I have no time for this everlasting doodling about. Get the problems solved and move on would be my approach.

     

    As for the idea that we should stick to ideas that work, this is the approach I'm recommending in the face of your determination to endorse ideas that never have worked.

     

    I feel that the neuroscientists have taken you in. Best to ignore their nonsense unless you want to be stuck in the same rut going nowhere.

     

    But this is all a bit daft. If you are going to reject ideas on the basis of assumptions and absent any attempt to grasp what they actually are then we'd best leave this.

     

    How about this essay explaining what a mystic really is?

     

     

    A mystic is one who, above all else in life, desires to know, not in the intellectual sense of knowing, the deepest Truth of existence. A mystic is one who senses more to life than making a living or being of service in the world although these things are both necessary and good. The mystic, however, is looking beyond an exclusive or preoccupied focus on these survival or self-actualization to something more.

     

    He is looking to discover the deepest truth of our being as incarnate souls; to understand our greatest potential as reflections of God; to realize our wholeness within the ground of all. The primary interest in life for the mystic is to discover truth, to know God; to see into man's whole nature. The mystic sees all of life as an abundant opportunity to discover, realize, and express the Divine.

     

    Mysticism springs from an insatiable curiosity for understanding the essential questions of life: matters of God, creation, the infinite and the human potential for knowing truth. The mystic is in reality the ultimate scientist who, looking beyond the apparent or obvious in all matters, asks, "Is this that I am seeing reality or the illusions that stem from fear?" "What existed before this sense of reality?"

     

    "What existed before my mental constructs, my beliefs, my self identity?" "Who is this that observes and is self-reflecting?" "What is at life's very source?"

     

    Mysticism: Why it’s so often misunderstood

     

    Mysticism is terrifically misunderstood by mainstream culture. It always has been. Many people incorrectly think mysticism is some kind of odd occult or a mystic someone who studies magic or renounces life and goes off to live in a cave. Nothing could be further from the truth.

     

    The reason this has often been confused though is not so surprising. The mystic is one who undergoes a radical shift in conscious understanding and that often looks, sounds, or seems very mysterious to our accustomed ways of thinking and being.

     

    The mystic consciously enters into the sacred journey that all the world's great religions speak of in various ways. Some call it becoming awakened, enlightened, or born again.

     

    It is an inner journey that requires a deconstruction of the conditioned illusions of separation so that the true freedom of living can emerge.

     

     

  9.  

    The reference is everything and nothing

     

     

    It is to understand physical value and represent it with the universal language as it is.

     

    1x0

     

    1(any physical value described by the natural number one) Or in our case the hole universe as all space(time), information, energy, matter........

     

    0: the total abscence of everything or in other words - space(time), information, energy, matter free nothing.

     

    The Universe what we inspect is a cascade of events evolved from the physical nothing to everything what we see.

     

    Regardless from the circumstances of existence everything in the system exist in the same moment of reality(A létezés körülményeitöl függetlenül a rendeszerben lévö összes elem egy idöpillanatban létezik.)

     

    On the level of information we are at least 13.8 billion years old.

     

    The matematical tool what we use has to respect the value presented as physical reality.

     

    Mathematics is the projected explanation.

     

    It is the language which can explain physical reality.

     

    If a higher intelligence existing 1 billion LY away in the same moment of reality and it could ask you: Do you understand mathematical reality? Could you answer?

     

     

    The operations of mathematics has to follow the observed reality. 1x0

     

     

    We are not alone, We have a busy Universe but we can not read in it.

     

     

    Time is information about the physical reality.

     

    Are you hinting that I do not understand the subject, and want to put me right :unsure::)

  10. PeterJ,

     

    If Karma is based on no free will, that destroys the purpose of the teaching, to cause one to attempt to be good. If you can not choose to "progress", then what is the point?

     

    At least, with an understanding that free will is operationally true, one can take the teachings of Karma and reincarnation, as figurative guidance. Without free will however, "being good" has no meaning.

     

    Regards, TAR

     

    Nice post Peter!

     

    Let’s talk about Karma, Reincarnation and Destiny.

     

    http://freethoughtblogs.com/yemmynisting/2014/02/17/of-karma-reincarnation-and-destiny/

    · Are you blaming Karma for the calamities in your life?

    · Do you wish you had known about Karma so that you could have averted the calamities?

    · Do you believe the Karma you accumulated in your previous life is why your life is a mess?

    So tell me,

    · Was it bad Karma that got 3 million Jews gassed?

    · Is bad Karma responsible for the death of millions of African children from preventable diseases?

    · Is Karma the reason many African children go to bed hungry or starve to death?

    · Do you seriously think accumulated bad Karma is why a gay person is born into a homophobic society?

     

    If we are to go by the definition of Karma, it is rational to conclude that dictatorship, bad governance, homophobia and poverty are all necessary wheels of Karma, and therefore they are important to life and/or karmic circle.

     

    Now, if bad governance, corruption, greed, poverty are all integral to keeping the wheel of Karma rolling, why do we bother to fight these menaces? Are they even menaces considering that they are needed for people to get their ‘Just Karma’?

     

    It is sad and ridiculous that Karma seems to be widely accepted as a fact. I have come across some freethinkers who are quick to say ‘Karma is a bitch’ and basically endorse the concept. Karma is just another made up %##@*&.

     

    And like religion, Karma is also hurts innocent people.

    The belief in Karma has caused and is still causing much pain to many. If you believe people are in a bad situation because of some bad things they did in a past life, then you will be less inclined to help them.

     

    Visually impaired people where and in some places still treated as the scum of the earth because in some societies, it is believed that blindness is caused by bad karma.

    Reincarnation works with a belief in Karma. The new concept or rather the western concept of Karma, which often manifests in the saying “Karma is a bitch”, deals more with the belief that people get the repercussions of their actions through cause and effect, brought on by the belief that there is a natural law/order that decreed bad people would get their bad Karma on earth.

    We know this is not the case, especially since there are more people lamenting Why do bad things always happen to good people” than people giving a thumbs up to Karma, yelling “Yeah, karma is a bitch, he got his Karma!

     

    Waiting around hoping the cause and effect law of Karma would catch up with a rapist, burglar, or murderer is indeed stupid. For any semblance of justice to be done, the necessary structures must be in place. This includes:

    · A law and order society that is not at war

    · A law against the crime

    · A body that can enforce the law

    · A system that is not partial

    · And you have to do your bit by reporting the case to the appropriate authority for investigation.

     

    If you were the victim of a crime and you reported the criminal to a security officer, but the officer tells you “Karma is a bitch, just wait around, Karma is dealing with it”, you will no doubt be angry at such nonsense. The angry reaction says a lot. It tells me you also know that Karma is nothing but wishful thinking.

     

    Now, aside this consoling, lazy, wishful western Karma, there is the Eastern concept of Karma which dates far back. The Eastern concept of Karma is very much linked to reincarnation.

     

    Although there are variations in the eastern version of Karma, for example some belief it has to do with a God, and some think you can achieve a state of Dharma or a state of Nirvana, when you work off all your bad Karma, however one belief that is central to them all is that people are reborn. Souls are reborn in new bodies.

     

    Now, it is only rational to ask, what are souls?

     

    Is soul the alternative word for consciousness?

     

    Is it another word for brain activities?

     

    Is my soul my personality?

  11. That's a result of velocity. differences What you said before is related to gravitational differences.

     

    I know that, the different parts of the body, say from head to feet are under different gravity forces, The head higher, lesser, the foot greater.

     

    Time is also affected by movement/velocity.

     

    Thus my two posts!

     

    Unless the two start off together and end together then the time dilation is reciprocal (or other scenarios to break symmetry) - both can do their sums as if they are still and the other is moving and both will view the time of the other as being dilated.

     

    Yes it all has to do with the frame of reference and the oddness of understanding relativity.

  12. Karma simply doesn't exist in my opinion and neither does God.

     

    My mother always tells me that there is no evidence for the existence of any loving God.

     

    There is too much evil in this world for Karma or a loving God to exist.

     

    Karma as a corrective force cannot exist because bad people never get punished for doing bad things to other people.

    Karma cannot exist because people who enjoy doing bad things to others never get punished for what they are doing while people who do good things to others are having bad things happening to them all the time.

     

    Good people are having very bad luck while bad people are having very good luck.

     

    Some of the nastiest people I know from high school are now having very good lives and have everything going for them while good people like me are having bad things and bad luck happen to them all the time.

     

    There is no justice in this world so Karma cannot exist as well as a loving God.

     

    You are wrong about Almighty God!! He exist period.

     

    As far as karma and reincarnation, how the heck do believers explain Hitler.

  13. I am perplexed as to why hybrids, can be bred very diverse sub- species, such as we see in the cat, dog, horse families etc.

     

    I have been informed that we share 98% of our genetic code with Chimpanzees, and much the same with the other great apes.

     

    Why then is it thought impossible for an ape human hybrid to be bred?.

     

    This is a scientific question, so lets leave out the moral aspects of doing this in this thread

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