Alan McDougall

Spot on I hope the other guys like you did not take peek

Correct good thinking!

Yes I think the Big Bang is still happening, the mistake most people make is to equate the Big Bang to some enormous explosion, but this is not what really happened, the universe emerged out of the primordial singularity and this emergence can still be observed, as the continuing expansion of the universe. No one knows but the Super- string theoretical physics postulate around the real possibly of there being multiple universe,in a sort of mega universe, some even suggest that there might be an infinite number of them.

Whats your point?

Your posts are really odd and make little or no sense, why do you want to become something more than nature, or god if you like has blessed you with , you are unique and there in no other person exactly like you on earth , why is that not sufficient for you?

I find that claim hard to believe, it smacks of the supernatural, to morph into someone else , you need more than the image of their face and outer mannerisms , you would need to get inside their brains and copy all of their thoughts and memories into your own , impossible I say!

I know this statement might be silly, but unimaginably colossal curved closed universe, would look flat unless one had some way to actually measure or observe its enormity from a distance.

I have also lived and suffered with manic depression for over 35 years, experiencing both the depths of the lows and the euphoria of the high manic state. I now no longer go into very high mania, because it is controlled be medication. However, the mania now manifest itself in a different way, I get angry and irritable when there is absolutely no reason to feel that way. I can relate to your unipolar clinical depression, because the down phase of the bipolar disorder is the same, many manic depressives commit suicide during the low phase of that disorder, not during the up state where they feel extremely good and well, which of course is an illusion, because even though you cant convince them that they are seriously ill while they are enjoying mania . Hope you keep well, deep depression and mental pain, can sometimes be much worse than physical pain and distress. That is true, when I started to suffer from a mental disorder many years ago, there was a lot of stigma attached to it, and although my work as a IT system analyst was of the highest quality, they would overlook me when time for promotions came about. This led to extreme frustration on my part and as soon as I was financially secure, as I could hope to be, I left on early retirement at the very young age of 47. I still had a huge amount of insight and talent to offer to society, but their prejudice would not allow them to recognize that as a fact. I was surrounded by well meaning patronizing colleagues and bosses, back then. Hopefully the present generation has developed a new understanding of manic depression, many of the greatest people of the past and present have contributed hugely towards the betterment of society. We don't put people with diabetes for example out to pasture, mental illness like the bipolar disorder is a physical ailment, just as diabetes and not a weakness of the psyche

You are right you simply can't box Christians into one generalized belief system, most Christians, at least the ones that can think further than the tip of their noses accept evolution, with a few reservations, example evolution happens while God looks on because the world is his sort of ant farm, meaning he has concern for it development ans safety, Their any many scientist who believe in God, but believe in Physics etc also. To many God is simply a great mathematician , I like that idea myself been a theist. Bible literalism is most definitely not just confined to the USA it is rampant in Africa for example, my best friends who are very intelligent quickly get stupid, when I try to convince them the universe could not possible have been created in just 6 literal days or get them away from the ridiculous belief that the earth is only 6 thousand years old, it is like trying to have a logical debate with a lamp post. God could not brake his own rules, because if he were to do that it would lead to a cosmic disaster. Mathematical rules are immutable.

I am not sure what you mean? You cant hide serious clinical depression especially the manic phase of bipolar disorder, in any environment your comments shows you have little understanding of the disease.

I am not it varies, up and down!

I accept that and I can be hard headed and stubborn at time, please accept my apologies, but I retain the right not to debate with John Cuthbert as I perceive him as hostile toward me and has ignored my efforts t be friendly with him. I don't like using the ignore opinion on anyone be the way!

Numbers Chapter 31? I have great difficulty in rationalizing this chapter with a concept of a good loving God as depicted by the lord Jesus Christ. ! The bible states that God is the same, yesterday, tomorrow and forever. This does not seem to be the case if one analyses and compares the awful chapter 31 of the book on Numbers, in relation to the loving, forgiving God, 1) Verse: 2 the Lord God said to Moses take vengeance on the Midianites. In direct contrast, Jesus said, forgive those who hate you and despitefully use you. It is easy to love those that love you, but I say love those that hate you. Vengeance is mine said the lord I will recompense. However, here God appears to go against his own word and commands Moses to take vengeance. 2) Verses: 3- 6 Make war and kill said the lord. This is a direct contradiction to Gods own commandment. Thou shalt not kill. Jesus said if a man strikes you on the one cheek turn and offer him the other and not to violence. 3) Verses: 6-13 here the armies of Israel go out and destroy, spoil, burn and steal and plunder on Gods command. In addition, they slaughter all the adult males however; this is not sufficient bloodletting slaughter to please Moses or God as we read from verse 14. In contrast, Jesus said he that lives by the sword would die by the sword. The soldiers apparently somewhat kinder and merciful than Moses spared the woman and children much to Mosses disappointment and anger 4) Verse: 14 Moses was wroth (angry) with the officers. Why? Because they had not slaughtered THE WHOLE LOT, WOMAN, CHILDREN, like they had done to the adult males. So what is sweet kind merciful Moses proposal? Verse: 15, He says now murder all the "little boys". In ABSOLUTE contrast Jesus said "blessed are the little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven". For goodness sake is this the same merciful loving God depicted by Jesus. No this horrific story does not end yet. Moses goes on saying." Kill all the woman" except those that have "not had sex with a man". How on earth in those remote primitive days were the soldiers to know which woman were a virgin and which were not. There was definitely no gynecologist way back in 3000 B.C. WERE THERE?. So to me they must on Moses command raped all the woman first and then murdered those who were not virgins. Why was it necessary to rape them all? Because a woman's age does not necessarily indicate whether a woman is a virgin or not. 5) Now if any learned rational bible scholar can tell me that this is the same father God that is the same yesterday tomorrow and forever, I am all eyes and ears waiting for a logical explanation. You know if one takes out the title God and Moses and replaces them with Hitler and Rudolf Hess, no one would question that it was the work of the evil Hitler regime. Would they? Am I blaspheming or sacrilegious?? can. Alan McDougall 13/7/2007

Oh! rubbish, you are oversensitive, take a tranquillizer to calm down!

It seems that someone still wants to keep it going, but you are a moderator and I cant decide. We are really on the same page as far as this debate goes!

I think most astrophysicists support the idea of a flattish universe, but don't take that as gospel just I must check it out because the source of my statement is from my fallible memory.

I refuse thanks!

Where did I claim you were a liar? exactly where and when did I point out to you specifically as a liar??? Lighten up man!

No!!

Here are a few others http://www.famousbipolarpeople.com/ Abraham Lincoln (leader) · Adam Ant (musician) · Agatha Christie (writer) · Axl Rose (musician) · Buzz Aldrin (other) · Drew Carey (actor) · Carrie Fisher (actor) · Edgar Poe (writer) · Gordon Sumner (Sting) (musician) · Hans Christian Andersen (writer) · Heinz Prechter (entrepreneurs) · Isaac Newton (other) · Jane Pauley (other) · Jean-Claude Van Damme (actor) · Jim Carey (actor) · Jimi Hendrix (musician) · John Dally (sporting stars) · Jonathan Hay (sporting stars) · Kay Redfield Jamison (other, writer) · Kurt Cobain (musician) · Larry Flynt (entrepreneurs) · Liz Taylor (actor) · Ludwig Boltzmann (other) · Ludwig Van Beethoven (musician) · Marilyn Monroe (actor) · Mark Twain (writer) · Maurice Benard (actor) · Mel Gibson (actor) · Micheal Slater (sporting stars) · Napoleon Bonaparte (leader) · Ozzy Osbourne (musician) · Patricia Cornwell (writer) · Patrick Joseph Kennedy (leader) · Patty Duke (actor) · Plato (other) · Ralph Waldo Emerson (writer) · Rene Rivkin (entrepreneurs) · Robert Downey (actor) · Robin Williams (actor) · Sinead O'Connor (musician) · Sophie Anderton (other) · Stephen Fry (actor) · Ted Turner (entrepreneurs) · Tim Burton (writer, other) · Tom Waits (musician, actor) · Thomas Stearns Elliot (writer) · Vincent Van Gogh (other) · Virginia Woolf (writer) · Winston Chruchill (leader) · Wolfgang Armadeus Mozart (musician)

It is still wrong to put to death an innocent person, so I can't answer your question. There are so many different Christian cults , sects denomination with different interpretation of the Bible that it is impossible to give a generalized answer. However, fundamentalist Christians nearly all support the death penalty. I have no set believes on religion I would say I fit somewhere between a deist and an theist, and I am not sure which of these I prefer .I don't like the idea of a god that interferes, in our affairs.

I am not sure where to post this topic, it both speculation and a serious possibility in the distant future, Dear moderator if I have put in the wrong place could you move it to where it should be, thank you? Could the Internet become a conscious mind? Source unknown , but I will try to locate where I got it from! Experts compare the Internet to a planet growing a global brain? As users, we represent the neurons. Texting, emails, and IM act as nerve endings, and electromagnetic waves through the sky become neural pathways. Like germinating seeds, this global brain continues to evolve and as some forward-thinkers believe, will not stop until it develops feelings and achieves consciousness. Feelings represent a lower level of awareness of what goes on in a system's environment. In that sense, the global brain will be conscious of important events affecting its goals. A higher level of consciousness - self-awareness - would require that the global brain could reflect on its own functioning. The Internet, in the wider sense of the world community is slowly becoming aware of itself. Although today's algorithms make the web more intelligent, it cannot monitor itself. However, in principle, there are no obstacles towards implementing such a capacity in the future. Search engines can adapt web pages to user needs. These hyperlinks bear a remarkable resemblance to the human brain. Synapses that connect neurons become stronger with repeated use, and disappear when usage declines. Similarly, global brain's algorithms will reinforce popular links, while rarely used links will diminish and die. Could tomorrow's global brain allow uploading the human mind? At present, information exchanged between humans and computers only occur with mouse, keyboard or voice. However, many futurists believe that one day technology will enable us to separate our minds from the physical brain and store its information in a computer. This is not as crazy as one might think. IBM hopes to reverse engineer the human brain by 2030, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute is rounding up 300 of the world's top neuroscientists to capture human thought at moment of creation, which conceivably could enable thoughts, memories, and feelings to be transferred into a machine. In the future, many believe we will treat the human mind like any other bit of information by copying and storing it in various media. Scientists are aware that our mind roams over trillions of neuron connections and today, we do not possess abilities to understand this incredibly complex system. But by mid-2030s, when artificial intelligence is expected to surpass human intelligence levels, and quantum computing systems become reality, positive futurists believe that our global brain will become fully conscious and self-aware as it guides humanity into what promises to become a most "magical future." Do you think? It might DELETE MAN!! (My comment Alan)

My point exactly!

The distance between two object in a 3 dimensional void at a specific relative moment,I think is an adequate description of space, not Spacetime, which I agree has 4 dimensions. Distance is also not a static thing , everything in the universe is moving relative to everything else, thus my statement that the distance between two objects in a void can only be correct at the exact moment of time relative to the two objects in question. Then we are left with the enigma of exactly what a moment in time is and if such a thing exists in really , it become more of a philosophical question than one of pure physics . All those statements you say are mind blowing or fantastic are not they are just the the reality in which our universe operates.You also that the physics around gravity and the square of gravity are absolutely incomprehensible, not so many people find this comprehensible. Distance does not give us a peek into the past, it is the finite speed of light that allows that illusion Keep with your sense of wonder and awe about the universe and how it operates Albert Einstein.quoted once that without mystery things could become bland and uninteresting (not his exact quote), I will look it up) Here it is his actual quote! “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”