tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336206182024-03-07T16:30:38.437-05:00Age of Reason CafeIdeas, comments and philosophy of "reason", served up by myself ... maître d', waiter, busboy and dishwasher.Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-63491519631551170882008-01-23T18:45:00.000-05:002008-01-23T18:46:46.044-05:00Devotio Moderna<a href="http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9030173/devotio-moderna"> devotio moderna</a>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-69712191207616158532007-01-30T20:20:00.000-05:002007-01-30T20:23:45.830-05:00Children's foreheads slashed in Muslim saint's name<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/30/ashoura.children.ap/index.html">This is a great example of Islam being 1000 years behind the evolution of man.</a><br /><br /><blockquote>Asked if it was difficult for him to hurt the children, he said: "The child<br />doesn't understand what's going on. The parents are faithful and believe by<br />doing this, their children will be protected and will enjoy a long<br />life."<br />Hind Abinabi, a 52-year-old Shiite woman and mother of four, said to<br />maim children was not only cruel, but also against the religion.<br />"When the<br />rest of the world is going to the moon, look where these people are -- still<br />drawing blood from their heads," she said.</blockquote><br /><br /><strong>Mind numbing lunacy!!!</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/30/ashoura.children.ap/index.html"></a>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-85996404255622183912007-01-10T21:48:00.000-05:002007-01-10T21:50:58.931-05:00nonreligious life is still rich with moralityWhen I realized that this life was all I had, I determined to make it worth living. My wife and I want our children to grow up as happy, productive, compassionate, reasonable human beings, no matter what they believe. There is so much to learn, so much to experience, so much to enjoy in this life. If religion is beneficial to you in this respect, I am happy for you. For me, life without religion has been the answer.<br /><br />Excerpt from an <a href="http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/faith/01/06/6words.html">editorial by BLANE CONKLIN</a>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-56450739172758850852007-01-08T18:25:00.000-05:002007-01-08T18:27:25.850-05:00Free Will<span style="font-weight: bold;">God:</span> Here, have some free will<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Man: </span>No thank you, I don't need any<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">God:</span> You cannot refuse Free Will<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Man:</span> Oh, so it isn't a gift?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">God:</span> Correct. I am forcing it on you<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Man:</span> Gee, thanks...What do I do with it?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">God:</span> Nothing. Just continue to obey me. If you use Free Will, I will send you to Hell.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Man:</span> You surely work in mysterious ways.Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-37958335792337477932007-01-04T19:43:00.000-05:002007-01-04T19:46:42.658-05:00Goal Setting Powerful Written Goals In 7 Easy Steps!by Gene Donohue<br /><br />The car is packed and you're ready to go, your first ever cross-country trip. From the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the rolling hills of San Francisco, you're going to see it all.<br />You put the car in gear and off you go. First stop, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.<br />A little while into the trip you need to check the map because you've reached an intersection you're not familiar with. You panic for a moment because you realize you've forgotten your map.<br />But you say the heck with it because you know where you're going. You take a right, change the radio station and keep on going. Unfortunately, you never reach your destination.<br />Too many of us treat goal setting the same way. We dream about where we want to go, but we don't have a map to get there.<br />What is a map? In essence, the written word.<br />What is the difference between a dream and a goal? Once again, the written word.<br />Goal setting however is more than simply scribbling down some ideas on a piece of paper. Our goals need to be complete and focused, much like a road map, and that is the purpose behind the rest of this article.<br />If you follow the 7 goal setting steps I've outlined in this article you will be well on your way to becoming an expert in building the road maps to your goals.<br /><br />1. Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good.<br />I remember when I started taking baseball umpiring more seriously. I began to set my sites on the NCAA Division 1 level. Why? I knew there was no way I could get onto the road to the major leagues, so the next best thing was the highest college level. Pretty cool, right. Wrong.<br />Sure, when I was talking to people about my umpiring goals it sounded pretty good, and many people were quite impressed. Fortunately I began to see through my own charade.<br />I have been involved in youth sports for a long time. I've coached, I've been the President of leagues, I've been a treasurer and I'm currently an Assistant State Commissioner for Cal Ripken Baseball. Youth sports is where I belong, it is where my heart belongs, not on some college diamond where the only thing at stake is a high draft spot.<br />When setting goals it is very important to remember that your goals must be consistent with your values.<br /><br />2. A goal can not contradict any of your other goals.<br />For example, you can't buy a $750,000 house if your income goal is only $50,000 per year. This is called non-integrated thinking and will sabotage all of the hard work you put into your goals. Non-integrated thinking can also hamper your everyday thoughts as well. We should continually strive to eliminate contradictory ideas from our thinking.<br /><br />3. Develop goals in the 6 areas of life:<br />Family and Home <br />Financial and Career<br />Spiritual and Ethical <br />Physical and Health<br />Social and Cultural <br />Mental and Educational<br />Setting goals in each area of life will ensure a more balanced life as you begin to examine and change the fundamentals of everyday living. Setting goals in each area of life also helps in eliminating the non-integrated thinking we talked about in the 2nd step.<br /><br />4. Write your goal in the positive instead of the negative.<br />Work for what you want, not for what you want to leave behind. Part of the reason why we write down and examine our goals is to create a set of instructions for our subconscious mind to carry out. Your subconscious mind is a very efficient tool, it can not determine right from wrong and it does not judge. It's only function is to carry out its instructions. The more positive instructions you give it, the more positive results you will get.<br />Thinking positively in everyday life will also help in your growth as a human being. Don't limit it to goal setting.<br /><br />5. Write your goal out in complete detail.<br />Instead of writing "A new home," write "A 4,000 square foot contemporary with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths and a view of the mountain on 20 acres of land.<br />Once again we are giving the subconscious mind a detailed set of instructions to work on. The more information you give it, the more clear the final outcome becomes. The more precise the outcome, the more efficient the subconscious mind can become.<br />Can you close your eyes and visualize the home I described above? Walk around the house. Stand on the porch off the master bedroom and see the fog lifting off the mountain. Look down at the garden full of tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers. And off to the right is the other garden full of a mums, carnations and roses. Can you see it? So can your subconscious mind.<br /><br />6. By all means, make sure your goal is high enough.<br />Shoot for the moon, if you miss you'll still be in the stars. Earlier I talked about my umpiring goals and how making it to the top level of college umpiring did not mix with my values. Some of you might be saying that I'm not setting my goals high enough. Not so. I still have very high goals for my umpiring career at the youth level. My ultimate goal is to be chosen to umpire a Babe Ruth World Series and to do so as a crew chief. If I never make it, everything I do to reach that goal will make me a better umpire and a better person. If I make it, but don't go as a crew chief, then I am still among the top youth umpires in the nation. Shoot for the moon!<br /><br />7. This is the most important, write down your goals.<br />Writing down your goals creates the roadmap to your success. Although just the act of writing them down can set the process in motion, it is also extremely important to review your goals frequently. Remember, the more focused you are on your goals the more likely you are to accomplish them.<br /><br />Sometimes we realize we have to revise a goal as circumstances and other goals change, much like I did with my umpiring. If you need to change a goal do not consider it a failure, consider it a victory as you had the insight to realize something was different.<br /><br />So your goals are written down.<br />Now what?<br />First of all, unless someone is critical to helping you achieve your goal(s), do not freely share your goals with others. The negative attitude from friends, family and neighbors can drag you down quickly. It's very important that your self-talk (the thoughts in your head) are positive.<br />Reviewing your goals daily is a crucial part of your success and must become part of your routine. Each morning when you wake up read your list of goals that are written in the positive. Visualize the completed goal, see the new home, smell the leather seats in your new car, feel the cold hard cash in your hands. Then each night, right before you go to bed, repeat the process. This process will start both your subconscious and conscious mind on working towards the goal. This will also begin to replace any of the negative self-talk you may have and replace it with positive self-talk.<br /><br />Every time you make a decision during the day, ask yourself this question, "Does it take me closer to, or further from my goal." If the answer is "closer to," then you've made the right decision. If the answer is "further from," well, you know what to do.<br /><br />If you follow this process everyday you will be on your way to achieving unlimited success in every aspect of your life.<br /><br />The difference between a goal and a dream is the written word.-Gene DonohueFree thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-85749672368696185222007-01-04T18:51:00.000-05:002008-12-09T21:58:42.380-05:00What will the new year bring?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjIIzCp5B3i6-j_Ak77s5uDwqLPnLZfxtkqGLxDwnKrf_BWAxCFM_zyHeMjNrltS9ISlGsTljhBU9omkqTtf1UyHP1QilMkaT7o-GQ3OyNAE__9rs9VaV0GB1L4cexFLaZHmn/s1600-h/transfer-happiness.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016330430675779762" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjIIzCp5B3i6-j_Ak77s5uDwqLPnLZfxtkqGLxDwnKrf_BWAxCFM_zyHeMjNrltS9ISlGsTljhBU9omkqTtf1UyHP1QilMkaT7o-GQ3OyNAE__9rs9VaV0GB1L4cexFLaZHmn/s320/transfer-happiness.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>As I have not posted here in some time, I am probably the only one reading this blog <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">entry. None the less, I intend to post more in the coming year as i have the time. My main objective is in a neilistic sense of course. As a friend of mine said to me at the beginning of the year, "It's all about me this year".</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">So, my goals for the Age of Reason Cafe this year are as follows:</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><br /><ol><br /><li><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Set out my personal goals/ resolutions for 2007.</span></li><br /><li><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Keep track/ change my progress over the year.</span></li><br /><li><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Set out my personal belief system, including what I don't beleive and of course, why.</span></li><br /><li><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Leave a few tidbits of reason in this world of insanity for the few friends that actually come to read my drivel.</span></li></ol><br /><p><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">To start, I have decided to list #1 in the side bar of this blog as an easy reference for myself each and everytime I open the page.</span></p><br /><p><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Finally, I wish all those who come to this blog; health, happiness, prosperity and most of all reason, in the year of their lord, 2007 !!!</span></p></div>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-72384344587564994802006-11-19T22:00:00.000-05:002006-11-19T22:01:33.096-05:00You tube dig about the BibleYes another dig about Christianity... forgive me.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LncSAUu7Tkc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LncSAUu7Tkc</a></span>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-5214988932104046922006-11-14T23:21:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:22:39.361-05:00Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian<span class="postbody"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian</span><br /><br />10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.<br /><br />9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.<br /><br />8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.<br /><br />7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!<br /><br />6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.<br /><br />5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.<br /><br />4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."<br /><br />3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.<br /><br />2 - You define 0.01 percent a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99 percent FAILURE was simply the will of God.<br /><br />1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(author unknown)</span></span>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-3975388300285682006-10-12T19:00:00.000-04:002006-10-12T19:12:35.303-04:00Seven Principles of Cosmic Spirituality<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/650/4104/1600/tomfire_06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/650/4104/200/tomfire_06.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />From <a href="http://www.tomharpur.com/">Tom Harpers official web site:</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Seven Principles of Cosmic Spirituality</span> <ol><li>The entire cosmos is the manifestation of Divine Mind-every molecule, every cell, every creature, every rock, tree, mountain, planet, blazing star, whirling galaxy and universe of galaxies.</li><li>We are all an integral, interconnected part of the whole cosmos and our own inner world is a holograph of the cosmos within us.</li><li>One basic datum underlies every religion under the sun, the principle of Incarnation. The Word or Logos, God's self-expression made manifest, has given the light of its divine spark to every mind/soul coming into the world. Christians call this the Christ or "Christ in us." Other faiths have different names or modes of expression for this same inner reality.</li><li>Every religion whose ethical core is summed up by the word "compassion" or "loving-kindness" to all other creatures without exception has a vision of the truth and is a valid "way" to Transcendence.</li><li>No one faith or religion-whatever its claims may be, alone has The Truth.</li><li>True cosmic spirituality is steeped in, flows from, and derives its most powerful analogies and metaphors from the natural world -- from the tiniest bit of dust to the spiraling stars above.</li><li>The core aim of cosmic spirituality is radical transformation, both personal and societal.</li></ol><br />While a little on the new age side, I like many things he is saying. Why am I thinking "new age" is something to be avoided, flakey even? Is it my "fundamental upbringing" clouding my perceptions still?<br /><br />I am not sold on #3 but I like #'s 1, 4, 5, and 7. Maybe I am heading down that new age path for a while at least. Any comments or thoughts fellow ents?Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-79065797954637083582006-10-10T22:30:00.000-04:002006-10-10T23:05:41.151-04:00More on Breaking the Spell (the study of religion)Came across a review of my current reading by H. Allen Orr of <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/">The New Yorker</a> entitled <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/critics/books/articles/060403crbo_books">The God Project</a>. While I am early into the book and finding it a little difficult to read, as Dennett spends way to much time early on defending his right to "study" religion, this review is making me feel dispair in continuing. <br /><br />The review by Orr however is an excellent read and though I would highly recommend reading the whole thing linked above, I will leave you with a couple of quotes:<br /><br /><p class="descender"></p><blockquote><p class="descender">Even if a science of religion could reach firm conclusions, what would it mean for religion itself? Exactly what would follow for the faithful? At one extreme, the Dawkinses of the world argue that a scientific accounting of the origin and evolution of religious memes should destroy belief. At the other, the Goulds argue that, because science and religion have separate provinces, no proper scientific finding can touch religion. </p> <p>Neither of these extremes seems tenable. It would be naïve to deny that science can inform, and sometimes challenge, our view of religion. To take a trivial example, perhaps the earliest finding from the natural history of religion was that different peoples appeal to different gods. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Any honest Christian or Jew must admit that, had he been born half a world away, he’d be an honest Hindu or Buddhist. </span>This finding suggests at least some adjustment to more innocent views of the inevitability of one’s faith. But believers often seem happy to make these sorts of adjustments and remain perfectly faithful. For some people, the spell cast by religion seems to have less to do with the particular claims made by a particular tradition than with larger metaphysical claims: the universe has a purpose, God exists, or life is sacred. So the more serious question is whether a science of religion—indeed, whether science in general—can undermine these sorts of beliefs.</p><p>____________________<br /></p>None of this is to say that Dennett’s preferred outcome is wrong. Religious beliefs, including those abstract ones having little relation to any particular tradition, may well be mistaken. But it seems clear that any such conclusion must come from someplace other than science. Of course, even if a line can be drawn between physics and metaphysics, it wouldn’t make all our difficulties disappear. Religion is much more than a collection of transcendental and untestable assertions. It’s also a potent social and political force and, like any such force, it is sometimes prone to excess. The result is the usual roster of ills: intolerance, fanaticism, and, yes, terrorism. But it seems doubtful that solutions to these problems will emerge from anyone’s laboratory.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Deep book and deep thoughts no doubt. The highlight is by myself as it is a very powerful and sobering statement that is hard to ignore. My head is spinning . . .Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-45770820838360341162006-10-09T21:11:00.000-04:002006-10-09T21:25:46.937-04:00Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/650/4104/1600/time%20mag%20cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/650/4104/320/time%20mag%20cover.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />On Saturday night I went to the airport to pick up my inlaws who were dur in around 9:30 from Phillie. However once we arrived we realized the flight was delayed by over an hour. Feeling a little tired, I decided to have a nap on one of the lovely couches in one of the dimer areas of the terminal waiting area. After a short nap I woke up in a sudden start only to realize that I had experienced some acid reflux that had worked its way into my windpipe. It's like sucking puke into your lungs. Think about it, not so good. Anyways, I hurried to the "convenience store" kiosk to get a water in an effort to relieve this awful feeling. While I was getting my water there were a couple of people in front of me so I was purusing a <span style="font-style: italic;">Time</span> mag while I waited. There was an article in this issue that caught my attention so I purchased it with the anticipation that I would be able to read it while awaiting my inlaws arrival.<br /><br />This article will be interesting to both Cip and Cold Mo and I recommend you drop by your neighbourhood Chapters to have a read (it's not long). Wait, I just realized that <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1541466,00.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">When Not Seeing is Believing</span></a> by Andrew Sullivan can be seen online. So I won't belabour much here other than to quote a quote of Andrews' and highly suggest you cruise on over to Time:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The 18th century German playwright Gotthold Lessing said it best. He prayed a simple prayer: "If God were to hold all Truth concealed in his right hand, and in his left hand only the steady and diligent drive for Truth, albeit with the proviso that I would always and forever err in the process, and to offer me the choice, I would with all humility take the left hand, and say, Father, I will take this--the pure Truth is for You alone."</span></span> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">That sentiment is as true now as it was more than two centuries ago when Lessing wrote it. Except now the very survival of our civilization may depend on it.</span></p>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-1160255309078714362006-10-07T16:55:00.000-04:002006-10-08T21:12:21.053-04:00Revelation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2949/3694/1600/sunset_250.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2949/3694/320/sunset_250.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In line with certainty, another interesting word is <span style="font-style: italic;">revelation</span>. Many of those who feel <span style="font-weight: bold;">certain</span> about their religious beliefs depend solely on a writtten or verbalized word from someone who has had a <span style="font-style: italic;">revelation</span>. I like Paine's comment on this subject, as found in his <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Age of Reason</span> pamphlet. He says:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />As it is necessary to affix right ideas to words, I will, before I<br />proceed further into the subject, offer some observations on the word<br />'revelation.' Revelation when applied to religion, means something<br />communicated immediately from God to man.<br /><br />No one will deny or dispute the power of the Almighty to make such a<br />communication if he pleases. But admitting, for the sake of a case,<br />that something has been revealed to a certain person, and not<br />revealed to any other person, it is revelation to that person only.<br />When he tells it to a second person, a second to a third, a third to<br />a fourth, and so on, it ceases to be a revelation to all those<br />persons. It is revelation to the first person only, and hearsay to<br />every other, and, consequently, they are not obliged to believe it.<br /><br />It is a contradiction in terms and ideas to call anything a<br />revelation that comes to us at second hand, either verbally or in<br />writing. Revelation is necessarily limited to the first<br />communication. After this, it is only an account of something which<br />that person says was a revelation made to him; and though he may find<br />himself obliged to believe it, it cannot be incumbent on me to<br />believe it in the same manner, for it was not a revelation made to<br />me, and I have only his word for it that it was made to him.</span><br /><br />Powerful logic when it comes to acceptance of the written word of man while ignoring nature, science and most of all, reason!Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-1159766607772326042006-10-02T01:16:00.000-04:002006-10-03T19:00:12.180-04:00Certainty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2949/3694/1600/daniel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2949/3694/320/daniel.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p><em><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></em></p>There's that word again! It really seems like such an ugly thing to me now. Quote below, from an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/magazine/22wwln_q4.html?ex=1295586000&en=f98fddb663a39246&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland">interview</a> in the New York Times with <a href="http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/%7Eddennett.htm">Daniel Dennet</a>, author of one of the books I am currently reading. While the book is interesting, this statement is not.<br /><br /><p><em></em></p><blockquote><p><em>So what can you tell us about God?</em></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Certainly</span> the idea of a God that can answer prayers and whom you can talk to, and who intervenes in the world - that's a hopeless idea. There is no such thing.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Edited Oct. 03/06</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Certainty Reheated</span><br /><br />I was thinking more about certainty over the past 24 hrs. One point I would like to make is that I believe that certainty goes hand-in-hand with credibility. Those who say they are certain about their religion or belief system have no credibility when you think about. I think this is why I am having some trouble reading Breaking the Spell because Dennet is so certain about his belief (or non-belief as it were).<br /><br />I also came across this quote tonight:<br /><br /><h1 style="margin: 0pt; font-size: 12px;"><blockquote>“When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also add that some things are more nearly certain than others”<br />-Bertrand Russell<br /></blockquote></h1>It is this <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">near certainty</span> that I would like to lay out for myself in blogs to follow.Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-1159727518637172272006-10-01T14:31:00.000-04:002006-10-01T14:31:58.646-04:00Appetizer<span style="font-size:-1;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Big Bang made God deaf. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Anonymous</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-1157229395734775592006-09-02T16:35:00.000-04:002006-09-02T16:36:58.406-04:00Appetizer"I believe in God, not as a theory but as a fact more real than that of life itself."<br /><br /><strong><em>Gandhi</em></strong>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-1157022578789463802006-08-31T07:05:00.000-04:002006-08-31T07:26:25.570-04:00Appetizer<span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/133.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Summer Day</span></a></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> is a poem by Mary Oliver on the act of attention is a form of prayer ...<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2949/3694/1600/waiter.0.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2949/3694/200/waiter.0.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span>Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33620618.post-1156987480039135292006-08-30T21:24:00.000-04:002006-08-30T23:03:07.606-04:00May I show you to your table?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2949/3694/1600/paine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2949/3694/320/paine.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This blog is not meant for the public at large, and I do not expect much traffic, although all are welcome to read and comment. It is however, an online diary to secure my thoughts and findings on beliefs and life philosophies as my memory is nothing short of pathetic. It is also a place my fellow ents can come to see such things that I serve up.<br /><br />First of all, you will notice in the blog title <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Age of Reason Cafe</span>, the first portion was taken from the pamphlet written by the freethinker and philospoher, Thomas Paine. Paine has had a fairly big impact on my thinking over the past year or so, and I will be quoting from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Age of Reason</span> many times to come in this blog.<br /><br />Secondly, you will notice that the byline does not include the word chef. I am confident at this point, most reasonbale ideas and beliefs have been floated by someone in humanities history, and so I am not cooking up what you will read here. Rather, I will be showing you to your seat, serving up the ideas, and cleaning up after you leave <span style="font-style: italic;">(all gratuities accepted)</span>.<br /><br />Let me finish this first blog by quoting a few lines from the beginning of Paine's pamphlet:<br /><br /><blockquote>I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life.<br /><br />I believe the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.</blockquote><br /><br />and<br /><br /><blockquote>I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.</blockquote><br /><br />I especially like the last sentence of the second quote. Coming from a fairly strict Pentecostal background, the journey I have taken over the past couple of years lead me to this point ... my mind is my own church! WOW!!!Free thinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17467646833465698902noreply@blogger.com3