Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion Not-Quite-Science Forum Philosophy of Religions--all religions, including,

Nemo is even more anon than anon---it means 'nothing'.

Nemo is even more anon than anon---it means 'nothing'.

BTW, are those who use pen names and who chose to tell us nothing about themselves--like their place and time of birth, interests, their hopes and fears, what motivates them, and the like--any different than anons, or nemos?

That would be a matter of perspective don'tcha think. Anyone with preconceived ideas is going to place their own value system on top of what someone says and then make their own determination.
It might be the anonymous are less interested in self comparison and personal recognition, or tired of being compared or analyzed or questioned by those who need to write a bibliography of their life and any self proclaimed accomplishments.
You could make any determination you wish.
Aw heck, you already have..

There are definitely preconceived ideas on forums everywhere. I chose to use a gender neutral name on-line because, as a woman, for some people my opinions would matter less than if I were male. Silly but true! However I did actually choose to have a name. It is not however a name that anyone in the 'real' world would know me by, but for the sake of clarity we cannot all be 'anon'.

Rev. You ask if more personal details are important. I think not, but I am a very private peson.

By the way I was wrong about Nemo---it means 'no one'.

The Rev. does like to herd people into his own corral. It would seem he does like to pry into others business and affairs so he can dip into his personal history of relationship with the world of note. The need for recognition as a person of authority would necessitate such a method of action.
Religious agendas often motivate people to validate themselves so that they can gain a certain amount of respect, and to then give creedence to the sermon and sales pitch for self and product of self as universal truth.
It takes a bigger person who is not immersed within the self aggrandized house of personal accomplishment to actually listen to another without putting the personal agenda first.

The Pharisees of 2000 years ago were of the same personality.

I think what is of importance within the personal is the idea of where one stands beyond the personal when it comes to universal brotherhood. Many talk a talk, but few walk beyond the personal and engage the world and all that is in it at a level that is beyond the ego.
I think if we are going to stay on topic the conversation would have to be about philosophy, which is to stretch personal opinion beyond the personal accomplishment and the personal need to nudge non participants of like mind and opinion and then label them lurkers.

Then adding the history of Austrailian participation in the manufacture and development of refrigeration to the conversation would be a bit off topic and more toward the idea of a personal conversation outside of the topic to gather friends into the corral of personal agendas. (Unless refrigeration in Australia is a religion)
Just a thought..

(Unless refrigeration in Australia is a religion) said an anon.

Well.... it almost is. With our summers how else will we keep the beer cold!

I accept that we who prefer to keep private are entitled to such privacy but I think a whole heap of anons arguing with each other verges on the farcical. Perhaps the computer programme could be amended to call the shrinking violets anon1, anon2 and so on for ever and ever. Or you could make up a name for yourself!

Whatever is true, shall remain regardless of who said it, and without any of the influence of special recognition that is positive or negative.

God is a Monkey

Ellis, you respond: "Rev. You ask if more personal details are important. I think not, but I am a very private person."

Fair enough! And I respect your right to be private. But interestingly, if you recall, you have not remained completely anonymous. You have told us some things about who you are. Thanks!

But, surprise! surprise! as close readers of this thread know by now, I am not a "very private person", and it should be no surprise at all that, as I am approaching the first year of my 80's, like most oldsters, I do like to reminisce. Come on, now! Don't yawn and walk away yet. I am not that boring.

But seriously, anyone who finds my comments boring, and/or pointless, are surely wise enough to know what to do.

BTW, I usually do not respond to people who are obviously not interested in what I have to say; to comments which I do not understand, or to those who simply want to pick a fight. Also, I leave offensive remarks--and there have been very few, mostly in the beginning--to the good judgment of our fair moderators.

Looking back, I recall that, even as a student--besides the academic studies necessary to my career--I have always been interested in people, the arts, especially including painting, music, acting and writing. I found, and still find, all of these to be valuable components of doing church--that is, the encouraging of healthy fellowship, community building, and creative social action on an inclusive and non-sectarian basis.

My life involved, and still involves, meeting people and getting to know them as part of the drama and the building of community. Needless to say, in re-directment--a term I prefer using rather than "retirement"--I am still interested in all of the above, but now I am especially interested in writing about it.

Looking back, I think I chose the career of being a minister, so that I could do all of the above. For example, I still do the occasional painting, speaking and group counseling.

Interestingly, just last evening, at the invitation of our second granddaughter who will be graduating from high school in June, my wife and I spent over three hours wonderful hours at an art show and reception, put on by her class.

At first, I thought it might be a dull affair. But it was not in her school; it was in a community and art-gallery-kind of building. After the brief formal opening, most of the evening was spent in an informal sharing of food and vibrant conversation about the art on the walls, culture, values, life and the future plans of the students. Parents, guests and students gathered in small groups made up of all races and creeds.

One could feel from the chatter and laughter that it was obviously an enjoyable experience. I wish I had a tape of the excellent dialogue, the sharing of ideas, I heard and participated in, as the conversation went back and forth in the two groups--and there were quite a few--in which I had the opportunity to be involved.

Contrary to the perception of Anon Whathishername, my granddaughter herded me into her corral.

If that were true you'd be speaking of your granddaughters memories rather than the repetitional history of your eighty years and your personal opinions regarding those eighty years.

Of course you do. You respond by saying you don't understand and from your inability to understand create the illusion that the misunderstanding is the fault of the other person and that person is trying to pick a fight.
A person of eighty years is often close minded, a dog incapable of learning new tricks.

Whenever I feel the need to instruct, that is, to say to others: "You should, you must, and you ought!" I recognize that EGO--easing good out--is the author. Therefore, the real me chooses not to instruct others.

In the fullness of immersion into God consciousness, there need not be any attachment to what is said, or who recieves it, and how they receive it. There also need not be any editing when the Spirit moves one to speak.
The Son of God has no reservations in instructing anyone in the value of choice, and what kinds of choice produce expansion of awareness and contraction of awareness.
Only ego places a value on how much God is in the world and in what kind of conversation.
The world is a reflection of the diversity of values placed on it by ego as well as the unlimited possibilities available to those who want to grow beyond their systems of values. Even the Golden rule is a value system when sanctified by zealots who measure God by standards that maintain feelings to soothe the ego and its need to feel a certain way, and to protect itself in its limitations of belief.

God has no boundaries, only ego creates boundaries.

Anon Whoever, this makes sense to me. As Nicola Tesla put it: "GOD HAS NO PROPERTIES." I add caps for emphasis, not as a shout.

"GOD HAS NO PROPERTIES."

The property of having no properties is not a property?

Well spoken, Grasshopper.

Having no properties then wouldn't be described as a propety of having no properties....

GOD IS (that is, includes) all properties (measurable things), and then some--ad infinitum.
The only verb that applies to GOD is the verb to be.

"GOD HAS NO PROPERTIES."

"The property of having no properties is not a property? "

Or the god of choice has the properties you endow him/her/it with. God is a personal construct, sometimes with instruction from various religious dogmas, but increasingly nowadays belief is constructed according to personal needs or perceptions---or not at all.

Belief is and always has been a personal choice..

I have been to the old city of Jerusalem and seen the supposed site where Jesus healed the blind man. It is apprx 20 metres down from the current street level. That is intensive living on 1 spot for 2000 years.
According to the bible, Adam & Eve were created 6500 years ago. This at best means our Earths crust has grown around 70 metres at best in 6500 years. Geologists that search for oil will tell you our Earths crust is around 2000 metres deep. Where did the other 1930 metres of Earths crust come from????? Dead animals, fish plants, insects and humans-pretty obvious! They say our Earths crust has been growing things for 5 billion years.
The bible is chocka full of contradictions. i.e. 3 versions of the final words of Jesus in the 4 gospels.
The hallmark of Creation/nature/evolution is 'precision'. That precision is ‘not’ in the bible and thus the bible blows itself apart as anything credible to go by. If God can create perfection in nature he can proof read the bible to make sure it was correct & he didn’t. Yet misguided Christians will still keep saying it is the inspired word of God. Most books on the shelves out there these do not contradict themselves!
Yes at some stage there was some type of creation – something has to have come from somewhere.
The reality is 5 billion years ago, things were created on this earth. And us as humans will 'never' know the answer.
We can only guess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!