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As one of my current non-physics I reads I did "The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined" by Steven Pinker. Not a bad read and quite interesting if you dont have time for the book worth a read of his website ( http://edge.org/conversation/mc2011-history-violence-pinker) I did laugh at one of the comments about the old kingston trio ditty They're rioting in Africa. They're starving in Spain. There's hurricanes in Florida, and Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.
The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles.
Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch.
And I don't like anybody very much!
But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud, for man's been endowed with a mushroom-shaped cloud.
And we know for certain that some lovely day, someone will set the spark off... and we will all be blown away.
They're rioting in Africa. There's strife in Iran. What nature doesn't do to us... will be done by our fellow man.
I believe in "Evil, Bad, Ungodly fantasy science and maths", so I am undoubtedly wrong to you.
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I haven't seen the book, or the web site, but I did see the "Skeptic" article in the October 2011 Scientific American. I suppose the writer had been reading Pinker's book. Any way I found it to be quite interesting, because it pointed out that there has been a large decline in violence over the past few hundred years. I hadn't realized just how much change there had been.
Of course that doesn't mean that we don't need to keep on working on making it better.
Bill Gill
C is not the speed of light in a vacuum. C is the universal speed limit.
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Yeah and Pinker says that doesn't mean its going to get lower or better just it ahs at the moment.
I believe in "Evil, Bad, Ungodly fantasy science and maths", so I am undoubtedly wrong to you.
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Violence will continue to be a major factor in society while parents continue to teach their children that violence is a legitimate teaching aid!!!
No, I didn't say ALL parents!
There never was nothing.
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Dear me, how can it be true? It's not religion, I think, do you?
"Time is what prevents everything from happening at once" - John Wheeler
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It’s not religion, I would surely say, It just reflects the violence of the day, And violence of a verbal kind may come, If Preearth, and if Bryan join the fray.
There never was nothing.
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So let us post with thoughts of agape, And thus, within the Reverend’s dictums stay, And on all ridicule and taunting so be dumb That “violence” from our threads may stay away.
There never was nothing.
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Though Kallog’s wit may truly acid be, And Orac often post a link – or three, Though Bill and Bill present their logic clear; I have to say: it’s always “Greek” to me.
There never was nothing.
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Though one’s verse may not be up to par, And posting rubbish may not get you far, It must be said, my latest bit of trash Has caused me to become a “megastar”. Can I be forgiven if I promise to stop now?
There never was nothing.
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LOL! Glad to see someone enjoying the milieu! Thanks for the verse, I have seen worse.
If you don't care for reality, just wait a while; another will be along shortly. --A Rose
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LOL! Glad to see someone enjoying the milieu! Thanks for the verse, I have seen worse. Thank GOD Bill S was nice and terse!
G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org
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Or as Spike Migan would say
Litte rabbits, eye full of puss A liite victum, of scientific us.
I believe in "Evil, Bad, Ungodly fantasy science and maths", so I am undoubtedly wrong to you.
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Why would you thank "him" if you never ask for anything??? Make yer mind up Rev.
There never was nothing.
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Why would you thank "him" if you never ask for anything??? Make yer mind up Rev. Poetic license. BTW, GOD is a principle, not a "him"!
G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org
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So it's a principle, a him it's not To Rev I don't demur. Besides, this riddle was begot: If it's him, who's her?
"Time is what prevents everything from happening at once" - John Wheeler
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So he is she --is that the call? Maybe god is principal after all!
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So he is she--is that the call? Maybe god is principal after all! Principal? Ellis, I assume this is a typo, right? I assume you do not mean that god is a 'principal'--a person, one who is most important, a main character, a chief, one who, like the God of theism and deism, gives orders based on creeds and doctrines. GOD AS PRINCIPLEKeep in mind that I write as one who accepts the basic principles of unitheism (a doublet of panentheism--see Wikipedia). That is, I think of G.O.D. The principle of all that is good, opportune and desirable. --and note that I write it here using periods to obviate anyone thinking that I have in mind a god with a being-like deity and with a name. GOD as a principle, a truth--whether found in philosophy, science, art, whatever--is a foundation for other truths. THE ROOTS OF EVIL AND/OR GOODMaking no claim that I am infallible, I think of the universe as an infinite and eternal supply of knowledge, wisdom, energy and power. Of themselves, KWEP are, IN MY OPINION, neutral. THE FUEL OF EVILHow KWEP are used by us is what produces the things we experience as evil--pain, suffering and premature death. Evil gets a lot of its fuel from our desire to be neutral and our being afraid to take action. Evil also gets fuel from our apathy, our sloth and our being willing to remain ignorant. THE FUEL OF GOODNESSGOD as personal and public good get their fuel from people--the more the better--who say: I am, therefore I have the power to think and the will (agape-love) to choose, to know and to understand that which is wise, good and true--for me and my community. I open myself to the energy, knowledge and wisdom that will flow, come and empower me, and others with me, to get done that which is good, opportune and desirable. Add your own thoughts.
G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org
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dict.def---'principal'-----most important, consequential or influential. Surely an appropriate description of god.
or to put it another way---
Principal or principle- Which best describes god? Possibly the both of them, Which is really rather odd!
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dict.def---'principal'-----most important, consequential or influential. Surely an appropriate description of god.
or to put it another way---
Principal or principle- Which best describes god? Possibly the both of them, Which is really rather odd! Unitheists I try to avoid using anthropomorphic words--for example, words like king, lord, school master, father and the like--that cause us to picture 'god' as a human-like and masculine being, one with dimensions. This is why I do not blame agnostics and atheists who refuse to give any credence that there is such an objective and supernatural being keeping his eyes on us all the time. Even most modern theists no longer think of a god with dimensions. Thus they will use terms like spirit. Jesus told the Samaritan woman: "God is Spirit." (John 4.)
G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org
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Last edited by TheFallibleFiend; 10/06/11 07:49 PM.
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