Here's the links I didn't post last month:
Proposal for an international Happiness Index (Independent.co)
A map of the 7 deadly sins (Wired)
School band shirt depicting evolution, is recalled (Sedialia Democrat)
Legal case against God dismissed (BBC)
Intelligent Designs irreducible complexity shot down again. (Wired)
Social perils of unsubscribing to the Atheism subreddit (Reddit)
More Placebo (Wired)
The meaning of sleep (EurekaAlert)
Faith and the Republican Right (independent.co.)
Reverse Entropy (arstechnica.com)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Devils Advocate:
After ranting against religion for years, this post draws on some of religion's common themes to explain personal observations. If I'd grown up in a different culture, I'd have a different set of themes.
In a previous post I described a friend getting magical information which he couldn't possibly have known. A piece of the story which I didn't tell was that when the impression hit him (that a non-discript paper bag on a distant curb contained some tools that he needed), it was in a verbal form; words. At the time he put it down to his internal dialog, even when the "voice" said "... and remember that I told you?" (Joe said "ok").
My current thinking is that animals including people have an inherent capacity to be part of a communal synthesis or archetype, Cosmic Consciousness. An easy example is when dogs know that a friend is about to arrive, or a pet travels to an unknown location to be with their "owner". Temple Grandin, an autistic woman w/ PHD in Animal Science in Ft Collins CO, believes animals and autistic humans share the same way of thinking
A quality that seems to be present in most of these is that the person or animal is moving, they're physically unrestrained, unattached, they're goal oriented & they feel free.
Fear, or belief in some kind of strategic repression (like from the cops or mean people), can destroy ones connection to the "cosmic archetype", the "father in heaven" if you will. The solution to fear is: 1) ignore it, become immortal (or act like it for as long as possible). 2) back off and say "ok, thy will be done, for thine is the kingdom, etc…" & kiss up to the oppressor (love your enemy).
When biblical prophets described god as being selfish and vengeful, they were describing themselves, or their most outstanding social fears. I think because the archetype is given the form of the biggest dealer.
The Bible, Koran, and Torah, all represent the same psychological construction and call it a God, but manipulate it into an organizational tool, with members and "non believers", so that there's an artificial distinction which is politically exploitable. That's wrong headed, selfish, and shameful, but historically typical of that god.
sorry, no links or pics.
After ranting against religion for years, this post draws on some of religion's common themes to explain personal observations. If I'd grown up in a different culture, I'd have a different set of themes.
In a previous post I described a friend getting magical information which he couldn't possibly have known. A piece of the story which I didn't tell was that when the impression hit him (that a non-discript paper bag on a distant curb contained some tools that he needed), it was in a verbal form; words. At the time he put it down to his internal dialog, even when the "voice" said "... and remember that I told you?" (Joe said "ok").
My current thinking is that animals including people have an inherent capacity to be part of a communal synthesis or archetype, Cosmic Consciousness. An easy example is when dogs know that a friend is about to arrive, or a pet travels to an unknown location to be with their "owner". Temple Grandin, an autistic woman w/ PHD in Animal Science in Ft Collins CO, believes animals and autistic humans share the same way of thinking
- When Joe was 3, he woke up from an afternoon nap and nobody was home, so he went out looking for his mom. He found her in the basement of a nearby school attending a PTA meeting. There was no map, he followed his heart.
- When Joe found the sack of tools, he was homeless.
- A sheepdog named Gigi belonging to a previous employer was 13 years old when she jumped out of his truck unnoticed on the Usall road, about 30 miles up the coast, & across 3 rivers wide enough to swim. 2 weeks later she showed up home looking sleek and fit.
- Steve Sinclair sold his property on Navarro Ridge, which included a barn w/ a barn cat named Pearl. Steve moved to Greenwood Ridge near Elk, about 15 miles away. 3 weeks later, Joe was standing with him in front of the Oasis Bar & Grill in Elk when Pearl walked out from under a parked car and jumped into his arms.
A quality that seems to be present in most of these is that the person or animal is moving, they're physically unrestrained, unattached, they're goal oriented & they feel free.
Fear, or belief in some kind of strategic repression (like from the cops or mean people), can destroy ones connection to the "cosmic archetype", the "father in heaven" if you will. The solution to fear is: 1) ignore it, become immortal (or act like it for as long as possible). 2) back off and say "ok, thy will be done, for thine is the kingdom, etc…" & kiss up to the oppressor (love your enemy).
When biblical prophets described god as being selfish and vengeful, they were describing themselves, or their most outstanding social fears. I think because the archetype is given the form of the biggest dealer.
The Bible, Koran, and Torah, all represent the same psychological construction and call it a God, but manipulate it into an organizational tool, with members and "non believers", so that there's an artificial distinction which is politically exploitable. That's wrong headed, selfish, and shameful, but historically typical of that god.
sorry, no links or pics.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
There’s a correlation between what a person expects and what they get, just because people only deal with stuff they recognize. Before “Science” came along and established that real stuff was (had to be) objective, the subjective world (heaven, hell, majick, fayerie & thrall) had equal potential and was the personal possession of an individual.
A train of thought, following a thread of reason, discards irrelevant data and draws supporting evidence by random association. Any evidence must be unimpeachable (with historical reference, authorship, and footnotes, etc) or it doesn't qualify, like following a single string through a labyrinth. Intent holds a description of the end result, but random association is the fuel.
There's another way to describe it: by everything it isn't.
During WWll there was a secret code breaking unit in Betchley Park England that set out to decipher the German Enigma code. The code was basically a series of transposed letters that stood for another series of transposed letters, that stood for another series of transposed letters, that stood for the alphabet. Messages were transmitted by radio. it also needed a code book to give the key letters of the day to set the receiver's deciphering enigma machine. The code breakers broke it and as a by-product invented the first computer operating system.
But the guy who broke the code, who defined the process, figured there could be every possible configuration of letters involved for every letter in the code ((4 to the 26th power) minus one). "Minus one" being the letter the code was trying to conceal. Betchley Park was successful and made the computer to speed up the process of discovering the key of the day.
Intent was the thread. Evidence must be something communicable, our social awareness is built on a learned verbal description of what's important, which limits what we allow ourselves to know and express, to only things which we can verbally communicate. Those sources (social conventions) require trusting someone else's experience over our own (historical reference, authorship, and footnotes, etc). Betchley Park was looking for evidence of what wasn't there within a limited set of possibilities. To apply that plan to an unlimited set, requires a different algorithm. Apparently it's not uncommon, (miracles do happen) but resides outside social awareness, wherever that is.
A book review: INVENTED KNOWLEDGE False history, fake science and pseudo-religions by Ronald H. Fritze
Strangeness at the Creationist Museum
Creationist Museum goes under
Vagaries of religious experience (Daniel Gilbert's blog)
Flower scents reduce stress
Dowsing
The new Christianity: Has your (lame ass) religion got this?
Evil Futurist's guide to World Domination
By the Rivers of Babalon: Some evidence that Iran & Iraq have Jewish blood (The Jerusalem Post), which also implies (ahem) the reverse.
Sun Myung Moon Crowned Prince of Peace. No, Dang it! I wanted to be the messiah!
A train of thought, following a thread of reason, discards irrelevant data and draws supporting evidence by random association. Any evidence must be unimpeachable (with historical reference, authorship, and footnotes, etc) or it doesn't qualify, like following a single string through a labyrinth. Intent holds a description of the end result, but random association is the fuel.
There's another way to describe it: by everything it isn't.
During WWll there was a secret code breaking unit in Betchley Park England that set out to decipher the German Enigma code. The code was basically a series of transposed letters that stood for another series of transposed letters, that stood for another series of transposed letters, that stood for the alphabet. Messages were transmitted by radio. it also needed a code book to give the key letters of the day to set the receiver's deciphering enigma machine. The code breakers broke it and as a by-product invented the first computer operating system.
But the guy who broke the code, who defined the process, figured there could be every possible configuration of letters involved for every letter in the code ((4 to the 26th power) minus one). "Minus one" being the letter the code was trying to conceal. Betchley Park was successful and made the computer to speed up the process of discovering the key of the day.
Intent was the thread. Evidence must be something communicable, our social awareness is built on a learned verbal description of what's important, which limits what we allow ourselves to know and express, to only things which we can verbally communicate. Those sources (social conventions) require trusting someone else's experience over our own (historical reference, authorship, and footnotes, etc). Betchley Park was looking for evidence of what wasn't there within a limited set of possibilities. To apply that plan to an unlimited set, requires a different algorithm. Apparently it's not uncommon, (miracles do happen) but resides outside social awareness, wherever that is.
A book review: INVENTED KNOWLEDGE False history, fake science and pseudo-religions by Ronald H. Fritze
Strangeness at the Creationist Museum
Creationist Museum goes under
Vagaries of religious experience (Daniel Gilbert's blog)
Flower scents reduce stress
Dowsing
The new Christianity: Has your (lame ass) religion got this?
Evil Futurist's guide to World Domination
By the Rivers of Babalon: Some evidence that Iran & Iraq have Jewish blood (The Jerusalem Post), which also implies (ahem) the reverse.
Sun Myung Moon Crowned Prince of Peace. No, Dang it! I wanted to be the messiah!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Just going on the reasoning that if a person or animal's stem cell production can be reduced by causing them to despair, then stem cell production must be supported by some kind of internal mechanism (like recognition of potential, or the anticipation of some kind of gain). Otherwise, creatures would die from any insult (let alone being zapped with electric current or placed in a tank of deep water w/ no way out). So here's a list of probable stem cell producing pastimes:
Food
Sex
Chocolate
Sleep (knits up the raveled sleeve of care)
Yoga
Jogging
Sky diving
Creating art
Helping others
Watching children play
Looking at the horizon
Daydreaming
Hunting & Fishing
"To drive before me the wailing wives and concubines of my enemies naked through the streets, for the review of my troops" (recommended by Gengis Khan)
Tai-Chi
Note that they all have potential in common, are voluntary & not compelled, and are fun or gratifying somehow. That Gengis should advise tormenting others as a type of enjoyment shows Psi-ops goes way back, like the Nazi SS it's existence demoralizes opposition. I'd also like to include drugs on the list, but that recommendation should be tempered a bit:
Dope makes things interesting, and allows several trains of thought to be held simultaneously (however fleetingly). That aspect (assuming something unproven is actual fact to see if it fits evidence) when carried to maturity, is indistinguishable from psychosis because ones judgments are based on a theoretical model instead of evidence supported by fact. I mean like even if aliens or the devil DOES control the Church and the Republican party, it's still psychopathic behavior, you'll freak people out, become a homeless nutcase, and live in a Van. Or else go around preaching the word of god. The net result is missing teeth & reduced stem cell production. So any recommendation of drug usage stops before it gets that far. Try the other stuff on the list first. (but maybe not Gengis's advice)
word of god
Note that they all have potential in common, are voluntary & not compelled, and are fun or gratifying somehow. That Gengis should advise tormenting others as a type of enjoyment shows Psi-ops goes way back, like the Nazi SS it's existence demoralizes opposition. I'd also like to include drugs on the list, but that recommendation should be tempered a bit:
Dope makes things interesting, and allows several trains of thought to be held simultaneously (however fleetingly). That aspect (assuming something unproven is actual fact to see if it fits evidence) when carried to maturity, is indistinguishable from psychosis because ones judgments are based on a theoretical model instead of evidence supported by fact. I mean like even if aliens or the devil DOES control the Church and the Republican party, it's still psychopathic behavior, you'll freak people out, become a homeless nutcase, and live in a Van. Or else go around preaching the word of god. The net result is missing teeth & reduced stem cell production. So any recommendation of drug usage stops before it gets that far. Try the other stuff on the list first. (but maybe not Gengis's advice)
word of god
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Some studies on schizophrenia (they're endless) indicate almost everyone has some kind of genetic tendency. One of the more recent connects schizophrenia with psychosomatic repression of stem cell production for any reason (like social isolation, some kind of adverse personal image, etc). Just on the surface, that looks like a reverse of the placebo effect, which would make it an EVIL PLACEBO..
As a long time schizophrenic, the antidote I recommend is aspirin and a glass of water, maybe prayer, or perhaps a bath in the blood of sacrificed innocents. Anything works really, what's needed is belief in the spell. The spell itself is a ceremonial pathway to social acceptability. You have to clear it with the world somehow though, because it needs some kind of historic & etiological validation to be recognizable as a spell & you can't just ask around because someone will want to study you (which can get really weird), because some people are actually paid to come up w/ novel explanations for ordinary coping. Yes folks, ordinary coping sometimes involves carrying on imaginary arguments w/ people in other cars while driving down the freeway, and/or walking around your bed 3x reciting "Begone, begone, begone ...". To come up w/ those novel explanations, a student of desperate people must assume an objective position, which just doesn't exist. Like: "what would real space aliens think of the way earth humans act?" well, lets put ourselves in the alien's shoes ... (they're sure to have feet).
The point is, paid observers have to claim objectivity as self defense, so that madmen will stay in the bottle, socially and intellectually impotent, and actively repressing their stem cell production for the benefit of priests, psychologists, politicians, talk show hosts, and intellectual bullies everywhere. It's what we, and probably every other animal, does. So how does one survive the enforced ennui? Well sex pops to mind. lay it on the bully & they have to give up their "objectivity", it validates equality (unless they kill you). If that's not an option, probably drugs, or jogging.
In this person's opinion, objectivity is a social convenience that allows group focus, but it's basically an illusion and an excuse for elitism.
Like the minimum age of consent for sex, how about a minimum age of consent for religion.
People of the Book: God hates women
Free Speech, Religion, & License plates
Paleontologists visit Creationist Museum
Various religious views of sex (graph)
The religious bus poster war heats up...
some more Reddit
As a long time schizophrenic, the antidote I recommend is aspirin and a glass of water, maybe prayer, or perhaps a bath in the blood of sacrificed innocents. Anything works really, what's needed is belief in the spell. The spell itself is a ceremonial pathway to social acceptability. You have to clear it with the world somehow though, because it needs some kind of historic & etiological validation to be recognizable as a spell & you can't just ask around because someone will want to study you (which can get really weird), because some people are actually paid to come up w/ novel explanations for ordinary coping. Yes folks, ordinary coping sometimes involves carrying on imaginary arguments w/ people in other cars while driving down the freeway, and/or walking around your bed 3x reciting "Begone, begone, begone ...". To come up w/ those novel explanations, a student of desperate people must assume an objective position, which just doesn't exist. Like: "what would real space aliens think of the way earth humans act?" well, lets put ourselves in the alien's shoes ... (they're sure to have feet).
The point is, paid observers have to claim objectivity as self defense, so that madmen will stay in the bottle, socially and intellectually impotent, and actively repressing their stem cell production for the benefit of priests, psychologists, politicians, talk show hosts, and intellectual bullies everywhere. It's what we, and probably every other animal, does. So how does one survive the enforced ennui? Well sex pops to mind. lay it on the bully & they have to give up their "objectivity", it validates equality (unless they kill you). If that's not an option, probably drugs, or jogging.
In this person's opinion, objectivity is a social convenience that allows group focus, but it's basically an illusion and an excuse for elitism.
Like the minimum age of consent for sex, how about a minimum age of consent for religion.
People of the Book: God hates women
Free Speech, Religion, & License plates
Paleontologists visit Creationist Museum
Various religious views of sex (graph)
The religious bus poster war heats up...
some more Reddit
Saturday, June 27, 2009
According to this article, there's a social force that compels an individual to moral tepidity. Extreme behavior (for good or bad) requires a corresponding dip into scalding or chilly waters to regulate ones moral temperature. Is this a real effect or a result of transposed physics into a subjectively perceived situation? Like determination of implied opposites to chart a course through a maze of acceptable action. An implied opposite is a semantic truism like "SMALL" vs. "big". The basic problem is not having an endgame plan. What happens when Pastor Ted turned out to be gay, or Iraqis turn on their American saviors? Perhaps the worm turns when physics proves hubris to be poor planning. The Japanese don't have a problem w/ that (except their cars are too damn hard to work on).
So I'm Lao-Tse, the inconsistent blogger, "everything has a purpose but me" (approximate quote). I started this blog to declare my opposition to pervasive religious bullshit. Now I'm afraid someone is reading it like I'm supposed to be entertaining & coherent. Get a life. I refuse to be influenced by hit stats (lie). I won't be owned (even though I get lonely). I refuse to write even more contemptuous drivel out of cowering fear of unknown judgments, nor will I correct misconceptions presented in previous posts (except minor ones). Eat Me. I'm lazy alright? (I mean I hope that's all OK w/ everybody ... ?)
--------
percent map of non-religion Going by this map, less industrialized countries show more believers. Since governments develop technology mostly from war industries, but benefit patriotically from blind faith believers, it appears to be a conflict of self interest: The more war they promote, the fewer believers. (yes, except for N Europe & Canada) (both socialist).
So I'm Lao-Tse, the inconsistent blogger, "everything has a purpose but me" (approximate quote). I started this blog to declare my opposition to pervasive religious bullshit. Now I'm afraid someone is reading it like I'm supposed to be entertaining & coherent. Get a life. I refuse to be influenced by hit stats (lie). I won't be owned (even though I get lonely). I refuse to write even more contemptuous drivel out of cowering fear of unknown judgments, nor will I correct misconceptions presented in previous posts (except minor ones). Eat Me. I'm lazy alright? (I mean I hope that's all OK w/ everybody ... ?)
--------
percent map of non-religion Going by this map, less industrialized countries show more believers. Since governments develop technology mostly from war industries, but benefit patriotically from blind faith believers, it appears to be a conflict of self interest: The more war they promote, the fewer believers. (yes, except for N Europe & Canada) (both socialist).
Indoctrination fails: 2 out of 3 kids leave the church (World Net Daily)
Same sex behavior seen in nearly all animals (sciencedaily.com)
God's a dick (Sinfest.com)
Rational thoughts from a religious skeptic. — Mark Twain
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
I'm curious about the rational of remarks about racism towards Israeli Jews & Arabs. on the one hand the there's no race issue because everyone involved is a descendant of Abraham. On the other hand, anyone can become islamic, but no one "becomes" Jewish. You can practice Judaism, but to be a Jew, you have to be a descendant of Aaron (brother of Moses). It's a really good bet that a lot of the arabs in palestine are also descendants of Aaron because the Jewish people tended to adopt the dominant religion (christian, moslems, Hindus, or in the case of the soviets: atheists.) to avoid being targets of discrimination and blend into the host society. So technically it's a family feud where everyone claims to be the rightful inheritor, carries a gun, & is not speaking. Sure looks like a genetic trait. For all the lauded brain potential claimed in that region, nobody seems to be using one. Ireland is different though, because there's no brains involved, never was, & everyone admits it. Crete & Bosnia too.
it's weird that belief wars among the same race can last for centuries. Tribal people of New Guinea have had the same thing going on for thousands of years. In fact race is less of a factor of war than religion. maybe hormones have something to do with that, because other races are viewed as sexually exotic, and there's some kind of pheromone that animals perceive that encourages interbreeding outside of ones known group.
That pheromone might also be the problem underlying religious strife. that is: religious nonsense, & sexual taboos (which usually go together) could be a result of some subliminally practiced method to maintain gene diversity within limited territory. Come to think of it, war could be a way to foster genetic diversity within limited territory, (Mormons, Amish, Heuterites & Menonites are doomed) I mean the most patriotic, &/or aggressive get sent to the front w/ a weapon. Patriotism is another word for faith.
As the internet knocks down barriers to communication, maybe it also knocks down territorial perception. fine so long as the new world is perceived as exotic. maybe not so fine if it's perceived as an extension of "our own" territory.
Funnies: god 0 god 1 god 2 god 3
Militant atheism
Aggressive roots of Altruism
Evolution, religion, schizophrenia and the schizotypal personality video (Robert Sapolsky) online discussion
A list of 639 gods that atheists don't believe in, which includes buddha, (who isn't a god), but doesn't include me (who is/am). My title is "He who affects nothing". I can really do that, unfortunately I don't have any proof.
it's weird that belief wars among the same race can last for centuries. Tribal people of New Guinea have had the same thing going on for thousands of years. In fact race is less of a factor of war than religion. maybe hormones have something to do with that, because other races are viewed as sexually exotic, and there's some kind of pheromone that animals perceive that encourages interbreeding outside of ones known group.
That pheromone might also be the problem underlying religious strife. that is: religious nonsense, & sexual taboos (which usually go together) could be a result of some subliminally practiced method to maintain gene diversity within limited territory. Come to think of it, war could be a way to foster genetic diversity within limited territory, (Mormons, Amish, Heuterites & Menonites are doomed) I mean the most patriotic, &/or aggressive get sent to the front w/ a weapon. Patriotism is another word for faith.
As the internet knocks down barriers to communication, maybe it also knocks down territorial perception. fine so long as the new world is perceived as exotic. maybe not so fine if it's perceived as an extension of "our own" territory.
Funnies: god 0 god 1 god 2 god 3
Militant atheism
Aggressive roots of Altruism
Evolution, religion, schizophrenia and the schizotypal personality video (Robert Sapolsky) online discussion
A list of 639 gods that atheists don't believe in, which includes buddha, (who isn't a god), but doesn't include me (who is/am). My title is "He who affects nothing". I can really do that, unfortunately I don't have any proof.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
in defense of "The Lord":
Think of the lord as a stereotype of the person you can't beat (The Man). 6th grade bullies when you were in 4th. The person who has what you need (social acceptance in a new school) They're usually insecure selfish assholes.
It occurs to me that most of the bible is dealing w/ just those types. Like how some king (lord) wiped out some tribe because they didn't make the right kind of sacrifice. We have to assume it was important to wipe them out though the social rules of the ancient tribes don't transcribe to well through 20 translations. Or possibly, when the various books of the bible were put together, the editors had trouble selecting data using the search engines of the time, and they didn't include a preface to explain what they were trying to collect so they got a lot of vaguely germane topics in 1/2 dozen languages (or something, y'know). Ooh, ooh! it was Constantine's idea, he just flew back from his ranch and said "We need a connection between us & God & power, go get some evidence" amazon.com review of the Bible (amazon.com).
But under it all appears to be a social code on how unrestrained lords compel & claim gods blessing afterwards because it turned out ok for the winners. I'm not saying compelling is bad, animals do it, it just is, if I was a lord in those situations I'd do that stuff too, & probably just to impress people because I can. (so fear me) The concept they were looking for though was "Survival of the Fittest", but they may have been limited by their conceptual framework.
Along comes the New Testament: Darwin was a socialist. The main difference is you're supposed to stand up to the Man. Expect to get stomped, do it anyway, speak truth to power, don't destroy anyone, social integration makes peace, & keep on keeping on. The worst that can happen is you get tortured to death, but so what (heh..)? Staying objective while someone is ranting & giving you shit takes guts & perspective to not get caught up in the hormones. As a social model, it commands respect.
But what we got instead is another device to subjugate the masses for the benefit of a bunch of old guys w/ seniority working deals, expecting sacrifice, & claiming ignorance.
Apparent malice usually proves to be ignorance.
Ignorance is no excuse under the law (which also assumes malice when proof of ignorance is lacking).
A negative can't be proved. Therefore:
Bush, Cheney & Rove should be jailed. Reagan should be dug up & jailed.
Conservatives gross out more easily than liberals (physorg.com)
Church of Scientology on trial
Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology
Think of the lord as a stereotype of the person you can't beat (The Man). 6th grade bullies when you were in 4th. The person who has what you need (social acceptance in a new school) They're usually insecure selfish assholes.
It occurs to me that most of the bible is dealing w/ just those types. Like how some king (lord) wiped out some tribe because they didn't make the right kind of sacrifice. We have to assume it was important to wipe them out though the social rules of the ancient tribes don't transcribe to well through 20 translations. Or possibly, when the various books of the bible were put together, the editors had trouble selecting data using the search engines of the time, and they didn't include a preface to explain what they were trying to collect so they got a lot of vaguely germane topics in 1/2 dozen languages (or something, y'know). Ooh, ooh! it was Constantine's idea, he just flew back from his ranch and said "We need a connection between us & God & power, go get some evidence" amazon.com review of the Bible (amazon.com).
But under it all appears to be a social code on how unrestrained lords compel & claim gods blessing afterwards because it turned out ok for the winners. I'm not saying compelling is bad, animals do it, it just is, if I was a lord in those situations I'd do that stuff too, & probably just to impress people because I can. (so fear me) The concept they were looking for though was "Survival of the Fittest", but they may have been limited by their conceptual framework.
Along comes the New Testament: Darwin was a socialist. The main difference is you're supposed to stand up to the Man. Expect to get stomped, do it anyway, speak truth to power, don't destroy anyone, social integration makes peace, & keep on keeping on. The worst that can happen is you get tortured to death, but so what (heh..)? Staying objective while someone is ranting & giving you shit takes guts & perspective to not get caught up in the hormones. As a social model, it commands respect.
But what we got instead is another device to subjugate the masses for the benefit of a bunch of old guys w/ seniority working deals, expecting sacrifice, & claiming ignorance.
Conservatives gross out more easily than liberals (physorg.com)
Church of Scientology on trial
Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology
Monday, May 25, 2009
Patronage rant continued:
The church is also an hierarchy of patronage. Jesus, in this case, is a mechanism to allow or restrict access to membership. Since it all takes place in ones head, belief is a key feature. If you really believe in eternal security, you'll get the security part as long as you believe, if you stop believing, naturally, you forfeit any accrued benefits (& you burn forever in screaming agony too while every one else is having a good time. The guarantee on the eternal part is simply not provable). However it requires constant acknowledgment of patronage (prayer, confession, church attendance, tithing, etc). "Forgiveness" insures there are no hard feelings while at the same time makes it easy to re-establish any diversion of loyalty to the patron. Presumably for the benefit of the plebeian, but also for the church (though that's never spoken aloud).
Before Constantine, a lot of this stuff was pretty common among a bunch of competing religions, but Constantine decided to consolidate them all into just one, so he took the one w/ the most potential for intimidation (turning the other cheek, non violence, etc.) and stuffed it full of popular stuff from the competitors, like christmas, easter, virgin birth, Souls, redemption, resurrection, angels and devils, wise men following a star, & so on. The guy was really a genius (well actually, he had some other people do it for him). Another (un-origional) contribution to religious orthodoxy was to make Jesus the Lord of Lords. See, in a feudal society, a lord is an untouchable guy like Bush or Cheney w/ money & power, he owns you, & he can declare war with out asking. Under the Lord of Lords system though, the common man can directly petition the Lord of Lords through prayer and get redress in heaven without upsetting the balance of wealth. Constantine himself wasn't bound by any religious crap though, he had his wife and son executed for treason.
Another example of compelled patronage was used by Emperor Caligula, who threw parties where his political enemies were crucified around the banquet, for the guests to admire. I imagine it really inspired loyalty, or at least discouraged competition, & makes me wonder about Bush's "for us or against us" policy. This could explain why it seems so hard for the US to get out of the torture business: according to the rules of Patronage, we'd loose cred. I couldn't say if that's true or false, I mean if someone thinks you're an insect anyway, they'll change the rules without asking.
‘We did not know that child abuse was a crime,’ says retired Catholic archbishop
More
Atheist News (Atheist.net)
Another faith scam
The church is also an hierarchy of patronage. Jesus, in this case, is a mechanism to allow or restrict access to membership. Since it all takes place in ones head, belief is a key feature. If you really believe in eternal security, you'll get the security part as long as you believe, if you stop believing, naturally, you forfeit any accrued benefits (& you burn forever in screaming agony too while every one else is having a good time. The guarantee on the eternal part is simply not provable). However it requires constant acknowledgment of patronage (prayer, confession, church attendance, tithing, etc). "Forgiveness" insures there are no hard feelings while at the same time makes it easy to re-establish any diversion of loyalty to the patron. Presumably for the benefit of the plebeian, but also for the church (though that's never spoken aloud).
Before Constantine, a lot of this stuff was pretty common among a bunch of competing religions, but Constantine decided to consolidate them all into just one, so he took the one w/ the most potential for intimidation (turning the other cheek, non violence, etc.) and stuffed it full of popular stuff from the competitors, like christmas, easter, virgin birth, Souls, redemption, resurrection, angels and devils, wise men following a star, & so on. The guy was really a genius (well actually, he had some other people do it for him). Another (un-origional) contribution to religious orthodoxy was to make Jesus the Lord of Lords. See, in a feudal society, a lord is an untouchable guy like Bush or Cheney w/ money & power, he owns you, & he can declare war with out asking. Under the Lord of Lords system though, the common man can directly petition the Lord of Lords through prayer and get redress in heaven without upsetting the balance of wealth. Constantine himself wasn't bound by any religious crap though, he had his wife and son executed for treason.
Another example of compelled patronage was used by Emperor Caligula, who threw parties where his political enemies were crucified around the banquet, for the guests to admire. I imagine it really inspired loyalty, or at least discouraged competition, & makes me wonder about Bush's "for us or against us" policy. This could explain why it seems so hard for the US to get out of the torture business: according to the rules of Patronage, we'd loose cred. I couldn't say if that's true or false, I mean if someone thinks you're an insect anyway, they'll change the rules without asking.
‘We did not know that child abuse was a crime,’ says retired Catholic archbishop
More
Atheist News (Atheist.net)
Another faith scam
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
History reveals that there is very little correlation between religion and morality and some may even argue that the converse is true. (journeymanphilosopher.blogspot.com)
Today's Rant:
A young mans brush with power, or A plausibly universal tale of sodomy and unrequited love:
Joe's dad worked his way up from a bank teller to a loan specialist, it took 35 years. There was however, a glass ceiling to further advancement. Above a certain level, the aspiring professional of this bank was required to join the Mob (Gosh! Which bank is that?). Those of you who saw the movie "The Godfather" may remember the scene where a guy comes in to ask a favor and is required to kiss Marlon Brandos hand in recognition of patronage. Well the '60's version was to dedicate a son to the "family" and, as young Joe learned on an executive hunting trip with mob honchos: the novice is supposed to provide ass to the Don. Joe was repulsed by the proposition and declined, so his dad got transferred to the boonies and bumped to a mid level manager, & Joe grew up to be a homeless scavenger and like most homeless people, worthy of any slur (regardless of fact) because nobody had his back.
A somewhat similar culture in Japan had this to say from the Book of the Samurai: "A man is a good retainer to the extent that he earnestly places importance in his master. This is the highest sort of retainer. If one is born into a prominent family that goes back for generations, it is sufficient to deeply consider the matter of obligation to one's ancestors, to lay down one's body and mind, and to earnestly esteem one's master. It is further good fortune if, more than this, one has wisdom and talent and can use them appropriately. But even a person who is good for nothing and exceedingly clumsy will be a reliable retainer if only he has the determination to think earnestly of his master. Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness."
Now at the risk of getting sued by the Committee for the Prevention of Defamation of the Mob, I'd like to postulate the following from Joe's albeit limited experience: (and It's not really their fault see, they're just victims of society like us. My heart goes out to you guys, really). I propose the underlying problem is that they're Italian & Catholic. That inseparable combination has a deep tradition of patronage going back through Rome and the Etruscans to be lost in the mists of prehistory. Other cultures have or have had similar traditions but this one has survived the ravages of the centuries with pretty much a working edge. This particular tradition codifies Ass as a form of social commitment. Compare, if you will, the Irish (Joe's people). The peaceful Greens have their smirking pedophile priests to pat their pubescent butts, while the bloodthirsty Orangemen have none and are forced to demonstrate their social discontent through endless strife and upheaval.
The late drift w/ democracy & all (since The Enlightenment) has been to idealize independence, and avoid serfdom & patronage. What used to be called virtues are now social deadweight. So here's contemporary America, Land of the Free, w/ the highest prison population in the world, & a self replenishing source of scandal because the only people in there to form bonds of patronage with are felon Mobsters without civil or voting rights or self respect, who's default class is Pro-Sodomy/Anti-Law. See where this is going? The system denigrates Ass patronage while creating it. There's no socially acceptable rout to a "real world" community. In all honesty though (and I think Joe agrees), that Ass patronage would select for bitchy, pompous incompetents, and not be much different than the politics we have now. But it would cut the crap so people wouldn't get blind-sided by some force they never knew existed, and Joe could have had his own squad of goons by now.
Personally, I'd be just as glad if all that strife didn't exist, but there's a kind of honesty that goes with it. Sort of similar to a commitment that can change the world, like marriage or combat. It may be only a substitute for those, but what (outside of religious literature) makes it such a unique issue of bad morals?
A handy Atheist pamphlet that you can print out on glossy paper to have ready when someone hands you a copy of "The Watchtower".
Atheism is hot! (yahoo)
Atheism pays (the Orlando Sentinel)
Christian Zoroastrianism (Reddit)
Today's Rant:
A young mans brush with power, or A plausibly universal tale of sodomy and unrequited love:
Joe's dad worked his way up from a bank teller to a loan specialist, it took 35 years. There was however, a glass ceiling to further advancement. Above a certain level, the aspiring professional of this bank was required to join the Mob (Gosh! Which bank is that?). Those of you who saw the movie "The Godfather" may remember the scene where a guy comes in to ask a favor and is required to kiss Marlon Brandos hand in recognition of patronage. Well the '60's version was to dedicate a son to the "family" and, as young Joe learned on an executive hunting trip with mob honchos: the novice is supposed to provide ass to the Don. Joe was repulsed by the proposition and declined, so his dad got transferred to the boonies and bumped to a mid level manager, & Joe grew up to be a homeless scavenger and like most homeless people, worthy of any slur (regardless of fact) because nobody had his back.
A somewhat similar culture in Japan had this to say from the Book of the Samurai: "A man is a good retainer to the extent that he earnestly places importance in his master. This is the highest sort of retainer. If one is born into a prominent family that goes back for generations, it is sufficient to deeply consider the matter of obligation to one's ancestors, to lay down one's body and mind, and to earnestly esteem one's master. It is further good fortune if, more than this, one has wisdom and talent and can use them appropriately. But even a person who is good for nothing and exceedingly clumsy will be a reliable retainer if only he has the determination to think earnestly of his master. Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness."
Now at the risk of getting sued by the Committee for the Prevention of Defamation of the Mob, I'd like to postulate the following from Joe's albeit limited experience: (and It's not really their fault see, they're just victims of society like us. My heart goes out to you guys, really). I propose the underlying problem is that they're Italian & Catholic. That inseparable combination has a deep tradition of patronage going back through Rome and the Etruscans to be lost in the mists of prehistory. Other cultures have or have had similar traditions but this one has survived the ravages of the centuries with pretty much a working edge. This particular tradition codifies Ass as a form of social commitment. Compare, if you will, the Irish (Joe's people). The peaceful Greens have their smirking pedophile priests to pat their pubescent butts, while the bloodthirsty Orangemen have none and are forced to demonstrate their social discontent through endless strife and upheaval.
The late drift w/ democracy & all (since The Enlightenment) has been to idealize independence, and avoid serfdom & patronage. What used to be called virtues are now social deadweight. So here's contemporary America, Land of the Free, w/ the highest prison population in the world, & a self replenishing source of scandal because the only people in there to form bonds of patronage with are felon Mobsters without civil or voting rights or self respect, who's default class is Pro-Sodomy/Anti-Law. See where this is going? The system denigrates Ass patronage while creating it. There's no socially acceptable rout to a "real world" community. In all honesty though (and I think Joe agrees), that Ass patronage would select for bitchy, pompous incompetents, and not be much different than the politics we have now. But it would cut the crap so people wouldn't get blind-sided by some force they never knew existed, and Joe could have had his own squad of goons by now.
Personally, I'd be just as glad if all that strife didn't exist, but there's a kind of honesty that goes with it. Sort of similar to a commitment that can change the world, like marriage or combat. It may be only a substitute for those, but what (outside of religious literature) makes it such a unique issue of bad morals?
A handy Atheist pamphlet that you can print out on glossy paper to have ready when someone hands you a copy of "The Watchtower".
Atheism is hot! (yahoo)
Atheism pays (the Orlando Sentinel)
Christian Zoroastrianism (Reddit)
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
New research shows young Americans are dramatically less likely to go to church -- or to participate in any form of organized religion -- than their parents and grandparents. (abcnews)
A congressional resolution to recognize the religious foundation of America? (action)
Definition of Insane delusion under California law either does or doesn't include religious beliefs. (Reddit)
Survey: Support for terror suspect torture differs among the faithful (CNN)
Evidence is reviewed pointing to a negative relationship between intelligence and religious belief in the United States and Europe. (sciencedirect)
This is Joe's take on the American drug policy:
The standard hard line threat used against druggies is alienation because drug users are said to be socially non-functional and irretrievably broken. But people who explore (& survive) alternate realities tend to be more comfortable with alienation. So ultimately the reaction is more real to hard liners who fear alienation themselves. Not that social alienation isn't real, but shunning is easy, contrived, and inappropriate. So when shunning has no effect, lock'em up, & hurt 'em. Let 'em know they're dogs because dialog assumes something of value can be exchanged, & if we don't talk to 'em, we'll never have to consider that their perspectives might be valid. Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work? Remember the hippies who became Jesus Freaks? They got inadvertently exploited because there was & is no practical structure for dealing with what's objectified as craziness, but is subjectively a distrust of social norms. It's not that the church couldn't do it under any circumstances, the problem was the churches perception that (1) the cause is/was the devil, (2) the solution is/was bureaucratic (just recite certain magical words and you'll be saved).
Dragon in My Garage, by Carl Sagan (godlessgeeks)
A congressional resolution to recognize the religious foundation of America? (action)
Definition of Insane delusion under California law either does or doesn't include religious beliefs. (Reddit)
Survey: Support for terror suspect torture differs among the faithful (CNN)
Evidence is reviewed pointing to a negative relationship between intelligence and religious belief in the United States and Europe. (sciencedirect)
This is Joe's take on the American drug policy:
The standard hard line threat used against druggies is alienation because drug users are said to be socially non-functional and irretrievably broken. But people who explore (& survive) alternate realities tend to be more comfortable with alienation. So ultimately the reaction is more real to hard liners who fear alienation themselves. Not that social alienation isn't real, but shunning is easy, contrived, and inappropriate. So when shunning has no effect, lock'em up, & hurt 'em. Let 'em know they're dogs because dialog assumes something of value can be exchanged, & if we don't talk to 'em, we'll never have to consider that their perspectives might be valid. Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work? Remember the hippies who became Jesus Freaks? They got inadvertently exploited because there was & is no practical structure for dealing with what's objectified as craziness, but is subjectively a distrust of social norms. It's not that the church couldn't do it under any circumstances, the problem was the churches perception that (1) the cause is/was the devil, (2) the solution is/was bureaucratic (just recite certain magical words and you'll be saved).
Dragon in My Garage, by Carl Sagan (godlessgeeks)
Should Churches be taxed? (reddit)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Liabilities are a curse, assets are blessings. The unknown is either an asset or a liability, but is uncontrollable either way. Most of the world is unknown to an individual. Collectively we have a lot of information that can be converted to assets, but require a trusted source. Confidence in the source is no different from faith, so essentially one needs faith to be blessed, but the same is true of curses. Too often it turns out to be just another scam. 10 handy "end of the world" dates (Wired)
TV sends the message that Christians are nutters (christian.org.uk)
Scientific vs Creationist Timeline
Afghan Rape Law
A blinding stroke of absolute stupidity: Creationist Science Fair
How to Choose Happiness: Combat 5 Decision-Making Biases
Schizophrenic Brains Not Fooled by Optical Illusion
Abstinence: if the church can't do it, how can they promote it? Too Many People on Earth
Neurological Roots of Compassion Run Deep
TV sends the message that Christians are nutters (christian.org.uk)
Scientific vs Creationist Timeline
Afghan Rape Law
A blinding stroke of absolute stupidity: Creationist Science Fair
How to Choose Happiness: Combat 5 Decision-Making Biases
Schizophrenic Brains Not Fooled by Optical Illusion
Abstinence: if the church can't do it, how can they promote it? Too Many People on Earth
Neurological Roots of Compassion Run Deep
Saturday, April 04, 2009
How to be Unremarkable
Strife exists. To respond with strife creates more strife, one needs an authority to grant & bestow peace, so one creates an authority from a known model (like a parent or lover), who can say "it's ok" and make it stick. If the model creates strife, it's the wrong model.
To say that George Bush should be accountable for the model he created is an understatement, but also creates strife. What to do? Accountability also reduces strife.
Strife exists within ones self. it's the perception of inequality. So the starting point is that everything is already and always equal. This takes a certain amount of detachment, or at least carefully practiced cat-like disintrest.
A prince named Arjuna was about to go to war against the kingdom next door, but he knew them and was mixed up about his motives because while some of the stuff they did was wrong, some was good. So the gods said "don't worry, be happy, you have a job. Do it & be famous, laugh & dance" etc. ... since he'd recognized the gods as authorities, he took their word as forgiveness and went to war with a clean heart. But also because he was locked in bondage to his social position by being a prince. If he'd been a homeless guy like Joe, he could have said "screw this" & nobody would have missed him, he would have been drinking coffee equanimously in Fresno while the dogs of war chewed on peoples entrails, and 1000 fighting elephants of Chandragupta waded through fields of gore.
Then: returned soldiers with stripes, medals, and scars walk by & see Joe w/ his feet up. They're offended because he ignores their sacrifice. Joe says "Hail noble warriors: don't be iniquitous". They resent missionaries however, are not enlightened, & prefer inequity because it pays better. Not a problem though: some girls walk by & see the soldiers who use the occasion to contrast themselves against unwashed Joe, they score, the shadow of death moves on, & Joe finishes his coffee in peace. The soldiers spend the next 18 years paying child support while their kids drink coffee in Fresno. Sometimes aspirations of greatness are overrated.
Psychic medium, healer (ffffound.com)
Indefensible Religious Advice (atheistmissionary)
"The End of Christian America" (yawn) how about "tempest in a teapot"
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Humans behave like individual heard animals. Superorganisms, like termites, ants & bees, function as one entity (Eurekalert). But humans know the difference, so they have the capability for altruistic sacrifice. The problem is probably lack of identity with the society that claims to represent them. i.e. Soldiers don't usually fight for political ideals, they fight for the friends in their platoon.
Meanwhile, in America:
What happens to madmen when they die? does jesus forgive them? (of course) what if they were evil? (then no) How does a madman know right from wrong? How does anyone prove they are not mad? That's a bottomless question, better to pass the buck instead & not look. Governor George Wallace paid some shrinks for a certificate that said he was sane. He framed it, but said he had no illusions about it's value (several thousand dollars).
Learning How to Think. Also Religious advice parallels financial advice (Wired)
5 things you'll need if you go homeless
Selecting for "Tameness"
"Most religious leaders are fools" (bbc)
If Atheists ruled the world (YouTube)
Meanwhile, in America:
What happens to madmen when they die? does jesus forgive them? (of course) what if they were evil? (then no) How does a madman know right from wrong? How does anyone prove they are not mad? That's a bottomless question, better to pass the buck instead & not look. Governor George Wallace paid some shrinks for a certificate that said he was sane. He framed it, but said he had no illusions about it's value (several thousand dollars).
Learning How to Think. Also Religious advice parallels financial advice (Wired)
5 things you'll need if you go homeless
Selecting for "Tameness"
"Most religious leaders are fools" (bbc)
If Atheists ruled the world (YouTube)
Friday, March 20, 2009
That the church doesn't present a community that's acceptable to everyone could be expected, there's a lot of variation among people. That it doesn't address reality is a side effect of faith. If my friend, call him Joe (story posted below: Thursday, February 26, 2009), had consulted the church about his experience, he could have been admonished about the hubris of bragging about miracles, or told that what seems real to one person may not seem so to another, or advised that it was a sign from god & to pray for guidance, or recommended to drug rehab. (depending on how sane he appeared to be). I find it refreshing though that they probably wouldn't have accused him of lying, just because they don't expect to be lied to (though that makes them pretty gullible targets for anyone w/ a profit/power motive).So when cultivating miracles, one doesn't just resolve that one will occur and then label something odd as miraculous. Oh no-no-no! One must The Force generate. That's no shit.
One must self discipline have:
- Have you ever wondered why Monks or the Catholic clergy are expected to be celibate? It's a time honored method for cracking loose of convention, selfish or otherwise. The sexual imperative is a real motivator of perspective. You can either go with it & become it, or use it as a reminder that there's a kind of parallel universe that has no use for it. I admit I have no idea how they use the energy they accumulate, there are more and more rarified levels of bureaucracy in the church, each w/ it's own arcane rules. My suspicion is that they've inadvertently messed up the natural course for dealing with it, what w/ angles and devils and permission from higher up the chain of command, and then there's the Sith & all those alter boys... I'm pretty sure though that it's not just grandstanding for the sake of the rustics, they must know something's going on. My guess is they've forgotten that a lotta sex depletes personal power, and some folks that are required to be celibate, for bureaucratic reasons, maybe shouldn't be teaching children.
- Fasting works.
- Scheduled meditation (a kind of prayer), say at 8 PM every day. Randomly, maybe not so much.
- Running, Jogging, walking, crawling, etc.
- Regular cold showers. (hair shirts?)
- Gypsying, Walkabouts, Pilgrimages.
- Other cultures have other methods that I can only guess at. Nomadic people have ritual dances & songs for locating game, only performed when food is short and there's no other option (see #2). Joe had some experience with ritual dances, and songs, they're usually private intellectual property. They work, but one needs permission to use them. For example, the Hopi Rain Dance.
So this is Joe's recipe for what to do when you're stranded in a strange town w/ no money or contacts. Before you go door to door trying to sell your body or your $300 camera for gas money: fast for 3 or 4 days. Something will come up. Works every time & saves on food too.
See, all this assumes personal power equals faith, so faith can corrupt perception because events may be expected to accommodate needs. (i'nish Allah). Then when an evidence based event occurs, such as through scientific procedure, it can appear to be irrelevant or even inimical to faith. With that perspective, the church would be wise to organize the freelance shamanistic tendencies of the parish to preserve some semblance of peace & sanity. But to declare it all evil if it contradicts ecclesiastic policy is hypocritical, it's a human birthright, get over it.
Sasquach
Ok, now the point: Say there was a group of people that became so fluent with the exercise of their personal power, that they could exist outside of society. They would have to either look like everyone or else avoid people altogether (or both) kind of like the illumanatti (this would explain the hairy 8 foot tourists in bermuda shorts). But say this group split off thousands of years ago & never bothered to keep up holiday cards w/ the Muggles. It's said that a society of Big Foots couldn't exist because the scattered gene pool, (based on "sightings") would make sexual encounters virtually impossible. Whoever presented that argument has obviously never tried celibacy for very long, or considered the area that could be covered by a person w/ motivation and a 6 foot stride. True believers will now go outside and howl for 5 minutes.
Are You Friends With an Atheist? An American profile
The State of Atheism Address
There’s a new power in America - atheism
How to Spot Atheists and Report Them to the FBI
"I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
-President George Bush (aka "a Uniter, not a Divider")
symptoms of schizophrenia
Religious majority doesn't understand atheist views (Michigan State Univ, statenews.com)
New Research Suggests Key to Happiness is Gratitude—and Men May be Locked Out (George Mason Univ.)
Seattle's Version of the Atheist bus projects (friendlyatheist.com)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The church has pretty much failed to do what it claimed, which is to provide shelter and comfort to people in need. Instead they get indoctrinated. There's not much comfort in that unless you're really desperate, it's more like a community of idiots w/ patronizing jailers. The whole thrust of the church is business and indoctrination with fixed forms. "Of course we're open to all suggestions, but if you want salvation, ..."
What exactly is salvation? it's a state of "grace" (bliss, happiness, contentment, satisfaction, having confidence in the future, etc.) It's achievable by "faith" that is, believing something is predominantly important (even if it isn't), such as the church community and belief system. That's not so rare, I mean that's the final hook offered by any religion, call it what you like.
Here's "Bill's Religious Method For Getting Shed Of Your Load Of Earthly Care" (shortened to BRMFGSOYLOEC):
Stay focused on anything which doesn't require another person's input, till it becomes more important than anything else, such as running from a forest fire. The forest fire isn't necessary to achieve the result, it's just an example of the ideal commitment. When your thoughts wander, just redirect them to the original point. Sounds Buddhist doesn't it? It is, and BRMFGSOYLOEC gives you the Cosmic Power to ignore bullshit, however it's not as easy as letting someone feed you a special piece of cracker & tell you you're saved, but it is more convincing. You aren't required to offend anyone by being a missionary, and your sister won't get stoned to death for going outdoors without a mask.
The coming evangelical collapse (Yahoo news)
Most religious groups in USA have lost ground, survey finds (USA today). This is too bad really, but a million smiling hypocrites vs instant public scrutiny, I guess it's inevitable.
Dear fellow atheists. Lets piss off the world and claim the '@' sign as the official sign of atheism. (self.atheism). It'll never happen.
10 Most Revealing Psych Experiments
Univ. Toronto Researchers find brain differences between believers and non-believers (eurekalert), 1. Stroop effect 2. Stroop test
Pride: The 7th Sin
Given the differences in cultures, the Large Hadron Collider is basically looking for the same thing that Thomas Aquinas defined as god: 5 arguments for the existence of god the Quinquae viae. The main difference is in how it's represented. It's the writers opinion that neither one is practical for achieving it's purpose, but the 5 arguments define the problem and the LH Collider is a serious effort in that direction.
One of the things that bugs me about the church is the ambiguity of terms and methods between sects. If one of them had more credibility than another, maybe word would get out. Instead it's a race to scrape the bottom for something new. Like programming commands, calling it logic doesn't make it logical. You'd think something as personal and inherent as ones relationship w/ the world would have a default form, where a priest/shrink interpreter isn't mandantory. Everybody has teachers but it gets so formalized, like Tenure, Church and the Crips all require commitment and fidelity in exchange for a sense of security. For professional advancement, members learn a more and more specialized perspective, till the they only think in those terms. When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. A self limiting philosophy.
The Named is the mother of all things. Language shapes perception it takes 200 milliseconds between when an observation occurs and when it's internalized verbal description is formed. During those 200 milliseconds, the "meaning" is fluid. it could be anything.
15 quotes from famous Atheists w/ comments
Dr Jack Horner (Paleontologist): "Religion is about faith, not evidence. Comparing science and religion isn't like comparing apples and oranges—it's more like apples and sewing machines." Horner wants to retro-engineer a (small) dinosaur from a chicken, partly for the scientific knowledge to be gained, and partly because he likes dinosaurs.
What exactly is salvation? it's a state of "grace" (bliss, happiness, contentment, satisfaction, having confidence in the future, etc.) It's achievable by "faith" that is, believing something is predominantly important (even if it isn't), such as the church community and belief system. That's not so rare, I mean that's the final hook offered by any religion, call it what you like.
Here's "Bill's Religious Method For Getting Shed Of Your Load Of Earthly Care" (shortened to BRMFGSOYLOEC):
Stay focused on anything which doesn't require another person's input, till it becomes more important than anything else, such as running from a forest fire. The forest fire isn't necessary to achieve the result, it's just an example of the ideal commitment. When your thoughts wander, just redirect them to the original point. Sounds Buddhist doesn't it? It is, and BRMFGSOYLOEC gives you the Cosmic Power to ignore bullshit, however it's not as easy as letting someone feed you a special piece of cracker & tell you you're saved, but it is more convincing. You aren't required to offend anyone by being a missionary, and your sister won't get stoned to death for going outdoors without a mask.
The coming evangelical collapse (Yahoo news)
Most religious groups in USA have lost ground, survey finds (USA today). This is too bad really, but a million smiling hypocrites vs instant public scrutiny, I guess it's inevitable.
Dear fellow atheists. Lets piss off the world and claim the '@' sign as the official sign of atheism. (self.atheism). It'll never happen.
10 Most Revealing Psych Experiments
Univ. Toronto Researchers find brain differences between believers and non-believers (eurekalert), 1. Stroop effect 2. Stroop test
Pride: The 7th Sin
Given the differences in cultures, the Large Hadron Collider is basically looking for the same thing that Thomas Aquinas defined as god: 5 arguments for the existence of god the Quinquae viae. The main difference is in how it's represented. It's the writers opinion that neither one is practical for achieving it's purpose, but the 5 arguments define the problem and the LH Collider is a serious effort in that direction.
One of the things that bugs me about the church is the ambiguity of terms and methods between sects. If one of them had more credibility than another, maybe word would get out. Instead it's a race to scrape the bottom for something new. Like programming commands, calling it logic doesn't make it logical. You'd think something as personal and inherent as ones relationship w/ the world would have a default form, where a priest/shrink interpreter isn't mandantory. Everybody has teachers but it gets so formalized, like Tenure, Church and the Crips all require commitment and fidelity in exchange for a sense of security. For professional advancement, members learn a more and more specialized perspective, till the they only think in those terms. When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. A self limiting philosophy.
The Named is the mother of all things. Language shapes perception it takes 200 milliseconds between when an observation occurs and when it's internalized verbal description is formed. During those 200 milliseconds, the "meaning" is fluid. it could be anything.
15 quotes from famous Atheists w/ comments
Dr Jack Horner (Paleontologist): "Religion is about faith, not evidence. Comparing science and religion isn't like comparing apples and oranges—it's more like apples and sewing machines." Horner wants to retro-engineer a (small) dinosaur from a chicken, partly for the scientific knowledge to be gained, and partly because he likes dinosaurs.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Alas, I must bail on my promise to list my unexplainable personal coincidences. As a member of the psychedelic generation, I cannot exceed certain social mores which prescribe the endless detailing of marvelous trips. If you've ever been buttonholed by a gibbering panhandler, you'll know why. I can assure you however that the stories were more fantastic then the fever dreams of the entire Bush Administration, though unfortunately they didn't include sex, violence, money, or world domination. Not a lot anyway.
But they did offer some interesting etiological questions about cause and effect. In fact, without another explanation, it would be reasonable to attribute the phenomena to influences of an unseen social entity. Some people say the world is a result of the social interaction between people and unseen beings, who 's awareness adds coherency and who created physical stuff so it could fulfill some kind of destiny (which obviously happened, so that's the proof).
For example: Some guy is having trouble with his car's clutch, he can't afford to have it fixed in a shop, he's never pulled an engine, and doesn't have the tools. What to do? He walks uptown to have some coffee, he doesn't drive because his clutch is out (in a fairly large city) and while crossing a random street, glances up the block and spies an innocuous brown paper lunch sack on the curb. He has a distinct impression that the sack contains the tools he needs. "That's illogical" he tells himself and continues up to the Café. Thoughts about the bag keep gnawing on him though, so he resolves to look on the way back, if it's still there. It is, he does, and there are the tools.
What happened?
Although I have that story from the most credible source possible, there's no way to prove it. The only reason for you to take my word would be if believing benefits you somehow. for example:
How many times have you picked up the phone and knew who the caller was before they spoke? Some other occasions might be: knowing that something is imminent, like a cop car is behind you, your kid is waking up, someone or a piece of information is about to arrive.
Stuff happens all the time, the problem is that it's a sin to question god.
church essentials
Atheism in search of an identity more (I don't like the asterisk, #9 is my choice)
But they did offer some interesting etiological questions about cause and effect. In fact, without another explanation, it would be reasonable to attribute the phenomena to influences of an unseen social entity. Some people say the world is a result of the social interaction between people and unseen beings, who 's awareness adds coherency and who created physical stuff so it could fulfill some kind of destiny (which obviously happened, so that's the proof).
For example: Some guy is having trouble with his car's clutch, he can't afford to have it fixed in a shop, he's never pulled an engine, and doesn't have the tools. What to do? He walks uptown to have some coffee, he doesn't drive because his clutch is out (in a fairly large city) and while crossing a random street, glances up the block and spies an innocuous brown paper lunch sack on the curb. He has a distinct impression that the sack contains the tools he needs. "That's illogical" he tells himself and continues up to the Café. Thoughts about the bag keep gnawing on him though, so he resolves to look on the way back, if it's still there. It is, he does, and there are the tools.
What happened?
- If it was it god or the devil, then whatever happened to the guy and that car since, is the intended result. As superior social beings, it's their fault or credit. They are accountable, and he's just a hapless pawn.
- It was god "A" getting revenge on god "B", concerning some fracas that took place long ago in a galaxy far, far away.
- He subconsciously overheard someone talking about exactly what he needed, when he needed it, giving the location. So it was a simple matter to go over and pick it up.
- Good or evil had nothing to do with it. Like Remote Viewing, used by the US and Russia during the Cold War (and practically every shamanic culture), it was his own desire and awareness that located the nearest available tools that he needed. ("cosmic consciousness" dude) The Café excursion was just an excuse of logic. (rent the DVD "Suspect Zero", the movie is kind'a harsh, but there's a bonus clip on remote viewing that seems authentic).
- A word of caution about Remote Viewing: I decided to buy a course from Ed Ames was appalled by his crass & commercial presentation. It's possible that the problem lies with the ad agency, but even so, it's an insult to the buyers who make up that market. It cost $300 which is another way of saying "Greedy stupid people pay outlandish money for our unproven product because they think it will give them anything they want! We have nothing to loose by insulting your intelligence because we don't respect you anyway!". You have to ask to get off their spam list, or they'll assume you'll want to buy 50 other CDs w/ similar crap for the same price.
- A word of caution about Remote Viewing: I decided to buy a course from Ed Ames was appalled by his crass & commercial presentation. It's possible that the problem lies with the ad agency, but even so, it's an insult to the buyers who make up that market. It cost $300 which is another way of saying "Greedy stupid people pay outlandish money for our unproven product because they think it will give them anything they want! We have nothing to loose by insulting your intelligence because we don't respect you anyway!". You have to ask to get off their spam list, or they'll assume you'll want to buy 50 other CDs w/ similar crap for the same price.
- The story could be fake.
Although I have that story from the most credible source possible, there's no way to prove it. The only reason for you to take my word would be if believing benefits you somehow. for example:
- someone offers you 72 virgins &/or a place at gods right hand after you're dead.
- retelling will amaze your friends so you gain stature (unless you blow it). You get to be seen, at ease, with rich guys and your social superiors if you tell their story and lend them credibility. By retelling their story, you establish your own social superiority, and can then qualify to join the republican party, or the church & be saved from the forked tongue of The Deceiver.
- it agrees with your previous experience.
How many times have you picked up the phone and knew who the caller was before they spoke? Some other occasions might be: knowing that something is imminent, like a cop car is behind you, your kid is waking up, someone or a piece of information is about to arrive.
Stuff happens all the time, the problem is that it's a sin to question god.
church essentials
Atheism in search of an identity more (I don't like the asterisk, #9 is my choice)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Ok, Ok, so god doesn't ignore you because he answered your secret longing. I can't argue specifics if someone wants to hang gods name on the cause, but there are other possibilities. The framework of expectation determines the probable cause, ask a cop, even an objective one. Unreasonable faith is not a credible aspiration.
Yaaaah! Awaken oh religious people, you're not gullible enough, you should be ashamed! wups that's what got you into this mess, silly me. Unreasonable Faith isn't something to brag about, it's swallowing 7200 pounds of pure and unblemished virgin crap in one gulp. It might make the Guinness world record for credulity, but the only way you'll ever be respected for "unreasonable faith" is by explaining the reasoning behind it. Good luck. You do it because everyone else in your community does it. If they all went to war, would you go too? ... OK, wrong question, how about: If they all met weekly to recite banal platitudes that justify righteous arrogance and condescension toward others, would you do it ... ahh .. too? Why is this so hard? The Lord must be messing with me. OK but which Lord? Hamlet had this problem when a ghost claiming to be his Dad told him that he'd been murdered.
Thus I propose a Play to be staged, the plot shall be such that it shall portray the symphony of society, wherein the wealthy shall be played by the homeless, the homeless shall be played by the rich, the Devout shall portray Atheistst, the clergy shall play the whore, .. uh ok, but every other station and situation shall be interpreted by it's nemesis. I myself shall be the director and everyone shall surely give me timely advice in all that I should do.
Well that looks like a mess, but we'll see who chickens out first.
How to create less selfish societies (physorg) a kind-of-hard read.
Atheists banned from public service in 6 states
Coming soon: My personal list of unexplainable coincidences. Don't miss it!
Yaaaah! Awaken oh religious people, you're not gullible enough, you should be ashamed! wups that's what got you into this mess, silly me. Unreasonable Faith isn't something to brag about, it's swallowing 7200 pounds of pure and unblemished virgin crap in one gulp. It might make the Guinness world record for credulity, but the only way you'll ever be respected for "unreasonable faith" is by explaining the reasoning behind it. Good luck. You do it because everyone else in your community does it. If they all went to war, would you go too? ... OK, wrong question, how about: If they all met weekly to recite banal platitudes that justify righteous arrogance and condescension toward others, would you do it ... ahh .. too? Why is this so hard? The Lord must be messing with me. OK but which Lord? Hamlet had this problem when a ghost claiming to be his Dad told him that he'd been murdered.
Thus I propose a Play to be staged, the plot shall be such that it shall portray the symphony of society, wherein the wealthy shall be played by the homeless, the homeless shall be played by the rich, the Devout shall portray Atheistst, the clergy shall play the whore, .. uh ok, but every other station and situation shall be interpreted by it's nemesis. I myself shall be the director and everyone shall surely give me timely advice in all that I should do.
Well that looks like a mess, but we'll see who chickens out first.
How to create less selfish societies (physorg) a kind-of-hard read.
Atheists banned from public service in 6 states
Coming soon: My personal list of unexplainable coincidences. Don't miss it!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Not enough Jihad lately?
Islam makes the offer of 72 virgins, like it's an incentive. Most men have enough trouble with only one. It's true girls can be sweet, but 2 or more can also be remorselessly catty & vindictive. With just one person's attention to compete for, I imagine all those martyrs will about now be hiding out in heavens tractor shed, speaking in whispers. No wonder it's part of the offer, it probably screens for total ignorance, or a tendency to suicide. Wasn't Mohammed famous for being an honest judge, a critical thinker and peacemaker, like when some tribes were at war, or about to start one? Duh.
Meanwhile in other news, more religious myth: The Jewish "Race"
*****************************************************************
The case for multiple gods
(I'm not selling this, it just seems worth considering since the 3 main western religions are all monotheistically attached to the same god, and behave like selfish idiots):
Without feedback, how would you know you exist? You'd be like in a coma. If you're God, where do you get self awareness? There needs to be something "other" for perception to occur. Where does the other come from? If you're God and are self aware, there must be something else. If you're "The One God", you should be completely spaced out and unaware of everything, without need or conflict. (even dreams require hormonal plumbing and a physiology to support it). Seem trivial? I think not, it's absolute proof that god ignores you because he doesn't exist. religions are all part of a big plot, see ... yawn.
ok, it's not just Yaweh, they're all full of bullying manipulators, (you're not guilty enough). So why do we even consider something as unprovable as a god? More about playing the "getting conned" game: 20% of crime confessions are false (Scientific American), and false confessions (also Scientific American). I keep coming back to it so much that it's starting to sound (to me) like old news. There's a thesis there, get on it (somebody).
Maybe I'm going at this wrong: Here's someone in a hut throwing rocks at shadows, or a van full of hippies channeling Seth, or a bunch of people in a laboratory trying to retro-engineer a primary algorithm. Their results all conflict, since causality is lacking & nothing makes sense, we'll just trust that the folks that feed us, won't eat us (no guarantee, so keep your head down) and faith claims the day.
But non conclusion doesn't equate w/ confusion, it's not the result that's of interest, it's the process of formulation. nonsense is relative to the observer. The part of the brain that makes sense of what we see, is connected to the part that trusts. It's like basic orientation, the confidence that an observation won't change when one blinks (which is a dead giveaway that you're dreaming, and/or proof of hallucination). Said confidence is taken for granted (especially if you're a slight-of-hand artist), and used for locating ones self in relation to the world, a ram buffer for short term memory. Bummer when you find you've been driving for 10 minutes and forgot where you are & don't recognize landmarks? Why would that make a person feel insecure, & insecure of what? getting mugged? going crazy? wandering empty streets till you starve, run out of gas & are finally eaten by zombies (happens all the time)? Believing in confusion is what makes it confusing. "God is unknowable" no kidding, duh, if that's part of the definition, why go there? It's also possible that god is just another word for whatever happens, & life goes on as well by any other name, except without all the guilt & exploitation.
Islam makes the offer of 72 virgins, like it's an incentive. Most men have enough trouble with only one. It's true girls can be sweet, but 2 or more can also be remorselessly catty & vindictive. With just one person's attention to compete for, I imagine all those martyrs will about now be hiding out in heavens tractor shed, speaking in whispers. No wonder it's part of the offer, it probably screens for total ignorance, or a tendency to suicide. Wasn't Mohammed famous for being an honest judge, a critical thinker and peacemaker, like when some tribes were at war, or about to start one? Duh.
Meanwhile in other news, more religious myth: The Jewish "Race"
*****************************************************************
The case for multiple gods
(I'm not selling this, it just seems worth considering since the 3 main western religions are all monotheistically attached to the same god, and behave like selfish idiots):
Without feedback, how would you know you exist? You'd be like in a coma. If you're God, where do you get self awareness? There needs to be something "other" for perception to occur. Where does the other come from? If you're God and are self aware, there must be something else. If you're "The One God", you should be completely spaced out and unaware of everything, without need or conflict. (even dreams require hormonal plumbing and a physiology to support it). Seem trivial? I think not, it's absolute proof that god ignores you because he doesn't exist. religions are all part of a big plot, see ... yawn.
ok, it's not just Yaweh, they're all full of bullying manipulators, (you're not guilty enough). So why do we even consider something as unprovable as a god? More about playing the "getting conned" game: 20% of crime confessions are false (Scientific American), and false confessions (also Scientific American). I keep coming back to it so much that it's starting to sound (to me) like old news. There's a thesis there, get on it (somebody).
Maybe I'm going at this wrong: Here's someone in a hut throwing rocks at shadows, or a van full of hippies channeling Seth, or a bunch of people in a laboratory trying to retro-engineer a primary algorithm. Their results all conflict, since causality is lacking & nothing makes sense, we'll just trust that the folks that feed us, won't eat us (no guarantee, so keep your head down) and faith claims the day.
But non conclusion doesn't equate w/ confusion, it's not the result that's of interest, it's the process of formulation. nonsense is relative to the observer. The part of the brain that makes sense of what we see, is connected to the part that trusts. It's like basic orientation, the confidence that an observation won't change when one blinks (which is a dead giveaway that you're dreaming, and/or proof of hallucination). Said confidence is taken for granted (especially if you're a slight-of-hand artist), and used for locating ones self in relation to the world, a ram buffer for short term memory. Bummer when you find you've been driving for 10 minutes and forgot where you are & don't recognize landmarks? Why would that make a person feel insecure, & insecure of what? getting mugged? going crazy? wandering empty streets till you starve, run out of gas & are finally eaten by zombies (happens all the time)? Believing in confusion is what makes it confusing. "God is unknowable" no kidding, duh, if that's part of the definition, why go there? It's also possible that god is just another word for whatever happens, & life goes on as well by any other name, except without all the guilt & exploitation.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Please check out the following links, especially Jesus and Mo (NOTE: The depiction of Mohammed is actually a look-alike stand in, but Jesus isn't). Also Russell's Teapot
Nov. 25: NY Post Reports that due to a broken Jaw, Ann Coulter's mouth has been wired shut. Atheists everywhere are given momentary pause. From Tom Tomorrow
God's a name for the object of a person judging themselves. It's probably too late now, but if I were an ancient dictator, I'd say how I have a divine right to rule, and how god has a short & gruesome cure for dissent. Then I'd levee taxes that will reveal non-believers as traitors. They all did it, Moses, Ashurbanipal, Ramses, Genghis Khan. It's a sign of civilization if not enlightenment. Saddam was going to resurrect the glory of Babylon & I think the Bushes were jealous of his hubris, so they had a war. But these things don't stay in the publics awareness for very long. I suspect as soon as the outrage wears off & the hormones evaporate, something else will come along. Religion and atheism will both loose favor as that polarization recedes too. Self judgments need a social context, like some group to identify with, what a politician would call "an issue". Who's side are you on?
Many Americans doubt the morality of atheists (St Petersberg Times)
Atheists dealing with death
Religion may have evolved because of its ability to help people exercise self-control.
Thomas Jeffersons advice to his nephew on religion (#4).
Demographics of Atheism (Wikipedia)
Brain mechanisms of social conformity (eurekalert)
The next big religion UFO cults
When prophecy fails How to rationalize the difference between what's expected and what actually happens.
Atheists that believe in god
Butterflies and Wheels Command central in the war against fashionable nonsense
Nov. 25: NY Post Reports that due to a broken Jaw, Ann Coulter's mouth has been wired shut. Atheists everywhere are given momentary pause. From Tom Tomorrow
God's a name for the object of a person judging themselves. It's probably too late now, but if I were an ancient dictator, I'd say how I have a divine right to rule, and how god has a short & gruesome cure for dissent. Then I'd levee taxes that will reveal non-believers as traitors. They all did it, Moses, Ashurbanipal, Ramses, Genghis Khan. It's a sign of civilization if not enlightenment. Saddam was going to resurrect the glory of Babylon & I think the Bushes were jealous of his hubris, so they had a war. But these things don't stay in the publics awareness for very long. I suspect as soon as the outrage wears off & the hormones evaporate, something else will come along. Religion and atheism will both loose favor as that polarization recedes too. Self judgments need a social context, like some group to identify with, what a politician would call "an issue". Who's side are you on?
Many Americans doubt the morality of atheists (St Petersberg Times)
Atheists dealing with death
Religion may have evolved because of its ability to help people exercise self-control.
Thomas Jeffersons advice to his nephew on religion (#4).
Demographics of Atheism (Wikipedia)
Brain mechanisms of social conformity (eurekalert)
The next big religion UFO cults
When prophecy fails How to rationalize the difference between what's expected and what actually happens.
Atheists that believe in god
Butterflies and Wheels Command central in the war against fashionable nonsense
Saturday, January 03, 2009
ok here we are again in Faerie: I have beneath this satin cloth, a small box (whoosh) pretty isn't it? it was made that way to elicit curiosity, and given by Jupiter to the first woman (not Eve) to illustrate the complications of knowledge. So like once you know something, it becomes an indelible point of reference in your intellect. Even though the discovered thingie may only be an unprovable plausibility, there's no way you can erase it's existence (except with lots and lots of drugs, but which again compound the distraction). So whatever you do, don't think about some secret govt. agency watching through your desktop video cam.
Now inside this box (creak) is a personal problem which everyone has .. (fumble - rummage), Ah-Hah! there he is, it's God. No, don't let him out, he just makes trouble, ... oh shit.
Now we have to explain him away, & how we gonna do that with him floating around, morphing faster than HIV. Maybe we could just ignore him.
Now inside this box (creak) is a personal problem which everyone has .. (fumble - rummage), Ah-Hah! there he is, it's God. No, don't let him out, he just makes trouble, ... oh shit.
Now we have to explain him away, & how we gonna do that with him floating around, morphing faster than HIV. Maybe we could just ignore him.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
I saw on reddit that Christians wonder why Atheists feel they have to put Christians down, indeed atheists wonder why Christians put Atheists down. It's probably the same thing, like each community has it's own team, whatever the topic. My own experience is that Christians are mostly ok & only those who try to talk about faith (or lack if it) require repression. The missionary spirit is obnoxious, unacceptably conceited, overbearing, inconsiderate, impolite, condescending, oppressive, insulting, and very very ignorant. When it talks about faith and belief in the bible as the word of god, faith is not reasonable (this is bad). Reason connects prior experiences between people, faith doesn't and blithely offers no substitute. It is it's own answer, you have to have it before you understand. Having faith is like being trained in martial arts. Nobody can possibly touch you, every opposing posture has a counter position. If you die, it's a noble death. You're innocent as George Bush because the most obvious and egregious lie in the name of faith is unquestionable.
Why not faith in astrology? I can see small groups of smiling clean cut astrology missionaries going door to door, handing out glossy pamphlets showing the possible end of the world if funding isn't found to study the orbits of near earth asteroids. Dudes, here's my free astrology software.
More than any other world view or philosophy, faith requires trusting someone else's experience over your own. I have a problem with any blank check on my credibility. Human awareness is built on a learned description, which limits what we allow ourselves to know, to mainly things which we can communicate. The sources of these things (authority figures and social conventions), require trusting someone else's experience over our own. Though that process is the backbone of primate society, those sources may still be in error. Unfortunately, the error is too often intentional.
Some studies with monkeys showed that when one masters a game played with other monkeys, to win food, the master must allow the other to win 40% of the time, or the others won't play and nobody gets food. The odds there were 6 to 4 for being conned based on trust. Humans are at least more trusting (6.5 to 3.5), if not smarter, as shown by Experiments in social conformity & torture (BBC). Also see: Placebos, belief and trust (eurekalert.org). These odds for being conned don't differentiate players who know they're being conned, but go along because it's better than to challenge authority and risk receiving some kind of reprimand.
Even so, I think the church (all of them) has done a pretty good job of making people happy and dumb. Things could be worse (1) than structured forgiveness, and having a large percent of social misfits held in check by benign neglect because they're socially accepted. However you cut it though, some percent of people will game the system opportunistically. The worst of these either feel socially alienated or are psychopathic. I'd imagine that if the cause was alienation, it would be a mistake to punish them by alienating them further.
Mark Twain on "The Fall of Man" w/ links to other good stories)
_____________
(1) Worse: the American prison system, the alternate patron of misfits (2), offers no absolution or social acceptance at all, teaches that inmates are inhuman, and offers rape, a broken spirit, eternal damnation and hell. Misfits find their only society to be other misfits and so form a default team, exchanging ideas and methodologies, until a pool of the dammed becomes available for antisocial efforts (like Blackwater, Mexican drug cartels, or The Joker). When this group reaches critical mass, a war against them becomes politically justifiable.
(2) the term "misfits" is used broadly here to include the nonviolent and offenders of statistics.
Why not faith in astrology? I can see small groups of smiling clean cut astrology missionaries going door to door, handing out glossy pamphlets showing the possible end of the world if funding isn't found to study the orbits of near earth asteroids. Dudes, here's my free astrology software.
More than any other world view or philosophy, faith requires trusting someone else's experience over your own. I have a problem with any blank check on my credibility. Human awareness is built on a learned description, which limits what we allow ourselves to know, to mainly things which we can communicate. The sources of these things (authority figures and social conventions), require trusting someone else's experience over our own. Though that process is the backbone of primate society, those sources may still be in error. Unfortunately, the error is too often intentional.
Some studies with monkeys showed that when one masters a game played with other monkeys, to win food, the master must allow the other to win 40% of the time, or the others won't play and nobody gets food. The odds there were 6 to 4 for being conned based on trust. Humans are at least more trusting (6.5 to 3.5), if not smarter, as shown by Experiments in social conformity & torture (BBC). Also see: Placebos, belief and trust (eurekalert.org). These odds for being conned don't differentiate players who know they're being conned, but go along because it's better than to challenge authority and risk receiving some kind of reprimand.
Even so, I think the church (all of them) has done a pretty good job of making people happy and dumb. Things could be worse (1) than structured forgiveness, and having a large percent of social misfits held in check by benign neglect because they're socially accepted. However you cut it though, some percent of people will game the system opportunistically. The worst of these either feel socially alienated or are psychopathic. I'd imagine that if the cause was alienation, it would be a mistake to punish them by alienating them further.
Mark Twain on "The Fall of Man" w/ links to other good stories)
_____________
(1) Worse: the American prison system, the alternate patron of misfits (2), offers no absolution or social acceptance at all, teaches that inmates are inhuman, and offers rape, a broken spirit, eternal damnation and hell. Misfits find their only society to be other misfits and so form a default team, exchanging ideas and methodologies, until a pool of the dammed becomes available for antisocial efforts (like Blackwater, Mexican drug cartels, or The Joker). When this group reaches critical mass, a war against them becomes politically justifiable.
(2) the term "misfits" is used broadly here to include the nonviolent and offenders of statistics.
Monday, December 15, 2008
It's the writers opinion that we owe our existence to god thusly:
Without the ingratiating influence of religious manipulators, we'd all be murdering yetis, and our civilization could have never evolved.
Of course, we're not done yet, and the most probable scenario for global nuclear war seems to be about religion.
However the most powerful decision makers don't necessarily benefit from organized religion. When their sweating finger lays possessively on THE BUTTON, and the demons of indecision flap about, who ya gonna call? In fact the one man I would give kudos to without reservation is the Soviet Submarine officer who chose not to start WW3 over the Cuban missiles while everyone else was hooting and beating their chest. He walked (sailed) away, and as we all know, commies are atheists. And we're still here. The next day politicians in the Kremlin and Washington, were washing out their pants, thanking god that someone had the brains to stop.
Well ok, that example couldn't possibly represent every world shaking decision supported by faith in god, or lack of it. But I'd feel secure in betting any amount of cash, that more wars have been waged in gods name than in the name of atheism. It's true that Joe Stalin and chairman Mao killed more than 50 million of their own people, but they were fighting with religious believers. Marxism & Communism have only been around about 100 years, but some version of god has been w/ us for 10 thousand +. Politicians need to generate enthusiasm & hormones to accomplish what truth and reason would show to be the benefit of a tiny minority.
God will always be a tool of the state because it (He) represents the ultimate in plausible deniability. Actually the state is a natural result of a religious elite (like the priority of chicken or egg, they're hard to separate). As a unique species of genocidal ape, we really do need something to balance our tendency to mass psychopathy, with something less murderous. A "moral religion" works, w/ self denial, monasteries, places of commitment, houses of worship, a social order greater than the individual, & warrior monks (aka drones). So someone takes on a role as a seer or healer or confessor, gets backers & starts negotiating political deals. Making people feel good about it is THE required skill, anyone physically big enough can intimidate people to get Poon. but playing the good guy too, wins committed allies, then we can all get poon even though we're short & scrawny.
God favors them wot favors themselves:
the problem w/ peace on earth is bullies. see we have "The Peace Makers" (aka plebeian hippy fags) in one corner, and we have "The Entitled" (aka "The Righteous") in the other corner. The Peace Makers must somehow represent their ideal, so they reject aggression. This makes them defenseless, sullen, passive-aggressive emo-Goths. The Entitled must live to a code which challenges the non-entitled (this is why have-nots don't have), and allows The Righteous claim to anything they want because god is on their side. Anyone who can't or won't defend themselves is suicidal & therefore destined for hell anyway, so screw the punk ass hippy peacemaker. Yes, well this evidence indicates that hippy fagism may one day save everyone's butt from tumescent, self serving religious bureaucracies, oddly in the same way that Judaism validated it's self to Rome. Thusly:
Rome was tolerant of "all" religions, but a real religion had to show some divine connection to qualify. Some carpenter claiming to be the son of god sounded lame even then, but fulfillment of prophecies were a good way to show gods favor. So the Pharisees spoke craftily among themselves saying "Lo, we can turn this nut to our benefit. if we denounce him now, he'll fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah dying on the tree". The tree symbolism is a reference to ol' timey hebrew procedure dealing w/ uppity political figures and screwballs, by tieing them up in a tree till they agreed to recognize the existing social order (cheaper than jails & more practical if y'all live in tents). If the screwball stubbornly expired before he acquiesced, then he retroactively got gods blessing in order to appease his family, or clan, who might have hairy backs, and number several hundred. So that's what they did & said to Rome "hey lookit what you did" & naturally Rome couldn't deny it's own divinity, so Judaism became a recognized religion because Roman law fulfilled the prophesy. though it still took awhile to iron out the details because they were, as now, somewhat pig headed.
So, Buddha & Jesus theory used sort of the same plan to organize peacemakers: they set up a code of inclusion so that some demographic of The Righteous would already be on their side. It turns out that's like herding cats, which is said to be impossible (beats tetris), unless there's also something that attracts cats to make them clump together. One of the "somethings" is the "honor" of defending peace through violence rather than Hippy Fagism, so we're right back where we started, only now "We have met the enemy, and he is us" (P. Possum, 1970).
How warfare shaped human evolution (newscientist)
sex and war
So ok lets get practical, the traditional social model doesn't allow peaceful resolution when things get dire because hormones trump communication & reason. There are however thousands of Emos (not the bird) who would pay good money (that means probably not in American dollars) to get into a sexual relationship w/ "the enemy" for altruistic reasons. Japan recognized this potential at the end of WW2. Expecting victorious Americans to overrun the country, raping & pillaging, they offered a front line of "Geishas" to take the hormonal edge off the first wave, and offer an alternate dynamic. It was a noble gesture and it may have saved the country, but like most alternate dynamics, we'll never know. I understand Japan now owns most of the automobile market as well as the financial debt for Bush & Cheney's war, so retrospectively it may have been a working strategy (for the sake of Americas national pride). Actually, I don't expect the religious right, or anyone else, to get behind this (historical precedent is against me), but it's a seldom considered alternative: Take a Bonobo to lunch, and Make Love Not War, but don't expect respect unless you're dominant (and you're not).
But if you are, this is the most terrifying picture I've ever seen. Readers with a tenuous grip on moral ethics definitely should not
(no, god! don't do it ) --> ! CLICK HERE ! <--
fag comix (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 1 (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 2 (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 3 (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 4 (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 5 (sinfest)
epidemics of fear (sciencedaily)
cars have personality (faces) (eurekalert)
Atheist may sue if law on Las Vegas officiants won't change (latimes)
Without the ingratiating influence of religious manipulators, we'd all be murdering yetis, and our civilization could have never evolved.
Of course, we're not done yet, and the most probable scenario for global nuclear war seems to be about religion.
However the most powerful decision makers don't necessarily benefit from organized religion. When their sweating finger lays possessively on THE BUTTON, and the demons of indecision flap about, who ya gonna call? In fact the one man I would give kudos to without reservation is the Soviet Submarine officer who chose not to start WW3 over the Cuban missiles while everyone else was hooting and beating their chest. He walked (sailed) away, and as we all know, commies are atheists. And we're still here. The next day politicians in the Kremlin and Washington, were washing out their pants, thanking god that someone had the brains to stop.
Well ok, that example couldn't possibly represent every world shaking decision supported by faith in god, or lack of it. But I'd feel secure in betting any amount of cash, that more wars have been waged in gods name than in the name of atheism. It's true that Joe Stalin and chairman Mao killed more than 50 million of their own people, but they were fighting with religious believers. Marxism & Communism have only been around about 100 years, but some version of god has been w/ us for 10 thousand +. Politicians need to generate enthusiasm & hormones to accomplish what truth and reason would show to be the benefit of a tiny minority.
God will always be a tool of the state because it (He) represents the ultimate in plausible deniability. Actually the state is a natural result of a religious elite (like the priority of chicken or egg, they're hard to separate). As a unique species of genocidal ape, we really do need something to balance our tendency to mass psychopathy, with something less murderous. A "moral religion" works, w/ self denial, monasteries, places of commitment, houses of worship, a social order greater than the individual, & warrior monks (aka drones). So someone takes on a role as a seer or healer or confessor, gets backers & starts negotiating political deals. Making people feel good about it is THE required skill, anyone physically big enough can intimidate people to get Poon. but playing the good guy too, wins committed allies, then we can all get poon even though we're short & scrawny.
God favors them wot favors themselves:
the problem w/ peace on earth is bullies. see we have "The Peace Makers" (aka plebeian hippy fags) in one corner, and we have "The Entitled" (aka "The Righteous") in the other corner. The Peace Makers must somehow represent their ideal, so they reject aggression. This makes them defenseless, sullen, passive-aggressive emo-Goths. The Entitled must live to a code which challenges the non-entitled (this is why have-nots don't have), and allows The Righteous claim to anything they want because god is on their side. Anyone who can't or won't defend themselves is suicidal & therefore destined for hell anyway, so screw the punk ass hippy peacemaker. Yes, well this evidence indicates that hippy fagism may one day save everyone's butt from tumescent, self serving religious bureaucracies, oddly in the same way that Judaism validated it's self to Rome. Thusly:
Rome was tolerant of "all" religions, but a real religion had to show some divine connection to qualify. Some carpenter claiming to be the son of god sounded lame even then, but fulfillment of prophecies were a good way to show gods favor. So the Pharisees spoke craftily among themselves saying "Lo, we can turn this nut to our benefit. if we denounce him now, he'll fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah dying on the tree". The tree symbolism is a reference to ol' timey hebrew procedure dealing w/ uppity political figures and screwballs, by tieing them up in a tree till they agreed to recognize the existing social order (cheaper than jails & more practical if y'all live in tents). If the screwball stubbornly expired before he acquiesced, then he retroactively got gods blessing in order to appease his family, or clan, who might have hairy backs, and number several hundred. So that's what they did & said to Rome "hey lookit what you did" & naturally Rome couldn't deny it's own divinity, so Judaism became a recognized religion because Roman law fulfilled the prophesy. though it still took awhile to iron out the details because they were, as now, somewhat pig headed.
So, Buddha & Jesus theory used sort of the same plan to organize peacemakers: they set up a code of inclusion so that some demographic of The Righteous would already be on their side. It turns out that's like herding cats, which is said to be impossible (beats tetris), unless there's also something that attracts cats to make them clump together. One of the "somethings" is the "honor" of defending peace through violence rather than Hippy Fagism, so we're right back where we started, only now "We have met the enemy, and he is us" (P. Possum, 1970).
How warfare shaped human evolution (newscientist)
sex and war
So ok lets get practical, the traditional social model doesn't allow peaceful resolution when things get dire because hormones trump communication & reason. There are however thousands of Emos (not the bird) who would pay good money (that means probably not in American dollars) to get into a sexual relationship w/ "the enemy" for altruistic reasons. Japan recognized this potential at the end of WW2. Expecting victorious Americans to overrun the country, raping & pillaging, they offered a front line of "Geishas" to take the hormonal edge off the first wave, and offer an alternate dynamic. It was a noble gesture and it may have saved the country, but like most alternate dynamics, we'll never know. I understand Japan now owns most of the automobile market as well as the financial debt for Bush & Cheney's war, so retrospectively it may have been a working strategy (for the sake of Americas national pride). Actually, I don't expect the religious right, or anyone else, to get behind this (historical precedent is against me), but it's a seldom considered alternative: Take a Bonobo to lunch, and Make Love Not War, but don't expect respect unless you're dominant (and you're not).
But if you are, this is the most terrifying picture I've ever seen. Readers with a tenuous grip on moral ethics definitely should not
(no, god! don't do it ) --> ! CLICK HERE ! <--
fag comix (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 1 (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 2 (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 3 (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 4 (sinfest)
voodoo dance of opposites 5 (sinfest)
epidemics of fear (sciencedaily)
cars have personality (faces) (eurekalert)
Atheist may sue if law on Las Vegas officiants won't change (latimes)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Everything we conceptualize is in relation to other people. so we're at odds w/ parts of the world that don't show things we can either represent to or as people. there's just no way to grasp it. justify anything: it comes down to it's social value.
Krill for example: obscure little shrimp like bug thingies that live in the open ocean and form the major part of baleen whale diets. Their value as individuals is unthinkable, we don't have anything in common. they're lousy conversationalists. our interest in them is mainly: how might we exploit them to make a point of conjecture, or rip off their protein.
so what do krill do when they're bored? like us, it's sex & food. they aren't too concerned w/ housing because they're free swimming, although they do migrate between temperature clines to follow plankton (which they eat). Like us, they swarm in colonies for protection, but they have no word for "landlord".
The Lords of Creation were sitting around discussing how cool it was to be a Lord, when some fool asked "hey, what's a lord anyhow" Lords Shango and Loki laughed mightily (as lords are wont to do), and incinerated him on the spot. "That's a Lord, fool" There was no reply. Then Jesus, who was the Lord of Lords said "So like, what's next, dudes? We really needed that guy so we can be lords"
see, EVERYTHING describable must have a social value or it's meaningless & just not interesting. Abstractions become anthropomorphic with social labels. Straight lines grow eyes and feet.
Atheist Toast
why people believe in supernatural stuff
Anthropologist Develops New Approach to Explain Religious Behavior
How an Amazonian tribe turned a missionary into an Atheist(freethinker.co.uk)
Application for godship
Why bad things happen
another deadbeat god
Krill for example: obscure little shrimp like bug thingies that live in the open ocean and form the major part of baleen whale diets. Their value as individuals is unthinkable, we don't have anything in common. they're lousy conversationalists. our interest in them is mainly: how might we exploit them to make a point of conjecture, or rip off their protein.
so what do krill do when they're bored? like us, it's sex & food. they aren't too concerned w/ housing because they're free swimming, although they do migrate between temperature clines to follow plankton (which they eat). Like us, they swarm in colonies for protection, but they have no word for "landlord".
The Lords of Creation were sitting around discussing how cool it was to be a Lord, when some fool asked "hey, what's a lord anyhow" Lords Shango and Loki laughed mightily (as lords are wont to do), and incinerated him on the spot. "That's a Lord, fool" There was no reply. Then Jesus, who was the Lord of Lords said "So like, what's next, dudes? We really needed that guy so we can be lords"
see, EVERYTHING describable must have a social value or it's meaningless & just not interesting. Abstractions become anthropomorphic with social labels. Straight lines grow eyes and feet.
Atheist Toast
why people believe in supernatural stuff
Anthropologist Develops New Approach to Explain Religious Behavior
How an Amazonian tribe turned a missionary into an Atheist(freethinker.co.uk)
Application for godship
Why bad things happen
another deadbeat god
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Here's 2 dozen versions of the bible and comments. I admire this guy because he allows comments. I don't allow them because bible thumpers (to me) are irrational and it depresses me that the god of natural selection hasn't struck them all dead. So ok, you exist, you win, evolution works.
Dated and droll as it may be, the carnage, treachery, incest and obscenity in the Bible only represents the real world. Most, if not all, of it's authors are talking about how to deal with disillusionment without running away or taking a shotgun down to the local Mac Donalds to even the score. Unfortunately something gets lost in the translation. Fortunately, it gets us by because we can always surmise the intent of the teaching, based on the desires of our social superiors (like pop culture gods). Unfortunately, that doesn't actually resolve the problem, it only makes us appear to be as normal as our social superiors (like MIchael Jackson, Brittney, Adolph HItler, Jim Jones, OJ Simpson, or George Bush ll). Like, here's an article on normal sexual aberration in animals, unfortunately (or not), they're not aberrations, fortunately (or not) they have almost nothing to do with the church.
Whether you think (like me) that heaven is in your head, or someplace physical like Jones Town, the recognizable property of heaven is that things are good there. It's a model of goodness that people keep trying to build up around us. Some models are a fortress, some are open. In theory it doesn't matter if it's closed or open, but in practicality, it does. A closed heaven in your head, isn't heaven. An open heaven in Guyana, invites malaria & probably criticism from neighboring (richer, and more heavenly) heavens.
heaven is an amusement park that never closes
Though everyone agrees that heaven is the ideal model (even satanists, for them hell is heaven), we still can't reach agreement on phrases like "heavenly music" or "heaven on earth". Governmental ambassadors, judicial intermediaries, hand shakes, gift exchanges, marriages, & all kinds of formal acknowledgments still don't do the trick because we're separated from the world by respect.
not that we shouldn't respect the world (god knows we don't anyhow), rather, we should be the world, the world is us. Live the dream.
A god driven universe is, is frankly absurd, it has the same deductive rationale as geocentrism & a flat earth. more so if the universe is the product of a god made by man. Evidence for this is in the righteousness of any religion, they can't all be right, but they can all be wrong.
Dated and droll as it may be, the carnage, treachery, incest and obscenity in the Bible only represents the real world. Most, if not all, of it's authors are talking about how to deal with disillusionment without running away or taking a shotgun down to the local Mac Donalds to even the score. Unfortunately something gets lost in the translation. Fortunately, it gets us by because we can always surmise the intent of the teaching, based on the desires of our social superiors (like pop culture gods). Unfortunately, that doesn't actually resolve the problem, it only makes us appear to be as normal as our social superiors (like MIchael Jackson, Brittney, Adolph HItler, Jim Jones, OJ Simpson, or George Bush ll). Like, here's an article on normal sexual aberration in animals, unfortunately (or not), they're not aberrations, fortunately (or not) they have almost nothing to do with the church.
Whether you think (like me) that heaven is in your head, or someplace physical like Jones Town, the recognizable property of heaven is that things are good there. It's a model of goodness that people keep trying to build up around us. Some models are a fortress, some are open. In theory it doesn't matter if it's closed or open, but in practicality, it does. A closed heaven in your head, isn't heaven. An open heaven in Guyana, invites malaria & probably criticism from neighboring (richer, and more heavenly) heavens.
heaven is an amusement park that never closes
Though everyone agrees that heaven is the ideal model (even satanists, for them hell is heaven), we still can't reach agreement on phrases like "heavenly music" or "heaven on earth". Governmental ambassadors, judicial intermediaries, hand shakes, gift exchanges, marriages, & all kinds of formal acknowledgments still don't do the trick because we're separated from the world by respect.
not that we shouldn't respect the world (god knows we don't anyhow), rather, we should be the world, the world is us. Live the dream.A god driven universe is, is frankly absurd, it has the same deductive rationale as geocentrism & a flat earth. more so if the universe is the product of a god made by man. Evidence for this is in the righteousness of any religion, they can't all be right, but they can all be wrong.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
This is just a guess: If I were god (which of course I am), I'd develop an alter ego so there'd be some kind of feedback. Then I'd get into heated debates about irrelevant crap, based on whomever had the idea first & is thus the original. Then I'd jump on the bastard & beat the shit out of him for being so disrespectful, and place him in some kind of parallel continuum like heaven, or hell where he would be handy to validate my existence, but be unable to bug me otherwise. The deal being: as soon as I'm through with existence, you can have it, (smirk smirk) so he never gets it. (giggle)
Like I was talking to God the other day & he said "Alas my creations are unbearably stupid. It reflects on me, not because they fight constantly like unruly brats, but because they don't recognize the value of being number 2. Like, it's simply not possible for everyone to be number one and those that think they are should remember Katrina and be vigilant to stay clear of my path."
So I'm like: "Woux, dude, I know how you mean, they got no respect."
An He's like: "Bless you my son"
An I'm like: "Yeah, made in Your image an being number 2 totally sucks"
And so that's how I got this smoking crater where my head used to be. Now I'm thinking maybe we should redesign the western Pantheon of God, Jesus, Mother Mary, Saint Elmo, Satan, Bezelbub & anybody else you have a problem with, to be a more socially viable if we want to avoid Armageddon & ten thousand (more) years of strife & conflict. Some suggestions are:
1) nobody with gods arrogance will ever find peace in the world, so thenceforth god will no longer be number one, so if (as they say) we're made in His image, we won't then be reflecting his selfishness and can afford to be more agreeable to get along.
2) Jesus must screw, all the hippy Jesuses did (god kicked them out of heaven for it & gave them aids). But Jesus is "God in the flesh" with human faults and he never screws? that dog don't float, it's just trouble waiting to happen, so make it ok, god needs grandkids.
3) Satan and the minions of hell shall be fallible. Like Santa Claus, the devil supposedly knows what you're thinking, and will punish you for it, forever. But why should the Fallen One provide the world with any reason to avoid eternity in screaming agony? It's counter productive. If I were the devil, I'd have a more laid back image, (maybe talking geckos for salesmen) and a more credible game plan, because ABSOLUTE, non negotiable anything is either a sign of A) challenge, or B) ignorance. Say it's challenge, Satan wants you to not fall for his gambit, like he's really Jehovah undercover, trying to make you good, but God wouldn't lie, and Satan wouldn't NOT want you to burn forever in eternal damnation. So it must be B) ignorance: Satan is therefore the Great Bush, and must bear the associated stigma of farce.
Gods Favor
While driving down the highway in my smoking VW bus, we find we're being followed closely. Not by the usual police, but by Hummers, Mercedes, and BMWs, i.e. gods chosen. We naturally assume they want us to teach them the meaning of existence, but actually they want to pass because we're going slower than the speed limit.
Meanwhile my alter ego, claiming gods favor, cruses the interstate at 10 miles over the speed limit. It's a state of grace, music is on the radio, the air conditioning is inaudible. In the slow lane, the poor people, humble and ignorant, strive to justify their existence. I have no problem with them, I'm courteous, gracious, they don't bother me unless they question my claim of Gods favor.
Claiming or even looking for gods favor is the egos ultimate expression, justification for any action, I do it because I'm righteous. (you infidel pig of a roach) (I meant that in a good way)
Like I was talking to God the other day & he said "Alas my creations are unbearably stupid. It reflects on me, not because they fight constantly like unruly brats, but because they don't recognize the value of being number 2. Like, it's simply not possible for everyone to be number one and those that think they are should remember Katrina and be vigilant to stay clear of my path."
So I'm like: "Woux, dude, I know how you mean, they got no respect."
An He's like: "Bless you my son"
An I'm like: "Yeah, made in Your image an being number 2 totally sucks"
And so that's how I got this smoking crater where my head used to be. Now I'm thinking maybe we should redesign the western Pantheon of God, Jesus, Mother Mary, Saint Elmo, Satan, Bezelbub & anybody else you have a problem with, to be a more socially viable if we want to avoid Armageddon & ten thousand (more) years of strife & conflict. Some suggestions are:
1) nobody with gods arrogance will ever find peace in the world, so thenceforth god will no longer be number one, so if (as they say) we're made in His image, we won't then be reflecting his selfishness and can afford to be more agreeable to get along.
2) Jesus must screw, all the hippy Jesuses did (god kicked them out of heaven for it & gave them aids). But Jesus is "God in the flesh" with human faults and he never screws? that dog don't float, it's just trouble waiting to happen, so make it ok, god needs grandkids.
3) Satan and the minions of hell shall be fallible. Like Santa Claus, the devil supposedly knows what you're thinking, and will punish you for it, forever. But why should the Fallen One provide the world with any reason to avoid eternity in screaming agony? It's counter productive. If I were the devil, I'd have a more laid back image, (maybe talking geckos for salesmen) and a more credible game plan, because ABSOLUTE, non negotiable anything is either a sign of A) challenge, or B) ignorance. Say it's challenge, Satan wants you to not fall for his gambit, like he's really Jehovah undercover, trying to make you good, but God wouldn't lie, and Satan wouldn't NOT want you to burn forever in eternal damnation. So it must be B) ignorance: Satan is therefore the Great Bush, and must bear the associated stigma of farce.
Gods Favor
While driving down the highway in my smoking VW bus, we find we're being followed closely. Not by the usual police, but by Hummers, Mercedes, and BMWs, i.e. gods chosen. We naturally assume they want us to teach them the meaning of existence, but actually they want to pass because we're going slower than the speed limit.
Meanwhile my alter ego, claiming gods favor, cruses the interstate at 10 miles over the speed limit. It's a state of grace, music is on the radio, the air conditioning is inaudible. In the slow lane, the poor people, humble and ignorant, strive to justify their existence. I have no problem with them, I'm courteous, gracious, they don't bother me unless they question my claim of Gods favor.
Claiming or even looking for gods favor is the egos ultimate expression, justification for any action, I do it because I'm righteous. (you infidel pig of a roach) (I meant that in a good way)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Stuff concerning the Texas branch of the new polygamist church of the latter day saints:
This post is more than atheistic & antisocial, it's probably tacky & I apologize for that, but it describes stuff that's simply not questioned, or acknowledged, stuff fundamental (if you will) to our own, and many other species lives. Stuff that should be referenced somehow before undertaking anything which might otherwise require a short prayer.
this is a partial, exemplary list of un-citizenly behaviors:
Disrespect is the main one, (all others follow) for example disrespect of the Sea, of Death, the Unknown, and areas of Karmic response (like pissed off motorists and large men w/ chainsaws wearing goalie masks). These require an assessment of potential for which we're unavoidably responsible, with the caveat of stupidity.
Stupidity is socially acceptable to respectable people, because a stupid person would seem to be unaware, and they make the lives of respectable people look coherent. Without The Stupid, their lives would be meaningless. Or rather, without someone stupider than ones self, the pecking order could shift up a notch, and irrelevancy could happen to YOU.
My 8th grade math class was seated by order of achievement. The girl of my dreams was at the front nearest the teachers desk (Mrs. Witt), I sat in the last seat farthest from the desk (but nearest the door), and behind several inbred hillbillies. Charlie R. sat in front of me, and gave me answers (IQ of 60, in 1959, Special Ed. was only one class during study hall), which were useless, but he was a genuinely good guy (and stupid). Charlie was a good guy because his survival trait was agreeability, he was forced to be sucessful because nobody had his back, whereas the hillbillies all had giant beetle browed cousins.
Shame can be great stuff, porn actors get off on it. It seldom gets real public scrutiny though, either by the people who like it or the people who hate it. So what is it?
Schmeegle the Gollum killed his fishing buddy. Some say it was out of greed, others say it was because he was weaker than the ring of power (well who isn't?). He was ashamed to hang with his people afterwards though, & the ring seemed to be enough to get by on. He was still Hobbit enough to honor those values he dumped on himself for, & he couldn't let go or reconcile, so he became schizophrenic. The fact that his insanity saved the world is seldom mentioned because his actions appeared to be selfish (rather than stupid or altruistic), but we'll never know for sure, so he'll mostly be remembered for his treachery and fantastic CGI animation.
Ok, treachery means selling out your people. If you're not ashamed for that, you're probably psychopathic (which means lacking the ability for remorse, and thus, you have a great future in politics), or inhuman. Inhuman isn't a fair lable though, because dogs are more loyal than people, even though they & other carnivores usually require food rewards for their loyalty, not so with Meercats in their own society, but they, like dogs, expect it from humans, so though I'm not an animal whisperer, I suspect their infidelity revolves around mistrust. As a human I couldn't blame them, but this definition is getting anthropomorphic, so lets get back to whatever the topic was, oh yeah... treachery, well that about covers it.
Now getting back to shame: the final judgment on shame comes from ones self, it's decided by what's really detrimental to personal success. Islamist, Jews, Meercats and Christians all follow approximately the same code when it comes to premarital sex, which is (in case you haven't heard) that you shouldn't do it.
How come?
Because un regulated population uses up more resources than the populators can supply (because they're otherwise distracted), so everybody looses (except psychopaths, and cannibals). So then why don't these societies promote birth control? It's not because laws governing marriage and promiscuous behavior were written before birth control existed, there's always been birth control (though often drastic in some respect).
Rather, the nature of power is such that it requires sacrifice and obeisance. And getting a population to deny their sexuality, (sometimes donating their forskins, or sewing up their vaginal labia) is real obesiance. Starting on a family level (because mom says), through tribal (because Cochise says), and (viola) ending with national policy and church doctrine (because W says). Leaders depend on ritual warfare, sacrifice, and ancestor worship to legitimize their rule. In the old days, some forced their retinue of wives, concubines, and servants to follow them into death. Meercats don't do that, but every baby Meercat is taught by physical & social contact, to stick with the group, and that ostracization is fatal, and stupid.
In other words, population control is a survival trait of the species, whereas powers' control over it's followers is a survival trait of the leader.
With this contradiction of intent, we have the formula for schizophrenic policy on who controls reproductive rights, which (like Schmeegle) can't let go or reconcile.
....
Part of the concern about sex comes from parents worried about breaking their family group, and part comes from social institutions concerned about losing control of their social base. Sex is dangerous to learn, not so much because of predators & pervs but more from hormonally forced rationalization, which causes a change of personal fidelity to be possible. To preserve continuity of known social patterns, both institutions have vested interests. A solution would be to formulate a structure for rationalization, that maintains existing ties. "Yes, you can spend the night over there, but call us first so we know where you are", & stuff like that. By the way, kid sex is at least as real to kids as grownup sex is to adults, the hormones sometimes aren't identical, but they still compel, and the result is the same.
Teaching kids about close encounters affects their social competitiveness as much as sports. The kind of teaching influences the effect. I don't advise anything though because acceptability changes from region to region, and the topic is usually taboo because of the above vested interests, so: Good Luck. A lot depends on the circumstances, of "the taboo topic which must not be named" though, and I suspect it's associated strictures are a lot like fundamentalist strictures everywhere, for example Mohammed said women shouldn't travel alone, for the simple reason that at the time it was dangerous, and he looked forward to a day when women could travel alone. But later fundamentalist interpretation (in this case, including the court) means "not ever, under any circumstances". The looming commitment of having "inter-age" sex in contemporary society, can't be applied equally, and it's easy for the stronger and more sophisticated partner to diminish the other. With that in mind, all kinds of legal protection for jail bait can inspire respect from even the most jaded pervert, but who protects the adult? Heck, adults can protect themselves, right? not if fundamentalistic judgment causes them to loose their job, home, family, & community respect. A court system that allow that (much less promotes it) assures it's own future relevance, but aggravates the problem.
The problem here is that the state enforces a set of values which are just as fundamentalisticly dumb as the Revised Church of the Latter Day Saints. Don't get me wrong, they both creep me out in their own way, but I can say that because I, (like the church and the state), have my very own blog which doesn't allow comment, so I don't have to consider opposing views :-)
Australian Aborigines have a system of keeping rampant sexuality under control by marrying everybody twice. The first marriage is at the age when kids are likely to cause trouble through social competition, or by creating indiscriminate, unwanted mouths to feed, at puberty, around 9 to 12. Their first spouse is typically an elder living alone because the elder's own second spouse has died. The effect of the old/young marriage is that it pairs both groups w/ each other at an age when they can most agreeably benefit from their partners age, the kid learns about social responsibility, has boundless sexual energy that keeps the elder focussed and competitive, and the elder has someone to care for them and make them socially relevant. The first marriage lasts till the elder dies, like about 5 to 15 years. Then the kid is an adult who has learned to take care of a household, and is free to marry again to have kids of their own. The Aborigine culture has persisted for 10 to 40 thousand years, in a land where even ants struggle to survive, until european laws made it illegal to have sex with kids.
This post is more than atheistic & antisocial, it's probably tacky & I apologize for that, but it describes stuff that's simply not questioned, or acknowledged, stuff fundamental (if you will) to our own, and many other species lives. Stuff that should be referenced somehow before undertaking anything which might otherwise require a short prayer.
this is a partial, exemplary list of un-citizenly behaviors:
Disrespect is the main one, (all others follow) for example disrespect of the Sea, of Death, the Unknown, and areas of Karmic response (like pissed off motorists and large men w/ chainsaws wearing goalie masks). These require an assessment of potential for which we're unavoidably responsible, with the caveat of stupidity.
Stupidity is socially acceptable to respectable people, because a stupid person would seem to be unaware, and they make the lives of respectable people look coherent. Without The Stupid, their lives would be meaningless. Or rather, without someone stupider than ones self, the pecking order could shift up a notch, and irrelevancy could happen to YOU.
My 8th grade math class was seated by order of achievement. The girl of my dreams was at the front nearest the teachers desk (Mrs. Witt), I sat in the last seat farthest from the desk (but nearest the door), and behind several inbred hillbillies. Charlie R. sat in front of me, and gave me answers (IQ of 60, in 1959, Special Ed. was only one class during study hall), which were useless, but he was a genuinely good guy (and stupid). Charlie was a good guy because his survival trait was agreeability, he was forced to be sucessful because nobody had his back, whereas the hillbillies all had giant beetle browed cousins.
Shame can be great stuff, porn actors get off on it. It seldom gets real public scrutiny though, either by the people who like it or the people who hate it. So what is it?
Schmeegle the Gollum killed his fishing buddy. Some say it was out of greed, others say it was because he was weaker than the ring of power (well who isn't?). He was ashamed to hang with his people afterwards though, & the ring seemed to be enough to get by on. He was still Hobbit enough to honor those values he dumped on himself for, & he couldn't let go or reconcile, so he became schizophrenic. The fact that his insanity saved the world is seldom mentioned because his actions appeared to be selfish (rather than stupid or altruistic), but we'll never know for sure, so he'll mostly be remembered for his treachery and fantastic CGI animation.
Ok, treachery means selling out your people. If you're not ashamed for that, you're probably psychopathic (which means lacking the ability for remorse, and thus, you have a great future in politics), or inhuman. Inhuman isn't a fair lable though, because dogs are more loyal than people, even though they & other carnivores usually require food rewards for their loyalty, not so with Meercats in their own society, but they, like dogs, expect it from humans, so though I'm not an animal whisperer, I suspect their infidelity revolves around mistrust. As a human I couldn't blame them, but this definition is getting anthropomorphic, so lets get back to whatever the topic was, oh yeah... treachery, well that about covers it.
Now getting back to shame: the final judgment on shame comes from ones self, it's decided by what's really detrimental to personal success. Islamist, Jews, Meercats and Christians all follow approximately the same code when it comes to premarital sex, which is (in case you haven't heard) that you shouldn't do it.
How come?
Because un regulated population uses up more resources than the populators can supply (because they're otherwise distracted), so everybody looses (except psychopaths, and cannibals). So then why don't these societies promote birth control? It's not because laws governing marriage and promiscuous behavior were written before birth control existed, there's always been birth control (though often drastic in some respect).
Rather, the nature of power is such that it requires sacrifice and obeisance. And getting a population to deny their sexuality, (sometimes donating their forskins, or sewing up their vaginal labia) is real obesiance. Starting on a family level (because mom says), through tribal (because Cochise says), and (viola) ending with national policy and church doctrine (because W says). Leaders depend on ritual warfare, sacrifice, and ancestor worship to legitimize their rule. In the old days, some forced their retinue of wives, concubines, and servants to follow them into death. Meercats don't do that, but every baby Meercat is taught by physical & social contact, to stick with the group, and that ostracization is fatal, and stupid.
In other words, population control is a survival trait of the species, whereas powers' control over it's followers is a survival trait of the leader.
With this contradiction of intent, we have the formula for schizophrenic policy on who controls reproductive rights, which (like Schmeegle) can't let go or reconcile.
....
Part of the concern about sex comes from parents worried about breaking their family group, and part comes from social institutions concerned about losing control of their social base. Sex is dangerous to learn, not so much because of predators & pervs but more from hormonally forced rationalization, which causes a change of personal fidelity to be possible. To preserve continuity of known social patterns, both institutions have vested interests. A solution would be to formulate a structure for rationalization, that maintains existing ties. "Yes, you can spend the night over there, but call us first so we know where you are", & stuff like that. By the way, kid sex is at least as real to kids as grownup sex is to adults, the hormones sometimes aren't identical, but they still compel, and the result is the same.
Teaching kids about close encounters affects their social competitiveness as much as sports. The kind of teaching influences the effect. I don't advise anything though because acceptability changes from region to region, and the topic is usually taboo because of the above vested interests, so: Good Luck. A lot depends on the circumstances, of "the taboo topic which must not be named" though, and I suspect it's associated strictures are a lot like fundamentalist strictures everywhere, for example Mohammed said women shouldn't travel alone, for the simple reason that at the time it was dangerous, and he looked forward to a day when women could travel alone. But later fundamentalist interpretation (in this case, including the court) means "not ever, under any circumstances". The looming commitment of having "inter-age" sex in contemporary society, can't be applied equally, and it's easy for the stronger and more sophisticated partner to diminish the other. With that in mind, all kinds of legal protection for jail bait can inspire respect from even the most jaded pervert, but who protects the adult? Heck, adults can protect themselves, right? not if fundamentalistic judgment causes them to loose their job, home, family, & community respect. A court system that allow that (much less promotes it) assures it's own future relevance, but aggravates the problem.
The problem here is that the state enforces a set of values which are just as fundamentalisticly dumb as the Revised Church of the Latter Day Saints. Don't get me wrong, they both creep me out in their own way, but I can say that because I, (like the church and the state), have my very own blog which doesn't allow comment, so I don't have to consider opposing views :-)
Australian Aborigines have a system of keeping rampant sexuality under control by marrying everybody twice. The first marriage is at the age when kids are likely to cause trouble through social competition, or by creating indiscriminate, unwanted mouths to feed, at puberty, around 9 to 12. Their first spouse is typically an elder living alone because the elder's own second spouse has died. The effect of the old/young marriage is that it pairs both groups w/ each other at an age when they can most agreeably benefit from their partners age, the kid learns about social responsibility, has boundless sexual energy that keeps the elder focussed and competitive, and the elder has someone to care for them and make them socially relevant. The first marriage lasts till the elder dies, like about 5 to 15 years. Then the kid is an adult who has learned to take care of a household, and is free to marry again to have kids of their own. The Aborigine culture has persisted for 10 to 40 thousand years, in a land where even ants struggle to survive, until european laws made it illegal to have sex with kids.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)