Mary Coyote
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re: C.S.Lewis' essay: "The Weight of Glory"
re: C.S.Lewis' essay: "The Weight of Glory" as posted by pokoj here: http://www.bigthink.com/faith-beliefs/9020 Sorry pokoj, I do not share your enthusiasm. Lewis is arguing that god exists solely in the quantum world, or in the Big Bang that originated this universe rather than in the real here and now. Perhaps god is the Logos or the recipe or code that generated the Big Bang. This places god “at a thousand removes” from our current experience. And we will not again see god until the universe contracts back into the space it exploded from. Of course Lewis is speaking o… Read More
December 21, 2008
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Taming the Dragon: Consumption in Western Society
Taming the Dragon Earth Day, April 22, 2008 On Earth Day I contemplated a defense of the consumer. There once was a cruise ship powered by a nasty dragon. While providing steam to drive the ship, he also demanded a daily sacrifice of a passenger. He preferred young women. The people on the ship were entirely dependent upon the dragon as he was the engine of their mobility (and he cooked their food), but as they cruised it became obvious that the dragon's antics were a serious impediment to, not only the continued success of the ship, but to their very su… Read More
May 24, 2008
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In response to 'finding your self in hell' by thatguy http://www.bigthink.com/faith-beliefs/9260 Most near-death experiences report heaven like conditions: love, light, deceased loved ones... while a minority are hell-experiences. Most of these report, not a lake of fire, but a rejection, or a 'casting out' into the pit, or the void of space. An utter absence of god (light, love, loved ones) by impossible distance. The sense of being commanded into the void prevails. I am familiar with the experience as I had it as a child that almost died several times. Most … Read More
May 24, 2008
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Arianna Huffington's Huffington Post is a THUGGISH Jungle
Arianna Huffington is here promoting her new book, I see. She speaks of 'VIGOROUS DISCUSSION' yet will NOT ALLOW it on her blog, Huffington Post. A place where most days each comment must be vetted by a thuggish censor before it appears, rendering conversation impossible, as this process can take hours. On the days that the vetting system is broken, conversation flows. If Arianna wants vigorous discussion, I am sure she goes elsewhere............such as BigThink, as most commentators at her site are trained to echo her POV. Her site is one of horrific techni… Read More
May 23, 2008
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Morality is codified within the Human Heart: no god required
Where this argument specifically addresses charges posted by cerenziam, that Morality and Charity can only come from a belief in god and Christianity, it is a response to Christian CHAUVINISM in general. ( See original posts here: http://www.bigthink.com/faith-beliefs/9116 ) The argument that Morality is based upon belief in god; that Morality is born of the Christian faith; that NO-GOD = Nihilism: these are falsehoods learned in Christian schools. Morality is codified within the Human Song, the genetic and cultural programming that makes us Human. Some of it is insti… Read More
April 4, 2008
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Religion in a Modern WorldPete Peterson: Be a good, helpful human being.http://www.bigthink.com/faith-beliefs/350 I think it is important to realize that making-the-world-a-better-place has a specific meaning. It means human-centric, as in making the human experience in this world better. Eco-terrorism, for example, could see excessive human activity on this planet as detrimental to the environments and creatures of 'this world,' and seek to make this world better by attacking human civilization. So then, the purpose is not to improve this planet (this world), but to improve the human… Read More
March 27, 2008
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Noam Chomsky equivocates For a long while I have wondered where the far-left goes to get their fill-up of false anti-American and anti-Israel propaganda. And look: today I found some in Mr. Chomsky's sad little video. I understand that Chomsky has a reputation as an intellectual, but if his reasoning is based upon manufactured false facts then his opinions are as equally worthless as those his sycophants publish in blogs daily. First false fact:Chomsky: 'The Palestinians are (a nation).. the nation is being destroyed. Its a rare event in history… Read More
March 27, 2008
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Where do Israeli and U.S. interests overlap? The obvious:
The obvious:The Middle East contains most of the world's oil reserves in a time of Energy Scarcity (end of cheap energy and Peak Oil). No more SuperGiant oil fields have been discovered since the second World War, and they are mostly found in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. The oil fields of Iraq have an extra decade of supply following 15 years of embargo and war. Iran's field's are similarly underdeveloped after 20 years pariah state status. Saudi Arabia's reserves may be showing signs of decline. The Oil-Men-White-House completely flubbed their attempt to democratize… Read More
March 27, 2008
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Islam/Islamism. Re: What are the biggest misconceptions of the Muslim woman?
http://www.bigthink.com/the-world/the-middle-east/8943Azar Nafisi Professor, Johns Hopkins Univ.; AuthorUploaded on 03/18/2008 Azar Nafisi posted:'Calling them the Muslim world – why don’t we call France, England, Germany, and United States the Christian world?' -----------------------------------WE DO ----------------------------------- -why don’t we call France, England, Germany, and United States the Western world?'WE DO. -why don’t we call France, England, Germany, and United States the Modern world?'WE DO. -why don’t we call France, England, Germany, and United States the Free wor… Read More
March 26, 2008
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a Harvard professor is unclear and muddy?
Religion in a Modern Worldhttp://www.bigthink.com/faith-beliefs/6856 So, if I understand this correctly, the place of Religion in a Modern World, according to Jim Wallis, is the importance of balancing reflection and social activism. That religious-based social movements are first priority, but that they need to be balanced with contemplation. He argues that the Place-of-Religion in a modern world is the movement of Service to Social Movements to Politics balanced with some contemplation. But too much contemplation without activism is narcissistic, suggesting that perhaps narcissism … Read More
March 25, 2008
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in America, they only assassinate liberals.
Who really has the power in Washington?Mitt RomneyFmr. Governor, Massachusetts (R)http://www.bigthink.com/policy-politics/1386 Who really has the power in Washington?Mr. Romney, everyone knows where the real power is. It is not with the government, for if it was, Congress would not be so fearful and powerless, nor express such worship of a lame-duck President. If the government held the power in Washington, 9/11 would not have been such a convenient 'surprise attack,' Jack Kennedy would not have been assassinated and Iraq would not be such a fiasco. We could argue that the people hold… Read More
March 25, 2008
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God is the name we create to make our ignorance more bearable
http://www.bigthink.com/faith-beliefs/8160Re: What is your definition of God? 100 words or less. Bard63 posted;'God is the name we give to the ideas we create to make our ignorance more bearable' Response:God is the name we give to the ideas we create to inspire us to raise our eyes up from the mud, to stand tall and reach out to ideas larger than our minds can hold. The problem begins when our ideas of god become too small for our 21'st century understanding; when Dark Age and Middle Age ideas constrict restrict and censure our gods' abilities. Read More
March 25, 2008
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What Are Your Definitions of God? Coyote is the god who walks this planet
What GOD do you believe in? Many cultures throughout human history have developed various concepts of who and where god is. It is too easy to say that your god exists in your heart - that is to say that god exists because you believe it - but if god is real, where is s/he? If we cut open your heart will we find god? There must be a place you can point to and say: “there is god,” even as cultures past have offered up the following ideas.WHERE IS YOUR GOD?-A god who walks this planet and lives among her people? -A god that lives in a grand temple?-A mountain god? -A god who is the plane… Read More
March 24, 2008
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Richard Cizik's Evangelical arguments for Biblical interpretation are false.
Re: How should the Bible be interpreted? http://www.bigthink.com/faith-beliefs/1560 The following is a synopsis of the argument Richard Cizik VP Government Affairs, National. Assembly of Evangelicals posted. It is a typical Christian fundamentalist argument that also unfortunately contains a hole big enough to drive a truckload of hypocrites through. Mr. Cizik attempts to convince a liberal thinking-person's blog that the Bible is a nice green document. That it commands Christians to be good stewards of Mother Earth. Therefore it follows, he suggest… Read More
March 24, 2008
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The Way-We-Live is more important than What-We-Believe.
Taking Christ out of Christianity:Avant garde pastor teaches a new Christianity where the-way-you-live is more important than beliefs. ..............'With or Without God: Why the Way We Live is More Important than What We Believe.'(Published this week by Rev. Gretta Vosper, Toronto's West Hill United Church's minister for the past 10 years.) Rev. Vosper argues that the Christian church -in the form in which it exists today- has outlived its viability, and either it sheds its no-longer-credible-myths, doctrines and dogmas, or Christianity is to… Read More
March 24, 2008
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Faith and Reason are mutually incompatible
Before any discussion of faith and reason can begin we need to define the parameters as both words have diverse meanings. I would assume that when we discuss the coexistence of Faith and Reason, that we are discussing the mutually exclusive definitions of the terms. Most of the comments I have seen here on this topic seem to come from folks who embrace mumbo-jumbo and insist upon blending science with mumbo-jumbo. For example commenter roakes argues that 'Faith and Reason are interdependent,' as if the last 500 years of western history was not Reason struggling to break free from reli… Read More
March 23, 2008
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A rare occasion of faith, reason and compatibility with science:
A rare occasion of faith, reason and compatibility with science: Our father, who art in heaven;our mother, the earth:we are your children... In this twenty first century scientifically understood world we need a god that MEASURES OUR UNDERSTANDING rather than insulting our knowledge. And in the 21'st century we don't need mumbo-jumbo; we need a faith that will spur us to escape these 'Progress Traps' (Ronald Wright) that we have created for ourselves: Energy Scarcity and Climate Change. Neither Middle Age, Bronze Age nor New Age beliefs fit within these parameters. First, be clear th… Read More
March 22, 2008
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The Sun is our father in heaven.
The Sun is our father in heaven. Our father, who art in heaven;our mother, the earth:we are your children... All life in our biosphere begins as energy from the Sun, a monstrous seething mass of fusion blasting the earth, yet coddling the planet within her embrace as she barrels through space. In comparison the earth is like a marble that is trapped close within the Sun's influence following the sun in her endless journey through time and space. The planet resists the angry buffeting of the Sun's blast furnace with our magnetic field and atmosphere. Approximately 100 watts per square … Read More
March 21, 2008
The SunOur father, who art in heaven;our mother, the earth:we are your childrenand we grow strongin the sunshine of your smile.
