rabbit killer
Recent Activity
rabbit killer commented on Daniel Dennett Explores Secular Solace on July 4, 2009, 2:48 AM
I went to UU's for a while before I moved away. They did an okay job, but I felt it was a bit contrived. I know, all rituals were made up by someone at sometime. I am remmebering a dedication of an infant child to the church community and the child was blessed with the four elements. I think a community needs to address several rites that are universall or very common to all humans: fertility birth presentation to the community/naming childhood to adulthood transition marriage death rites/funerary periodic weekly meetings(?) Overall, I am glad to see another non-bitter atheist who concedes the value of religious institutions. We do need something as supernatural belief inevitably withers.
rabbit killer commented on Ray Kurzweil Explains the Coming Singularity on April 30, 2009, 11:28 AM
The problem I see with the singularity is a crisis of nostalgia. Even though my grandfather is about 55 years older than me, we can still relate on some level. Will these First Children of the new era relate to us enough to respect our existence? I can relate to a chimp, but they will be more different from us than we are from other primates. I would like being a god a lot more if I could unplug it from time to time and just be human.
rabbit killer commented on Nadine Strossen: What is the best way to interpret the Constitution? on July 7, 2008, 6:28 PM
I always liked the 9th amendment and wondered why it is so rarely used. It seems to me we should view the constitution in the context of protection against tyranny. For example, I don't see the 2nd amendment as a protection for hunters and sportsmen - I see it as a protection against tyranny. It is the right of the people to "alter or abolish" a government that has become destructive to our rights. I don't think we need guns, I am personally afraid of them, but we do need a healthy distrust of government. The powers structures are developing something like omniscience and omnipotence. These should only be the powers of just and righteous entities and I don't have that much faith in a government of imperfect humans.For context to our constitution, I like the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine's "Common Sense"
I am a 35 and I am in transition from engineer to teacher while remaining always a philosopher.
rabbit killer commented on The Game Changers on November 6, 2009, 1:57 AM
I tend to see the dystopia side of things, but could all these sensors enslave us? If you drive over the speed limit, could they not convict you of speeding in absentia? This may be small - we've become used to the red light cameras (almost) and we will surely adapt. But what would full compliance to the law look like? In my opinion, morality and law abiding-ness would both be meaningless if you have no other choice. But maybe we could empty the prisons if we hook all the convicts up to sensors. We wouldn't have to worry about civil liberties, 'cause they would have the choice: stay in prison, or get hooked up to 24-7 nanny-sensors.