h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Toxx
'You assume that our motivation for participating here is something to do with being right.'

Or rather, do you assume I assume? I, too, enjoy discussion, and usually say what I mean. On a topic such as this I feel that as much as hearing what others say, I am reassured by hearing what I want to hear (thoughts that confirm my own beliefs). I am compelled to listen harder and find more meaning in statments of others that reflect my own. I do pay attention to others thoughts (ones I understand), and on occasion I somewhat modify my own after careful consideration.

Hass
I believe in NDE, and have experienced, 2nd hand, people who have 'come back to life' both short term and years later. I think your experiences are valid, and encourage you to consider yours as any other talent or skill. Some people are good at math, some people are good at NDE.

im here because i am interested in other peoples idea, if i dont believe in it, because i am not a reliouges person, i question them, i chalenge them with the questions that make me not believe

Diversity. Here are your two offered explanations of why people post here: "Is it our desire to convince others we are right, or do you think it is to convince ourselves we are right?"

You will note that both include the words 'we are right'. I didn't have to assume that, did I?

"Do any of you wonder what draws each of us to this conversation? Is it our desire to convince others we are right, or do you think it is to convince ourselves we are right?"

I was drawn here for neither reason. At first, I came along to "find out who was right"; to share ideas.

My opinions have changed during the course of the discussion, I have been blessed to meet many deeply spiritual, intelligent and imaginative people.

Openness - to the ideas of others and to changing your own - gives freedom and joy in such a conversation.

Bod

so we are all becoming truly inlitend people in a deeply spiritual place

Toxx
Good point Words carelessly placed are dangerous! I should have been more specific, as many of us have been near this thread for a long time. I have been following it for such a long time, and have gotten to see many different ideas. The conversation has jumped from logical explaination to deeply rooted feelings, back and forth, many times. Since no one has been able to point conclusivly at just one thing and say 'AhHAA', we can proceed only on our own opinion and support it with examples from our own experience. I really don't see one side (logic or faith) gaining an edge. I think that when I was in my 20's I had different opinions, but not drastically. Perhaps I hear the wolf at the door at age 43, eh?

So, If the universe is infinite, then im "a" center, 21+4^1+8+9=42
what questions make you not believe?

Adib

age isnt everything

we all think about fath for different reasons at different times in our life

Bod
I'm on damage control now... I guess I should have said
'Do each of us' instead of 'we'. I meant 'we' as those, myself included, who have been posting on this thread for months now, as opposed to any group of individuals with similar beliefs.

Anthea
You are right, age isn't everything. But it does, in my experience, put a spin on things.

Muzaakboy i think that there may be a god who created our universe, but i dont believe in reliogen, espially bible stories, i cant believe that the earth was flooded and that noah built his arc, i am more towards believing in scientific evidence, but since im only 15 i dont know all there is to know, but i am pretty sure there is no proof of a mass flooding x years ago, it would have completly changed everything, like the ground would begin to erode and that would cause major land formation changes so why is there no evidence of it?

whoooops. I'm a Muslim. No bible. The Quran. Actiully in Islam we believe the Great flood did happen but it was not the world that got flooded. Simpally what happened was there was a area of land that lots of bad people where living in. God used Noah to try and get them to change there ways and to stop idol worship. They did not listen and so god told Noah to build a ark and then flooded that area. So the Quranic versian can be believed. What I think from a Muslim perspective is that the Bible was Gods word but over time people added to it and changed bits of it. That much nearly every one admits to. Including a lot of priests and rabbis etc. As for the great flood (This is my opinion) it was told accuratly but when people started changing the bible they tried to make it sound more whats the word..... (your suggestion here) Impressive??? One piece of land does not sound as good and frighting as the whole world getting flooded so I think they altered parts of the bible to make it seem that god did more impressive deads than had been recorded in the bible. (As if creating every thing is not impressive enough). This may have been due to that they may have thought that more people would believe in God if they saw (well read ) how incredably powerfull God is by fearing him. Maybe.
Any way thats my view on the great flood. I think the Qurans telling of it is more vesable as come on how big would the ark have to be to put two of every animal in the world on it? How could he collect animals from far away places in time to save them from the impendind doom. Hmmmm? where as one aread of land around a few villages would be a lot easier. Any ideas people?

Adib

Well you see this feels like here we go again.
I found a link which applies itself to many of our questions about the human condition, and the conversation seems to continue to argue about the meaning of words .
No discussion about something very innovative
Oh my , wasn't mankind ever thus.

Adib
How about the DNA of everything fitting into an ark?

thanx 4 your recent linx Hass. They take a bit of work in order to do them justice. Don't expect instant responses.

lo

Come on dude. Surely you can do better than that!

Oh come on Iffy. You know that over historic time even, land formations have changed. When the Bible talks about the world it can only mean the known world. Nobody in the Middle East knew about the Americas or Australasia/Antarctica at the time. I'm all for forgetting Bible stories in general; especially the Old Testament.

Good point, toxxin. Perspective would make the writing of the Bible literal if your environment were limited to a few thousand square miles. A really bad flood and a lot of local animals on a boat is very believeable.
I never thought of it that way before. Thanks

Yeah thought about that. Noahs ark was a space ship right and he cloned the animals back to life.
Is that what you are going to say?

Point is which is more likely:

A) The Bibles flooding of the whole world

B) The Quran saying that it was a area of land that flooded

C) A space man coming down collecting the DNA of all animals and then cloning them back to life.

I know which one I would go for. Though of course you can say being a Muslim you would wouldn't you?
I trust the Quran as it has no contradictions in it and there are no mistakes about scientific facts either.
Of course you can find a lot of internet sites saying otherwise but they are all ways misqouting the Quran and stuff like that.

Adib