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

Door
Is it better to be happy or know the truth?
May i refer you to this link?

http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/

PS
Door by your full name it seems to answer the question you raise.

The door has been made very happy by fulfilling its 'door' function. Therefore it would apply that for a human to be made equally 'very happy' it to has to fulfill it's function and when we've found out what that is we can a approach the divine perhaps

"Science is not a set of ideas. It is the search for truth, and it has led us away from God because God is not true. We can not explain everything yet, but that is not because "there is no scientific explanation" or "it's beyond human understanding". It is because our science isn't good enough yet."

I'd say that the search for truth which has led to us all to a door called Quantum physics, does exactly the opposite to the above statement. If science is the very real denial of all mystery , why are so many scientists still in a state of God belief ?
Science actually does begin as a set of ideas you know

Hi Kaz,

"It all looks good, till you start quoting Paul!!"

Actually that was my point. In my opinion, Jesus and James go to the heart of what makes religion "true" and then Paul stuffs it up but gets chosen as the most prolific New Testament writer anyway. Ho hum.

Bod

hi Moth,

I'm actually not posting here anymore, though I do pop in from time to time to see what is going on. And so, very happy to find you here once again - hi! How are you?

I agree that science is not the denial of all mystery - I think it is the mystery that keeps them searching for answers. I mean, if there were no mystery, then why would they bother?



hi Blicky,

I agree that Myst's (hi Myst!) feelings about his God are true enough for himself. And that they cannot either be proved or disproved. They exist because he believes them to be so. And so? Well, I say, so what? He can believe whatever he likes, and we can all believe whatever we like.

After all, belief has nothing to do with reality. Even if we all agree about what reality is supposed to be. Even then we are all just agreeing on a concept that is acceptable to most of us.

Myst believes his God is real. Jez believes her gods are real. Etc, etc. I have no personal problem with believing that - for these people - their gods are entirely real to them. I don't happen to share their own personal god concepts, but I also think that any sort of god concept ends up being something very personal. As one ends only talking about oneself. (hi Moth!)

Humans seem to have a need to believe that their concept of god is something other than themselves. I don't have this need. I don't think Moth has either. I certainly don't need a religion to belong to. But I also don't criticize others for wanting or needing a base for their god beliefs. It all comes down to the same thing in the end. That we are all miracles. That we exist - how? why? - well, mostly because we just do exist.

Unlike Matholwch (hi Math!) I am not so strongly against the Christian religion even though I was brought up (so to speak) as RC and I thought it a horrible thing to do to small children - make them feel as though they had this stupid 'original sin' idiotic concept to cope with when it is quite hard enough just growing up.

I'm not against any religion, per se. But I am against what grown up people (who should know better) end up doing in the name of their so-called religion.

My opinion is that people who use religion as an excuse to commit atrocities are doing just that - using it as an excuse. Religion is not REAL. All religions are just stories, myths, what-have-you. THE WORD OF GOD? Get outta here. Or even the words of the gods. You want to believe that GOD or the gods talk to you? That you can feel them, that you can see them, that you have a personal relationship with HIM or them? Well, I see no problem with that at all.

But keep it at home. This is a personal experience, IMHO. I mean, I can never expect that anyone else would ever experience the colour blue in the same way that I do. So how could I ever expect them to even remotely understand Fred? And that's maybe my point. I don't care if you all understand that. It is only how I see the world. And possibly other worlds. It's only how I personally experience my own very personal feeling of my own god concept.

This is really why I left the thread awhile back. I didn't see that I had anything further to add to the 'discussion' of whether God exists or not. My god concept exists for me.

In fact, the original title of this thread was - God, fact or fiction? It wasn't - 'are you religious or agnostic ar atheist? - let's fight over this!' Yet it has often turned into a battle between these various beliefs. Religious (believers), agnostics (fence sitters), atheists (believers that there is no god). All of you are believers, whether you admit it or not - you believe in something, even if it is believing in nothing.

Is God fact or fiction? I think we have created various god concepts in order to explain our existence. I think that we are all god. I think that whatever means we use to feel closer to our god - which is ourselves - is only negative if we separate ourselves from ourselves and then use religion as an excuse to behave badly.

Religion is politics. Politics is politics (obviously). Why can't people see the difference? That politics has nothing whatsoever to do with any sort of god concept?

The mind reels.

Well, that's all from me.

Bye!
az

""Of course, to a monotheist, EVERYTHING belongs to God..."
True, but Jesus in that scene says that money is Caesar's. Of course it could be interpreted asa an order to live in poverty or something."

Actually he doesn't. He asks the Pharisee who the money belongs to and does not give his view on it. He does say the above, and people make an ASSUMPTION that he's approving paying taxes to Caesar.

What I think is best about that scene is something more subtle though. The reason Jesus has to give an opinion is that the Pharisees, who were in league with the Roman oppressors, wanted to find a way to trap him, so asked whether he should pay taxes to the Romans ("Yes" sets the Jewish masses against him, "No" gets him thrown in jail by the occupying forces).

After being asked the question, he asks the questionner, "Show me the coin with which you pay the taxes". Pharisee takes a coin from his pocket... "And whose image is that?" asks Jesus.

For the Jewish law forbade graven images, but the sell-out Pharisee has ignored this and was trading with Roman coins. Thus with that simple trick-back-atcha JC exposes his hypocrisy and undermines his credibility. Fantastic!

Bod

"Considering that for most of history, such societies have either not existed or made up a very small percentage of humanity, it is likely that equaly compassionate beings have lived on Earth, but we know nothing of their teachings."

True. "The" Buddha said that enlightened beings exist in every age and in every culture.

Jez,

Glad you got a nice post number

The mind certainly does reel - if only with relief that the tirade of nonsense has finished!

>>The mind certainly does reel - if only with relief that the tirade of nonsense has finished!<<

Toxxin,

Get a life already. I am no longer within the power of you being able to wind me up about anything whatsover. I used to feel somewhat insecure posting on this thread. I don't anymore. You don't like what I have to say? Well too bad for you.

I am no longer posting at all to feel 'accepted' by anyone. I just have my ideas which people can take or leave as they see fit. I have never said that my ideas are 'right'.

It could very well turn out that some people here view my opinions as total nonsense. It could also turn out that some others think what I have to say reflects what they think and believe. Or at least parts of it they might relate to. If they don't , again, no problem. I am just expressing a personal opinion. About my own personal god concept.

And at least I have an opinion. I am not just sitting on the fence waiting for someone to 'prove' God to me. I don't need that. It seems that you do. Well, again, too bad for you. And good luck.

az

What am I doing in here ? I was looking for Paul Whitehouse,is this not in fact his dressing room?

Hi Bod, if that was your point then it came across quite clearly, even I got it! It is a shame I feel this obsession with Paul, I imagine it must put off many people from investigating christianity further.

azahar -

Hi!

Hi Myst

Nice link Moth

I liked this 'Gnostic, Buddhist and Christian aspects found in The Matrix' @ http://www.unomaha.edu/%7Ewwwjrf/Vol7No2/matrix.matrixreloaded.htm and 'Harry Potter and Religious Controversy' @ http://www.unomaha.edu/%7Ewwwjrf/Vol7No2/bewitching.htm

Alji

Bod

Post 11200 - mine, all mine...

Yes, I felt an irrational pleasure because of that simple fact.

I feel that we should all share the feeling of joy and smugness that getting a nice post number produces - maybe I should start a religious philosophy based on this?

Too late - Pythagoras got there first... Though not, of course, with an internet connection...

Now, what would he have made of the internet?

Loki loves it, of course. Communication is such a fruitful place to stir the mind, and He does that so well. Though He expects a high standard of wit and debate, even when flyting...

This should annoy a few people... Mention Loki by name and it turns a switch in some readers LOL

Jez - heathen, witch and occasional vehicle for the gods...

Mention of Loki is no problem to us Geminis! Has to be the spirit of intelligent trolling.

Ah, there are one or two, here and there....

Bod, I will *still* defend Paul! He gets the blame for heaps of what 'Anony Mouse'wrote, all the housekeeping stuff, rules etc., about the place of women...
Paul has such a lot to say about faith, and grace, and love - but also about the primacy of Jesus.
I think *that's* the problem many anti-Paul people have! They like Jesus as a nice hippie philosopher, who can be ignored when he says anything inconvenient (such as the bit about turning the other cheek, or the bit about divorce - I admit I don't like that bit myself, but tough) - anyways, people want to think of Jesus as like the Big Beatnik. (There I am showing my age!) Then Paul says people have to seriously commit themselves to God, obedience and what Math would call 'slavery' to God! Also, while talking heaps about universal salvation, Paul also, is 'too exclusivist' for many!
Bod, did you follow the Marcion and Julian of Norwich links I put?
The best Julian one is:
http://www.digiserve.com/mystic/Christian/Julian/
See how it goes!