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

Blatherskite, I think some of the others probably recognised you too. I thought you were trying to distance yourself from your previous incarnation which is why I didn't say anything. Maybe others did too?

I recognised him and I wasn't around to see the previous incarnation...

Dogster: Probably. A lot of people have said the same thing, at my homepage. It did occur to me, at first, that I might create a new account and start out fresh. But I think an opinionated atheist libertarian from Southern California that hangs out in here would be too much for coincidence, and it would just make it weird when I talk to old friends.

Besides, I've got nothing to hide.

I think the Towers set an alarm on my space... Peta visited me on my second day back.

Welcome Alex.
Red Dwarfs on. Cool.

* flomp *

I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish,I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish, I am a fish,

To be honest with a name like Blatherskite, I had to check you out after seeing your first post. It's just too unusual.

And I'm sure I said something, somewhere, but not directly - I wasn't sure you wanted to be recognised, except maybe by those who really know you.

I have a vague recollection of the name. Can't remember anything specific - don't really need to either, I'm sure if it was important to me personally I'd remember.

Now, what shall we talk about this week?

GTB, 'Alex Chaser - Anastasia the Comfy Chair, Colour of the Sky, With Voices' sounds good

not sure if you would want to incorporate, somehow, the fact that I am the Voices' keeper...

ah, perhaps mention the Northern Circle, where people can request Voices or get help with troubleshooting their occasional annoyances

Right, you're on the list.



Oh, and someone asked for a topic. How about some Sartre, speaking of voices?

There was a madwoman who had hallucinations; someone used to speak to her on the telephone and give her orders. Her doctor asked her, "Who is it who talks to you?" She answered "He says it's God." What proof did she really have that it was God? If an angel comes to me, what proof is there that it's an angel? And if I hear voices, what proof is there that they come from heaven and not from hell, or from the subconscious, or a pathological condition? What proves that they are addressed to me? What proof is there that I have been appointed to impose my choice and my conception of man on humanity? I'll never find any proof or sign to convince me of that. If a voice addresses me, it is always for me to decide that this is the angel's voice; if I consider that such an act is a good one, it is I who will choose to say that it is good rather than bad. . . . We have no excuse behind us, nor justification before us. We are alone, with no excuses. . . . man is condemned to be free.

Condemned, because he did not create himself, yet, in other respects is free; because, once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.. . . The existentialist does not think that man is going to help himself by finding in the world some omen any which to orient himself. Because he thinks that man will interpret the omen to suit himself.

[from "The Humanism of Existentialism." tras. by Bernard
Frechtman]

Hmm. Interesting.

Oh, here's where I found that:

http://my.execpc.com/~ferguson/sartre.html

how true, how true

i find it interesting that certain people think their religion is the one true religion, and anyone who doesn't believe in it is evil/inferior/damned

breaking from a religion where one is taught to think this way can be extremely enlightening, as one is forced to recognize the fact that religion is really all about one's perspective, and most religions are more or less on equal ground (none is more right than another)


therefore, i am led to believe that young people should not be expected to accept (or be indoctrinated by) the religion of their parents, but should be challenged to find their own path

the only problem i can see in this is that the young person's religion might oppose the parents' religion, so each will be trying to convert the other "for the sake of their soul(s)" or something like that

of course, if a young person disagrees with their parents they'll eventually break away whether the parents like it or not, or, if they agree, they'll stay ... so, basically, everything i just said is irrelevant



~ Alex

You can't mean ...



Y'mean that parents, committed to doing the best they can for their children, should refrain from teaching them what they believe to be right and proper? No. They will - and they should - pass on their religious beliefs; they would be failing their children if they didn't.

When children grow up, they review what they've been given, and maybe they change a few things. But to start with, someone has to give them a starting point. And that's the parents' job, isn't it?

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

True. I think that seems to be right in that we are all indoctrinated into our parents beleifs or lack of them. I mean, if you're threatened with fire and brimstone from an early age then your more likely to beleive in something.

Hmmm. I'm not sure I concur completely. If a child is brought up in an evironment of strong faith and strength of faith is a seen as route to sucess in life or the only route... and fear is aspect of the religions hold over it's followers then perhaps... fear of social exclusion and/or fear of damnation... but I was raised in rather take it or leave in Baptrist environment... I never took the bible literally... I doubted it's historical and physical plausability... all I took from it were values such as Do Unto Others and that's about it... my mothers faith is strong but it hers in a private way...
In fact I probably only came close to indoctrination through attending a Cof E primary schoool...

>>>i find it interesting that certain people think their religion is the one true religion, and anyone who doesn't believe in it is evil/inferior/damned<<<

Which really puts those trying to "find religion" in a tough spot. Since many religions tell you you'll go to Hell if you don't follow them, and you can't choose more than one....it's like reverse Russian Roulette: all the chambers but one are full.

s and s,
~Wes
(who is not at all posting this semi non-sequitur reply just to reclaim his active contributor status)

GTB: next time you're tinkering with the home page, can you change my title, please? My new epithet is to be:

Lupine ambassador to the Court of Selene

Please include the >fullmoon< smiley too. TIA,

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

That's sorted.