Dear Atheists...

[GrowingSmaller]

Hindus have their own nutty ideas about the Earth's past, like creationists.


eudaimonia,

Mark

Just above you said you believe in science because it works - it put man on the moon. As you well know evolution put the Jews in the gas chambers , selah.

Maybe this was down to a misreading of the imperative for life, stemming form evolution itself, yeah?

But is not the theme of Eden inspiring of life in the full. Of course, amidst life and that which stems from the choice of life there will be the possibility of death and that which leads to it.

Of course, there is the postmodern concept of the death of the author. Genesis can mean pretty much anything due to the varying the hands (or palmistry lol) of whoever picks it up. Interpretation is relative.

But insofar as life in a peaceful paradise is presented as the exalted state, I don't think the imperative which stems from the garden theme is too nutty at all. There are all sorts of philosophies from anti humanism to amoralism to sadism.

Of course they slip by like snakes in fora like these so we attack one another over the naming of the good. Maybe the devil - or thanatos, has divided the philosophes against life as they argue over minutiae.

I think that eu and Christians may be pro life from different perspectives, the scientific and the prophetic. But if you ever liked the spirit of a Mozart mass, then please don't denigrate ... life - (or perhaps the sacrifice entailed by forgiving people, which itself can enhance lifes feedback and counterfeedback processes) - so much. Whether that life was thematic or historically literal.

Anyway, blessings for the positive input, even if I need a little to look away when saying that.

Of course there is the piercing arrow of science, perhaps like the erotes and their arrows' arrow when push comes to shove. The bible says that children of youth are like arrows of a warrior. Than again I think you are older than me. selah.

Cheers,
GrowingSmaller.

 

[quatona]

As you well know evolution put the Jews in the gas chambers , selah.

Come again?

 

[WonderBeat]

So you're saying I should be scared of the Iron age? Why?

What effects?

Many. First off, we are in a time of transition or pralaya, and symptomatic of that have been floods... beginning with the tsunami that devastated southeast asia... Flooding in a myriad of places, from Thailand to Poland to the Midwest, has been unprecedented to a large extent. This is consistent with the shift in ages which is predicted to be occurring in Scriptures (shastras) such as the Brahma-Vaivarta-Purana. Also, the Mayan and Vedic calendars coincide roughly that this age (Golden respite) will begin somewhere between December and February.

Other symptoms are that there will be a prevalence of iron on the earth (i.e, industrial machines). Weather patterns will become disordered. Animal species will start dying out. And people will progressively become more and more corrupt and animalistic, especially politicians. All these things are predicted in shastra. They have also been coming true.

And just an FYI...we're so not in the Iron age anymore.

We are in the REAL iron age and after the 10,000 year respite it will last for 417,000 more years during which it's going to get a helluvah lot worse. That is why you should ask for a solution to the problem.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Many. First off, we are in a time of transition or pralaya, and symptomatic of that have been floods... beginning with the tsunami that devastated southeast asia... Flooding in a myriad of places, from Thailand to Poland to the Midwest, has been unprecedented to a large extent. This is consistent with the shift in ages which is predicted to be occurring in Scriptures (shastras) such as the Brahma-Vaivarta-Purana. Also, the Mayan and Vedic calendars coincide roughly that this age (Golden respite) will begin somewhere between December and February.

Other symptoms are that there will be a prevalence of iron on the earth (i.e, industrial machines). Weather patterns will become disordered. Animal species will start dying out. And people will progressively become more and more corrupt and animalistic, especially politicians. All these things are predicted in shastra. They have also been coming true.



We are in the REAL iron age and after the 10,000 year respite it will last for 417,000 more years during which it's going to get a helluvah lot worse. That is why you should ask for a solution to the problem.

Oh wow. Just...wow.

 

[WonderBeat]

Oh wow. Just...wow.

Oh, you'll WOW all over this video

The Coming Golden Age - YouTube

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Oh, you'll WOW all over this video

The Coming Golden Age - YouTube

I'm not sure how best to respond to all the bull that I just read and listened to.

 

[WonderBeat]

I'm not sure how best to respond to all the bull that I just read and listened to.

How is it bull?

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

How is it bull?

You have this assumption, right, that things other people say should be vaguely trusted unless proven otherwise? I don't.

So unless you fix the non sequiturs, deductive fallacies, and provide some evidence, I don't see anything wrong with continuing to call it bull.

 

[Davian]

Oh, you'll WOW all over this video

The Coming Golden Age - YouTube

I took a few seconds and scanned through it, and found the summary page, which clearly explains the purpose of what he is telling us:

Apparently, God needs money. Lots of money. Give generously.

 

[Eudaimonist]

But is not the theme of Eden inspiring of life in the full.

If it is, I don't see it.

IMV, Eden is just an ancient garden-story. In those days, kings (not necessarily Jewish kings) had walled gardens, surrounded and "guarded" by stone cherubim (see pic above), in which they believed that their god or goddess walked invisibly. Eventually, however, kings screw up and "paradise" crashes down around their heads, and they can't ever go back to the garden of their god. The story, or at least its seed, is basically about that, and the Jews took it and made a new version of the story for their own purposes.

But insofar as life in a peaceful paradise is presented as the exalted state, I don't think the imperative which stems from the garden theme is too nutty at all. There are all sorts of philosophies from anti humanism to amoralism to sadism.

I didn't mean nutty in a mythological sense. I meant that Hindus have their own brand of creationism (or something similar) that is scientifically nutty. I have no problem with finding meanings in myths as long as one doesn't insist that the myths had occurred precisely as described, for instance with the year counts mentioned.

I think that eu and Christians may be pro life from different perspectives, the scientific and the prophetic. But if you ever liked the spirit of a Mozart mass, then please don't denigrate ... life - (or perhaps the sacrifice entailed by forgiving people, which itself can enhance lifes feedback and counterfeedback processes) - so much. Whether that life was thematic or historically literal.

I certainly had no intention of denigrating life.

Anyway, blessings for the positive input, even if I need a little to look away when saying that.

Your post is on a bit of a postmodern tangent, but thanks anyway.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[WonderBeat]

Apparently, God needs money. Lots of money. Give generously.

Correction. God doesn't need money. Human beings furthering God's purpose need money.

Besides, what's wrong with money? Money is the embodiment of Goddess Lakshmi, after all.

 

[Davian]

I took a few seconds and scanned through it, and found the summary page, which clearly explains the purpose of what he is telling us:

Apparently, God needs money. Lots of money. Give generously.

Correction. God doesn't need money. Human beings furthering God's purpose need money.

Besides, what's wrong with money? Money is the embodiment of Goddess Lakshmi, after all.

If these 'Gods' are just characters in books, they certainly don't. Which would call into question the motives of those asking for money.

Will you be responding to these posts? #106 #109

 

[WonderBeat]

If these 'Gods' are just characters in books, they certainly don't. Which would call into question the motives of those asking for money.

Not quite sure what you mean.

 

[WonderBeat]

I have no idea what you mean by "spiritually enlightened".

Many times over, and beyond? How did you measure that?

By one's own personal example. Does a person, in all respects of his life, exemplify good qualities? Morally, spiritually, health-wise, cleanliness, etc.

Did not Buzz lightyear say something to that effect in Toy Story?

I believe so.

In fact? Can we see those records?

You need to do intensive study. They are not explicitly on display.

 

[WonderBeat]

Changed my mind about something.

 

[Davian]

Not quite sure what you mean.

How is one to know that these people are "furthering God's purpose"? (that there are gods, that they've actually got one, that it has a purpose, that they can know this purpose, that they intend to further this purpose and not just pocket the money).

Am I to take their word for it?

Are you trying to sell me a bridge?

 

[WonderBeat]

About Gods (Devas) and their purpose:

I cannot speak for what the purpose of the gods or God (the Supreme Being) is in full. What I can say is that both God and the gods are benign, powerful, and have humans' best interests in mind. This we know from the shastras (scriptures), not just in Sanatana Dharma ("Hinduism") but also throughout many other scriptures of other civilizations besides southeast Asia. It does not make sense to me to say that all these cultures who spoke about Gods were merely lying or deluded into believing such things. Some people say that Gods are anthropomorphizations of natural phenomena like lightning. I was much given to believing such things until I realized that it is only one pet theory among many. Why should I conclude, were I a primitive savage, that a lightning bolt is indicative of a God? Such a proposition is bewildering in its stupidity on closer examination. Spirits would then have to be hallucinations tacked onto such natural phenomena. Why would humans call their hallucinations divine? Why would they enthrone their shamans or holy men in such exalted positions in their society if they were only weak-minded lunatics? Early humanity would not have been that gullible, and it is actually counter to the theory of evolution to believe this. If strength, if power is what is paramount, than to hell with the soft-hearted religionist! Secondly, there is also the idea that religion was used as a tool to keep the masses in line. This is admittedly a better notion than the former but it fares little better on closer scrutiny. Just because in our day and age religion, especially in the form of cults, has been used as a tool to control people, does not mean that in former times the same thing took place. On the other hand, people would have had an even greater appreciation and honor and respect for religion than now, especially if their salvation depended on it. Great sages would not have performed the mind-blowing austerities that they did if they were not interested in escaping the clutches of samsara (the cycle of birth and death).

These pet theories do not make a whole lot of sense when you actually think about them.

 

[WonderBeat]

How is one to know that these people are "furthering God's purpose"? (that there are gods, that they've actually got one, that it has a purpose, that they can know this purpose, that they intend to further this purpose and not just pocket the money).

Am I to take their word for it?

Are you trying to sell me a bridge?

There are a number of contextual clues. First off, a new age has been predicted in the works of many, including Christians. For instance, the book of Revelations states that God's Kingdom will descend onto the earth and it will be a completely changed world.

Secondly, I have already listed a number of indicators that we are in a time of transition (the increase of floods, hypocrisy of politicians, general global turmoil, and also global revolutions in lifestyle, beliefs, practices and so on). All these things indicate we are at the cusp of a changed world, not necessarily for the better, but change nonetheless. One fact that brings me hope is that ideology in its most egregious forms has been proven not to work, so people will attempt to look at life less through rigid ideologies ("denominations" as Acharyaji states) and more in the form of practical, integral applications to life and the world around them.

Thirdly, both the Mayan and Vedic chronologies predict this age to come into existence, as well as the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Because of this conglomeration of facts, we should definitely be on the look out for something to occur. IMHO.

 

[Davian]

By one's own personal example. Does a person, in all respects of his life, exemplify good qualities? Morally, spiritually, health-wise, cleanliness, etc.

How do you measure that? what units do you use?

...

You need to do intensive study. They are not explicitly on display.

Are they indistinguishable from non-existant?

 

[WonderBeat]

How do you measure that? what units do you use?

I suppose the "units" I would use would be degrees of consciousness. To what extent does a person manifest goodness ("sattwa") to the utmost extent? To what degree do his actions contribute to transcendence?

Are they indistinguishable from non-existant?

To elaborate: some things you need to figure out on your own. When your mind is prepared, then God graces you with His understanding. I am fortunate enough to have but an inkling of this understanding.