Peter Howard wrote:
>
> "Patrick Turner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> <snip parts>
>
> >... its the Internet, and people
> > lurk about and hide their real identity, and it suits many ppl because
> > they prefer the
> > fantasy of the unreal profile they may have created online.
> > Such self indulgence is irresistable to many. and they find themselves
> > being noticed more in Cyber space
> > than enduring the harsh glare of the scrutiny of the outside real world.
> >
>
> A very apposite comment in a thread started by Jute. Could it be that you
> know full well that the man is a ******** artist?
I plead ignorant. I don't know everthing. I allow folks to have their
own truth.
I cited Richard Dawkins who challenges all religious beliefs which so
many folks hold up as being SO TRUE.
I agree with Dawkins that the study of Theology is utter BS.
However, I can only praise the people involved in religions who do good
works.
But I am definately not so keen on religious organizations operating tax
free,
a nice little lurk and rort if you can arrange it.
Many good people have deep religious convictions without the slightest
evidence that there
is a God which they so carefully try to define. An after life for them
IS going to happen.
But I also know a lot of very pleasant atheists. I don't mind that I
think I ain't
going anywhere when i am dead, and I don't mind being infinitely dumb
about the
nature of the universe.
To describe the Universe would take an infinitely large description, and
we have only finite brains,
so ultimate knowledge is denied to us. The religious leaders such as the
Pope, Mullahs, chief Rabbis
all should realize all this but they want to believe they know better.
They tried to force us into submission by insisting Hell was a feared
place you could go
if you sinned badly.
But not if you repented in time. The more they tried to brainwash me as
a kid, the
less interest I had in going to church, and hence the Grand Decline in
churchgoing,
because I wasn't alone in rejecting whatever the Christian God might be.
I have no desire to change religious beliefs, unless I have to.
They leave me alone, I leave them alone, they think prayer makes a
difference,
I know it doesn't. I'm happy with most of my ideas.
Once I was taught the Catholic Catechism, "Who made the world?" it
asked.
Answer, "God made the world", but it doesn't ask or answer who made God.
I'll give you an answer now though :- God made God. he sure ain't no old
giza drifing
around on a cloud up There, and he don't control the weather, or who
gets cancer,
or whether you'll stike it lucky playing the pokies.
How YOU make out here on Earth depends to me on YOU, not god.
But people construct a belief of a god in their minds. I just prefer to
have some strong fine notion
of the seven virtues and seven vices, and God doesn't need to figure in
morality rules.
But how could God make God? Well, "he", or rather IT, just musta made
himself Itself somehow or else nothing would exist.
Its all a mystery, and I think everyone exists in a permanent state of
almost complete UNCERTAINTY.
I think the Popes are wrong........
The more we look into the distances of space, the further it stretches,
and the further we look
into atomic particles, the more mystery is revealed.
But when most religions formerly formed or evolved in the distant past,
mankind
could not see much further than his nose. Lots of fantasy and BS was
invented so the few
could rule over the many.
I don't mind the mystery, and if a Pope says "watch out mate, you'll go
to hell",
I would say Mr Pope, you appear to be bullshitting, but I have few hard
feelings.
I just keep out of churches. For many its a very nice place to
socialise,
and many people need to just be together with their agreed beliefs,
chanting mumbo jumbo all sunday,
but I find it all a gigantically boring sham.
To me such socials on a sunday have never been appealing; I'd rather
go for a bike ride, to see, to hear, to feel the presence of Nature
and admire the Wonderment of the Mystery, and I don't need some dude
dressed in fancy dress telling me what to believe in.
As i said, its somewhat pointless to argue because one man's facts are
another man's BS.
I did have a nice ride today, but huffed and puffed a bit extra because
of the flu I had....
Lotsa people out riding....
Patrick Turner.
