The Darkness That Surrounds Us: A Mashup

[bigheadfred]

Atheism and the Problem of Evil

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi8nKXZ-NHQAhUFMGMKHdb0DBQQFgg_MAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservapedia.com%2FAtheism_and_the_Problem_of_Evil&usg=AFQjCNG8JOLXNykOZF1BBDE-QyuNKQ6rmw&sig2=1NS4qxFykhd-iRcxL8kcJA

[bigheadfred]

Atheism and gratitude

http://www.conservapedia.com/Atheism_and_gratitude

[bigheadfred]

If any of you haven't read Joseph Campbell's series The Masks of God you probably should.

He lays it all out there.

From ancient Mother Goddess worship to the Patriarchal Age.

It is interesting how many cultures borrowed the stories, legends, and myths from others and called it their own.

[bigheadfred]

I'm not going to get into Islam since anyone who actually knows about it knows that it is perhaps the biggest blight to hit the planet in the history of history.

Historical references are of no use as it the here and now of it that is the concern.

[bigheadfred]

There is no Good and Evil except in Perception

Good and evil does not exist. At a fundamental level, there is really no good and evil in the universe. Everything just is. It is perception that frames reality. Good and evil is based on perception. Therefore the perception of good and evil depends on the one perceiving it. If you perceive something as good, then to you it is good. If you perceive something as evil, then to you it is evil. We can choose our own frame of reality or we can choose to follow the frame set by another in his perception of good and evil.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiRn6u0w9TQAhUL9mMKHXwQDxoQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindreality.com%2Fthere-is-no-good-and-evil-except-in-perception&usg=AFQjCNGToDRQgZGZ4Ky72PLTkpczBkRVew&sig2=krXYQQ-1o71zPVln7zUhQA

[bigheadfred]

Perceptions of Evil - What is Evil? - DeliriumsRealm.com

One of humanity’s most common theological questions is how to answer the fundamental question, “What is evil?” How can you create a working definition of evil that accounts for (1) mass genocides, atrocities like the Holocaust, or a gunman walking into an elementary school and opening fire, and (2) natural occurrences that cause mass destruction like floods, tidal waves, hurricanes and the like? What about diseases, AIDS epidemics, and cancer? Are natural occurrences truly “evil” or should evil be limited to deliberate wrongdoing or acts of rebellion that intentionally cause harm to others?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiRn6u0w9TQAhUL9mMKHXwQDxoQFggiMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deliriumsrealm.com%2Fwhat-is-evil%2F&usg=AFQjCNHuZiL7-Fnr_t3XhjHAKWLEKbtPwA&sig2=XH09_1LlaebC5v8m_i2s9g

[Quix]

.
I love that quote.
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Otherwise . . . no offense . . . but your last few posts are rather askew from my perceptions, convictions and constructions of reality from my frame of reference.
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I do NOT buy into the notion that the Biblical record is 'merely' a borrowing from a lot of 'more ancient' stuff.
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And, for me, by definition,
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Almighty God--Yehovah--the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob has proven abundantly in His written Word, that HE IS altogether Good--even though we don't have the original autographs--what we do have conclusively proves it was sourced beyond our time/space dimension by beyond 'natural' means. And, that apart from Him, mankind collectively and individually with pride, rebellion and idolatry of all manner of junk will turn more and more toward destruction, pain, suffering, selfishness, evil.
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Chuck Missler's
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Hidden Treasures of the Bible
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is a good place to start on such issues:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUkak5vWYbU
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His
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What About Hidden Messages? and the Bible Proved
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5K-e4NaxeE
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Is also worth the time, imho.
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And, in terms of evil . . . his
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The Origin of Evil (Session 1)
.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGVYIoO_Qf0
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Is well worth the time.
.

[bigheadfred]

@Quix

My posts don't necessarily reflect what I believe. I'm throwing out some information in the hope someone finds something there to help them with any questions they may have.

What I believe is something I have known all my life. That I have a wealth of information to back that up, from other sources, only serves to strengthen that.

[bigheadfred]

Hinduism

Hinduism has over 1.08 billion adherents worldwide (15% of world's population) with about 95% living in India . Along with Christianity (31.5%), Islam (23.2%) and Buddhism (7.1%), Hinduism is one of the four major religions of the world by percentage of population. Most Hindus are found in Asian countries.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjUyrKstt7QAhUFS2MKHU_uCYEQFggkMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHinduism_by_country&usg=AFQjCNGtogJi0nkWE86NN-VC35vLM_SgTw&sig2=6eusyYXiH1Rz6rMi1Keo-g

15% of the world population surrounded by darkness in one major religion.

Hindus believe in Karma and reincarnation. A near-endless cycle. Born into a caste system that is unbreakable.

So you have over a billion people sitting on their ass in lifelong lethargy. After millions of years of this cycling you would think, that by now, they would have a clue.

Naught.

I'll leave them alone now. That is what they want anyhooskies.

[bigheadfred]

Arthur C. Clarke - The Nine Billion Names of God

Nice little short story. Really short. To the point. Fun reading for all.

Many consider novelist Arthur C. Clarke's 1953 story The Nine Billion Names for God to be one of the finest stories in the history of science ...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiL8f_YuN7QAhUP4mMKHSBJDA4QFggrMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownlode.org%2FEtext%2Fnine_billion_names_of_god.html&usg=AFQjCNF450bDWdtedELPfwBhVANU0V7Weg&sig2=7s-yt8knyZl-IWd8nGI8mQ

[bigheadfred]

Show of hands. Everyone who knows DMT should be a mandatory experience


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtT6Xkk-kzk

https://youtu.be/8WpWJVVAIxY

Since DMT is in everything how bad can it be?

[bigheadfred]

Adherents, Persons, and Human Beings


World Religions statistics & pie charts
world religions pie chart

 

This pie chart is based on statistics listing peoples self-admitted adherence to one of the major world religions, or to other faiths, or to people stating that they are of no religion.

As you will see the pie chart only mentions percentages of the world's population whose religiously related self-admission places them in each category.

To get a better idea of the numerical population size statistics please consult the following list of the major world religions.

Christians:
    2,100,000,000 adherents - tending to decline in terms of global percentage

Muslims:
    1,500,000,000 persons - tending to increase in terms of global percentage

Of no religion:
    1,100,000,000 Human Beings - tending to decline in terms of global percentage

Hindus:
    900,000,000 adherents - stable in terms of global percentage

Chinese folk religionists:
    400,000,000 persons

Primal religionists:
    400,000,000 Human Beings

Buddhists:
    375,000,000 adherents - stable in terms of global percentage

Sikhs:
    24,000,000 persons

Jews:
    14,500,000 Human Beings

Baha'is:
    7,400,000 adherents

Jains:
    4,300,000 persons

Shintoists:
    4,000,000Human Beings

Taoism:
    2,700,000 adherents

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiUgMqwheHQAhVSz2MKHXtkCCQQFgg7MAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.age-of-the-sage.org%2Fmysticism%2Fworld_religions_populations.html&usg=AFQjCNGGGO7uxJF4SSDf1Mp_zHuuxtdCXw&sig2=gEZpWGtz2rDwa_A5QU5HtA

I don't know why moslems are counted as a world religion. IBMers.

[bigheadfred]

I hear too many people complaining about how their church is being run. They need to realize that by doing so they have started their own church already and should go with that. If you don't like something let it go.

Remember the story about the guy trying to get his life together. Making some changes. Cleaning up his act. He has some dogs and they have made a mess in his yard. He hasn't been keeping up. So he gets a big trash bag and starts filling it with dog poop. Drags it over to the sidewalk and then starts mowing. Thinking  big thoughts he runs the mower into the bag of dog doo. Dog crap is flying everywhere and he is trying to get the mower free when he lets go of the mower handle and the mower stops.

[bigheadfred]

Let's see now.

A couple of billion uncaring bastards.

A billion sitting on their ass doing nothing.

A half billion sitting on their ass trying to do nothing.

A couple of billion supposedly getting off their ass and onto their knees.

Over a billion and rapidly expanding trying to force the rest of the world onto their knees.

That's not even counting the Animists, Pagans, Indigenous Primalists, etc.

That is a whole bunch of darkness.

Sum it all up and this world isn't going to Hell. This is Hell.

Thanks, people.

Thanks a whole bunch.

[Gefn]

Arthur C. Clarke - The Nine Billion Names of God

Nice little short story. Really short. To the point. Fun reading for all.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiL8f_YuN7QAhUP4mMKHSBJDA4QFggrMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownlode.org%2FEtext%2Fnine_billion_names_of_god.html&usg=AFQjCNF450bDWdtedELPfwBhVANU0V7Weg&sig2=7s-yt8knyZl-IWd8nGI8mQ

That and his short story "The Star". It won a Hugo, and it's only four pages.

I'm jonsing for your snow cone tonight. It looks so yummy.

[bigheadfred]

That and his short story "The Star". It won a Hugo, and it's only four pages.

I'm jonsing for your snow cone tonight. It looks so yummy.

I don't know about a sno=cone. But I could go for a banana split.

[Gefn]

I don't know about a sno=cone. But I could go for a banana split.

So can I. Minus banana.

How can evil exist in the world when banana splits exist?

[bigheadfred]

So can I. Minus banana.

How can evil exist in the world when banana splits exist?

Blame Madison Avenue.

[Gefn]

Blame Madison Avenue.

I'm in a silly, lonely mood. I didn't mean to thread jack your thread. I just love ice cream. I could eat it all day.

[bigheadfred]

If anyone needs proof of the existence of an Intelligent Designer, A Creator, The One, The Source, God I point to you the miracle of chocolate.

Chocolate melts in your mouth and not your hand. A happy coincidence? A mere whim of nature?

I think not. No chance.

And considering where we are at.

There is no chance in Hell.

heh heh heh

[bigheadfred]

I'm in a silly, lonely mood. I didn't mean to thread jack your thread. I just love ice cream. I could eat it all day.

I don't know how it could be a thread hijack.

The whole point of this thread is to point out the lack of ice cream in the world.

[bigheadfred]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RWOpQXTltA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RWOpQXTltA

[bigheadfred]

Violence, The Media And Your Brain | Psychology Today

Suspension of disbelief is entertaining. Sitting passively and watching “The Dark Knight Rises” or playing Grand Theft Auto is a fun way to relax and forget about real life for a bit. Where’s the harm in that?

The evidence continues to mount that it’s not all good. A study by the Indiana University School of Medicine examined young men and violent media exposure. There were visible alterations in MRI brain scans after only one week of playing a violent video game. In particular, there was a significant decrease in the activation of prefrontal portions of the brain and a greater activation of the amygdala.

The Macquarie University Children and Families Research Centre found that children who watch violent movies are more likely to view the world as an unsympathetic, malicious and scary place and that this stimulates aggression. It also suggests children are more likely to exhibit combative behavior while becoming desensitized to violence. Reportedly, the MRI brain scans of children who have viewed film or television violence had a similar look when compared to those who have violently acted out.

I want someone to tell me why actual war, murders, or other real acts of violence that are recorded, aren't shown on all the TV stations? They should, in fact, be daily fare in prime time every evening and on Saturday morning so the kiddies don't miss a out.

[bigheadfred]

I posted this at the beginning of the thread:



uh huh

[bigheadfred]

So this is what he is saying. We have pushed the darkness past our planetary boundary a bit, but the circumference of the circle od darkness, what we don't know, has grown. Right? Right.