My only problem with this is you do exist after "death" just in another form. You might decay and be re absorbed into the earth only to re-emerge millions of years from now or your consciousness very well could exist on another plain. The only reason nothingness doesn't sit well with me is because existence favors existence. There's supposedly more matter than anti matter in what we call the Universe. So that suggests to me that things do keep going on and on
It's a misguided definition because it characterizes the view that the unknowable is unknowable as somehow "sitting on the fence" between theists and atheists. Typically its atheists who say "I don't know" is "sitting on the fence." Dualism isn't exactly a modern or nationalistic development. Its natural to think in terms of dualisms like big/small or something/nothing. Its actually pretty bizarre for atheists to boast obstaining from dualistic thinking when their very own philosophy is theism inverted. As I see it atheism has nothing to do with science in the first place, so it would be wrong to conclude atheism derives its supposed secularism from scientific observations. Rather than "absolute realism", atheism is absolute dogmatism. They carry on as if their absence of belief is based upon established facts when rather their "facts" are rooted in belief. Rosenbaum got it right in saying: "Indeed agnostics see atheism as "a theism"—as much a faith-based creed as the most orthodox of the religious variety." What you may view as "deeply rooted hatred for atheism" is my admitted intolerance for pseudo-science. I have no qualms with one saying no to religious deities, but having seen so many atheists tout science as the "answer" - lets just say I'm skeptical.
You're not paying attention. He wasn't a smart kid in his early years, especially in math. But because of his theory of relativity, he became a rock star and under his wife's tutelage, he became the person he is today. And secondly, I never initiated the radiowaves example. You did. Read your original post and see who's the person who brought that example up. In other words, you're the person who made that error. I simply went along with YOUR words. And of course, your example doesn't strengthen the argument about the existence of god. That's a philosophical argument that can't be tangible in any way shape or form when it's merely a concoction of human thoughts.
IQ supposedly measures potential not actual ability or history of ability. Maybe you could have done more under more advantageous conditions. I often think had I applied myself more I would have been a mechanical engineer or a doctor just didn't have the drive and mine is around 143 I think.
I was raised with a belief in a form of reincarnation, and I have too much personal evidence not to think that something goes on, but I'd just as soon it didn't.
Duality is an ancient, ancient concept. One of the books I recommend to people who are interested in what some folks call "metaphysics" is called The Kybalion. One of the concepts it talks about is everything essentially existing in pairs of opposites. Dark/light good/bad male/female etc etc. It's *beyond* those pairs of opposites that The Kybalion presents the idea of The All or the All in All. Which I suppose some might think of as deity, though I tend to see as the collective intelligence/energies of the universe.
Perhaps. I didnt have the educational opportunities. I also think it does have to do with drive, and it took me quite a while to find mine.
He was more than likely smart his whole life, doing well in school doesn't mean shit it usually just means you can take orders well and work hard doing what your told. The current education process doesn't really "teach" anything other than obedience but that's topic for another thread. Would please stop making the man sound like some idiot who got lucky. He spent years proving that therom in time before computers which makes accomplishments like his and Newton's that more impressive. Dude I never said that you initiated.. whatever I still think my logic holds true. What philosophical argument? The purpose of the hadron collider is to find the "God" particle, the spark of existence.
Drive is key. I forget the author right now but this guy came up with this theory about talent and genius saying they were myths. Basically the guy who works longest and hardest will always come out on top. For example Tiger Woods dominated in golf so long because he started the sport at 3 which traditionally had its pro start the game in their 30s. So drive is a big part of success.
Dualism as in believing there's something after death or that the mind and body are separate. And clearly, for you to say that atheism is merely "theism inverted" is a perverse way of thinking. Again, this only further shows your personal grudge over merely a rejection of gods. Again, we atheists only prefer to figure out HOW things work as oppose to pushing or recycling old philosophical ideas. I wouldn't call it atheism a "faith" when the burden of proof are on those who hold a supernatural entity to compromise much of what they want to feel as comforting. Atheism simply rejects the idea of a God and the faith isn't there when there's no god to acknowledge. Then you're misjudging. It's true that atheists, as do a lot of people, look to science for answers. Especially given that much of what science has delivered over the years really pushed civilization and our understanding of how things works to come a long way. There are numerous practices within the scientific field that do require credible evidence and while not all is concrete, it's safer to assume that they've provided the right ideas towards that conclusion.
Science requires some element of faith. Its not all just seeing what happens then reporting. Some experiments only have the resources for a fuel trials but based on the faith you will be successful you persist. Granted its more educated faith but faith none the less.
Metaphysics has caught a bad rap in western scholarship. That might explain the all but hollowed "analytic" tradition. "The Kyablion" sounds pretty interesting. Though I wouldn't describe dualism as a concept in a sense of something that could later be routed from humanity. Rather dualism is built into the micro-circuitry of the brain and has everything to do with biasing information in one way or the other.
Your logic doesn't hold true. The basic idea of "what's unknowable" is consistent, but the meat and potatoes of it are more like comparing apples to oranges, which is what you're doing.
That's sort of true. But to be more precise, it has more to do with conjuring up an idea and testing it out, hence the scientific method.
Yes it has. Like most sciences, soft or hard, it began with a search for information. While the tools were different than those we use for "traditional science" they still turned up plenty of information which our science is only now beginning to examine. The Kybalion is online The Kybalion It's a small book. If you read it in less than several weeks, you haven't grasped it at all, start over at the beginning. It's fascinating stuff, and there's also a link there to download it as a PDF if you like It discusses Hermetic Philosophy, beginning with these principles: I. THE PRINCIPLE OF MENTALISM. "THE ALL is MIND; The Universe is Mental." — The Kybalion. II. THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRESPONDENCE. "As above, so below; as below so above." — The Kybalion. III. THE PRINCIPLE OF VIBRATION. "Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates." — The Kybalion. IV. THE PRINCIPLE OF POLARITY. "Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled." — The Kybalion. V. THE PRINCIPLE OF RHYTHM. "Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates." — The Kybalion. VI. THE PRINCIPLE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT. "Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law." — The Kybalion. VII. THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER. "Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles Gender; manifests on all planes." — The Kybalion.
