259 réponses à ce sujet

[Statulos]

Seagloom wrote...

MerinTB wrote...

There is the view that history is strictly politicial - that what it teaches people (especially is schools) is mostly government propaganda and is "told by the winners."

I disagree immensely with that sentiment - biased as I am, I am a History Major and also a believer in empirical truths existing - but it is a sentiment that holds a lot of weight to many.

Not much else I can add to what I already wrote early in this thread. This is depressing. In the past I had heated arguments with my father over this topic. He argues this very same thing and believes most published history is altered or outright false for those very reasons.

I of course, disagree; even though I'm sure it has occured before. Then this news comes along and proves him right. It's a big fat sighing moment for me. And to think my friends wonder why I'm so pessimistic about the inevitable fate of humanity. :/

Move on guys; that was the XIX historicism is dead and buried long ago. Even our brutaly inmovilist school system has integrated stuff from annals to marxism in history classes.

[MerinTB]

the_one_54321 wrote...

MerinTB wrote...
It's kind of embarassing -

mostly, history of religions.
Though I kind of went all over: history of Japan, Russia, Civil War, Vietnam War, Public History (didn't like)...
but way too many classes on the history of various religions.

Religious history shouldn't be embarassing at all. It's as important a topic as any. :innocent:

Hmm, I can't tell if the halo'd guy is meant as a sign of sarcasm or of self-depricating humor or something else entirely...

I say embarassed considering that part of the motivation of such studies was a search for anything to believe in (spiritually, as I used to think of myself as a spiritual person who just couldn't believe in a religion) -
and because I'm a pretty hard-core skeptic / critical thinker / atheist now.

[the_one_54321]

Irony and self deprecating humor.

Also, it always makes me sad when someone tells me that s/he is an atheist.

Modifié par the_one_54321, 16 mars 2010 - 11:38 .

[Statulos]

the_one_54321 wrote...

Irony and self deprecating humor.

Also, it always makes me sad when someone tells me that s/he is an atheist.

Why so?

[the_one_54321]

Statulos wrote...
Why so?

Because after carefull analysis of the topic (less the historical and more the philosophical) I feel that they are only hurting themselves with this conclusion.

[Statulos]

Another Pascal supporter it seems.

[Noilly Prat]

I much prefer Bertrand Russell's Wager, actually.

[ImperialOperative]

[Sylvius the Mad]

Statulos wrote...

Another Pascal supporter it seems.

I don't understand why anyone accept's Pascal's argument.  Pascal presupposed that belief in god could only have good consequences (or no consequences), but didn't support that in his wager at all.

[Twitchmonkey]

the_one_54321 wrote...

Irony and self deprecating humor.

Also, it always makes me sad when someone tells me that s/he is an atheist.

You should try it, it's really quite fun. We get together and go kiteboarding the first Saturday of every month.

Modifié par Twitchmonkey, 17 mars 2010 - 02:57 .

[Twitchmonkey]

Celrath wrote...

Did you know they have billboards now 

Soon they'll be a Church of Atheism

Billboards, a church, soon we'll have our own snack food. Hope it's better than the nilla wafer, I vote for the twinkie.

[Twitchmonkey]

Celrath wrote...

It really quite funny. They paid to have it put out side of a church. 

Probably the area it will get the most use really.

[the_one_54321]

Statulos wrote...
Another Pascal supporter it seems.

No, not quite. I actually came to my own conclussions on this. I think Pascal got his ideas wrong. But, as it follows from my own conclusions, I do support a lot of what Aquinas had to say.

[Statulos]

the_one_54321 wrote...

Statulos wrote...
Another Pascal supporter it seems.

No, not quite. I actually came to my own conclussions on this. I think Pascal got his ideas wrong. But, as it follows from my own conclusions, I do support a lot of what Aquinas had to say.

Tomism is one of the most biased and best logical fallacies ever created. It basicaly assumes that:

A) There is a cause.
We can know it.
C) Both are transcendent.

[Twitchmonkey]

Celrath wrote...
Ever watch Religulous It sums up my opinion fairly well.

Who am I to say An omnipotent being of energy that transcends  time and space couldn't have been created at the big bang. But to call this being a god as we define it is where I draw the line.  

Never seen Religulous, but I can't say I'm much of a Bill Maher fan, he can't seem to form anything but the most tired and flawed of arguments. I don't have a problem with the assertion that such a thing could happen either, but that it should even be considered without any evidence in support of it, that I can't get behind.

[Statulos]

Good old Kantian arguments never die.

As a matter of fact, divinity is not a matter of rationality in any form for a very simple reason: rationality is a phenomenon bound to human mind and since divinity, by definition, is a supra-human condition; rationality is useless to describe it.

Modifié par Statulos, 17 mars 2010 - 03:29 .

[Twitchmonkey]

Statulos wrote...

Good old Kantian arguments never die.

As a matter of fact, divinity is not a matter of rationality in any form for a very simple reason: rationality is a phenomenon bound to human mind and since divinity, by definition, is a supra-human condition; rationality is useless to describe it.

If the divine wishes to be considered, then it needs to manifest in some way that is useful or measurable to those that would consider it. If it does not wish to be known and/or lacks measurable value or characteristics, it might as well not exist and thus is not really worth considering.

[addiction21]

Would waffles count as a Golden Idol? If so Im screwed

[Twitchmonkey]

addiction21 wrote...

Would waffles count as a Golden Idol? If so Im screwed

Golden waffles would. I'd hold onto those if I were you, in this economy you're going to be glad you did.