<i>Your</i> God
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The way I see it, we are all part of one big computer program. An operating system where the sysadmin has got lazy and hasn't been installing the fixes and patches :-) Michael :-)
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God was an Astronaut? What is she/he know? A moon rock? :-D Actually I don't get the joke, care to explain? Please? regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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Alright then, we have all expressed ourselves on the issues of evolution, religion etc. A lot of opinions have been thrown about and a lot of heated debates have been rammed home. Apart from people obviously pro-Christian and those pro-Atheism not much has been mentioned about personal beliefs, or personal gods. Organised religion IMHO is not something I ever want to get back into nor do I recommend it to anyone with an open mind and a strong will (no disrespect to anyone who is part of an organised religion). So what are your personal beliefs? Do you, like Chris, believe that everything came forth from the bellybutton of the goddess Sheba? Do you believe in one almighty power who is all and created all, or do you believe in many gods? I personally am not 100% sure what is out there. My current personal belief though is that of a power which is part of our universe. It came into being along with our universe and is ruled like us by the universes laws and restraints. It is no holy creature but is far evolved past us. Whether it be one or many I am not sure. Beyond that I am still thinking about it. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
Personally, I believe that consciousness is a universal cosmic property. That is, the universe itself is, in some sense, conscious. The brain is merely an organ which focuses that property in pretty much the same way that the eye focuses light. Thus we all share the same consciousness but are each confined to our own unique perspectives within that consciousness, and that we are therefore both mortal in a physical sense, but immortal in that our consciousness is a permanent aspect of space/time. I do not know what the nature of the collective, universal, intellect may be, but it could well be what most religious people generally conceive of as "God". Of course I also believe that John Simmons is the one true God, so what the hell do I know.:-D "I never met anyone I didn't like" Will Rogers.
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Is he running Windows or Linux? Your beliefe explains a lot of problems we have in life... like mass blackouts (due to the blue screen of death), lost memory and infectious diseases. :-D regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
Well considering it only took 6 days to knock up, it's got to be a Visual Basic prototype. That would explain a lot :-) I'd like to see what it is like to live in the proper Visual C++/MFC version though. Perhaps thats heaven :-) Michael :-)
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Alright then, we have all expressed ourselves on the issues of evolution, religion etc. A lot of opinions have been thrown about and a lot of heated debates have been rammed home. Apart from people obviously pro-Christian and those pro-Atheism not much has been mentioned about personal beliefs, or personal gods. Organised religion IMHO is not something I ever want to get back into nor do I recommend it to anyone with an open mind and a strong will (no disrespect to anyone who is part of an organised religion). So what are your personal beliefs? Do you, like Chris, believe that everything came forth from the bellybutton of the goddess Sheba? Do you believe in one almighty power who is all and created all, or do you believe in many gods? I personally am not 100% sure what is out there. My current personal belief though is that of a power which is part of our universe. It came into being along with our universe and is ruled like us by the universes laws and restraints. It is no holy creature but is far evolved past us. Whether it be one or many I am not sure. Beyond that I am still thinking about it. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
I doubt there is any point me stating my opinion, in that I think I've made it pretty clear.... Christian As I learn the innermost secrets of the around me, they reward me in many ways to keep quiet. Men with pierced ears are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought Jewellery.
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Personally, I believe that consciousness is a universal cosmic property. That is, the universe itself is, in some sense, conscious. The brain is merely an organ which focuses that property in pretty much the same way that the eye focuses light. Thus we all share the same consciousness but are each confined to our own unique perspectives within that consciousness, and that we are therefore both mortal in a physical sense, but immortal in that our consciousness is a permanent aspect of space/time. I do not know what the nature of the collective, universal, intellect may be, but it could well be what most religious people generally conceive of as "God". Of course I also believe that John Simmons is the one true God, so what the hell do I know.:-D "I never met anyone I didn't like" Will Rogers.
Well your signature "I never met anyone I didn't like" Will Rogers. is pretty much backed up by your belief then :) That is a pretty interesting take on our universe though. I have been known to argue with people that really we are just cells inside a vast body that is our universe, much like cells in our bodies think they are part of a vast universe (our body). The universe is a creature which is floating/swimming/etc. between other of its kind and every now and then a they fall ill from, for instance, a black-hole (much like a hernia actually). :) regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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God was an Astronaut? What is she/he know? A moon rock? :-D Actually I don't get the joke, care to explain? Please? regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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Well considering it only took 6 days to knock up, it's got to be a Visual Basic prototype. That would explain a lot :-) I'd like to see what it is like to live in the proper Visual C++/MFC version though. Perhaps thats heaven :-) Michael :-)
It cannot possibly be a VB prototype, we still have to take out the garbage every week and we all know VB does that for you ;P regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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I doubt there is any point me stating my opinion, in that I think I've made it pretty clear.... Christian As I learn the innermost secrets of the around me, they reward me in many ways to keep quiet. Men with pierced ears are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought Jewellery.
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I doubt there is any point me stating my opinion, in that I think I've made it pretty clear.... Christian As I learn the innermost secrets of the around me, they reward me in many ways to keep quiet. Men with pierced ears are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought Jewellery.
Yup you have. Just curious but was there a "before faith" time for you? As in was there a time in your life where you were not of faith? What was it like and how did you look back on your faithless years after you came to faith? regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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No, no joke Paul, just ask Erik Von Danike. Norm Almond Chief Technical Architect FS Walker Hughes Limited
Just finished reading this brief "synopsis" of Erik's book. I remember know my dad recommending I read that book, think I will definitley take it up now. Thanks. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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Alright then, we have all expressed ourselves on the issues of evolution, religion etc. A lot of opinions have been thrown about and a lot of heated debates have been rammed home. Apart from people obviously pro-Christian and those pro-Atheism not much has been mentioned about personal beliefs, or personal gods. Organised religion IMHO is not something I ever want to get back into nor do I recommend it to anyone with an open mind and a strong will (no disrespect to anyone who is part of an organised religion). So what are your personal beliefs? Do you, like Chris, believe that everything came forth from the bellybutton of the goddess Sheba? Do you believe in one almighty power who is all and created all, or do you believe in many gods? I personally am not 100% sure what is out there. My current personal belief though is that of a power which is part of our universe. It came into being along with our universe and is ruled like us by the universes laws and restraints. It is no holy creature but is far evolved past us. Whether it be one or many I am not sure. Beyond that I am still thinking about it. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
Reality is what you percieve it to be .If that reality includes a god then he is real to you . The problem is that most people think there is only one reality,and therefore their reality is the true one.
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Yup you have. Just curious but was there a "before faith" time for you? As in was there a time in your life where you were not of faith? What was it like and how did you look back on your faithless years after you came to faith? regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
Yup you have. Just curious but was there a "before faith" time for you? As in was there a time in your life where you were not of faith? What was it like and how did you look back on your faithless years after you came to faith? Well, yes. I was brought up nominally Lutheran. I accepted there was a God in the same way I accepted there was a Santa Claus - parents don't lie, right ? (FWIW I'll interject that I tell my daughter about Santa because my explanation of God to her involves proof which I believe will mean she will be able to differentiate between the two concepts if she decides to take God up on the offer. ). Anyhow, I tried to read the Bible and gave up in Leviticus ( the Law ). Eventually I was confirmed ( a process that most churches do but has no place in the Bible ), and told I had the Holy Spirit. I felt no different, and so decided the whole thing was a waste of time, a ritual old people cling to because they will be dead soon. I was about 10 or 12. It was at the age of 20 I lived with two girls and through them started going to church again. I went to a lot of churches in a short time, all told me I was saved, I never felt any different. I had pretty much decided it was all a joke for the second time when a person I worked with told me I could have proof of God in my life, that I would know something had happened when I became a Christian, instead of some priest trying to convince me. What was it like ? Well, I was an accident and neither of my parents ever showed me any affection in my life, so I had no self esteem and was an introverted, lonely child. Add adolescence, and my teenage years basically sucked. The only good things in my life were my computer and my stereo. So in my case, my prior conversion and particularly the period I did not believe in God is also 12-20, I doubt that is fun for many, although it probably sucked more than most for me. Now I regard my life to have begun on Nov 19, 1989, because from that day I became a confident and happy person. As a child my mother would hit me because I never smiled and that made people think she was a bad mother. Even my mother, who refuses to accept any religion, refers to me recieving the Holy Spirit as a physical event that completely changed my life. Christian As I learn the innermost secrets of the around me, they reward me in many ways to keep quiet. Men with pierced ears are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought Jewellery.
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Alright then, we have all expressed ourselves on the issues of evolution, religion etc. A lot of opinions have been thrown about and a lot of heated debates have been rammed home. Apart from people obviously pro-Christian and those pro-Atheism not much has been mentioned about personal beliefs, or personal gods. Organised religion IMHO is not something I ever want to get back into nor do I recommend it to anyone with an open mind and a strong will (no disrespect to anyone who is part of an organised religion). So what are your personal beliefs? Do you, like Chris, believe that everything came forth from the bellybutton of the goddess Sheba? Do you believe in one almighty power who is all and created all, or do you believe in many gods? I personally am not 100% sure what is out there. My current personal belief though is that of a power which is part of our universe. It came into being along with our universe and is ruled like us by the universes laws and restraints. It is no holy creature but is far evolved past us. Whether it be one or many I am not sure. Beyond that I am still thinking about it. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
God is a state of mind. We create the 'creator' we need. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Memory leaks is the price we pay \0 01234567890123456789012345678901234
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Alright then, we have all expressed ourselves on the issues of evolution, religion etc. A lot of opinions have been thrown about and a lot of heated debates have been rammed home. Apart from people obviously pro-Christian and those pro-Atheism not much has been mentioned about personal beliefs, or personal gods. Organised religion IMHO is not something I ever want to get back into nor do I recommend it to anyone with an open mind and a strong will (no disrespect to anyone who is part of an organised religion). So what are your personal beliefs? Do you, like Chris, believe that everything came forth from the bellybutton of the goddess Sheba? Do you believe in one almighty power who is all and created all, or do you believe in many gods? I personally am not 100% sure what is out there. My current personal belief though is that of a power which is part of our universe. It came into being along with our universe and is ruled like us by the universes laws and restraints. It is no holy creature but is far evolved past us. Whether it be one or many I am not sure. Beyond that I am still thinking about it. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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I selected a fencepost in my backyard as my god. It's just as effective at answering prayers as anyone elses, but at least I can *see* it. ;P To hell with those thin-skinned pillow-biters. - Me, 10/03/2001
Surely a mirror would have been a better choice for you? ;P regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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Well your signature "I never met anyone I didn't like" Will Rogers. is pretty much backed up by your belief then :) That is a pretty interesting take on our universe though. I have been known to argue with people that really we are just cells inside a vast body that is our universe, much like cells in our bodies think they are part of a vast universe (our body). The universe is a creature which is floating/swimming/etc. between other of its kind and every now and then a they fall ill from, for instance, a black-hole (much like a hernia actually). :) regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
I always appreciated the parallel between an atom and our solar sytem, universe, and galaxy. If a human lives 100 years and a fly lives 1 day who has led a longer life? A fly's perspective may be so askewed from ours that its birth, infancy, maturity, and death may all seem to take the same period of time as our life process. Could that be why it is so hard to kill a fly? Maybe time is slowed down for them. With that same perspective one may wonder if we are but an atom on a blade of grass in a galaxy within a galaxy. Our life span seems long and our planet seems as it has been around forever, but maybe not in respect to the inhabitants of the outer galaxy. One day life will all end for us only because a child was outside playing or a lawn mower passing by. It may seem far fetched but looking at it from the outside in it is less difficult to conceive. I don't necessarily believe that to be fact but I have a lot of theories when it comes to life and the universe. It is fun to wonder! But where does a God fit into all of this? As a human with a very small understanding of what's real outside of what is for me, I can't comprehend time as anything but a timeline. Infinity is a concept that no one can truly grasp because we can't experience it. If everything is infinite and their was no true begining then where did everything come from? As a person I require a start and finish to anything...seems that everyone is more focused on the finish than the start though. But if time and space isn't infinite, how did it start? Where are the borders? If you hit the END of the ABSOLUTE universe is it a wall? Will it absorb all matter that crosses that line? When I die, if there is a heaven and creator, as I hope there is, I have so many questions that need answered. Maybe we aren't supposed to really know? :) ---- Xian
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God is a state of mind. We create the 'creator' we need. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Memory leaks is the price we pay \0 01234567890123456789012345678901234
Maybe we are simply a state of mind in Gods mind. He needs us and so created us. :) regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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I always appreciated the parallel between an atom and our solar sytem, universe, and galaxy. If a human lives 100 years and a fly lives 1 day who has led a longer life? A fly's perspective may be so askewed from ours that its birth, infancy, maturity, and death may all seem to take the same period of time as our life process. Could that be why it is so hard to kill a fly? Maybe time is slowed down for them. With that same perspective one may wonder if we are but an atom on a blade of grass in a galaxy within a galaxy. Our life span seems long and our planet seems as it has been around forever, but maybe not in respect to the inhabitants of the outer galaxy. One day life will all end for us only because a child was outside playing or a lawn mower passing by. It may seem far fetched but looking at it from the outside in it is less difficult to conceive. I don't necessarily believe that to be fact but I have a lot of theories when it comes to life and the universe. It is fun to wonder! But where does a God fit into all of this? As a human with a very small understanding of what's real outside of what is for me, I can't comprehend time as anything but a timeline. Infinity is a concept that no one can truly grasp because we can't experience it. If everything is infinite and their was no true begining then where did everything come from? As a person I require a start and finish to anything...seems that everyone is more focused on the finish than the start though. But if time and space isn't infinite, how did it start? Where are the borders? If you hit the END of the ABSOLUTE universe is it a wall? Will it absorb all matter that crosses that line? When I die, if there is a heaven and creator, as I hope there is, I have so many questions that need answered. Maybe we aren't supposed to really know? :) ---- Xian
I can't comprehend time as anything but a timeline. Infinity is a concept that no one can truly grasp because we can't experience it. If everything is infinite and their was no true begining then where did everything come from? As a person I require a start and finish to anything...seems that everyone is more focused on the finish than the start though. But if time and space isn't infinite, how did it start? I wonder about that almost every day. Chris (Maunder) assures me that physicists and scientists have the answers, or at least some very good theories, but I do not believe any answer will ever really satisfy me or any real skeptic. Even if we did not have the concept of time and transceneded its barriers my mind would still wonder were everything came from. You have very similar thoughts to me Xian :) regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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I always appreciated the parallel between an atom and our solar sytem, universe, and galaxy. If a human lives 100 years and a fly lives 1 day who has led a longer life? A fly's perspective may be so askewed from ours that its birth, infancy, maturity, and death may all seem to take the same period of time as our life process. Could that be why it is so hard to kill a fly? Maybe time is slowed down for them. With that same perspective one may wonder if we are but an atom on a blade of grass in a galaxy within a galaxy. Our life span seems long and our planet seems as it has been around forever, but maybe not in respect to the inhabitants of the outer galaxy. One day life will all end for us only because a child was outside playing or a lawn mower passing by. It may seem far fetched but looking at it from the outside in it is less difficult to conceive. I don't necessarily believe that to be fact but I have a lot of theories when it comes to life and the universe. It is fun to wonder! But where does a God fit into all of this? As a human with a very small understanding of what's real outside of what is for me, I can't comprehend time as anything but a timeline. Infinity is a concept that no one can truly grasp because we can't experience it. If everything is infinite and their was no true begining then where did everything come from? As a person I require a start and finish to anything...seems that everyone is more focused on the finish than the start though. But if time and space isn't infinite, how did it start? Where are the borders? If you hit the END of the ABSOLUTE universe is it a wall? Will it absorb all matter that crosses that line? When I die, if there is a heaven and creator, as I hope there is, I have so many questions that need answered. Maybe we aren't supposed to really know? :) ---- Xian
You've being watching too many movies. I've seen a movie (Men in Black, me thinks), where the good guys had to protect a marble because in that marble was a complete universe. The movie ends with the camera leaving earth, solar system, galaxy, etc. until it shows a marble being picked up by a child. --- Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused :laugh: