He is risen!

[Kidlicious]

I believe that, in the end, there can be only two answers to nihilism: rejection or distraction. Either it's not true, or it's sort of true but hey look over there. I find distraction impossible; I am enraged by meaninglessness. So rejection it is.

Never thought about being enraged by meaninglessness. I've only thought of having a passion for meaning, which isn't exactly the something. Please send me your newsletter.

[Kidlicious]

Can't you just accept the fact that our purpose is still the same as all other organisms on the planet - to live and procreate. There is no bigger spiritual picture out there and God doesn't exist. It makes life so much simpler, because life is simple...

The other creatures are not like us. They have only a physical self, not both a physical and spiritual self. This should be an indication to you.

[kentonio]

The other creatures are not like us. They have only a physical self, not both a physical and spiritual self. This should be an indication to you.

How would you know given that your 'spiritual self' is completely undetectable by any scientific method? How do you know that cats don't have gods?

[Aeson]

Can't you just accept the fact that our purpose is still the same as all other organisms on the planet - to live and procreate. There is no bigger spiritual picture out there and God doesn't exist. It makes life so much simpler, because life is simple...

There is no logical way to get to "live and procreate" being an all encompassing purpose. When you eliminate a higher calling ... all you're left with is causality ... in which case everyone is actually doing exactly what their purpose is. Whether that is killing themselves, or breeding, or believing in something else.

For myself, I definitely don't want a simple life.

[Kidlicious]

How would you know given that your 'spiritual self' is completely undetectable by any scientific method? How do you know that cats don't have gods?

I don't need to know if they have gods or not. It appears that they do not. That causes me to think, why do I have a spiritual self? It gives me choices to make, such as which religious beliefs to have, or not to have. Animals don't have many of the capabilities that we have. I don't even have a reason to question if this is because of evolution or not. I have no passion for that. I have passion for the choices that I make.

[Bereta_Eder]

There is no logical way to get to "live and procreate" being an all encompassing purpose. When you eliminate a higher calling ... all you're left with is causality ... in which case everyone is actually doing exactly what their purpose is. Whether that is killing themselves, or breeding, or believing in something else.

For myself, I definitely don't want a simple life.

http://www.amazon.com/Straw-Dogs-Thoughts-Humans-Animals/dp/0374270937

a great book is this.

it's definitely anti-enlightment but discusses the animalistic aspect of being human and questions our firm believe that we have a distinct difference from animals in the way we live and think.
one might agree or disagree but if seens as a way to incorporate this thesis in human thought then even this book is transcended towards more enligthment.
one can dismiss it entirely too. it's definitely fatalistic.

[kentonio]

I don't need to know if they have gods or not. It appears that they do not. That causes me to think, why do I have a spiritual self? It gives me choices to make, such as which religious beliefs to have, or not to have. Animals don't have many of the capabilities that we have. I don't even have a reason to question if this is because of evolution or not. I have no passion for that. I have passion for the choices that I make.

How would we know? Most of the more complex ideas we have are mentally and verbally communicated. Most of the actions people carry out as a result of their enterpretation of spirituality aren't actually phyical. As we can't communicate with animals still, and we certainly can't read their minds, how would we know what concepts or mentally capacities they have? Scientists spent decades saying that dogs had no self awareness, until a few years ago they did a new testing routine and found that 'oh yeah, they actually do'. I think we have much still to discover about our animal companions.

[I AM MOBIUS]

I don't need to know if they have gods or not. It appears that they do not.

I can use that exact same argument on humans. How can you therefore so easily dismiss the potential religious beliefs of cats when you're so eager to convince me that God exists...!?

Animals don't have many of the capabilities that we have. I don't even have a reason to question if this is because of evolution or not. I have no passion for that. I have passion for the choices that I make.

Again, how can you know this?

Since cats are our evil overlords, surely their Gods are more likely to be real than our Gods?

Maybe they are our Gods!?

[Kidlicious]

How would we know? Most of the more complex ideas we have are mentally and verbally communicated. Most of the actions people carry out as a result of their enterpretation of spirituality aren't actually phyical. As we can't communicate with animals still, and we certainly can't read their minds, how would we know what concepts or mentally capacities they have? Scientists spent decades saying that dogs had no self awareness, until a few years ago they did a new testing routine and found that 'oh yeah, they actually do'. I think we have much still to discover about our animal companions.

You didn't get my point or something. Each of us must choose to either have faith in that which we have passion for or doubt it.

[Kidlicious]

I can use that exact same argument on humans. How can you therefore so easily dismiss the potential religious beliefs of cats when you're so eager to convince me that God exists...!?



Again, how can you know this?

Since cats are our evil overlords, surely their Gods are more likely to be real than our Gods?

Maybe they are our Gods!?

That's one possibility, however I reject it. I have no desire to worship cats.

[kentonio]

[Kidlicious]

If it's one thing I'm sure of, it's that I only have passion for one god.

[Elok]

Well, to ensure the survival of your progeny, you basically need to stick around long enough for them to reach adulthood, so I think you're doing it right.

No, there are any number of viable evolutionary strategies, if just spreading genes around is the goal. The Cecil Jacobson method is probably superior to either way I mentioned. But this is assuming that the goals of evolution are or should be my own. Nah.

[Lorizael]

Could you say that again please, preferably with more commas and full stops involved.

It doesn't strike me as surprising that people are inventive enough to come up with reasons not to commit suicide. Rather, it strikes me as a pretty direct consequence of that whole natural selection thing. So the fact that people can feel motivated by their invented purposes doesn't seem to have any bearing on what's objectively meaningful.

[rah]

A dog's impression of man. He feeds me, he plays with me, he protects me, he cleans up after me, he must be god.
A cat's impression of man. He feeds me, he pets me, he cleans up after me, I must be god.