Wow. Freedom of speech?

[a500lbgorilla]

There is no part of who you are that can't be changed. You are the way you are because you don't yet know any better.

This is true if you believe that the only thing that matters in this world is logic. Because beyond logic this notion is laughable. What if God made us this way? And that everything that happens in our life was part of our dharma, or our preset path in life? What about Astrology? Do you think there's no doubt Astrology is completely false? What about your nature? Does no one have a nature but rather blank slates that happened to turn out this way because of their surroundings?

Religious and spiritual ideas are much harder to logic out than ones that aren't, does that mean they are wrong? Does it just mean we don't know enough to argue for them?

A word on God. Life is an incredible gift especially when you consider the wealth of different ways you can enjoy life immensely. Many people are able to appreciate life more in the context of the Holy Father. He gives them confidence in how they live their lives and details ways in which you can thank Him for a gift many feel they didn't earn. But God is the natural reaction of socially evolved creatures. We emotionally gravitate towards Him as he is a tool towards a more clearly defined existence.

I can't tell you how the universe began or where life came from, but I'm confident those answers are on the tip of someone's tongue. But don't let me derail your love of God as I'm certain he gives many people great comfort and it would be painful to try and remove such a deeply anchored source of inspiration and happiness.

[a500lbgorilla]

Post deleted by a500lbgorilla

Be nice to Jack

Also, I didn't delete this post.

[Pelion]

But God is the natural reaction of socially evolved creatures.

Who says?

[IowaSkinsFan]

Rilla, did you grow up in a religious community? Do you feel like your life consisted of lack of religion?

You seem to have come to the conclusion that higher powers don't exist.

[a500lbgorilla]

But God is the natural reaction of socially evolved creatures.

Who says?

This is all I will say on the subject. Wrestling with God will be too difficult because He has planted himself so deeply in everyone's internal social network. I needn't separate God from people or vice versa. I understand His touch well enough and don't see the good in trying to remove Him.

But maybe you should be a little less combative and abrupt in your approach to me. The more you say, the more I'll have to say.

[a500lbgorilla]

Rilla, did you grow up in a religious community? Do you feel like your life consisted of lack of religion?

You seem to have come to the conclusion that higher powers don't exist.

As a child, when presented with Pythagoreans Theorem, I considered the man and how he himself managed to develop his Theorem. When presented with God and God's church, I considered first the men behind him and how and why they might have created a God. I was therefore never able to create any emotional connection to God. Had I found this connection, I'm sure that I would want to foster that closeness with a greater being and would treasure it too much to ever question. This is why I don't want the conversation to turn to God. I just wanted to throw those ideas out there to see if anyone can glean a little insight into how I'm thinking right now.

EDIT to add: To give a little weight to my outlook on religion - The greatest person I've ever met is my age and has such a powerful love of God that his life has enviable purpose and direction. I would never dream of stripping that from him. He can remember everyone's name because God has given him true love for all people. God existed as a "tool" to make my friend a great human being but His is not the only path.

[spoonitnow]

lol rilla just called god a tool

[Pelion]

But God is the natural reaction of socially evolved creatures.

Who says?

This is all I will say on the subject. Wrestling with God will be too difficult because He has planted himself so deeply in everyone's internal social network. I needn't separate God from people or vice versa. I understand His touch well enough and don't see the good in trying to remove Him.

But maybe you should be a little less combative and abrupt in your approach to me. The more you say, the more I'll have to say.

Im just trying to figure out where youre getting this from. Your last few posts havnt made an awful lot of sense. I dont even know what the part I quoted is trying to say. There is no evidence that people would always create their own god in the absence of one (in fact many people are atheists) and you arent really explaining your reasoning behind any of what you are saying anymore. Im not being combative, Im just asking my questions concisely.

[a500lbgorilla]

But God is the natural reaction of socially evolved creatures.

Who says?

This is all I will say on the subject. Wrestling with God will be too difficult because He has planted himself so deeply in everyone's internal social network. I needn't separate God from people or vice versa. I understand His touch well enough and don't see the good in trying to remove Him.

But maybe you should be a little less combative and abrupt in your approach to me. The more you say, the more I'll have to say.

Im just trying to figure out where youre getting this from. Your last few posts havnt made an awful lot of sense. I dont even know what the part I quoted is trying to say. There is no evidence that people would always create their own god in the absence of one (in fact many people are atheists) and you arent really explaining your reasoning behind any of what you are saying anymore. Im not being combative, Im just asking my questions concisely.

They certainly won't. But some will and I understand why. I don't want to take anyone's religion from them. Partially because it is daunting task to explain the 1's and 0's of your mind. And also because God's people are good people.

I see now that I lacked a bit of foresight in focusing the subject on God.

[Pelion]

They certainly won't. But some will and I understand why. I don't want to take anyone's religion from them. Partially because it is daunting task to explain the 1's and 0's of your mind. And also because God's people are good people.

again thats far too big a generalisation. There are "good people" and "bad people" on both sides of the fence. Paedophile priests and fundamentalists who bomb abortion clinics / attack gays are just as "bad" as as your run of the mill happy clappys who go around feeding the homeless are "good".

[a500lbgorilla]

They certainly won't. But some will and I understand why. I don't want to take anyone's religion from them. Partially because it is daunting task to explain the 1's and 0's of your mind. And also because God's people are good people.

again thats far too big a generalisation. There are "good people" and "bad people" on both sides of the fence. Paedophile priests and fundamentalists who bomb abortion clinics / attack gays are just as "bad" as as your run of the mill happy clappys who go around feeding the homeless are "good".

There is no good or evil. People are the way they are because they don't yet know any better. I'm sorry that I won't be able to satisfy your curiousness but my views on God, true love, the word "nigger" and many other things are a side effect from how I view human intelligence and the 1's and 0's of our minds (or maybe just my own mind, though I'm confident I'm heading somewhere with all of this). The only way I've been able to explain my understanding has been through personal conversation. I'm trying to find some inspiration elsewhere to help bring my ideas together more pleasantly. I'm currently ill-equipped to give you the answers you want.

[vqc]

There is no part of who you are that can't be changed. You are the way you are because you don't yet know any better.

This is true if you believe that the only thing that matters in this world is logic. Because beyond logic this notion is laughable. What if God made us this way? And that everything that happens in our life was part of our dharma, or our preset path in life? What about Astrology? Do you think there's no doubt Astrology is completely false? What about your nature? Does no one have a nature but rather blank slates that happened to turn out this way because of their surroundings?

Religious and spiritual ideas are much harder to logic out than ones that aren't, does that mean they are wrong? Does it just mean we don't know enough to argue for them?

That's kind of what I was thinking, that this could be a nature vs. nurture type of thing too. I think all people are "wired" differently, for lack of a better way to put it. Babies have different personalities from the get-go. You see this all the time with siblings, twins, and identical twins. Those different personalities, along with their life experiences, shape them into the people that they ultimately become.

There have been studies done on identical twins separated at birth. These separated yet identical twins have totally different lives and totally different life-experiences as they grow up. Yet even though they've been raised apart they end up being a LOT like each other. They usually wind up having the same tastes and likes/dislikes on a level that is borderline ridiculous.

What does this ultimately prove? I'm not sure, but what it proves to me is that we are all products of our life-experiences, how we were raised, who and what we've been acquainted with in life, etc....but at the same time each one of us is "wired" a little bit differently, so there is already some sort of predetermined path that we're going to go down no matter what. What percent is nature and what percent is nurture? I have no clue, but I think both play a part in what makes us who we are, not solely our life experiences.

I would love to meet and speak with two twins separated at birth. I would be even more interested in meeting two that are VERY similar even with different backgrounds. It would give great insight into the development of a mind in the 9 months preceding birth.

for the record, most of these twin studies were done pretty shittily. its hard to control anything when you're dealing with humans.

[UG]

Rilla, you are blowing my mind. What kind of dope are you smoking these days?

I say that kiddingly, but your posts have gone from haha-funny-funny to deep ass insightful shit.

What gives?

[a500lbgorilla]

Rilla, you are blowing my mind. What kind of dope are you smoking these days?

I say that kiddingly, but your posts have gone from haha-funny-funny to deep ass insightful shit.

What gives?

I don't act this way in flesh and bones interaction. That would be creepy. And since this thread has died, I'm considering pulling back for a while.

[sauce123]

this thread is the shit dont

[givememyleg]

http://dtmb-punch-out.ytmnd.com/

[Warpe]

Cliff Notes: I will never understand why taser use results in such a big brewhaha in resisting arrest cases.

b/c there's ~200 documented cases of people dying as a result of their use.

first and foremost, how many people have ever been tasered? When every cop in training gets tasered as part of training 2oo doesn't seem like a big deal at all.

but were these people all of relatively good health? Did they have any pre-existing conditions that were aggravated by the taser that could have been aggravated by some other form of force used. I hate to pull this argument but how many people have died because the police put the guy in a controlled chokehold and the guy dies. Is it really necessary that the police do everything with their bare hands?

This'll change your mind:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../National/home

[jyms]

Nope

[mojoNOgo]

http://www.filecabi.net/video/polish...r-airport.html

^^ the video a bystander took of the polish man before & during police action .

i wish there was a transcript of what the man was saying . the link that warpe posted says the guy was in canada to live with his mother and the woman was 'behind the wall the whole time .' i wonder if she's the woman who approached him in the video ?

regardless , i feel this is a sad tragedy . there is no way 4 able-bodied men could not restrain another without using any weapons .

also ask yourself this , if you were overseas where no one understood you and you had been waiting for 10+ hours , wouldnt you be a little miffed ?

[Warpe]

"Sixteen Canadians have died in the past 4½ years after being tasered, according to Vancouver lawyer Cameron Ward.

They are:

April 19, 2003: Terrance Hanna, 51, Burnaby, B.C.

July 22, 2003: Clay Willey, 33, Prince George, B.C.

Sept. 28, 2003: Clark Whitehouse, 34, Whitehorse, Yukon

March 23, 2004: Perry Ronald, 28, Edmonton

May 1, 2004: Roman Andreichikov, 25, Vancouver

May 13, 2004: Peter Lamonday, 38, London, Ont.

June 23, 2004: Robert Bagnell, 44, Vancouver

July 17, 2004: Jerry Knight, 29, Mississauga

Aug. 8, 2004: Samuel Truscott, 43, Kingston, Ont.

May 5, 2005: Kevin Geldart, 34, Moncton, N.B.

June 30, 2005: Gurmeet Sandhu, 41, Surrey, B.C.

July 1, 2005: James Foldi, 39, Beamsville, Ont.

July 15, 2005: Paul Sheldon Saulnier, 42, Digby, N.S.

Dec. 24, 2005: Alesandro Fiacco, 33, Edmonton

Aug. 30, 2006: Jason Doan, 28, Red Deer, Alta.

Oct. 14, 2007: Robert Dziekanski, 40, Vancouver airport"

[a500lbgorilla]

Reads like a KKK membership chart. Those people were clearly racists.

[wufwugy]

DONT TASER ME BRO

comedic gold