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Palin -- Thanks for the investigation I have not read the last half (therefore, not the last third) of the book. However, you have also made me feel stupid. I thought if was anything but "simplified scientific jargon".
Here's a quote from the Amazon.com introduction to that book 'Why God Won't Go Away'
...last sentence...
"This fascinating, eye-opening book dares to explore both the miracle and the biology of our enduring relationship with God."
"miracle"? "enduring relationship with God"?
From what I've read from the reviewer's comments about that book in Amazon.com, most of the remarks from those who gave it a high rating came from people who I'd say were religious, or some kind of superstitious beliefs, in general. And those who gave it fewer stars tended to be non-believers.
Some religious people, especially those who want to sell books on the controversy they can generate, will try to delude people that there is some scientific basis for the existence of those things. But note: the scientist authors anyway, emphasizes that they are talking about what people "experience" not that it proves the actual "existence" of God or any of the other superstitions of the people they analyzed. What it really says is that it is all in your mind. Just as any myth or cartoon character is imagined so are any of the superstitious ideas people believe in. People watching magic tricks also "experience" the illusion of magic and if they are believers they will never know that it was a trick. And yes, of course, certain brain patterns emerge even when thinking about Micky Mouse. So, what?
Some people have commented that the book starts out with simplified scientific jargon and premises. But, in the last third of the book concludes with the strong suggestion that God is real. Perhaps, the non-scientist Vince Rause, wrote that part?
The third author, Vince Rause, has only written (or co-authored) 3 books (as listed on Amazon). None of them scientific. And one was 'Miracle in the Andes' coauthored with Nando Parrado. One three-star critic said of the book: "It reminds me of how the Catholic Church writes history of saints, and it is probably no coincidence that the survivors were from Catholic backgrounds, and saints in the minds of true believers who saw the hand of God at work in this "Miracle in the Andres"."
But, I have found an old Los Angeles Times Newspaper article date 2001 written by Vince Rause about his relationship with Newberg and the book 'Why God Won't Go Away'.
"That's why religion thrives in a age of reason," Newberg says. You can't simply think God out of existence, he says, because religious feelings rise more from experience than from thought. They are born in a moment of spiritual connection, as real to the brain as any perception of "ordinary" physical reality.
"Does this mean that God is just a perception generated by the brain, or has the brain been wired to experience the reality of God?" I ask.
"The best and most rational answer I can give to both questions," Newberg answers, "is yes."
http://iws.collin.edu/mbailey/godscience1.pdf
"religious feelings rise more from experience than from thought"...
If, in the middle ages, you ate pork you could easily get a disease that will kill you. So, the Muslims and the Jews wrote that "thou shalt not eat pork" into their belief systems. It may have been sound advice a thousand, or so, years ago but is no longer very relevant today. And that belief system has clung on as a matter of holy writ ever since. Superstitious belief systems tend to hang on their old worn out beliefs until science proves that it is nonsense. That's why we fly in airplanes, have modern medicine that cures most of the old diseases that killed many people hundreds or thousands of years ago.
"you can't simply think God out of existence"?
Oh, but you can simply think God into existence...that's ok...huh
What if I said "you can't simply think @#$ into existence"? That's really pretty nonsensical isn't it?
The religious belief systems have even adapted to science out of necessity. Yet, the proponents of superstitious thinking still fight science even to the point that they try to misuse and abuse science in their rhetoric. The Scientific Creationists are constantly trying to confuse people by using scientific terms and all manner of psychological trickery to win people who don't understand science to their superstitious belief systems. They are as dishonest as the example they give of the devils, they believe exists, that tricks man away from believing in their God. They are not being honest with others and certainly not with themselves. And it certainly helps to sell books.
If it looks like a skunk and smells like a skunk it is probably a skunk. That's why I have no wish to waste my time reading a book that has already been read by others who say that they thought that the beginning started off with the pretension of science and ending the book with a conclusion that tried to make superstitious thinking and belief systems more acceptable. ie: it was a religious proselytization hiding under the cover of science.
Well said. Explaining socialism as a workers state nails it. But what would Canada fall under. We are defiantly Capitalist I am proof of that. We are kinda socialist as we all have subsidized government health care and Education but we are far from a workers state. We are a little "welfare state" as you don't have to work a day in your life healthy or not and we will provide food, shelter and clothing, my aunt was proof of that.
After reading this blog I am starting to believe it is almost perfect here. You can do as much or as little as you want. Our health care needs a lot of work though. We need to mix a little more private in it. The waiting lists are far too long.
I was in Leningrad (st petersburg now) in the early 80s what a colourless, emotionless place it was back then communism sucks
Thanks Marc. I appreciate the feedback. I think that in all the time I've been engaged with this forum, that was the scariest post I've seen. You're right, though; life's too short to be wasted on a perpetual state of panic. - AIW
Palin -- The book I wanted you to read, "Why God Won't Go Away", is a lot more about brain science than religion. I wanted you input on the science, not the religion.
Kend, socialism is not the welfare state but the workers' state. The welfare state is a compromise with socialism, a halfway measure that results not in both capitalism and socialism but in neither. It is the worst of both worlds.
Welfare should only be for the disabled but since we depend on business cycles for employment we have to implement welfare for the down cycle periods and to make up for the general undercompensation of workers in our society. Socialism is when workers are in charge, when workers have the power and own and control much of everything in common and, I would insist, do so democratically. The best examples are West Germany, Sweden, perhaps France of the '70s.
The Soviet Union, I think, was a bad example. There, because of the completely undemocratic nature of everything, the workers didn't own everything but owned nothing. It's because Leninism, a revisionist Marxism, required a temporary well meaning dictatorship until the dark, superstitious peasantry was ready for socialism and self government, as it were.
Marx didn't consider a society ready for socialism until it was industrialized as Russia of 1917 was not. He held that socialist revolution could not come from the ignorant agrarian peasant but the informed urban proletariat, and, in fact, the Russian peasant couldn't be less revolutionary. They had a dark superstitious belief in the divine right of the czar and feudal aristocracy and could not be moved to revolution but were instead quite reactionary.
Marx, then, simply said that Russia was not ready for socialism but first had to pass through an evolutionary stage of industrialzation, and thus, capitalism before it could progress to socialism but Lenin said, "Fuck that, we're doin' this now!". So then the communist revolution in Russia was not a popular revolution but a palace revolution or coup de` tat, as it were. Lenin took power not with organized masses of workers with his vanguard of professional revolutionaries and then had to rule by his "temporary", well intentioned dictatorship to protect his revolutionary experiment because so few people in Russia were down with or could even comprehend what it was about.
We all know what happened after that as even well meaning dictatorships never result in more democraticness, but rather, more dictatorship. All subsequent violent Communist revolutions took place in agrarian societies and were thus, of the Leninist model. Marx did, however, say that a socialist revolution did not need to be violent and that in a society sufficiently advanced and with enough democratic structures in place it could come at the ballot box instead.
Oh by the way if your neighbors need work google Alberta Canada employment. if you have any skill at all there is a lot of jobs here and they are fast tracking short term visas. But don't come without a place to stay we also have zero vacancy so you need to find a place to live first. i suggest camp work. they house and feed you.
10k. When things are taken or given without earning we become un productive. Here in Canada our native aboriginals are a perfect example. with about six % of the population they represent 26% of our prison population. They have a extremely high rate of drug and alcohol abuse far above average. Rape and mental and phisical abuse is almost the norm. are you suggesting we all world wide just pool all are wealth and food?
Kend ...I see poverty and pain all around in the rural America where I live. My neighbors aren't lazy, many after busting their ass all week don't get paid enough to even stay off food stamps. Meanwhile the concentration of wealth continues to grow because we have a government that's by and for only the wealthy. That's because they had the money to buy it!.... thanks in large part to the five right wing extremist republicans on your Supreme Court, and to "free market" economics. I've heard your talking point about poverty being relative many many god damn times. It's at best a lame justification for continued greed both here and abroad. Don't ask me these goddamn fox talking point questions...you answer my question...what's wrong with a global living wage? I'm anxious to hear your answer.
DAnne, I agree with your cost of living adjustment and I confess to doing battle with Kend both in a tired and buzzed state!...not that it matters! LOL
I've already told you on a past post what I think and I know you remember!
10k you are the second person to say I am not who I say I am geez. I am exactly who I am on this blog I just explained it a week ago to one of your buddies here. What is it that you think I am?
2950-10K ~ Well then that makes sense. I'm on the west coast and just about to turn in. This will probably be my last post of the night. Sounds like you've had a nice evening. Great. Wish I could have been there.
One last thing. A universal minimum wage is a great idea. However, since cost of living varies so much from place to place and time to time you would have to write the law as some sort of an equation with respect to the average cost of living per area. That wage would have to be adjusted annually for the cost of living. Other than that little tip, I bid you all good night! Good luck!
PS Don't lose too much sleep arguing with you know who. He's a night owl, and probably lives in an earlier time zone.
What time zone are you in DAnne....I didn't think anybody would be awake now? I'm on the east coast and just had the time of my life at a benefit concert for victims of a local tragic fire......music you would have liked! I know, too much info! Anyway, I think Kend isn't who we think he is...just my opinion based on paying very close attention to his posts. That said, I hope he continues his adversarial ways on this blog....not many have the balls or ovaries to do that anymore!
Ok 10k. so you believe someone oppressing you. Who us that? Obama? His adminasrtration? Walmart? Warren Buffett? You do know that the US has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Millions are jumping fences, swimming rivers or riding tire tubes in the Atlantic just to get a small peice of what you have. Is it really that bad?
Let me put it this way....oppression for self gain has no political/philosophical affiliation....it can attach itself to even socialism when the vast majority has no control over the individuals chosen to represent them. When this happens, we the people must correct it with political action ......OR as a last resort,,,,REVOLUTION!
Make a universal living wage law!!!! Sure this will piss of the unpatriotic United States citizens who layoff here and outsource for mega profit......too god damn bad if they can't handle fairness and treating all people on this planet fairly!
2950-10K ~ You have to interpret everything Kend says. What he really wants to ask you is, "What's in it for me?"
Aliceinwonderland ~ Of course Mr. Prank(e)'s post #80--in the same blog--makes some sense. However, even here I wouldn't lose any sleep if I were you. Climate change is something none of us can do much about at this point. The best we can hope for as a species is mitigating the effects. This should be everyone's main goal. Like the song say, "Whatever will be, will be. The future isn't ours to see." As long as we all do the best we can, when we can, I say, make hay while the sun shines, and let tomorrow take care of itself. That is why every chance I get I post this link:
http://thehempsolution.blogspot.com/
This problem cannot be solved by anyone or any group. This is a planetary effort. Therefore go ahead and live each day like there is no tomorrow; and, have no regrets. There isn't a damn thing more you can do about it anyway. Why ruin the last few happy days we may have left panicking on a future catastrophe that may never happen? Life is too short, either way. We've said our peace. Now it's time for the rest of the planet to catch up.
Aliceinwonderland ~ There are two precepts to this theory. The self imposed extinction effort of humans; and, whether people would turn savage rather then pull together.
First, these theories of intentional self imposed extinction are everywhere you look nowadays. They are easy for some people to believe because--in my humble opinion--our current society suffers from a group psychosis. Sometimes when we isolate ourselves from the world too much we lose touch on what is really going on out there. In reality, everything in their economic system and infrastructure is controlled by all of us--not just a few whack jobs at the top. The idea that anyone or any group can bring about such a catastrophe is not likely; and, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
Secondly, if some such disaster were to occur I am sure that people would instantly pull together on one level or another. After all, without the cooperation of each other, we are all doomed. Remember, fear is a paralysing and non productive emotion. The only thing we really have to fear, is fear itself. However, fear is a very useful tool for the few to control the many. Please don't be afraid--especially by a post from someone named "Prank (e)"
I hope you find that helpful.
Kend ....don't give me that....you know as well as I, the so called communism you are referring to was a fraud....greedy power hungry evil souls, just like those who currently practice free market capitalism!
10k Please explain it ilike a communism for dummies book . I have no idea what you just said.
Reply to 45....The difference between greed and enlightenment!
Palindromedary...4114.....glad to see you bucking the system on your graphic!!!!!! 4114 ...palindromic sums LOL...did a paper on them in 7th grade....for real!
so 10k what is the difference between a living wage for all and communism?
A worldwide universal living wage is the way to go. "Officially" eliminate slavery for the first time in the history of mankind, a global economic Magna Carta so to speak, what the F is taking so long? ...... it's long overdue! ...the piggish amongst us will just have to be content with fairness!