Loved this. It’s about physics, morality, atheism, and a bunch of really interesting ideas.
Oh, and Digby points out that the New York Times thinks right-wing extremism is just another trend, nothing about which to concern yourself!
Couple of Links
11 thoughts on “Couple of Links”
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Morality is produced by observations that this or that behavior has negative consequences. Simple. Period. There is no basis for morality in either science or the bible. Morality is how we interact without killing each other. It constantly changes based on current conditions. Yes, physicists ignore non-physical. It’s PHYSICS for crissakes. Sub-particle physics has shown evidence that material “winks” in and out of existence all the time. Provide ONE piece of evidence for god based morality or even “god” and I would factor it in. Considering I was a theological studene to for many years and it was EXACTLY the study of that subject that led me to atheism (defined as a rejection of extraordinary claims of deity as unsupported by evidence). Frankly, I would love to be assured of a loving god. But I see no reason to believe in the tooth fairy.
I believe there’s some kind of beneficent force ordering and balancing the universe. I don’t care what people call it.
Non-linear thermodynamics and chaos theory nicely handle that ordering and balancing thing. Or Susie’s astrological readings! OMG!
You’re assuming they’re not all related.
Believe all you want. That’s the good part of being an American. But believing is irrelevant. I can believe in the tooth fairy or Santa Claus and still live a human life. I can believe in the Flying Spaghetti monster or whatever. Belief is only necessary when one does not know and seeks an unsupported explanation. Where in history anywhere is there any evidence of a benevolent force shaping events? Mind you this is one of very few areas on which I disagree with you. I don’t comment much because you really mostly lay out your positions well and use rational analysis. Just not in this area. So, not a putdown, just a request for your usual rational thinking and evidence for your position. Otherwise belief in unicorns and faeries and demons and demigods is justified based on the same nothing as belief in alphaomegman. Its just nice wishful thinking.
I wonder for example if Mercury retrograde type catastrophes occur in any other phase. The answer is of course yes. And also that good things occur during Mercury retros as well. Ever notice that a miscalculation in Numerology will lead the person you are reading to agree with the incorrect attributes? Try it some time. Cast a false horoscope and see if the person agrees. Trust me, he will. Tarot, same thing. This is from experience, not from reading about it.
Oh yeah. GO PHILLIES.
Actually, the one time I did cast a chart with the wrong info (her brother set up the reading as a gift and gave me completely wrong date and time), the person I read kept saying, “No, that doesn’t sound anything like me.” And it wasn’t until after that I found out, and I had to do a remedial reading.
Please understand, I don’t especially care whether people agree with me; I don’t have the desire, time or energy to convert anyone. What I do hate is when people make unfounded, ignorant statements about me as a result. I “only” have anecdotal evidence — so what? If people didn’t find it helpful, they wouldn’t do it.
But I linked to the discussion over at Echidne’s because, well, I like to read a spirited discussion! Just because I link to something doesn’t mean I endorse everything in it, as my tech sensei Chris will attest.
Yes, sometimes gematria can seem spookily accurate. That’s what draws us in. I came not to rely on it from having one too many non-correspondences (well, significantly more than one) outweigh the seemingly accurate correspondences. Cf Robert Anton Wilson’s description of his mother and aunt correctly getting the date of the end of WWII on a Ouija board. Cosmic Trigger 2.
I don’t get overly involved in it, because some of it is what I call “parlor tricks.” As in, “Yeah, so? What’s the point?”
Sometimes these tools are really helpful, and other times they’re not. I figure it’s like baseball — even a .450 batting average is still less than half the at-bats.
Still, there’s a lot to be learned from a natal chart. Gives you some idea of what you have in your tool box.
Again we agree. Your rationality is once again confirmed. As though you needed my approval. I read you every week at least, wish you well on your illness, and when I have an extra buck or two I will put it in the cookie jar.