Religion Discussion

[Akakage]

The Man wrote:

See, though . . . I can't help but look at the news and assess what's going on in the world as how there are, of recent, groups (we know who they are) that think slamming planes into buildings and blowing up trains are doing "good" for what they believe in. I think that kind of activity finds its way into categorizing itself as "unGodly." It's certainly evil as well.

That's doing "Good" not doing good..sane people will understand what good means. Usually doing "Good" might arise when ppl is not prosperos, frustrated and depressed. When they see a dark light instead of the real light they tend to intrepreted things wrongly. I see the world like a battle between Good and Evil. That battle always exists and strangely it's the thing that balance the equation of life. Phew... I'm not used in talking too deep..I'm just afraid that I might sound like a wiseass...

[The Man]

Akakage wrote:

. . . Usually doing "Good" might arise when ppl is not prosperos, frustrated and depressed. When they see a dark light instead of the real light they tend to intrepreted things wrongly. I see the world like a battle between Good and Evil . . . I'm just afraid that I might sound like a wiseass...

No, you're not sounding like a wisea__ .

[Akakage]

The Man wrote:

No, you're not sounding like a wisea__ .

Hehehehe.. Thanks.
I've never read any philosphical book well I did when I was in University then I just got bored with it, so I cannot deduct any theory from Plato, Sophocles, Confucius, Machiavelli, Hans Kelsen, MacIver etc... I think my head will explode soon, I'm just a simple woman thinker..

[thetenken]

Akakage wrote:

Human got desire which leads to ambition and suffering. We actually torture ourselves which actually originated from within our innerself. Phew.. I Phew..conclusion for myself..I'm just going to be a good person in this life, I believe in karma, don't want to be born as Roddent in my next life.. pfft..I believe in God meaning there's a Supreme power in this world which is unexplainable. I don't want to destroy my nature..I love earth (save the earth). Religion will do good for those who are devoted to doing good in this world. AMEN..

Sounds like you're a psuedo-Buddhist.

Unfortunately in this day and age, it's tougher to 'just do good' than you think, as pointed out by The Man. What's good for one may not be good for all. The concept of "good" still needs to be defined. Virtues of one culture aren't necessarily virtues of another. Still, an easy way to live by would be by the golden rule, which should get you through 95% of the cases...

Quote:

I've never read any philosphical book well I did when I was in University then I just got bored with it, so I cannot deduct any theory from Plato, Sophocles, Confucius, Machiavelli, Hans Kelsen, MacIver etc...

Most philosophical ideas are simple, just not simply explained. The core, simple truth behind the ideas are usually hidden behind lots of language and examples that are meant to reinforce their ideas and make them less challengeable. You can boil down 99% of the essence of most world religions and philosophies in 1 paragraph.
_________________

"...but it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it's all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us...but within that inch we are free." - V for Vendetta

[Akakage]

thetenken wrote:

Sounds like you're a psuedo-Buddhist.

I don't know that I'm categorized as that.

Debating abt the concept of good will go on and on forever because in ppl's mind they have different concept although sometime they may find similarities. I don't think there's pure Good in this world, since most ppl have interest. If all the ppl in the world has come up with the same concept of Good..then there'll be no more debating

[Akakage]

thetenken wrote:

Most philosophical ideas are simple, just not simply explained. The core, simple truth behind the ideas are usually hidden behind lots of language and examples that are meant to reinforce their ideas and make them less challengeable. You can boil down 99% of the essence of most world religions and philosophies in 1 paragraph.

I don't think I'd like to spend my time doing that..reading MacIver "Web of Government" was somewhat torturing back then..thank goodness I've passed the test and Thank God I've passed Philosophy too with a good grade..after that I'm staying out of it.

[GhstDreamer]

thetenken wrote:

Nah, Plato saw things a little more black and white. He was the disciple of Socrates, who rejected the Sophists. He conceived of the allegory of the cave to teach the theory of forms. Plato never had to contend with the revisionist, modernist, cubist, post-modernist etc. thinking that occurred in the 20th century. I just perverted the allegory of the cave to my own purposes. The theory of forms only works if you believe there are absolutes, that there is a particularly correct form that dominates all others (one over many). If you think in a relativist way, then we are once again on the slippery slope...

Actually, Plato himself rejected The Allegory of the Cave and probably quite a lot of his earlier teachings. Later, he concentrated in the study of mathematics and language because for Plato, the perfect language is one based on mathematics. Even though he rejected his own writings - all of western philosophy after him (and Aristotle) was a reaction to both their writings. Basically all western philosophers from Descartes, Wittengstein, Einstein, etc. were standing on their shoulders....

Two big reasons why Theologians loved Plato's works is that they were the only texts available at that time (imagine how differently they would have talked about God if they only got a hold of Aristotle's works) and secondly, Plato's world of forms fitted perfectly with Christianity - the whole idea of something having form (and then essence) before existence parallels God's creation of man - the form or the idea of man before his existence...that's why Darwin's evolutionary theory (though there are certainly holes in it) was really so revolutionary and also so alarming - that man's existence came before his essence and his essence keeps evolving and changing towards no goal in sight...whereas in Christianity, there's this ultimate goal for man to reach - and that God had the image of what man is before he was created - that man is an unchanging and static creature...

On a personal note - my chinese name is broken down to educated, the path and God - which makes my name to signify educated in the path of God...The irony is not that I'm not religious but that my father who named me has no religious bone in his body...it's a mystery how he came up with my name.

[thetenken]

GhstDreamer wrote:

Actually, Plato himself rejected The Allegory of the Cave and probably quite a lot of his earlier teachings. Later, he concentrated in the study of mathematics and language because for Plato, the perfect language is one based on mathematics. Even though he rejected his own writings - all of western philosophy after him (and Aristotle) was a reaction to both their writings. Basically all western philosophers from Descartes, Wittengstein, Einstein, etc. were standing on their shoulders.... Two big reasons why Theologians loved Plato's works is that they were the only texts available at that time (imagine how differently they would have talked about God if they only got a hold of Aristotle's works) and secondly, Plato's world of forms fitted perfectly with Christianity - the whole idea of something having form (and then essence) before existence parallels God's creation of man - the form or the idea of man before his existence...that's why Darwin's evolutionary theory (though there are certainly holes in it) was really so revolutionary and also so alarming - that man's existence came before his essence and his essence keeps evolving and changing towards no goal in sight...whereas in Christianity, there's this ultimate goal for man to reach - and that God had the image of what man is before he was created - that man is an unchanging and static creature... On a personal note - my chinese name is broken down to educated, the path and God - which makes my name to signify educated in the path of God...The irony is not that I'm not religious but that my father who named me has no religious bone in his body...it's a mystery how he came up with my name.

Actually, Plato didn't reject his ideas, he modified them and gave them more strength against his critics. Plato never rejected his Theory of Forms (he later called them "kinds"), even though his primary student, Aristotle, did. His concentration on mathematics only reinforced his ideas about forms, as mathematics to him was the only way to achieve the perfectness of form he required. Plato still believed in universal forms/truths, but modified the ways to get to them in his later dialogues (most specifically, in Timaeus and Parmenides).

You have a cool Chinese name. Mine just means that I have the feet of a horse, hah!
_________________

"...but it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it's all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us...but within that inch we are free." - V for Vendetta

[GhstDreamer]

At least your name means something! It's better to have a Chinese name that means something than nothing. Maybe you can re-interpret it to mean the ability to run like a horse Or as beautiful as a horse's feet? lol....

Really off-topic:

I always wonder how many people actually live up to their names? My sister's name means person of grace and elegance - and trust me - she's not elegant or graceful; just crude...

[The Man]

thetenken wrote:

Actually, Plato didn't reject his ideas, he modified them and gave them more strength against his critics. Plato never rejected his Theory of Forms (he later called them "kinds"), even though his primary student, Aristotle, did. His concentration on mathematics only reinforced his ideas about forms, as mathematics to him was the only way to achieve the perfectness of form he required. Plato still believed in universal forms/truths, but modified the ways to get to them in his later dialogues (most specifically, in Timaeus and Parmenides).

Yah, The Man must second this one. Plato made no bones about designating poetry -- "mimesis" -- as mere representation; mathematics and its spirit, too, as a support base to help us understand the real.

Is it all "supposed to be Greek" to us? I took Latin, anyway.

MY name, hopefully, automatically means to indicate my gender (cripes, I don't even know if THAT's a revisionist term).

Hey . . . what happened to FierceStriker?

[lovelessemotion]

this religion thing is weird... i for one say we make the 'jdorama cult' move to antartica and have massive orgies all the time... we'll repopulate the forgoten continent.... i'm ultraserious

[Akakage]

lovelessemotion wrote:

this religion thing is weird... i for one say we make the 'jdorama cult' move to antartica and have massive orgies all the time... we'll repopulate the forgoten continent.... i'm ultraserious

yeah..you wish..

[lovelessemotion]

not realy.... sorry i'm not in the mood to joke around :/

[IkematsuSosuke]

Quote:

this religion thing is weird... i for one say we make the 'jdorama cult' move to antartica and have massive orgies all the time... we'll repopulate the forgoten continent.... i'm ultraserious

LOL. But Antartica is too cold. We live in Cali and we complain that 50-60 degree is too cold. I don't think I would survive.

[shotgun_divorce]

lovelessemotion wrote:

this religion thing is weird... i for one say we make the 'jdorama cult' move to antartica and have massive orgies all the time... we'll repopulate the forgoten continent.... i'm ultraserious

Antartica? But it would be so cold. My nipples are hard just thinking about it.

[Akakage]

shotgun_divorce wrote:

Antartica? But it would be so cold. My nipples are hard just thinking about it.

Hey..you're back!

btw, he's not in the mood to joke around..must've been a hard day for him.

[The Man]

lovelessemotion wrote:

this religion thing is weird... i for one say we make the 'jdorama cult' move to antartica and have massive orgies all the time... we'll repopulate the forgoten continent.... i'm ultraserious

[here come the physically big words again]

HA HA HA HA! I LIKE! I LIIIIIIIIIIIIKE THIS IDEA!

But . . . I still like being Catholic. And . . . I still appreciate Platonic and Aristotelian thought . . . hmmm . . . how to compromise . . .

[Akakage]

The Man wrote:

[here come the physically big words again] HA HA HA HA! I LIKE! I LIIIIIIIIIIIIKE THIS IDEA! But . . . I still like being Catholic. And . . . I still appreciate Platonic and Aristotelian thought . . . hmmm . . . how to compromise . . .

At least the big font really helps me read clearly..( damn..how come I forgot to bring my glasses today)

[thetenken]

The Man wrote:

But . . . I still like being Catholic. And . . . I still appreciate Platonic and Aristotelian thought . . . hmmm . . . how to compromise . . .

Catholics love Plato. His biggest fan was Thomas Aquinas, that most celibate of men. I don't think there's anything wrong with being catholic and starting a procreation storm in Antarctica...just as long as you're having sex to procreate, and not for anything else...
_________________

"...but it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it's all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us...but within that inch we are free." - V for Vendetta

[The Man]

thetenken wrote:

Catholics love Plato. His biggest fan was Thomas Aquinas, that most celibate of men. I don't think there's anything wrong with being catholic and starting a procreation storm in Antarctica...just as long as you're having sex to procreate, and not for anything else...

Sure. Because didn't Platonic thought continue to exist when Catholicism was making its Harry Potter-like (I can't stand these books) onslaught on the Roman Empire?

Hhaha. I only said I LIIIIIKE the idea.

For the record, The Man is still a virgin and proud of it.