As long as you don't turn into a version of Scientology called Alexology Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Well perhaps not an entirely appropriate way to put it given the object of my alledged denial and rejection has yet to be established beyond the claim that made up stories are all that is of substance that are available for rejection and denial. You say it as if rejection and denial are a bad thing which I find a strange approach in our modern era. alex
I don't. It is what it is. As far as you're aware, there is no God. You have to back that with sometheing. jan.
It all depends on where you want to draw the line. Your mind is an effect of your brain, so I guess minimally you are your brain in a functioning state. But for a brain to function it needs supporting organ systems, so I guess you might want to claim some of that baggage as well. Perception is how the brain/mind interprets reality. As a culturalized species we have developed defined languages to express these perceptions. The term “I” can refers to the specific functional brain/mind mentioned previously. In the sense that we can define elements of reality as possessions, a functional brain would be one of them, so in this context a brain/mind can be yours.
Idrgar says he is Idrgar. When on all four back is up when standing back faces not to the front. Proof of Idrgar is real every one has Idrgar within. Alex
What's funny is that you think scriptures are as simple as you think they are. Denial, and rejection. What else have you got? Jan.
I read what you're saying. When you say "your brain", or "my brain". Is the "my" separate? Or the"my" and the "brain" the same? Are you the "brain/mind" ? How so? So when one says "this is my car". What they mean is "I am the car"? If not. How do we know who and what we are? Jan.
Obviously you want there to be an intelligent designer, and you are prepared to believe there is one, even though you and Bowser have nothing to show outside your heads. What other part? There is only Nature. Me and the other ducks plus everything esle make up Nature.
Well I may see them simple Jan and you may regard them as complex ... what should we draw from that...you find simple things complex I guess. Which made up scripture do you think is complex. The talking snake story or the eight hundred year old boat builder. Slave management too difficult for you Jan or cant work out which neighbours mowing grass on rest day should be killed and how...not complex take your bronze sword and obey your God..simple. I have a pile of evidence for God that has not grown past zero content and a total lack of interest in God stories. Jan I had a thread a while back where I proved God did not exist using standards of proof that would be used in our law courts...you just cant beat such well constructed arguement I am afraid. It is rather simple ..God does not exist. So you have the answer to your question..one cant believe in something that does not exist although presumably you do. You cant move things past a simple and supported observation that its all made up...you are unable to show its not all made up evidenced by your failure to challemge my observation ... understandable that you dont because my demonstration is the truth. You cant sidestep truth Jan because it is the truth. The truth is you can not show your stories are anything more than made up stories from the bronze age when folk did not know where the Sun went at night. So simple really and there is no need to make up stories or play lets pretend I have an invisable friend. You have nothing Jan but a slender hope you may escape hell ...how can you be sure that you just have not measured up and all you have to look forward to is free heat and a full calender.. alex
Any sense of you is an effect of your brain. There is no you without the neural activity produced by your brain. There is no neural activity without the brain. Unless your brain is artificially maintained, a living body is necessary to animate it. So take your pick at a level you think “You”exists, neural activity alone, with brain, with brain and body, they are all to some degree a part of you. That’s where "You" is apparently generated and experienced. You, I, the Pope, we all have a specific functional brain/mind that identifies a unique individual. Our brain/minds are conditioned to associate identities with elements of reality. You Identify the brain in your skull as the seat of your consciousness and a personal possession, and you identify a specific car as a personal possession as well. Since the car isn’t a necessary element in the function of your brain/mind it wouldn’t fall into the set of “You”.
Theism and atheism isn't really about two sides, but two positions. It's about God, belief in God, and non belief in God. You said; I perceive I'm part of Nature for the good times and bad. That means ''you'' perceive that you are merely part of nature. So what is the other part of you? Simple question sweatpea. jan.
Now here's the difference between your understanding of Nature and mine. I'm capable of being aware of myself as not being a rock or part of a tree. No woo required beyond that. Now, you it seems, want to go beyond that and say, not only am I conscious of myself but I want to throw in a supernatural wotnot to boot. Is there a prize somewhere here? Is it this living forever thing? I think I may get bored half way through eternity. Jan, slight diversion here. Can you explain what this ''living forever means''. Bowser used it sometime back.
So I'm just supposed to accept that, and move on? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Now we both know you haven't answered the question, so I'll put it up again. You said; I perceive I'm part of Nature for the good times and bad. That means ''you'' perceive that you are merely part of nature. So what is the other part of you? Simple question sweatpea. I haven't got that far yet. I still need to get an answer to the question I posed. It's not so much ''living forever''. It's the part of you that is not nature, the part you, and every person instinctively know, and express through everyday language, that is eternal, as opposed to temporary. jan.
So you're saying we are brains in a vat. Interesting. What do you mean by ''your'' brain? Where I'm from, if something is mine, I own it, and I'm separate from it. Why would it need a body to animate the brain? How do you know this, especially if all you are is neural activity? Given that you are neural activity, how do you determine what is reality? What is ''You''that identifies? If I is neural activity, and consciousness is the product of neural activity, what is the point of ''You'', or , ''I''? Neural activity identifies neural activity, as neural activity. Neural activity identifies that the seat of neural activity is set within a skull, identified as neural activity. jan.
He may have one but he doesn't need one: he just needs to not have a reason to believe in God. The rest takes care of itself.