damnthing

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Everything posted by damnthing

  1. Well here ya go, ET wouldn't have a clue about us, even if it were student of humans. I very much doubt an alien species 'could' understand us. We have no idea what whales or dolphins or great apes think (well maybe a bit, with Koko) and we are biologically related. I suspect that any ET that landed here would either be AI, in which case communication would probably be next to nil or, it would be a lot like us trying to communicate with apes, or dolphins, or whales. And THAT is assuming that ET is a bilaterally symmetrical organism that likely shares distant DNA (panspermia). On the other hand it most likely would be a life form so alien that its cognitive reasoning would be beyond anything we could comprehend. I'm thinking, 10 year old boy with a magnifying glass, and ANTS (spoiler, we're the ants). However not to be a total downer, the upside could be that we are either the last intelligent organism in the galaxy or...the first. In either case there's not a lot we're going to be able to learn. So to answer your question, if there IS and alien species, and it CAN get here, based on what I've already said, there's really nothing we, at BEST as species of naked ape with cognitive abilities would be able to teach, or enlighten ET. In my opinion any species that eventually develops the technology to travel the galaxy will have long left behind any magical thinking, if for no other reason than, by traveling to other stars they will have realized there is no place, nor need, for a god, although it's easy to see how they could be mistaken for a god, or gods by lesser cultures. I don't think I gave you the answer you were looking for but I think I gave you an answer that explains why. But maybe what you were asking (or I inferred) is, what philosophy would an alien race/culture have that might bear some semblance to something here on earth. If so then again I will disappoint and say, none. Even though we are hundreds of thousands of years away from the first migration out of Africa, everything up to that point were essentially culturally shared experiences which shaped us as Homo sapiens (ultimately). But the evolutionary path, the shared experiences of an alien race would almost certainly be vastly different even if it followed darwinian evolution. Look at the cephalopods, eight legged organisms with a large brain and a disturbing level of intelligence (or at least, problem solving), blue blood and an ability to change color and texture of their skin to not just blend in but as mating displays as well as a display of emotions. But because these creatures are short lived (around 2 -5 years) they have no time to pass on learned experiences or to develop a culture. They are capable of learning as they go along but take it all with them when they die. They are about as least like us as you can find on this planet while still possessing some cognitive abilities. And these are organisms that evolved on our planet. And if one could rewind and start over, life on this planet would look very different (Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life). In fact we could very well be little more than cephalopods to an alien race. But imagine a planet vastly different from ours, where silicon and carbon are rare and other minerals take their place. Greater, or lesser gravity, a different type of star for a sun, longer or shorter days, one, none or a multitude of seasons. All which would affect the development of life, probably through evolution but, there could be something else at work out there that, while the end results may be similar the process itself could be very different. So I stand by my initial point(s) that ET would have no interest in our philosophies, would not be able to understand them and probably would only see us a a barely evolved species not worthy of their attention and something to be swept out of the way if they are here to mine earthly resources. We could ultimately be a good source of protein, or calcium or whatever they might require and achieve in the eating of our bodies. Does this help at all?
  2. The wholly babble, in the big inning, it's got my personal savior all over it, the flying spaghetti monster, pirates, beer volcanoes, strippers,
  3. I feel that most times here, you don't get the joke. It's okay and yes, I watched the vid, yes I understand the dilution. blessing water is about as diluted as you can get, so I guess it has the most strength
  4. well I guess that explains 'holy water', just a little dab'll do ya
  5. Link takes you to a yahoo mail sign in page (people still use email?)
  6. You misinterpreted my comment, I was referring to the comment Dan56 made about there being no knowledge here (ULC Forum). Pretty sure he was trying to make a point about how none (or most) of us have any brains because we don't in what he does, or how blindly he does, or how arrogant and superior he feels he is when dealing with freethinkers like us.
  7. I think one would have to be able to recognize knowledge to further realize whether or not there's any about. I mean, we are talking knowledge here right, not just myths and faerie tales based on superstitions, magical thinking and of course, the ever worthy, woo.
  8. I'm sure it *started out* sincerely, but sooner or later that 'spiritual leader' realizes the power they possess over all the others. And when, as that *spiritual leader* they further discover that they possess unquestioned power, that they can have people 'sacrificed', they can have *heretics* put to death, all in the name of their god(s), there is no going back. And when all of that power gets baked into the dogma, well at the very least you end up with an out of touch, isolated leader in a small, walled in country in the middle of rome.
  9. I've never questioned the fact that religion is about power, gate-keeping, access, profit and domination. Being able to determine the future from chicken guts gave the prognosticator (or was given) the power over others, whereby the willing would bring gifts, food, money (of what ever sort), so that the prognosticator didn't have to work for a living and could remain in constant touch with the spirits, gods, aliens, whatever they believed in. There is a reason that religious leaders were often state leaders as well, to have the backing of a god/gods would be a hard card to beat. https://youtu.be/cAgAvnvXF9U
  10. If someone can just say 'god did it' then all the questions stop; the mind stops, the thinking stops, the learning stops, all replaced by a vast, quiet, calm, stupidity.
  11. To be fair, one needs to listen to the other side's story. Pay special attention from the 3:00 minute mark thru 5:00 min, kinda sums up their whole mindset https://youtu.be/CFYswvGoaPU
  12. I was just reading an article about the flat earther who died trying to prove the earth is flat, " “I don’t want to take anyone else’s word for it...” “I don’t believe in science...” You would think that would be enough but no, he had more to say on the subject of science (and by extension, education, research and intelligence), “I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But that’s not science, that’s just a formula. There’s no difference between science and science fiction.” Imagine that, not science, just a formula. Well the formula technically is math, but the science behind (yup, aero- and fluid dynamics is science), pretty solid, based on experimentation. But sadly, science or not, he just didn't know enough about aero or fluid dynamics, or physics, or gravity and he met his earthly demise. Wonder what his thoughts were on the way back down. And yes, creationism is, was, the root cause. Silly old wives tales based on innocent ignorance (originally, that is). That anybody in 2020 can still believe that nonsense is such a sad state of affairs and is entirely religion's fault (to be clear, a certain kind of religion, not all). Sadly people are willing to throw away knowledge, throw away decades, centuries of scientific research and experiments in favor of children's stories that were never intended to replace actual knowledge. All those stories were, were just people's way of trying to explain things that they didn't understand. As knowledge was gained, it replaced superstition and the supernatural. But now it appears that some people are just moving backwards. It's easier to just throw up your hands and say god did it. No homework, no classes, no quizzes or tests, certainly no college and no degrees. Nope, a couple years of home schooling from a mom who thinks dinosaurs lived along side puppy dogs. What can possibly go wrong?
  13. The problem is, it turned into him making a fatuous comment about 2 minutes before birth abortions, referring to all who opposed his opinion as pacifists who would kiss murders. That's not exactly quoting the GHG, it is one person's arrogance that strongly suggests he knows the mind of god and, I could be wrong here but doesn't the GHG somewhere state that no man knows the mind of god? As for the death sentence, without even addressing the issue of whether it's or morally right or not, the strongest objection (and the only one I think that is really needed) is the very real risk of an innocent person being put to death. And I'm not talking about someone who didn't deserve the sentence, who had - according to sentencing guidelines - mitigating circumstances. I am talking about the totally innocent person, falsely charged, arrested and convicted, who was in no way involved in the crime but has been found guilty for any number of reasons; lack of, or manufactured, or constructed evidence, prosecutorial malfeasance, defense malfeasance, etc. Near as I can find about .04% of prisoners given the death sentence are innocent. Now I know that some people will see that as a very small (and perhaps to them acceptable) number of people but it works out to 1 in every 25 prisoners sentenced to death is innocent. For every 100 executions, 4 innocent people die. I don't see how anyone, of any religious stripe, could ever find that acceptable. Especially one who wholeheartedly opposed abortion as the murder of innocents. No one who opposes the later could possibly be in favor of the former, it would boggle the mind to think anyone could be both that blind and that hateful.
  14. Well it seems to me that trying to 'debate' Dan on his terms is a flat out losing battle. I really don't care what his faith tells him, I won't argue with him based on that, it's a no-win proposition. As far as I'm concerned his arguments (and he) are all tautological. Only way to win is to dismiss his pale, dusty, Goat Herder tales. But come on, if we try really, really hard we can either win him over to the light side or cause that aneurysm to burst. Win-win either way 😉
  15. yeah no I get that, which is why I would never try to argue with him using his GHGG, people like him have spent years reading and studying the faerie tales. But back to the discussion, I agree with Pete's position, that people can be rehabilitated and, achieving that means that they can spend the rest of their life, in prison, counseling others and working off their debt to society. On top of which, by eliminating capital punishment it eliminates any potential for executing an innocent person. I don't think any one here has advocated releasing prisons who have been incarcerated and sentenced to death, only that the death sentence isn't necessary. If if worked as a deterrent (as *some* suggest) then there really shouldn't be anyone on death row today in the US. I think certain people just enjoy the idea of someone being executed for a crime they (may) have committed. It just baffles me that someone can be so filled with hate for their fellow man that they can see no benefit, or purpose of rehabilitation, remorse and of course the perennial favorite, forgiveness (sigh...all of which again requires me to once again repeat that this does NOT mean prisoners released from death row are released, only that they no longer live under the threat of execution). P.S. Maybe if we try hard enough, we can convert dan to a better life, and to be a better person 😉
  16. " I will now tap-out of this thread..." So I at least know you are not a man of your word, and I bet you're one of those that needs to have the last one as well. I think you 'religion' has clearly colored your world view, and not for the better. You seem to think that you can be judge and jury and I bet it moves a bit for you when you think about being executioner too, right? And it was ONLY you who said (and made up) the nonsensical aborting a baby two minutes before it's born, and THEN you go on to get all righteous AND disingenuous about it. Ain't you a kick i the pants. You seem to have misunderstood what my being against the death penalty was about, no surprise, those of you with such a lock on eternity have no real interest in what other peoples say or believe. My stand against it was...well I should make you go back and read it but I suspect even if, your comprehension skills might be a bit lacking so just for your benefit, I am against it because of the very real risk of an innocent person being executed. Curious but unsurprising you not only didn't seem to get that, it doesn't seem to bother you so I guess you would likely have a bumpersticker on your pick up truck that says, 'Kill 'em all, let god sort it out'. amirite? Naw you're lazy and arrogant and self absorbed, why else can you not follow a 6th grade reading level discussion. Clearly you are here to spout from your GHT and feel all superior because you have some stone age idea about what justice and compassion is. I think Pete pointed out earlier about people (prisoners) being able to change and become better people. That's not to say they should be released, only that their death sentence be commuted. It seems to square with your religion (well, the more present day version rather than your cave man one perhaps) but anyway, your god, your jesus talk about forgiviness, and justice, and compassion, and love, all the things that seem antithetical to your chosen delusion. Not surprised that those are the parts you avoid. You come off as a very empty person, maybe you should work harder at being the Christian you think are, we all have room for improvement, right?
  17. I think 'religion' here is a very thin slice. You read my viewpoint and declared it void because you don't like my tone. As for 'senseless to denigrate a belief...', well as I see it, your particular viewpoint IS a problem. You just quote one line of dialogue after another and essentially spout an opinion that belongs to others. You don't have an opinion other than what 'preachers' have told you to have. Interesting too that you have somehow come to the conclusion that I'm a pacifist. I served out country, have had a CCW for over 30 years, practiced regularly and would have easily used it in defense of myself, family, even strangers. So see you're not nearly as clever as you think you are. As for 'tapping out', well that's your choice and probably for the best as you only spout dialogue to support your holier-than-thou position. I especially like your closing paragraph where you get to put in all those nice, thinly veiled insults (so much for being nice here, huh?). The part where you accuse me (or Pete?) of showering killers with kindness, I hadn't picked up on that but I'm sure it comes across that way to you because you've made it clear you believe in killing but, didn't your jesus teach the opposite? I kinda thought xtianity was about forgiveness, loving one another, etc etc and let the judging and sentencing up to god? Or do you subscribe to a more...bloodthirsty and revenge seeking god? And you also see to only be in favor of retribution rather than forgiveness so I guess that makes you more of a jewish vengeful god rather than a loving and compassionate jesus. god complex much? And finally, the jab about killing a baby two minutes before birth? That is where you end up, at the most extreme, most illogical, most....egregious example of who you are and what you believe, as we all know, women will just randomly decide to kill their baby just before it crowns. The fact that you would say that suggests, along with all your other issues, that misogyny is big on your list. Your comment is a perfect summation of why you and people like you are so troublesome and disturbed. Your 'religion' tends to fill you with hate and that comes from, not your GHGttG book but from the people that taught you. Hate begets hate and you clearly seem like someone who doesn't, can't and was never loved (at least in a good way) and for that...well maybe you'll do better next incarnation (hopefully in a higher life-form that you are presently)
  18. I'm confused, the discussion is whether or not the death sentence is morally right yet it's being bogged down by (if you'll excuse me) silly ass quoting from some mythology text book (or as I just saw it, The Goat Herder's Guide to the Galaxy). This discussion appears to be guided by some very specific Christian viewpoint which, while it may have had some relevance longtime past in developing laws with which to govern, to continue to insist that they hold some relevance today suggests either some intellectual disability or yet more magical thinking and woo
  19. It comes down to this; is society willing to risk executing an innocent person (it is estimated that 1 in 25 prisoners sentenced to death is innocent) in order to execute 24 guilty ones? Are the deaths of four innocent people acceptable in order for those other 96 to be executed?
  20. I was going to join the Church of the Prognostic Procrastinator, just never got around to it
  21. An agnostic church...I'm having a hard time believing in that
  22. They're all worse. Or I suppose, more correctly, they are all bad. Well, except for the CotFSM, which is pretty much exactly on point with the ULC (and really, with the Hippocratic Oath, First, do no harm). Surprised more members aren't active here. Unless they too have a fb page, in which there is no hope