tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.comments2012-02-01T02:08:20.435-05:00DigB. W. Fullfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03073972290360672401noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-69154157507659357272010-11-23T21:49:45.635-05:002010-11-23T21:49:45.635-05:00AgreeAgreeRiver City Ragehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03607483982669979455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-27017842669456383762010-11-11T20:02:59.325-05:002010-11-11T20:02:59.325-05:00I tend to think the beauty of great minds, like As...I tend to think the beauty of great minds, like Asimov, is that they tend to prepare us for these events. In doing so we can distance ourselves from the literary outcome.<br /><br />In a closed society things might be different. But I will set aside my skepticism and favor the belief that the informational mediums will serve to save the human condition.B. W. Fullfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073972290360672401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-11953155968049204562010-11-11T19:53:55.819-05:002010-11-11T19:53:55.819-05:00What this all brings to my mind is the world Isaac...What this all brings to my mind is the world Isaac Asimov described in <i>The Naked Sun,</i> one of his Robot series of science fiction/detective stories. Everybody in this word communicates exclusively online (well, almost exclusively, or there couldn't be a murder!) and is terrified to go outside. And this was written in 1956! Asimov was brilliant - will we ultimately turn into his characters, afraid of the Naked Sun?hederahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01696592301686568456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-32102479417110666262010-08-20T08:33:58.754-04:002010-08-20T08:33:58.754-04:00I'm finding it almost inspiring that so many I...I'm finding it almost inspiring that so many I know have actually been on stage is some form. The peeling back of the person. Did you enjoy the experience?B. W. Fullfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073972290360672401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-4609607745648130782010-08-20T01:28:05.623-04:002010-08-20T01:28:05.623-04:00When I was in high school I played the frumpy aunt...When I was in high school I played the frumpy aunt in The Heiress, a dubious play. I don't think I did very well. I had much more fun as Props for You Can't Take It With You. I even got to fire the blank pistol.hederahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01696592301686568456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-6024968645672712212010-07-28T19:47:50.635-04:002010-07-28T19:47:50.635-04:00I think you accurately noted my ambiguity of a cen...I think you accurately noted my ambiguity of a central point or at least my failure to express it. And your comment of "one liner axioms" is probably not too far off either.<br /><br />In reflection I believe my intent was to express the problem we encounter when we allow fear to impede rather than influence. I was also trying to discover at what level we lie to ourselves when we say we fear something thought I didn't investigate that quite as much.<br /><br />With respect to a belief system, there must a point when the individual asks himself what motivates. Fear. Love. Compassion. Animosity. Whether that is one which is culturally advantageous or simply utilitarian. If virtue drives us to be "superior" the system does not bind us. The system is for us and not the reverse.<br /><br />I would go a step further and take the position people feel separation from a system that a group does not already embrace. In doing so they lose themselves. In losing themselves there is now no subject which can fear and hence no advancement apart from the direction of the system itself. I would argue further that a fear of losing self in the system motivates the individual to be "superior".<br /><br />I may contradict myself tomorrow.B. W. Fullfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073972290360672401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-40987333781326015182010-07-28T16:28:56.763-04:002010-07-28T16:28:56.763-04:00This is definitely more than just a brief thought....This is definitely more than just a brief thought...this is like an agglomeration of 1-liner axioms. I enjoyed reading the post but i had a difficult time finding the central point (unless you intended it to not have a central point).<br /><br />"Through virtue and wisdom we attain a level of confidence and vision so to embrace and overcome fear."<br /><br />-I feel like you could insert any world religion in the place of "virtue and wisdom."<br /><br />You also mention the really large thought about a belief system that is limited. Aren't all attempts to understand the divine or "ultimate reality" limited due to our condition as being human beings with finite minds?<br />Is it wrong to attach oneself to a belief system because it makes the most sense culturally and ultimately leads to the most good in the world? And i'm not talking about an overwhelming belief in one thing and ignorance to other beliefs. I'm talking about a belief, or "approach" that is not ignorant, exclusive, or supposedly superior.<br /><br />Those are initial thoughts.Nelson Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13369409076980947482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-71877122332401431052010-07-23T18:38:02.546-04:002010-07-23T18:38:02.546-04:00You're so right; everybody overreacted here. ...You're so right; <i>everybody</i> overreacted here. I feel mildly pleased to think that, when I first saw this on Yahoo News, the first thing I did was click on the link and read the entire story, after which I said, "What??" But then, I trained as a librarian; we were never supposed to give anybody a fact without a backup reference... (TOO twentieth century!)hederahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01696592301686568456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-20218799753791744822008-05-22T11:24:00.000-04:002008-05-22T11:24:00.000-04:00Agreed. Granted, I did not watch American Idol thi...Agreed. Granted, I did not watch American Idol this year but I have no doubt that starting right now, you can put 15 minutes on the egg timer for David Cook. <BR/><BR/>The election process is doing a wonderful job at exposing who we really are with regard to race and gender. Obama wins over the more liberal whites in Oregon by a good margin but loses drastically to the more conservative whites in Kentucky. With each passing day the term “conservative whites” becomes more synonymous with “racists” as the polls show that these individuals will vote for anything that is not black. <BR/><BR/>A game of smoke and mirrors is being played with the women voters who are coming out for Hillary. Yes, it makes for a nice moment on television when the stands are packed with them at a rally but I am curious to know who they will pull the lever for in November. Women have been over 52% of the electorate for some time. Clearly they could have voted someone into or out of office by now if they chose to. In much the same way that a women in the military would rather be bunkered down with a man in the heat of battle, I suspect that many of them will not vote for Hillary come November.Darinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16825899804270950728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-22530409504238624912008-04-23T03:40:00.000-04:002008-04-23T03:40:00.000-04:00just saw Expelled; Ben Stein's goal in making this...just saw Expelled; Ben Stein's goal in making this flick (i gather) was not to win any popularity contests (this by itself helps to validate his message)... his goal was to promote free thought, especially more thinking about motivations that drive American academia and a lot of other behind-the-scenes worldview that we tend to take for granted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-85408314775557912552008-03-25T15:37:00.000-04:002008-03-25T15:37:00.000-04:00Thank you for your reply. I'll respond according ...Thank you for your reply. I'll respond according to your comments.<BR/><BR/>Paragraph 1:<BR/>Hopefully my response will further elaborate on why prayer is odd. With respect to your comment on instruction "thy will be done" it begs the question of why prayer should be more than a simple "thy will be done". If that is all I'm asking for then why get into specifics? Why pray for healing? <BR/><BR/>1. I'm not sure how you interpreted any denoucing. I merely used specific examples of how people may utilize prayer. I accept these are but a small sampling. Matt 18:20 warrant discusion regarding what is meant by it. What does it mean to be in the midst of them and if it is only 1 person is God not there.<BR/><BR/>2. This is not an argument against prayer. How did you come to that conclusion? Regarding the "Other", it is critical to prayer that the "Other" is defined. If not the "to whom" of prayer is undefined. If, as you noted, we are to discuss biblical incidents, I must first define the "Other" as the God as defined within the biblical context. What validates that in order for me to take that "leap of faith"? As I note further, that move is subjective and can be validated individually.<BR/><BR/>With respect to insanity, I would disagree. I can physically pick up the phone. When the voice answers I know it is not mine. If I have a picture phone I can watch the person speak to me. Now we can all be Hume-ian skeptics about this but I am closer to belief that I am not insane if I'm on the phone as opposed to praying. Do we here auditory responses when we pray? If I recorded a prayer and a phone conversation, which would supply me with evidence of an "other" existing? The key word is "tangible" and a phone conversation offers more tangible validation.<BR/><BR/>3. I'm not sure why you felt the need to even question whether my argument becomes invalid because I used the word "because" instead of "becomes". Seems trivial and insignificant to the discussion.<BR/><BR/>I believe I have satisfied the strange action position based on the lack of any tangible validation. To elaborate using your example, if I go to the house of the person which I called on the phone and find them there I now have tangible validation. Where is my tangible validation in prayer? Where do I go to validate God?<BR/><BR/>4. I am not suggesting either is more or less important. I think you completely misunderstood this post. The greater context is defined by the discussion on relationship, a component which you completely avoided. Further, you have not addressed the commonality between the 3 examples nor how the diety would address them. My contention that whether they are answered or not is insignificant as noted by the Karl Barth quote.<BR/><BR/>Your assumption is that the "Biblical context" is true. If I assume that to be the case I'm still left with the problem of unanswered prayer. Further, there is nothing you stated which compels me to believe that a parishoner on their knees speaking to God is any different than the man in the psych ward speaking to the little blue man on his shoulder. How can you tell him the little blue man doesn't exist?B. W. Fullfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073972290360672401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-28519268592246051162008-03-25T15:01:00.000-04:002008-03-25T15:01:00.000-04:00I concede that you are confounded, but I don't und...I concede that you are confounded, but I don't understand why you believe that prayer is "odd". If you are going to analyze the concept of prayer, it seems that you would base and begin your argument with the source, "It's" instruction on how to pray: "Thy will be done". It's as simple as that. You quote Matthew 18:20 but not Matthew 6?<BR/><BR/>(1) It is easy (and a bit cheap) to denounce bedside or pre-sports prayer; do you honestly believe that Matt. 18:20 promises eternal earthly life if one prays for it every day? This is not a promise of God, but, using the logic you put forth in your argument, that premise must be true.<BR/><BR/>(2) If you are going to construct an argument against prayer, why not discuss the Biblical incidents of it and not try to equate a personal "Other" connection with a broad generalization of mental illness? Using your definition of "insanity", speaking on the phone is insane. <BR/><BR/>(3) You accidentally typed the word "because" instead of "becomes"; should that one sentence negate your whole argument? No, I consider the context put forth and understand the meaning behind what you meant to write. Now it's your turn; build your "strange action" argument considering its Biblical context, not one facet of its earthly use.<BR/><BR/>(4) "what then becomes the distinction between the psych patient and the football player taking to himself before the play compared to the parishoner on their knees?" -- There is no distinction and why should there be? Prayer is an equal-opportunity pathway, trod by each individual in his/her own way. Surely you are not suggesting that a parishioner's prayer is more important or more "right" than anyone else's. If so, again, read prayer's Biblical context; you might clear up some of that confusion.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10364930394144529431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-62026260559118446332008-01-21T22:28:00.000-05:002008-01-21T22:28:00.000-05:00How does comment moderation limit the free exchang...How does comment moderation limit the free exchange of ideas and open dialogue? I sense some pre-supposition that needs to be defended.B. W. Fullfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073972290360672401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083251532405290439.post-82673227638266470142008-01-03T23:58:00.000-05:002008-01-03T23:58:00.000-05:00In aid of the free exchange of ideas, and open dia...In aid of the free exchange of ideas, and open dialogue, please remove comment moderation. Do you really need to approve all comments to your posts?Chris Gandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16807372409800629084noreply@blogger.com