God is Michael. That's not really his name, that's the name of his office, whatever that means. If someone caught him smoking, they'd probably go running to Jehovah, who is Michael's dad. If Jehovah gets upset about it, and he has quite the temper, he'll probably babble about it at the next meeting with Elohim, who isn't just one god, but actually a council of gods who are all ancestors of Jeh
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I asked this on FB, but I didn't get a lot of replies. I wonder if God smokes cigarettes when nobody is watching. Do you think he might slip out back for a smoke every now and then? If someone caught him, who would they tattle to?
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First of all, the debates we see on TV between politicians are not real. The politicians themselves might think they're real, but those "debates" are not an attempt to get at the truth through dialectic methods. It's more about making your opponent appear nervous and incapable than discovering anything truthful. For that, there are professional academic debates, and I live for these
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But the story is that he was tearing her clothes off AND raping her, if that clarifies anything. I actually think it's plausible. We just don't have any way of knowing for certain now. If he did it and it's just her perceived credibility against his, the accusation will never be taken seriously. Just look how Mormons react to the truth about their founding prophet.
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I'd like to know more about their reasoning. I'm sure there's a long history behind their particular method.
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I want to learn more about it. I've read their constitutional articles and I'm not entirely certain about it either. But I know some philosophers who are experts on the matter. I hope to spend some time working with them next year. I'll have a lot more to say about this in the future.
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We just have to have a reasonable means. But when it comes to toleration of atheism, our own society is just about the worst thing on earth. In Hinduism, believing in the existence of some god is nothing to be rewarded for. It's just something people do. It's possible to be atheist and Hindu at the same time, but just try that in a Christian denomination! Mormon missionaries have got a big
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I'm probably going to be living in India for a while. I'm intensely curious about this because I want to put some reins on religion in this country. Dave the Atheist may criticize India as a religious shit-hole, but is the US any better? Give me a break! Christians are every bit as wacky as Hindus in their metaphysics. Perhaps wackier.
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Well, go ahead and tell a billion people to give up Hinduism. Tell me how that works for you. I don't need to consult an astrologer to know that this approach is pointless. Count me out.
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They could potentially get into a lot of trouble just by proclaiming the rewards of an afterlife as an enticement to convert people. I don't think the issue is being pressed that much these days, but it could and certain philosophers over there are doing just that. I really don't know how Mormon missionaries deal with this problem, or if they're even aware of it. Most people in India are probab
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Ok, you make a good case. I'll stop complaining now. I brought it up a few years ago when people first started using it but I just made a bunch of people mad. I'll shut up now.
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India has produced two religions that are strictly and unquestionably committed to non-violence. They are Jainism and Buddhism, of course. Some Jains are so committed to non-violence that they won't even kill plants for food. They'll take the fruit, but not if it kills the plant. So root vegetables are not an option. We all know that Buddhism has no place whatsoever for violence and the suff
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Think about the mess that India has had to deal with thanks to religious violence. There is a whole class of society that has been denied recognition as human beings, all because of religion. They are the untouchables. The framers of the Indian Constitution were adamant about eliminating untouchability. Again, it's a fascinating document that is rich in historical importance. And it's online
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According to the Indian Constitution, which is an incredible document if anyone is curious, people have the right to convert to the religion of their choice. But they do not have the right to entice others to change their choice of religion for any kind of reward, even if the rewards are hypothetical and in the hereafter. People are free to exercise their religion and discuss it with anyone, bu
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Well, one thing is certain, there is only one philosopher I truly believe in-me. Gandhi was a brilliant human being, but to tell you the truth, I have a lot more theoretical backgound than he ever did in philosophy. But then he knew Hinduism pretty well, and that's more of a philosophy than what we think of as religion. We had a visiting philosopher from India at the U a few weeks ago. He t
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Not the LDS Church, I mean, it's obvious why I don't like their church. It is "TSCC" that I never liked, as a nickname for their silly religion. Having a "so-called" church implies that there exists a legitimate church that this one is trying to imitate. I just can't bring myself to it, however. "TSCC" is not for me. Every single faith-based cult is a "so-c
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Criticize the ideas, not the people. In philosophy classes, there is nothing sacred about religion. Every idea gets examined. We hold nothing back when criticizing ideology, but as soon as it gets personal, the professional academic spirit is gone and chaos ensues. A good professor should know where to draw the line and how to keep things on a professional level. You know, professor=profes
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Diogenes is often considered to be the first cosmopolitan philosopher. In political philosophy, that's the school where I hang out. But Diogenes was a bit of an extremist, to put it mildly. Being the first cosmopolitan philosopher, he famously said "I am a citizen of the world!" He had little respect for any of the nation-states and his favorite company was a pack of stray dogs.
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Sometimes the people who really make a difference in the world have ironies and eccentricities to spare. Socrates was similar. He was probably the most ironic character in Western philosophy. Socrates had strange ideas about justice, particularly concerning his own case. It doesn't seem like he thought he was doing anything wrong, but when the Athens democracy sentenced him to death for &qu
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My son has control over my CD collection now and he intends to sell most of it. But he no longer lives with his mother and he has his own bills to worry about!
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My ex-wife has been up to her usual and unending attempts to force more cash out of me. She is already receiving much more from me than the law can make me pay, but I don't make it a habit of telling everyone that. When she says she needs extra money for the kids, I come up with it one way or another. But sometimes it isn't enough. When I was a much younger and more materialistic man, I wan
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That's why I'm such a despicable evildoer!;)
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I'm planning on going to India to study and do a bit of teaching of my own. For all of his devotion to human rights, Bapu never received the Nobel Prize. But many of today's recipients of that coveted award think of themselves as "Bapu's children." What a legacy!
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Today was a rather exciting day for me as a political philosopher. My friend Deen Chatterjee is out of town so I had both class periods to myself. Deen does a wonderful job and as a political philosopher, he has the kind of moral clout that someone like Boyd K Packer can only dream of. But I am always itching for the opportunity to spread my love of wisdom. We are discussing human rights an
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The Packer "We Love You" thread has been removed completely.
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It sure makes my mugs difficult to clean.
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I've been a coffee-drinker since my teenage years. It was a fun way to rebel. I used to put lots of cream and sugar in it, but these day's I drink it black. I can do without the other niceties. But my academic friends always have tea instead of coffee. I like it. I can drink it every day the way I drink coffee. It's inexpensive and very cosmopolitan. ButwWhat are the health advantages? It
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There is a lot of Jewish DNA in NYC.
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I guess if you have no genitals the concept of impotence must be something different.
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I don't call them conspiracy theorists. A theorist is someone who tries to formulate a decent theory, scientific, historical or otherwise. A theorist has certain rules to observe. The people who propagate conspiracy tales are not theorists. They are "conspiracy enthusiasts." They have no theory.
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