BesslerWheel.com

[Jonathan]

The Jewish and Christian God are the same, the previous are different sects of the same religion really; but the Muslim one is different. If they were all the same, then He'd say the same things in the different Books, and it would only be the interpretations that differ. But the Muslim god explicitly contradicts the Judeochristian God in many ways.
As far as I can tell, Hinduism is a fancy form of nihilism, both wrong. Bill, I think I know roughly which is wrong and which is right. I know I can't prove it, I just think I know.

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Disclaimer: I reserve the right not to know what I'm talking about and not to mention this possibility in my posts. This disclaimer also applies to sentences I claim are quotes from anybody, including me.

[Michael]

[coylo]

Religion could of been created as an answer to the old question......"what is the meaning of life?" People need to have a sense of purpose, meaning and belonging. So they'll believe in a pack of lies just to fill the void in their lives.

Scientology really rags me, and Tom Cruise seemed like such an intelligent fellow to.......shame. It's based on some really bad science (I think).
For instance, when a child bumps his/hers head on a door, then alleviating this by pressing the childs head to the door so that the negative energy will flow back into the door (well, this is what they really practice!) is bad science (is it not?) when the energy came from the child in the first place.

hmmmm, I dunno.

[AgingYoung]

[ovyyus]

Really, but what are they saying Gene? :P

Moon dust thickness over time and decaying, or not, orbital distances and expanding universe theories and feelings of right and wrong are all very interesting - but who would bet his life on the remote possibility that the data and/or the interpretation is correct? Not me. I guess that's your point.

We just love building tall structures on squishy ground, don't we - lol

[AgingYoung]

There are different ways we measure time. Carbon 14 can't date that far in the past and it's calibrated using tree rings that are calibrated using carbon 14 dating. One way to measure time is to measure the distance of the moon to the earth. They use gps which is reasonably accurate; I've heard how accurate yet I forget; it's calibrated using clocks that are knock your socks off accurate. The moon recedes so many inches a year from the earth. When you project that recession back in time it wasn't too long ago that the moon was resting on the earth. It's a forensic method of determining the moon's age. Life on earth would be very different without a moon if it could exist at all. The moon is responsible for tides and most likely assists the earth's orbit around the sun; holding it in its ideal orbit.

There are some 34 criteria that require an exacting degree of balance for life to exist on earth. One of them is the path the earth orbits the sun. The odds that all of these criteria are precisely balanced by chance are astronomical; well beyond the limits of a statistical impossibility (10 43rd power). There are a lot of reasons I believe in a creative God yet I know people have the right to make up their own minds.

Gene

[ovyyus]

Those 34 exacting degree criteria which you say are demanded in order for life to exist on Earth won't explain how life exists, if not existed, on Mars - which I think will be proven with the discovery of either microbes or microbe fossils on the red planet. I think life is much more resilient, tenacious and varied than ever imagined possible.

People seem to habitually think and act like they are the centre of all things, when they are actually just part of all things. My cat does the same thing... look at me, feed me, pat me - subjectivity runs rampant! It's really not that hard to see a little bit of monkey in us all - even in my cat - lol

[ken_behrendt]

Modern science does not require the existence of a God to rationalize the universe, but a lot of average people do. Most religions are really a form of anthropomorphism which is the ascribing of human qualities to animals and non-human things. Thus, the wind is really the breath of a god living in a cave at the top of the world. Or, lightning bolts come down from the tips of the fingers of angry gods who live in the sky. Or, life just popped into existence one day because some eternal being was lonely and needed someone to worship him and make him feel good.

Most of the people I know are only religious because they use their religion as a kind of good luck charm. They think that if they run to a church on the required days, mumble a few prayers, and engage in other rituals, then magically God will give them good luck. They'll stay healthy and they age, not have an accident, and, maybe, even win the lottery!

It's interesting to see how these people cope when, after going through the prescribed rituals, they suddenly and unexpectedly have some really serious bad luck. I think about 50% will buy the "It was the will of God" explanations handed to them by their religious leaders. The other 50% will start to ask some embarrassing questions. After I found out that 100,000 children drowned in that tsunami last year, I asked a lot of questions myself. The only "answers" I've gotten from my religious friends are that, somehow, that tragedy will eventually serve a greater good and that, someday, we'll all understand it. Yes, it's a nice sleeping pill to swallow, but I did not really find it satisfying.

I've embraced the idea of a cosmos teeming with life, especially intelligent humanoid life. I've gone further to believe that ALL religions on Earth that speak of "visitations" by angels, demons, gods etc. can be rationalized by the assumption that, in ancient times, mankind was occasionally contacted by extraterrestrial beings. These beings were technologically advanced even by today's standards, so they would appear god-like to ancient people on Earth. They usually delivered a moral message to selected individuals which they were then instructed to deliver to the masses of their times. The purpose? Probably to pacify humanity, stop the bloodshed, improve hygiene, etc. so that human populations would increase as rapidly as possible.

Why should extraterrestrials care about the population levels on Earth? Well, with increasing population size comes increased scientific research and technologies that stem from it. Eventually, Earth will develop its own UFO like vehicles and will then be, more or less, on a par with its visitors. Once that happens, we will be ready to link up with the other intelligent humanoid lifeforms in our neck of the cosmic woods. I suspect that this is the true destiny of humanity.

Meanwhile, I concentrate on trying to live a law abiding life, having positive interactions with my family and friends, and trying to leave something behind me that will make a better future for those that come after me. If there's an afterlife, then great...I think I'll make out okay. If there isn't, well...I can handle it.


ken

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On 7/6/06, I found, in any overbalanced gravity wheel with rotation rate, ω, axle to CG distance d, and CG dip angle φ, the average vertical velocity of its drive weights is downward and given by:

Vaver = -2(√2)πdωcosφ

[turulato]

gordi:

Thanks for the laugh, on the one hand you put down my spelling and on the other you admit your own bad spelling. Typical.

Thank you for proving that I was right when I said or implied that only the people in this forum know the absolute truth, you being the first one :-)

Turulato

_________________
Inventors, Masters of Creative and independent thought

[rlortie]

This topic is getting to deep for me, so I have come up with a fairy tale to ponder and allow for a short break in this intense discussion.

Subject: The Ultimate Fairy Tale .....:)

Once upon a time, a girl asked a guy "Will you marry me?" The guy
said, "No." And the girl lived happily ever after and went
shopping, dancing, camping, drank martinis, always had a clean house,
never had to cook and farted whenever she wanted.

The end.

Author Unkown

[AgingYoung]

I have 3 sons and 5 flashlights and they all work.
.....world's shortest tall tale.

[racer270]

[Jonathan]

>Scientology really rags me, and Tom Cruise seemed like such an intelligent fellow to.......shame.<
Exactly!
>It's based on some really bad science (I think).<
Not even.
>When you extrapolate the depth of moon dust ...the distance from the earth that the moon is<
I suspect these extrapolations have been done without considering the possibility that the accumulation of moon dust and recession of the moon do not occur at a constant rate.
>There are some 34 criteria that require an exacting degree of balance for life to exist on earth.<
However many criteria there are, it doesn't really prove anything because we would only exist to ponder the unlikely coincidence of criteria if that unlikely cirumstance had occurred.
>Modern science does not require the existence of a God to rationalize the universe<
As student of physcis I can tell you with as much certainty as I have in anything that this is not true.
>Most religions are really a form of anthropomorphism[etc]<
Those same 'most religions' are false.
>Most of the people I know are only religious because they use their religion as a kind of good luck charm.<
They are prostitues.

[ovyyus]

Three friends from the local congregation were asked, "When you're in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?

Artie said:
"I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man."

Eugene commented:
"I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives."

Don said:
"I'd like them to say, "Hey look, he's moving!"

[rlortie]

As a teenager, I thought I knew it all, anyway that is what I was told. I now believe in the following statement as it makes more sense and I need a reason for my waist line to expand.

"We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a *lot* more
information in our heads.

Bessler's casket must have been very heavy as it seems he took it all with him.

It reminds me of the guy who wrote the 'Hoky Poky" song and dance. He died recently and everything was normal until they tried to put his left foot in.