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hello to all of you. Well, we are only 3 in this group but I'm looking forward for some philosophical discussions with you or perhaps with the new members. I really hope that this will be a fruitful group for all of us, sharing philosophical ideas. Btw, what school of thought are you into? I'm just a newbie with philosophy.... and if you'll ask me... i guess i would say that i'm really fond of existentialism especially Nietzsche (errrr i consider him as a precursor of existentialism) and Sartre (i'm looking forward to study more of his works). Hope to hear from yah all soon... Enjoy and God bless
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Jun 11, 2004
9:23 AM
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Philosophy has always been a subject that has interest me, like Archie i hope that there will be some enlightening discussions on various schools of thought. Extentialism, Phenomenology, stoicism and many many more. However i would like to as a question, with such knowledge and so many idealogies is there such a thing as absolute truth, or is every thing relative. Would appreciate your opinions.
Love and respect.......Adrian
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Jun 20, 2004
8:06 PM
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I'm new...and I don't know a whole lot about philosophy, but it interests me and I like to hear others thoughts concerning different ideas and matters. About the absolute truth and relative....I would have to say that it depends on what you are talking about. I for one think that when speaking of God its the absolute truth. However, such things as a door being a door (just an example) thats relitive; it could be anything.
I hope that made some sense.
Well, I'm very excited to hear from everyone!!!
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Jun 21, 2004
9:13 PM
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It blesses my heart to see others being interested in this forum. I hope that there will be a continued interest expressed by others who seek to share and learn. Lindsey, like yourself i'm interested in philosophy but i;m a firm and focus believer in God. I hope your experience here with us will be one of fun, interest and enlightenment. May God continue to bless you.
Love and respect......Adrian
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Jun 22, 2004
3:50 AM
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=== Original Message ===>>>>
Philosophy has always been a subject that has interest me, like Archie i hope that there will be some enlightening discussions on various schools of thought. Extentialism, Phenomenology, stoicism and many many more. However i would like to as a question, with such knowledge and so many idealogies is there such a thing as absolute truth, or is every thing relative. Would appreciate your opinions.
Love and respect.......Adrian
Let's see, In my opinion, I would probably come to conclusion that everything is absolute truth. If everything is real, Why wouldn't it be true? Make sense? Even a lie is true in its own way. I may not be a philosopher at all, but I can always pull up an opposing view which has a tendacy to stir up some shite sometimes...
Matt
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Jun 22, 2004
4:02 PM
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Religion is something that many people still hold onto today. On an overall view, what is it? Religion, is basically, belief in a higher power. Something more powerful than man himself. I can also easily point out that this higher being has a direct relation to what may happen during the afterlife. But unfortunately, lately I have noticed a change in one of the religions, fed by greed the Christian and Catholic church are giving themselves a bad name,and people today are unable to understand the religion for what it is TRULY supposed to be. This metaphorical book shouldn't be teaching you by it's tales but by it's life guidelines which aren't followed.
Christianity today is corrupted. If god once had faith in mankind, it definately does not lie in todays mainstream Christians. It's the quiet ones who really understand. Christianity shouldn't be about Jesus Christ. I can assure
you that the bible was never intended to be worshiped. The figure Jesus was never meant to be worshipped.
Jesus was compared to as a messenger for a reason. Whether Jesus really existed or not, has been an
unaswered question since the actual time, But I can honestly say that it doesn't matter one bit. Because whether
these words were said by Jesus Christ or not, they are still wise and lessons are to be learnt from them. The
author does not matter. The message matters. Jesus didn't want to be famous. Take for example the story of
Jesus walking on water. Clearly a fairy tale. I do not want someone complaining to me that Jesus walked on water because he was the savior... because he was special or any other silly reason like that.
When Jesus told Peter to have faith... and to believe that he could also walk on water. Peter was uneasy and sank.
The moral of this story ISN'T that Jesus is the son of god and should be worshiped. What this really means is that Jesus' teaching of the day is that the reason why Peter sank, was because he was not focussed on his goals. He wasn't concentrating nor believing in himself enough to get the task accomplished. What is to be learned from this is that, if you can have faith in yourself (Not Jesus) you can almost do anything. And it's the little misconceptions taken by mainstream Christians that are ruining the religion. There are many wonderful guidelines on how to live your life in this book, but they shouldn't be so misunderstood. I don't understand why everyone is so hyped over this fictional character named Jesus. The author of the bible used this character to get his meanings across. He acted as the teacher... much like in mother goose. Nobody ever made a hype about mother goose being a savior... but she was considered a wise fictisious character because of her stories and lessons for children. There is no need to question her ways because we are certain that she never existed.
Christianity is an interresting religion. Not only because the followers cannot understand their own religion... but
because they have also been at war with it for roughly a thousand years. I can clearly remember the Baptists fighting the Christians and the Catholics fighting the Anglicans... so on and so forth. The religion has been at war with itself for a thousand years and if I remember... the main character of each of their books... is God represented through Jesus Christ who's main message is to KEEP PEACE.
Threatening is also another big problem. Out of the hundreds of religions I have studied on free time, Christianity is the only religion that threatens non believers. It isn't right to threaten someone over a religion. In Asia, Hinduism began WAY before god was even spoken of in Israel. Yet once Christianity develloped, they told the hinduists that if they did not believe in God (Which was "THE RIGHT" religion) They were to burn in hell during their afterlife. Which I find kind of rude. I do not believe in afterlife... nor have I heard of it from any of my dead friends. I do not believe that there is a final judgement as mentioned in the bible (which really isn't what the bible meant) I believe that everybody should be happy. Whether you are Jewish or Christian or Catholic or Muslim or Buddhist or Taoist or even Agnostic. The only reward that you can truly have on your death bed, is knowing
that you have made as many people in your life, as happy as they could possibly be and THIS is the true message of the bible. Not AFTER your death, but During your death... you will look back on your life. And if you were happy, you will feel happy, however if you were unhappy... you will feel sad. And these last feelings before your death are what the bible reffers to as your personal ever lasting Heaven or Hell. There is no such thias a final judgement. There is no pearly gates guarded by a man with a book telling you where you are
going because:
In the bible it starts with: In the beginning there was the word and that word was GOD and in Hebrew, (the native language of the bible.
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Jun 22, 2004
4:15 PM
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GOD is the same word for light and love... and Love is unconditional and not about judgement. So if you truly believe that we are all connected, and all the same... then it means that love will not, nor will it ever judge you. Therefore God will never judge you. God is a representation. God IS our minds. Our minds and our ability to judge ourselves. And the bible portrays God in an optimistic manor... therefor, We will live a life of happiness if we make other people happy. And this isn't needed to be said by threatening other people. That makes them uneasy. And your duty as a Christian today is to make other people happy. So if people find comfort and happiness in their religion that is other than Christianity, who are you to barge in and say what is right and wrong. These are all just labels. Let them be. Live and let live. They aren't bothering you.
So now that that is over with... You do not need to become a better christian. You do not need to believe in fairytale lands in the sky that are forever. You need not worry about when you die. Because it will not harm you. Death is life, life is death. You must deal with both... In order to die, you must once have lived... in order to live, you must eventually die. And although science is keeping us alive for much longer than older days, there should be no cause for worry 0ver this. All living matter, will die eventually. All matter will come to an end. And as the universe is ever expanding, it will re-create itself... there will be life again. God is part of you, therefor, you are part of god. Do not fear him, for you are him. You create him with this thing called reality. He is always present because you never forget about him, and he is always watching, because YOU are always watching... this is
what the bible really means. You are God. Understand it?
Questions? Thats what I'm here for... ]
Thats my take on religion, eat it up, enjoy and respond
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Jun 22, 2004
4:23 PM
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My name's Don and I make my living doing philosophy. It's probably not what you imagine it to be, however, the way I do it. Anyway, I'd be happy to share a paper or two I've written ifanyone is interested.
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Jun 23, 2004
9:28 AM
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hey guys, glad to see that the group membership is building up. you all should feel good about yourselves for being interested philosophy and taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas with others with this interest. i'm persuing a philosophy degree at the university of toronto and striving to eventually earn a phd and lecture on the discipline to other growing minds of the world. my main areas of interest are epistemology and metaphysics, which is not to say that i preclude from the mind issues from any other areas. if i could go back in time, i would definitly give all this up for a chance to live and think with the ancient greek philosophers like socrates and plato. looking forward to philosophical discussion. to all new members, welcome.
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Jun 23, 2004
4:43 PM
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hey guys, glad to see that the group membership is building up. you all should feel good about yourselves for being interested philosophy and taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas with others with this interest. i'm persuing a philosophy degree at the university of toronto and striving to eventually earn a phd and lecture on the discipline to other growing minds of the world. my main areas of interest are epistemology and metaphysics, which is not to say that i preclude from the mind issues from any other areas. i tend to take a skeptical stance on almost all issues and lean towards the idea that knowledge and understanding (with certianty) is for the most part impossible although the search should never cease. if i could go back in time, i would definitly give all this up for a chance to live and think with the ancient greek philosophers like socrates and plato. looking forward to philosophical discussion. to all new members, welcome. regards.
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Jun 23, 2004
4:48 PM
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