Pe 31 Octombrie 2008, Viktor Nagual isi lanseaza un nou CD din seria Euforic Elements: “Sound of Belief”. Si pentru ca orice lansare, are nevoie si de un party, ii are ca invitati la pupitru pe Vania, Victor Stancov, Mat, Fany, Thomas Dark si Vj Nyx. Lasere, visuals, 10.000 watti. Va mai zic? Va steptam vineri 31 [...]
Divided by belief
By Stacey T Pollock
Life came first before belief.
We need to survive before we can reason why.
Belief is based on individual choice, and it can be reasoned that in life we can decide on how we wish to see our value and purpose. These values are based on choices and come from the [...]
Belief is individual truth
by Stacey T Pollock
What you believe in is the truth from your own choices and perception.
Looking towards another person and viewing into their eyes, one can see their inner truth that comes from their heart over what they believe in and find important. This shows the foundation for their understanding [...]
200 FAQ on Muslims Belief | Language: English | Format: PDF | Pages: 207 | Size: 1 MB200 FAQ on Muslims Belief: This is a summarized book which I hope to be of great benefit to the reader. This book includes the basics of religion and principles of Islamic Monotheism. It shows the Straight Path of the True Religion (Islam). It covers what follows Faith, its characteristics and what nullifies or
credit: marcelgermain
I was reading an interesting anonymous post by someone from Australia this week titled So Here It Is, My Last prayer.
I’ve had the opportunity (and at times misfortune!) of being involved with different churches for most of my life, and the poster on this particular blog put forth some personal thoughts on [...]
Every once in awhile you see a product that really stands out. "Create Your Destiny - By Belief" by Robin Skeen is one of those rare products. It contains specific step-by-step information on focusing your energy with the Law of Attraction that is invaluable. I would say you need to get this new guide if you want to use your creative energy to make a better life for yourself. Robin has had a prese
The newly opened Three Birds Market is the biggest collection and distribution centre for cats, dogs and all kinds of birds in Southern China, and officially operates as a poultry market.Cat and dogs crammed inside cages with no room to move, many of them diseased, all destined to be sold as food. These are the shocking pictures from a live animal market in Nanhai, China.Small metal baskets no mor
Now we need to get on with the Final Touches. Hang on as this may get Hairy.Let me preface this again that there are always “Exceptions To The Rules”, Nevertheless, lets take these next … Items at face value only. Mary Matalin & James Carville, which I brought up last time, is a perfect example. Group 1, will hold to ‘Not Being Un-Equally Yoked’ to hold true in Business as well, a
“Other Pressing Matters” seems to be the Reason/ Excuse that is common today when there has been a lapse in fulfilling a commitment. Nevertheless, I will start this post begging forgiveness from my faithful readers for this delay.Give me a few lines to get this back up and running again. … Thank you!Now approaching my seventh decade, I do not profess to know all about these Spirituals, nor
Gov Palin and her family are not making it easy to understand the Right’s position on abortion and sex in general.
Let’s get one thing straight: no one is in favour of abortion. When viewed as necessary, it is a choice of anguish within a future of despair. As a choice, it is never more than [...]
I will continue here, to make these thoughts an advantage and applicable to you in business. (See Post below.) Regardless of what group you belong to, … if I have not offended you thus far, give me a chance. … Just kidding! Knowing and understanding these thoughts, i.e. my thoughts written herein and/or those of someone who has read this, is an advantage on which to act. Now one will
ARSENAL 3 - 0 NEWCASTLE UNITED
1 - 0 van Persie (18 pen)
2 - 0 van Persie (41)
3 - 0 Denilson (59)
September tomorrow and the more things change, the more they stay the same. Arsenal at home spurned a host of chances having made the opposition look particularly ordinary; the Arsenal passing and movement was the [...]
NLP Café Brisbane Listening with your third ear - find out your deepest belief- If you listen very carefully you can gain so much more beyond the words that are being said. Often, it is not the words that are being said that is important - it is the message behind them.
For Therapist: Enhance [...]
This is the follow up to Belief v. Believe where I discussed the difference between a belief in God and believing God. I apologize for the post in between, but I couldn’t resist tossing a little Kudos to the ESV and the ESV Bible Blog for acknowledging my post on Bible Translations.
So, how do [...]
Thank you for returning and I will continue with my thought: What do I do about the ‘Loop Mode’ and how do I implement change for my betterment? Remember that the subconscious looks on what we are thinking, as reality. Even though, consciously we know that what we are thinking about is not real. After explaining the trap of revisiting, rehearsing and reinforcing those thoughts an
I Talk about The ‘F’s today and to touch on the reason why. When I have mentioned ‘Filters’ there is a very important factor that one needs to consider. Blind Spots called Scotomas are controlling issues that keep us from seeing what realty is for us. The hump to get over, as discussed before, is that our thinking is controlling what we think is real for us. Let us look at that sentence
Famous Quotes & Sayings about Life and Attitude by William James an American psychologist and philosopher"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."William James (1842 - 1910)US Pragmatist Philosopher & Psychologist--More William James Quotes, Famous Quotes by William James, William James Quotes & Sayings, William James Inspira
When Life gets tough with harsh blows of suffering stormed with emotions; It seems to blur with every step we put forward and mind starts losing its control, then our heart should believe in and seek the shelter of Shri Radhavallabh Lal. When we get entangled in the dark web of mixed feelings and emotions, even [...]
The one thing that you can safely say about the Arsenal Academy is that they school the players well; all of them know exactly what to say to make you think ‘it could be’ about the upcoming season. And they are so damned convincing, they actually believe they can do it. And if they think [...]
OK! We have established a few things, thus far. 1. My Agenda, (Below); 2. There is more than two realms, (also Below); 3. There are at least ten dimensions, (also Below); 4. We are what we think, (also Below); 5. Most all things that are available need to be appropriated, (also Below); … Things like gravity need not be appropriated, Nevertheless, we are still govern by it! 6. The Sub-Consc
By now you should know if you are part of the First Camp or Group Two. Read Post below should you need to freshen up your understanding! Most of you who read this Blog have my agenda dialed in. Number One. Is for all to have the information to decide where they are choosing to spend eternity. Number Two. To encourage Believers to be Partakes of God’s Kingdom in ‘The Here and Now”! N
Last night, I happened to watch an episode of "Crossing Jordan" in which Jordan encounters what appears to be the resurrection of a man who Jordan, as a medical examiner, knew for certain had died. As the plot unfolds, Jordan gives the impression that she is an atheist or at least a skeptic, believing instead in the power of science to explain the apparently inexplicable. Using her forensic skills
I normally wait until the scumbags who eventually end up in The Vault are convicted.
In this case I don’t have the time to waste and I don’t care that they are not officially guilty yet.
For the benefit of all the cheese eating lefty prisoner rights activists out there I make this promise…
If these two [...]
Without trying to define or redefine faith, I do think it is imperative that Christians appreciate at least one distinction in the whole discussion of faith: the distinction between belief in God and believing God.
It seems that too many of us get caught up in whether someone believes in God. And, if that someone [...]
Please excuse my delay getting back here to business in its real sense, as I am still endeavoring to Build Business that will help sustain this calling. And while doing that I am in constant awe how, so many, in Group One (Those who know they are on their way to Heaven to be with God & HIS SON.) pass the ‘Kingdom Laws’ on by, because they think that going down those paths will either lose
Five year olds are not cute. They just aren’t cuddly and cute and play with Barbies and want their hair braided all the time. I’d love to think that my little girl was running around here with her hair in pigtails held up by corkers, perfectly pale pink painted toes and fingers, cute little outfit, [...]
Let us get back to the two groups that have the same measure of faith from June 21. There is a reason why believers never enter into ‘The Kingdom’ and for the same reason non-believers do. This is a good time for a commercial break and to hear from my Sponsor. The Banking Industry, Treasury Department, FBI etc., train their people to recognize counterfeit money by handling the real thing over
Loved Of The LORD, I need to pick up again and let me start with that premise that God is not a respecter of persons and if HE is, as far as you are concerned then no doubt you have not that measure of Faith that the rest of us have. (As a starting place.) (Rom. 12:3) Believers and Not! Tho at this time, let me not Judge you on whether you are or not! Go Back to June 21, to pick up from the begini
OK We go back to those Thoughts on Business and other Belief Systems. The reason for the delay on getting down and dirty on this issue is that I was introduced to a continuation of my trek on writing. Always Faithful, The LORD allowed me to not only get encouragement on writing, yet at the same time learn to give my brethren who are judges even more room to allow GOD to work in their lives t
As you can see, I have ‘kind of’ let this lay for a while. I have had to look at the ministry that I have been called to and had to make more room for those who believe they have it all dialed in. i.e. Not just their Relationship with The LORD, yet including everyone else’s too. I have a lot to say about this, yet I will only touch on it now. I have a brother, my Mother’s third child
As the Business Director for Inner Architect, Inner Architect Media, and author Susan Hanshaw it is my role to help raise awareness of Susan’s new book “Inner Architect: How To Build The Life You Were Designed To Live”, her personal development firm Inner Architect, and her upcoming events.
In support of her book and our community, [...]
Out Of The Gate, and to preface all that follows, allow me to acknowledge that I do not want you to think the same things and ways, as I do. This pertains to … those who have a personal relationship with The Lord Jesus, Son of The Living God and those who do not.Do not be offended should you find yourself lumped into the same box, as all the rest, as that is not my intention. There is a need to
Many a times, we get showered down by passing comments from people on the things we do. In whatever you do, be it network marketing or holding a salaried job, you need to have a strong belief. A Strong Belief in the company, the system, your products and services. This will then keep you going strong when times are hard.But how strong a belief is strong enough? Well, read the following story...Tom
A favorite saying of many is that “Government ought to do something.” Do these people really know what they are asking for? If they did, they might reconsider and abolish this saying from their vocabulary forever.
More: continued here
From www.TheBlackAtheist.comTwo of the most common arguments in favor of the existence of God—or against atheism— are: 1. God gives us morality, 2. without religion people would be immoral. These arguments, which are essentially one in the same, are illogical and ill-informed on several counts. Nonetheless, this type of thinking permeates so much of our culture. We can approach, and subsequent
Loved Of The LORD,I was just sitting here after a hard day, (about one hour long) at Internet marketing and was thinking about ministry years gone by. Those who knew/know me, that the Zeal for a long time was seldom delivered with finesse. However, I do remember the many times that The Precious Holy Spirit saved my bacon and no doubt, there was sowing, planting and reaping. As I have said here be
Belief in the Day of Judgment:
• We believe in the Final Day, which is the Day of Judgment, when people
will be resurrected and then told to remain in the abode of enjoyment or in
the abode of severe punishment.
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Belief in Allah’s Books:
We believe that Allah revealed books to His messengers as proof againstmankind and a guidance for the righteous workers. They purified and taught them wisdom by these books.
We believe that Allah sent down a book with every messenger, because He says: “Indeed We sent down Our messengers with the clear [...]
Belief in Angels:
We believe in the existence of the angels of Allah and that they are
“honored servants. They do not speak before He does, and they act only by
His command” (21:26). Allah created them, and they worship and obey
Him. Those who are in His presence do not disdain to worship Him, nor do
they weary” [...]
In our daily life we always confront with challenges and from those experiences we shaped our belief that will then influence our personal or business life. In the area of internet marketing, our belief is one of the most important factors for us to become successful. So the question is, what are the main beliefs [...]
A mind that is wealth conscious sees life for all its rewards. In other words, being wealth conscious allows you to feel happy in every moment of your existence. It is a state of appreciation and having an open heart...
Yesterday, in In re Sara Steed, et al., the Texas Court of Appeals at Austin ruled that, in the case of the children of the thirty-eight mothers represented in the case, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services failed to show that there was an “immediate danger to the physical health or safety of [...]
Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear. A little known letter written by Albert Einstein indicated that the theoretical physicist was no supporter of religious beliefs, which he regarded as "childish superstitions". Einstein wrote the letter on 3 January 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind who had sent him a copy of his book Choose Life: The Biblical Call
The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.
As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people but said they “have no different quality for me than all other people”.
“The word [...]
The following two Sixth Circuit decisions make it clear that pretext for discrimination or retaliation does not exist if the employer engages in a reasonable investigation and has an honest and good faith belief in the rationale for its employment decision. These cases are a good reminder that one of the best defenses to any discrimination, retaliation, or harassment claim is a thorough, well-documented investigation.
Michael v. Caterpillar Fin. Servs. Corp. concerned a six-year African-American employee who had a good employment record until her manager was replaced. Shonta Michael claimed that the discipline, including a very confrontational meeting in which the new manager aggressively yelled at her, was racially discriminatory and that she was retaliated against after she complained
The boundary between religious belief and mental illness is a fuzzy one. It is common for persons suffering from mental illness to have religious content in their delusions or obsessions, and this can be a complicating factor in effective diagnosis and treatment. Still, beliefs which may seem quite crazy to most of us are rarely sufficient for psychiatric diagnosis.Sam grew up in a small town in the Midwest and was raised in the same fundamentalist Protestant denomination of most of his neighbors. Faith was an important part of his life, not because he was particularly devout but because it was the context in which he grew up. His childhood was fairly ordinary, but he was never what his parents would consider a typical child. Sam was always much quieter and more introspective than his brot
Our mommies always used to tell us that in life, there are only three sure things: death, taxes, and NTT DoCoMo’s stylish logo. Well, how very, very wrong our mommies were! Japan’s megacarrier officially unveiled its new look today, which will go into use beginning July 1 alongside its catchy new slogan, “Unlimited Potential, in [...]
Belief & Betrayal / Поцелуй ИудыAdventure | Русский | 2.89 GB
Жанр: Adventure
Год выпуска: 2008
Разработчик: Artematica Entertainment
Издатель: Lighthouse Interactive, Новый Диск
Язык: Русский
Game synopsis :
В истории христианской церкви есть множество эпизодов, о которых рядовым верующим лучше не знать. Прикрываясь именем Божьим, высшие церковные чины подчас творят такое, что и не снилось
Growing up, my father always told me I would never be rich, because I just liked to live an easy life without too many problems. I guess he came to that conclusion because I was always an even-tempered person, offering a shoulder to lean on for anybody who needed it, and never wanting to do [...]
This is fanatical belief in your product. Found at Shorpy, this 1923 photo of bulletproof vest testing is a testament to either bravery or stupidity. I'm not sure which. Maybe both.
Faith on Whidbey Island.
The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limitsby Gregg Braden (Author)Buy new: $24.95 $16.472 used & new from $16.47
Book Description
What would it mean to discover that everything from the DNA of life, to the future of our world, is based upon a simple Reality Code—one that we can change and upgrade by choice? New revelations in physics and biology suggest that we’re about to find out! A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that our universe works like a Consciousness Computer. Rather than the number codes of typical software, our Consciousness Computer uses a language that we all have, yet are only beginning to understand. Life’s reality code is based in the language of human emotion and focused belief. Knowing that belief is our reality-m
Inglaterra | 2004 | Heavy MetalB L A Z E fue formado en el año 2000, justo después de la salida de Blaze Bayley de Iron Maiden. Bayley consiguió que se unieran cuatro jóvenes músicos británicos: Rob Naylor, Jeff Singer, Steve Wray y John Slater. La banda publicó 3 álbumes con estos componentes y actuaron en muchos pequeños pubs como estrellas principales, pero también en grandes conciertos como teloneros de Helloween y Savatage.Blood and Belief es el tercer álbum lanzado en 2004. La sección rítmica fue compuesta por los músicos de sesión Wayne Banks (Sabbat) y Jason Bowld (Pitchshifter). Fue producido un video musical para la canción Hollow Head.Line Up:Blaze Bayley – vozJohn Slater – guitarraSteve Wray – guitarraWayne Banks – bajoJason Bowld – bateríaTrack list0
A common failing of this Arsenal squad, and the ones of the preceding two seasons, according to those whose opinion’s count (in their own minds at least) is that that they do not know how to close out a game when having a lead. It is not entirely correct but does have some merit in [...]
Breast cancer is one of night mare and scary issue to women as well as to men. It is devastating for women to loss their breast and have mastectomy. To women their breast is the most visible part of their femininity. They feel if they lost their breast to breast cancer, they are not whole [...]
Find out what different types of pregnancy pillows there are. Based on your style of sleep, discover which pregnancy pillow may be best for you - a wedge or body pregnancy pillow.
More: continued here
Devotees of Sai Baba develop the ability to look and not see so before long their eyes play tricks on them… devotees as if dying of thirst in a desert where they see lakes and gushing waters. They badly need to temper their naive and foolish idealism with inquiry, critical thinking and standards of human [...]
When Jonathan Danter picks up the phone on a gray November day, he has no idea what dangerous adventures await him. The caller is a detective from Scotland Yard and he informs him that his uncle Frank was found murdered by London police. Jonathan always believed that his uncle had died 10 years ago… Upon his return from his uncle’s funeral he is attacked by an unknown assailant in his apartment. He manages to send the intruder running, but soon he realizes that he will have to investigate these incidences himself if he wants to stay alive. Ancient cathedrals with secret catacombs, gloomy libraries that stock books that should have been destroyed in the inquisition, mysterious monasteries in deep and dark woods – these are the elements used to construct this first-class adventure game
Dan Piraro is a man on a mission. His daily strip Bizarro has a wide following in 250 newspapers. He is a one man show beyond cartooning. Most cartoonists are introverted, but not Dan. He is full of life as featured in this mini documentary. Having the pleasure of meeting Dan a few months ago, Dan is wealth of quirky information and acts out his passion as an artist but also as an advocate of being a human being by shedding off animalistic misunderstandings we have for the animal kingdom. His Vegan beliefs transcend his daily life and once in a while this message finds a way into his strip Bizarro. Robert Garver had the brilliant idea of bringing Dan to film with a documentary of this genius artist. Robert will not be disappointed, and neither will his fans, Dan brings much to the table with a wealth of stories and a true passionate individual drawn into a new life since he met his new wife. This rebirth also changed his set of beliefs and his move to New York brought
There was a thought-provoking opinion piece written by an atheist in a recent New York Times dealing with religion and politics. I found the part about the social and emotional benefits of religious belief to be one of those intriguing topics to which I have devoted insufficient attention here. I need to think about this more, but I did want to share some initial thoughts while it is fresh in my mind.From the article:Belief certainly provides benefits regardless of whether God exists — not least social acceptance among other believers and the comfort of a promised heaven. It must be awkward to be an atheist in Mecca or Jerusalem — or Iowa.I see little to disagree with here. Although the author does go on to shoot down Pascal's Wager and say that he feels the cost of belief outweighs any potential gain, this statement about social acceptance and comfort stood out for me.Even though we atheists have a reputation for being more comfortable with the isolation many of us experience as
Belief: 1. The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in a person or thing; faith. 2. Mental acceptance or conviction in the truth or actuality of something. 3. Something believed or accepted as true; especially, a particular tenet, or a body of tenets, accepted by a group of [...]
ASSALAM U ALAIKUMTHE FOLLOWING IS WAT I WROTE TO MY FRENDS GOSSIPING OVER LAL MASJID AND HOW THEY DID THIS AND THAT... I feel extremely frustrated about the fact that we are all gossiping about wat happend and wat not...plz try to see the situation in a more productiv manner...IT IS but TRUE THAT THE LAL MASJIDIANS DIED FOR A CAUSE...FORGET THE FACT ABOUT WAT THEY DID IN THEIR COURSE BU
Can you fucking believe this! Cradle to the grave and all in between. Anyone want to revolt or are we too busy being conned? News Corp finds religion in Beliefnet By Joshua Chaffin in New York Published: December 5 2007 01:56 | Last update...
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Otra banda gringa, de California. Formada a finales de los 70's al otro lado de donde inició el movimiento punk, miembros han ido y venido, pero solo el vocal (Greg Graffin), un bajista (Jay Bentley) y uno de los guitarristas (Mr. Brett) se han mantenido hasta la fecha. Su primer disco fue lanzado en 1981 y el último a principios del 2007, sumando un total de 14 LPs y otro montón de compilaciones y lados B.Se dice que ellos son los iniciadores del hardcore melódico y fueron gran influencia para bandas como Pennywise, NoFX, Misfits y ya después Blink 182.Punk tocado por cuarentones y cantado por otro cuarentón, Dr en Ciencias de la UCLA. Totalmente de la vieja escuela, con canciones llenas de contenido social y político, haciendo notar una gran diferencia con sus hermanos menores a los que les gusta cantar acerca de fiestas y de burritos, de ese punk que solo escuchan los hombres jajaja. Melodias simples y llenas de la sencillez que solo el punk puede darnos, unas liricas y voc
First of all I would like to thank Ute for recommending this book to me. I have to admit that I was surprised to find this book in the local library. Not only there, but it was checked out at the time I looked for it and I had to reserve it! It is edited by Dale McGowan. I can’t say it is written by him because it is a book that has many authors. All of these people have opinions and/or stories about their lives and their views on atheism, how to raise children with ethics and morals, and even some funny and some sad stories that they have experienced.
I have a hard time really trying to explain why I was compelled to read it in the first place. I remember talking to Ute about raising a child who can think for herself and feel confident in her decisions. I don’t want her life to be guided by the guilt that mine was (if you think something bad God will know and you won’t go to Heaven). I know that I have had a lot going on with me this year. You can read my pa
· If there is a wash-room attached to the bed room, the location of the bed should be such that it is not attached with the wall of the washroom, negative energy will be stored in the bed.
· ...
This is just a summary of the real stuff ..click on the link to see the full post on BestDesi.com :)
Sometimes I wonder at how funny beliefs in intangible things can seem. It's like, "If I don't believe, then I'm a lost soul. But if I do believe in something with no physical proof, I've got an overactive imagination. Which side is right?"You can keep an open mind, but I think if you move to heavily toward one end of the scale or the other, problems can happen. You need to be grounded in the reality we all know to be true. But also, just in case, you need to be open to the possibility that there's another hidden level that is keeping score.It's like professional athletes and superstition. I did X, Y, and Z, and we won the game. From now on, I'll keep doing X, Y, and Z. I admit I don't know everything, and that it's possible that X, Y, and Z really could somehow be connected to winning. So rather than focus on a tangible cause-and-effect situation, I will believe in (have faith in) the potential for a cause-and-effect situation.Instead of learning, "2+2=4. That is a f
Since I’ve been writing about ignorance, I thought a quote on a similar topic was in order. This quotation is from W. K. Clifford, an atheist philosopher and mathematician, who argued that faithis both irrational and immoral. You can read the (almost) full text of “The Ethics of Belief” online, if you’re interested. It was Clifford’s work that spurred William James to write “The Will to Believe,” which was previously on “Other People’s Words.” Though I now find Clifford’s strident tone off-putting, there was a time this quote was very important to me.
No simplicity of mind, no obscurity of station, can escape the duty of questioning all that we believe.
It is true that this duty is a hard one, and the doubt which comes out of it is often a very bitter thing. It leaves us bare and powerless where we thought were safe and strong. To know all about anything is to know how to deal with it under all circumstances. We feel mu
Healing of Cancer: Belief and the Power of the MindBy Chris Teo, Ph.D.
Philip Parham (in Letting God) wrote about two men who contracted tuberculosis around the same time. They both went to the same sanatorium. One went home after eighteen months, fully recovered and healthy. The other man was dead within six months. The disease was the same but the outcome was different. Why? William Osler, a famous American physician said: “What happens to a patient with tuberculosis depends more on what he has in his mind than what is in his chest.”
Many people may have the misconception that the brain is synonymous with the mind. It is not. A dictionary s definition of the brain is that “part of the vertebrate s central nervous system that constitutes the organ of thought and nervous coordination.” On the other hand, the mind is defined as the “complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills and especially reasons.” Henri Bergson, a
Healing of Cancer: Belief and the Power of the MindBy Chris Teo, Ph.D.
Philip Parham (in Letting God) wrote about two men who contracted tuberculosis around the same time. They both went to the same sanatorium. One went home after eighteen months, fully recovered and healthy. The other man was dead within six months. The disease was the same but the outcome was different. Why? William Osler, a famous American physician said: “What happens to a patient with tuberculosis depends more on what he has in his mind than what is in his chest.”
Many people may have the misconception that the brain is synonymous with the mind. It is not. A dictionary s definition of the brain is that “part of the vertebrate s central nervous system that constitutes the organ of thought and nervous coordination.” On the other hand, the mind is defined as the “complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills and especially reasons.” Henri Bergson, a
Which of these crimes does not belong in a court of law?
Theft
Murder
Blasphemy
Rape
Obviously, blasphemy is a victimless crime. No modern court of law in any civilised country would hear the case of the defendant accused of blasphemy. We’ve moved on. Justice and punishment in our evolved society do not deal with actions that hurt nobody, and certainly do not deal with belief or non-belief! Belief, no matter how ridiculous or offensive it might be, is not a crime. On the same line of thinking, speech is not a crime. Speech might be moving, stupid, or offensive, but you can’t arrest someone for just speaking their mind. The moral zeitgeist moves on, and most civilised countries keep pace with it.
Nowadays, we punish people for their actions; for actual crimes.
It hasn’t always been this way though. There were times, and they weren’t so long ago, and they’re actually still present in many parts of the world, when private actions that don’t even hurt anyone wer
Our belief system is a powerful part of our being. It decides who we are and what we become, both mentally and physically. The belief system is formed by perceptions and acceptance. When these...
Achieving anything is not just hard work. Maybe there is something you need to change in between your ears...
Lotus & Hands, Kerala IndiaOriginally uploaded by Jennifer Esperanza. Where there is beliefthere is dis-belief.Where there is no belief -Reality....Where there is beliefthere is doubt.Where there is trust -Love....Believers are fearfulLovers faithful....Belief is blindfaith is not....(c) Antar Aakash
I suppose that the majority of American atheists are bound to be ex-Christians. We were indoctrinated in this ancient superstition during our formative years, but we were able to break free and recover from what had been done to us. Still, it is quite different to hear from to hear from one of the many ex-Christian members of the clergy who left religion behind to join the reality-based community. These brave individuals often have great insight about how believers are "helped" to keep the faith.Take Barry, the author of A Penitent Atheist, as an example. He embraced Christianity at 17 and went on to become a minister before eventually leaving delusion behind to arrive at atheism. In a recent post, he notedWhen I was a minister in the service of Christianity, a significant aspect of my job was explaining away biblical absurdities. If the Bible said something that was illogical or just plain wrong by modern standards, which it frequently does, then I would search the commentaries for th
Today’s “Other People’s Worlds” is about the age-old question of belief versus atheism. It’s also a rather oddly cited quote, for which I apologize. It comes from the philosopher William James’s “The Will to Believe,” one of the most famous Christian apologetics. In it, James argues that belief (in God) is a choice that one must make, and by equating agnosticism with atheism, he says there are essentially two choices. As an apologist, James argued in favor of belief.
However, in this passage, James is quoting Fitz James Stephen who talks about the religious choices that underpin a person’s life. (I have taken some liberties with the formatting.)
I began by a reference to Fitz James Stephen; let me end by a quotation from him.
“What do you think of yourself? What do you think of the world? … These are questions with which all must deal as it seems good to them. They are riddles of the Sphinx, and in some way or other we
Intercessory prayer, not to be confused with imprecatory prayer, refers to Christians praying on behalf of others. For example, such prayers might be offered for the benefit of an ill member of one's congregation. They seem innocent enough, perhaps even admirable in some cases, and yet they raise important questions about what Christians believe and the degree to which they truly hold the beliefs which they commonly espouse.If we imagine a 6 year-old boy praying that his older sister will survive her surgery, we are hard pressed to see a problem. Science tells us that intercessory prayer does not work, so the worst we could say about the boy is that his prayers are futile. But it isn't like his prayers are distracting him from helping in some other way (he's only 6). In all likelihood, he finds his prayers a source of comfort because they provide him with feelings of control over something uncontrollable. Illusory to be sure, but not entirely without temporary benefit.When the perso
While catching up on what is happening around the atheist blogosphere, I ran across a post at Religion *is* a Problem that absolutely requires a rant. In fact, I think I may have just identified my #1 pet peeve (at least for today) about religious believers.The story, originally posted by Ocellated, concerns Bill Nye being booed by Christians for highlighting an incompatibility between reality and their bible. As quoted by Ocellated:The Emmy-winning scientist angered a few audience members when he criticized literal interpretation of the biblical verse Genesis 1:16, which reads: “God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.”He pointed out that the sun, the “greater light,” is but one of countless stars and that the “lesser light” is the moon, which really is not a light at all, rather a reflector of light.A number of audience members left the room at that point, visibly angered by what so
The great thing with spending considerable time with a group of outspoken and culturally-diverse people is that you’ll get a good pulse on why certain people believe certain things and others don’t. Of course, such conversations are limited to those who are also willing to listen to something that is not natural to his/her belief system. Intellectual convergence is always a good thing as long as it entails the objective and organized presentation of ideas. Friendly banter and light rebuttals always make the exchange more lively, but it’s comparative theology that just makes the session not only engaging but also educational.
I think it’s all about predilections. And how are these predilections formed? Since I won’t exactly put my neck on the line by saying that religious belief has a genetic component *gasp*, it’s more logical to think that belief is a function of one’s upbringing and the general set of values, ideas and concepts that an ind
