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Christianity Versus Education
Swenani
#81 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 2:36:20 PM
Rank: User


Joined: 8/15/2013
Posts: 13,237
Location: Vacuum
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
This reminds me of a school of thought that is easy to forget - Pragmatism.

Someone help me, what problem(s) being faced now in Kenya can be best solved by atheism or theism, and how?


Define problem.


I'll define 'problem' as a state of being or affairs that are unpleasant or unwanted,


Some problems do not need an intervention
If Obiero did it, Who Am I?
tycho
#82 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 2:38:58 PM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 7/1/2011
Posts: 8,804
Location: Nairobi
Swenani wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
This reminds me of a school of thought that is easy to forget - Pragmatism.

Someone help me, what problem(s) being faced now in Kenya can be best solved by atheism or theism, and how?


Define problem.


I'll define 'problem' as a state of being or affairs that are unpleasant or unwanted,


Some problems do not need an intervention


And some do require intervention, no?
¿
#83 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 2:42:18 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 6/4/2015
Posts: 604
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
This reminds me of a school of thought that is easy to forget - Pragmatism.

Someone help me, what problem(s) being faced now in Kenya can be best solved by atheism or theism, and how?


Define problem.


I'll define 'problem' as a state of being or affairs that are unpleasant or unwanted, and that needs some kind of action to arrive at a wanted or pleasant state.


By defining the unpleasant or unwanted state of being or affairs and where applicable,how to arrive at the wanted or pleasant state.


??

So there are no problems defined as yet?


One man's meat is another man's poison.
¿
#84 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 2:49:37 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 6/4/2015
Posts: 604
tycho wrote:
Swenani wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
This reminds me of a school of thought that is easy to forget - Pragmatism.

Someone help me, what problem(s) being faced now in Kenya can be best solved by atheism or theism, and how?


Define problem.


I'll define 'problem' as a state of being or affairs that are unpleasant or unwanted,


Some problems do not need an intervention


And some do require intervention, no?


Why?
Obi 1 Kanobi
#85 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 3:33:36 PM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 7/23/2008
Posts: 3,017
@Peterreborn.

Your questions are very real and are actually factual. However, high intelligence does not lead to low religious leaning, its more of a lack of empathy.

The poor are certainly more religious, same applies to women and the elderly. The least religious in society tend to be those who are the strongest and who happen to most lack empathy.

PS. The level of discussion in this thread is very high IQ. So I leave my rudimentary 2 cents there.
"The purpose of bureaucracy is to compensate for incompetence and lack of discipline." James Collins
hamburglar
#86 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 4:26:19 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 12/17/2011
Posts: 887
Obi 1 Kanobi wrote:
@Peterreborn.

Your questions are very real and are actually factual. However, high intelligence does not lead to low religious leaning, its more of a lack of empathy.

The poor are certainly more religious, same applies to women and the elderly. The least religious in society tend to be those who are the strongest and who happen to most lack empathy.

PS. The level of discussion in this thread is very high IQ. So I leave my rudimentary 2 cents there.



Obi. I usually agree with you on most about everything you say because i know that you get it, but i have to disagree with your assertion that less religious people are less empathetic. In fact, i could argue that atheists might actually be more empathetic and carry themselves with more integrity than some pastors who are getting drunk, driving recklessly and killing people on the road only to try and weasel their way out of their responsibility. If that were me, i would man up and face my consequences as a man, because i have empathy and i take responsibility for my actions, good or bad.

I happen to have a lot of atheist friends in the US who are very philanthropic. Most are highly educated and well off financially, and they are the most caring people in this world. Whenever something bad happens in Kenya, they are the first ones to call and ask how and if they can help. Some visit Africa every year and really try to uplift people' s standards of living. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, possibly the richest men in the world are both atheists and both happen to be the biggest philanthropists around. The thing about atheists is that we understand that we might be more privileged than most, but in my experience with my atheist friends, i find that we are more generous and empathetic than most people realize. We get castigated because of our stand against religions and gods, but if people were to really see past those issues, most would be surprised to find out that all we as atheists ever want is a better world for everybody.

The mean and less empathetic people you refer to are usually conservative evangelicals from the bible belt section of the US. If you look at the friendliest and most open minded people in the US, they are usually found on the Coasts and Northern part of the country. This is also where most atheists are located. The less empathetic people who still want the racist confederate flags to fly in their states are usually the religious conservatives of the south. Those are the ones you should be worried about when it comes to lack of empathy for humanity. Not the educated atheists.
hamburglar
#87 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 4:28:19 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 12/17/2011
Posts: 887
masukuma wrote:
my theory is Humans need to understand the universe... or at least be able to explain it to themselves! That is how the human brain works... it simply does not like saying SIJUI one too many times when confronted with a question and may need to delude itself into having an "answer". The people you ridicule - the people in the slums and the not so green areas of Kenya need to believe something! I think it was @Tycho who once asked and I paraphrase "what will we need to pray for" in the context of wealth, understanding. It's a plain fact that Religion is the opium of the poor ... and it's good for Opium to do it's thing! Numb the pain of poverty! Sedate the mind by telling it about a nicer place (paved with Gold) because if it does not... you will not like that horde of people matching your way.
I remember asking about this photo some years back

- I think @hambuglar had an answer that "the system failed the kid". I remember asking about the parent of this kid.. is he/she willing to believe that's it? the Kid was eaten by that vulture and THAT IS IT? I think we are not ready for the hordes of people living in destitution to believe "THIS IS IT! YOU DIED AND - THAT'S ALL FOLKS" simply because (my opinion) they will raid @Hambuglar's restaurant - kwani utaDo? Atheism only works with educated people simply because THEY KNOW BETTER and the system kinda works for them. Not for everyone! My thoughts!


Well said masukuma.
¿
#88 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 5:17:22 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 6/4/2015
Posts: 604
hamburglar wrote:

Obi. I usually agree with you on most about everything you say because i know that you get it, but i have to disagree with your assertion that less religious people are less empathetic. In fact, i could argue that atheists might actually be more empathetic and carry themselves with more integrity than some pastors who are getting drunk, driving recklessly and killing people on the road only to try and weasel their way out of their responsibility. If that were me, i would man up and face my consequences as a man, because i have empathy and i take responsibility for my actions, good or bad.

I happen to have a lot of atheist friends in the US who are very philanthropic. Most are highly educated and well off financially, and they are the most caring people in this world. Whenever something bad happens in Kenya, they are the first ones to call and ask how and if they can help. Some visit Africa every year and really try to uplift people' s standards of living. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, possibly the richest men in the world are both atheists and both happen to be the biggest philanthropists around. The thing about atheists is that we understand that we might be more privileged than most, but in my experience with my atheist friends, i find that we are more generous and empathetic than most people realize. We get castigated because of our stand against religions and gods, but if people were to really see past those issues, most would be surprised to find out that all we as atheists ever want is a better world for everybody.

The mean and less empathetic people you refer to are usually conservative evangelicals from the bible belt section of the US. If you look at the friendliest and most open minded people in the US, they are usually found on the Coasts and Northern part of the country. This is also where most atheists are located. The less empathetic people who still want the racist confederate flags to fly in their states are usually the religious conservatives of the south. Those are the ones you should be worried about when it comes to lack of empathy for humanity. Not the educated atheists.

First of all,I am not encouraging or advocating for anyone to break the law or excuse the actions and views of others.

If I were to entertain the thought that all atheists want a better world for everybody, you would be incapable of defining that 'better' world and how education or atheism leads one to it.

What is wrong with driving recklessly?
What is wrong with being apathetic?
What is wrong with killing people?
What is wrong with getting drunk?
What is wrong with being mean?
What is wrong with slavery?
What is wrong?

These are things taken at face value but by the same standards you approach theists they should be considered stupid and imaginary. You cannot speak on the views and actions of all atheists. The same hypocrisy that you would want to attribute to theists would only be more emboldened in atheism.
tycho
#89 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 8:03:38 PM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 7/1/2011
Posts: 8,804
Location: Nairobi
hamburglar wrote:
masukuma wrote:
my theory is Humans need to understand the universe... or at least be able to explain it to themselves! That is how the human brain works... it simply does not like saying SIJUI one too many times when confronted with a question and may need to delude itself into having an "answer". The people you ridicule - the people in the slums and the not so green areas of Kenya need to believe something! I think it was @Tycho who once asked and I paraphrase "what will we need to pray for" in the context of wealth, understanding. It's a plain fact that Religion is the opium of the poor ... and it's good for Opium to do it's thing! Numb the pain of poverty! Sedate the mind by telling it about a nicer place (paved with Gold) because if it does not... you will not like that horde of people matching your way.
I remember asking about this photo some years back

- I think @hambuglar had an answer that "the system failed the kid". I remember asking about the parent of this kid.. is he/she willing to believe that's it? the Kid was eaten by that vulture and THAT IS IT? I think we are not ready for the hordes of people living in destitution to believe "THIS IS IT! YOU DIED AND - THAT'S ALL FOLKS" simply because (my opinion) they will raid @Hambuglar's restaurant - kwani utaDo? Atheism only works with educated people simply because THEY KNOW BETTER and the system kinda works for them. Not for everyone! My thoughts!


Well said masukuma.


If @hamburglar agrees with @masukuma here then I have no doubt that he too agrees with post #69 where I agree with @masukuma on the usefulness and the limitations of belief systems in human attempts to explain and modify their experiences.

If this is the case then @hamburglar's posts castigating, ridiculing and insulting theists have been driven by a different kind of logic that's at odds with what he believes now.

Unwittingly, he has vindicated theism and admitted that he can't speak against God and be consistent with his belief.

Nay, he shows that his sense of justice is cruelty and dehumanization. He doesn't even know what 'empathy' is.

"Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel
what another person is experiencing from within the other person's frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place oneself in another's shoes."

It's so sad to me that a person can embrace injustice and cruelty so much that when he adds insult to injury he believes he's being nice.
tycho
#90 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 8:22:42 PM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 7/1/2011
Posts: 8,804
Location: Nairobi
¿ wrote:
hamburglar wrote:

Obi. I usually agree with you on most about everything you say because i know that you get it, but i have to disagree with your assertion that less religious people are less empathetic. In fact, i could argue that atheists might actually be more empathetic and carry themselves with more integrity than some pastors who are getting drunk, driving recklessly and killing people on the road only to try and weasel their way out of their responsibility. If that were me, i would man up and face my consequences as a man, because i have empathy and i take responsibility for my actions, good or bad.

I happen to have a lot of atheist friends in the US who are very philanthropic. Most are highly educated and well off financially, and they are the most caring people in this world. Whenever something bad happens in Kenya, they are the first ones to call and ask how and if they can help. Some visit Africa every year and really try to uplift people' s standards of living. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, possibly the richest men in the world are both atheists and both happen to be the biggest philanthropists around. The thing about atheists is that we understand that we might be more privileged than most, but in my experience with my atheist friends, i find that we are more generous and empathetic than most people realize. We get castigated because of our stand against religions and gods, but if people were to really see past those issues, most would be surprised to find out that all we as atheists ever want is a better world for everybody.

The mean and less empathetic people you refer to are usually conservative evangelicals from the bible belt section of the US. If you look at the friendliest and most open minded people in the US, they are usually found on the Coasts and Northern part of the country. This is also where most atheists are located. The less empathetic people who still want the racist confederate flags to fly in their states are usually the religious conservatives of the south. Those are the ones you should be worried about when it comes to lack of empathy for humanity. Not the educated atheists.

First of all,I am not encouraging or advocating for anyone to break the law or excuse the actions and views of others.

If I were to entertain the thought that all atheists want a better world for everybody, you would be incapable of defining that 'better' world and how education or atheism leads one to it.

What is wrong with driving recklessly?
What is wrong with being apathetic?
What is wrong with killing people?
What is wrong with getting drunk?
What is wrong with being mean?
What is wrong with slavery?
What is wrong?

These are things taken at face value but by the same standards you approach theists they should be considered stupid and imaginary. You cannot speak on the views and actions of all atheists. The same hypocrisy that you would want to attribute to theists would only be more emboldened in atheism.


I agree. You've paraphrased what West Churchman called the 'Challenge to reason'. He argues that Leibniz's 'monadism' calls for a God who knows the whole universe; but now when God is no longer necessary, reason and science must show that it knows the whole universe to be able to speak of 'Good', 'better', or 'best'.
tycho
#91 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 8:29:18 PM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 7/1/2011
Posts: 8,804
Location: Nairobi
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
Swenani wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
This reminds me of a school of thought that is easy to forget - Pragmatism.

Someone help me, what problem(s) being faced now in Kenya can be best solved by atheism or theism, and how?


Define problem.


I'll define 'problem' as a state of being or affairs that are unpleasant or unwanted,


Some problems do not need an intervention


And some do require intervention, no?


Why?


Because experience depends on shared resources, and situations. One man's meat may be another's poison, but both have to depend on each other to be human. Both are on the same land and have to work together for each to get what he/she wants.
¿
#92 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 9:49:53 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 6/4/2015
Posts: 604
tycho wrote:

I agree. You've paraphrased what West Churchman called the 'Challenge to reason'. He argues that Leibniz's 'monadism' calls for a God who knows the whole universe; but now when God is no longer necessary, reason and science must show that it knows the whole universe to be able to speak of 'Good', 'better', or 'best'.


You've stated that God is an abstract concept to explain and modify human experience. Reason and science has not shown God doesn't exist,is no longer necessary and is bound by reason and science. These are propositions.Another proposition is that reason and science can define 'good','better' or 'best' or even justify the 'need' to define them. In place of the worship of God,we have worship of abstracts concepts that exalts man and nature. As I said, this is old religion.
¿
#93 Posted : Friday, August 07, 2015 9:52:27 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 6/4/2015
Posts: 604
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
Swenani wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
This reminds me of a school of thought that is easy to forget - Pragmatism.

Someone help me, what problem(s) being faced now in Kenya can be best solved by atheism or theism, and how?


Define problem.


I'll define 'problem' as a state of being or affairs that are unpleasant or unwanted,


Some problems do not need an intervention


And some do require intervention, no?


Why?


Because experience depends on shared resources, and situations. One man's meat may be another's poison, but both have to depend on each other to be human. Both are on the same land and have to work together for each to get what he/she wants.


Experience is experience. Shared resources and situations do not imply intervention.

¿ wrote:
By defining the unpleasant or unwanted state of being or affairs and where applicable,how to arrive at the wanted or pleasant state.


You are giving meaning to experience to justify action based on an abstract concept called a 'problem' that may be someone's 'opportunity'.
tycho
#94 Posted : Saturday, August 08, 2015 6:38:42 AM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 7/1/2011
Posts: 8,804
Location: Nairobi
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:

I agree. You've paraphrased what West Churchman called the 'Challenge to reason'. He argues that Leibniz's 'monadism' calls for a God who knows the whole universe; but now when God is no longer necessary, reason and science must show that it knows the whole universe to be able to speak of 'Good', 'better', or 'best'.


You've stated that God is an abstract concept to explain and modify human experience. Reason and science has not shown God doesn't exist,is no longer necessary and is bound by reason and science. These are propositions.Another proposition is that reason and science can define 'good','better' or 'best' or even justify the 'need' to define them. In place of the worship of God,we have worship of abstracts concepts that exalts man and nature. As I said, this is old religion.


'Abstract concepts' isn't equal to religion. Language is based on abstract concepts yet language isn't necessarily religion. The computer program you're using is made of abstract concepts.

Again, 'old religion' is an abstract concept.

Science has come up with abstract concepts that don't have God as a necessary condition for existence - the inflationary expansion of the universe and the big bang theory for example. Now, terms like 'good' or 'better' imply comparison and for one to compare the elements of any set he/ she must know of all the elements of a certain set. Hence we are looking at how abstract concepts compare and the necessary conditions they must meet in order to be useful for personal experience.
tycho
#95 Posted : Saturday, August 08, 2015 6:52:26 AM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 7/1/2011
Posts: 8,804
Location: Nairobi
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
Swenani wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
This reminds me of a school of thought that is easy to forget - Pragmatism.

Someone help me, what problem(s) being faced now in Kenya can be best solved by atheism or theism, and how?


Define problem.


I'll define 'problem' as a state of being or affairs that are unpleasant or unwanted,


Some problems do not need an intervention


And some do require intervention, no?


Why?


Because experience depends on shared resources, and situations. One man's meat may be another's poison, but both have to depend on each other to be human. Both are on the same land and have to work together for each to get what he/she wants.


Experience is experience. Shared resources and situations do not imply intervention.

¿ wrote:
By defining the unpleasant or unwanted state of being or affairs and where applicable,how to arrive at the wanted or pleasant state.


You are giving meaning to experience to justify action based on an abstract concept called a 'problem' that may be someone's 'opportunity'.


Shared resources and situations are sufficient reasons for intervention. To share is to make joint use of something, use is action, action is intervention.

Experience, has to rely on abstract concepts like 'problems', 'states' and the like. For example, language mediates experience.

Yes, one man's experience may be another's opportunity; that's the cornerstone of society, trade, exchange, politics. Once a problem is defined then a solution is also defined and complementary roles emerge.
¿
#96 Posted : Saturday, August 08, 2015 10:04:37 AM
Rank: Member


Joined: 6/4/2015
Posts: 604
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:

I agree. You've paraphrased what West Churchman called the 'Challenge to reason'. He argues that Leibniz's 'monadism' calls for a God who knows the whole universe; but now when God is no longer necessary, reason and science must show that it knows the whole universe to be able to speak of 'Good', 'better', or 'best'.


You've stated that God is an abstract concept to explain and modify human experience. Reason and science has not shown God doesn't exist,is no longer necessary and is bound by reason and science. These are propositions.Another proposition is that reason and science can define 'good','better' or 'best' or even justify the 'need' to define them. In place of the worship of God,we have worship of abstracts concepts that exalts man and nature. As I said, this is old religion.


'Abstract concepts' isn't equal to religion. Language is based on abstract concepts yet language isn't necessarily religion. The computer program you're using is made of abstract concepts.

Again, 'old religion' is an abstract concept.

Science has come up with abstract concepts that don't have God as a necessary condition for existence - the inflationary expansion of the universe and the big bang theory for example. Now, terms like 'good' or 'better' imply comparison and for one to compare the elements of any set he/ she must know of all the elements of a certain set. Hence we are looking at how abstract concepts compare and the necessary conditions they must meet in order to be useful for personal experience.


Science can offer theories but it hasn't offered proof that God doesn't exist. This is also a proposition that God can be bound by science. Similarly, like you, science hasn't shown it knows all of the elements and conditions necessary to have and define terms such as 'good' or 'better'.

I never said abstract concepts are equal to religion. I also never said God is an abstract concept. This is what you are proposing. I only said these concepts are part of old religion by inadequately trying to explaining and modifying human experience where man's own understanding and nature replaces God. We know this is a part of religion.
¿
#97 Posted : Saturday, August 08, 2015 10:06:50 AM
Rank: Member


Joined: 6/4/2015
Posts: 604
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
Swenani wrote:
tycho wrote:
¿ wrote:
tycho wrote:
This reminds me of a school of thought that is easy to forget - Pragmatism.

Someone help me, what problem(s) being faced now in Kenya can be best solved by atheism or theism, and how?


Define problem.


I'll define 'problem' as a state of being or affairs that are unpleasant or unwanted,


Some problems do not need an intervention


And some do require intervention, no?


Why?


Because experience depends on shared resources, and situations. One man's meat may be another's poison, but both have to depend on each other to be human. Both are on the same land and have to work together for each to get what he/she wants.


Experience is experience. Shared resources and situations do not imply intervention.

¿ wrote:
By defining the unpleasant or unwanted state of being or affairs and where applicable,how to arrive at the wanted or pleasant state.


You are giving meaning to experience to justify action based on an abstract concept called a 'problem' that may be someone's 'opportunity'.


Shared resources and situations are sufficient reasons for intervention. To share is to make joint use of something, use is action, action is intervention.

Experience, has to rely on abstract concepts like 'problems', 'states' and the like. For example, language mediates experience.

Yes, one man's experience may be another's opportunity; that's the cornerstone of society, trade, exchange, politics. Once a problem is defined then a solution is also defined and complementary roles emerge.


Like I said, experience is experience. Shared resources and situations are problems and sufficient reasons for intervention because you say they are.

You are simply giving meaning to experience. Society,trade,exchange and politics are relevant only to the level one gives meaning to them.

Like you,atheism and theism offer meaning to experience.
kiash
#98 Posted : Saturday, August 08, 2015 10:09:58 AM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 4/27/2010
Posts: 951
Location: Nyumbani
Sometimes around xmas i watched a doc on the scientific explanation about the miracles that happened in Egypt with Moses. There was some sense in it.
Like why the firstborns died ? Answer Laughing out loudly Laughing out loudly Food poisoning.

Or stuff like Lot and the wife who turned into a salt statue !
tycho
#99 Posted : Saturday, August 08, 2015 10:25:57 AM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 7/1/2011
Posts: 8,804
Location: Nairobi
@¿ I agree that science hasn't proven that it knows everything in the universe even if 'God' isn't there. I also agree that I am giving meaning to experience, and so is theism, or atheism.

Even you, when you say 'God', or 'old religion' are doing the same thing, undeniably using 'abstract concepts'.

I conceded all this with @masukuma way back in post #69. That's why I also mentioned 'Pragmatism' and experience being the center of the 'intelligent agent' and intelligent questioning.
¿
#100 Posted : Saturday, August 08, 2015 10:54:36 AM
Rank: Member


Joined: 6/4/2015
Posts: 604
tycho wrote:
@¿ I agree that science hasn't proven that it knows everything in the universe even if 'God' isn't there. I also agree that I am giving meaning to experience, and so is theism, or atheism.

Even you, when you say 'God', or 'old religion' are doing the same thing, undeniably using 'abstract concepts'.

I conceded all this with @masukuma way back in post #69. That's why I also mentioned 'Pragmatism' and experience being the center of the 'intelligent agent' and intelligent questioning.


Science doesn't know everything.If anything it knows it knows very little about our existence.

Science doesn't know if God exists.

Yet you are claiming God is an abstract concept.
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