Protestantism

» pink101 - GI--GO

In response to Is That A Fact? posted by paper_turtle:
.
No. They burn new neural pathways in.
.
We operate on what is in our brain.
.
Ideas are presented to us framed and we work them out according to the pathways that are operational. Altzheimers cuts some of them off on an increasingly sad way. In my opinion we are fortunate if we have been given some pathways that allow us to deviate from the norms we have been taught. Otherwise, we are like computers that have been programmed. What is it they say, GI--GO? Garbage In--Garbage Out.
.
Genius is the result of a devaint thinking.
.

-- posted by pink101

» Migisi - Would we believe them?

In response to Would we believe them? posted by paper_turtle:
.
But if you look at the Psalms, you see the psalmist conversing with a God who does not seem to be pulling all the strings.
.
Agree. Is it another biblical contradiction? Or is it merely the Psalmist's personal poetic concept of who God was.
.
And I think the NT sends al altogether different message about the nature of God--a God who wants people to take responsibility for their own actions, and their own future.
.
Some would say the OT message was simply softened by Jesus, but the message did not change dramatically. I think the NT was Jesus' personal interpretation of who God was, which did differ in many respects from the OT God character. But there is no question that Jesus was a Jew, and the Father he loved was the OT God.
.
I think we're here because God wanted company, someone to share the experience of beingness with him.
.
That's a pleasant idea, for sure, and I'd love to believe it. But does God need company? Apparently, he already had(s) company according to the 'us', 'we', and 'our' dialogue we read in Genesis (1:26, 3:22). And it's clear throughout the Bible that he didn't and doesn't want the company of imperfect humans who 'miss the mark', so where does that leave us? According to scripture, we must change and become perfect like God before God will want our company.
.
Ah, but here I go, veering off the subject of miracles.

-- posted by Migisi

» Migisi - Is That A Fact?

In response to Is That A Fact? posted by paper_turtle:

.
Hmm. I think the last time I changed my neural pathways was back in the 60s. In fact, I think I burned out a few. (wink)

-- posted by Migisi

» Migisi - Would we believe them?

In response to Would we believe them? posted by HeadZenCards:

.
Good ideas come from salamanders and iguanas. I bet scientists will find a way to regrow whole limbs eventually, if stem cell and cloning research is allowed to go forward, that is. Even in ancient times, Paul talked about grafting branches.

-- posted by Migisi

» pink101 - Is That A Fact?

In response to Is That A Fact? posted by paper_turtle:
.
"...certain illegal chemicals, DO alter the neural pathways."
.
And, certain legal ones as well--such as beer. I've read that beer drunks are the worst kind. But, I don't know. Being a diabetic, I can't handle beer--it knocks me out. One bottle over a prolonged time--maybe.
.
But, I think you have a point about the way some drugs work on the brain. I've read that our consciousness is like a cursor that traverses over the brain in some sort of a deliberate response to input being received. Psychodelic drugs have the effect, I've read, that causes the cursor to behave in eratic ways--with less directed action--sort of a free floating consciousness.
.
One thing that seems strange to me are those reports of people who use some drugs that they get hallucinations similar to other users who take the same drugs. Carlos Castanada reports that users of a certain weed, jimson, almost always see a little green man who visits them during their trip. How about those signs and wonders?
.
http://www.doitnow.org/pages/525.html
.

-- posted by pink101

» HeadZenCards - Would we believe them?

In response to Would we believe them? posted by Migisi:

I always thought that Paul was the Anti-Christ....

-- posted by HeadZenCards

» paper_turtle - GI--GO

In response to GI--GO posted by pink101:

.
Phil wrote:
Ideas are presented to us framed and we work them out according to the pathways that are operational. Altzheimers cuts some of them off on an increasingly sad way. In my opinion we are fortunate if we have been given some pathways that allow us to deviate from the norms we have been taught. Otherwise, we are like computers that have been programmed. What is it they say, GI--GO? Garbage In--Garbage Out.
.
Genius is the result of a devaint thinking.
.
I wrote a reply to this earlier, then I lost connection to the Suite and it disappeared into cyber space. What follows, then is the condensed version.
.
I think there's more to the mind than what you have said. Creativity, esp (and other psychic abilities), and spirituality are all "maveric" parts of the brain which do not follow any programmed procedure.
.
And, if we were in deed just creatures with pre-programmed brains, how would one account for how very different we all are in the way we perceive, think, and express ourselves?
.
peace and love,
Paper Turtle

-- posted by paper_turtle

» pink101 - GI--GO

In response to GI--GO posted by paper_turtle:
.
"...if we were in deed just creatures with pre-programmed brains, how would one account for how very different we all are in the way we perceive, think, and express ourselves?"
.
It's an interesting study, Sister Turtle, and it's there to be pursued.
.
If--IF--we are more than that to which we have been exposed, where does the "more" come from? Are you saying that it just appears without a source? Or, is there an outsider source that influences our thinking that injects ideas into our mind through some unknown pathway? Do we just pull ideas out of the thin air?
.
How do we think? What is the process? Why do we or how is it that we speak full sentences into being without figuring out what we're going to say before hand?
.

-- posted by pink101

» paper_turtle - Would we believe them?

In response to Would we believe them? posted by Migisi:

I wrote:
But if you look at the Psalms, you see the psalmist conversing with a God who does not seem to be pulling all the strings.
.
Migisi answered:
Agree. Is it another biblical contradiction? Or is it merely the Psalmist's personal poetic concept of who God was.
.
I think a simiar view of God is found in the Wisdom literature (including the Apocrypha--I'm very fond of Ecclesiasticus/Sirach). Its also present in some of the the writing of the Essens, and some of the Talmudic commentary Jesus might have studied.
.
I think we're here because God wanted company, someone to share the experience of beingness with him.
.
That's a pleasant idea, for sure, and I'd love to believe it. But does God need company? Apparently, he already had(s) company according to the 'us', 'we', and 'our' dialogue we read in Genesis (1:26, 3:22). And it's clear throughout the Bible that he didn't and doesn't want the company of imperfect humans who 'miss the mark', so where does that leave us? According to scripture, we must change and become perfect like God before God will want our company.
.
If you haven't read Conversatiions With God I recommend it. It will explain a lot of what I believe (including that "pleasant idea")
.
I don't agree with that notion about God wanting nothing to do with imperfect humans. The Pslamist David was far from perfect. Moses protested that he was unworthy because he was not good at speaking. Jonah tried to escape his duties as a prophet. Jeremiah protested he wasn't worthy because he was "a mere child."
.
In some OT manuscripts, the word "perfect" is rendered "merciful." In any event, why would a just and loving God create us as imperfect and then demand the impossible of us? He wouldn't--its as simple as that. According to the narrative in Genesis, we are made in God's image, AND God thought highly enough of humankind to let Adam name all the animals.
.
peace and love,
Paper Turtle

-- posted by paper_turtle

» paper_turtle - GI--GO

In response to GI--GO posted by pink101:

If--IF--we are more than that to which we have been exposed, where does the "more" come from? Are you saying that it just appears without a source? Is there an outsider source that influences our thinking that is injected into our mind through some unknown pathway?
.
Yes and no. I think we don't even begin to guess at what the human mind is capable of doing, in and of itself.
.
But the article below will give you another persepctive, one I find very intriguing, and compelling.
.
http://www.odemagazine.com/article.php?a...
.
peace and love,
Paper Turtle

-- posted by paper_turtle