₦airaland Forum

DeepSight:
Lets be categorical and honest, its not just counterintuitive, its illogical. If a thing expands, there must be some space into which it is expanding.

PS: There cannot be any "current understanding" to the effect that the universe is not expanding into anything especially as no one has either been, or observed outside the universe, nor has anyone conducted any experiment or locked down any theory which shows just that conclusively.

There are somethings that are counterintuitive in the world of physics, doesn't stop it from being the case.

Just google "what is the universe expanding into", you'll get more scientific explanations than what I can muster with my layman terminology.

DeepSight:
I gave reasons for what I stated was obvious. Its obvious that there exists a timeline beyond the universe because the very big bang itself is an event and events can only occur in an timeline. Its obvious that there exists space beyond the universe because the universe is expanding. What could it be expanding into, if not already existent space?

The current understanding is it is just expanding, there is no something it is expanding into. Yeah its counterintuitive but that is as far as out current understanding goes. One of the reasons i guess is because there is no light or any form of energy returning from what would have been the boundary of the universe.

AuthenticKing:
Yea exactly!

So sir, what advice would you give to someone struggling to find his or her self?

Most fundamentally accept yourself. Accept your strengths and weaknesses, realise that you are you and there is no need to become someone else. Next is to play according to your strengths, find opportunities where your strengths shine. Do everything in your power to minimise the opportunities where your weaknesses can be exploited. In all have fun being you.

Wow, this is interesting sir. But do you really mean you don't find any way to console yourself? What of really painful situations? Do you just move on?

I console myself by accepting that grief is part of life; cry, feel the pain then wipe your tears and carry on living. Find pleasure where you can and don't let the burdens overwhelm you. It's not a simple process but it's a realistic one.

For your kids, they are lucky to have a very thoughtful and caring father like you!
You'll surely be a part of the future of your kids and you'll surely smile at what they turn out to become.

Thanks, appreciate that.

KnownUnknown:
The truth of the matter is that “Spinoza’s God” is the God of Moses, The God of the Magis, and it is all of the trinities. They are all talking about “the heavens”.

That cannot be because Spinoza believed that God is “the sum of the natural and physical laws of the universe and certainly not an individual entity or creator”

jesusjnr2020:
Lol! They think they know when they don't.

I'm good oh thanks. I hope you're fine too.

Nice to have you back.

Says the guy quoting Einstein as though Einstein and Newton had similar beliefs.

Hismasterpiece:
Oh. Mr Reed. What you're looking or waiting for has a 0.1 out of 10 chance of happening. That's just the truth. By the way, have you ever spoken to God since you became an atheist and asked Him to speak back to you to prove He is real?

Rather the truth is your god is a mental construct.

No I have not, others have on my behalf though, still waiting for the god to respond.

jesusjnr2020:
Does it really matter as per the topic?

He believed in the existence of a "God", whoever it was, so he was a believer yet he was more intelligent than those who don't!

So he wasn't that foolish.

It matters very much since he doesn't believe in a personal god nor does he worship a god like a typical believer would nor is his god a creator type god. Einstein subscribed to Spinoza's philosophy which can be summarised as the universe is god because the universe is all there is. This stems from rationality rather than faith so is in stark contrast with Newton or any other scientists who believe in your god.

jesusjnr2020:
It's because their intelligence doesn't exist...

It's an illusion.

Ask Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein if you doubt this.

Einstein didn't believe in your god, in fact Einstein would probably have laughed at you if came preaching your god to him.

“The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still purely primitive, legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can change this for me.” - Albert Einstein

Hismasterpiece:
Lol Mr Reed. What do you mean by the bolded?

It means you already want to believe or already do.

Hismasterpiece:
Lol.. You know that'll probably never happen right? I'm not saying that it can't though. God only rewards those who seek Him. Have you bee seeking Him?

Well then I guess I'll never know if Jesus is real. If the god only responds to those that are already inclined to believe then it seems to confirm to me that the god is merely in your head so that if you aren't inclined to believe then you won't get a response. This is not how real people behave.

AuthenticKing:
Oh I get it.



I think I agree with you.
This makes me remember what Tai Solarin said about religion. He compared religion to his childhood bicycle that his mother gave him to help him finish their journey, he was using a stick to push the wheel. Upon reflection, he realized that he carried himself and the bicycle all along. Solarin said religion is like that bicycle, we need it when we lack courage and determination to face the world alone.
So probably, the reason for God/gods, spirits, genies, etc is to give people something to believe in, to satisfy that vulnerability inherent in each human especially during times of trials or tribulations not that these stuffs have any evidence to be real. Some people's minds are wired that way and the best way these 'spiritual' teachers teach them is by giving them these things to hold on to.

Yes it's much more likely that they arose as a way to rationalise the hardships of life and to find motivation were they couldn't find it within themselves.

Meanwhile, as an atheist (I guess), if you don't mind I ask sir/ma, what do you use as a consolation whenever you go through any of life's hurdle? Do you meditate? Do you have a conversation with yourself? What exactly? Pardon my ridiculous question.

Yes I am an atheist. I haven't really done anything as method of consolation but I have children and when I look at them I feel the need to be there for them every way I can especially when I think of what they could become in the future, I want to be a part of that future. At some point I will incorporate meditation regularly but for now I only do it in small bits.

Thank you so much

My pleasure.

NNTR:
All instincts are innate and they arent, in the first instant, learned. You recognise after awhile that, they are instinct

Having put the above out, now, please give me examples of a number of instincts that are learned by constant practice then

Innate and ready made in the mind or better still, thesubconscious

You are correct. I was mistakenly referring to reflexes as instincts.

Faith engages a decision making process, while instinct is behavioural tendencies triggered in response to certain stimuli

Faith, for instance, after all, without work is dead and useless. Imagine you live in a maisonette, thats three-storey high, it is the faith in believing you'll get to the third floor from the bottom of the stairs, that makes you optimistically take the first step on the stairs

Now, as for instinct. Imagine being a chihuahua, got lost in thick forested matured jungle, now your intuitive impulsive and unlearned thinking first and foremost in this precarious situation, will be survival for as long as you can manage or stretch it, from being a predator's dinner of choice, on the menu card

I hope the distinction between faith and instinct, is now cleared up well enough

_{Personal text: Jesus is not a theologian. He is God who told stories.}

Ok I think I get the difference now.

NNTR:

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As you can see from above, I never suggested that humans don't have instincts

The difference between faith and instinct, simply is that, the former engages a decision making process (i.e. faith, after all, without work is dead and useless) whereas the latter, engages, a 'hardwired' decision making process that kicks in, to respond to environmental cues or internal signals from either a human being or animal, if that's the case (e.g. flight or fight response survival instinct by both human and animals, the instinct to hibernate by animals etc)

_{Personal text: Jesus is not a theologian. He is God who told stories.}

Do you realise that some instincts are learned by constant practice? So what do you mean by hardwired? If both of them are decision processes how do you differentiate between them?

NNTR:
The bolded is exhibited by every human but not animals. I never suggested that faith is exclusive to believers

The straightforward answer is no, animals dont necessarily have faith, but instinct, is what they have and exercise, which is a 'hardwired' tendency for them, to behave in a particular behavior under the circumstance in play .

Are you suggesting that humans don't have instincts? If you aren't then what is the difference between what you defined as faith and instinct?

lordaltruist:
Dear Nairalanders,

I got this job in 2019 and it turns out that now I am the only male senior staff except from the security guard. Way back in 2019 there were 2 other guys but they left in 2020 after our company transferred to a different location and since then, I have been the only male staff other than the security guard whose job is not in internal affairs.

She is actually my senior colleague and way older than myself but over the past year and some months now, we have been so friendly though we don't discuss relationship together or talk anything boyfriend and girlfriend together but something seems to be odd in her look whenever I talk about a girl likewise myself I felt odd when she talks about a guy she flirted with.

In my office every other staff have a nickname for us both even my boss was the one who initiated the nickname because of how close we are and even though I nurse getting under her skirts, I do not have yet the muscle to tell her that and lately I am beginning to like her more as we share everything about ourselves.

I have been to her house and can go to her house at anytime and she was the one who persuaded me to return to the company after I didn't want to return when it relocated and also convince my boss to retain me; sometimes she buys me food in the office likewise myself and always like to have me around her like working together and whenever she needs assistance over a job, she will want me to be the person to help.

I notice she and my other female (married) colleague who work in the same department with us had almost had squabble because of whom I should be assisting and since she's the most senior colleague she won over that one.

She is very single and above her 40s but I don't mind as age does not define my relationship and right now I am growing so fund of her in a way I can't stop imagining and I need your advise on how to relate my feelings and make her confess hers to me.

All criticism and advise will be duly accepted.

Not a wise move at all. You are going to burden your official duties with emotional entanglement that will surely distort the job performance especially if the relationship doesn't work out. Don't do it or rather prepare for an exit from the company or go to some other branch if possible. It is no fun having to deal with an emotionally scorned female senior colleague.

Dollywood:
I mean, I even connected my DSTV to the TV and it's wack! The picture quality was like watching a 240p or 360p on YouTube.

There should be a method for changing resolution, check the documentation that came with the TV or search online for the model of TV to find the instructions to change it.

chieveboy:
I am tempted to tell you there is no such thing as Sin, but who is to bell the cat?

We are ruled by a more stricter or Just law. The law of Karma or what physicists call Cause and Effect. It returns to you whatever you do good or bad. This differs from Sin where you can make a plea or perform an oral ritual and its gone. That is a whole setup! It MUST be paid in cash and kind and as invested. Even death does clean this off. The person is sent back in a fresh body to enjoy the music good or bad.

Even from human (carnal) point of view Sin and forgiveness is injustice.

If people are returned after death how come human population is increasing? Shouldn't it remain steady?

For Andromeda's sake people should stop burning books! If you don't want a book donate it to a library don't burn it!

AuthenticKing:
Yea I do this constantly but it makes me an endless researcher most times. I have this aversion to dogma, but searching from multiple sources sometimes gives me incessant headaches and pain.
I love to read and learn from so many sources and wise people but that natural inclination that is deep within me to do things intensely makes me to over research things. I'm very young and full of energy, I want to create things and achieve a lot but I really think I'm directing that energy to endless researches. Probably whoever who wrote Ecclesiastes was right when he wrote,
I was determined to learn the difference between knowledge and foolishness, wisdom and madness. But I found out that I might as well be chasing the wind. The wiser you are, the more worries you have; the more you know, the more it hurts.

In order to see things clearly, I'm instead bringing more confusions to my head.

Yes, it is easy to become overwhelmed by information overload so you learn to filter enough information for whatever purpose you need and learn where your limits are. I used to be like that too, getting overwhelmed by the breath of information available on most subjects but I learned how to take in enough information at a time and to stop once I start feeling overwhelmed.

Hismasterpiece:
The way you said it obscured the message you were trying to pass. Are you saying that you want Jesus to communicate or speak to you?

Yes that is what I want.

AuthenticKing:
Great!

But where is the beauty of life if one begins to see the world only through the lens of evidence? Don't you think it makes one rigidly rationalistic?

That is going beyond the scope of the topic of discussion which is superstitions.

I love the mental relief this post has provided me but here comes another question, should one discard this deeply rooted inclination to be able wish for things, to use our minds and what Christians call 'spirit' to bring our desires to reality?

I think it's useful to wish for things, it provides a drive to go get things done. What is not useful is believing in wish granting genies or spirits or gods or the universe.

I've not read from Deepak Chopra but I've read similar books like that and I think what these guys are tryna teach is that we should tap into that 'power' within us in order to live life in it's totality. Though there's no consistent evidence that these stuffs work but it can make life beautiful in a way, like the placebo effect. I think the purpose of religion and other similar organizations like that is to satisfy that need that is in humans to believe in something. The problem comes when they make it seem like a religious dogmatic affair which are the issues I have with fundamentalist religionists.

If they were merely asking people to reach within it would be fine but they promote the idea that there is something out there listening to you and granting your wishes. That part is unevidenced.

I love what you said about being aware of the fact that intuitions are not always right and I think I'll start applying that.
And if I'm not open to learning, I won't be asking these questions . Thank you for your replies.

Keep being open to learning, you'll achieve plenty.

Olayoo:
Yes o bro you are right. That's how empty barrels work. Do you you wanna switch topic about empty barrels because you've lost track of the free thinkers stuff. I understand, I'm with you.

You had no reasonable reply to what I said so here we are. When you can assemble a reasonable response then we'll be on track again.

Hismasterpiece:
Lol... i actually didn't understand what you replied. Could you say it in layman's terms?

What do you mean by layman terms? You mean you don't understand what it means to communicate or to receive information?

Olayoo:
Dude I actually liked you. Why are you saying this. Awww. Hope I didn't anoy u. Plus empty barrels don't write things. They are not conscious. And I want to learn. Please . But is it possible to say nothing? Isn't that contradictory?

Yep, it's a hallmark of empty barrels to sound off loquaciously and loudly while conveying nothing useful. The contradictory nature of it is inherent in the behaviour.

Hismasterpiece:
Lol... so you want to see Jesus before you believe?

Is that what you got from that post? You ignored "Actual communication with the living person, a piece of information only a living person with shared intimacy would have access to"?

Olayoo:
Please tell me you speak English so that I can disprove it. First, forming conclusions based on a question is quite delusional. Couldn't you just ask why I said this? Your logic is quite resounding ( I'm just messing with you).
And by attempt you mean I was making an effort to define it. Oh I think I get it now, without the question mark, you couldn't tell it was a question. My bad. Maybe next time for English sake I'll forget to put it again, so that I can confuse you. I really like talking to you ( I mean it, no offense)

It's quite easy to spot empty barrels since they write a whole lot just to say nothing.

12

DeepSight

I think a more important conundrum for us to contemplate is how do we determine if indeed the human is a mind matter duality and what benefits can be derived from establishing such as fact.

Olayoo:
Spot where I defined a freethinker. BTW, sorry to break it to you late, but I know who a freethinker is. Or let me rephrase that. Wouldn't it be fair to assume that a freethinker can objectively give a resounding definition without appealing to authority or follow other peoples definition of it?( now if u understand English you'll notice that the preceding statement was a question, b4 u assume I redefined it again)

Yes and your question reveals your deficiencies. You can choose to look at it as a negative or choose to learn that is up to you. Asking someone to go look up the meaning of a word or phrase is not an appeal to authority so now go look up what appeal to authority means so you can learn.

This here:

Olayoo:
Let me guess. Some of you think you're free thinkers because you don't believe in the existence of a deity.

Was you attempting a definition of freethinker with no reason to make such a guess. The OP hasn't even said he doesn't believe in a god but you jumped in with this conclusion.

Olayoo:
U came up with the conclusion that I don't know what a freethinker it without even understanding what I posted. Cool. Your deduction is beyond my expectation. So tell me, when in my post did I define a freethinker and if u will my king, can u give me an authentic definition. Or I'll just assume boredom made you write this.( I'm starting to think I'm right)

He was quite correct, your post revealed that you don't know who a freethinker is. Maybe you should look up who a freethinker is so you stop assuming you know.

AuthenticKing:
Interesting!

So how does the skeptic find answers to the question, "How can I ascertain that this is true?"...
Like seriously, I'm a very deep person and I feel things very deeply, though I have this inner conviction that these beliefs are merely metaphorical but still, occuring circumstances really affect me and can make me brood for days.

So how does the skeptic find answer or answers to the above question?

Contrary to what most people think the skeptic is open to learning, that is the way the skeptic acquires the tools required to discern what is true and what is false. There is no magic to it, you need to acquire knowledge and have a sense of critical analysis. One of the important tools is learning how to separate bullshìt information from real information because sometimes real information is wrapped up in bullshit. One of the ways is to consult multiple reliable sources so that you can get a clearer perspective of the topic or event. Don't become a fanboy or fall into the trap of taking everything some authority on a subject says, authorities aren't always correct but when you have multiple authorities to consult you'll see things much more clearly.

AuthenticKing:
So probably, I gave myself a wrong label though

But again, as I wrote in my former reply before this, I'm convinced that these beliefs are just metaphorical but humans are affected by their surroundings and I'm highly sensitive.
So even as I try to wave off these beliefs and take them for what they are, my inclinations to be sensitive to happenings around me makes me somewhat doubtful of my convictions.

Probably that's why some people who started with atheism end up with agnosticism or deism or pantheism, etc. Or even theism. Personality differences at play.

I was like this too especially when I first gave up religion. I was still inclined toward believing that the universe had some kind of mystical aspect to it that responds like a wish granting genie, you might have heard of this type of philosophy from the likes of Deepak Chopra or the guy who wrote The Source. I had to ask myself, if you concluded that the evidence for a god is lacking how can you then believe in this one? Where is the evidence for it? This is how I really had my skepticism rooted in only that which can be shown to be real consistently.

You are going to need a very honest conversation with yourself if you want to get to this point. To be clear there is nothing wrong with intuition, the problem is your intuitions are not always correct and you must be ready to discard it whenever it rings false. You also must be ready to be wrong, don't think you know it all or that you can't be wrong. It is when you are open to learning that you will grasp the tools required to figure things out.