This one..? Speed Memorial Church ( sorry, last off topic post, just saw a small bit of humour for a light interlude)
Very true. You can also achieve much the same effect with LSD and then afterwards can return to reality (sad though it may be).
Religion is not without some benefits for those who choose to believe. Einstein is often claimed by both side of the does God exist argument. Here is an excerpt from a letter written by Einstein in the year before his death. “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.”
some might say ducati ownership is a religion and the forum is the church. where like minded happy go lucky people come to sing praise and join in holly matrimony of man and machine. or should that read unholy?
I believe Einstein saw god in nature and the workings of the universe rather than as some benevolent, bearded fellow. I guess he must have believed in some kind of cosmic order which might explain why he was shaken by quantum theory which led to him saying god doesn't play dice with the universe (or similar).
Have to say, that is my instinct. The idea of a sentient (in some way) creative force and ordering authority in the universe is not outlandish. Its organised (read political) religion and the scriptural tosh which gives this force a human, or uber-human, identity that I've no time for. As if the universe really revolved around our paltry, ephemeral species. Its the conceit of it I can't stand. Probably why I generally prefer animals to humans..
This is an old chestnut. Albert E cracks a joke referring rather sarcastically to "god" as a metaphor. Then some moron asserts that this means Einstein must have believed in god - even though he stated very explicitly that he didn't. It's roughly on a level with Richard Dawkins saying, in a moment of exasperation, "Oh my god!" only for a similar moron to claim this means Dawkins must believe in god. It's a pretty elementary point: just because somebody uses the word "god" in a sentence does not make them a religious believer. Not even remotely.
This rather reminds me of the question of the usefulness of prayers. Prayers to a god are just forms of wishful thinking which don't have, and cannot possibly have, any effect on the external world, obviously. But they may nevertheless serve a useful purpose as regards the mental state within the mind of the person praying. That person may be in denial about some unpalatable fact, or faced with a dilemma unable to make a decision, or filled with regret about a mistake they are struggling to come to terms with, or in need of gathering their courage, or simply cannot make up their minds what they want. "Prayer" may be their word for the process of thinking things through and reaching a resolution. For some dim-witted individuals not given to introspection, praying may be the nearest they ever get to intelligent thought. I wouldn't want to discourage them.
The following is from wikipedia, which I don't claim to be the most accurate of references, but I don't think the contributors are all morons. On 24 April 1929, Einstein cabled Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein in German: "I believe in Spinoza's God, who reveals himself in the harmony of all that exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind."[9] He expanded on this in written answers he gave to a Japanese scholar on his views on science and religion, which appeared as a limited edition publication, on the occasion of Einstein's 50th birthday: Scientific research can reduce superstition by encouraging people to think and view things in terms of cause and effect. Certain it is that a conviction, akin to religious feeling, of the rationality and intelligibility of the world lies behind all scientific work of a higher order... This firm belief, a belief bound up with a deep feeling, in a superior mind that reveals itself in the world of experience, represents my conception of God. In common parlance this may be described as "pantheistic" (Spinoza).[10]
why are we just having a pop at Blair? The Eden channel is currently having a rerun of Planet oil. Although it just scrapes the surface it's still an excellent program which leaves you in no doubt why we are where we are re the Middle east.(no mention of the McCrone report) the British and American governments should feel utterly ashamed of its self. obviously there is no excuse or justification for terrorism (so just dont go there). but see if i was a young disenfranchised Muslim kid whether it be over here or there i could easily be led down the wrong path. there is plenty of fuel to stoke that fire. it seems i am often on the wrong side of these arguments. but that program reminds me how much i despise westminster along with our own that played thier part. and how much i want to distance myself from it. there must of been another way. i came across a wee story yesterday (fantastic little piece which has Ian Banks all over it) which again reminds me i am not on my own regarding Westminster. at least 30% of the population are as hard core as myself along with another 15-20% on top support ridding our self's from that place. a bit self indulgent but feck it. Wings Over Scotland | Once upon a time
yip. i am probably on some mi6 watch list. the assholes. i miss ian banks. got jack shit to do with the OP but there you go.
