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Sunday, December 31
View Article  What does Taoism imply about our significance in eternity? Part I of II
by Daniel J. Shepard on Sun 31 Dec 2006 12:00 AM EST

What does Taoism imply about our significance in eternity?

 

 

Part I of II

 

Taoism implies we can connect ourselves to a sense of purpose.

 

We can, by removing the distractions on the outside in order to concentrate on the inside, find peace with ourselves.

 

•

 

Just what is peace?

 

Peace is a sense of understanding that there is purpose to life.

 

Peace is sensing one is fulfilling that purpose, one is on track, one is doing what one is intended to do. But isn’t this predestination, determinism, fatalism?

 

How can one sense what does not exist?

 

If everything is predetermined, then why is it that so many people feel they can obtain a sense of what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong, ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ ‘to be done’ and ‘not to be done,’ ‘the correct thing to do’ and ‘incorrect action?’

 

Taoist concepts only have meaning if freedom is a natural state.

 

There are two forms of freedom: freedom from one’s peers and freedom from the Causative Force.

 

To be continued: Part II of II: Freedom from one’s peers releases one from having to be subservient to...
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Saturday, December 30
View Article  How do the concepts of modern science reinforce the concept of panentheism? Part II of II
by Daniel J. Shepard on Sat 30 Dec 2006 12:00 AM EST

How do the concepts of modern science reinforce the concept of panentheism?

 

Part II of II

...Science reinforces panentheism through its observation that the earth is not the center of the universe.

 

The center must lie elsewhere.

 

The sun is not the center, so the center must lie elsewhere.

 

The Milky Way is not the center, so the center must lie elsewhere.

 

And if our own universe has a boundary, is it not possible there are more universes?

 

And if such is the case, is it not possible that our universe is not the center of these universes just as we are not the center of our earth, and our earth is not the center of the solar system, and our solar system is not the center of our galaxy, and our galaxy is not the center of our universe?

 

We are not the center.

 

So where is the center?

 

We have to assume the center lies somewhere outside our universe.

 

If such is the case, then there is an outside to our universe.

 

This opens us up to the logic within panentheism.

 

•

 

Science reinforces panentheism through the observation that we are not the center.

 

Science, by searching for a center, moves the center away from us as beings.

 

Science opens up the question, “…then what are we and why do we exist?”

 

What an exciting time!

 

We are on the edge of understanding our significance before we intrude upon the space of others, who most probably exist within the distant realms of space.

 

Science has opened up the opportunity for us to define ourselves rather than have others do it for us.

 

End

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Friday, December 29
View Article  How do the concepts of modern science reinforce the concept of panentheism? Part I of II
by Daniel J. Shepard on Fri 29 Dec 2006 12:00 AM EST

How do the concepts of modern science reinforce the concept of panentheism?

 

 

Part I of II

 

Our universe appears to have size.

 

Size implies a limit.

 

A limit implies something outside the limit.

 

The universe appears to have an “outside.”

 

•

 

Science is beginning to believe our universe has a limit and is bounded.

 

Most religions believe the Causative Force is bigger than the universe, transcends the universe.

 

As such, the universe is not omnipresent.

 

The universe has size.

 

Most philosophy holds to the logic that at this point in time, we only understand beginning–end concepts.

 

As such, it would appear that the universe had a beginning and may have an end.

 

All this implies size, limits, to the universe.

 

If the universe has size, it must exist somewhere.

 

If the Causative Force is all present, as religions say, then the universe would exist within the Causative Force.

 

This is panentheism.

 

To be continued: Part II of II: Science reinforces panentheism...
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Monday, December 25
View Article  What does atheism imply about our relationship to the Causative Force? Part II of II
by Daniel J. Shepard on Mon 25 Dec 2006 12:00 AM EST

What does atheism imply about our relationship to the Causative Force?

 

Part II of II

...On the other hand, defining the nonexistence of a Causative Force does not necessarily make that true either

 

So what is one to do?

 

One could ignore the problem.

 

One could ignore the questions regarding what the universe is, what the significance of the universe is, what we are, what our significance is.

 

But ignoring the problem will not make it go away.

 

In a sense, this is what atheism does.

 

It ignores the questions we have always been seeking answers to.

 

Has the search for answers been unproductive?

 

Hardly.

 

As we have seen, what we believe to be true in terms of our religious faith, scientific observations or philosophical logic affects our behavior towards each other.

 

Over time, we have found stronger and stronger foundations upon which to rationalize our increasing perception of the value of the individual.

 

Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, ontology, and modern science have all added to improving the conditions under which souls journey.

 

Now it is time to add another element.

 

We have reached 2000 AD.

 

We can make a choice.

 

We can reach out to improve our significance in existence.

 

We can define ourselves in such a way as to include all others in our universe and in any other universe that may exist.

 

We can rationalize a Universal Magna Carta.

 

End
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Sunday, December 24
View Article  What does atheism imply about our relationship to the Causative Force? Part I of II
by Daniel J. Shepard on Sun 24 Dec 2006 12:00 AM EST

What does atheism imply about our relationship to the Causative Force?

 

 

Part I of II

 

Atheism says there is no relationship because there is no Causative Force.

 

•

 

No relationship. Your comfort comes from the knowledge and belief that you are not alone in this state of short term hopelessness.

 

Everyone around you faces the same existence.

 

•

 

You are alone without a Causative Force for one hundred years.

 

In terms of relative spans of existence, a life is insignificant when measured against the life of the universe.

 

Under atheism, you have no significance.

 

No significance generates all types of rational excuses for antisocial behaviors.

 

Defining the existence of a Causative Force in order to elevate behavior is important.

 

But just because we do so does not make it true.

 

To be continued: Part II of II: On the other hand,...
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