Epic revival!
First off @the reply to my comment
All religions are not based off of man, you nor any one knows the definite origin of any particular religion unless its completely fabrication(easily discernible as false).
@the bible comments
Yet another person basing mainly on opinion rather then facts. The bible has different versions so it is easier to read, there is no different except for language differentiations and improved dialect of word content. Your opinion does not justify or disprove of your view of religion since you are speaking of religion in general. To one specific religion, your opinion is more down to earth, religion can be easily discussed since it refers to that particular religion. The idea that of what you think the bible is or what it represents is clearly opinion, the point is know your facts. The bible is viewed more then some moral list of laws and fairy tales. Its a foreshadowing of impending events and occurrences. Think I'm wrong? Take the bible code for instance. Its like a mathematical code that deciphers almost every major event in history with a near precise timeline. Heres a excerpt from an article i read :
For example, Michael Drosnin's Bible Code volumes
of 1997 and 2002 suggest that by examining
sequences of letters—every sixteenth letter, say—in the
text of Scripture, we can discover prophecies of contemporary
events. (This idea is actually quite old; it was
practiced, for instance, in thirteenth-century Spain by
Rabbi Bachya ben Asher.) Among much else, Drosnin
discovered that the Bible Code prophesied the attacks
of September 11,2001—which would, of course, have
been much more impressive if he had discovered it
before the bombings rather than after
The significance of the bible itself is important to those or seek it or are oblivious to its wisdom. Having an opinion is one thing but having a completely wrong and unjustified one is a problem.
If these laws or morals were so important why after the first inscribing did Moses smash them when he saw gods chosen people worshiping an idol and being sinful. how can any man destroy the supposed word of god like that. It would be the equivalent to burning the bible.
If you read the bible its explained clearly. The Jews were worshipping a false idol. Moses broke the torah so that the Jews weren't condemned to death for
false idol worshiping. This is symbolic martyrdom was a classic example throughout the bible of prophets sacrificing themselves to save others. Moses in turn by breaking the tablets decided he would be destroyed as well if God decided to annihilate the Jews, but God in turn forgave them.
The story of Jesus is not borrowed there are indeed many version of Jesus's(HORUS of Egypt,MITHRA, Sungod of Persia, KRISHNA of India) tale or interpretation but he differs from most because he has historical records backing him told in different views. You have to remember that although there is alot of stories in the bible that cannot be backed up with historical documents, there was actually a man named jesus who indeed was crucified because he claimed he was the messiah.
But I cannot say with any true evidence that anything in our existence is true for that matter. Our perception and knowledge is based on our minds(soul) if you want to call it that. We merely walk through our lives believing everything we see or believe to understand must exist but when you think about even color is just interpretations from our brain. How can we know something 100% if we can even trust our minds. We can only see through our perception now what is "true reality" when your mind does all of the processing can you know something, truly know something. these kinds of ideas make people want to believe that there is some all powerful being who made things in true reality and that our minds can understand it. (yes i know it sounds like a matrix paradox but Im a history major with a minor in philosophy so I have debated alot about religion e.t.c e.t.c.) so feel free to disagree or break down my post I dont mind, ill find away to cross your rebuttal.
p.s. robots dont have souls so how do they go to heaven. better yet here's something to talk what do you define as a soul. how do we determine what soul is. if its the understanding and use of emotions(thought e.t.c. e.t.c e.t.c) isn't that the brain. god gave us souls but what are souls?
This is a classic example from Russel's Problems with Philosophy.
He talks about how if a tree fell would it make a sound if no one was near it?
The answer came with complex and perplexing arguments of previous philosophy due to prove that it does make this sound. Before i venture into that void, i would summarize it in a clear and collective phrases. Human beings live their lives based on what there perceptions and experiences bring them. However Russel proved that we must understand that the color we see and the sounds we hear are interpretations made by the brain translated within our minds. Just because something we can't see doesn't exist. How do we know that theres a emperor of Japan? How can he exist if i never seen him? We learn that our perceptions not only come from personal experiences but experiences validated by others. Our relationship between apperances and reality is called sense-data. Just because you haven't seen him doesn't mean he doesn't exist. Logic tells us that yes he existed, if we based all our facts on perception and knowledge we wouldn't believe anything really exists? Its logic, mathematics, wisdom(untainted knowledge) that has solved and prove most of the worlds mysteries and dilemmas.
Sparknotes:
To be acquainted with something is to be directly and immediately aware of it, without the action of an intermediary. When you sit on a red plastic chair, you become acquainted with lots of sense-data associated with that chair. You know its redness, its smoothness, its coolness, and its hardness. But to know that this thing is called a “chair” and that it’s often found in the company of other “chairs” and something called a “table” requires more than just direct, immediate acquaintance with the physical object. To know all that requires us to make inferences, based on our general knowledge of facts and on our acquaintance with other similar objects. This kind of knowledge is derivative, and Russell terms it “knowledge by description.” For instance, most of us know only by description that Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. Few of us have actually been there, so we have to rely on the testimony of others to “know” that fact. Indeed, to truly be acquainted with the fact of Everest’s superior height, one would have to visit and measure all the mountains in the world. It’s probably safe to say, then, that no one is truly acquainted with that particular piece of knowledge.
And to sum up the last portion since it does it better:
Just as we can know objects either immediately or derivatively, we can also know truths immediately or derivatively. Russell defines immediate knowledge of truths as intuitive truths. These are concepts that, to Russell, are so clearly self-evident that we just know they must be true. “1 + 1 = 2” is an example of such a self-evident truth. Derivative knowledge of truths involves deduction and inference from immediate, self-evident truths.
All knowledge is, in Russell’s view, built on acquaintance. Without knowledge by description, however, we would never pass beyond the limits of our own individual experience. Thus, just like perceptual and a priori knowledge, knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description work together to create a totality of human knowledge.
Any questions class?
Ok read chapters 3-4 for the next time!