|
28169. alistairConnor - 4/17/2006 10:12:45 PM I had a religious experience today.
Riding my bike through the woods, I came across a small chapel. It was open, candles burning and everything. I was in luck, it's only open one day a year : easter monday. Dedicated to Sainte Procule. This well-born young lady declined to marry the assigned gentleman, and fled from Rodez all the way to Gannat, at the other extremity of the Massif Central - must be 500 km, and very rugged terrain. There, she lived the life of a hermit, at the site of the chapel. This is circa 12th century. Anyway, her promised husband, not to be denied, pursued her and eventually tracked her down. -- Will you marry me or would you rather die? -- Don't put words in my mouth. So he lopped her head off. She calmly picked it up and walked a couple of miles into town, expiring on the site of the present day Institut de Sainte Procule.
What has this got to do with religion? Excellent question.
The answer, I think, is related to the proverb about every problem looking like a nail if your only tool is a hammer. If you only have religion as a framework for examining the world, then any remarkable event must necessarily have religious significance.
I prefer to think of Procule as a feminist martyr. Someone should write a thesis about her.
28170. jexster - 4/17/2006 10:42:30 PM Christians, to the Paschal victim!
[Victime Pascale]
But don't follow Procule..she's been de-saintified..
Otoh...God does work in mysterious ways
Elle était la fille unique d'une famille de la noblesse du Rouergue. Ses parents profondément chrétiens n'en avaient pas moins des espérances mondaines et, sûrs de l'obéissance de leur fille, ils lui cherchèrent un époux digne du rang, de la fortune et de la beauté de la future épouse. Procule refusa tout net de se plier. Des semaines passèrent et nul n'en parlait plus. Mais les parents avaient conçu un stratagème. Ils fixèrent l'époque des noces et un beau jour sainte Procule vit arriver, Géraud, son "fiancé" en brillante escorte. Les invités étaient également de la fête. Procule se déguisa en pauvresse, prit la fuite et disparut. Tout un chacun attendit vainement et comprit la chose à la vue des appartements vides. Après bien des recherches, Géraud la retrouva et, dans sa colère, la décapita. L'histoire est belle, même si elle est améliorée dans les récits touchants dans lesquels le Rouergue, l'Auvergne et le Bourbonnais ont rivalisé d'imagination
28171. arkymalarky - 4/17/2006 11:17:52 PM Wow--Hey Transient. Long time no see. 28172. Adam Selene - 4/18/2006 1:22:54 AM Pelle,
I'll give it a go on a trial basis, if that's acceptable.
So turn me on! 28173. alistairconnor - 4/18/2006 8:44:32 AM You pissing on my parade Jex? Procule been relegated to the Second Division or something?
Don't tell the locals, there'll be a riot. 28174. PelleNilsson - 4/18/2006 9:18:49 AM OK, Adam, you're on. To access the hosting tools go here and log in with your usual userID and password. There are hosting guidelines but I don't have them on my box. I have asked the other moderators to send them to you at your comcast address. 28175. Adam Selene - 4/18/2006 6:10:53 PM Ok, I guess it's official - I'm the new mod for this thread.
Now, how an atheist ended up as mod on a religion and philosophy thread I'll never know....
The only thing I ask is that everyone avoid attacking or ridiculing any particular individual here for their beliefs. It's bad enough to make fun of someone's political persuasion, but more wars have been started over religion. The idea is to educate, learn, and celebrate our "meta-life," not to convert anyone or shame anyone.
That being said... I doubt that anyone will ever know I was here except as a participant. 28176. arkymalarky - 4/18/2006 6:19:00 PM We appreciate you doing this, Adam. This place is really made functional by people who are willing to help with thread hosting, even if they are nearly invisible. 28177. uzmakk - 4/18/2006 7:11:40 PM Selene,
Why shouldn't you be host; meta-life is a metaphysicophilosophicoohsoreligiousoh idea. 28178. uzmakk - 4/18/2006 7:13:06 PM Atheist, my ass. 28179. alistairConnor - 4/18/2006 7:15:16 PM You have an ass too, as well as the ponies?
I'm not surprised he's an atheist. There is something profoundly sceptical about a donkey. 28180. uzmakk - 4/18/2006 7:28:03 PM Hee-haw, I certainly do. 28181. uzmakk - 4/18/2006 7:31:50 PM And, of course, his name is Atheist. Hup hup...excuse me...I think we're off and running. 28182. Adam Selene - 4/18/2006 7:37:23 PM Thanks, Arky.
Thanks uzmakk... uhh...
Well, if you're serious about your doubts, I'd realistically say I'm about 2% agnostic, 98% atheist. Is that better? I mean, I'm almost sure I'm an atheist. I certainly haven't met a religion yet that I didn't find absurd, but I do have a lingering sense that there are other kinds of consiousness - like, for example, a brain cell would feel as part of our minds. No identity, but just a part of something bigger. And who knows - if time is really infinite (and there is no big crunch coming without a periodic bang... and there is no endless entropic expansion....) then we should all meet again in endless variations. 28183. uzmakk - 4/18/2006 8:46:40 PM Oh meh God. 28184. Adam Selene - 4/19/2006 1:54:00 AM You hava a God? Who knew? ;) 28185. Adam Selene - 4/19/2006 1:25:11 PM I have a question for this crowd.
[b]Is it possible to create an "artifical" intelligence that is not really artificial, but just as real as you or me?[/b]
In other words, would an artificial life ever be accepted as equal to another person? I guess that in the world where even infidels and minus-one-day-old kids are "not human," perhaps this is asking too much. But is it even conceivable? 28186. Adam Selene - 4/19/2006 1:25:36 PM (Oh, how I wish for an edit button....) 28187. iiibbb - 4/19/2006 4:08:59 PM I think for artificial inteligence to be "real" it would have to cross some undefinable (by me) boundary where the algorithms used to create it no longer define it.
28188. Adam Selene - 4/19/2006 4:36:53 PM iiibbb, so, you think it's feasible? Even if "god" didn't "breath life" into it, and it didn't have a "soul," you'd still grant it all the rights and respect that we give human life?
Here's the kicker... would you convict someone to the death penalty for killing it?
|
