[DMCForum] Re: Calude is back!

["John Hicks" <johnzd81@xxxxxxxxx>]

  Walt wrote>>>>>   Back to Plato, "Cogito ergo sum."   

Sorry friar Walt,  I can't let this one slide by me, (minor in 
philosophy and history in western civilizations)

 Cogito ergo sum I think, therefore I am. Rene' Descartes, 16th 
century French mathmatician and philosopher.  (Long after Plato was 
pushing up daisies!)

  Descartes was asked how he knew he existed, and wasn't just the 
delusional figment of [the questioners] imagination.  After applying 
logic [if this is true, then this is....] Descartes proposed the 
Cogito Argument quoted above, reasoning that the ability to reason 
ones own existence was proof that one did truly exist.  Circular 
logic and progressive thought provided the proofs.  
   Don't be distressed about understanding the thought process with 
regards to proving or disproving the existence of God.  Logic and 
reason can neither prove nor disprove that God does or does not 
exist.  The Divine Paradox is the perfect example. "If God exists, 
AND is omnipotent, then why does He allow evil to exist?"  
    That one will set your mind spinning IF you let it.  

"What the hell am I?  By your own faith Walt, you are a man created 
in God's own image.

"What is life all about anyway?"  

The most profound answer I have ever heard to this question was at 
my son's high school graduation.  The speaker said "the purpose of 
life is to discover your gifts, the meaning of life is to share 
them".  (DeLorean community is a great example)

W O W !

Relax Walt, the answers will all be made clear when the time is 
right.  To every thing, there is a season, and a time to every 
purpose under Heaven.  (no, that ain't a quote by Art Garfunkle 
either, it's in one of the Psalms)

Have fun, and don't fry your brain!!!!!

John


--- In DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Walter Coe" <Whalt@xxxx> wrote:
> > So you're saying that I can do whatever I want, and then
> if I repent, I
> will get into heaven?
> 
> Yeah Farrar, isn't that cool?  But it can be a really big
> "if" that circumstance may allow you the opportunity to
> repent before an untimely death.  Additionally I have heard
> accounts of people who tried to repent on their death bed,
> but were distressed that they couldn't find it within
> themselves to do so even tho they desperately wanted to.
> Apparently true repentance is a gift that isn't always
> given.
> 
> If it is hard for you to believe that forgiveness is free
> then consider the gift of life itself.  We didn't ask or pay
> to be created.  We didn't strike a bargain or negotiate
> anything concerning it.
> 
> Back to Plato, "Cogito ergo sum."  Okay, so I am aware that
> I think.  But I really dont understand what thought is.  I
> cant objectively measure it.  I cant make a copy of myself,
> have it think on its own and then double-blind-test it with
> other copies of myself.  I just seem to be this indefinable
> serial thought processor.  If I try to map my thoughts to
> analyze them then I ultimately get locked up in a tight loop
> of mapping a map of a map of a map of a ...
> 
> Until or unless I can make sense of what the thought process
> is all about then all that I know is based on faith.  And
> based on the premise of faith, it makes it really easy to
> believe in God and to doubt man-made science.  All knowledge
> is based on faith that there is such a thing as knowledge.
> Or is it?  I do not understand well enough to explain it
> even to myself let alone a sharp witted Farrar.  (I cogito I
> sound like Socrates. ;-)  I am always amazed at the ability
> of the human mind to deal with day-to-day problems when
> there are much bigger issues looming overhead like, "What
> the hell am I?  What is life all about anyway?"  It makes me
> want to just stop caring about regular day-to-day life and
> only think about the bigger issues that most people manage
> to spend a lifetime not thinking about.  Ergo, I want to be
> a monk.
> 
> > Do I get 47 virgins?
> 
> Life & salvation are free.  But that many virgins will
> definitely cost you something.
> 
> > Free tacos?
> 
> I dont know about tacos, but apparently this second coming
> of Christ ends in a really big banquet.  I wouldn't miss it.
> 
> > I prefer to live a good life here, do no harm, and help
> others when I
> can, not because there's a reward at the end, not because I
> will be
> punished if I don't, but because I CAN.
> 
> Cool.  But still you do that because you have faith in
> yourself.  Do you have enough faith in yourself that you
> will be prepared for what happens when your current life is
> over?
> 
> Food for thought.  Damn I got the munchies for a taco.
> Maybe for breakfast.
> 
> Brother Walt
> (seriously tho, I would be known as Brother Vladimir since
> that is my baptismal name. ;-)

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