Comment by archaeopteryx on September 2, 2012 at 4:48pm

RE: "Being outside of time, that someone/something would not be required to have a beginning (cause)."

Current theory proclaims that all time and space was enclosed within the infinitesimal singularity that became the Big Bang - if so, where did the singularity reside? It must have been outside of our space/time which, according to your reasoning, would make our universe eternal, not unlike your S/S.

Comment by Heather Spoonheim on September 2, 2012 at 5:35pm

@Anna

The cause and effect are NOT one thing, and therefore have not existed eternally.  Again, you are being obstinately ignorant - and this is only dealing with the first of many options I've shown you to your false dichotomy.

Comment by Zia Dost Muhammad on September 2, 2012 at 6:56pm

@archaeopteryx-

I am doing well, thanks archaeopteryx.

Regarding the confusion in the name, it's no problem at all. I am used to it :)

Well my journey to give a serious look at religion began when I was an engineering student in the US. This was quite a while ago. I have been working in the education sector for about 13 years now. For the last 3 years I have been in Saudi Arabia. 

According to the following, Abu Bakr Zakariyyah Al-Raazi was not a Muslim, rather an atheist (so I guess as you initially said, he might be a former Muslim):

An Islamic ruling (fatwa) regarding Abu Bakr Zakariyyah Ar-Raazi 

No Muslim would use such derogatory remarks against the Quran. Muslims consider it to be the unchanged Word of God.  It has not gone through any changes or distortions like the OT and NT. Changes in the words and sentences is something far off, even the way each alphabet is to be pronounced is also preserved and is a complete subject by itself called 'Tajweed'.  The Quran has been memorized by people since the time it was revealed and today there are over 10 million people who have memorized the book cover to cover. Here is a book by Dr. Gary Miller that mentions some of the interesting facts about the Quran:

The Amazing Quran

Coming back to Al-Razi... this world is made up of all types of people. Certainly there are people who reject the Quran, doubt it and even abuse it. But on the other hand, there are people who have looked in to the Quran, and other evidences/reasons for Islam, and accepted it. 

I'll sum it the way I look at all of this:  Whatever a person believes in (referring to religion) is not to be based on dreams, personal experiences or blind following of one’s ancestors. Rather it is to be based on clear evidences from the Creator. (And one needs a paradigm shift here to see that not all forms of evidences are laboratory testable. There are evidences which are in other forms as well).  All religions/philosophies of the world will give some evidences/reasons to validate their claim of truthfulness. It is upon us to evaluate those and weigh them and then take an informed decision. Certainly all religions/philosophies contradict one another and they all cannot be true at the same time. We need to search for that truth sincerely.  The truth is always one. 

And yes archaeopteryx (..I wish I knew you name so I could address you that way), I did read what you wrote about the First Cause Argument, and in it are several points that can be discussed (but it needs time). It's already past 1:45am here. So please excuse me on this one.

I did not give any links to information on the purpose of life. I think you may confused me with someone else on this one.

Ended up a bit long... Thanks for reading :)

Comment by James Cox on September 2, 2012 at 7:32pm

"..existence is like a giant potato and our universe is like a bud on that giant potato.."

This seems so appropriate for today! I just dug some of my last new potatos for the year. And yes, sometimes, they look like they could just about create a new universe. Sadly, most of the time the new potatos come off as singles, not as buds. They are connected, most of the time, by either a primary root or along very fine smaller roots. If we use this as a metaphor within the multiverse model, would these root systems be wormholes?

But hay, maybe, metaphoricaly speeking, our universe was one of a kind, where 'Marginally Intelligent Superficial Design' can work along side more level headed folks with their 'Scientific Cosmology'. Damn, I think I found some core rot!  

Now if a universe is like a new potato bud, that must make me God Almighty!

Comment by James Cox on September 2, 2012 at 7:34pm

I just had two new universes FOR LUNCH!

Comment by archaeopteryx on September 2, 2012 at 7:38pm

First of all Zia, feel free to call me arch, many do - R. K. Opteryx is a bit formal, I must admit --

RE: " Whatever a person believes in (referring to religion) is not to be based on dreams, personal experiences or blind following of one’s ancestors."

Actually, that wasn't always true of Islam. If you've read anything about this history of Islam, there was an Islamic group in the 12th century, following the Falsafus, who believed that the only way in which god could be known was through dreams. I have no idea what access you have in Saudi to books, but having internet access, I would suspect you could order anything you chose. I'd like to recommend A History of God, by Karen Armstrong, even a Muslim may still have much to learn about Islam.

BTW, thanks for "friending" me - sorry it took so long to respond, but I was out. Sleep well.

Comment by Zia Dost Muhammad on September 2, 2012 at 7:57pm

@ Arch- 

If an atheist declares one day 'There is a God and I believe in Him', then his statement does not stand for all the atheists.  Likewise, the off-shoot beliefs of a particular group of Muslims, does not stand for the beliefs of Islam. 

It's a pleasure Arch, but please do not expect me to be very active. I am having a hard time keeping up the this one blog! I may retire soon. However I can give you my personal email through a private msg or chat, and we can stay in touch.

Take care.

Comment by archaeopteryx on September 2, 2012 at 8:28pm

RE: "the off-shoot beliefs of a particular group of Muslims, does not stand for the beliefs of Islam."

Certainly credible, but every religion - Hebrew, Christian, Islam, even Hinduism and Buddhism are fragmented - who speaks for the religion, this leader of fragment A, or the leader of Fragment B - you have your own Sunnis and Shiites -- which speaks for Islam?

I look forward to hearing from you - you may have realized by now that although I am not religious, I respect people regardless of their religion. There are those Americans who reject Muslims because of 9/11 - I reject 19 religious fanatics in airplanes.

You take care as well.

Comment by Anna Silva on September 2, 2012 at 11:46pm

@Unseen- 
I am not following you on this post then.
"For example, things "poof into existence" all the time on the subatomic level. At the same time, physics tells us that everything that poofed into existence at the big bang is still here."

Comment by Anna Silva on September 2, 2012 at 11:57pm

@Heather
I'm sorry... have I offended you or disrespected you? What's with the name calling?

So I don't agree with you; don't let it bother you. I just don't understand how you are talking about eternal existence, but can't see how that is the same as saying something existing eternally (something always existed). If at any point something wasn't existing, then there would be nothing; which happens to be my other option. I'm sorry but you haven't given me any reason to believe there is another option that defeats my logic of either there is something or there is nothing. Hmmm.. how about existence existing eternally? (Yeah alliteration!)

Comment

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 15
• 16
• 17
• 18
• 19
• …
• 30
• Next ›
• Page