Text 28634, 103 rader
Skriven 2009-03-06 17:34:55 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
  Kommentar till text 28625 av Joe Bruchis (1:3828/12.0)
Ärende: Rights
==============
Hello Joe,

On Friday March 06 2009 06:59, you wrote to me:

 MvdV>> "Deciding what one believes"??

 MvdV>> What one believes is not a matter of decision. One believes or
 MvdV>> one doesn't. beliefs are irrational, hence not subject to
 MvdV>> rational decision.

 JB> I can decide to accept or reject a belief. I do it all the time.
 JB> Believe me.

Sorry, I am not in the believing bussines. I do in facts, verifiable facts.

 MvdV>> Now that you mention it: I think free will is largely an illusion.

 MvdV>> There is scientific evidence to support that. It appeeras we
 MvdV>> make choices before we become aware of what we have choosen.

 JB> I guess any state of mind can be considered an illusion.  After all,
 JB> everything we do is just chemical reactions in our brains causing us
 JB> to act or not act, and our muscles to react or not react. Once a
 JB> scientist brings everything down to that level, there's nothing human
 JB> remaining.

A misunderstanding, common among believers. That I know that a sunset is just
light from the sun being dispersed and refracted in the atmosphere causing
neurons to be fired in my brain does not stop me from enjoying the beauty of
it. Not at all.

 JB>   I don't "believe" that's how it's "meant" to be.

"Meant to be" by whom?

 JB> It can be explained in that manner, but that's a very lifeless way
 JB> to live.

Not at all.

 JB>> If you don't feel it, what can I say except you don't feel it.

 MvdV>> I don't.

 JB> I'm sorry.

For what? Why do believers so often feel sorry for non believers? They seem to
think that we atheists are missing something. I can assure you that is not how
I perceive it. On the contrary, to me a belief is not an asset, it is a
liability. I am happy to be free of that. Believe me. ;-)

 JB> Do you love your wife?

My wife died 13 years ago. One can not love the dead. I remember her as someone
who I loved though.

I now have a new partner. And yes, I love her.

 JB> If so, why?

What an odd question. I can give you a list of things I like about her, but I
can not tell you why I love her. I just do.

 JB> Is that a decision you made? If so, based on what?

No. I decided I wanted to spent time with her. Loving her was not a desicion,
that just happened.

 JB> Can you play blues guitar? (-:

I am afraid not. I can play "FrŠre Jacques" on the piano but that is it. I just
learned the keystrokes by hearth, I have absolutely no feeling for it. I would
love to be able to play an instrument, but I just don't have it in me. Oh, well
I have other talents...

 JB>> Very true. Your afterlife may be the memories held by your love
 JB>> ones that lives on after you are gone.

There is something is that saying that no one is completely dead until the last
person that remembers him or her is gone.

 JB>> Again, my rule of helping others will allow positive memories of you
 JB>> by others to live on for generations. Possibly for centuries,
 JB>> depending on what you have done that is good in your life.

 MvdV>> Lots of people are remembered for the bad things they have done...

 JB> I knew you'd go there...

I am getting predictable am I? ;-)

 MvdV>> Cheers, Michiel

 JB> Really? Cheers? Naw...

 JB> More like anguish and depression.

You are totally wrong. I am quit happy with what I am and how I live.

Cheers, Michiel

--- GoldED+/W32-MINGW 1.1.5-b20070503
 * Origin: http://www.vlist.org (2:280/5555)