Comments for Green Oasis

Comment on Moral Psychology by Jonathan Blake

Jonathan Blake — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:50:15 +0000

Interesting metaphor. Perhaps the progressive aspect would then be the muscles. Or maybe conservatism should be the skin keeping our insides from gushing all over the floor.

Comment on Moral Psychology by Lincoln Cannon

Lincoln Cannon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:28:09 +0000

“I see the complementary progressive and reactionary impulses as necessary to the survival of the human species.”

I agree, and have sometimes compared the conservative aspect of our community to the skeletal aspect of our anatomy.

Comment on The Great Schlep by Jonathan Blake

Jonathan Blake — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:41:30 +0000

That’s not meant in a begrudging or envious way; I’m just stating the apparent truth.

Comment on The Great Schlep by Jonathan Blake

Jonathan Blake — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:55:59 +0000

At the risk of sounding like the conspiracy theorists, Jewish influence extends beyond the number of their votes.

Comment on The Great Schlep by BEEHIVE

BEEHIVE — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:33:30 +0000

I though the clip was very funny and pretty bold. I’ve been meaning to ask Lu, if people in his cummunity are offended by such comments. The interesting aspect, is that the Jewish vote is very small comparted to other groups, but Obama has gone above and beyond to clearly state his views and his bakground.

Comment on Happiness by Jonathan Blake

Jonathan Blake — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:46:24 +0000

Well, a perfectly powerful God would be capable of creating us from the beginning of our existence with all the knowledge/skill/gratitude/whatever necessary to be perfectly happy without any need on our part to learn through suffering.

If there is an omnipotent God who chooses to watch us learn as a form of entertainment (i.e. like watching a play), that doesn’t speak well for his concern for our happiness. On the other hand, if he wants us to be happy but can’t do it without making us pass through a sea of troubles, then he isn’t really all that powerful.

Comment on Happiness by Cybr

Cybr — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:35:04 +0000

That’s an assumption. I don’t think it would be a learning process for an omnipotent god, but a learning process for the temporal creatures involved.

Just cause I know the how the play is going to end, doesn’t mean I won’t want to watch the actors work through there parts and better their skills, and yes even occasionally mess up (because that does make a good play).

Comment on Happiness by Jonathan Blake

Jonathan Blake — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:55:02 +0000

Well, what you’re saying assumes that God isn’t omnipotent. A truly all-powerful god would be able to make us perfectly happy, perfectly capable of appreciating our happiness, and perfectly ready for our adult responsibilities. There would be no need to resort to learning-by-misery with an omnipotent god.

Comment on Happiness by Cybr

Cybr — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:02:09 +0000

Well, I think the misery part does help us to better appreciate the happiness we do feel. Depending on what I had planned for the creations of a god, I cannot necessarily say that I would make everybody perfectly happy. Would I like my kids (yes the ones I have right now) be perfect? Yes. Do I believe that they will acquire the proper skill set needed for an adult life ahead if I made them perfectly happy? That’s debatable since there involves a progressive existence. If my creation was simply a pet mouse, then I might make it perfectly happy just because that would be the extent of its existence. There are more variables involved that I don’t have the time for at the moment, for this conversation would get much deeper.

But, I’m just a lowly loser human and have no understanding of the dealings of mice and gods.

Comment on Happiness by Jonathan Blake

Jonathan Blake — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:51:29 +0000

My question is why it is so hard to be happy. Why is this necessarily so?

If I were an omnipotent god (which I’m not—sorry to dispel the myth), I would make everyone perfectly happy.