John C
We are stars and manure, imbued with spirit- magical water light beings with work to do.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKjla2DwYSz16VLi4mHk-HQ/playlists
Download the free ebook top right in the image
Location UK
Activity
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Like I said to @JanDeurwaarder, the idea of being a soul is consistent with my definition.
It takes consciousness to ascribe 'soul' to something, whilst consciousness is not requisite for soul, for reasons I hope are obvious.
The religious idea of an eternal soul is not one I share insofar as I do not think each being's soul remains...
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Characteristics- demeanour, quality, disposition, height, pressure, colour, appearance, context...etc.
Experience- happenings affecting characteristics
As I have said, 'soul' does not necessitate consciousness or awareness. A place can have soul. Music can have soul. A poem can have soul. A look or an impression may have soul. ...
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In order for any characteristic or experience to be had, there must be some source- the fountain.
In order to shape a particular experience or characteristic, there must be a stimulus- the direction.
When we think of a soul, these are it's definition, it seems to me.
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I am attempting scientific methodology by defining what (a) soul is. I have not defined the soul in abstract, metaphysical, or religious terms, but in practical understandable relatable objective terms for the sake of empirical discussions.
You, @PeteG., are responding to your own thoughts, not mine- unless you can explain how...
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..what good is a soul.. without consciousness?
If you take my definition, then yours is a redundant question. Consciousness is not essential.
I regard 'the soul' as the direction of the fountain of the totality of all possible characteristics and experience. Happy soul, lost soul, etc.
That must be common to everything, theoretically. ... -
"the existence of a soul is beyond me"
I regard 'the soul' as the direction of the fountain of the totality of all possible characteristics and experience. Happy soul, lost soul, etc.
That must be common to everything, theoretically.
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John C made a comment
Thank you to everyone involved in preparing and presenting this course- thought-provoking and stimulating, helpful and positive to the greater extent.
Thanks also to the cohort of my fellow learners. Your stories, opinions, reports, and observations have been greatly appreciated.
Bonne chance, and arrivederci, tout le monde! A...
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@PeteG. The devil? ;-)
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Then
..islam does not believe in conversion by force. The people say that to trademark Islam as a barbaric religion. If you have ever seen people converting live on tv or in an open meeting, the person converting them actually asks if they have been forced or in proper state of mind or questions that are something similar in...
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I found a couple of pointers- first a Christian perspective from an Egyptian fellow.
Muslims do “evangelism.” It is a duty in Islam, and is called da’wa. In Islamic dogma, da’wa means “to invite people to Islam.” It is the act of making an appealing message, calling people to embrace the faith proclaimed by Muhammad, as described in...
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John C replied to Shaun Humphries
It strikes me that global catastrophe should be enough of a catalyst for change, but judging by global responses thus far it appears many have a different idea of our future.
If I hold my hands palms out to the world, and shout, "STOP!!! Look what's happening. Let's do something about it" and others say, "what's your problem, fool",...
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John C made a comment
I think it's a bit daft. We have different ideas so the world vision is not a uniquely defined documented summation.
However, the mountain is only the one mountain, whether home to gods or just a big rock.
I'd rather keep it simple and say we disagree, or have differing understandings- so let's talk.
However, how to resolve such problems is a...
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Further, beings without brains display awareness, foresight, planning, building, and regeneration and nurture within their built structures. They can orientate, navigate, relate and imitate. They make alliances, may take advantage, or can be altruistic. Not so different from ourselves.
For example-...
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You seem quite certain that consciousness is in the brain only.
Yet, you say that when the brain is dismantled that consciousness disappears. This, as far as I see, is impossible; it's a contradiction.
I don't see how consciousness can be an emergent quality of certain amalgams of material without it first being an inherent quality of the...
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John C replied to Mary Gormley
Children's visions. Got me thinking. And remembering. Fatima, Portugal.
Between May and October 1917, three ten-years old children- Lúcia, Jacinta and Francisco- reported visions of .. who they believed to be the Virgin Mary .. near Fátima,
The children said the visitations took place on the 13th day of each month at approximately...
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John C made a comment
Not sure this exactly answers the brief, but,
"American model Halima Aden says she is quitting runway modelling as it compromises her religious beliefs.
She says she's compromised her religion many times as part of her job - including missing prayer times set out in the Islamic faith or agreeing to model without a hijab on, using another item of clothing...
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If, as quantum theory suggests, energy=matter=energy=matter, then bodies and brains are expressions of energy.
Each material has its particular properties, but these properties do change with pressure, temperature, and various other conditions.
Our brains may be 'the seat of our conscious being' but in what sense?
Neil Donald Walsch's God...
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John C made a comment
I would agree.
However- considering planetary and human predicaments, I believe the time is now for reviewing our separate religions, ideologies, and so forth. Unless we agree on some fundamental issues- as a global species- to arrest the decline of those things which sustain us and which we destroy- we will suffer the consequences of our inaction.
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John C made a comment
I don't have a problem with religious music or activities as entertainment, nor religious buildings being places to visit. What's not to love?
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John C made a comment
I and my friends and family are festival-goers- a tradition harking back to time immemorial.
I never went because it was a tradition. I went because I used to enjoy them.
That said, Mrs Thatcher's war on Stonehenge Free Festival in 1985 (Battle of the beanfield)- a despicable act, in my opinion- marked the decline of people's festivals in UK in the...
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John C replied to Samantha Jones
@LiciaVitali Hi. I don't think Samantha meant to say 'compromising safety', but meant what she wrote, "without compromising safety".
However, she implied "without compromising..harm, injury, and risks" which I don't think was her intention.
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John C replied to Samantha Jones
@SamanthaJones @LiciaVitali
Aren't you both a bit confused?
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John C replied to Simon Heath
Each Anglican Church belongs to the Anglican Communion because it is in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury and seeks to uphold the catholic faith and reformed order inherited from the Church of England.
http://www.anglicansonline.org/resources/essays/whalon/AngRC-diffEng.htmlPaul VI then took Ramsey’s right hand and placed the green and gold...
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John C made a comment
Religion must stem from individual thinking, and coalesce around shared or similar beliefs.
Spirituality becomes religion. One's spirituality will impact on one's behaviour, and culture, and society at large.
One may act against particular beliefs whilst holding to the over-arching concept.
Two examples- I am irreligious, but have a store of personal...
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John C made a comment
I am aligned with Theo's vision, but I find activism distasteful despite his requirement for respect. Maybe there has to be activism and I am unrealistic?
Celebration and protest are an understandable pairing. Every thing is what it is and what it is not. Protest is not celebration, and celebration is not protest, but without one, the other can not be. ...
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John C replied to Jan Deurwaarder
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@VickieKennish France is a secular country with freedom of religion. I think terrorist activity there goes back to colonial times. Some claim France is trying to eradicate Islam where it has or has had power.
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Prince Charles - the defender of all faiths, not the head
The monarch claims to be ordained by God (dieu et mon droit), so it follows that the queen heads the church.
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John C made a comment
I've no directly personal experience, but I know of ex-Plymouth Brethren members who became disillusioned and left, which cost them in terms of relationships lost.
The Brethren is a young institution (c200 years) but it has experienced schism and division, and some groups regard others as cultish and 'strident'. There are many sub-groups now.
Fuller...
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John C replied to kathy French
@RobBuxton ... I think it is conceivable that the issue has had its effects.
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John C replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
@LiciaVitali Oh, it was warm encounter.
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John C replied to kathy French
The series of sex-abuse scandals within the church has changed many people's attitudes to the church, methinks.
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John C replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
@LiciaVitali
I remember from somewhere being told that the French do not like being asked what they work as- reason being that a job does not define the person, the person is bigger than their job-title. I hope I don't misrepresent the facts here- I don't know for sure.
An aside... I was speaking with an Egyptian man, and he asked me if I was Muslim. ...
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John C replied to paula banyard
I moved to Cornwall from a huge conurbation which included dozens of nationalities, ethnicities and languages and skin colour.
Whilst Cornish culture has a strong pull- and I love the spirit of its people- I do miss the diversity I once enjoyed- but at least I have had that experience.
As @JBKent says, "Not seeing difference as...
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John C made a comment
I am a white Brit who has been to India and Morocco, both non-Christian, non-westernised countries.
I have also been to France, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Italy, which are Catholic, and Greece which is Eastern Orthodox.
In India and Morocco I was treated very well. In Europe and closer to home I have been treated very well.
There doesn't seem to...
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Your comment made me wonder what my belief system is doing to my health.
Bruce Lipton, unsupported by the scientific community (wrongly, in my estimation) posits 'the biology of belief'- how what one believes affects one's biology.
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John C replied to Samantha Jones
" intolerance and blinkered perspectives are the reason for violent atrocities"
Would you expound?
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John C made a comment
I'll go for panpsychism/animism.
Everything has 'spirit' (a self-knowing energy)
and thus some awareness (some form of consciousness),
and nothing ever dies.
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John C replied to Ingrid A.S
Aren't observations of subjective study areas bound to be subjective themselves- necessarily biased and incomplete? Do you know of a totally objective and complete study of any religion?
Where something is definitive, there can be objectivity, but whilst religions may claim to be definitive, there are often different interpretations of the...
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John C made a comment
I used to be surrounded by Christians. Plymouth Brethren, Catholic, and Methodist.
Whilst each was evangelical, none wished to share the other's rites and rituals.
I think us Brits are scared of difference and the unfamiliar, so we like others to keep themselves to themselves, generally speaking.
Nationally we identify as Christian, but I don't think...
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John C made a comment
I have to admit a lot of this went over my head, not making much sense. I don't have an aptitude for such material.
Feeling like I understood things as I read them, I couldn't find much to align myself to in theoretical terms. The histories were interesting to me, but the graphs seemed like indecipherable hieroglyphs.
Economy. Fail.
Nevertheless-...
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John C replied to Michael Reynolds
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Checks and balances used to be inbuilt to regulate catches and ensure sustainability.
Smaller boats can not put out in bad weather, nor carry great catches or heavy machinery like industrial trawlers, nor damage seabeds and catch all else in their nets alongside the targeted haul.
They do not require ever-larger catches to maintain wages.
Waters are...
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John C made a comment
GDP vs well-being.
Improvements in technological and mechanical capability mean that today's fisherman can use a boat single-handedly to catch twice as many fish as the previous generation could with two men in the boat.
That looks great. A four-fold increase in productivity.
See Simon Reeve talking to Cornish... -
John C made a comment
Capitalist. Founded on borrowing it must make profits to service/repay the debts incurred to set up.
I think there will be a major collapse of the Chinese economy, but that may depend on how Chinese investment abroad performs. If foreign investments can be used to balance domestic shortfalls.
No debt-based capitalist country escapes boom and bust...
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Royal Mail.
For years, RM was undermined as a state-run business which was very successful, returning profits annually.
Portrayed as an economic basket case, employees were accused of 'Spanish practices'. Benefits- PORC, canteens, showers, gyms, and recreation rooms were discontinued, and wages squeezed in return for more work. ...
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Alas, such atrocities do understandably undermine confidence. However, don't you think that if the western coalition partners were not so disruptive themselves when on their own foreign excursions, there might be less reciprocal ill-feeling and suchlike cold acts of bloody revenge?
I don't think we can take particular issues into account...
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Further,
The Bank of England .. can create new money electronically .. a process known as quantitative easing (QE).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54817872If the desire or political will was there, money could be credited to individuals instead of institutions via what we think of as QE.
All debts are then forgiven.
That...
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Tax is a red herring.
Is that tax money, that the banks are spending? (to bail out the banks after 2008 crash) asks the tv guy...
"banks have accounts with the Fed much the same way that you have an account in a commercial bank so to lend to a bank we simply use the computer to mark up the size of the account that they have with the Fed...
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John C replied to Juha Peltoniemi
Yes.
Local groups (of nine?) decide local issues. Each group elects a group member to the next orbit and so on until the whole populace is spoken for.
'Parliament' is modified from a forum for decision making to a facilitator and law-making body only, decisions having already been made.
Money is made free at source. UBI takes care...
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John C made a comment
I think Mrs T set UK on a course for world domination. London is now the de facto financiaL centre of the world (investopedia.com).
She benefitted individuals like me who bought their state-owned houses. I made a handsome profit. That self-interest destroyed public housing but I was too short-sighted to see it then, besides the appeal to the greedy part...
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Why not just embrace travellers as neighbours?
I've travelled a bit, and with the odd exception I have found people to be warm and welcoming and helpful everywhere I have been.
Why am I welcome if the migrant is not?
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John C made a comment
Thanks to all involved in building and presenting the course,and fellow students for their contributions..
Thanks to the reviewers of my assignment- I am pleased you found it worth the read.
Spare a thought for those inhibited by a lack of academic freedom, or freedom of speech and action; for the hungry, the destitute, the displaced; for those whose...
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Why should inhabitants of our own country be 'very much in the foreground' regarding health and wellbeing?
You are only looking at the immediately visible.
What drives migration?
If migrants already had what we have, would they seek to come to our shores in such numbers? They come for advantage, and to share with us our good...
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John C made a comment
It seems to me that competition will result in monopoly.
In order to mitigate unfair expressions of afforded power, government intervenes to regulate and control aspects of such competition.
Advocates for government intervention thus would seem preoccupied with fairness- curbing the possibility of abuses of total power, and removing the potential to...
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John C made a comment
3. We .. are today's main coveters. We never feel that we have enough; we have to have more and more, and this insatiable desire destroys us. Whether we are liberal or conservative [Christians], we must confess that the central problem of our lives is that we are torn apart by the conflict between our attraction to the good news of God's abundance and the...
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John C made a comment
2. Three things happened to this bread in Exodus 16. First, everybody had enough. But because Israel had learned to believe in scarcity in Egypt, people started to hoard the bread. When they tried to bank it, to invest it, it turned sour and rotted, because you cannot store up God's generosity. Finally, Moses said, "You know what we ought to do? We ought to do...
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John C made a comment
1. I use a commentary on Biblical text for the purpose of illustration.
"..the power of the future is not in the hands of those who believe in scarcity and monopolize the world's resources; it is in the hands of those who trust God's abundance.
When the children of Israel of Israel are in the wilderness, beyond the reach of Egypt, they still look back and... -
On the paradox of thrift, and, I believe, the nature of money itself- biblical words of advice-
Matthew 6 AKJV
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not... -
John C replied to Paul Jones
I have suggested a radical overhaul of democratic protocols to negate such problems.
The Baha'i faith organises in groups of nine.
Taking this idea- the group to which we belong.is our first government- our peers.
Disputes not settled therein may then be adjudicated by two other groups in the same circle so that a best of...
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@RachaelRead
https://youtu.be/vdb4XGVTHkEWatch it ☺️
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John C made a comment
So- are we meant to understand that poverty is a result of the failure to industrialise? How come that UK, ninth largest manufacturer does not feed its...
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In context, you have some good ideas- or at least good reasons for them.
The problem is that we are continuing to analyse the situation across the globe in the capitalist context.
Remove the capitalist imperative, and, though your problems do not melt away, they become less consequential for the planet and every living thing.
There are...
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John C made a comment
Comparative advantage does play a role, and gains from trade remain unequally distributed in favour, generally, of powerful countries.
Where relative wealth and poverty between trading 'partners' is disproportionate, the less powerful entity is kept in its place by such trade rather than emancipated by it. There's already been mention of (ex-?)colonial...
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John C made a comment
I advocate for free exchange as opposed to free trade. That said, standards and clarity across all suppliers (regulatory convergence) is desirable for optimisation both of products and services to meet global challenges.
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John C made a comment
What are we doing, and why?
@JonLee suggests free trade is damaging in terms of climate change. That extends to pollution, farming practices, food consumption, industry, perceived needs and consumer preferences, et al
If we can know this, why do we persist with a system which we realise IS damaging our planet? Do we want to destroy ourselves and...
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The time is here when we must consider priorities. Carbon offsets are a distraction.
"The carbon market – a free market – encourages sellers to maximize their profit by finding the cheapest way to offset greenhouse gases (e.g. by burning methane generated by oil wells) instead of finding the best solutions to safeguard our future.
Cheap...
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John C made a comment
Once again, I suggest that this debate is obsolete.
We now have technology which we could use to manage crops, analyse quality and yields, assess demand and supply chains, and utilise to make all things more obtainable for more people- ie to effect greater equality between people and nations.
Such an approach has no need of 'free trade', protectionism,...
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John C made a comment
I think central .gov could employ people directly to serve local and global society.
A period of social service mixed with education would meet needs such as the health, hygiene, and cleanliness of species and the environment as well as individuals.
Investing directly in people to fund infrastructure- energy and power, roads, rail, bridges, tunnels,...
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John C made a comment
In my opinion this debate is obsolete.
Continuing to rely on capitalism is a misdirected approach.
We are now entering the post-capital era. There are and will be increasing demands on us to adapt to and mitigate climate change, and we must navigate our way through a pandemic, with others forecast to follow. These challenges can not be met by...
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John C made a comment
We're looking at a narrow band of facts about the respective countries here.
Serious disruption of the political endeavours of would-be independent, and Latin American, states is overlooked. Tinpot generals and dictators are installed then undermined; progressive leaders such as Chavez are demonised and marginalised because they won't kowtow to...
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John C made a comment
The common factor amongst all these tragedies is debt.
As long as there is debt, there will be booms and busts. The time is past when we needed to convert to a free means of exchange.
Bernanke and Brown introduced massive QE to cancel the debts of the period owed to the lenders, but not to satisfy the debts of the borrowers, hence massive correlative...
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John C made a comment
These things happen when the means of exchange is imbued with qualities which enable profit.
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John C replied to Juha Peltoniemi
If the capitalist was 'fatal', and the anti-capitalist had 'no understanding', what can you teach us from your observations?
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@PaulJones
I appreciate your position.In a general sense-
The carbon market – a free market – encourages sellers to maximize their profit by finding the cheapest way to offset greenhouse gases (e.g. by burning methane generated by oil wells) instead of finding the best solutions to safeguard our future.
Cheap carbon credits, in turn, give...
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John C replied to Ian Mackenzie
I would question whether dominion means having the ultimate right/might.
In some sense, it is undeniable, because humans can avail themselves of it- because we have more power in a general sense than other species.
Is might right?
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I think that needs research. I think it's more complicated.
Culture inclines people to behave in certain ways.
If many share basic values and moral sensibilities, behaviours will generally reflect them, as we can see in our own cultures.
UK had the death penalty until the mid-late C20th, but it didn't stop some people from criminal...
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I feel like I may be labouring the point. Sorry if that's the case.
Since @DianeSchwartz asked about freedom of thought, I have seen numerous references to it in articles I have come across.
Another one here- "over a timescale of several hundred milliseconds, our physiological state determines in a fundamental way how we experience the world as a...
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Algorithms are beginning to change the face of warfare.
Taken at face value, recognising human control as a process rather than a single decision is correct and important. And it reflects operational reality, in that there are multiple stages to how modern militaries plan attacks involving a human chain of command.
But there are...
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I can't find the source, but I remember reading not long ago that algorithms employed to serve our needs will learn to know us much better than we know ourselves, and will make decisions for us in our 'best interests'.
In the advent of 'man-machine'- integrated flesh, machinery, robotics, and technology, I foresee algorithms will make all...
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This.
We do not know whether we have it or not, so nothing's different.
Are we in paradise, or slaves on a prison planet? Are we subject to fate, or masters of our own destiny? Are we pre-determined, or happenstance?
Are we free-thinking, or just manipulated into believing it?
We choose freedom, yet work for money. We...
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John C made a comment
El sendero de la anaconda
https://vimeo.com/342141381Good stewardship advice from tribespeople of the Amazon
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To be accurate, the statement I made is historical.
“..there is .. crime..but the number.. is.. lowest here” .
The worst three cities for crime were all in Central or South America..
https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/abu-dhabi-is-the-safest-city-on-the-planet-with-lowest-crime-rate-numbeo-com-1.70632Things change. A...
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I see carbon off-setting as a bit of self-deception insofar as it then seems perfectly ok to do something damaging.
Fuel isn't just burned. It requires extraction, processing, transport, delivery, etc., and all these components leading to its final use have their own respective impact.
By not flying, we speed up the recovery process...
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I think some will go for eugenics. It's almost inevitable now. Man machine is coming, so genetic modifications will be automatic- algorithms in the new beings will decide such things.
Cannibalism? Pragmatic, but people don't, generally eat each other now as far as I know. Given that some used to, I guess there are some who...
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If the best of all possible solutions rises to the top because we argue, then why are we facing global catastrophe?
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If the suggestions I have drawn attention to were taken up, I suppose it would be because they were thought to be worthwhile attempts at restoring planetary health.
One of these ideas is an overhaul of democracy- I see the current parliamentary system is skewed by the powerful so is really not democratic.
The 'new democracy' would be a...
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Ok, gotcha.
Now imagine a future with 2bn humans, and those problems are reduced.
There is already a computer for everyone, and a washing machine, etc., etc.
It's a simplistic proposition for the sake of brevity, but the point is that we have resources present for 8-10-12bn allready available, so we thus need to focus on re-use and...
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On the basis that the world is not just for humans, and that our numbers and lifestyles mean catastrophe for our futures, it would seem imperative to prioritise the security of all by reducing the human population and adapting to realities before any more damage is done.
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John C replied to Rachel Dineley
That scenario is an authentic possibility.
It raises a legitimate question.
Is might right?
From the perspective of one in the water, it's understandable that the survival instinct kicks in.
Given that all beings' greatest drive is to remain alive, then is it not the case that 'winner takes all' is obeying the laws of...
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John C made a comment
Paying... with money, or service?
We all (ideally) need a healthy planet, so we all are responsible for ensuring that we have one.
We can not expect any particular entity to 'pay' because we are all implicated in the fact of CC, but perhaps remote tribes- desert-dwellers, mountain people, forest people, island people- shouldn't have the same obligations...
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I stumbled into realising this morning that any philosphical question applied to a given scenario is likely to yield non-sensical premises, because there's no context we can apply to achieve life-like complexity, so it remains necessarily (according to format) simplistic.
Following through on that, I now think ethics is at best a 'best...
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Why would, "Addressing climate change.. cause pain, [and] suffering"?
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I don't think we have an ethical obligation to procreate.
Perhaps in this era we have a duty to do the reverse, though once we do produce offspring, I believe we do have obligations to preserve them and their future environment.
Spartans of old may have disagreed, fathers of daughters in some places even now, ditto.
Generally, I...
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John C made a comment
In my ebook (follow my profile to youtube and download from there), I suggest we aim for the maximum sustainable numbers of each species to achieve abundance for all beings- including human beings (maybe 2 billion?)- so that each species has enough habitat and resources.
Straddling Spain and Portugal is a project which is reintroducing bears and wolves. ...
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John C made a comment
There are things I have done, and do, to mitigate CC- with mixed outcomes.
18 months a vegan, but associated issues mean I no longer follow a vegan diet.
I no longer fly, but pragmatism means I keep my diesel van.
Hard as I try, I still generate too much waste (packaging, mostly- cardboard and sellotape and labels for postal items, cartons,...
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John C made a comment
In my opinion-
It doesn't matter who is responsible.
You and I do have duties to future generations.
We all should pay for climate change, and to ensure we henceforth observe, and act without stressing, planetary boundaries.
We should care more about the continuation of humanity, but not as a dominant global species- we must integrate with the...
