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POPSEternalism, Nihilism: new forms, old superstition <<<Throughout the Buddha's long period of teaching the Dhamma to His followers, He actively discouraged speculative arguments. During the 5th century B.C. India was a veritable hive of intellectual activity where scholars, yogis, philosophers, kings and even ordinary householders were constantly engaged in the philosophical arguments pertaining to human existence. Some of these were either ridiculously trivial or totally irrelevant. Some people wasted valuable time arguing at great length about all manner of subjects. They were far more concerned about proving their powers in mental gymnastics than seeking genuine solutions to the problems that beset humanity.>>>
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POPSDictatorship Marches On "The BBC reported him (medvedev) saying that he is "going to pay special attention to the fundamental role of the law. We must achieve a true respect in law, overcome the legal nihilism." "If those words were sincere, President Medvedev would have to reverse the dictatorial policies put in place by President Putin, who used the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony to announce that he intends to shape Russia's future by "formulating goals not for one or two months, but for 20 and 30 years ahead." "The AP reported that Mr. Putin has been devoting his time to strengthening the prime minister's role while also assuming the chairmanship of the United Russia party, which monopolizes power throughout Russia. "Everything suggests that Russia will continue to be ruled by the iron hand of a dictatorship, the only difference being that Mr. Putin will not, nominally, have the top job. "
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POPSA Quote from Stephen Hawking.. I have been known to say that man is a failed species, for the most part nothing has changed in 6,000 years but the how we can kill so many more from a far greater distance..! Apparently Hawking agrees.. still there is a freedom and liberation in nihilism and from there we can do what is right for its own sake and discover faith built upon the wonder of creation and love and not guilt and fear..
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POPSSam Harris: Yahweh Belongs on the Scrapheap of Mythology I’d like to begin this exchange by making the observation that “atheist” is a term that should not even exist. We do not, after all, have a name for a person who does not believe in Zeus or Thor. In fact, we are all “atheists” with respect to Zeus and Thor and the thousands of other dead gods that now lie upon the scrapheap of mythology. ... Did someone around the time of Constantine discover that the pagan gods do not actually exist, while the biblical God does? Of course not. There are thousands of gods that were once worshipped with absolute conviction by men and women like ourselves, and yet we all now agree that they are rightly dead. An “atheist” is simply someone who thinks that the God of Abraham should be buried with the rest of these imaginary friends. I am quite sure that we need only use words like “reason,” “common sense,” “evidence,” and “intellectual honesty” to do the job.
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POPSShort Excerpt from "Why Darwin Matters" by Michael Shermer Shermer continues: This general fear leads to six specific fears about evolution. A general resistance to science. Belief that evolution is a threat to specific religious tenets. Misunderstanding of evolutionary theory. The fear that evolution degrades our humanity. The equation of evolution with ethical nihilism. The fear that evolutionary theory implies we have a fixed human nature. See the source (and book) for full discussion of why " ll of these fears are baseless." I've read Shermer's other works and they're remarkably readable and informative for specialists and non-specialists alike. He's one of the leading writers bringing scientific ideas into the popular domain. I'm sure this new book will be well worth reading also.
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