Unseen

Seems to me that all JP was saying is that for him, stating a belief in God is hypocritical unless he can actually fully walk the walk of what a truly dedicated belief would require, e.g. in some form of heretofore unattainable perfection. [and I have the impression he’s caught up in his ability to out-intellectualize even some of the most i…[Read more]

We may have to rename the CDC to the CDP….replacing control with propagation. Or maybe just create a RFKjr Center for Conspiracy Theories?

PopeBeanie wrote:
So I’m devil’s advocate for both sides, now. For believers in free will, I ask, do you believe you have power over determinism, or is determinism not even a thing? For those arguing against free will, is there any harm in others believing in it? I’m not on the fence. I don’t believe it exists in an absolute sense, but I’m hap…

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Have a great week!!

“You don’t need religion to have morals. If you can’t determine right from wrong then you lack empathy, not religion.”

So I’m devil’s advocate for both sides, now.

For believers in free will, I ask, do you believe you have power over determinism, or is determinism not even a thing?

For those arguing against free will, is there any harm in others believing in it?

I’m not on the fence. I don’t believe it exists in an absolute sense, but I’m happy to ride as if it…[Read more]

jakelafort wrote:
Somebody asks you do you believe? Have the integrity to say yes or no. And if asked for an explanation don’t go all cock and bull jive turkey circumlocution and obfuscation.

Seems to me that all JP was saying is that for him, stating a belief in God is hypocritical unless he can actually fully walk the walk of what a truly d…[Read more]

I was asked recently why I have no interest in reading anything else that JP writes, especially his new book about Catholic Jesus (roughly speaking!!). I replied that he may have had some opinions worth consideration in the past but not since he was ‘Deephacked Choprafied’.

jakelafort wrote:
Simon, if i want a good story i’ll read Washington Irving. Ronald Reagan might have appreciated him. Tell me a story so i know what you mean. That was me channeling the dead guy. His son is an atheist so the apple defied gravity. Somebody asks you do you believe? Have the integrity to say yes or no. And if asked for an e…

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Simon, if i want a good story i’ll read Washington Irving.

Ronald Reagan might have appreciated him. Tell me a story so i know what you mean. That was me channeling the dead guy. His son is an atheist so the apple defied gravity.

Somebody asks you do you believe? Have the integrity to say yes or no. And if asked for an explanation don’t go all…[Read more]

I think we discussed J P.

Only credit i can give him is in his treatment of some woke nonsense.

First time i listened to him debate Sam Harris i wanted to pull out my hair even if i am bald. Annoying in his intransigence and i am pretty sure Harris had his BP elevated having to debate him. And the way he arrived at his religious convictions is…[Read more]

Belle Rose wrote:
@robert I wouldn’t classify JP as an atheist. I didn’t see the Sam Harris one I’ll have to watch that. I guess I view him completely differently because i watched his lectures so I understand the framework from where he’s coming and there are many things I took away from his lectures that I still use and remember to this day. I…

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JP strikes me mostly as someone mostly trying to extend his 15 minutes of fame. To me he’s the “Hawk-Tua girl” of the identity wars.

He has no real answers for young men because that would alienate them away from him and his fame. So instead, it’s babble-talk-time when someone like Sam Harris calls him out. I don’t see why he climbed out of bed,…[Read more]

JP has a problem. His fan base are mostly disillusioned young males lost in the wake of female independence. So, they revert to the good old Christian days and ways. When even the least desirable young males could attract female attention. Trouble is, JP is an atheist. So, when he talks about god and the virtues of religion, it’s just a word salad…[Read more]

Few yrs ago was hiking during winter along a ridge and there was a dusting of snow that concealed ice. Feet came out from under and i was about to fall down a cliff. Arms slammed the trail with legs dangling and pulled myself up onto trail without any conscious thought. Heart did not even have a chance to respond to hormones and i was up and safe.…[Read more]

Well, it (the squirrel) has to respond to real events in real time, so I’m guessing it has free will.

The squirrel does not respond as if it were giving careful consideration to its next move. It reacts to real events in real time. That reaction is entirely instinctive. That instinct is highly tuned and the reaction is faster than any c…[Read more]

Simon Paynton wrote:

_Robert_ wrote:
That decision may have been made before the critter knew it would jump. The squirrel’s conscience was informed at some point. Yeah, I’d say a squirrel has some level of self-awareness.

Well, it has to respond to real events in real time, so I’m guessing it has free will.

Doesn’t follow, overs…[Read more]

Simon Paynton wrote:

PopeBeanie wrote:
Must not the feeling of free will at least be a product of determinism? A legitimate product of evolution? And very useful, fortunately, if not more pleasurable than the feeling of having no control at all.

That’s the way I see it. Nature has endowed us with free will that we can use to navigate c…

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I like the feeling of free will. I enjoy some optical, and maybe some other illusions, too. Is believing in free will potentially harmful to one’s self or others? It’s not like believing in God, then forcing others to also believe.

Loopy thought: Must not the feeling of free will at least be a product of determinism? A legitimate product of…[Read more]

It sure is easy to imagine how an ape brain could believe it has agency, even if it doesn’t, especially if you lean towards soft determinism (I’d also throw in some random particles that make it through the atmosphere and smash into our neural networks.)

Moral responsibility is a sideshow, unrelated to the mechanics of this question.