The Chinese do have a point:
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Life after death. Yes or No?
In the discussion of whether or not there is a God, is a question of more immediate concern to many of us: is there life after death?
Obviously there are a myriad of offered answers from "of course not" to "of course." Few people allow for a maybe.
In order to answer the question though, there seems to be a more fundemental question: Is life after death possible and if so is it scienifically defensable?
We have the obvious problem with belief in God: the existance of God is unprovable. As a being outside of time and space, he is by that nature, beyond the constructs of science. Ergo, we must have faith - or not.
On the otherhand, since we, human beings, are finite beings existing within the confines of time and space, if we continue to exist in any form, it should be observable and if so, provable.
A major presupposition in the belief in God, and major Holy Books of the great religions, is the belief in life after death. We go to a better world. Or in the case of the terrible twins, a not so better world (maybe).
So, how do we prove that life after death is possible? Do you believe in ghosts, spirits, ufos (oops, wrong argument)?
Is life after death possible? If so, how? Spirit? Energy? There are many views on this. Are we physical beings that generated a conscious energy at birth or are we energy beings that inhabited the physical body at birth. Buddhism clearly believes the later and Christianity waffles between the two.
I am going to assume the first, though at the end of the argument the second will seem plausable.
It is assumed that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, merely modified in various ways. I'm going to go with this theory, though I do wonder where all the energy came from in the first place. (Don't you dare say God! 8-)
So, you are born you live for ten seconds, you die. Sorry, I'm cruel and life AIN'T fair.
There was a fully formed, conscious, sentient being inhabiting the body. Granted for a brief time, but non the less there it is. The body is dead. Where is the spirit, the life energy?
OK, view #1 the obvious: the energy breaks down and discipates into the surrounding space.
View #2: The energy has gained consciousness and in keeping with the theory of evolution has evolved into a self sustaining entity with a will and life of its own. While born and living in the flesh it gained fuel to grow through the life cycle of the body and when the body died it sought the life energy elsewhere.
What does it do now and where it lives is not really germain to this argument. The important point is, is this theory possible? Is it possible for cognisant, conscious energy to be self sustaining outside the confines of a physical body?
If so, we have a case for life after death ... and from there, God knows what. Ask the next ghost you see.
Obviously there are a myriad of offered answers from "of course not" to "of course." Few people allow for a maybe.
In order to answer the question though, there seems to be a more fundemental question: Is life after death possible and if so is it scienifically defensable?
We have the obvious problem with belief in God: the existance of God is unprovable. As a being outside of time and space, he is by that nature, beyond the constructs of science. Ergo, we must have faith - or not.
On the otherhand, since we, human beings, are finite beings existing within the confines of time and space, if we continue to exist in any form, it should be observable and if so, provable.
A major presupposition in the belief in God, and major Holy Books of the great religions, is the belief in life after death. We go to a better world. Or in the case of the terrible twins, a not so better world (maybe).
So, how do we prove that life after death is possible? Do you believe in ghosts, spirits, ufos (oops, wrong argument)?
Is life after death possible? If so, how? Spirit? Energy? There are many views on this. Are we physical beings that generated a conscious energy at birth or are we energy beings that inhabited the physical body at birth. Buddhism clearly believes the later and Christianity waffles between the two.
I am going to assume the first, though at the end of the argument the second will seem plausable.
It is assumed that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, merely modified in various ways. I'm going to go with this theory, though I do wonder where all the energy came from in the first place. (Don't you dare say God! 8-)
So, you are born you live for ten seconds, you die. Sorry, I'm cruel and life AIN'T fair.
There was a fully formed, conscious, sentient being inhabiting the body. Granted for a brief time, but non the less there it is. The body is dead. Where is the spirit, the life energy?
OK, view #1 the obvious: the energy breaks down and discipates into the surrounding space.
View #2: The energy has gained consciousness and in keeping with the theory of evolution has evolved into a self sustaining entity with a will and life of its own. While born and living in the flesh it gained fuel to grow through the life cycle of the body and when the body died it sought the life energy elsewhere.
What does it do now and where it lives is not really germain to this argument. The important point is, is this theory possible? Is it possible for cognisant, conscious energy to be self sustaining outside the confines of a physical body?
If so, we have a case for life after death ... and from there, God knows what. Ask the next ghost you see.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins
Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, the terrible twins of modern scientific materialism, who regularly make fools of religious leaders stupid enough to publicly debate them on their own stage, seem to have put to rest the notion that there is a God. They assert that the idea of a God or many gods is so much pablum used to comfort a baby as it grows; but once in adulthood is no longer needed.
My question: Are the terrible twins right; is there no god? Or is it that science is inadequate to the task of defining something "beyond time and space" and they are little more than sophisticated doubting Thomases enthrawled with the ability to describe the elephant, but missing the bigger picture?
How would you fare against the terrible twins?
My question: Are the terrible twins right; is there no god? Or is it that science is inadequate to the task of defining something "beyond time and space" and they are little more than sophisticated doubting Thomases enthrawled with the ability to describe the elephant, but missing the bigger picture?
How would you fare against the terrible twins?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Bahasa Indonesia
Indonesia is the next manufacturing center of Japan. It may come as a surprise to the workers of Japan but next year many of them are going to start losing their jobs as manufacturing giants start to pull up stakes and move to the friendly shores of the southern superstate.
Leading Japanese industries have discovered, to the impending dismay of their local employees, that Indonesia offers a very inviting social and business climate in which to do business. And it is ever so much cheaper.
As profits are squeezed, auto and industrial giants are looking for new ways to save money - with the added benefit of tapping into a huge up and coming market. Doing business in China is difficult at best and the population is somewhat unfriendly, not to mention the government restrictions. When you add the costs of corruption and pocket lining, the cost of business is ... costly.
You may ask why they would want to leave the friendly and comfortable environment of central Japan. Well, its not so friendly when you get the bill. Taxes, salaries and those added monthly benefits (like transportation costs for commuting workers) are very substantial and the new crops coming out of the university employee pool are proving weak.
Indonesians are educated, highly motivated and seriously less expensive to hire and train. The taxes are a fraction of what they are in Japan and the employee benefits packages vastly under priced due to the lower cost of living.
Even when you concider the costs of moving Japanese management personnel, the benefits to any profit driven industry are astounding.
Additional benefits include room to grow, excellent shipping location with easier access to future markets in Southeast Asia, India and Africa. Indonesia is clean but India is a dirty and uncomfortable place to live which is a big reason India lost out.
So for you future up and coming business mavens, what lanuage should you study?
Leading Japanese industries have discovered, to the impending dismay of their local employees, that Indonesia offers a very inviting social and business climate in which to do business. And it is ever so much cheaper.
As profits are squeezed, auto and industrial giants are looking for new ways to save money - with the added benefit of tapping into a huge up and coming market. Doing business in China is difficult at best and the population is somewhat unfriendly, not to mention the government restrictions. When you add the costs of corruption and pocket lining, the cost of business is ... costly.
You may ask why they would want to leave the friendly and comfortable environment of central Japan. Well, its not so friendly when you get the bill. Taxes, salaries and those added monthly benefits (like transportation costs for commuting workers) are very substantial and the new crops coming out of the university employee pool are proving weak.
Indonesians are educated, highly motivated and seriously less expensive to hire and train. The taxes are a fraction of what they are in Japan and the employee benefits packages vastly under priced due to the lower cost of living.
Even when you concider the costs of moving Japanese management personnel, the benefits to any profit driven industry are astounding.
Additional benefits include room to grow, excellent shipping location with easier access to future markets in Southeast Asia, India and Africa. Indonesia is clean but India is a dirty and uncomfortable place to live which is a big reason India lost out.
So for you future up and coming business mavens, what lanuage should you study?
International-interracial Marraige
Is it possible for an international/interracial marraige to be successful? "In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, til' death do us part" - is it real or fantasy?
In Japan we have heard many sad stories of children suffering from broken international/interracial marraiges between Japanese women and western men. Is there a more fundemental problem? Are these marraiges of convenience or status enhancers, easy paths to a visa or an exciting life outside the tight confines of family; or are they real? If real, what is the glue that binds?
A Louisiana Justice of the Peace just resigned in America because of the flack he experienced for denying a marraige license to a multi-racial couple. Why would he do that in today's society? Why indeed. His reason: he was concerned the children would suffer the slings and arrows of social stigma. Perhaps an unreasonable fear in America but certainly not in Japan.
Why would anyone put themselves through marrying someone when they have no common ground to stand on and must confront an 'alien' culture, language and body habits 24/7? Love? What is love and how long does it last? Is it infatuation? Lust? A common goal in life - ticket out (or in)?
When Tevye asked his wife Golde, "Do you love me?", what did she say?
She thought the question was foolish, but she eventually admitted that, after 25 years of living and struggling together and raising five daughters, she did. How many today, inter anything or not, concider before their wedding day where they will be in twenty five years?
Do you love me?
In Japan we have heard many sad stories of children suffering from broken international/interracial marraiges between Japanese women and western men. Is there a more fundemental problem? Are these marraiges of convenience or status enhancers, easy paths to a visa or an exciting life outside the tight confines of family; or are they real? If real, what is the glue that binds?
A Louisiana Justice of the Peace just resigned in America because of the flack he experienced for denying a marraige license to a multi-racial couple. Why would he do that in today's society? Why indeed. His reason: he was concerned the children would suffer the slings and arrows of social stigma. Perhaps an unreasonable fear in America but certainly not in Japan.
Why would anyone put themselves through marrying someone when they have no common ground to stand on and must confront an 'alien' culture, language and body habits 24/7? Love? What is love and how long does it last? Is it infatuation? Lust? A common goal in life - ticket out (or in)?
When Tevye asked his wife Golde, "Do you love me?", what did she say?
She thought the question was foolish, but she eventually admitted that, after 25 years of living and struggling together and raising five daughters, she did. How many today, inter anything or not, concider before their wedding day where they will be in twenty five years?
Do you love me?
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