God & Religion

I don't believe that a God created the universe, earth, life, etc just seems to unlikely too me. I don't believe there is a heaven or hell, but I do believe in reincarnation. I think our souls live forever, and we just use different bodies as hosts. When one dies, the body stays, the soul moves on to eventually another host...

I guess I believe in the big bang theory. What caused the big bang or what was there before the big bang?

Could have been the result of 2 parallel universes colliding. What created those universes? Maybe other universes that collided, before those universes existed. Where did the other universes come from? Same thing, and it goes on and on. I believe there are infinite number of universes, and I believe that the superverse has always existed. Nothing ever created the superverse, it has always just been.
 
I do not believe that a god created the universe or life as we know it. I think that if there is a god and a heaven and god created man.. then, god created me to be the logical free thinker that I am. Thus, I can not see why I would be penalized for my thoughts or my need of proof before believing in something such as gods existence. I honestly hope that there is a god and that all of our questions regarding religion, space, time, etc will be answered in an after life but I find it hard to believe. I tend to believe that after death, all we are left with nothing more than an eternal dirt nap. I think the thing that I hate most about my belief is that I will never know if I was right or wrong.. if indeed I am right. As far as the bible goes.. well, I think that it is full of great moral stories but they are just that.. stories. Lets not forget that the same people that wrote the bible believed the world was flat. I certainly do not object to religion as I truly believe that many people need it in their lives. I am all for it as long as it is positive and helps my fellow man get through the day but for me, I just don't buy it.
 
The act of faith in God can only be fidelistic, as God cannot be logicially explained. If you try to, you only undermine your position. There is no proof of God, and any proofs that been produced, have been severely critizied, and dismissed.
I am a logical and free thinker and before I believe, I need sound reason, or compelling evidence that is compatible with logic, to believe.

God did not create the universe; he is the universe.
The theistic, or popular God cannot exist.

Having said that, I do believe in God, what I coin as the absolute reality, not a theistic or sentient God. The totality of this universe, the infinity of existence, is God to me. However this God has no relavence to me. I am not benefited in the slightest, wether he exists or doesn't exist. It is evident that this God is an ethical and moral relativist, and evil is his creation. It is evident that God is indifferent to our plight, wether we are happy or suffering; living or dying; existing or non-existing, does not matter to this God. So I am too, indifferent to this God.

In fact the physical God does not exist. Not the God everyone talks about. He is only an abstraction of the mind, but then, so is existence - and we don't exist.

What happens after I die? Do I go to heaven or hell?

At death, it is total cesseation of you, your memory, and your consciousness. However, you are quantumly regenerated as life again or reincarnated, but it is not you anymore, it's someone else. Life never ends, it is perpetually reborn. This is how the universe conserves life. Again, this has no relvance to you because you are erased the moment you are clinically dead.

There is no "soul" and nor is a soul required for reincarnation.. The principle of the rebirth cycle I stated above, is a scientific one, that energy is transferred from one form to another. The particles that compose one, will once again restructure to form a conscious organism.
We are a complex structure of atoms, that have combined to form us. Similarily, the atoms that bind us, will once again combine to form a consciouss organism again. This is logical.

Now, I have a hypothesis, that the universe may have a recycling system. Instead of atoms that were once constituents of a conscious entity, evolving over several millions of years, it redirects, or by implementing infinite mathmatical probability, those atoms to reform as a coded molecule for life; to conserve life. If the universe is a computer system, constantly recycling atoms to create other manifestaions, where individual atoms combine chaotically and eventually combine to form a simple organism, the system eventually knows the correct combination to form complex organisms, and when it recycles, a sub-routine is implemented, that virtually designs the organism to eliminate redundancy. Unblind chance.

In layman terms, once life is estalibed, the universe in the subsequent cycle, can do it more efficiently. It is based on these principles, that I theorize, that perhaps life is regenerated instanteously, after every cessation.
 
OK, Raj, in general I accept what you are saying. But here are a few questions that I'd like to hear and consider your views on:

1) We all seem agree to the reality of the physical. But does not the definition of something as "physical" immediately presuppose its contrapositive "aphysical" or "non-physical"? Sort of like the dichotomy of Hardware and Software...

2) Do you accept the concept of the "emergent properties of an integrated system"?

3) If the answer to (2) is "yes", then I wonder if you have a theory that would explain this concept in terms of knowledge acquisition and information entropy?

Kind Regards,
RainmanTime
 
Sure Rainman,

1) I hold that existence is only an abstraction of perception, and that many levels of existence, exist in duality. We can only exist because of our perception, without it, we do not know if we exist. Similarily, the physical can only exist, because it is perception of the non-physical. Existence is relatavistic to the frame of reference of the observer, and what we percieve to be the form of existence is like a circle of confusion.

To illustrate this: Think of a observing an X shape from a topological vantage on the surface of the earth with a variable and infinitely powerful microscope with infinite resolving power.

Zoom x 100: You see the shape of an X is composed of 1000 people arranged in the shape of an X
Zoom x 1000: You see a single person that is forming the shape of an X
Zoom x 10000: You see the celluar construct of that person
Zoom x 100000: You see the DNA and molecular construct of that person
Zoom x 1000000: You see the atomic construct of that person
Zoom x 10000000: You see the sub-atomic construct of that person
Zoom x 100000000: You see the quantum construct of that person
Zoom x 1000000000: You see the elementry field construct of that person
Zoom x 10000000000: You see the virtual quantum vacuum fluctuations of that person
Zoom x 100000000000: You see the quantum code of that person
Zoom x 1000000000000: You see the absolute

I have outlined 12 levels of existence there. At one extreme it is a visual X, and the lowest extreme it's absolute or a nothingness. Your abstraction of existence depends on your frame of reference. If you are a single person, your existence is the world you inhabit. If you are a cell, all that exists are other cells. If you are a molecule of DNA, all that exists is a combination of molecules. There is however one level of existence that is constant for all observers - that is the absolute reality.

Yes, I do beleive in emergent properies of an integrated system. Consciousness is the next abstraction of existence, it is the emergent properties of the aggregation of cells. You see, no single electrodynamic, cellular or atomic process can generate consciousness. It is when millions of these cells aggregate to form an aggregated object that illusion of consciousness emerges. The principles of artificial intelligence are similar.

How do I explain in the the form of information entropy and acquiring knowledge? The inclination towards order is intrinsic in nature in this universe and thus by unblind chance forms into a structure that graduates into increasing levels of complexity or the universe we are currently existing in is the result of a structured chaos, and an infinite number of parallel universes exist of disordered chaos. Each perception of existence, from the virtual quantum fluctuations to the cellular structure, are aggregations of the former. Once the system of consciousness is achieved, the process of aggregation becomes systamatic and sensory and the property of intelligence emerges that aggregates/develops with the aquisition of knowledge and manifests the systems of religion, philosophy, science and spirituality.

We are existence and an ongoing evolution. We only think we are subset from existence, when in reality, we are not.

God would have to be a specified complex entity to be conscious and intelligent. However, if he is a specified complex entity, he cannot exist without the aggregation of ordered chaos and being physicalized. Thus if God indeed exists, he has been caused, like all manifestations in the universe, and thus the distinction between man and God is thereby finite.
 
Thanks Raj!

After consideration of your answers, it is apparant to me that we are on the same page. I am in complete agreement with your statement that existence is all about perception. And as the great minds of science have shown us, perception hinges on a frame of reference....a point of view. Trying to explain "my" perception, without first establishing my point of reference, will often lead to disagreement and chaos... a breakdown of the process of integration and aggregation.

It is when millions of these cells aggregate to form an aggregated object that illusion of consciousness emerges. The principles of artificial intelligence are similar.
Indeed! I am right there beside you. Several years ago I wrote a technology paper on how to apply various concepts of AI (in an integrated fashion) to the problem of advanced Air Traffic Control that the FAA desperately needs to solve. The basis of this paper was to show how an aggregation and integration of 3 specific AI techniques (Fuzzy logic, neural networks, and non-linear chaos theory) will produce much more capable "emergent properties" than could be hoped for with any one of these approaches on their own. The "purists" from each of these AI technology areas could only pick apart the "negatives" from the two other techniques that they did not embrace....rather than seeing how the aggregation of all could serve to offset those negatives.

Once the system of consciousness is achieved, the process of aggregation becomes systamatic and sensory and the property of intelligence emerges that aggregates/develops with the aquisition of knowledge and manifests the systems of religion, philosophy, science and spirituality.
Very well put! You have framed the contextual build-up of these emergent systems in an easy-to-understand way (at least for me). In fact, what you are talking about here is what I believe to be the scientific basis for the "coming Cosmic Event" we've been discussing on the TT board! This is why I reject "CosmicEvent" and his fear mongering. The coming event simply represents the next level of emergence...the next systemic evolution that directly results from the aggregation of the individual subsystems of religion, philosophy, science, and spirituality. This is why I maintain it will be a joyous event...because it is the next, natural extension of our long history of evolution!

Although, in my own personal "system block diagram", I tend to classify any one religion as a mere instantiation of the wider system of spirituality.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Kind Regards,
RainmanTime
 
Raj, you said the magic words! G-d did not create the universe; he is the universe. It's about life inside of life inside of life...

And your microscope description was extraordinary!

But think for a moment at the high conceptual level you're at, that (as you say G-d) is the universe and we are somewhere/part within, than perhaps we in ourselves are as G-ds to our cells, and "we" serve the creator just like the very cells of our body serve us.

(As the Bible describes it,) Our bodies are the temple of G-d.

Now, if that is so than would it not be possible that we could, in some way, communicate or have control over in some way or form the cells of our body? Well yes we could by controlling what we eat and exercise. Most importantly, our behavior, which controls most of our hormones that regulate our bodies.

Would it be fair to say that G-d is certainly a separate more intelegeant, higher/bigger consciousness and is in the same ways controlling us, as we are one in the same? The creator is interior as well as exterior at the same time.

Consider what religion really is? The very first language (integrated letters) (the Hebrew mother tongue) and commandments later given to Moses. Are they a communication link from his body to ours? I certainly think so. And what were the laws made for? To keep our bodies healty, both mentally and physically...All in combination to keep (the whole) body healthy...

This coming cosmic event is the aging of the labor and birth pains process...

Doctors today have many theories of what prompts labor birth. Some believe it is a hormone that is released causing the walls of the uterus into contraction. While others believe it is the baby itself that determines this signal? I think it is a combination of both.
 
Thanks Rainman,

Although, in my own personal "system block diagram", I tend to classify any one religion as a mere instantiation of the wider system of spirituality.

Many of the religions of the world are extremely theistic, primitive, and outdated. However, spirituality, is a more advanced form of religion, where the empthasis is not on fictional gods, and beings, but on one self, the well being of our kind, and our purpose. The systems of science, relgion and philosophy are derived from each other, they are not completely exclusive, and they continuously evolve with time, untill there comes a point where philosophy, spirituality and physics, confluence. For instance, a lot of the cutting-edge cosmology and physics accord largely with timeless metaphysical systems of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. It could be said, that the answers to all our questions, maybe within us, we just need to be able look within ourselves.
 
Thanks for your compliments CAT,

I do not really think God, the absolute reality, is conscious or sentinent. I believe that consciousness is an emergent property of the aggegation of cells. As cells are the emergent properies of the aggregation of molecules. Consciousness itself is a superfluous concept, it creates the illusion of seperation from the universe, when we are not seperate from the universe. In fact the universe itself is holographic and everything that seems to exist is the imagination of the absolute reality.
 
Raj, The creator is a conscious sentinent entity, I can assure you! He is well beyond our level of conception and understanding and that is why we cannot phanthom the thought.

Even now at the medical stages we are at in present history we have developed medicinal tools to control our body. Medicines that prevent and cure diseases, Vaccines, surgical procedures, technical scanning machines that help us communicate with the body and the new emergence and ongoing government research on nanobots.

Think for a moment what would happen if such nanobots did exist?

It would bring about changes unimaginable!

No longer would our limits be dependant on natures engineering.

The engineering materials that are the most efficient will all take on fractal like internal structures, sierpinski like and others.

But no other field will benefit the most from nano technology like the science of medicine. Genetic engineering which will allowed us to duplicate organs, enhance the immune system, but nano-technology will enhanced our bodies on the fly. Tissue could be repaired immediately leaving no scars. Even if an individual had under gone a life threatening accident nanobots could preserve life and repair the damage. No virus or bacteria could adapt to over come the nano devices, they are invincible! Raj, is this not a form of "communication" with our body?

As nano technology flourishes so will the industry of virtual reality with full immersion. Replacing our biological neural circuits with better faster systems by slowly annihilating biological neurons with new and improved neurons, we can now thinks at the speed of light.

With virtual reality and nano wiring our brains we could be everywhere through a process of "Emulation" and "particle entanglement", now we can think at the speed of light we could carry on thousands of conversations simultaneously, exist is multiple places at the same time and yet still have the awareness of one "self", its mind boggling considering at present we can only think at most 30 cycles a second.

But even so in the process of all this technology we will have learned to communicate exterior as well as interior with every macro and micro space inbetween with the function of our biological bodies.

Question Raj, would we not be considered G-dly at this point? We "humanity" might finally be able to answer the one question about ourselves?

The man upstairs is there...and he can communicate with us at "all" levels and depths of understanding...He is the whole system inside and out with full access of "concious" communication...
 
Hi Cat,

I do not believe God is conscious, because

1) Conscioisness is the emergent property of the aggregation of cells. It is the illusion of seperation, and it is superflouous. Consciousness is only another manifestation, it is not the prime directive of existence. Look around you, compare the volume of unconscious manifestation in this world to the conscious manifestations; not only is there more unconscious manifestation, but it outnumbers us in the orders of trillions. On the cosmic scale, it outnumbers us infinitely. Therefore, why, should the absolute reality of the universe, be conscious?

God has to be a specified complex entity to be conscious, and thus like all manifestations in the universe, he is a cause of the universe, then he is not God. You said, that God is beyond our level of incomprehension, do you realise, by claiming he is conscious and sentient, you are comprehending him, thus you are undermining your own position.

2) There is evil in this world, that is also manifestation of God. If God is sentinent, and conscious, and allows evil, then why isn't he Satan?

Nanotechnology and Artificial intelligence will drastically transform socieity, and our capabilities. However, why do you assume, we will be moving about like today, or become super conscious. I believe, the next stage of existence, is the suspended state, where we exist in virtual worlds projected by artificial intelligence, in realities built to our conditions. A Matrix, you may call it. Technically, we do exist in a quantum matrix, even today, and perhaps even an artificial one.

I don't really worry about God, all I know is, that there is some absolute reality where all exists, and doesn't exist, but I don't know the purpose of it all, and to be honest, I don't really think there is a purpose.
 
Raj, Science will conduct us, step by step, through the whole range of creation, until we arrive, at length, at G-d. The universe says nothing about whether or not G-d exists, just that he is not "arbitrary". But how could we possibly think that we already now enough about the natural world to be confident about the totality of forces in finalizing a conclusion that consciousness is the emergent property of the aggregation of cells?

Don't get me wrong Raj, I think you are brilliant in this realization, but to me the universe looks more like a great thought, than a machine.
 
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