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Sagan Meditation for the Day
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| GaryE 2006-02-26, 12:50 pm |
| The idea that God is an oversized white male with a flowing beard who
sits in the sky and tallies the fall of every sparrow is ludicrous.
But if by God one means the set of physical laws that govern the
universe, then clearly there is such a God. This God is emotionally
unsatisfying... it does not make much sense to pray to the law of
gravity. [Carl Sagan]
You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not
based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believe. [Carl
Sagan]
You see, the religious people -- most of them -- really think this
planet is an experiment. That's what their beliefs come down to. Some
god or other is always fixing and poking, messing around with
tradesmen's wives, giving tablets on mountains, commanding you to
mutilate your children, telling people what words they can say and
what words they can't say, making people feel guilty about enjoying
themselves, and like that. Why can't the gods let well enough alone?
All this intervention speaks of incompetence. If God didn't want Lot's
wife to look back, why didn't he make her obedient, so she'd do what
her husband told her? Or if he hadn't made Lot such a shithead, maybe
she would have listened to him more. If God is omnipotent and
omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so
it would come out the way he wants? Why's he constantly repairing and
complaining? No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical
God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not good
at execution. He'd be out of business if there was any competition.
[Carl Sagan, character Sol Hadden in _Contact_, 1985]
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"GaryE" <garyexxxxxxx@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:icr302lsduvgs25luv0g9jpoaa6ntnju84@4ax.com...
> The idea that God is an oversized white male with a flowing beard who
> sits in the sky and tallies the fall of every sparrow is ludicrous.
> But if by God one means the set of physical laws that govern the
> universe, then clearly there is such a God. This God is emotionally
> unsatisfying... it does not make much sense to pray to the law of
> gravity. [Carl Sagan]
Snickers are only satisfying if you eat them.
>
> You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not
> based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believe. [Carl
> Sagan]
I beelleeeee ya!
>
> You see, the religious people -- most of them -- really think this
> planet is an experiment. That's what their beliefs come down to. Some
> god or other is always fixing and poking, messing around with
> tradesmen's wives, giving tablets on mountains, commanding you to
> mutilate your children, telling people what words they can say and
> what words they can't say, making people feel guilty about enjoying
> themselves, and like that. Why can't the gods let well enough alone?
> All this intervention speaks of incompetence. If God didn't want Lot's
> wife to look back, why didn't he make her obedient, so she'd do what
> her husband told her? Or if he hadn't made Lot such a shithead, maybe
> she would have listened to him more. If God is omnipotent and
> omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so
> it would come out the way he wants? Why's he constantly repairing and
> complaining? No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical
> God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not good
> at execution. He'd be out of business if there was any competition.
> [Carl Sagan, character Sol Hadden in _Contact_, 1985]
>
>
From the Daily Herald, a Utah newspaper:
"1. Monitor the spouse's Internet habits. Be aware especially of sites
containing the phrases "exmo," "research," or "critical thinking." If you're
not sure of a site's evil intent, look for quotes from Carl Sagan..."
Bwaahahahahahahahhahahhaha imagine the evils of critical thinking!!! You're
outa here beee-otch!!!
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| elzoid 2006-02-27, 12:51 am |
| BP wrote:
> "GaryE" <garyexxxxxxx@swbell.net> wrote in message
> news:icr302lsduvgs25luv0g9jpoaa6ntnju84@4ax.com...
>
> Snickers are only satisfying if you eat them.
>
>
> I beelleeeee ya!
>
>
> From the Daily Herald, a Utah newspaper:
>
> "1. Monitor the spouse's Internet habits. Be aware especially of sites
> containing the phrases "exmo," "research," or "critical thinking." If you're
> not sure of a site's evil intent, look for quotes from Carl Sagan..."
> Bwaahahahahahahahhahahhaha imagine the evils of critical thinking!!! You're
> outa here beee-otch!!!
Carl Sagan is evil. That's more outrageous than I thought possible even
of funny mentalists.
LOL,
Mike
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"elzoid" <melzey@insight.rr.com> wrote in message
news:1141003740.772710.6150@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> BP wrote:
you're[vbcol=seagreen]
You're[vbcol=seagreen]
>
> Carl Sagan is evil. That's more outrageous than I thought possible even
> of funny mentalists.
>
> LOL,
> Mike
>
Well, this cult is stranger than the funds, and probably more dangerous in a
stealthy way.
"Mormon missions are geographic regions established by the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in which its volunteer full-time missionaries
proselytize. It was reported in the April 2005 General Conference of the
Church that there are currently 338 missions worldwide which include
50,000-60,000 missionaries."
Holy XXXXing A shit.
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| BP wrote:
> "elzoid" <melzey@insight.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:1141003740.772710.6150@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
>
> you're
>
>
> You're
>
>
> Well, this cult is stranger than the funds, and probably more dangerous in a
> stealthy way.
>
> "Mormon missions are geographic regions established by the Church of Jesus
> Christ of Latter-day Saints in which its volunteer full-time missionaries
> proselytize. It was reported in the April 2005 General Conference of the
> Church that there are currently 338 missions worldwide which include
> 50,000-60,000 missionaries."
>
> Holy XXXXing A shit.
Garden variety religion of my forebears.
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| marioneta del calcetín 2006-02-27, 10:51 am |
|
"GaryE" <garyexxxxxxx@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:icr302lsduvgs25luv0g9jpoaa6ntnju84@4ax.com...
> The idea that God is an oversized white male with a flowing beard
> who
> sits in the sky and tallies the fall of every sparrow is ludicrous.
> But if by God one means the set of physical laws that govern the
> universe, then clearly there is such a God. This God is emotionally
> unsatisfying... it does not make much sense to pray to the law of
> gravity. [Carl Sagan]
>
> You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not
> based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believe.
> [Carl Sagan]
Sagan's work as evidenced here, that of a comic pretending to apply
science, has apparently tapped a deep seated need of his devotees to
believe he was at worst a scientist pretending to be a comic.
Perhaps the association with tardiness of "hanging by the balls" is
unknown in America? Could explain if no Christian (with appropriate
gravity) risked the ire of Sagan's believers by asking him if he had
no balls to be hung by. That would obviate a potential plea to the
Creator of Gravity, wouldn't it 
>
> You see, the religious people -- most of them -- really think this
> planet is an experiment. That's what their beliefs come down to.
> Some
> god or other is always fixing and poking, messing around with
> tradesmen's wives, giving tablets on mountains, commanding you to
> mutilate your children, telling people what words they can say and
> what words they can't say, making people feel guilty about enjoying
> themselves, and like that. Why can't the gods let well enough
> alone?
> All this intervention speaks of incompetence. If God didn't want
> Lot's
> wife to look back, why didn't he make her obedient, so she'd do
> what
> her husband told her? Or if he hadn't made Lot such a shithead,
> maybe
> she would have listened to him more. If God is omnipotent and
> omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place
> so
> it would come out the way he wants? Why's he constantly repairing
> and
> complaining? No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The
> biblical
> God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not
> good
> at execution. He'd be out of business if there was any competition.
> [Carl Sagan, character Sol Hadden in _Contact_, 1985]
>
>
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"marioneta del calcetín" <marioneta@nopam.com> wrote in message
news:dtuvsj$7uh$1@emma.aioe.org...
>
> Sagan's work as evidenced here, that of a comic pretending to apply
> science, has apparently tapped a deep seated need of his devotees to
> believe he was at worst a scientist pretending to be a comic.
Indeed, Dr. Sagan was a wannabe scientist, sure.
Carl Sagan (1934-1996), David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space
Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell
University. Co-founder and President of The Planetary Society, served as
Distinguished Visiting Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California
Institute of Technology. Dr. Sagan has received the Pulitzer Prize, the
Oersted Medal, and many other awards - including eighteen honorary degrees
from American colleges and universities, oh yeah, and house clown at Comedy
Central, sure.
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| marioneta del calcetín 2006-02-27, 5:51 pm |
| "BP" <efU@efme.net> wrote in message
news:ujHMf.1342$kg.830@news02.roc.ny...
>
;)
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"marioneta del calcetín" <marioneta@nopam.com> wrote in message
news:dtvmqo$ko3$1@emma.aioe.org...
> "BP" <efU@efme.net> wrote in message
> news:ujHMf.1342$kg.830@news02.roc.ny...
>
> ;)
>
>
;P~~~~~~
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