T8,Did you miss, or purposely ignore, this question:Quote Now before you claim that this multiple universe must have a beginning, answer this question: Does your god have to have a beginning?  If not, what quality does this god possess that could not be ascribed to the “multi-verse” that I am describing?Your response seems to indicate that you…[Read more]

Quote (karmarie @ Feb. 26 2010,02:34)Quote (WhatIsTrue @ Feb. 26 2010,09:23)Just curious, but do Christians actually agree on anything?I have observed over the course of my bible studies that for every doctrine there seems to be two opposing camps within Christianity, and both sides claim biblical support.  So, my question is:Can you name one…[Read more]

T8,O ye of little imagination.Option 5: The universe does not have a beginning (in the sense that you mean it).  Perhaps the universe is part of a larger N-dimensional system that has multiple universes that expand and collapse continuously, without beginning or end.Now before you claim that this multiple universe must have a beginning, answer…[Read more]

Quote (bodhitharta @ Jan. 17 2010,03:18)Quote (WhatIsTrue @ Jan. 17 2010,06:54)Quote (bodhitharta @ Jan. 16 2010,06:29)Quote (WhatIsTrue @ Jan. 16 2010,07:42)Quote (bodhitharta @ Jan. 15 2010,10:14)Quote (WhatIsTrue @ Jan. 15 2010,14:41)bodhitharta wrote:Quote The problem with your response is that it didn't answer my question. When slavery was…[Read more]

Quote (bodhitharta @ Jan. 16 2010,06:29)Quote (WhatIsTrue @ Jan. 16 2010,07:42)Quote (bodhitharta @ Jan. 15 2010,10:14)Quote (WhatIsTrue @ Jan. 15 2010,14:41)bodhitharta wrote:Quote The problem with your response is that it didn't answer my question. When slavery was perfectly acceptable in America it was because of Social Capital which is really…[Read more]

Quote (bodhitharta @ Jan. 15 2010,10:14)Quote (WhatIsTrue @ Jan. 15 2010,14:41)bodhitharta wrote:Quote The problem with your response is that it didn't answer my question. When slavery was perfectly acceptable in America it was because of Social Capital which is really just another word for Politics. What stopped slavery in America was Religion…[Read more]

bodhitharta wrote:Quote The problem with your response is that it didn't answer my question. When slavery was perfectly acceptable in America it was because of Social Capital which is really just another word for Politics. What stopped slavery in America was Religion and the belief in God.Let me try this again, since you clearly missed the…[Read more]

bodhitharta wrote:Quote You are being inconsistent if there is no God how could someone be labled as being depraved?What are you talking about people do have sex with animals and their relatives are you saying their wrong and if you are by what standard are you judging by?And why would consent matter once that person dies according to you that's…[Read more]

Quote (bodhitharta @ Jan. 13 2010,02:46)Quote (WhatIsTrue @ Jan. 13 2010,02:14)kejonn wrote:Quote And before you call out some NDE story, it is always rather amazing that NDE tales often match what a person believe religiously, or has been exposed to in any case. A Hindu never exposed to Abrahamic ideas of an afterlife will not recite an NDE that…[Read more]

kejonn wrote:Quote And before you call out some NDE story, it is always rather amazing that NDE tales often match what a person believe religiously, or has been exposed to in any case. A Hindu never exposed to Abrahamic ideas of an afterlife will not recite an NDE that matches the Abrahamic “heaven”, but rather a Hindu version.From what I have…[Read more]

Quote We are discussing the most complex machine we know of, the human brain, and like weather forecasting there are so many variables that I think predicting the nuances of emotional response is going to be a bigger task than even the brain itself would be capable of.Agreed.  But, in the end, you are saying that we are no different than your…[Read more]

My apologies.  I agree with you that the statements you highlighted indicate a pseudo-scientific approach by the author.  I should have explained that I only intended the link as a quick resource to documented NDEs.  Each cited NDE has a link to further documentation of the incident.  Ignoring the author's claims about what conclusions should be…[Read more]

Stu,I was on vacation, etc. for a few weeks so I didn't get a chance to respond, although to some extent, I think that we are at an impasse anyway.While I agree that the twin study indicates a genetic component in personality, it certainly does not fully explain an individual's personality.  There are certainly other factors.As for the…[Read more]

Quote These are metaphorical terms invented by people who had no means of determining the biochemistry and mathematical processes of the human brain. You may as well ask me to comment on how the removal of Adam's rib to make Eve fits into the scientific model of evolution by natural selection.Previously, you were quite happy to run with the…[Read more]

Fair enough Stu.Have a look at this from Webster's dictionary:spirit: the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person.Or, since you are more loyal to the queen's English, take a look at this from Oxford's:spirit: a person’s non-physical being, composed of their character and emotionsSo, if I were to define consciousness in a n…[Read more]

First of all, I am discussing consciousness in general – human or otherwise.  Secondly, I am interested in delineating mechanical processes from non-mechanical processes.  Computers are obviously an example of the former.  I am interested in whether or not you can define 'thinking' in the same way.  Can you?

Quote Obviously we are capable of a recursive thinking process, one that develops metacognition.Let's stop right there.So what you are saying is that a recursive thinking process is necessary for metacognition which in turn is the precursor for “awareness” or “knowing”.Great.  I understand what a recursive process is, but what is “thinking”?…[Read more]

Quote Give me the parts of the definition you think are missing?What are all the functions necessary for consciousness to work (or be present)?  In other words, what specific elements make consciousness different from the kind of information processing that millions of computers perform on a daily basis? Are these elements physical or abstract…[Read more]

From the opening post:Quote From my own research, it appears that Stu is way off-base.  Consciousness certainly has not been explained in terms of the physical world, (i.e. chemical or mechanical processes).  It seems to go beyond the ability of scientists to measure or explain.I am simply trying to establish that the probable explanation for c…[Read more]

Stu,Have you chosen not to answer my questions, or are you still formulating an answer?