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It's great to see that at last scientists are open to new possibilities about extraterrestrial life.
This is good because the more open we are to this possibility the sooner this aliens will show up. It's evident, if aliens see that humanity accept the existence of them they will be more confident to show up.
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Science and Nature
Being that proving a negative is next to impossible according to atheists, what is the sense in being an atheist?
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Science and Nature
Is gravity a theory or fact?
Was the moon landing a hoax?
Was Area 51, Roswell, the alien autopsy that was hosted by Mr. Frakes a hoax?
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Miscellaneous
Most science is nonsense. While true, it goes without saying because it's like everything.
Approx. 3-minute video
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Science and Nature
Does said theist(s) have a burden of proof for the God they believe in according to their religion?
Why or why not?
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Science and Nature
There is a scientific medical reality of the human sinuses. We sneeze for a reason.
After a sneeze , there's a phrase "God bless you".
An atheist that says this phrase after someone sneezes, is it a contradiction to that atheist's reality?
Not just this example but perhaps Christmas, Easter, the dollar bill.
Shifting gears .
Speaking of God , Christmas, onto Jews.
I believe or understand compensation has been made to them.
What are you thoughts on reparations for "black" folks?
Speaking of the minorities as they are called, how does the system of "white" supremacy affect you?
Does it benefit your life or hinder it?
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Miscellaneous
I know this is a topic that'll continue on until death.
But give concise clear cut reasons to why most likely there is just no consciousness ever again after death, no creator God, no life and or reincarnation.
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Miscellaneous
Who disagrees?
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Miscellaneous
- "“Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases,” found that children who suddenly adopted transgender identities in adolescence skewed heavily female and frequently had preexisting mental health issues."
- "The paper found evidence that youth experiencing ROGD were involved in transgender social media groups and peer groups. It also found that youth with mental health problems were more likely to have socially and medically transitioned than those without."
- "Transgender gun owners, some of whom have armed themselves out of fear of a “genocide” of transgender people, have flocked to the 5,600-member r/transguns subreddit forum, sharing photos of themselves with rifles and tactical gear and discussing plans to defend themselves from “transphobia,”"
- "R/transguns users widely believe that transgender people are at a heightened risk of violent persecution and must be armed to defend themselves, according to the subreddit’s top posts. Their beliefs echo the rhetoric of trans activists, who frequently suggest transgender people are the victims of widespread violent persecution and are assaulted and killed because of their gender identity."
- "Seven months after the academic journal PLOS ONE indicated plans to seek further expert assessment on a study focused on “rapid-onset gender dysphoria,” the journal has republished the research with a series of corrections and updates by the study’s author to address concerns raised in the journal’s reassessment."
- "The notice of republication from PLOS ONE states: “After publication of this article... questions were raised that prompted the journal to conduct a post-publication reassessment... involving senior members of the journal’s editorial team, two Academic Editors, a statistics reviewer, and an external expert reviewer."
- "A transgender psychologist who has helped hundreds of teens transition has warned that it has “gone too far” — and fears many are making life-changing decisions because it’s “trendy” and pushed on social media."
- "Anderson is so concerned, in fact, she said she is considering ending her own pioneering work helping teens transition.“I have these private thoughts: ‘This has gone too far. It’s going to get worse. I don’t want any part of it,’ ” she said."
- "A major scientific journal has retracted a study on the social contagion of transgenderism in young adults and adolescents after transgender activists demanded the outlet retract the article and fire the editor responsible."
- "On May 5, a group of five transgender activist groups, including the “Center for Applied Transgender Studies,” and many individuals published an open letter demanding the retraction of the study “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases” and calling for the firing of the journal’s editor, Dr. Kenneth Zucker."
- "A prestigious U.S. medical journal retracted a study that claimed that “gender reassignment” procedures brought mental health benefits. This happened after its authors admitted that the study found “no advantage to surgery” and that those who have had “gender reassignment” surgery “were more likely to be treated for anxiety disorders.”"
- "Springer Nature is doubling down on its decision to retract a controversial paper about trans-identifying teens and their parents. Despite nearly 2,000 researchers and academics signing a letter in support of the article, Springer nonetheless decided to retract the paper without disciplining its editor."
- "As punishment, activists flung every insult and accusation — no matter how baseless or horrifying — at Bailey that they thought might squash his book and its insights."
- "Although Walsh never arrives at a satisfactory answer on what a woman is, he does shed light on transgenderism, which is effectively a modern-day cult. Its adherents preach a false gospel of salvation to vulnerable people who lack the reasoning or emotional capacity to resist. As part of their conversion, these converts are drawn away from their communities and brainwashed to hate their former selves—making them even more vulnerable to manipulation. By the end, they are so thoroughly deluded that they distrust everything and everyone and ultimately give up their lives to the cult."
The Cracks in the Edifice of Transgender Totalitarianism - Public Discourse (thepublicdiscourse.com)
- "This is especially true in cases of so-called Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, in which previously normal teenagers (usually girls) suddenly announce their desire to transition to the opposite sex. It is readily apparent how a teenager struggling with severe or even common adolescent angst could be lured into such a group."
- "Perhaps transgenderism is better described as a form of “social contagion.” This term refers to “the spread of ideas, feelings and, some think, neuroses through a community or group by suggestion, gossip, imitation, etc.” The explosion of cases of gender dysphoria, previously an exceedingly rare condition, over the last few years has coincided with a meteoric increase in sympathetic attention to the topic in regular and social media—thus suggesting social contagion. Parents whose children “come out” as transgender when their friends do certainly agree with this explanation.""
- "Knowles pretends to claim transgenderism and transgender people are two different things, and he was careful to use the “ism.” He said, “There can be no middle way in dealing with transgenderism. It is all or nothing.”"
Michael Knowles is not wrong:
"The problem with transgenderism is that it isn't true. The problem with transgenderism is that it puts forward a delusional vision of human nature that denies the reality and importance of sexual difference and complementarity. The problem with transgenderism is that its acceptance at any level necessarily entails the complete destruction of women's bathrooms, women's sports, all of the specific rights and spaces that women currently enjoy.There can be no middle way in dealing with transgenderism. It is all or nothing. If transgenderism is true, if men really can become women, then it's true for everybody of all ages. If transgenderism is false as it is, if men really can't become women as they cannot, then it's false for everybody too. And if it's false, then we should not indulge it. Especially since that indulgence requires taking away the rights and customs of so many people.If it is false, then for the good of society and especially for the good of the poor people who have fallen prey to this confusion, transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely. The whole preposterous ideology at every level."
Discuss.
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Current events
Thank you, President Eisgruber, for that kind introduction. Members of the faculty; distinguished guests; family members and friends of the graduates; and you, the 2022 graduating class of Princeton University. It is a pleasure and an honor to be your Class Day speaker, and it is exciting for me to share this fun and celebratory day with you.
I have had the privilege of delivering remarks at a number of graduation exercises over the years. More often than not, I have referred to my own graduation from college many years ago and drawn certain analogies between myself and the students. to illustrate that in the common landmark of college graduation, we likely had shared feelings and common experiences. Clearly, in one respect that does not readily apply to your Class.
The profound ways COVID-19 has disrupted your student years are unprecedented. Viewing the situation from my vantage point at the National Institutes of Health and as a member of the White House COVID Response Team, I have a sincere and heartfelt message to each of you. Years from now, as you recall your experience here at Princeton over the past 2- and one-half years, it will be clear that COVID left an indelible mark on you and your entire generation. Having said that, I am in awe of you all since each of you deserves enormous credit and respect for your extraordinary adaptability, resilience, and dedication to learning, completing your studies, and graduating despite immense difficulties and uncertainties.
Now truth be told, when I think back on my own graduation from college, I cannot remember a word of what the commencement speaker said. And so, years from now I do not expect you to remember what I say. But in the next few minutes, I hope to kindle in you some thoughts.
First:
Expect the unexpected. This is an enduring issue that continues to confront me to this day. Planning one’s path in life is something we all do to a greater or lesser degree. You already have done that to some extent by having chosen Princeton for your undergraduate education. However, in my own experience, some of the most impactful events and directions in my life have been completely unanticipated and unplanned. You are at a period in your lives of virtually unlimited potential and so please keep a completely open mind and do not shy away from dreaming impossible dreams and seizing unanticipated opportunities.
Let me describe an example of such a completely unanticipated challenge and opportunity that profoundly impacted the direction of my career and my entire life.
After graduating from medical school and following years of residency and fellowship training, I began a journey in 1972 as a young clinical investigator at the National Institutes of Health. Over the next nine years, I progressed to what many considered a very successful, safe, and comfortable career in investigative medicine. My future seemed settled. Then, in June 1981 — 41 years ago next month — my life took a turn. I remember quite clearly sitting in my NIH office reading in a CDC report about a handful of cases of an unusual pneumonia among gay men in Los Angeles. A month later, 26 additional cases among gay men from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City, not only with this unusual pneumonia but also other rare infections and cancer, were described in a second CDC report. We did not realize it at the time, but we were witnessing the evolution of one of the worse public health scourges in recent memory – the HIV/AIDS pandemic. I became totally engrossed in and fascinated by this mysterious new disease that did not yet have a name or an etiologic agent. I am still not sure what drove me to do this, but I decided right then and there to make an abrupt turn in the direction of my career, abandon my other research pursuits and investigate the pathogenesis of this mysterious disease. My mentors were horrified and insisted that I was making a career-ending mistake and that this disease would amount to nothing. However, the subsequent emergence of the AIDS pandemic, and my decision to pivot and devote my efforts to this unexpected public health challenge transformed my professional career, if not my entire life, and put me on the path that I am on to this very day.
Now, obviously, not every opportunity or challenge you encounter will influence your careers or your lives or be as dramatic as a mysterious infectious disease outbreak. However, please believe me that you will confront the same types of unpredictable events that I have experienced, regardless of what directions your careers or lives take. And so, expect the unexpected, and stay heads up for an unanticipated opportunity should it present itself. Of course, listen to advice of others who care about you, but at the end of the day, go with your own gut. It can be rewarding, exciting and potentially career- and life-altering.
Next -
The Failings in Our Society.
Our country’s experience with COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on one of the great failings in our society: the lack of health equity. As a physician, I feel that I must highlight this for you today. COVID-19 has exposed longstanding inequities that have undermined the physical, social, economic, and emotional health of racial and ethnic minorities. Many members of minority groups are at increased risk of COVID-19 simply because the jobs they have as essential workers do not allow them to isolate from social activity. More importantly, when people in minority groups are infected with the coronavirus, they have a much greater likelihood of developing a severe consequence due to elevated rates of underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic lung disease, among others, that lead to an increased risk of hospitalization and death.
Very few of these conditions are racially determined. Almost all relate to social determinants of health experienced since birth, including the limited availability of a healthful diet, substandard housing, the lack of access to health care, and tragically, the restrictions and pressures experienced to this day because of the undeniable racism that persists in our society.
Let us promise ourselves that our “corporate memory” of the tragic reality of the inequities experienced with COVID-19 does not fade after we return to our new normal. It will take a decades-long commitment for society to address these disparities. I strongly urge you to be part of that commitment. Together we must find the strength, wisdom, ingenuity, and empathy to address these entrenched elements of injustice, manifested in so many subtle and overt ways, and work with all our might to remedy the cultural disease of racism, just as we fight the viral disease of COVID-19.
Which brings me to my next point of discussion:
Public service and social responsibility. I sincerely believe that regardless of our career paths, we cannot look the other way from pressing societal issues. There are many communities in our own country and globally that are challenged by poverty, drug abuse, violence, inadequate education, discrimination, and despair. Some of you may devote your future careers and lives to directly addressing these societal issues. Understandably, most of you will not. In this regard, public service does not necessarily mean a profession or avocation devoted entirely to public service. One can incorporate elements of public service into your lives regardless of your career choice. This might require your exercising a quality which is my next point of discussion.
Leadership. You are graduating from an extraordinary institution. The very fact that you were chosen to be part of this outstanding Princeton class in my mind puts something of a burden of responsibility upon at least some of you to assume leadership roles in our society. It does not necessarily have to be designated leadership. Leadership can take many forms, including the quiet and subtle leadership of example.
Which brings me to my next issue.
Our Divided Nation. I have spent my entire professional career in Washington, D.C., as a scientist, a physician, and a public health official. Although that career path is fundamentally devoid of politics in the classic sense, being in Washington has allowed me to experience first-hand the intensity of the divisiveness in our nation.
What troubles me is that differences of opinion or ideology have in certain situations been reflected by egregious distortions of reality. Sadly, elements of our society have grown increasingly inured to a cacophony of falsehoods and lies that often stand largely unchallenged, ominously leading to an insidious acceptance of what I call the “normalization of untruths.”
We see this happen daily, with falsehoods propagated through a range of information platforms by a spectrum of people, including, sad to say, certain elected officials in positions of power. Yet, the outrage and dissent against this alarming trend has been muted and mild.
If you take away nothing else from what I say today, I appeal to you, please remember this: It is our collective responsibility not to shrug our shoulders and sink to a tacit acceptance of the normalization of untruths. Because if we do, lies become dominant and reality is distorted. And then truth means nothing, integrity means nothing, facts mean nothing.
This is how a society deteriorates into a way of life where veracity becomes subservient to propaganda rather than being upheld as our guiding principle.
Seek and listen to opinions that differ from your own. But apply your abilities to critically analyze and examine, which you have honed here at Princeton, to discern and challenge weak assertions built on untruths. As future leaders in our society, we are counting on you for that.
In closing, I have been speaking to you over the past few minutes about the serious issues that we are facing in our current world. And so, putting this serious business aside for a moment, I want to close with a reminder about the joyousness of life and what a bright future you all have. Allow yourselves to cultivate this joy as much as you do your professional accomplishments. Find your source of joy and happiness and fully embrace it. And think upon your future as that stated by the American Political Theorist John H. Schaar: “The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination”
Congratulations to you, to your families, and to your loved ones. Good luck and God bless you.
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Current events
Did you know that concepts made popular in science fiction were first in the bible?
I won't post the passages unless asked, but here are a few of those concepts, found only in the Bible 2,000 years ago. Some have stopped being fiction, but I find it amazing that a book dismissed as the writings if illiterate goatherds could contain sophisticated concept that would take the world Years to discover.
1. Time travel - The bible has the concept within it that time is fluid and relative, and movement forwards or backwards in time is possible.
2. Teleportation - there are instances of instantaneous teleportation in the bible. Today, scientists are able to teleport elementary particles, but are working to get results with larger loads. But the concept was in the bible all along.
3. Water in the mantle of the Earth. A lot of it. So much that Scientists today are considering changing their theories about how the Earth got water. But 2,000 years ago, the concept was in the bible.
4. The concept of Genetics - The bible has stories of how genetics were used to get animals with desired characteristics more than 2,000 years ago.
5. Different Dimensions - Only the bible has this concept of "outside" the created universe, where not only is there no "time", but that instances there are not synchronous with time inside the universe.
My intent here is not to prove the bible true because it has these concepts, but to marvel that such advanced concepts are in the bible at all.
When science one day makes possible something we presently call a miracle, will we still doubt the miracle?
Even the concept of the attributes of God are unique to Christianity.
Omniscience - that God knows all that can be known is an advance concept, treated with much more nuance in the bible than skeptics usually admit.
Omnipotence - In the bible, omnipotence is not just that God is more powerful than anyone else, but that all power in the universe is His power, even the power used by His enemies. The bible treats energy as if it is all the same thing within the universe.
Omnipresence - This concept in the bible treats physical location within the universe as if it is spacetime, not just space. A concept it took man thousands of years to develop.
Immutability - This concept came to the fore when scientists discovered elementary particles. These particles are more energy than matter, and we now know energy cannot be changed. Immutability may be built into the universe! But 2,000 years ago, the concept was in the bible.
Finally, the concept of eternity. That God is eternal is not simply that He lasts forever, but that He is not bound by time. This is a concept made understandable by Einstein. And this means that God is the only non-relative observer in the universe. A very high concept indeed!
Is it not amazing that these complex concepts are in a document dated at 6,000 to 2,000 years ago?
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Religion
Here's a little thought experiment I've been playing with:
1. The universe at a quantum level shows properties of "emerging", that is, at fundamental level, matter behaves like information in a computer code.
2. It is quite possible the universe is a computer simulation on an unimaginable scale
3. If the universe is a computer simulation, it would require a computer simulator.
4. A being that encoded the universe into existence would be able to exercise complete control over this simulation
5. Such a being could be considered omnipotent.
6. A being outside the simulation would not be subject to it's nature, and possess another nature entirely. A being of this nature could be considered ultimate reality
7. An omnipotent ultimate reality is God.
Therefore God exists.
Any thoughts? What do you agree with? What do you disagree? Thank
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Science and Nature
RELIGION POLL #3: Is Genesis Compatible With Science?
A couple of points I'd like to share. From a non-literalist perspective, many of the "days" in Genesis happened without the presence of a sun. That suggests to me that perhaps the time schemes are longer. Even If you were to come from a Biblical literalist perspective, in context, Genesis does not necessary make for full-fledged historical accuracy. At the time of Genesis' writings, no Jew would have a scientific background to understand concepts like evolution and the old earth. So it makes sense that God would present a simplified account that had some symbolic meanings.
But that is just my limited knowledge on the subject. Feel free to share your take.
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Religion
Every time some atheist trots out the tired "prayer experiment", I can't help but doubt it as I know no real scientist could be that stupid.
To help you see the abject stupidity of prayer experiments, let's do one now. And let's use you as God, (we'll call you Godson) and your kids as the believers who are to pray to you.
Let's say you have 6 children, and this experiment is trying to find out if the prayers of your children work.
So each kid will ask you for something, and we will see if that request is answered. Clear so far?
Now before the kids start praying, answer a few questions.
1. Will Godson know an experiment is being conducted?
2. Will Godson be able to control the results of the experiment?
3. Will the results of the experiment be dependable if someone inside the experiment can control the results?
4. Will Godson be more interested in the safety and happiness of his children, or the results of the experiment?
OK now. Prayer time!
Prayers
Kid one, 14 year old Tony: Can you please stay at work late tonight so I can shag my gf?
Kid two, 12 year old Anne: Can you get me a boob job? My breasts are too small.
Kid three, 10 year old Carl: I want to be a cowboy. Can you make me a cowboy?
Kid four, 9 year old Beth: Carl wants to be a cowboy and shoot bad guys, but shooting people is bad. Please don't let Carl become a cowboy.
Kid five, 7 year old Matt: Can I have a gun so that Tony won't bully me anymore?
Kid six, 5 year old Sasha: Chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate!
Answers of Godwin.
To Tony: Are you nuts?
To Anne: Are you nuts?
To Carl: Are you nuts?
To Beth: Don't worry.
To Matt: Are you nuts?
To Sasha: No.
Experiment conclusion
Prayer doesn't work.
Would any real scientist consider this a real test of the efficacy of prayer?
*To be a valid experiment, the test subject (Godwin) cannot know he is being tested, or else he can control the results of the experiment rendering the test invalid.
*Godwin has standards that affect whether he answers prayer and how he answers. For example, Matt not getting a gun is not a sign that prayer doesn't work.
Anyone know of a way to do a blind test on God? The whole scientific "prayer experiment" is nothing but retarded stupidity.
But clueless atheists keep trotting it out. And more educated atheist pretend they don't see the thread.
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Religion