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God Pod or Life, the Universe and Everything

A creative, open and playful discussion group on God, spirituality, art, politics… in other words, on life, the universe and everything. Yes, the answer is 42 but what is the question? All are welcome, and invited to engage in  dialogue with love, mindfulness, and respect.
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There are many religions and philosophies. Which way resonates for you?
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  Alan :  Life to life.

Awesome inter-faith connections thread-- with science too!

Alan said Nov 19, 2008, 1:44 PM:

 

This is a thread to play the glass-bead game.  Where we take ideas in all walks of understanding (any and all religions, ancient societies' lore, science, etc) and find links between them.  And perhaps new ideas in the links.  


It's one of  my favorite 'games,' maybe you'll like it too.  

I'll start:

—–

Let's start with the hindu/buddhist idea of reincarnation.

In an ancient text of the Maya, we have: “From the other side of the sea we came to the place called Tulan, where we were begotten and given birth by our mothers and fathers.”

Taken together, the Mayan text reinforces the idea of reincarnation.  Because given the idea of reincarnation, the Mayan text is saying: 'We came from the other side of the sea, we were reincarnated into human bodies, on earth.'  

the sea… if we imagine that's space, which given the Cosmic Microwave Background is a sea of light, radiation, and vibration, 

what they're saying is: we came across space into human bodies.  

suddenly the kind-of-out-there theory that the mayan learned their sciences from aliens makes a little more sense… 

and of course this all is loosely reinforced by science, which says that life on other planets, even intelligent life, is more likely than not.  

  Nicole : wakingdreamer

Re: Awesome inter-faith connections thread-- with science too!

Nicole said Nov 20, 2008, 7:29 AM:

 

Thanks for starting this thread, Alan. There are limitless connections between the faiths, philosophy and science.

Love,

Nicole

  Alan :  Life to life.

Re: Awesome inter-faith connections thread-- with science too!

Alan said Nov 20, 2008, 10:42 PM:

 

Ya, I hope people play.  : )  I do this anyway but it'd be fun to share it.  


here's a favorite one, and the first one I ever saw.  

String theory tells us that the big bang was a solid mass of energy or something.  It's a bit confusing when you try and put it into layman's energy, but it was a solid superheavy bunch of energy all doing either nothing or the exact same thing in terms of frequency, and in an infinitesimally small amount of space.  And then it exploded.  

At the base of everything, all matter and energy, everything, is vibrating bands of energy, string theory says.  Scientists talk about it as if it says that the universe is one big symyhony.  That's the word they always use: symphony.  the strings are all vibrating at different frequencies, and the frequencies determine what the strings become: nuetron or quark, Silver or sulphur.  

It's worth nothing that string theory is a purely mathematical theory.  using it, all the various areas of physics theory can be unified. however, the units of energy string theory talks about are so small they are fundamentally invisable– physics has a law of the universe stating we can never observe the energy bands in any meaningful way, because they're too subatomic.  the law is called “Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.”  It's almost as if the string theory faction– and they are probably now completely in charge– have a certain amount of faith that the beautiful and perfect logic of their argument is proof that their argument is correct.  

There's also the Hindu idea of OM.  OM suggests that the universe is metaphorically akin to music as well.  In that: before the beginning of everything, there was only one “tone.”  OM.  out of that, almost spontaneously, all the other tones burst, and became as a living, expanding symphony.

The ideas are seem rather identical, when you hear them described to laypeople.

  Nicole : wakingdreamer

Re: Awesome inter-faith connections thread-- with science too!

Nicole said Nov 21, 2008, 6:46 AM:

 

And then in the book of Job, when God replies to Job after all his sufferings, God says: (Job 38:7)

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy


As a musician, I definitely resonate with this way of looking at the universe! :)

Love,

Nicole

 

Re: Awesome inter-faith connections thread-- with science too!

Andrew [no longer around] said Nov 21, 2008, 1:42 PM:

 

G'day Alan

I wasn't entirely comfortable with out discussion regarding what I saw as inappropriate use of scriptures.  So I asked Siona if I had acted correctly or overstepped the mark.

I was out of line, and was wrong in passing judgment on you Alan as I did, and I unequivocally apologise.

I abused an authority I didn't realise I didn't have.

A village idiot (or eccentric Aussie)

  Alan :  Life to life.

Re: Awesome inter-faith connections thread-- with science too!

Alan said Nov 21, 2008, 11:50 PM:

 

oh, these things happen.  : )  


By that I mean it happened, and it's ok.  apology unequivocally accepted.  

I will say, for the future, that I'm definitely a heretic of some sort as well, and us types are always getting burned for saying something we hadn't figured would be so controversial.  I really do try to be respectful, but at the same time, I feel in my connection to everything that there are words it is mine to speak (or type) and I must try to speak them.  I seek to do so as respectfully as possible, and without any real understanding of what will result, or overdue concern.  I can only control what I give, not receive, and so I try to give the best I have.  Again, I'm very sorry if I offended, and if in my pursuits I offend again, but please understand I love.

 

Re: Awesome inter-faith connections thread-- with science too!

Andrew [no longer around] said Nov 22, 2008, 1:30 AM:

 

Thank you Alan,

I appreciate your gracious response (seriously), and no you didn't offend me, I offended myself.

I have this habit of pushing the boundaries, working on the basis that it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

Thankfully it's cleared up a grey area for me.

I apologised to you in public because I'd had a go at you in public, not because I wanted to demonstrate humility or draw attention to myself.

Apparently I'm to have a miraculous transformation and become a “model” of good behaviour, because that is what ambassadors do. Not play policeman… which is a relief, I felt something of a hypocrit for having a go at you, when I'm the one that normally gets misunderstood for being “in your face” and I'm trying to learn how to be gentle.

I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting for that miracle to manifest.