Well, one difference between us and other life forms is that we have self
-consciousness. That is what provides the illusion that there has to be an
after-life. It is difficult, given our self-awareness of the present moment, to
imagine that we will stop existing. Additionally, we're egocentric so the idea
of no longer existing is emotionally unacceptable. And there you have the
emotional explanation for the almost universal belief in an after-life.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2017 9:56 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Bob Evans <ebob824@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Americanisation fragile
An interesting thought, Bob. But the "Electric shock" you suggest that I feel,
is only in your perception. One final time I will say my personal thoughts on
the subject of Eternal Life and what happens after Death.
Looking about me, and peering back through our Human History, the evidence is
overwhelming. Life is conceived from Life. It blossoms, thrives, reproduces
and dies, creating room and food for more new Life.
And where is this Life coming from? How did it begin? There is no firm
answer. In the absence of facts, Man has produced Hopes. We Hope some Great
Being has breathed Life into our Earth. And likewise, none of those who died
have returned to tell us what lies on the other side of the Curtain. So, with
no firm facts to direct us, we rely again on Hope. We Hope there is Life after
death. And we Create the sort of After-Life that suits us.
And of course there is Life after death, but not in the way our imaginations
have created it. Life has a beginning and an end. When it reaches its end, it
dies, but new life blooms out of the old.
All life depends upon this cycle in order to keep its particular species
continuing to live. Each individual member, whether animal or vegetable, dies
in order that the species may live. We Humans are no better, nor different
than any other species that has flourished on Earth. The only "proof" that we
are special is in our own writings.
We have declared ourselves to be above the Laws of the Universe.
It would not matter one bit if some of us believed in Life after Death. If
there is comfort in such a belief, more power to them. But simply believing
for themselves appears not to be good enough. In order to prove that they are
in possession of the Truth Everlasting, they conk the heads of anyone who
disagrees with them.
Bob, you and I will never agree. We each trust our sources for proof of our
beliefs. I am perfectly fine with you believing in a Life after Death. At 82
years of age, I am most likely going to know the Truth long before you.
Meanwhile, what do we do about the intense anger of Men against Men?
Setting aside the discussion over Religion, since it will answer itself, how do
we learn to live together in spite of our differences?
How do we protect our Planet Earth from being destroyed? As the self
proclaimed highest life form on the planet, what are we doing to support all
other Life. Are our philosophical differences so far apart that we must
destroy one another and all Life in order to "prove" that we are right? And
just when is Right Wrong? Can you be so Right in your beliefs that you and
those who agree with you, bring the roof down on all of us? Isn't that what
you are concerned about, regarding America and Donald Trump? Isn't the real
challenge one of changing human nature, rather than simply beating up on one
another?
And by the way, I am known for more important things than my personal beliefs
on the hereafter. I happen to be the World's Greatest Maker of Chocolate Chip
Cookies. And I have proof positive. Just ask my 3 children, my 9 grand
children and my 1 great grandson.
Carl Jarvis
On 11/12/17, Bob <ebob824@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Why the mention of divinity strikes Carl with an electrical shock?
Because there is one question he couldn't answer.
What happens after death?
At the moment, you could deride and ridicule faith as you wish.
However, inadvertence won't do more than temporarily remitting the
answer to
this question.
I also enjoy nice food.
I like chocolate cookies but I never baked anything of these.
I like toast with peanut butter, scrambled eggs, chese, falafel and so
on for breakfast.
I just don't treat this life heedlessly.
That is the major difference between us.
It is so easy to dismiss serious subjects.
But, How could I possibly avoid them in the future?
I do not destine to depress, assault or sadden anyone.
Although I knew I'll probably be disposed and roasted, I opted to
speak genuinely.
Life is way short to be wasted in incessant inadvertence.
If there is a serious question I couldn't answer properly with my
current thoughts, it is a nice idea to spend some of my time seeking the
truth.
Here in Egypt, thoughts of Atheism flow to the minds of our young
people faster than ever before.
We couldn't dispose this phenomenon as if it doesn't exist.
We regularly arrange conferences for raising awareness, strenghthening
faith
boundaries and coping with young people concerns.
But, as for the senior citizen of the States, he happily chose not to
confront with purpose of life questions, why are we here?, where did
we come
from? and where will we go?
I respect your stance.
I am not lecturing anyone on what to do and say.
I am just viewing the matter from my own perspective.
I initially talked about gun crisis and the second amendment and so on.
Why the conversation has been shifted to diss and deride faith again?
Unlike my religious folks, I won't flee or unsubscribe because I
dislike what people say.
I am just asking, what was the point?
For proficiency purposes, I urge anyone who destines to respond to
refrain
from profanity or sarcasm.
I deeply respect different point of views.
I'll treat responses in the manner I deem appropriate.
Respectfully, Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl Jarvis" <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2017 7:39 PM
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Americanisation fragile
Well Miriam, there's no accounting for some folks taste.
Being raised on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, it's hard to think
of someone who dosen't like the flavor. But after saying that, I
can't remember Cathy ever making herself a PJ sandwich. At times she
does spread a thin layer of peanut butter on her toast, instead of
butter, but she would never, ever eat a slice of peanut butter cream
pie.
Which reminds me. I love a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of
tomato soup for lunch. Cathy can't stand the smell of that wonderful
soup. But she loves tomatoes.
One of the few things I will never again put in my mouth is cornmeal
mush. When I was a youngster, we ate tons of cornmeal mush on cold
winter mornings. Lumps! It always had lumps. I could hardly swallow
them, except I feared the wrath of mother even more than those gaggy
lumps.
But I love oatmeal mush. Old fashioned rolled oats. Boil the water,
pour in the oats and stir, and let stand for five minutes. Sometimes
I add raisins and top it with 4% milk and brown sugar and sliced
bananas.
Another way I like my cooked oat meal mush is to mix it with apple
sauce. And a real treat are oat meal cookies with raisins.
Carl Jarvis
On 11/12/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm not allergic. I've just never liked peanut butter, or peanuts,
for that matter.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl ;
Jarvis
Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2017 10:38 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Americanisation fragile
Some folks use Almond Butter. I'm not much on the taste, but if you
are allergic to peanuts, it is a decent substitute. My son-in-law
Brian is highly allergic to peanuts. Even peas will make him sick,
but peanuts will kill him. When our eldest grand daughter comes to
Grandma's house, the first thing she wants is a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich, originally known as, Sammich.
Carl Jarvis
On 11/11/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'd like them just fine if you could find a substitute for the
peanut butter.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl ;
Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, November 11, 2017 2:47 PM
To: Roger Loran Bailey <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx>
Cc: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Americanisation fragile
Sugar and peanut butter will make a cookie all right. But it helps
to have a binder to keep them from crumbling. My One One One recipe
calls for 1 egg; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup peanut butter. I blend the egg
and the sugar together and then fold in the peanut butter.
Baking temperature is at a very low setting. I heat the oven to
about
250 degrees and put teaspoon size globs on the greased cookie sheet,
usually pressing them down a little. Cook them for about 15 to 20
minutes.
I test them by tapping the cookie with my finger. If it's fairly
firm, they are done.
Since there is no flour in the mixture, we are actually melting the
ingredients together rather than baking them. No salt, no baking
soda and no flour.
And the easy thing is, you can increase the recipe as many times as
you wish.
I like them just the way they are, but Cathy says they're too sweet
for her.
Next time I make them I think I'll try mixing in some oatmeal and
raisins.
And maybe some chopped walnuts.
Carl Jarvis
On 11/10/17, Roger Loran Bailey <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx> wrote:
How about this for a really simple peanut butter cooky. Mix equal
parts peanut butter and sugar thoroughly. Then mash out gobs of it
flat on a cooky sheet. I forget what temperature your oven should
be heated to, but 350 should do just fine. Bake for ten minutes.
The results are still a bit squishy, but let them cool and they
harden into cookies.
On 11/10/2017 4:36 PM, Carl Jarvis wrote:
Well, I do really try to send the message that I don't care what
people believe, as far as religion goes. But that is because at
the same time I find myself saying that All religion is at the
bottom of our human troubles. So I can refrain...a little, but
Mostafa does crank my chain, and I go rumbling off with my cannons
of Peace, blazing. Still, if we adopt your approach to religious
discussion, and apply it to other beliefs, we will wind up
exchanging recipes and valentines. Which might not be such a bad
thing. Did I ever tell you how to make the most simplest of all
cookies? The One One One Cookie.
When I taught food service in the BEP, it was the first item my
students learned how to make.
We sold them in the cafeteria, two for a dime, and soon we had to
expand the One One One Cookie to a Four Four Four Cookie, in order
to make enough to meet the demand.
Carl Jarvis
On 11/10/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
You know, the religious arguing on this list is an example of
what is happening all over the world. There are various religious
sects fighting each other, like different kinds of Muslims,
fighting each other. Then we have people damning all Muslims and
insisting that Christianity is superior to Islam, that Islam is
more violent than Christianity. And we've had anti-Semitism for
as long as the Jewish religion has existed, it seems.
And
there have been conflicts among the various branches of Judaism.
And, of course, there are conflicts among the various branches of
Christianity also.
I've talked to Evangelical Christians who believe that their
brand of Christianity is the only true Christianity. And weren't
there wars over whether or not the Catholic Church should be
dominant in various European countries? There was the
Reformation. And now we have the New Atheists who differ from old
fashioned atheists in that they are as missionary minded as Mustafa.
Couldn't we please just stop having this same old tired debate on
this list.
Can't everybody just believe what he or she wishes to believe
without attempting to impose those beliefs, whether they be
Muslim, Christian, Agnostic, or Atheist, on everybody else?
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl ;
Jarvis
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2017 10:52 AM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Bob Evans <ebob824@xxxxxxxxx>; Mostafa
<mostafa.almahdy@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Americanisation fragile
, as I've said before, you are a carbon copy of the Christian
fanatic, only you put Allah's banner on the top of your flag pole
in place of the Cross.
You wrote, "Allah blessed you
with numerous bounties to test whether you will be grateful or
ungrateful.
This is His divine statute, glory be to Him."
And what about those several millions of Indigenous People
already caring for this bountiful land? Are you suggesting that
Allah is prejudiced against the American Indian? Did Allah
"allow" White Europeans to enslave Black Africans because the
Europeans needed to learn how to play nice to Blacks? Or had
those bad Africans earned the enslavement that crushed them for
hundreds of years? Allah, may He rest in peace, and God, let Him
rest eternally, are simply Make Believe Genies. They may be
called on as friendly Genies if times are good, and they can be
sent back into their lantern when times are bad.
That makes more sense than pretending that Allah and God are
allowing one people to crush another in order to "allow" them an
opportunity to test their gratitude." Huh??? Say that again?
This is exactly the same babble that the Southern Radio
Evangelist shouts to his devoted Jesus Lovers.
If God and Allah are the best Gods we can dream up, what more
proof do you need to demonstrate that both come from within Man's
limited Dream World?
Carl Jarvis
On 11/9/17, Bob <ebob824@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The United States is a prominently spacious territory. It is
close to be a
continent. It is known for its unevidently tautened principles of
democracy, justice and equality. However, these values are
intemperately sniped with bigotry, xenophobia, racial
segregation, pride, hate incitement, derision and mass impudence.
Americans often have these concepts
mixed up. Free speech and hate rhetoric, the right to bear arms
and gun violence, liberty and travesty, pride and dignity.
Politics torn your nation
apart. Therefore, your imperial era is about to diminish. Allah
blessed you
with numerous bounties to test whether you will be grateful or
ungrateful.
This is His divine statute, glory be to Him. What brought Donald
Trump to oval office? Despite what was being said about Russian
meddling in past elections, Allah is willing to providentially
penalise wrongdoers. Donald Trump is obviously rapscallion,
racialist, bigoted, unreliable, unconscionable, propagandist,
dishonourable, misanthrope, prurient, flamboyant, aweless and
dissembler. He won against his rivals with exercising fallacious
rhetoric. He abhorrently dissed each and everyone. He
despicably affronted politicians, journalists and public figures.
We heard his emphatically offensive remarks against many people.
This is why educated
Americans are so upset. They are taken aback of this
unpresidential character to be elected. This is the divine manner.
Allah says in the Koran
what could be meaningly rendered as namely. And when We would
destroy a township, We send commandment to its folk who live at
ease, and afterward they commit abomination therein, and so the
Word of doom hath effect for it,
and we annihilate it with complete annihilation. This is a
commentary based
translation of verse sixteen in chapter seventeen. This verse
matches your
election conclusion in unrivalled precision. Donald Trump is
enormously affluent and thence, he is eligible to lead a nation
that is based on capitalistic tenets. He is deficient of basic
adequacy to manage a nursery or a small shop. His character
matches what I call typical nescience in imbecility. What
arrogance does?
Arrogance makes its bearer blinded to see the truth. When you
speak disparagingly of other traditions, this is the beginning
of your end. America’s reputable status is on its edge to collapse.
You may respectfully disagree with other people. However, it
certainly becomes a problem when this disagreement turns into
unsolicited conflict. You may criticise others or even debate
their views on particular
issues. Withal, it is a trouble if you desperately demand to
intolerantly demonise others to relentlessly justify your
hostile stance. Why don’t you folks learn from Canada? Canada is
notably recognised for its distinctive factors of practically
promoting diversity and multiculturalism. What is multiculturalism in
Canada?
It is the doctrine that several different cultures rather than
one can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country.
So, you could commonly encounter bits and bobs of everything.
You don’t have to forcefully be painted with certain colour to
be welcomed there. This is the plain difference between Canada and the
States.
In the States, you have got to be Americanised in some form or
another to be accepted. This is what I call, the dominating
disease of racism.
Abraham Lincoln emancipated slaves but unfortunately, he treated
the symptom and disposed the disease. Slavery was the symptom
but racial disparity is actually the disease. I will always
repeat this assertion, racism has to be
portrayed as a deadly sinful act. Otherwise, change won’t occur
anytime soon. As for the recently aggrieved mass shooting of
Texas, controversial arguments about gun control rose again. Why
many members of the National Rifle Association act carelessly
about gun safety and regulation? Despite the recurrence of
fatal mass shootings in various places, American legislative
committees decline to significantly straighten the situation
out. People aren't safe at Churches, concerts, malls, medical
centres, campuses or school complex. Trump said in multiple
occasions that he take cares of all Americans. Subsequent to New
York's truck callous assault, he called for more intense
procedures and extremely enforced vetting to insure
potential terrorists aren't issued visas. However, he nearly
acted heedlessly concerning the massive shooting incident in Texas.
Isn't that a clear sign of double standard? This is the
relentless prob I have been encountering with your justice
system for consecutive decades. I knew for certain, many
sensible and just Americans aren't so pleased with what is happening in
their country.
Americans became numb to such incidents.
Terrorism in their minds is only affiliated with Muslims. They
aren't stringent in their assessment. This is why I am often
tempestuous with American set of standards. This disposal of
practicing double standard is immensely prevalent. Whenever a
white guy commits mass murder, he is incessantly labelled as
mentally imbalanced. However, if a Muslim committed
that crime, he would have been instantly classified as a dire
Muslim radical
and the incident would have been considered an act of terror.
The portrait is now clearer than ever before. The question is,
for how long will we lie to ourselves? It is distinctly plain
that we aren't equal in their minds to
the white citizen who happend to be born there. Despite their
insistence to
deny this conclusion, evidence for it are gigantically triumphal.
I do not destine to unfairly extrapolate. I just desire to seek
equatable justice. I
attentively followed a three hours live coverage of the incident
on Youtube.
I think it was published by ABC Radio. The show host spoke
reasonably and his remote guests were competently sane in their
discussion. That is one of
the reasons why I believe sensible Americans out there aren't
generically satisfied with the current situation. The problem
will firmly be fixed if we
redressed what is in my so humble opinion, a grave
misinterpretation of the
second amendment. I rendered my entailment on its essence
previously.
I won't ingeminate this for now. I did not take the literal
meaning of the text. I rather went deeper to the legal spirit of
the statute to properly derive consistent discernment. It needs
to be reviewed with further accuracy, accountability and
unprejudiced temperament. Thank you so much for
loyally reading this piece. I keenly look forward to hearing
from you.
Bob
