Comments on: Secular State http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/2004/11/30/secular-state/ Every Band of Freaks Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:17:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: NHK http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/2004/11/30/secular-state/#comment-1875 NHK Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:15:40 +0000 http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/thoughts/0411secularState.html#comment-1875 I do, in fact, generally agree with you. I just feel the word "soul" has a lot of religious connotation, so yes, I was dickering over semantics. There, I caved. Happy? So crazy cute emoticon, BTW! I do, in fact, generally agree with you. I just feel the word “soul” has a lot of religious connotation, so yes, I was dickering over semantics. There, I caved. Happy? So crazy cute emoticon, BTW!

]]> By: dugh http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/2004/11/30/secular-state/#comment-1874 dugh Fri, 10 Dec 2004 13:50:21 +0000 http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/thoughts/0411secularState.html#comment-1874 call it what you will, though "higher brain function" is debatable in relation to humanity. we are tool makers, but so are chimps. anyways, i'm not saying there is an actual real soul necessarily, but a quality in humanity i'm calling a soul. if you have emotions (and i know you do) then you have it, too.<p>get over bantering semantics and just agree with me already! :)</p> call it what you will, though “higher brain function” is debatable in relation to humanity. we are tool makers, but so are chimps. anyways, i’m not saying there is an actual real soul necessarily, but a quality in humanity i’m calling a soul. if you have emotions (and i know you do) then you have it, too.

get over bantering semantics and just agree with me already! :)

]]> By: NHK http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/2004/11/30/secular-state/#comment-1873 NHK Fri, 10 Dec 2004 00:52:55 +0000 http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/thoughts/0411secularState.html#comment-1873 "Higher brain function" might be a more accurate way to describe what you discuss than "soul", but that's for you to decide. I'm going to go and write about religion, now. “Higher brain function” might be a more accurate way to describe what you discuss than “soul”, but that’s for you to decide. I’m going to go and write about religion, now.

]]> By: dugh http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/2004/11/30/secular-state/#comment-1872 dugh Wed, 08 Dec 2004 14:03:39 +0000 http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/thoughts/0411secularState.html#comment-1872 <span style="font-weight:bold">what i mean by soul</span><br/>what i mean by "soul" isn't just the religious terminology. i also simply mean that quality within (almost) all people to look out at the universe and wonder about it, to question who and what we are, and to wonder at it all. it's not a very accurate definition of a soul, but even the most devout atheist must admit there is something about being human and self-aware that give us a (possibly entirely) unique characteristic that is not shared by the rest of known life.<p>i am not terribly religious myself, and certainly not in any conformity to an established religion, but i do believe that religion is extremely important to most of humanity. it does have it's place, and like most things that humanity has its paws on, it can be abused like anything else. it is this possibility for abuse, along with the exclusionary nature of all belief systems (religious and secular), that caused me to write the article.</p> what i mean by soul
what i mean by “soul” isn’t just the religious terminology. i also simply mean that quality within (almost) all people to look out at the universe and wonder about it, to question who and what we are, and to wonder at it all. it’s not a very accurate definition of a soul, but even the most devout atheist must admit there is something about being human and self-aware that give us a (possibly entirely) unique characteristic that is not shared by the rest of known life.

i am not terribly religious myself, and certainly not in any conformity to an established religion, but i do believe that religion is extremely important to most of humanity. it does have it’s place, and like most things that humanity has its paws on, it can be abused like anything else. it is this possibility for abuse, along with the exclusionary nature of all belief systems (religious and secular), that caused me to write the article.

]]> By: NHK http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/2004/11/30/secular-state/#comment-1871 NHK Wed, 08 Dec 2004 00:31:51 +0000 http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/thoughts/0411secularState.html#comment-1871 I'm very much against religion and I don't think people *have* souls. I do agree with you about the importance of maintaining a secular state, though. Not that I expect to see one here in the U.S. during my lifetime. I’m very much against religion and I don’t think people *have* souls. I do agree with you about the importance of maintaining a secular state, though. Not that I expect to see one here in the U.S. during my lifetime.

]]>