I agree that the idea of reincarnation seems incoherent without the accompanying notion of a soul that is reincarnated. The Buddhists have a 'candle f...
So, you're saying that the belief in the independent reality of universals is bad because it leads to belief in an omniscient God, whose commands are ...
OK, I think I can see where you're going with this; you think the idea of the non-physical eternal reality of numbers points to a transcendent non-phy...
That should be read, obviously, as "In my opinion there can be no final solution to the problem of suffering". So, as I have said, if Buddha says ther...
Yes, and like any text open to interpretation. I haven't said I know better than the Buddha. I said that I may disagree with aspects of what is taken ...
Does it matter what they think? Wasn't it Jesus who said "By their fruits shall ye know them"? Also, no one seems to be able to explain what it could ...
Yes, but how does belief in God or the soul necessarily make us better people. Apparently it has the opposite effect in the case of Muslim and Christi...
Sure, you've said over and over that something has been lost and forgotten in our secular culture, you've said it has to do with believing universals ...
It's not because it's a deep topic. That's a facile cop out. I'm as familiar as you are with metaphysical ideas. It's because you can't or won't expla...
I hear you on all that, but I'm just not convinced that it makes any significant difference, ethically speaking (which I think is the thing of paramou...
There are far more choices of religion today in our culture than there ever were in the past. Anyone who wants to practice any religion can source all...
The only difference between a so-called secular culture (in which various religions abound) and a (what's the right word for its antithesis?) theocrat...
He didn't actually believe in the soul. I don't see what possible empirical evidence there could be that they are "fallacies". That said, I don't see ...
I'm pretty familiar with all those ideas. I have never been able to accept the idea that all the suffering in the world is ; I think it's just false. ...
Yes, I'm familiar with the idea that we can be detached from pain. When my mother gave birth to me she was 37 hours in labour and in the end I had to ...
I may or may not have a different opinion than Gautama. What do you think? Do you know exactly what he thought? I have read Buddhist works a fair bit....
I don't accept any man as a final authority on anything, Baker. If you do, that's your choice. At least one of the causes of suffering caused by human...
There is no "final" or complete solution to the problem of suffering. Animals in the wild suffer, just as humans do. Both humans and animals suffer fr...
I don't know what point you think I am missing unless it is that I don't share your cynical view of what I imagine you take to be the "normal outlook"...
No, I am not. There are such risks with other vaccines and with all or most medications. Everyone is required to accept some risk in order to particip...
I agree with you about the mystical element in the arts and religion. I also like what I have read of Kierkegaard's work. As I understand him he's mor...
The legality of requiring vaccination in certain industries is open to question and will be determined in courts if it is challenged. Whether such req...
I think this is right: it is only the language of poetry that can escape the mire; because it doesn't aim to be propositional but rather allusive and ...
The anti-realist could say that the situation is such that if we were to observe Mercury's poles we would either find water there or not. The idea wou...
If he said the things it is claimed that he said, then there should be documentary evidence, no? Why not? If ten people say that the truck involved in...
I read that article and I have no argument with it. I haven't suggested Ioannidis should be vilified or de-platformed. I don't care whether sciencebas...
These seem to be poor analogies to me. Psychosis and diabetes are not infectious, so there;s that. And as to taking vaccines to protect against tropic...
If the claims made in that article about the claims Ionaddis made early on about the likely number of deaths due to covid and his dismissal of the ide...
OK, thanks for your reply. I don't share your confidence in those sources you mention, or in your ability to form a rationally justified opinion that ...
You seriously beleive that this hasn't been improving as more and more people have been vaccinated? You believe two experts against how many others? O...
Of course it's logically possible that the expert consensus is wrong. Can you give any good reason for thinking that it is likely to be wrong? What do...
A remarkable display of compassion; well done! The current case fatality raise is just over 2%, so based on that if we just let 'er rip and everyone w...
If this battle is lost the whole world loses. If there were enough recalcitrants to cause the vaccination program to fail, yes, and of course I wouldn...
Well, hopefully those same Americans will apply the same logic to vaccination. In New South Wales we are up around 90% first dose and still rising, so...
We are dependent on community in far more than merely a "symbolic manner". A democratic state is the result of the choices of the community. The democ...
Yes, that's precisely the hypocrisy of that position. For my part the double standard and facile rationalizations make it not even worth responding to...
Right, but oddly I believe it is still controversial, at least in certain circles. Perhaps that's a testament to how it is possible to become confused...
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