Some Important Facts for the Religious (and Everybody Else)

[Jagella]

1. The observable cosmos is 13.6 billion years old and has evolved into its present form.
2. The earth is 4.6 billion years old and along with the rest of the solar system formed under gravity from a cloud of dust and gas in space.
3. There is no evidence that any consciousness can function without a living, physical brain.
4. Humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor, and we split off from that ancestor six million years ago in Africa.
5. Prehistoric religion goes back at least thirty thousand years.
6. Historic religion started about five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
7. The oldest religion practiced today is Hinduism.
8. The creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are taken from Babylonian mythology.
9. No religious or spiritual healer has ever been proved to have genuine healing powers although many of them have been exposed as frauds.

There are many more such facts, but my point is that if you know what's going on, then you know better than to believe what religion claims.

 

[sun rise]

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 are what we've learned through science. As a believer, I have no issue with those.

3. It is unscientific to say "impossible". Out-of-body experiences: Neuroscience or the paranormal?

7. At least is correct: Paleolithic religion - Wikipedia but so what.

9. Many, I say most, are indeed frauds. And I've seen no studies trying to separate the placebo effect's contributions. But it depends on what kind of healing we're talking about. For example: Deep faith beneficial to health | Stanford News

 

[stvdv]

1. The observable cosmos is 13.6 billion years old and has evolved into its present form.
2. The earth is 4.6 billion years old and along with the rest of the solar system formed under gravity from a cloud of dust and gas in space.
3. Not only is there no evidence that any consciousness can function without a living, physical brain, it is impossible to do so.
4. Humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor, and we split off from that ancestor six million years ago in Africa.
5. Prehistoric religion goes back at least thirty thousand years.
6. Historic religion started about five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
7. The oldest religion practiced today is Hinduism.
8. The creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are taken from Babylonian mythology.
9. No religious or spiritual healer has ever been proved to have genuine healing powers although many of them have been exposed as frauds.

There are many more such facts, but my point is that if you know what's going on, then you know better than to believe what religion claims.

To claim "it's a fact" I don't do easy
1.2.4.5.6.7.8 might be true, I was not there, so I can't personally verify it, hence I don't know for sure. IF science says so, then it might be reasonable, though probably they will be off a few years (would not be the first time)

3 you obviously use a different definition of Consciousness than I use. So I disagree
9 I know this to be false

 

[George-ananda]

There are many more such facts, but my point is that if you know what's going on, then you know better than to believe what religion claims.

Please, most religious types have already moved past the literalist reading of Genesis, sheesh.

And I believe miraculous healings have occurred.

 

[dybmh]

Not only is there no evidence that any consciousness can function without a living, physical brain, it is impossible to do so.

University of Virginia - Study of Reincarnation - Division of Perceptual Studies

Edit to add: Google search results for "scientific proof of reincarnation"

 

[dybmh]

The creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are taken from Babylonian mythology.

Or vice versa; the creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are an oral tradition so it could be that Babylonian mythology took the stories from Hebrew tradition.

 

[rational experiences]

As a biological human consciousnesss your human age exists about 100 years only.

So you know you don't identify with age beyond one year to live daily until 100 years. Hence you are only as old as biology is.

Says science. Human is first place first. Time is present taught a human there is no age to time liar.

Before is not counted it's just present.

Science taught humans it's a liar.

As a healer I knew natural human nature human healing advice.

As a self healer I knew advice. I knew how to make medicine. And I knew how to physically assist hurt human bodies.

I said I didn't own healing outside of myself yet my own body human owned healing itself.

It's science who lied about controlling healing as you patented it to make money.

Natural consciousness said the scientist lied about owning the power of healing themselves. As a science.

My psychic advice body scan told the ailment and gave the healing emotional cause or if it needed medical cause. How man only human to human.

Aware the atmospheric water oxygenated returned spirit healed life cell itself. I said I didn't own it's control.

I used my psychic skills that related to awareness of human healing.

If I was healthier my natural resonations would bio affect the human patient also known as awareness. Healer to patient advised.

A healer by term natural history versus humans egotists brain damaged. The scientist.

 

[DharmaCatLamp]

1. The observable cosmos is 13.6 billion years old and has evolved into its present form.
2. The earth is 4.6 billion years old and along with the rest of the solar system formed under gravity from a cloud of dust and gas in space.
3. Not only is there no evidence that any consciousness can function without a living, physical brain, it is impossible to do so.
4. Humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor, and we split off from that ancestor six million years ago in Africa.
5. Prehistoric religion goes back at least thirty thousand years.
6. Historic religion started about five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
7. The oldest religion practiced today is Hinduism.
8. The creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are taken from Babylonian mythology.
9. No religious or spiritual healer has ever been proved to have genuine healing powers although many of them have been exposed as frauds.

There are many more such facts, but my point is that if you know what's going on, then you know better than to believe what religion claims.

I mean, none of those really bother me or don't fit into what I currently practice. This feels a bit like it is aimed at Abrahamic traditions though lol.
I think pretty much any religion taken from a 100% literal standpoint is gonna seem a bit silly on the surface.

 

[danieldemol]

University of Virginia - Study of Reincarnation - Division of Perceptual Studies

Edit to add: Google search results for "scientific proof of reincarnation"

There is no scientific proof of reincarnation.

In my opinion.

 

[Twilight Hue]

1. The observable cosmos is 13.6 billion years old and has evolved into its present form.
2. The earth is 4.6 billion years old and along with the rest of the solar system formed under gravity from a cloud of dust and gas in space.
3. Not only is there no evidence that any consciousness can function without a living, physical brain, it is impossible to do so.
4. Humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor, and we split off from that ancestor six million years ago in Africa.
5. Prehistoric religion goes back at least thirty thousand years.
6. Historic religion started about five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
7. The oldest religion practiced today is Hinduism.
8. The creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are taken from Babylonian mythology.
9. No religious or spiritual healer has ever been proved to have genuine healing powers although many of them have been exposed as frauds.

There are many more such facts, but my point is that if you know what's going on, then you know better than to believe what religion claims.

My only contention is number 3.

Only a neural system is required. Jelly fish don't have brains for example.

 

[DharmaCatLamp]

My only contention is number 3.

Only a neural system is required. Jelly fish don't have brains for example.

I might go so far as to argue that point number 3 is something we probably could never know if it's true. The assumption there being that we have either discovered everything there is to know about consciousness and then we just start making a ton of borderline random assertions. Course I have noticed that a lot of people love the idea of being certain even on things which we really can't be certain of.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I might go so far as to argue that point number 3 is something we probably could never know if it's true. The assumption there being that we have either discovered everything there is to know about consciousness and then we just start making a ton of borderline random assertions. Course I have noticed that a lot of people love the idea of being certain even on things which we really can't be certain of.

I think consciousness is comprised of many facets that we are not even aware of.

Similar to the light spectrum spanning from visible to invisible, consciousness itself may entail aspects that go well beyond our physicality and limitations.

Look at atoms which are regarded as having no consciousness, yet that is all we are compromised of.

It's a great philosophical topic.

 

[dybmh]

There is no scientific proof of reincarnation.

In my opinion.

Psychology Today - Evaluating the Evidence for Reincarnation

Key points:

• There are many cases of young children who report very specific details of an apparent past life, which are later verified.
• Some claim that children's reports of past lives could be the result of fraud, imagination, or embellishment.
• One striking case of past-life recall is Ryan Hammons, who made 55 very specific statements about a previous life that were verified.

Research in this area was pioneered by Dr. Ian Stevenson, a psychiatrist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, who spent much of his career collecting and examining such cases. Typically, between the age of 2 and 4 (with a mean age of 35 months) such children start talking about their previous life, often speaking about the events that led up to their death, and sometimes using the present tense as if their previous life was still continuing. In some cases, Stevenson was able to identify the person the child claimed to be and to verify the information by speaking to relatives of the deceased (1).

Since Stevenson’s death, other researchers have followed his lead. Now around 2500 reports of children’s past-life memories have been studied (2).

All in all, this evidence makes me feel that I have no choice but to accept that reincarnation is real. As a scientist, I feel obliged to revise my views in the face of evidence.

Steve Taylor Ph.D.

(1) Stevenson, I,. (1980). Twenty Cases Suggestive Of Reincarnation. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press

(2) 'Fifty Years of Research.' Fifty Years of Research - Division of Perceptual Studies

 

[DharmaCatLamp]

I think consciousness is comprised of many facets that we are not even aware of.

Similar to the light spectrum spanning from visible to invisible, consciousness itself may entail aspects that go well beyond our physicality and limitations.

Look at atoms which are regarded as having no consciousness, yet that is all we are compromised of.

It's a great philosophical topic.

I think so too.
I think a lot of what we might call "western" culture is obsessed with the idea of certainty almost to the extreme. Part of what I like about Daoism for example is the disconnect within daoism from certainty. I think about the fact that the Buddha wouldn't answer certain questions because they were not useful for another example.

 

[Follower7]

1. The observable cosmos is 13.6 billion years old and has evolved into its present form.
2. The earth is 4.6 billion years old and along with the rest of the solar system formed under gravity from a cloud of dust and gas in space.
3. Not only is there no evidence that any consciousness can function without a living, physical brain, it is impossible to do so.
4. Humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor, and we split off from that ancestor six million years ago in Africa.
5. Prehistoric religion goes back at least thirty thousand years.
6. Historic religion started about five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
7. The oldest religion practiced today is Hinduism.
8. The creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are taken from Babylonian mythology.
9. No religious or spiritual healer has ever been proved to have genuine healing powers although many of them have been exposed as frauds.

There are many more such facts, but my point is that if you know what's going on, then you know better than to believe what religion claims.

1) Prove it.
2) Prove it.
3) Prove it.
4) Prove it.
5) Prove it.
6) Prove it.
7) Prove it.
8) Prove it.
9) Jesus did.
You make suppositions with out providing empirical proof. Theory is Supposition. Theory needs it's only theory of evolution as theories in general are constantly being re-theorized.
One theory in particular comes to mind. If you venture too far in your sailing ship you will fall off the edge of the earth. To change theory into reality is a contradiction. It cannot be done.
100 years from now how old will the universe be? How old with the earth be? You don't know the future, so don't go there. To invalidate that which you refuse to understand is arrogance.
Atheists must prove they are right at all costs. Nothing else seems to matter to them. They are not unlike school yard bullies attempting to impose their will on everyone else.
Oh, I'm a scientist! Big deal. Anyone can become a scientist & anyone can get a doctorate. It doesn't mean they have any common sense. They live in a bubble, their own universe
where they play & delight themselves with great theories. But the thing about theories is they leave out empirical proof. Oh; Well theories prove other theories, or themselves. No they don't.
Pandora's box. Living the dream. "The more that I learn, the more that I realize I know nothing at all".

 

[Twilight Hue]

I think so too.
I think a lot of what we might call "western" culture is obsessed with the idea of certainty almost to the extreme. Part of what I like about Daoism for example is the disconnect within daoism from certainty. I think about the fact that the Buddha wouldn't answer certain questions because they were not useful for another example.

It does lend attention to an inate awareness of every living and non living forms of matter. Like the concept of Gaia for instance. An awareness that spans far beyond the human experience.

It's why I talk to the universe and yell at inanimate objects at times. *grin*

 

[Harel13]

7. At least is correct: Paleolithic religion - Wikipedia but so what.

The wiki article you yourself linked has a lot of usage of "may" and "perhaps". Probably the only thing that can be said about prehistoric religious studies is that they are largely, if not entirely, speculative. That's because, being prehistoric, we don't have any written evidence. Instead, based on some assumptions of what ancient human culture should look like, we get this series of "hmm, maybe" and everyone just nods along. Perhaps it's true and perhaps it's not.

 

[DharmaCatLamp]

The wiki article you yourself linked has a lot of usage of "may" and "perhaps". Probably the only thing that can be said about prehistoric religious studies is that they are largely, if not entirely, speculative. That's because, being prehistoric, we don't have any written evidence. Instead, based on some assumptions of what ancient human culture should look like, we get this series of "hmm, maybe" and everyone just nods along. Perhaps it's true and perhaps it's not.

I personally find exploring ancient religions or the idea of paleolithic religion really interesting but like you said very speculative.

It's fun to think about what our ancient ancestors may of believed but we will probably never know. Heck even more modern pagan/polytheistic traditions tend to have a lot of speculation. A good portion of the religious practices from the past were just not written down and I am talking recently. Something that I think is fun to think about as an example is how did ancient Greeks actually feel about their gods? On the surface you might say they took them very seriously but even a little bit of digging further down demonstrates that the answer is probably not that straight forward.

One of the most common things pointed to as the beginning of religious practice is burial. This makes a number of assumptions that you could never really prove. Who is to say that when a member of a tribe died but wasn't buried before that there wasn't some ritual performed? Who is to say what these people believed about death? Add this to the fact that because of the cultural bias towards settled civilization we tend to ignore what came before and assume the default best option / thought came about after settlement.

It seems to me that basing whether or not you take religion seriously on the idea that older people did it differently is a bit silly.

 

[Spirit of Light]

1. The observable cosmos is 13.6 billion years old and has evolved into its present form.
2. The earth is 4.6 billion years old and along with the rest of the solar system formed under gravity from a cloud of dust and gas in space.
3. There no evidence that any consciousness can function without a living, physical brain.
4. Humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor, and we split off from that ancestor six million years ago in Africa.
5. Prehistoric religion goes back at least thirty thousand years.
6. Historic religion started about five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
7. The oldest religion practiced today is Hinduism.
8. The creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are taken from Babylonian mythology.
9. No religious or spiritual healer has ever been proved to have genuine healing powers although many of them have been exposed as frauds.

There are many more such facts, but my point is that if you know what's going on, then you know better than to believe what religion claims.

You are free to have your views and opinions
Just as religious people are free to believe what they do.

 

[1213]

1. The observable cosmos is 13.6 billion years old and has evolved into its present form.
2. The earth is 4.6 billion years old and along with the rest of the solar system formed under gravity from a cloud of dust and gas in space.
3. There no evidence that any consciousness can function without a living, physical brain.
4. Humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor, and we split off from that ancestor six million years ago in Africa.
5. Prehistoric religion goes back at least thirty thousand years.
6. Historic religion started about five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
7. The oldest religion practiced today is Hinduism.
8. The creation stories in Genesis 1-2 are taken from Babylonian mythology.
9. No religious or spiritual healer has ever been proved to have genuine healing powers although many of them have been exposed as frauds.

There are many more such facts, but my point is that if you know what's going on, then you know better than to believe what religion claims.

And what evidence you have that those are the facts? The problem here is that none of those can be proven correct. They are only common beliefs.