fruitvilla

Neat. The 11 bus route was the closest to where I lived and I routinely caught the 50 (and then hopped on to the 54) to get to school. Other local bus routes were 48/49 that went into town and the 2 and 27 routes that headed off in exotic (Stirchley) directions. Can't place the 1 route. The cream and blue livery was a classic.

I get that. To me, it seems a logical position. Yet you have described yourself as a Catholic. I am not understanding something here. Do you see my disquiet? Again this seems contradictory to me in some sense. You know something exists but you are not aware of its supposed properties. Being lazy is a strength.

Interesting. What is the purpose of thinking of yourself as a Catholic?

More or less agree, but I would not ' blame' it all on Paul. While this is likely true for you, it is at the heart of Catholicism and much of the rest of Christianity. It is a side story in Islam, not core other than that everything is true in the Quran. You seem to say it is not even true, never mind a core story? While the Gospels can be taken as a parable of how to lead one's life, fair enough. But I am sure there are more up-to-date books that require less creative interpretation that can inspire us. This leads us to the properties of the God that you 'know' exists and I presume occasionaly pray to.

I don't particularly care about the authenticity of the story. I don't think it is authentic. I do wonder how people might come to such a belief though. But this 'story' is a core belief of mainline Christianity. This of course includes Catholicism. So, if one does not believe in this story then the bits that follow including the crucifixion and salvation make little sense. So without this particular belief in this "big miracle" then I don't find the whole thing particularly coherent.

True ... but not my point.

Well if we are talking of hypotheticals ... sell them equipment/technology for digging up the gold and canalization of the water ... in exchange for some of that water. The more interesting question would be what would happen if the nation with gold and water were inclined to philosophical agnosticism?

Pascal anticipated this question. We are told he did an extensive study of various religions and came to the conclusion Catholicism was the best bet. By an amazing coincidence, this was the religion of which he was already a member. But I do wonder how Pascal would have modified his wager in light of the Bayes theorem which was published a hundred years or so later.

Possibly true, but it is difficult to reconcile philosophical agnostics starting wars. We're not sure but let's start a war anyway?

The thing I don't get in this day and age is the belief that an angel came to a woman called Maryam (Mary) and foretold of some kind of divine birth, possibly parthenogenic. This belief is mostly true for two of the major Abrahamic religions, Islam and Christianity. I don't have the skill set required to hold this belief.

The problem with Pascal's wager is that he puts zero negative value on living a lie. Also, if we wish to take Pascal, hook, line and sinker, we would likely choose to be Catholics. In my personal experience, I don't choose to believe stuff; more that I grow into beliefs or wake up one morning finding myself holding a position, I might not have admitted to the day before. Have you read any Joseph Campbell?

I know what you mean ... I get taken in by essentialism sometimes ... I'm thinking of my lost father's penknife.

I'm a bit like Bertrand Russel with respect to this ... Philosophically agnostic but pragmatically atheist. This diagram I think helps describe the positions. Of course there are other takes:

Yeah ... some people like their pet speculations. When it comes to individuals and groups, doing science is really hard work. Personally, any horror I might create I blame on my brain chemistry. And should I conjure up a demon or two, in my saner moments that too would be my brain chemistry in action.

While generally, I can't relate to eight of your ten points, this is sort of parallel ... Never order and eat steak tartare in a third-world African country. Locally, we have an Indo-Italian Pizza sports bar. While it is, actually, passable, just; but, No!! This belongs on a philosophy thread ... but Why? is a dumb question ... How? Purpose? Meaning?

While I get your point here I do have some questions 1) Why would someone unnecessarily put their jobs at risk ... that is true for the vast majority of us is it not? 2) Half of us have an IQ below average, perhaps it is wise to stick to the short and narrow for many of us? 3) Being unambitious at work, might allow us to excel in other areas in our lives, eg posting on VT?

It would have been nice if Cash could have stopped the cross. In another universe Lenglet would have cleared, but I suspect he has put off by Emi coming out strongly. I bet if Emi does not come out Lenglet clears, and if he doesn't Emi saves the shot in his sleep. Fulham got back into the game with that goal against the run of play goal. Good game, Villa I thought deserved the win. Why does Ramsey not get an assist on the first goal? His tenaciousness that made the goal. Pau return to the team was excellent. Tielemans' assist was sublime. Somebody has sprinkled fairy dust on Bailey's feet. I thought everybody had a solid game. The referee (I thought) was inconsistent and lost control, by and large Villa managed keep their cool.

While likely an accurate description ... balanced it is not.

Yes. Do you think there was a preponderance of one type, and if so which type?

I would not be here for a start on VT ...

According to chat 3.5 Did Prince Phillip's sisters marry Nazi's? ChatGPT Yes, two of Prince Philip's sisters, Princess Margarita and Princess Theodora, married German aristocrats who were affiliated with the Nazi Party. Princess Margarita: She married Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, in 1931. Although there is no evidence that Prince Gottfried himself was a member of the Nazi Party, he did serve in the German army during World War II. Princess Margarita and Prince Gottfried lived in Germany during much of the war. Princess Theodora: She married Berthold, Margrave of Baden, in 1931. Berthold was a member of the Nazi Party and served in the German army during World War II. Princess Theodora and Margrave Berthold also lived in Germany during much of the war. Prince Philip himself fought against the Axis powers during World War II as a naval officer in the British Royal Navy.

Of course, you are right here (I think). I can't think of an argument to defeat solipsism (and perhaps idealism). But I think Schopenhauer was right when he said of solipsism: … a small frontier fortress. Admittedly the fortress is impregnable, but the garrison can never sally forth from it, therefore we can pass it by, and leave it in our rear without danger. I tend to come down on the physicalist/materialist side of things. And of course, epistemology is all about what we can know.

My particular main dish is free will, with side orders of epistemology and perhaps theology. Of course, the rest of the universe impinges on these and other philosophical discussions.

Interesting, I think ... a couple of examples? And perhaps a reference to look up?