Religion and Ethics Forum

Religion and Ethics Discussion => Christian Topic => Topic started by: Alan Burns on December 27, 2022, 11:06:53 AM

Title: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Alan Burns on December 27, 2022, 11:06:53 AM
The Gift - award winning short Christmas film contains a powerful message (just 4 minutes long)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOHfiSqc_zA

Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Gordon on December 27, 2022, 05:43:29 PM
Pretty nauseating Alan, once past the long ad: but then I'm more a Saturnalia kind of guy.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on December 27, 2022, 06:14:20 PM
Pretty nauseating Alan, once past the long ad: but then I'm more a Saturnalia kind of guy.
Humanist supremo Polly Toynbee has given her atheists Christmas message in the Gaurdian Gordon. I at least expect similar from you Gordon as Chief I spy of the religion ethics forum.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Nearly Sane on December 27, 2022, 06:21:51 PM
Humanist supremo Polly Toynbee has given her atheists Christmas message in the Gaurdian Gordon. I at least expect similar from you Gordon as Chief I spy of the religion ethics forum.
put the advocaat down. 2 bottles before dinner!
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Aruntraveller on December 27, 2022, 06:33:14 PM
put the advocaat down. 2 bottles before dinner!

But advocaat is the true meaning of Christmas.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on December 27, 2022, 10:29:15 PM
put the advocaat down.
Is that a........Warnink?
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on December 28, 2022, 06:48:35 AM
 
put the advocaat down. 2 bottles before dinner!
Usually Christmas speeches are about peace on Earth and goodwill toward men but not from the Humanist supremo Polly Torynbee who makes a bitter attack from her celebrity and dynastic position.

I’m certainly not aware of any religious leaders attacking other religions on their holy days but perhaps this is some kind of demonstration of ,as the Humanists say as  a faith statement, “ being good without God”.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Sebastian Toe on December 28, 2022, 11:49:30 AM
the Humanist supremo Polly Torynbee

Supremo?
According to their website, Adam Rutherford is the supremo.

Never let facts get in the way of a good old athiest-bash!
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on December 28, 2022, 01:41:38 PM
Supremo?
According to their website, Adam Rutherford is the supremo.

Never let facts get in the way of a good old athiest-bash!
Sorry, ex supremo having gone from president to vice president.

No she was Christian Bashing on a holy day...and the Humanists wonder why the BBC are reluctant to have them on thought for the day.

I did invite atheists to defend Rutherford on his assertion that there is no afterlife but there were no takers on that.⁹
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Enki on December 28, 2022, 02:41:01 PM
The Gift - award winning short Christmas film contains a powerful message (just 4 minutes long)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOHfiSqc_zA

Pretty naff video I'd suggest, Alan. I assume it was about freeing your mind from being limited by material aggrandisement, but with Christian overtones. Can't see how it applies to me. I much prefer Christmas as a time of reuniting with family, a time of nostalgia and warmth and relaxation. Even on the food front, we tend to go against the flow. Our Christmas dinner consisted of beef and potato pie, a choice which everyone voted for in our house. The highlight of Boxing Day for us was visiting the fire station where my son is stationed, chatting to the other members of Red Watch(one of whom I used to teach), and being on a fire engine whilst it was being driven around the compound. (I'm a man of very simple tastes  :)). So, this video, especially in how it sells its crudely thought out message, doesn't exactly do much for me. I'm sure you find it particularly thoughtful though and no doubt gives you some feeling of comfort. And, perhaps, that's as it should be.  :D
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Sriram on December 28, 2022, 03:14:12 PM


I like the film! It reminds us that we are actually bound to our bodies and its pleasures. There is a greater freedom to be experienced. Faith can offer a great sense of freedom.

It doesn't have to be faith is one particular God or one specific legend. It can just be faith in a greater purpose and greater freedom awaiting all of us.

Rationality is a bondage in itself....IMO.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Sebastian Toe on December 28, 2022, 03:18:17 PM

I did invite atheists to defend Rutherford on his assertion that there is no afterlife but there were no takers on that.⁹
Should I invite you to defend Alan Burns assertion that you have a soul, it exists in a timeless place, but not in this universe, it somehow connects with your physical brain possibly via quantum tunnelling, it reads your physical brain patterns and makes decisions in real-time/now even though the two way quantum tunnel requires some time to pull and push the data?
Maybe you can help him with his undefined data e.g. when is a soul created ( at conception maybe or is there a soul-bank from which they are allocate)?. What does your soul do when you are unconscious?
Why can't you communicate with other souls in the timeless Soulverse?
Can you describe what it is like to reside in a timeless place?
...   And so many more questions.

I don't see you pitching in to help there.
I wonder why.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on December 29, 2022, 07:46:56 AM
Should I invite you to defend Alan Burns assertion that you have a soul, it exists in a timeless place, but not in this universe, it somehow connects with your physical brain possibly via quantum tunnelling, it reads your physical brain patterns and makes decisions in real-time/now even though the two way quantum tunnel requires some time to pull and push the data?
Maybe you can help him with his undefined data e.g. when is a soul created ( at conception maybe or is there a soul-bank from which they are allocate)?. What does your soul do when you are unconscious?
Why can't you communicate with other souls in the timeless Soulverse?
Can you describe what it is like to reside in a timeless place?
...   And so many more questions.

I don't see you pitching in to help there.
I wonder why.
I think it is self evident that we have a soul or a self and ythat we are connected to many aspects of a cosmos which is not restricted to a physical aspect and in that respect neither is the self.

Where the soul emerges from I don't know but the nature of the cosmos makes a non material source a possibility

Regarding the experience of timelessness. Maybe we get that when we are completely absorbed in something.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Alan Burns on December 29, 2022, 08:55:15 AM
Should I invite you to defend Alan Burns assertion that you have a soul, it exists in a timeless place, but not in this universe, it somehow connects with your physical brain possibly via quantum tunnelling, it reads your physical brain patterns and makes decisions in real-time/now even though the two way quantum tunnel requires some time to pull and push the data?
Maybe you can help him with his undefined data e.g. when is a soul created ( at conception maybe or is there a soul-bank from which they are allocate)?. What does your soul do when you are unconscious?
Why can't you communicate with other souls in the timeless Soulverse?
Can you describe what it is like to reside in a timeless place?
...   And so many more questions.
I am grateful that you have taken the time and effort to read and understand my previous posts

I concede that my views on the possible nature of the human soul are speculation.  I am just illustrating a possible means of our human self being able to consciously  interact rather than merely react to this material universe.  The true nature of the soul is most likely beyond human understanding.

What I can say with absolute certainty is that the demonstrable capabilities of the human mind go far beyond what can ever be achieved by material reactions alone.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Maeght on December 29, 2022, 11:33:16 AM
I am grateful that you have taken the time and effort to read and understand my previous posts

I concede that my views on the possible nature of the human soul are speculation.  I am just illustrating a possible means of our human self being able to consciously  interact rather than merely react to this material universe.  The true nature of the soul is most likely beyond human understanding.

What I can say with absolute certainty is that the demonstrable capabilities of the human mind go far beyond what can ever be achieved by material reactions alone.

You can't say that with any certainty though.
Title: Re: True meaning of Christmas
Post by: Sebastian Toe on December 29, 2022, 02:47:43 PM


Where the soul emerges from I don't know but the nature of the cosmos makes a non material source a possibility
Cosmos
: an orderly harmonious systematic universe
: a complex orderly self-inclusive system

What is it about the nature of the cosmos which makes a non material source possible?

Besides, Alan postulates the soul existing in a place which is not  within this universe.
It looks like you disagree?