The Phenomenon of Man ... Wo-man

The key elements of New Age doctrine is the belief that humans are divine. The idea that people are immortal gods is a lie used to pull people away from God. Author Dave Hunt an American Christian apologist, tells us that "Teilhard dreamed of humanity merging into ‘God’ and each realizing his own godhood at the Omega point. This belief has inspired many of today’s New Age leaders.”

Teilhard said this:
It is a law of the universe that in all things there is prior existence. Before every form there is a prior, but lesser evolved form. Each one of us is evolving towards the God-head.

The first two lies spoken to humankind, namely: “You shall not surely die,” and “You will be like God.”

AS … I have read very few of your posts … making it uncharitable for me to draw conclusions.

OTH … in a couple of your recent posts you seem to favour scripture … as it is written in the Bible. I do as well but I like James’ perspective on scripture … his comment … paraphrasing … or until we understand what truth those words are intended to convey.

eg Genesis 1:27

We don’t speak the same language.

AS … empathy … which requires putting our ego in our pocket temporarily … is the first step in healing and reconciliation.

… and yes … it goes both ways … I am making an effort … and you?

Adam and Eve were immortal. Once they ate from the tree of knowledge, they had to be kicked out of Eden so that they would not become like God and life forever. The possibility of being immortal and like God is still potentially there in the future.

Genesis 3:22 (NIV)

:-k Jesus says many times that you will have eternal life.

If there were no energy gradient set up such us ours (cold universe (earth + sun) cold universe) [note, a decaying sun that is also in compliance the 2nd law of thmd] we would not have complex life forms (which feed off the sun).

I don’t see complexity as violating entropy in the long run. We are able to exist because of the micro bubble of energy gradients that we find ourselves in. Complex life forms are more efficient at energy transfer, as you can see from eco tropic pyramids and transfer efficiency at trophic levels. Only 10% of energy is used at each level and 90% is released as heat. Now, imagine how much energy has to be wasted before we get a chance to waste our own, just food-wise. Now, think about how much energy we use and waste just for doing what humans do on daily basis? It’s like we just want to transfer (and waste) as much energy as we can possibly get our hands/minds on. So, in a sense, we can say that increasing complexity, including us, is to do what we do and balance things in universe. We are not special in that sense, only a functional cog in the machinery and certainly not above the natural law. People who claim that evolving complexity is an evidence of something divine seem to forget that there is no such thing as free lunch in the universe and even we are dependent on our environment for our existence.

I take it you don’t believe in 2nd law of thermodynamics which states:

Ah, the black holes. This theory is still being debated. Do they violate or do they not violate the 2nd law? Only recently Hawkins declared that there are not ‘true’ black holes, since even they leak radiation and are bound to eventually loose their mass with time. And I would say that it wouldn’t be surprising that with time, if all matter is dispersing, they ought to e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y disappear as well. But that’s my take on it.

While I don’t understand the technical terminology of your comments … I do understand the notion of “doubt”.

Pandora … your last paragraph is antithetical to the rest of your post …you are sufficiently humble to leave the door open a tiny crack.

My take is … humanity still does not know … with any degree of certainty.

Phyllo wrote:

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

Name one verse in the bible that says that man has an immortal soul?

Pilgrim wrote:

What do you mean?

You just moved the goalposts. Your previous post was about not dying . Now you want me to produce texts about the “immortal soul”.

You also did not respond to the Genesis passage where God says that if Adam and Eve stay in Eden then they will eat from the tree of life and live forever.

I was referring to a comment made by James in a discourse you had with him a few days ago.

Seems James has answered your questions … yet again! … JSS is turning out to be as smart as many ILP members think he is.

James Wrote:

Scholars and theologians agree that at the time the Bible was written people of the day were just starting to hear … talk about … immortality.

We’ll be trying to take a peek at it soon:
bbc.com/news/science-environment-38937141

Pan, you seem to be caught up in the excuse making of a specific set of people who desperately tried to defend their preference of prophecy and belief. But if you want to discuss the real story, it is best to do so on the science forum. For example, the Second “Law” of Thermodynamics has been proven wrong for over a century, despite the many attempts to rewrite it to make it seem correct. The most correct rewrite stated that it is merely a propensity, not a law, which would be true. And as black holes crush, disintegrate, and absorb entire galaxies, some radiation escapes. Black holes do not decrease in size or mass. They are run away gravitation, cosmic vacuum cleaners spraying a little refuse dust in their wake.

Atlantis The Ice Age(s) The Flood(s) Pharaoh’s Egypt Babylon Rome Washington

When I ponder the above 7 data points I see:

  1. The rise and fall of complexity.

  2. Rising complexity spawning arrogance.

  3. Rising arrogance triggering a fall.

  4. Cyclical … yes

  5. Linear … ???

Begs the question … where are we at the moment?

What difference does it make where you are?

Phyllo … allow me to change one word in your question.

What difference does it make where we are?

Perhaps the answer is ‘forecast’ … all businesses do it … the successful businesses get it right! eg Nokia and Apple

For the desperate people … desperate according to James

James wrote:

Matthew 16:3

You changed the question but did not provide an answer.

The weather people can’t even accurately predict the weather two weeks from now. What can you/we forecast? And what does it all have to do with complexity?

Ice ages last tens of thousands of years.

Rome lasted hundreds or thousands of years, depending on how you count.

How can these be considered “data points” in any reasonable sense?

Somebody has characterized every age in this way. :laughing: