Theist Vs Atheist Debate: "Does God Not Exist?"

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Theist Vs Atheist Debate: "Does God Not Exist?"

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Dear friends, here is another debate concerning the existence of God. It takes place within an Islamic faith setting. This is a very intriguing debate indeed since the atheist, in this case, is a former Christian believer and church practitioner. This former believer was in fact an ordained person who practiced and taught religion. This person knows the Bible and says that he was a very strong believer in God. But, now turned atheist he is in the business of denying the entity. The preacher turned atheist rests his case solely on logic and reason. He is a forceful and effective speaker indeed. So, sit back and enjoy this debate.

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Part two of the debate brings forth a believer in Islam. He begins with a ten minute rebuttal of everything that the atheist has presented. He calls him dogmatic and proceeds with his case against him. He wonders why the atheist denies the existence of design which is so apparent. He speaks of existence and asks the atheist to falsify his existence. God is not relative, but the Creator of all. He is the immovable mover. He is Absolute. You cannot compartmentalize God. We cannot apply our limitations to God.

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The atheist engages in a five minute rebuttal at this point. Since the Muslim above denied that Buddhists were atheists, the speaker claims again that Buddhists are in fact atheists. He speaks again to design. He thinks the world is in fact a bad design. He refers again to the gap in understanding and refers again to Isaac Newton who tried to close the gap by invoking God. Our limits is what defines us. Allah therefore cannot be a person. You have to define what God is not what he is not.

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The believer in God begins his twenty minute speech. He blames man for not seeing the perfect in God or the universe. Does God not exist? The burden is on Mr. Dan Barker. How did we become and where did we come from? We know that the universe is expanding, etc. Design is required for the existence of the universe. God is the creator of time and matter. God created the universe out of his infinite mercy. We have been created to be tried. This is for man to know, not God. Man has free will. We have intellect. Man is created in perfect form. We are constantly being examined and tested. Evil is a relative entity.

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Mr. Barker has a ten minute rebuttal. Calls the religious man a good person. I do not reject design. But, is done naturally. You have not given us any evidence only examples of our ignorance by pointing to a god. Is God puposeful and logical? God needs a designer as well. Why does God exist? I would worship God if he existed. I want the evidence. God is on trial. What about precious human life that God could have saved on 9/11?

Atheists are more moral than the believers. Hell is a threat and an intimidation. A physical threat. These religions are morally bankrupt.

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A five minute rebuttal from the Muslim. Natural selection cannot exist by itself.

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Part three is next.

This is a question and answer period.

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This is a really good part of the debate. I would give the debate to the former Christian. I am prejudiced of course, but that is beside the point. The atheist proved his metal without question. He is truly an excellent debater and brings in his arguments in a very timely and professional manner. The Muslim appears to be resting his case on philosophy and the belief in a god. I don't think that is good enough, especially when you realize that a god is not a necessary ingredient to the formation and acquisition of morality. The believer in Allah believes that to be the case and rests firmly on the idea of a first creator and the cause of all - a divine all-knowing one. He falls short in his argument especially in the area of proof. The atheist offers to become a believer if proof is available. I think that is an honest approach. The Muslim is not going to budge; he believes steadfastly in his god. And, the atheist is correct in saying that this is inappropriate as it denies one the ability to gain new knowledge.

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Third Annual Blogger Report

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Third Annual

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Blogger Report

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May 2009

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Yes, dear friends time certainly flies now doesn't it? Here we are once again in the middle of May. It is time to examine what we have accomplished over the past year;

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Friends, we have made great progress over the past twelve months. So much has happened in my life that I just don't know where to start or what to focus on. Now, I certainly don't want to burden you with the lesser events of the year, so maybe I will just confine myself to my major accomplishments;

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Semi-retirement is working out quite well I am glad to report. I am not experiencing any major financial difficulties and I am still just working three days per week. Usually it is Wednesday through Friday, but sometimes we switch things around a bit to make adjustments for the changing business conditions. You will appreciate that the courier business does not get any easier as there are always more vehicles on the road and more construction and numerous other things which can cause delays for the courier. Maybe that is why I bought a new truck with an automatic transmission. More on this detail later on in this report.

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If you scan my posts over you will notice that I am becoming quite a bit more philosophical in my writings. Philosophy is my main interest in life right now and I have always been interested in the big questions that confront man, and I do in fact spend a lot of time just doing plain old thinking. So, look for more philosophy-oriented posts in the year to come.

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2009 was the year in which I turned sixty years old; it is my diamond year. And, it is also the year in which I am planning on getting married, one way or the other. Now, it might not be a traditional wedding, but I can promise my readers some kind of wedding later on this year. So, be on the watch for that event and I will post the historic details when they occur.

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Another thing that occurred over the last year was my 25th or Silver Anniversary. Now, this is a very special situation in my life as my regular readers are aware. You can read about this event by linking up to the post on the side bar called " My Silver Anniversary ". This is really a unique event and I might be the only person in the whole world who can lay claim to such an event and to have so many things occuring 25 years later that can add value and meaning to the original event. Like for example, the association of Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve. You will have to read my post Friday October 7, 1983 to make the connection. Weird or what? I mean, isn't that one of man's foremost preoccupations anyway - looking for meaning in life? Once again, check out the side bar and link up with my music and the song: " Every Breath You Take. " It is the top video in that series.

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Lately, I have been adding videos and incorporating them into my posts. Hopefully, this will add some amusement and entertainment for my readers. Check out this post, for example and see how an old song can be combined with a video to produce an added effect:

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Juneau, Alaska is the morning side of the mountain...

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Other features of my life include my Stock Portfolio and Harness Racing. I will be making posts for these areas of interest as occasions arise. So, I hope you will look forward to these events.

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Finally, here is just one sample of the kind of music that I am inserting into my blog. I am crazy about sixties and late fifties music in particular so you can expect to find all kinds of love songs from this period cropping up. 1961 seems to be a very critical year for me. I am hooked on these songs and I do not forget them. I guess I was around twelve years old or so. I really believe that this is a revealing part of my personality, listening and remembering these old love songs, that is. Can you picture me driving down the road in my sports car ( pic off to the right ) and listening to love songs from the sixties and late fifties? Well, that is when I am the happiest person in the world - that is the simplicity of my personality.

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I think you will find also that my interest in topics about love and philosophy are starting to become a more frequent topic of discussion. I hope to explore this area in greater depth as the opportunities present themselves. I will leave you with a couple of sample videos then. If you like this kind of music then you might have a better idea of what kind of a character and personality I really am.

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Linda Scott in 1961
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Also: "I Can't Stay Mad At You"

by Skeeter Davis 1963

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You will notice in the picture at the beginning that I am sitting in a white truck; it is a 2009 Ford Ranger pickup. This means dear friends that the Rav 4 has ' left the company ' and has moved on. It was a very fine truck relationship as you are all probably aware, but all good things must come to a close at some point I suppose. Besides, maybe the relationship simply ran its course and it was time for us both to move on anyway.

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Hitchens and Boteach Debate on God

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Hitchens and Boteach Debate on God

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Whenever I come across a debate concerning the idea of God I like to pull up a chair so to speak and have a listen. I can listen to these kinds of debates for hours and hours. It is what I like to do and I think it is when I am the most happy. My mind is being provoked and it is being exposed to both sides of the argument. What better way to keep your mind in shape than to listen to a good discussion on religion and God? I, personally, cannot think of anything else I would rather be doing as regards to educating my mind.

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Mr. Hitchens started out with his presentation which lasted just under 20 minutes. But, part of that time was consumed with introductions and the like, so it really was not twenty minutes of course. His basic strategy was to outline the physical makeup of the universe and to let us know that it is acting like any natural thing would do; it is acting within its own laws which have nothing to do with a god. He details for us for us that galaxies are on a collision course and that there is nothing that we can do about that. So, what kind of a god would allow something like that to happen? Another piece of his argument is that there have been over 10,000 gods created by man, so what is another one or two? The god of the Christians of course is just another creation of the human animal. He is also of the opinion that man would be much better off without a god to believe in.

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Rabbi Beoteach is next on deck. He criticizes Hitchens right off the bat and his book " God Is Not Great. " He refers to Hitchens as a " Secular Fundamentalist Fanatic. " Christopher Hitchens hates religion and God and hope. According to Hitchens man is just a base animal with simple human desires. But, the Rabbi claims that man is a spiritual being as well. He goes on to glorify the Torah and circumcision as well. He says that God is the source of right and wrong and that the human animal is born innately with morality. He also hints that there is a designer at work and uses the human brain and eye as examples. He employs the term ' cognitive dissonance ' to those who would deny the creation of man.

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Christopher Hitchens comes back and states that he does indeed hate the Christian religion and does not want to love his enemies as the Christians are asked to do. He refers to the violence in the Bible and that gentle Jesus comes along and sings a different tune; hypocrisy. " If you want to saw off the end of your penis you are welcome to do it, but you are not to do it to a child..." It is wickednesss to mutilate a child's genitalia without their consent. He makes fun of Judaism and prefers the likes of Epicurus and Lucretius who thought that life was to be enjoyed.

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At approximately 45 minutes the Rabbi returns. He acknowledges that in the past religion had a closed mind, but who has the closed mind now? He hints that Hitchens is hurting Israel and Zionism with his language. He then goes on to discuss evolution and focuses on mutation as a feature of it. Mutation is highly improbable and takes a lot of time to occur in the human animal. Just how old is the earth and how much time would be required to transform man? The Rabbi believes in evolution, but with guidance. " If you want to see the evidence of design all you have to do is to see how smart Christopher Hitchens is. "

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Just after 56 minutes it is Hitchens turn to speak. The format is changed and he will deliver his comments sitting down. " Einstein was for a state for Jews, but not for a Jewish state. " He talks about evolution and contends that the famous Stephen Gould did not deny this fact.

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It is the Rabbi's turn again and he returns to this hate theme and the idea that Christopher Hitchens invents things. The name Baruch Goldstein is entered into the picture. This is the Jewish doctor who massacred innocent Palestinians. The Rabbi, in defense of Goldstein he says that no Jewish court anywhere would deny non-Jews to be treated on the Sabbath. He says that Hitchens thinks Jews are racist; he attacks Israel non-stop; he doesn't even know Judaism.

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There is a question and answer period occuring at approximately 1:09 minutes.

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There is some discussion concerning the ' Choseness ' of the Jews and anti-Semitism.

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Here is the video:

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The Fraud of Christianity

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The Existence of God is

under Review Series

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The Fraud of Christianity

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by Carl Baydala

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I don't think it is any secret that I am no great fan of religion. It doesn't really matter what the religion is, I think they are all a mistake, and many of them are simply frauds. Maybe not frauds in the sense that someone or some group of people is setting out to actually defraud the citizenry, but fraudulent in the sense that the existence of a god like Jehovah cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Yet, a country like the United States, for example, takes pride in the fact that it is a Christian nation. What pride is there in knowing that the great bulk of the population believes in something that probably does not exist? I say none. But, there is more to it than a mere mistake in belief. The greater thing is that the population is setting itself up for more and more delusion. It is rather like the rapist who has found a victim and keeps on raping his victim. Yes, dear friends that is what Christianity is; it is akin to the raping of a population, and in this case the raping and control of their mind.

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It is control dear friends, that the masters of the deception are after. For now that they have found a willing prey, and yes I say willing; they can take advantage of her and they can control her to their hearts desire. Control is the key factor I think and that is why the leadership of something like Christianity would never want to let their grip go loose on the society. They find ways to manipulate the population and to continually make it believe that the entity in the sky exists; they will do whatever it takes to continue the fraud and the deception; they will even create new stories or ideas to combat any new information that poses a threat to their religious control.

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Dear friends it is time to end the delusion and take back your lives. Christianity cannot be true because if it was the God of the heavens would have made some kind of account of himself by now. And, I am not talking about the Jesus story or the Bible either. Things related to these issues are under question and can be debated. Humanism is the main enemy of Christianity and it proved its superiority a long time ago. And, where is the power of the religion if it is constantly under attack? If it is constantly under attack then it must be vulnerable; and it must be vulnerable because of some inherent defect.

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And, what is the nature of the defect? It is quite simply a faulty product that is at the core of the problem here. Christianity is part of the mass media distortion and selling campaign that would have the likes of soap or some magic contrivance as its counterpart in the marketplace. Yes, dear friends Christianity is no more or anything less than a magic potion that is marketed to you by the major media. They will sell you a potion and a religion all in the same breath and in precisely the same manner. The potion is magical and possesses great powers of healing. Your life will be changed and improved by using the magic potion. Is Christianity any more than that dear reader? I think not. The product itself is Jesus Christ, claiming to be a son of a God that lives in the sky. Are you going to believe that without some kind of proof? Are you going to be deluded when the salesmen of Christianity even promise you an after life? Are you going to get a guarantee or your money back if the product is faulty - or dare I say fraudulent? Well, many magic concoctions have been hoisted upon an unsuspecting public and many have been deluded in the process. In time, the disseminators of these products would have been exposed and even brought to justice for their crimes.

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But, what about the hawkers of Christianity who pervade our land? They continue to sell their product to an unsuspecting population. And, no one holds them to account for their activities. In fact, they are even sanctioned by the government itself in many circumstances. A government as conspirator to a crime or a fraud? Well, yes indeed dear friends. Jesus Christ and Christianity are unproven products in the market place and can cause great harm to the population, and far greater harm than some magic potion to boot. Christianity can cause wars in foreign lands, but its main crime is one of control of a population. That is a crime that no nation should have to endure.

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So, wake up and denounce this religion and enjoy the freedom that others have come to enjoy without the shackles and control of this unproven religion.

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My thoughts are my own and are presented in the public interest. I think you will find that Mr. Richard Dawkins below might come to side with me on this issue, but it is not for me to put words in his mouth of course.

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How Philosophers Die - Click here for the most popular videos

The Pessimism of Arthur Schopenhauer

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The Pessimism of

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Arthur

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Schopenhauer

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Arthur Schopenhauer

(1788-1860)

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To get at the root of the personality of Arthur Schopenhauer all you have to do is listen to the following audio files concerning his views on pessimism. He covers all the bases and, upon listening to these files, one becomes immediately associated with the philosopher's general mental condition.

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I would describe that condition as one of pragmatism and a genuine criticism of the system. He does not mince words and his views on the world rather match my own. The world is a cruel place and man is a creature that was planted upon this earth ( or developed as a function of nature ) and his business is to survive and not much more. Man is a never-satisfied creature and is constantly trying to serve his will or his inner being. And, the point of the whole exercise is that this will is never satisfied and that is because of the general make up of man himself. Man does not know who he is or where he is going and he is constantly on the hunt for meaning. There is no god and man has no god; he is left alone to survive and when he dies there is nothing more. Maybe this feature of life explains the actions of man and his behavior and outlook on life. And, not so indirectly, it explains the behavior of Schopenhauer as well.

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Schopenhauer takes time out to criticize the attitudes of his fellows and always finds time to put women in their place; he was not an admirer of women and their place in society after all. Misogyny and Arthur Schopenhauer go hand in hand and the man is never afraid to criticize women and explain for us what he thinks their role in society is and should be. More on women below.

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For me, Schopenhauer is a man worth listening to. His pessimism is a breath of fresh air because because he characterizes life as it is, and is crtitical of its pretensions; what it is pretended to be or how it is organized. He is rational and he is critical all in the same breath. I find nothing in his words that offend me greatly, except perhaps his rather hard description of women. Schopenhauer was a bachelor with a chip on his shoulder ( or so it would seem ) but, that should not give him license to criticize women the way he does. I think he could have taken time out to be a little more diplomatic in this regard. Women, after all are part of the human race. I do not think we should be in the business of subjugating them or exploiting them, but appreciating them instead. I am a bachelor myself, and I find nothing offensive about women at all. In fact, as a group, I rather like them. And, if the right one came along, i.e., that one special female who actually understands me and appreciates me, well, I might even get married to that person. But, these kinds of things are the business of the gods and not us mere mortals. I hope Mr. Schopenhauer is not offended by these remarks and will not hold them against me as form of blasphemy or the like. But, at any rate, any man who played the flute everyday and kept a couple of puppies as friends can't be all that bad.

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Pessimism audio files:

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mp3 and ogg files00 - Note - 00:02:03 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-00-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-00-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 1.0MB]

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01 - On the sufferings of the world - 00:33:34 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-01-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-01-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 18.4MB]

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02 - On the vanity of existence - 00:12:44 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-02-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-02-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 6.4MB]

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03 - On suicide - 00:14:06 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-03-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-03-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 6.9MB]

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04 - Immortaliy: a dialogue - 00:11:12 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-04-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-04-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 5.6MB]

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05 - Psychological observations - 00:52:33 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-05-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-05-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 26.1MB]

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06 - On education - 00:18:22 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-06-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-06-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 9.2MB]

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07 - Of women - 00:36:22 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-07-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-07-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 18.0MB]

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08 - On noise - 00:12:39 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-08-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-08-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 6.2MB]

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09 - A few parables - 00:12:11 [http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-09-schopenhauer_64kb.mp3][http://www.archive.org/download/studies_pessimism_librivox/studiespessimism-09-schopenhauer.mp3][ogg vorbis - 6.0MB]

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Cataloged on February 05, 2007
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All free files found below:
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LibriVox
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A good overview of Schopenhauer ( you tube )

See Section One:

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Here

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Section Two

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Section Three

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Section Four

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Section Five

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The Philosophy of

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Arthur Schopenhauer:

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in....

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The Giants of Philosophy

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The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 01/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 02/18

The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 03/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 04/18

The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 05/18

The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 06/18

The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 07/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 09/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 10/18

The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 11/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 12/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 13/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 14/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 15/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 16/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 17/18
The Giants of Philosophy - Arthur Schopenhauer - 18/18

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Reading and listening links:

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The world as will and representation

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http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/schopenhauer.html

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Philosophy The Classics

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Philosophy Talk

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Stanford encyclopaedia of philosophy

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A dream can be your best friend

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A dream can be

your best friend

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by Carl Baydala

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You know, I didn't realize how important real friends are. These are the people who go on a trip with you and when things turn bad or ugly they are still your friends after all is said and done. Some people cannot even be your friends because they do not like, appreciate, or even understand you. That is the sad fact of life dear friends and the more I experience life the more these things ring true. And, just a final punishing thought for you. Some of you may not even have any friends at all. Well, that is OK too. And here is why. It is OK to not have friends even though that is the preferred option of course. Better because it gives you someone to talk to and to share things with. I think that is the most important part of all - sharing your experiences and thoughts with another person. It is important because it connects you to life and creates meaning for you and gives life a purpose; that is the role of friends. But, if you are alone all is not lost. Because if you believe in yourself then that is all you really need. And, as a human being you are possessed with a brain, and inside of that brain is your imagination. It is your imagination that you can fall back onto and make it your friend. Your imagination is a wonderful thing and in the end it is your ultimate friend; it is the thing that can allow you to survive under the most extreme conditions. Because with your mind and imagination anything is possible. Your dreams live here and these are the things which can be your true friends if you want them to be. So cheer up and dream a little bit. You will feel better and you will be able to be just as happy as those with a bunch of friends. If you don't believe me just click on one of the videos by Tommy Edwards off to the right. Like, say for example, listen to ' The Morning Side of the Mountain '. Now listen and dream. So, what do you feel like now after listening to that? Did you see your friends, etc? Do you even need any friends? Who said a living friend was better than a dream friend anyway? Think about it. They are both just as good to have, and when you cannot have a physical friend, why your mind friend will never let you down and he or she will always be there for you - and this friend will be perfect because you have made him or her that way. And, if you need just a bit more proof as to what I am saying then get a pussy cat and tell him your dreams. He will believe you and he will not doubt your thoughts for a minute. See what I mean? Who needs stinking human friends anyway when you can have a cat and a bunch of dreams that can even be better? See, life is great when you can make it work for you. And, that is what life is all about isn't it? Making it work and making it pleasurable, I mean. Someone, or something gave you the ability to dream. So, take advantage of an opportunity to dream - and create that friend when you need one. I am not sure if anyone is actually going to believe what I just said, but I think it makes a bit of sense, however - it makes sense to me and that is the point of the whole thing.

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today's post borrowed from Dear Courier Diary

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Happy Mellow Sunday

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Taking Stock

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Taking Stock

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President Barack Obama

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Thursday April 30, 2009

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Time to take stock? Well, that is what President Barack Obama did yesterday after the famous 100 days. And, what is the verdict? Well, the man is optimistic of course, as is his nature. That is his job as I am sure everyone is aware - to be optimistic. He is certainly sticking to the playbook as anyone can easily determine and so, the verdict is positive. And, it will always be positive. He thinks things will get better, but we just need more time.

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The president inherited quite a mess as everyone knows and he is doing quite a good job all things considered, in my opinion. My beefs surrounding the president are that he is continuing the war of aggression in the Middle East, expanding into Afghanistan and now Pakistan as well. I did not think he would do that as forcefully as he is doing, but I suspect that it is a pretty tough political battle for him to deny the existence of the Military Industrial Complex. The one thing you have to give the president credit for, however, is that he is a realist; he knows the score and that is why he is playing his cards the way he is. Let us just hope that after all is said and done that the American people wind up with something tangible, like maybe getting their economy and their jobs and their futures back - sometime in the future.

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Which brings me to the economy because things are always about the economy, or so it would seem. The economy and the bankers is the greatest challenge confronting the president I feel. It is these bankers ( this includes Ben Bernanke and Allan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve System of private bankers ), these Wall Street financiers who caused this financial mess for us. With their derivatives and their packaged products that became toxic world wide, the world is now suffering a Great Recession and a corresponding crash in the stock market. This means of course that Barack Obama has to step into yet another mess and supply billions for the bankers and their balance sheets. That is the power of the bankers, that the president must continue to play this game of bailout; he has no choice, either by simple pragmatics or by political power; the bankers are all powerful and the president knows that. This is the group that can cause great damage to an economy, politically and economically and that is why the president must cater this group even if he does not want to. We do not know what the real state of their balance sheets are, we can only play the game because there is no other game to play and that is the way the president has assessed the situation as well.

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check out these videos to see the enemy within:

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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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See also this video here on Bill Moyers

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Bill Moyers Journal

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And, so today we find in the economic news that stock markets are rising world wide and that the sentiment is possibly changing. One analyst says that this is the beginning of the bull market and that it is for real. Is he right? Who knows, but I think the people are looking for any kind of positive news now and this is the kind of news that will do just fine, even if it is not true. The people need this kind of news at this time and that news has been delivered.

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Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Picture of Barack Obama found here:

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At the Huffingtonpost.com

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Today's post borrowed from:

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Dear Courier Diary

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The courier gods

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Hermes

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Messenger god of the Greeks

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Not many people know this, but there are in fact courier gods. Just as the Greeks and Romans had gods, so too with the modern-day courier. These are the entities which work behind the scenes guiding the lives of us couriers. They are much like the present-day ' God ' of the Christians and those of the Muslims. But, they are not one, there are many of them; they are all-pervasive and all-knowing. And, they all have their jobs to do in making sure that a courier gets through his day and is able to serve his customer in the best way imaginable.

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The courier knows that the customer is in fact a very important person. For without a customer the courier does not make a living. So, this is perhaps the most important task of the courier gods - to match up the best customers which each individual courier company and individual driver. The gods are actually in charge of this important detail. Think of it as sort of match-making skill that the gods are involved in here. They bring the personalties together so that they can enjoy a satisfactory relationship.

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These gods not only make sure that customers are associated with the best courier company that can fulfill their needs, but many other things as well. Couriers know, for example, that even conditions like traffic and the amount of work that he his given is solely based on the courier gods; they do in fact regulate all of the conditions under which a courier operates. A wise courier knows these things and that is why he takes the good and bad in his stride. He knows the gods will provide for him and that they will do things in their own way and in their own time. They can make a delivery late as well as make sure that a time-sensitive document is delivered right down to the last second and on time. Couriers know all of these things and this knowledge gives the courier a unique outlook on life. A courier is not critical and does not get mad or even worry about the events on his daily job or in his life generally. Many couriers complain as a matter of course, but it is only in fun for they do not want to upset the gods. He has learned through experience to trust the judgement and the will of the gods - they control the destiny of the courier.
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A seasoned and dedicated courier loves and trusts these gods who rule over his business. A sapient courier knows that these entities operate in the background and are responsible for the safety and good fortune of all couriers and their valued customers as well. So, if you ever want to be a courier and understand the business you must know that you cannot do your job alone and must rely on these courier gods who know all and do all. You must submit to your gods and trust them with all of your might. Once you do that you will find that your life will be better served and that you will be able to greet and meet each of your customers with a fresh perspective. Remember, it is the courier gods who allow you to interact with that pretty secretary and to make your day come alive monetarily and socially. And be cautioned: the courier gods have the ability to engineer a bad personal experience when you step out of line as well - so do not under any circumstance antagonize the gods! The gods, as you are now aware, have great power and must not be criticized or questioned. They simply must be loved and respected, and obeyed. So, keep in mind that all of your customer relationships, good and bad are chosen by the gods. When the customer is smiling and providing you with jobs that make your life worth living it is important to know that this person, asking for your services, and in fact, relying on them, is the result of the decision of one of the gods. Your customer was chosen by the gods - for you! The gods, in fact, have blessed you both by bringing you together so that you can enjoy a mutual and prosperous relationship together.

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Related courier posts here:

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Courier Jobs in Vancouver

Coffee and a Muffin at McDonald's

A Courier Party

Best Elevator in Vancouver: A Feature Report

Best Elevator in Vancouver - Coming Soon

When The Going Gets Tough Jump

Another Gorgeous Day in Vancouver

The Heart of the Matter

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above post borrowed from Dear Courier Diary

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You can read about Hermes in Wikipedia:

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right here

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Vancouver Today

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Vancouver Today

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Wednesday April 22, 2009

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You didn't think I would forget McDonald's did you?

This is where I wound up at the end of the day -

at McDonald's Headquarters in Burnaby.

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When you examine the webcams below the first cam is of the Burrard

Street Bridge. That is the bridge that I am driving over in the pictures above.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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A look inside Iran

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Pressing on with the meaning of life

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Pressing on with the meaning of life

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by Carl Baydala

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Dear Friends. Take a look at the above picture and tell me what you see. Take your time and think about it and what it means to man and to yourself. Actually, you could look at any picture and you will find that different meanings would emerge for different people.

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That meaning of course lays at the basis of the meaning of life. What is meaning? An honest question so let us attempt to answer it. Meaning for me is the understanding or wanting to know the reason why we are here and what are purpose is on being here. This is the most broadest of the term meaning of course and the one that should occupy the mind of a man wanting to know the most profound question of all. This is the boundless question of the ages of man; he simply doesn't know why he was born and where is going, if anywhere, after all is said and done.

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What are the tools of man's enquiry or what aids him in his understanding of things. The answer is nothing but his surroundings; there is nothing else to go on; it is all he has and he has no more. For any gods and ideas that he has created to explain things for him came out of his mind, and nowhere else. And, so let us examine our picture once again. What do you see?

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I see a building, some trees, some other structures and a sky that is fading into darkness. That is all there is and that is all there will ever be for man. His environment is his knowledge and there are no more aids to discovery; these are his aids to his formulations of meaning.

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A darkening sky informs man that his day is ending, and that hopefully, there will be another one to take its place; that is his dream at least, if he is interested in the business of living, that is. If he is living a satisfying life and if he is healthy then the darkening sky is of no concern to the man - it is a good thing and it is beautiful in its manifestation. A man plagued by doubt, however, or one injured by society in some way might not look too kindly upon the scene in front of him. Maybe he sees the tall structure as something being created by his enemies who would control him and hold him back from any potential that he may have. Perhaps, he thinks he does not have any potential at all and would simply be a harsh critic to the scene in front of him. The proud building and glorious twighlight would be neither of things ( neither glorious or or proud ), except they would remind him that another day is coming and it would most likely be just like the one that he is finishing; another day of agony and complaining about his station in life.

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And, yet another man would stand in awe at this picture and know that man has the potential to build tall and handsome buildings. Inside that building are people happy at their work and being productive citizens and contributing to society. They most likely drive cars and own their own homes and are happy and industrious. Or maybe they are students looking forward to a prosperous career and getting married and living happily ever after.

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Dear friends, a picture is worth a thousand words and never was a wiser phrase brought into being. The meaning of life is what you make it to be and it can be no other way. What you see is what you get. You might see good and you might see evil in the picture, but if you are alive at least you are able to see something. And, that is the meaning and purpose of life; it is the ability to know that something exists and for every man to be able to provide a meaning for it. And, that meaning I think all would agree is something that the human mind contrives, and that formulation of something that we call meaning is a combination of things which are entirely personal. No one has the same kind of meaning as another. Who is to say that God did not create the above scene for us as prescribed by his Divine nature and purposes? And, who is to say that a man sees in this picture what his mind tells him to see, completely unaided by anything remotedly called a god? Why would a god allow some men to see good in the picture while allowing other men to see bad?

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I think if we are seeking meaning we need to look beyond the idea of gods and what they can accomplish. We are not categorically denying the existence of a Supreme Being, but we are saying that there are more options available. And, one of those options is to say that meaning is a very personal thing indeed. I think the human animal is a true testament to this reality; we are not all created the same way at all; we see differently and we learn differently. But, what we learn is our meaning and it is no one elses. So, dear friends, even the man who would criticize the picture as an example of an injustice has something which no one can lay claim to - and that is his individuality. His individuality is the true source of his meaning. The purpose ( if any ) and meaning of life is going to found within the confines of mens' minds. I think we might start here to become more knowledgeable about this business of meaning. That is my recommendation at least for what it is worth to you.

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