Sunday, December 9, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
On the bright side, hell helps keep crime down...
"The study's findings confirm other studies indicating that belief in supernatural punishment has spread across cultures to suppress anti-social behavior.Hell has its benefits.
A strong belief in fiery punishment is good for a country's crime rates, indicates a new study that looked at religious belief and crime data from around the world.
While the researchers found stronger belief in hell was linked to less crime, the opposite turned out to be true for a belief in heaven. This suggests countries where citizens put more stock in heaven than in hell suffer from higher crime rates, and the bigger the gap, the worse the crime, the analysis revealed.
The findings fit with growing evidence that belief in supernatural punishment is a cultural innovation that spread across ancient societies, because it effectively motivated people to cooperate and suppress anti-social behavior, the research team writes in research detailed earlier this month in the journal PLoS ONE.
The researchers, Azim Shariff from the University of Oregon and Mijke Rhemtulla of the University of Kansas, drew upon survey data collected from 143,197 people in 67 countries between 1981 and 2007. The surveys asked people if they believed in "Heaven," "Hell" and "God." They calculated crime rates using United Nations statistics on crimes from human trafficking and homicide to auto theft and burglary.
This shows religious belief does not have a uniform effect on people's behavior, Shariff said in a statement.
"Once you split religion into different constructs (a belief in hell versus heaven, for example), you begin to see different relationships. In this study, we found two differences that go in opposite directions. If you look at overall religious belief, these separate directions are washed out and you don't see anything. There's no hint of a relationship."
As for why beliefs in heaven and hell are linked with crime, the researchers have some ideas.
"At this stage, we can only speculate about mechanisms, but it's possible that people who don't believe in the possibility of punishment in the afterlife feel like they can get away with unethical behavior," Shariff said in a statement. "There is less of a divine deterrent."
-via mothernaturenetwork on Tumblr and here:
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/on-the-bright-side-hell-helps-keep-crime-down
Friday, June 22, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Advice on life from a U.S. Army Chaplain on life
This is some advice on life that I think all people should see from friend and
well educated intellectual U.S. Army Chaplain Pastor Joe Freas that he gave
to me on youtube a few years ago when I was going through a tough situation.
I don't agree with all of his advice but a lot of it makes sense:
(Note: My youtube channels are 4thcoming and TheForthcoming1 btw)
"Dear "The Forthcoming1",
In all honesty, I believe there are no Athesists, only the misunderstood. Those who have different beliefs than yours or mine isn't something to be argued with or over, every individual is able to believe what they wish. The reason why I chose to become a chaplain is because of my inner peace to understand the joys of all religions. Yes, we might not understand all of these religions like we do ourselves, but then again, in order to better understand religion, we must also look deep with ourselves.
Nobody is perfect. Everybody seeks something from another, whether it may be power, authority, love, joy, any number of varying factors are involved. Generally, the less an individual understands about themselves, their likes, dislikes, beliefs, disbeliefs, their inner ability to love, hate, understand their temper, their mind, their heart and what they desire, then a person can easily become enraged. This is human nature & the ability to understand one's self and not take something too personally, is in fact the difference between sanity and insanity.
In order to better understand your situation, dealing with the anniversary of your father's death, all death is both natural & unnatural. Death is as much of a part of life as it is in itself, death. We as human beings cannot understand the higher purpose of death because we are on such a low comparison to our heavenly Lord. In everything, there is a reason. In everything, there is a plan, a destiny & a fate to be had. (Now if you were to ask me why did your father die in WWII? Then I would say this to you. All war is bad, however, what would have been worse, allowing the Nazis to reign or to stop, turn and fight? Obviously the latter, and therefore I say this to you, in order to succeed in accomplishing a mission of "peace", peace as a whole, so that all can enjoy, indeed I believe then that this is a person's destiny. Now, if you were to ask me about a person dying from a car accident or from a drunk driver. Then I can say this. This I believe falls to chance. This is something I believe God leaves up to each and every one of us. Human Choice as it is known. God doesn't control everything, if He did, there would be no war, no poverty, no hunger, nu abuse, no pain, and no suffering. But then again, ask yourself this, what would be the purpose of living, if everything was taken care of for us)?
God put certain people on this earth to help humankind in all essences. He birthed doctors to help the sick and dying, he birthed those to serve as police officers to protect the innocent and punish the evil, he placed those of intellectual capabilities here to solved scientific and physical issues. The list goes on and on.
God has challenged you. Diabetes, your mother's Lupus, you father's death. The question is, can you withstand the challenge? I wasn't put on this earth perfect, nor was anybody else. Your ability to overcome the difficulties sets "you" apart from everybody else. One day, after heaving battles of witnessing finanical troubles, physical and health issues among some of my fellow parishioners, I said, "Enough is enough." Many of my fellow humans were seeking answers for their challenges. Some were spend-a-holics, some were addicted to narcotics. I had to put my foot down and say, "Stand up to your challenge. It's not going to go away unless you stand up, knock fear aside and take charge." I always told others, God helps those who help themselves. In order to be helped though, you have to give it your all.
To better understand your Diabetes, read more about it, join an online web network, emailing or contacting others for support. They can help you in dealing with daily life living with Diabetes, plus you can come to understand your situation a little bit more. As a son, it is also up to you to learn about your mother's condition. By understanding this disease yourself and gaining facts about it, you can also help your mom in understanding that Lupus is not the end, but a birth of life all over again. Yes, it is a challenge, but with willpower and help from you, her son, you and her can achieve new objectives.
I will speak with (TheSamara89Kitten). It's natural for any person to become upset when speaking about sensitive issues, which include; (sex, politics & religion). For future reference, when somebody begins to nit-pick at your belief system, trash-talk you, use foul or obscene language, it's always best to use your most polite and understanding method of communication. I know this sounds loony, but it works all the time. It not only keeps you composed, but also makes the other person feel silly for not only making a fool of themselves, but brings them back to their level of where they are supposed to be. (I will tell you straight out right here and now. You may even already know this. The internet is both glorious and sinister. Most people, not all, come to internet sites like this not to have fun, but to torment others. They may be having a bad day so why not take it out on another person to make themselves feel better).
Like I said above, I will speak with this other user. If you decide to speak with them again, don't be a pushover, but try and come to an understanding from the other person's side as well. They may even apologize for upsetting you. You may even wish to apologize for using the language that you stated above. That's strictly up to you though.
About the Bible. Don't worry if you don't read the Bible on a daily basis. From a religious standpoint, I really don't know who does, when there's so much pastoral resources online anymore, there's almost not a need to quote the Bible, unless it's for a sermon. Reading the Bible is more so for morals, and I would recommend this to you, don't base all of your beliefs on this book. Most people who I have dealt with in my psychology classes in college were so out there in believing everything they read in the Bible.
This is where intellect comes in. In order to better round yourself out, try reading about things you normally wouldn't read about, such as politics in the newspaper or on TV. Watch CNN or C-Span from time to time, just to get a little edge on world events. Tune into a classical radio channel once-in-a-while. Understand different cultures, read more, whether online or books. Try to understand others around, (think about this before you speak, walk in another person's shoes before you say anything that might upset you). Intelligence doesn't come overnight, it is learned and taught. All because I'm a chaplain doesn't mean I stop learning. I am always learning, I will always be learning. If you shut the door on the world around you, you might as well just close the curtains and lay down and die. Surround yourself with people who give you good advice, you are intelligence, have manners, don't use as much bad language, are civil, and treat you with respect. Do away with people who are seeking things like: (injustice, hatred, use of obscene getsures or language). Things like this put a human being down and harbor thoughts of depressio & anger. You don't need things like this crowding your mind. I know for myself, when I wish to clear my mind, a simple bicycle ride usually does the trick. Getting outside into the world around you can clear many problems up.
Try these few things. Remember, it won't happen overnight. These are things and factors that need to be worked on. You shouldn't live your life on the internet. The internet is a great tool, but if overused, it can be like death. As a person, you don't need that nonsense.
I hope this helps at least a little.
You will be in my prayers for strength and hope.
God Bless.
Pastor Joseph Freas, C.C. (aka DrMASH4077) via youtube
well educated intellectual U.S. Army Chaplain Pastor Joe Freas that he gave
to me on youtube a few years ago when I was going through a tough situation.
I don't agree with all of his advice but a lot of it makes sense:
(Note: My youtube channels are 4thcoming and TheForthcoming1 btw)
"Dear "The Forthcoming1",
In all honesty, I believe there are no Athesists, only the misunderstood. Those who have different beliefs than yours or mine isn't something to be argued with or over, every individual is able to believe what they wish. The reason why I chose to become a chaplain is because of my inner peace to understand the joys of all religions. Yes, we might not understand all of these religions like we do ourselves, but then again, in order to better understand religion, we must also look deep with ourselves.
Nobody is perfect. Everybody seeks something from another, whether it may be power, authority, love, joy, any number of varying factors are involved. Generally, the less an individual understands about themselves, their likes, dislikes, beliefs, disbeliefs, their inner ability to love, hate, understand their temper, their mind, their heart and what they desire, then a person can easily become enraged. This is human nature & the ability to understand one's self and not take something too personally, is in fact the difference between sanity and insanity.
In order to better understand your situation, dealing with the anniversary of your father's death, all death is both natural & unnatural. Death is as much of a part of life as it is in itself, death. We as human beings cannot understand the higher purpose of death because we are on such a low comparison to our heavenly Lord. In everything, there is a reason. In everything, there is a plan, a destiny & a fate to be had. (Now if you were to ask me why did your father die in WWII? Then I would say this to you. All war is bad, however, what would have been worse, allowing the Nazis to reign or to stop, turn and fight? Obviously the latter, and therefore I say this to you, in order to succeed in accomplishing a mission of "peace", peace as a whole, so that all can enjoy, indeed I believe then that this is a person's destiny. Now, if you were to ask me about a person dying from a car accident or from a drunk driver. Then I can say this. This I believe falls to chance. This is something I believe God leaves up to each and every one of us. Human Choice as it is known. God doesn't control everything, if He did, there would be no war, no poverty, no hunger, nu abuse, no pain, and no suffering. But then again, ask yourself this, what would be the purpose of living, if everything was taken care of for us)?
God put certain people on this earth to help humankind in all essences. He birthed doctors to help the sick and dying, he birthed those to serve as police officers to protect the innocent and punish the evil, he placed those of intellectual capabilities here to solved scientific and physical issues. The list goes on and on.
God has challenged you. Diabetes, your mother's Lupus, you father's death. The question is, can you withstand the challenge? I wasn't put on this earth perfect, nor was anybody else. Your ability to overcome the difficulties sets "you" apart from everybody else. One day, after heaving battles of witnessing finanical troubles, physical and health issues among some of my fellow parishioners, I said, "Enough is enough." Many of my fellow humans were seeking answers for their challenges. Some were spend-a-holics, some were addicted to narcotics. I had to put my foot down and say, "Stand up to your challenge. It's not going to go away unless you stand up, knock fear aside and take charge." I always told others, God helps those who help themselves. In order to be helped though, you have to give it your all.
To better understand your Diabetes, read more about it, join an online web network, emailing or contacting others for support. They can help you in dealing with daily life living with Diabetes, plus you can come to understand your situation a little bit more. As a son, it is also up to you to learn about your mother's condition. By understanding this disease yourself and gaining facts about it, you can also help your mom in understanding that Lupus is not the end, but a birth of life all over again. Yes, it is a challenge, but with willpower and help from you, her son, you and her can achieve new objectives.
I will speak with (TheSamara89Kitten). It's natural for any person to become upset when speaking about sensitive issues, which include; (sex, politics & religion). For future reference, when somebody begins to nit-pick at your belief system, trash-talk you, use foul or obscene language, it's always best to use your most polite and understanding method of communication. I know this sounds loony, but it works all the time. It not only keeps you composed, but also makes the other person feel silly for not only making a fool of themselves, but brings them back to their level of where they are supposed to be. (I will tell you straight out right here and now. You may even already know this. The internet is both glorious and sinister. Most people, not all, come to internet sites like this not to have fun, but to torment others. They may be having a bad day so why not take it out on another person to make themselves feel better).
Like I said above, I will speak with this other user. If you decide to speak with them again, don't be a pushover, but try and come to an understanding from the other person's side as well. They may even apologize for upsetting you. You may even wish to apologize for using the language that you stated above. That's strictly up to you though.
About the Bible. Don't worry if you don't read the Bible on a daily basis. From a religious standpoint, I really don't know who does, when there's so much pastoral resources online anymore, there's almost not a need to quote the Bible, unless it's for a sermon. Reading the Bible is more so for morals, and I would recommend this to you, don't base all of your beliefs on this book. Most people who I have dealt with in my psychology classes in college were so out there in believing everything they read in the Bible.
This is where intellect comes in. In order to better round yourself out, try reading about things you normally wouldn't read about, such as politics in the newspaper or on TV. Watch CNN or C-Span from time to time, just to get a little edge on world events. Tune into a classical radio channel once-in-a-while. Understand different cultures, read more, whether online or books. Try to understand others around, (think about this before you speak, walk in another person's shoes before you say anything that might upset you). Intelligence doesn't come overnight, it is learned and taught. All because I'm a chaplain doesn't mean I stop learning. I am always learning, I will always be learning. If you shut the door on the world around you, you might as well just close the curtains and lay down and die. Surround yourself with people who give you good advice, you are intelligence, have manners, don't use as much bad language, are civil, and treat you with respect. Do away with people who are seeking things like: (injustice, hatred, use of obscene getsures or language). Things like this put a human being down and harbor thoughts of depressio & anger. You don't need things like this crowding your mind. I know for myself, when I wish to clear my mind, a simple bicycle ride usually does the trick. Getting outside into the world around you can clear many problems up.
Try these few things. Remember, it won't happen overnight. These are things and factors that need to be worked on. You shouldn't live your life on the internet. The internet is a great tool, but if overused, it can be like death. As a person, you don't need that nonsense.
I hope this helps at least a little.
You will be in my prayers for strength and hope.
God Bless.
Pastor Joseph Freas, C.C. (aka DrMASH4077) via youtube
According to the law of the conservation of energy,...
Friend of mine Tim Kershner via The Official ID page posted this today:
Courtesy of Elise (with a little help from Aaron Freeman).
"You want a physicist to speak at your funeral. You want the physicist to talk to your grieving family about the conservation of energy, so they will understand that your energy has not died. You want the physicist to remind your sobbing mother about the first law of thermodynamics; that no energy gets created in the universe, and none is destroyed. You want your mother to know that all your energy, every vibration, every Btu of heat, every wave of every particle that was her beloved child remains with her in this world. You want the physicist to tell your weeping father that amid energies of the cosmos, you gave as good as you got.
And at one point you’d hope that the physicist would step down from the pulpit and walk to your brokenhearted spouse there in the pew and tell him that all the photons that ever bounced off your face, all the particles whose paths were interrupted by your smile, by the touch of your hair, hundreds of trillions of particles, have raced off like children, their ways forever changed by you. And as your widow rocks in the arms of a loving family, may the physicist let her know that all the photons that bounced from you were gathered in the particle detectors that are her eyes, that those photons created within her constellations of electromagnetically charged neurons whose energy will go on forever.
And the physicist will remind the congregation of how much of all our energy is given off as heat. There may be a few fanning themselves with their programs as he says it. And he will tell them that the warmth that flowed through you in life is still here, still part of all that we are, even as we who mourn continue the heat of our own lives.
And you’ll want the physicist to explain to those who loved you that they need not have faith; indeed, they should not have faith. Let them know that they can measure, that scientists have measured precisely the conservation of energy and found it accurate, verifiable and consistent across space and time. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they’ll be comforted to know your energy’s still around. According to the law of the conservation of energy, not a bit of you is gone; you’re just less orderly. Amen."
-Aaron Freeman.
Courtesy of Elise (with a little help from Aaron Freeman).
"You want a physicist to speak at your funeral. You want the physicist to talk to your grieving family about the conservation of energy, so they will understand that your energy has not died. You want the physicist to remind your sobbing mother about the first law of thermodynamics; that no energy gets created in the universe, and none is destroyed. You want your mother to know that all your energy, every vibration, every Btu of heat, every wave of every particle that was her beloved child remains with her in this world. You want the physicist to tell your weeping father that amid energies of the cosmos, you gave as good as you got.
And at one point you’d hope that the physicist would step down from the pulpit and walk to your brokenhearted spouse there in the pew and tell him that all the photons that ever bounced off your face, all the particles whose paths were interrupted by your smile, by the touch of your hair, hundreds of trillions of particles, have raced off like children, their ways forever changed by you. And as your widow rocks in the arms of a loving family, may the physicist let her know that all the photons that bounced from you were gathered in the particle detectors that are her eyes, that those photons created within her constellations of electromagnetically charged neurons whose energy will go on forever.
And the physicist will remind the congregation of how much of all our energy is given off as heat. There may be a few fanning themselves with their programs as he says it. And he will tell them that the warmth that flowed through you in life is still here, still part of all that we are, even as we who mourn continue the heat of our own lives.
And you’ll want the physicist to explain to those who loved you that they need not have faith; indeed, they should not have faith. Let them know that they can measure, that scientists have measured precisely the conservation of energy and found it accurate, verifiable and consistent across space and time. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they’ll be comforted to know your energy’s still around. According to the law of the conservation of energy, not a bit of you is gone; you’re just less orderly. Amen."
-Aaron Freeman.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
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