-----Original Message-----
From: b <rrdd3939@aol.com>
To: rrdd3939 <rrdd3939@aol.com>
Sent: Wed, Oct 31, 2012 11:52 pm
Subject: Urania Moons You...
From: b <rrdd3939@aol.com>
To: rrdd3939 <rrdd3939@aol.com>
Sent: Wed, Oct 31, 2012 11:52 pm
Subject: Urania Moons You...
Alternate Title: Is there a God? A Personal Journey
(spanning many years)
A Personal History: Catholic until 18; atheist until 25; pantheist
until 30. Became a deist at 30 and has just become a contented
deist who deeply respects the Judeo-Christian Tradition as part
of the Western Tradition.
The Anthropic Principle made famous in '73 can be restated as the
Law of Human Existence. Our existence and that of the universe
itself depends on numerous cosmological constants and
parameters. - whose numerical values must fall within a very
narrow range of values. If even a single variable was off, even
slightly, galaxies and us wouldn't exist. The improbability of
of the universe existing is the Anthropic Principle. The laws of
nature (physics) are so arranged that life and consciousness are
possible.
Take protons which are 1836 times more massive than electrons,
if it were a little bigger or smaller we would not exist.
Amazingly, they are of extremely different mass and, yet, their
charges are equal (but opposite). Planets and you depend on
this balance.
If the BIG Bang or subsequent inflation were minutely faster or
slower there wouldn't be the quantum fluctuations that enabled
matter to congeal - the universe would be a humongous
homogenous cloud or it what have collapsed on itself shortly
after the bang.
Life on earth would not be possible if earth were closer or further
from the sun or if it were too near the core or the edge of our
Galaxy.
Our magnetic field protects us - good thing it isn't stronger or
weaker.
Halloween - do you want scary? Our atmosphere is 21%
oxygen. a few percent less and we wouldn't be able to
breath; a little more and anything ignited would burst into
flame, including, us --- any organic material ignited would
burn out-of-control.
Does this mean that there is a God?
URANIA (English pronunciation: Your-Anus) MOONS YOU*
aka PLATO's* MAN in the CAVE Series Resumes***
by Richard DePersio with Citizen Journalist
Is there a God? In the name of full disclosure: CJ is a deist
of the traditional variety**** (Reminder: This comsat was
always about astronomy and philosophy/theology. Herein, we
attempt to combine the two.
Atlas shrugged. Atlas: "BIG deal, humans named one rocket
after me - albeit an important one -- but it is still one. Originally,
it was an intercontinental ballistic missile. The Redstone
missile was modified for the U.S.'s first manned program in
the '60s. Project Mercury consisted of six one-man missions.
The first two were sub-orbital and employed the Redstone.
Mine was the more powerful intercontinental missile and
modified for the four orbital flights. It was so exciting that I
nearly dropped the earth from my shoulder! A family of launch
vehicles, the Atlas 5 is still in service. My namesake has sent
probes to the moon and Mars, and has placed communication
and military satellites into earth orbit, including,
geosynchronous orbit.
Urania: "As Reagan famously said 'There he goes again.'
Doesn't Hermes have enough room at
www.quasarpolitical.blogspot.com ! Rockets aren't part of
astronomy. Why must he invade my space? Philosophy? I
don't like it but I wouldn't say it to Plato's face.
Lucky Strike!?! (CJ quit smoking cold turkey three years ago).
Earth One was struck by Orpheus: a Mars-sized object. It
struck at just the right angle and speed to create a ring of
debris which would coalesce to form our moon. The ring
formed just outside the Roche Limit; a little closer and
earth's gravity would have prevented it from coalescing -
the material would have spiraled into the earth. Earth's tidal
forces have caused the moon to move outward to its present
locale.
Our moon isn't the largest moon but it is the largest
compared to the size of its planet: about 1/4 earth's size. It
is responsible for retaining the earth's inclination of 23
degrees; earth's axis is tilted. Otherwise, it would gyrate
wildly over hundreds of thousands or millions of years
from 0 to 90 degrees like Mars. It is doubtful that
hominids or humans could have survived such drastic
climatic changes. More fundamentally, according to
scientists the creation of DNA required hundreds of
millions of years of climatic stability
Further, it is likely that the moon has been in the right
place at the right time in its orbit to take blows for us
from comets, asteroids and large pieces of asteroids.
There might have been more mass extinctions in the past.
Also, Jupiter is the right size and right distance to have
intercepted comets headed for earth or deflected comets,
prevented our extinction.
(Did these things occur by pure chance!?!).
Orpheus****: "It is indeed an honor and a pleasure to visit. I
have my lyre. Who's in charge here: Urania, Plato, Rick or
CJ. I would like permission to sing my praises."
There is also an asteroid Orpheus with a one in 10,ooo
chance of striking earth over the next 100 years and doing
regional damage.
Orpheus: "Pardon me." Atlas: "I can't deal with it. Do you
know who I am!" Urania: There is a small moon very near
the Ring A of Saturn called Atlas and it is said that you
have the ring on your shoulder. This should serve as some
consolation." Atlas: "I'll muse on it."
(Is this an ADD-ed article!?!)
Most Biblical experts maintained that Jesus was hijacked by
Saint Paul and the Roman Emperor Constantine. Both of
who didn't know Jesus and both of whom call themselves 'The
13th Apostle; both of whom had visions.
Paul was more educated than the Apostles having come
from a fairly well-to-do Jewish family and enjoying a
successful tent business. His education on the Jewish faith
would have been superior. In all likelihood he would have
been taught Greek philosophy and ancient mythologies,
including, Greek. While the Apostles spoke Hebrew or Arabic,
he would have spoken those languages plus Greek and
Latin.
Jesus was crucified. The Apostles continued to be
practicing Jews: reciting Jewish prayers, celebrating Jewish
holy days, performing Jewish ceremonies; just like Jesus had.
They were called Ebonites; we might call them Jewish-
Christians. They also taught the teachings of Jesus whom they
thought was the Messiah not the Son of God.
(Remember Christians: Strange Bedfellows - CJ is a member
of the Christian "Alliance Defending Freedom." You need not be
offended. We are a Christian nation with a strong Judeo-
Christian component).
Paul changed all that: declaring that Jesus was the Son
of God and enabling pagans to become followers of Jesus
without becoming Jews.
James headed the Ebonites after Jesus' crucifixion.
Protestants consider him to be Jesus' half-brother while
Catholics - Roman and Easter Orthodox - don't. A few of the
Apostles, including, Peter came to agree with Paul but most
didn't.
By about 300 A.D. there were various Pauline Christian
groups, Ebonite groups and Gnostic (with a Jesus component)
groups.
(More info on early Christianity in other installments of "Plato's
Cave).
Constantine made Christianity legal and took the largest
Pauline group and ordered the other groups to merge with it.
Those that refused remained underground and vanished
after a few hundred years. He made the new large group the
Roman Catholic Church. He authorized a New Testament
which contains the letters that Paul wrote, Paul's activities,
Paul's interpretation of Jesus' philosophy. As a matter of
fact nearly 2/3 is Paul.
The odds of there having been a BIG Bang our astronomically
small.
Space (time was a spatial dimension, later becoming non-spatial,
consequentially, no beginning of time). Space wasn't empty
but contained dark energy in which
particles and their corresponding anti-particles formed and
within an unbelievably small fraction of a second annihilated
each other. Once in a blue moon somehow some particles
and anti-particles survived until there were enough to create
a BIG Bang. But there were slightly more particles than
anti-particles, therefore our universe consists of matter and
not anti-matter. Space isn't empty but contains this dark energy.
It's the nature of things. Physicists claim that they aren't
violating the law of physics that states that you can't get
something from nothing!!!
The Bible is chock full of visions/prophecies and miracles.
Why would God create laws of nature in order to violate
them!?! Wouldn't He create a universe in which He could
operate without violating His own work??? Would he even
interfere at all?
Not too hot, not too cold, just right: Goldilocks.
Idealism or Immaterialism: minds and ideas are all that there
is. Physicalism or Materialism: bodies and matter are all
there is. Just Right/The Middle Ground like our fine-tuned
universe - Dualism: Mental and Physical; Mind and Matter.
The first is silly. The second would be the winner except for
the way it deals with fine-tuning. The last leads to soul/
spirit and body.
Article ADD-ed?
Pandora/Eve and Gilgamesh and Noah and much more (See
other Plato Man in the Cave installments). The Bible is better
when not taken literally but philosophically and as a guide for
good human behavior.
The God of the Old Testaments is petty and cruel while the
Son doesn't take after the Father and, yet, they are one
and the same: multiple personalities. Cruelty: God acts in
mysterious ways. Evil is evil whether committed by God or
Human. An example: killing babies in flood. How did they
cross God. Drowning is one of the worst ways to die. They
barely enjoyed living and then went to hell! According to
New Testament: Jesus descended into hell to give those
who lived before He came to earth a chance to follow Him.
It means babies were in hell along with the first born sons
of the Egyptians. Catholic Church invented limbo to get
around the problem but Bible doesn't say babies or anyone
who lived prior to the coming of Jesus went to limbo. CC
invented Purgatory. Protestants object to these creations.
Bible as word of God: flat earth; immobile earth; no
evolution and extinctions; heaven as invisible firmament not
that far above our heads; hell below; belief in ghosts. God
wrote Bible through humans. Religious Person: Humans
misunderstood. Why couldn't God transmit more clearly?
Religious Person: God wanted humans to discover certain
facts on their own. Excuses
We are a Christian nation. Churches do a better job at
helping the needy than does the government. Churches
generate a sense of community. The Founding Fathers and
Founding Docs were one part Judeo-Christian- and one
part Enlightenment- inspired. When our nation was founded
99% identified themselves as Christian while today it is 70%
B.O. is wrong to state that we are a nation of Christians, Jews,
Muslims, etc, believers and non-believers. He is attacking
our very core: WESTERN CIVILIZATION!!!
CJ: "This one is for Urania: "Urania Upset" (one-level down)
revisited...We described the theory of star formation. In some
cases, it is triggered by a supernova explosion. In a majority
of cases, it is triggered by luck. Random motion: eddies and
steams of particle coming from difference directions. Either
way, very small clumps form allowing attraction via electro-
static force.
We would like to add: density waves. Star formation takes
place in the spiral arms of spiral galaxies. Think of a water
wave. The water moves up and down - horizontally; the energy
promulgates - vertically. A ball would bop up and down. Why?
The water molecules are moving thus. In the case of clouds
of gas and dust the energy in the density wave is presently
where the arm is located causing some interstellar dust and
gas to form clouds of dust and gas - where new stars are born.
Nowadays, scientists place faith in numbers with little or no
supporting observational or experimental evidence. Math.
speculation as fact short-circuiting the Scientific Method (See
other Man in Cave articles.
Relativity and Quantum Physics defy common sense. We put
our money on Jew. Relativity is palatable.
Then came Inflation in '80 and multi-universes as a derivative
by the '90s. Of course, universe means all. Right, Pan. It appears
as if Antropic caused a crisis in physics and they had to come
up with something no matter how ridiculous! Some physicists
claim that there is only one universe and it is just a fluke that
everything is just right. It happened by chance. Although,
statistically speaking, the chances of our universe existing
is practically zero. Others maintain that there are many, trillions
or an infinite number of universes that a few would get it
right, statistically speaking. Physicists use to see elegance and
beauty in the simplest explanation. Antropic caused
contortions! Further, time had no beginning and you can't get
something from nothing except short-lived particles and Higgs
-Bosons!
What follows from Relativity. There was a singularity
containing WHAT? All energy at a point with no length, width
or depth or 4-dimensional space a little larger than a point.
Time is a spatial dimension until bang. Time as non-spatial
begins with Big Bang followed by Inflation. Some energy
becomes matter. Permissible: E = MC squared. The laws of
physics, constants and parameters determined at instant of
bang. There is a T = 0. There is only one universe. 3-
dimensional space isn't empty. Dark energy filled it instant of
the bang. Matter and dark matter created at the instant of the
bang. A Conscious Mind or God must have caused bang and
created laws of physics at the time of the bang. Belief in Bible
is belief based on faith. There is also believe based on Reason.
There is science today: belief in numbers with particles
popping in and out of existence; an electron in many places at
the same time -sometimes in another universe. More than
three spatial dimensions in order to explain relative weakness
of gravity compared to the other three fundamental forces.
We don't have a problem with that. Keep it simple: one
universe and one God or Cosmic Consciousness. (There is
nothing scientific about scientific creationism).
God-singularity-Relativity-Quantum Fluctuations (we don't
have a problem with all of Quantum)Astronomical Evolution-
Geological Evolution-Biological Evolution.
As Penrose has suggested: Physical/Material World; Math.
World; Mind World. Mind or Consciousness ---- or soul.
God breaths 'life' into equations. What happened at T = 0
is beyond scientific explanation when singularity banged.
Is this an ADD-ed Article!?!
* Goodbye*Farewell*Amen is CJ the boy who cried wolf? We
said it before but this time it is definite. There will be zero to
three more articles per comsat; we are closing up shop. There
is a remote possibly that articles will appear infrequently in
the new year but without a doubt there will no longer be five to
fifteen articles per month.
**Yes, the honored guest who still won't leave! Brought here via
the Einstein/Rosen Bridge.
***Plato's Man in the Cave Series: one installment is located at
www.quasarpolitical.blogspot.com while the rest are at Urania's
Place. Find installment one and work your way backward - or
not; reading in order isn't absolutely necessary by semi-strongly
recommended.
****Traditional deist defined: There is a 'God' who is logical/
rational/compassionate. We don't believe in the God of the
Bible. At the instant of the BIG Bang, God wrote the laws of
nature (physics). He observes the unfolding universe but
doesn't interfere by punishing people on earth (punishing with a
flood, including, babies, for example); prophecies; miracles.
We are not certain that there is a God and a heaven (if there is
a heaven, it is here
where we would be punished and rewarded for our lives on
earth). God doesn't answer prayers; He doesn't illogically
violate the laws that He created. He would be too compass-
ionate to create hell. At the instant of the BIG Bang, He
establishes a antrophic universe that will result in life, including,
intelligent life (although, he likely didn't know what kind of
life). He establishes laws that will very likely create life and
somewhat likely Intelligent life. Intelligent life by its very
nature will have free will.
Less appealing: Buddhists think that your consciousness melds
with a cosmic consciousness wherein your identity is lost while
New Wave thinkers think your individual identity isn't
consumed.
Roger Penrose, physicist, suggests that at some point after the
BIG Bang the cosmos acquired consciousness and somehow
directing the cosmos to create beings possessing conscious-
ness who could appreciate the cosmic consciousness. He further
posits, consciousness resides in the microtubules (the cell's
skeleton), At death, consciousness leaves the body
and becomes a part of the cosmic consciousness.
One can accept God and Heaven predicated on reason but
there is no certainty. Plato and Janus heavenward?
