Comments for Binary Oasis http://binaryoasis.com/blog Philosophy, technology, real estate… anything goes. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:01:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Science, religion, and “The God Debate” by Nick http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2006/10/09/science-religion-and-the-god-debate/#comment-30 Nick Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:41:49 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2006/10/09/science-religion-and-the-god-debate/#comment-30 In light of your recent studies you may be interested in seeing http://www.expelledthemovie.com/ which was just released in theaters today (April 18th, 2008). In light of your recent studies you may be interested in seeing http://www.expelledthemovie.com/ which was just released in theaters today (April 18th, 2008).

]]> Comment on Review of “Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon” by ~C4Chaos http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2007/08/25/review-of-breaking-the-spell-religion-as-a-natural-phenomenon/#comment-39 ~C4Chaos Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:34:05 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2007/08/25/review-of-breaking-the-spell-religion-as-a-natural-phenomenon/#comment-39 thanks for your excellent review of Dennett's Breaking The Spell. coming from a theist, this review is very positive :) serendipitously, i just posted my reaction to Sheldrake's review of Dennett. see this link: http://coolmel.typepad.com/iblog/2008/01/rupert-sheldrak.html please feel free to join in the discussion if you like. also, i'd like to ask your take on Michael Dowd's approach. see this link: http://coolmel.typepad.com/iblog/2007/12/thank-god-for-m.html godspeed, ~C thanks for your excellent review of Dennett’s Breaking The Spell. coming from a theist, this review is very positive :)
serendipitously, i just posted my reaction to Sheldrake’s review of Dennett. see this link:
http://coolmel.typepad.com/iblog/2008/01/rupert-sheldrak.html

please feel free to join in the discussion if you like.

also, i’d like to ask your take on Michael Dowd’s approach. see this link:
http://coolmel.typepad.com/iblog/2007/12/thank-god-for-m.html

godspeed,

~C

]]> Comment on The Simulation Argument by Judy (Mom) http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2007/09/09/the-simulation-argument/#comment-41 Judy (Mom) Sun, 18 Nov 2007 11:21:13 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2007/09/09/the-simulation-argument/#comment-41 This is fascinating - I listened to the podcast and followed a few of the links on the site http://simulation-argument.com/, which led me finally to this power point thesis out of MIT: http://www.mit.edu/~hooman/ComputersAndGod.ppt. This is all very plausible except for one thing. I find the only thing missing in all of the simulation theories is the concept of the biblical idea of Love. Which confirms what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-39. This is what makes us real. This is fascinating - I listened to the podcast and followed a few of the links on the site http://simulation-argument.com/, which led me finally to this power point thesis out of MIT: http://www.mit.edu/~hooman/ComputersAndGod.ppt. This is all very plausible except for one thing. I find the only thing missing in all of the simulation theories is the concept of the biblical idea of Love. Which confirms what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-39. This is what makes us real.

]]> Comment on No Caffeine in Chocolate? by Art http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2007/09/03/no-caffeine-in-chocolate/#comment-40 Art Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:00:23 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2007/09/03/no-caffeine-in-chocolate/#comment-40 I'm a chocolate maker and so I know a bit about chocolate. Chocolate does in fact contain caffeine. This has been known since at least the early 1900's. Furthermore, the chemical analysis has been able to determine the difference between theobromine (also in chocolate) and caffeine since about the same time period. (There is more theobromine in chocolate than caffeine by about three times on average.) I imagine that much of the confusion rests with the fact that we are dealing with a natural crop and so the levels of various substances will vary depending on variety, soil and climate conditions. We have an article on our website that deals with the whole caffeine issue. You can find it here: http://www.amanochocolate.com/articles/caffeineinchocolate.html Hopefully, this helps clarify some of this issue, -Art Amano Artisan Chocolate http://www.amanochocolate.com I’m a chocolate maker and so I know a bit about chocolate. Chocolate does in fact contain caffeine. This has been known since at least the early 1900’s. Furthermore, the chemical analysis has been able to determine the difference between theobromine (also in chocolate) and caffeine since about the same time period. (There is more theobromine in chocolate than caffeine by about three times on average.)

I imagine that much of the confusion rests with the fact that we are dealing with a natural crop and so the levels of various substances will vary depending on variety, soil and climate conditions.

We have an article on our website that deals with the whole caffeine issue. You can find it here: http://www.amanochocolate.com/articles/caffeineinchocolate.html

Hopefully, this helps clarify some of this issue,

-Art
Amano Artisan Chocolate
http://www.amanochocolate.com

]]> Comment on Is it bad to be ideological? by Ric Brown http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2006/12/25/is-it-bad-to-be-ideological/#comment-36 Ric Brown Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:08:16 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2006/12/25/is-it-bad-to-be-ideological/#comment-36 I think your logic is fine. We just need a clarification of terms. English is a little weak in defining terms like these. I think your political example is interesting. We must continue this discussion. Especially regarding the definition of prinicples vs values. I think your logic is fine. We just need a clarification of terms. English is a little weak in defining terms like these.

I think your political example is interesting. We must continue this discussion. Especially regarding the definition of prinicples vs values.

]]> Comment on Is it bad to be ideological? by Ric Brown http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2006/12/25/is-it-bad-to-be-ideological/#comment-38 Ric Brown Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:02:00 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2006/12/25/is-it-bad-to-be-ideological/#comment-38 Joel. I found your blog from your christmas letter. Sounds like things are really going well for you and your family. Praise the Lord. I too read the Fabric of the Cosmos and am struggling with the Elegant Universe. I agree with most of your comments, and found Brian's unwillingness to delve into cosmology and/or a discussion of the need for a prime-mover, or God to be disappointing. I assume you have read Dr. Hugh Ross' book "The Fingerprint of God". If not, take a look at it. Regarding Ideology, I believe the reason pragmatism seems to always win in the long run is that the end result of the "Pragmatic Ideology" is power. I had a political philosophy prof. define politics in this way: POLITICS IS THE NON-VIOLENT IMPOSITION OF THE WILL OF ONE PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS UPON ANOTHER PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS. The opposite of politics is war (The violent imposition of will). Secondly, your question "What set of principles should apply to the situation, and how should we apply those priciples?" seems to imply that principles are not necessarily absolutes. I believe that principles are often confused with Values. Principles are always absolutes and values are always variable. For example, Principle: Stealing is always wrong Value: To a Gypsy family in Central Europe the ability to steal and not be caught is a value to be prized. Values are cultural, societal and even spiritual. Principles are transcendent (see C.S. Lewis's discussion of the Tao and how it relates to the Ten Commandments) and found in all cultures, societies etc. with very little difference. I seem to be out of room, take care. Ric Brown P.S. Sara is at St. Louis University finishing her dissertation in Medieval Literature and teaching Latin and English. Just had her first baby in Sept. All is well. Joel. I found your blog from your christmas letter. Sounds like things are really going well for you and your family. Praise the Lord.

I too read the Fabric of the Cosmos and am struggling with the Elegant Universe. I agree with most of your comments, and found Brian’s unwillingness to delve into cosmology and/or a discussion of the need for a prime-mover, or God to be disappointing.

I assume you have read Dr. Hugh Ross’ book “The Fingerprint of God”. If not, take a look at it.

Regarding Ideology, I believe the reason pragmatism seems to always win in the long run is that the end result of the “Pragmatic Ideology” is power. I had a political philosophy prof. define politics in this way: POLITICS IS THE NON-VIOLENT IMPOSITION OF THE WILL OF ONE PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS UPON ANOTHER PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS. The opposite of politics is war (The violent imposition of will).

Secondly, your question “What set of principles should apply to the situation, and how should we apply those priciples?” seems to imply that principles are not necessarily absolutes. I believe that principles are often confused with Values. Principles are always absolutes and values are always variable. For example, Principle: Stealing is always wrong Value: To a Gypsy family in Central Europe the ability to steal and not be caught is a value to be prized. Values are cultural, societal and even spiritual. Principles are transcendent (see C.S. Lewis’s discussion of the Tao and how it relates to the Ten Commandments) and found in all cultures, societies etc. with very little difference. I seem to be out of room, take care. Ric Brown

P.S. Sara is at St. Louis University finishing her dissertation in Medieval Literature and teaching Latin and English. Just had her first baby in Sept.
All is well.

]]> Comment on Why blog? by Judy Au http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2006/12/21/why-blog/#comment-35 Judy Au Thu, 28 Dec 2006 14:14:33 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2006/12/21/why-blog/#comment-35 If you abandon your blog, I will miss reading it. I enjoy your observations, and references to various books and ideas. I have considered creating my own blog, but can't imagine what I would say. I guess I am just mostly a consumer of other people's ideas, but quite timid in publicizing my own thoughts. Then again, I usually join in on various bandwagons after they reach their peak of popularity, so perhaps when blogging begins to decline, I will decide to start my own. If you abandon your blog, I will miss reading it. I enjoy your observations, and references to various books and ideas. I have considered creating my own blog, but can’t imagine what I would say. I guess I am just mostly a consumer of other people’s ideas, but quite timid in publicizing my own thoughts. Then again, I usually join in on various bandwagons after they reach their peak of popularity, so perhaps when blogging begins to decline, I will decide to start my own.

]]> Comment on Summary of “Great World Religions: Islam” by Joel Auernheimer http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2006/11/02/summary-of-great-world-religions-islam/#comment-34 Joel Auernheimer Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:51:16 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2006/11/02/summary-of-great-world-religions-islam/#comment-34 I definitely don't have faith in the foundations of Islam, though perhaps I should be more forthcoming with my own beliefs. (I am a Christian.) My purpose in taking in the lectures was to get a foundational and contextual view of Islam. I've read one book that was very critical of Islam. Clearing this set of lectures was not very critical (to say the least), but I still wanted to know where certain people were coming from. I also know that my posting about this could be misinterpreted, so it is worth saying that I am not planning on converting to Islam. I wouldn't mind talking more about what distortions or lies exist in the quotes above. Since study of these issues takes a good deal of time, we tend to borrow the beliefs of those people and sources that we trust. And some of the most trustworthy sources are those that have an objective view. In my opinion, the lecturer betrayed some bias, so I agree that some things are probably misrepresented. I definitely don’t have faith in the foundations of Islam, though perhaps I should be more forthcoming with my own beliefs. (I am a Christian.)

My purpose in taking in the lectures was to get a foundational and contextual view of Islam. I’ve read one book that was very critical of Islam. Clearing this set of lectures was not very critical (to say the least), but I still wanted to know where certain people were coming from. I also know that my posting about this could be misinterpreted, so it is worth saying that I am not planning on converting to Islam.

I wouldn’t mind talking more about what distortions or lies exist in the quotes above. Since study of these issues takes a good deal of time, we tend to borrow the beliefs of those people and sources that we trust. And some of the most trustworthy sources are those that have an objective view. In my opinion, the lecturer betrayed some bias, so I agree that some things are probably misrepresented.

]]> Comment on Summary of “Great World Religions: Islam” by Katie http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2006/11/02/summary-of-great-world-religions-islam/#comment-33 Katie Fri, 03 Nov 2006 07:36:21 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2006/11/02/summary-of-great-world-religions-islam/#comment-33 What is your purpose in the above quotations--do you believe what he says? The words of Christ apply--You shall know a tree by its fruit--what kind of fruit does Islam bear? What has the Quran contributed to civilization? Many of the above statements are distortions or complete lies designed to fool those with Western sensibilities, people who live in a comfortable, civilized bubble and don't want to believe that there are those who think oppression, torture and murder are sanctioned by a god and rewarded. What is your purpose in the above quotations–do you believe what he says? The words of Christ apply–You shall know a tree by its fruit–what kind of fruit does Islam bear? What has the Quran contributed to civilization? Many of the above statements are distortions or complete lies designed to fool those with Western sensibilities, people who live in a comfortable, civilized bubble and don’t want to believe that there are those who think oppression, torture and murder are sanctioned by a god and rewarded.

]]> Comment on The Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy by The Other American http://binaryoasis.com/blog/2006/10/04/the-theory-of-evolution-a-history-of-controversy/#comment-28 The Other American Fri, 27 Oct 2006 14:06:52 +0000 http://www.binaryoasis.com/2006/10/04/the-theory-of-evolution-a-history-of-controversy/#comment-28 Evolution is icky. Evolution is icky.

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