The 'Toronto Star' likes my books!

Allan W. Janssen has written a fascinating book about religion... and the search for God and meaning throughout human history. 

From the earliest burial rituals to the main religions of modern times, he examines what we believe and how these beliefs were formed. 

The book is filled with illustrations and wonderful quotes, such as the ending quote from Arthur C. Clarke: "One of my objections to religion is that it prevents the search for God." (And that quote pretty well epitomizes what Mr. Janssen has to say about the matter!) 

The message as I perceive it is that when a religion is written down and a priesthood or other system of leaders is established, then that religion can be used for whatever purpose the leadership decides it should be used for, and true believers will not question it, since to do so would be a sin. (And when people do not dare to question... that is where the trouble begins!) 

The first part of the book covers the history of human development and how religion began. It includes a very detailed timeline that is very helpful in putting everything into perspective. 

The second part of the book has to do with how religious leaders emerged and how religion began to be used for various purposes by these leaders. 

One part of this section that I found particularly interesting was the section on Memes, those phrases, images, and ideas that become repeated so often that they become a part of our culture and our thoughts. 

How do these memes relate to religion and spirituality? That's an interesting question, which is explored in (The Plain Truth About) God in detail. 

I found this book to be well-researched and filled with intriguing information. I believe that any open-minded person with an interest in human culture and religion will find it useful and enlightening, as well as entertaining to read. 

This is not a dry textbook but a vital exploration of human beings and our search for a bigger meaning, and what the results of that search have and can lead to. 

(The Plain Truth about) God? is a very good overview of the subject of humanity and religion, and I highly recommend it to all open-minded readers. --Toronto Star

ALL FOUR OF THEM ARE OVER HERE -->

 

 

  

Saturday Morning Confusion: How I found out AI is not conscious!

The concept is simple enough...! (Once you get your head around the nuts and bolts of it!) 

"We, (meaning all of us) are actually part of that Divine presence we call God... and manifest ourselves as an 'individual' much like the phrase: "We are all just waves in the ocean!" (This is God playing the game of life vicariously through us, kids!)

This means there is an underlying commonality between all the "waves" (people) ...and it is through this underlying Presence (GOD) that we can best explain the concept of "genetic memory" and how it passes from one generation to the next!

Now... here comes the rub!

I went on CHAT GTP to see what it would say about this hypothesis  for genetic memory... and since the program is only designed to look for information that is already on the Internet (it's just a smart tape recorder) ...the damned program couldn't make any connection between 'waves on the ocean' and 'genetic memory.' (It seems it couldn't use its "imagination" to postulate something that wasn't already there!)

Here's what it said:

The concept of genetic memory and the phrase "we are all just waves in the ocean" are not directly related, but I can help clarify both concepts for you.

Genetic Memory:

1. Genetic memory refers to the idea that some knowledge or experiences can be inherited through genetic material (DNA) from one generation to the next. It suggests that certain traits or behaviours may be encoded in an organism's DNA and passed down to its offspring. However, the concept of genetic memory is highly debated among scientists and lacks strong empirical support. While genes can influence various aspects of an organism's development and behaviour, the idea of direct transmission of specific memories or experiences through genes is not well-established in scientific research.

2. "We are all just waves in the ocean": The phrase "we are all just waves in the ocean" is more of a philosophical or metaphorical statement about interconnectedness and unity. It suggests that, like waves in the ocean, we are all part of a larger whole and share commonalities with one another. This phrase is often used to express a sense of oneness or interconnectedness among all living beings. (Hence a conduit for "genetic memory! -Ed.)

3. In summary, genetic memory and the concept of being waves in the ocean are distinct ideas. Genetic memory is a speculative concept related to the transmission of knowledge or experiences through genes, while the latter phrase is a metaphorical expression of interconnectedness and unity among individuals.

4. They do not directly explain each other, as one deals with genetics and the other with philosophical or metaphysical ideas.

Yup, that's all it wrote folks... A.I. just couldn't make the connection between the two because it doesn't really think for itself..., it just takes what it finds on the Internet and presents that as an original thought!! (This is also why it makes so many mistakes!!!)

I hope I explained this properly!!!!

Would Jesus be a Republican or a Democrat?

A brown-skinned Palestinian Jew who gives free healthcare, feeds the hungry, forgives the prostitutes, tells those who live by the sword they shall die by the sword, kicks the bankers out of the church, tells the religious to render onto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's, who exhorts those who would be perfect to give what they have to the poor, and who says blessed are the peacemakers, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness?

The Republicans would call him Antifa and nail him up again!

Donald: It takes a thief!

 

The Jesus of History!

This guy wrote a book that confirms what I said about religion and Christianity: 

Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic figures by examining Jesus within the context of the times in which he lived: the age of zealotry.

Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources, Aslan describes a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity secret; and the seditious “King of the Jews,” whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his lifetime.

Aslan explores why the early Church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary and grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself.

Will the real Jesus please stand up!

 Allan:

“This is, apparently, what the actual Jesus of Nazareth looked like, according to an artist and an algorithm and actual, historical, data (as opposed to a story that white people tell each other).

I am an atheist. I do not believe in god, or the devil, or heaven, or hell. But I like and respect this guy. He was a rebel, he was an antiauthoritarian, he dedicated his life to helping the poor, the sick, the indigent, the people who were discarded and rejected by society. He hung out with sex workers and lepers, and gave comfort to the sick and suffering, and he loudly and relentlessly called out the hypocrisy of the church and its leaders. As I understand it, he was like, "Hey, you're a sinner. That's a bummer. Let me help you be a better person. No, I don't expect anything from you for that. I just want to be as loving as I can be." He was a really cool guy.

This guy, in this picture, is not the Jesus I was introduced to in parochial school. The Jesus I was introduced to was soooooo white, like super super super white, and he was keeping an eye on you so he could snitch on you to his dad, who was SUPER PISSED AT EVERYTHING YOU DID all the time for some reason. The Jesus I knew was, like, maybe going to be okay with you, as long as you knew what a giant fuck up you were. And he was absolutely not accepting of anyone who didn’t do exactly what the authority figures at school told us we had to do. And Reagan was essentially his avatar sent to Earth. If we didn't worship Reagan the same way we were supposed to worship white Jesus, we were going to have a REALLY bad time. Did I mention that I was, like, 8 when all of this was drilled into me?

I deeply resent the way that American “Evangelical” Christianity turned this guy in this picture, who was reportedly a cool, loving, gentle, dude, who was a legit rebel, into someone who hates all the same things they hate, and who LOVES authoritarians the same way they do. I despise the people who do all sorts of cruel, hurtful, hateful things in this guy's name. And they are EVERYWHERE in America.

I don’t know what it’s like in the rest of the world. What I do know is that, in America, this person has been perverted into a weapon, a cudgel, to be used against the same people the actual Jesus loved and stood up for. It's disgusting.

And, look, if someone professes to follow the teachings of this dude, whose WHOLE FUCKING THING was “love everyone. Period. No exceptions”, and they don’t, like, do that? They are as bad as the money changers in the temple. I know that this dude loves them, because that’s his whole thing, but I suspect that, if this dude exists, he is disappointed and maybe a little embarrassed by them.

As an afterthought: I can't stop thinking about how this dude was an immigrant, and poor. I keep thinking that, if he showed up in ... let's say Texas, today, how badly he would be treated by the very same people who use his name and pervert his teachings to exert control over the very same people Jesus spent his entire life looking after.

And, honestly, none of this would even matter if the American Christian extremists would keep their white Jesus out of our laws and government.

- Will Wheaton, actor

WHY DO WE EXIST? (The meaning of life!)

 A couple of years ago I wrote an article about my book: "An Exploration of Religion" that took a look at "what it's all about!" (It's a book about "the meaning of life" and provides quite a few things to think about!!!!!!) -->

WHY DO WE EXIST?

As far as I can tell (and I’ve spent fifty years thinking about it and then writing the book “An Exploration of Religion”) there are only two possible answers here!

The first answer (which is held by a large percentage of scientists) is that there is no reason..., and all is just by chance and for naught.

The second answer is that all living things are extensions of what we call Mother Nature (or God) and (God) is living vicariously through us to experience a physical reality with all its ups and downs and highs and lows as a source of entertainment!

Hence my term: “Consciousness is the physical manifestation of God within us!”

Now a lot of people might disagree with this..., but as I show in my book: “There is considerable empirical evidence to support this argument"

 

BOOKS, BOOKS, WE GOT BOOKS!

I spent the past several weeks revising and updating my book "An Exploration of Religion" and for anyone curious about the development of religion over the centuries and how this all ties in with scientific theories about our origins and development then I wholeheartedly urge you to give this book your attention!

For anyone more interested in just the disparate views between religion and science I have written a second book which is a condensation of the first book with some very important additions!

This book "What are the Chances!" looks at not only how we got here, but how we have managed to survive in a Universe that is not all that friendly to organic life. (Us!)

Either book is enjoyable reading and I hope you have a look at them and see how they correspond to your own outlook on life and living!

Allan W Janssen

An Exploration of Religion!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088LH21TB?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 

What are the Chances!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZB91FN5?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860