I don’t, and my confidence is in reality, demonstrated objective reality that for whatever reason you choose to deny. Trying to deprecate it by suggesting it is bluster isn’t what gets diminished. We even had a little providential co-instance today here, not that any is little when we are talking about God’s sovereignty.
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:33
But I think difference is a temporal illusion in your view.
How does one harmonize chalk and cheese?
Temporal would point to time but I don’t really know what you have in mind.
You said death is the end of what sets us apart as individuals, and that’s what I saw you as saying that in the end all becomes one.
In my children’s lifetime, we may very well have realistic plans for interstellar travel… or to extend your life indefinitely while setting out for the stars. In this way, you may be considerate for the social and environmental impact of a long life.
You got it. Just didn’t recognize it by that handle. Thanks.
I find all of that far fetched exceeded only by the idea of downloading people into software which I consider bonkers. I appreciate some sci for but not this. I think as a species we need to show we can make it work. Otherwise interstellar travel will feel like a viral outbreak.
So much of what we take for granted today, cell phone smart watches, AI software, virtual worlds… I can’t believe the level of realism I can experience on my PS5 even now… all of it would have been bonkers 200 years ago.
As far as making it work, if we can’t recognize the non-numerical value of infinity, or the coequal value of fairness and desert, I don’t have very high expectations.
Like the voices in your head, there would still be no way to know it they are self-aware. They may claim to be, but that doesn’t actually settle the question.
There is every way. A self, whatever that is, subject to surgically or otherwise separated cerebral hemispheres, with a severed corpus collosum, shows considerable division of awareness. All manner of physical factors and psychological stress result in ‘hearing voices’, apart from in dream states. They are never transpersonal nowadays. It’s happened to me once, in a vulnerable situation.
I have companions in bluster from of old…
This is worthy of reflection, as well: M & E, 8 April a.m.
That it is aware and unaware? Not so. It may be aware, unaware, or not yet aware.
Uh huh. I thought I was the gnomic one.
You missed one – at my age, it could be “forgotten that it was aware” or “unaware that it had been aware.” ; - )
While I think Piper is right, his point is a great observation. But still no apology. It only make sense from the vantage point of faith.
Piper?! Right in any regard? Where?
That’s easy, duh! Two obvious things, if anyone is knowledgeable about him at all, is that desiring God (Desiring God) is a good thing and we are only impairing our own happiness if we don’t, and that looking forward to future grace (Future Grace) is great motivation!
From the vantage point of faith or an illuminated mind, it is vanity of vanities until we find our pleasure, meaning, and honor in him.
“You are great, Lord, and highly to be praised (Ps. 47: 2): great is your power and your wisdom is immeasurable’ (Ps. 146: 5). Man, a little piece of your creation, desires to praise you, a human being ‘bearing his mortality with him’ (2 Cor. 4: 10), carrying with him the witness of his sin and the witness that you ‘resist the proud’ (1 Pet. 5: 5). Nevertheless, to praise you is the desire of man, a little piece of your creation. You stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
And so, let us do just that with the Ephesians:
1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Enjoy a blessed Lord’s day!
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” -Colossians 4:6
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