[CliveG]

"The book Animal Farm teaches that some are more equal than others."

And recent US history shows that lots of people believe what the pigs say. I'm surprised your countrymen are as gullible.

The story is like a long parable. Jesus used parables. They are used to inform and educate while holding a person's attention and in a clear analogy. We all know that the fable Animal Farm was a satirical social lesson about communism in the form of a story where the differences in people were exaggerated by having different farm animals and the farm owners.

I wonder what Orwell would write about if he were to satirize the USA today?

[CliveG]

And God said "Let there not be coronavirus." And there was still coronavirus. "Oh sh1t!", said god, "I don't exist."

Lol!!

And God said "I will allow Satan to create and spread corona virus". And it was so. And it was bad. And many skeptics cease to exist, along with many other people. And God was sad because it did not have to be so. Would humans learn the lesson?

[CliveG]

CliveG I feel very bad for you. You have been dealt a bad hand in life by irrational beliefs. It isn't your fault that you cannot determine a rational explanation from a fictional one. However, it is on you to seek out the truth. Stop believing every thing any bad faith actor tells you. You are only deluding yourself.

Wow. And here I was thinking that I have had a fantastically wonderful life and have been blessed. Am I deluding myself? I don't think so. Please point out why my explanation is not rational? Why is it that I cannot see the irrationality and yet you can? Who are the bad faith actors misleading me? I thought my views were all my own.

Are you perhaps elevating yourself to a position of an "educated intelligent arbiter and dispenser of wisdom" to minimize my hypothesis by appeal to authority and emotionalism rather than logical facts?

I am saying that the USA cannot see that its avoidance of a near nationwide total shutdown and quarantine is going to allow the virus to spread and spread? Is that irrational?

[CliveG]

Last night just as falling asleep (a good time for a relaxed brain to receive spirit communication) I had a possible insight to the issue of dark matter and dark energy.

The song "Cherokee Nation" played on the radio. I can really break some dance moves to that song and was doing so. My wife joined me. Fun. I must do it more often for exercise.

The dance reminded me of when I used rhythm in doing Tai Chi movements. I knew of Tai Chi from a couple of events organized by spiritual people when, in early morning, a few of them would do the moves. I would join them. I found it pleasant. I joined a Tai Chi class at the gym but found it too mechanical, but I understood the balance and types of movement.

After my late wife died in 2011 I was in my garden doing some writing on the book I have spoken about. It was very surreal - great sunshine, birds chirping and singing, and a gentle breeze. I got up and began to do some Tai Chi movements of my own. I found that I was sensing a resistance to movements. It was as if the universe was filled with a spiritual energy that could be felt by one's own spirit. A month later I went to visit the lady who did the Reiki and when I was there I showed her and described what I was feeling. In her spiritual presence the effects were greatly amplified. I have not really done it since then although I should.

The point of this long story is that upon falling asleep it struck me that the dark matter and dark energy might be this spiritual energy that feels like matter. Could spirit force (energy/matter combination) be the dark matter and dark energy pervading the universe? Souls require spirit force to subtly manipulate ordinary matter and energy. I said that once formed by the souls it decays upon death. Decays into what? Perhaps the cosmic dark matter/energy?

I can be proven wrong by either a fix of the formulae which require dark matter and dark energy, or by the discovery of physical entities.

[CliveG]

A little dark humor that is relevant:
Sunday Times cartoon:
Boris Johnson in hospital bed with chart and Covid-19 box ticked.
Trump at bedside says: "This is a hoax...One day it is like a miracle, it will disappear.
Balsonaro (Brazil) at bedside says: "Get up and go back to work...It is just a little cold."
Boris holds telephone and says: " Patch me through to Ramaphosa (South Africa)... I need to speak to a real president."

New York opposed Trumps proposed quarantine as illegal and an over-reaction.
China had a central government that gave the right orders without delay. No discussion or chit-chat. The US will look back with regret. Note this post for future reference. This prediction is based on science only.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52080119
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo responded by saying that quarantining the state of New York would be "preposterous" and "anti-American".
"If you said we were geographically restricted from leaving, that would be a lockdown."
He said New York had already implemented "quarantine" measures, such as banning major gatherings and ordering people to remain at home, but that he would oppose any "lockdown" efforts.
"Then we would be Wuhan, China, and that wouldn't make any sense," he told CNN, adding that this would cause the stock market to crash in a way that would make it impossible for the US economy to "recover for months, if not years".
"You would paralyse the financial sector," he said.
He added later: "I don't know how that can be legally enforceable. And from a medical point of view, I don't know what you would be accomplishing."

[CliveG]

Another prediction based on what typically happens after war time situations and the effect of quarantines.
But also on my saying that the "plan" is that the population will be reduced drastically over the next few years.

Woman are going to get pregnant. There will be a pandemic of pregnancies. This is not reducing the population. Hence, something will happen. My guess is that the virus may affect pregnant woman and many will die with the unborn. The other scenario is that the virus mutates and the young are targeted.

The USA should have had military planners looking at these situations and preparing. Clearly they only looked at Hollywood movies (they took part in these) and said the Great and Mighty USA is capable of swift reaction and will shut it down at the hot-spots - as per the plot of each movie. This is not a movie.

I have designed a ventilator using thought design - all in my head. I have all the parts and tools at home and will put one together in the next couple of days. I will use an electric drill with a fixed set speed for the power. I have some other projects that need to be done first - like putting up the pool fence. The boss (my wife) can be understanding of my many projects but does keep me in check. It will be cheap and fast to assemble and should last a few months before it degrades.

They would be easy and cheap to mass produce for the SA market.

[Bored chemist]

And God said "I will allow Satan to create and spread corona virus". And it was so. And it was bad. And many skeptics cease to exist, along with many other people. And God was sad because it did not have to be so. Would humans learn the lesson?

And in all His infinite wisdom, he couldn't do a better job of teaching than killing random people.
That's a really rubbish God, isn't it?

[jeffreyH]

And God said "Let there not be coronavirus." And there was still coronavirus. "Oh sh1t!", said god, "I don't exist."

Lol!!

And God said "I will allow Satan to create and spread corona virus". And it was so. And it was bad. And many skeptics cease to exist, along with many other people. And God was sad because it did not have to be so. Would humans learn the lesson?

Here we go! So your God wishes people dead. It wants another fictional character to kill them. AND YOU SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THAT! That makes you a terrible person. Just take 5 minutes to think that through. Ask yourself why you hate other people so much. You are happy for them to die. You glorify it. Aren't you just a tiny bit ashamed of yourself?

[duffyd]

Why hasn't science been able to prove the existence of God? I was A2A on a question about turning into an atheist at 13 years of age. It bothered me deeply and I came to question my own beliefs. I'm at a crossroad. Help me through logical answers.

Your first question, "Can science prove God exists?" indicates you don't know the answer or you are open to finding out. Your second question, "Why hasn't science been able to prove the existence of God?", answers your first question definitively.
Why are you convinced that science has not proven that God exists? How, specifically, has science failed to present sound reasons for the reality that God is? What would serve to prove that God does or doesn't exist, ie. which set of facts, data, information, scientifically informs your opinion pro or con?

[Bored chemist]

Your first question, "Can science prove God exists?" indicates you don't know the answer or you are open to finding out. Your second question, "Why hasn't science been able to prove the existence of God?", answers your first question definitively.

As far as I can tell, the second does not answer the first.

The answer to the second question might be "because funding/ grants are not available in that field".

[alancalverd]

Duffyd: Nice to get back on topic. Please state the observables that can only be ascribed to your god. If your god is not the omnipotent, omniscient and anthropic creator of the universe (i.e. the familiar Judaeo-Christian-Islamic deity), please define its functionality.

[CliveG]

Definitions of mortality rate. Different definitions and most are time varying.

https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus#what-do-we-know-about-the-risk-of-dying-from-covid-19

Look at Ebola, MERS and SARS. Were these warning from God? Were they ignored by scientists on the basis that God does not give hints of the future?

One needs to know the attributes of God if we are to give a scientific probability as to his existence. Could one dedicate a branch of science to looking for and identifying "hints" so that humankind can be steered in the correct direction without needing a disaster to prod us?

Why did the political, scientific and economic communities not see this coming? IMO, part of that answer is that the ones who get attention are the ones who have selfish egotistical motives.

[CliveG]

And God said "I will allow Satan to create and spread corona virus". And it was so. And it was bad. And many skeptics cease to exist, along with many other people. And God was sad because it did not have to be so. Would humans learn the lesson?

And in all His infinite wisdom, he couldn't do a better job of teaching than killing random people.
That's a really rubbish God, isn't it?

Do you want a boring perfect world, or do you want some degree of freedom albeit vibrant and interesting. Some of our best dramas have good and evil and powerful people who wreak havoc and destruction but ultimately lose.

God has been likened to a father, and that is not a bad analogy. I know some mothers who have smothered their kids by preventing them from getting hurt. They have grown up as dysfunctional, and often stay at home.

As a father I have watched by my kids and grand-kids play on jungle gyms and slide. I know that one slip and they could get seriously hurt, but I have to trust that the probability is low. I am there to care for them is a accident happens. I gave advice to my oldest son and he ignored it. I knew what would happen. My father did the same with me. Five minutes after meeting my second wife he took me aside and said "When you divorce this one, please try not to make it such a trauma and complication." He was right.

Why blame God who might just stop the extinction of humankind brought about by the stupidity and arrogance of humankind who know what MUST happen (pandemics due to over-population) and who do nothing about it because they do not want to put a damper on the party?

Your AT God and your anger and your blame is not very mature. Buddha could see that life was suffering. Do the Hindus blame one of their Gods? Actually yes they do - the God of destruction Shiva. They recognize that there is a duality. Why do you not blame Satan? Oh, of course, he does not exist either. 

If you like, you can treat the Ultimate Intelligent as the Ultimate God. This is the entity that created good and evil and decides what happens. It is an amoral entity. I have told you that. But so what.

You reject the Ultimate Truth, the Ultimate Reality because it does not suit you? That is burying your head in the sand. Your butt will surely get kicked as a result. Why not play by the rules and get some benefit? I pray to God (the good part of the Ultimate Intelligence) and I get rewarded.

My wife's family and friends are committed Christians and they get rewarded. They have death and suffering but there are no "train smashes". I can see how my wife has been protected. She never backed up her computer until I came into her life and did it for her. She never lost data.

[Bored chemist]

Do you want a boring perfect world, or do you want some degree of freedom albeit vibrant and interesting.

It doesn't matter what sort of world I want.
The  question is about what sort of world I have got.
Is it one with a God or not.

Why blame God

Because it's His fault.
have you forgotten?
Here's a Hint
Serpent
Garden.

Why do you not blame Satan?

Well, if he exists, he's directly God's fault so...
Blaming Satan is like blaming the bullet when someone gets shot.

You reject the Ultimate Truth, the Ultimate Reality because it does not suit you?

No I reject it because it's a fairy tale you made up with no supporting evidence.

My wife's family and friends are committed Christians and they get rewarded. They have death

Yes...

[Bored chemist]

Were they ignored by scientists

No
They were not ignored by scientists.

Could one dedicate a branch of science to looking ...

No.
Because it's not science.
No real evidence (even you say that as soon as you start looking, the evidence goes away).
And no way of falsifying an assertion.

Why did the political, scientific and economic communities not see this coming?

They did.
Even the film-makers saw it coming.

Why ask questions like that?

[CliveG]

And God said "Let there not be coronavirus." And there was still coronavirus. "Oh sh1t!", said god, "I don't exist."

Lol!!

And God said "I will allow Satan to create and spread corona virus". And it was so. And it was bad. And many skeptics cease to exist, along with many other people. And God was sad because it did not have to be so. Would humans learn the lesson?

Here we go! So your God wishes people dead. It wants another fictional character to kill them. AND YOU SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THAT! That makes you a terrible person. Just take 5 minutes to think that through. Ask yourself why you hate other people so much. You are happy for them to die. You glorify it. Aren't you just a tiny bit ashamed of yourself?

How on Earth do you come to the conclusion that I am happy for people to die. I try hard not to wish that on my worst enemies. In what way do I glorify it. I give you the unvarnished truth in an unemotional way and you somehow twist that? Being human and having a sense of humor, I sometimes resort to attempts at humor and sarcasm. Who wants to read a dry manual on this subject?

What you are doing is called projecting. You are using a straw man logical fallacy by taking as fact that I am happy and I glorify death which has no basis in fact at all and then you make deductions. I told you that God was sad. I could feel it in myself.

Why would my friends and family be exempt from a possible horrible death? Or even my wife and I? The answer is that we will not. I even think I might be hacked to death with machetes by a rampaging mob as I explained in a earlier post. How does that make me happy? I see the global TV which shows the suffering and misery of the various conflicts and poverty. I see the documentaries about greed and ignorance. I see the planet being destroyed in various ways. We all want and desire a positive change. The current course is unsustainable. If you were God, how would you change things and still give us free will? BC said to drop our fertility rate. How does God do that without humankind suspecting a supernatural intervention? And how does that solve the BASIC underlying problem of human behavior which is in desperate need of improvement?

There are times that I despair when I see so many people of all persuasions who are emotionally driven and cannot see simple logic. This is particularly true in Africa when one deals with tribal workers. They are incapable of certain logic. One worker told me that in order to stop the losses the company was experiencing was to drop our prices drastically. That way people would buy more. I told him our customers buy according to market demand and we have no influence over that. All the workers were told over the past few years that we were operating at a loss. They said to the foreman that if that was true we would shut down. Something I told my wife years ago to do. Now that we have shut down they have to re-think that line of logic.

How do you get past your emotions interfering with logic and your judgement? Very difficult for most of us. I break any problem down to simple basics. Then I work from there to see if I can explain something. If it does not, then I have another look at my basic assumptions, or check my reasoning.

[duffyd]

Duffyd: Nice to get back on topic. Please state the observables that can only be ascribed to your god. If your god is not the omnipotent, omniscient and anthropic creator of the universe (i.e. the familiar Judaeo-Christian-Islamic deity), please define its functionality.

Look to the sun.

[alancalverd]

Non sequitur. The existence of the sun is not evidence of my existence, let alone that of an invisible fairy.

[alancalverd]

One needs to know the attributes of God if we are to give a scientific probability as to his existence.

And there's the problem. Every time a believer lists the attributes of his deity, some skeptic (call him a scientist) points out the contradictions and contradictory evidence.

[Bored chemist]

Duffyd: Nice to get back on topic. Please state the observables that can only be ascribed to your god. If your god is not the omnipotent, omniscient and anthropic creator of the universe (i.e. the familiar Judaeo-Christian-Islamic deity), please define its functionality.

Look to the sun.

I can't see it, because it's overcast.
Does that mean God ceased to be?