No Magic

[Nakosis]

No Magic, no supernatural stuff.

Does this make reality more or less interesting to you?

No crystals, no good luck charms, no prayer fulfillment. Nothing but physics and repeatable cause and effect. Mundane reality. Is this good enough or do you need more?

Is it possible to be happy without the other stuff?

 

[Rival]

I think it's possible. I can't deny the experience of happy atheists and such.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Everything's exactly as it should be. Why should I worry?

 

[Brickjectivity]

No Magic, no supernatural stuff.

Does this make reality more or less interesting to you?

No crystals, no good luck charms, no prayer fulfillment. Nothing but physics and repeatable cause and effect. Mundane reality. Is this good enough or do you need more?

Is it possible to be happy without the other stuff?

Reality isn't mundane, so yes. As for magic: crack open an electronics book. Look at what I'm doing with this computer mouse. I move my hand, and things happen on the screen. If that isn't magic then...what is magic? I can send my image ten thousand miles away in seconds. I can talk to someone far, far away as if I were in the same room. Even homunculi have been made using electronics -- the staple of all magical stories. We call them robots. They are artificial creatures.

 

[Shakeel]

Is it possible to be happy without the other stuff?

No.

 

[Shakeel]

Everything's exactly as it should be. Why should I worry?

Because you might be going where you don't want to go to.

 

[Nakosis]

No.

So if God is not a reality, you couldn't be happy?

Are you happy at times now? Is it only because of God?

 

[Nakosis]

Reality isn't mundane, so yes. As for magic: crack open an electronics book. Look at what I'm doing with this computer mouse. I move my hand, and things happen on the screen. If that isn't magic then...what is magic? I can send my image ten thousand miles away in seconds. I can talk to someone far, far away as if I were in the same room. Even homunculi have been made using electronics -- the staple of all magical stories. We call them robots. They are artificial creatures.

The magic comes in not knowing the mechanics of the trick.

 

[George-ananda]

No Magic, no supernatural stuff.

Does this make reality more or less interesting to you?

No crystals, no good luck charms, no prayer fulfillment. Nothing but physics and repeatable cause and effect. Mundane reality. Is this good enough or do you need more?

Is it possible to be happy without the other stuff?

Well we have to accept reality as it is.

Fortunately, from the evidence I believe the more positive and interesting universe is the reality. This includes the so-called supernatural, spirits and life after death.

 

[Nakosis]

Well we have to accept reality as it is.

Fortunately, from the evidence I believe the more positive and interesting universe is the reality. This includes the so-called supernatural, spirits and life after death.

I'd suppose if science comes up with a workable theory for an afterlife, it won't be supernatural anymore.

 

[viole]

Is it possible to be happy without the other stuff?

Of course it is. I, and my family (all atheists), are quite happy. But not maximally happy, unfortunately. We are indeed a bit sorry for people who need to believe in implausible myths to be happy. too.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Secret Chief]

No Magic, no supernatural stuff.

Does this make reality more or less interesting to you?

Magic and the supernatural do not exist, unless it's coming from Derren Brown.

Mundane reality. Is this good enough or do you need more?

Reality is all there is. (The repeatable bit sounds a bit limiting. If the Big Bang happened can we check that through repeatability?)

Is it possible to be happy without the other stuff?

Yes. Crystals are so last season.

 

[ecco]

No Magic, no supernatural stuff.
Does this make reality more or less interesting to you?

No crystals, no good luck charms, no prayer fulfillment. Nothing but physics and repeatable cause and effect. Mundane reality. Is this good enough or do you need more?

That's pretty much of a strawman you made.

I don't need supernatural stuff, like crystals or good luck charms or prayer. But the absence of those things certainly doesn't make my life mundane. I can look at the Grand Canyon or a blood-red sunset and marvel at the intricacies of nature.

What would be mundane would be seeing those things and believing an omnipotent god made them. Yawn.

 

[sun rise]

No Magic, no supernatural stuff.

Does this make reality more or less interesting to you?

No crystals, no good luck charms, no prayer fulfillment. Nothing but physics and repeatable cause and effect. Mundane reality. Is this good enough or do you need more?

Is it possible to be happy without the other stuff?

For me? No. But of course I distinguish between magic/crystals/good luck charms and the like and the spiritual dimension of life.

To me, mundane reality would have no meaning, no real joy, no eternal love.

I'm reminded of Sri Aurobindo's "A God's Labour" - here's an excerpt Poem: A God's Labour by Sri Aurobindo

For man’s mind is the dupe of his animal self;
Hoping its lusts to win,
He harbours within him a grisly Elf
Enamoured of sorrow and sin.

The grey Elf shudders from heaven’s flame
And from all things glad and pure;
Only by pleasure and passion and pain
His drama can endure.

All around is darkness and strife;
For the lamps that men call suns
Are but halfway gleams on this stumbling life
Cast by the Undying Ones.

Man lights his little torches of hope
That lead to a failing edge;
A fragment of Truth is his widest scope,
An inn his pilgrimage.

The Truth of truths men fear and deny,
The Light of lights they refuse;
To ignorant gods they lift their cry
Or a demon altar choose.
...
I saw that a falsehood was planted deep
At the very root of things
Where the grey Sphinx guards God’s riddle sleep
On the Dragon’s outspread wings.

 

[Shakeel]

The word happy can be used in two ways: to describe a state of mind at any given moment or to describe a state of the heart in long term. What I'm talking about is the latter. No doubt atheists can feel happy about things, but can they be truly happy? No.

So if God is not a reality, you couldn't be happy?

It isn't about whether God is or isn't, but whether you believe in Him or not. If I didn't believe in God I would be miserable. Not necessarily immediately miserable - I'd have a thousand sinful ways to entertain myself and to distract myself from my misery and my inevitable death.

Are you happy at times now?

Sure, but that's not the kind of happiness I'm referring to as I said above. However, I have the other kind of happiness at all times.

Is it only because of God?

Yes.

 

[Shakeel]

What would be mundane would be seeing those things and believing an omnipotent god made them. Yawn.

You sound jealous.

 

[George-ananda]

I'd suppose if science comes up with a workable theory for an afterlife, it won't be supernatural anymore.

The terms are not precise. If it exists it is part of science or future science.

 

[Nakosis]

That's pretty much of a strawman you made.

I don't need supernatural stuff, like crystals or good luck charms or prayer. But the absence of those things certainly doesn't make my life mundane. I can look at the Grand Canyon or a blood-red sunset and marvel at the intricacies of nature.

What would be mundane would be seeing those things and believing an omnipotent god made them. Yawn.

mundane meaning - of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.
Not, uninteresting.

 

[Nakosis]

Magic and the supernatural do not exist, unless it's coming from Derren Brown.

Reality is all there is. (The repeatable bit sounds a bit limiting. If the Big Bang happened can we check that through repeatability?)

That's a problem I see for the BBT. Not saying that's not what happen but maybe it was something else. I suppose the BBT fits the physics/math but what actually started it all in motion.

Yes. Crystals are so last season.

Aww... I got crystals. They're cool looking. Just don't think they have any special powers beyond looking cool. Other folks do "feel" the energy from them.

 

[Brickjectivity]

The magic comes in not knowing the mechanics of the trick.

Not for the wizard though!