Mr Spinkles

Whats up! I like your avatar.

hi i wish you a happier new year. i know it's been days and i am late but still...i wish

Just so you know, Saudi Arabia doesn't teach Philosophy in schools, unlike many nieghbour Muslim countries.

After that, a series of books have increased my knowledge about other religions and my religion too, like Ahmed Deedat books, and Jeffrey Lang's books, and then tons of books which i later have read on various topics like the famous, Origin of Spieces. Many other books have changed many things in me too, and it was on American foriegn policy too, and also about Arabs politics. I also have enjoyed many books which been written about Islam and Muslims, by non-Muslims writers and thinkers, because i enjoy seeing myself and my faith by someone who is not bias, at least toward Islam.

Ah! so it was a mixture between science, politics, philosophy, and religion. I think physics is something related more to your field of study, and the rest are just something you wanted to discover by yourself.

To me, many books have changed the way i think, and on top of them was a book on philosophy. It's an entertaining book more than a serious philosophy book, and it was very simple to understand to a beginner on philosophy like myself. That's why i like it. The name of the book was "Sophie's World". It was a novel which summed up generations of philosophy, written by Jostein Gaarder, a Norwegian writer. It was introduced to me by my ex-gf, a half Norwegian half Arabian who was agnostic but been raised as a Christian. I really loved the book and it made me go to places where i never been before, and it totally changed the way i think because i wasn't introduced to philosophy before in depth.

I remember reading some writings of the European and American political philosophers, I especially loved Thomas Paine's essay "Common Sense", he wrote this in support of the American revolution of 1776, it is an extremely entertaining and lively criticism of monarchy, and especially the King of England. He includes a great description of the "natural state" of man, how people form societies and how this determines the proper role of government (in his view).

Oh also Siddhartha, that was an excellent book! There were science books too, but mostly my physics textbooks. I could give you those names too though if you want.

Totally change the way I think ... probably be 'The Essential Chomsky' which is a collection of Noam Chomsky's best essays on many topics. I actually read that about a year ago, I skipped most of the ones about language and the mind, and read the ones on American foreign policy, some on Israel. Definitely a hurricane inside my head with that one!

Another huge one was Socrates' Apology (written by Plato), this was the defense Socrates gave for himself before a jury in ancient Greece, on the charge of heresy.

An important one a long time ago was David Hume's chapter "Of Miracles" An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

What about you?

I usually don't consider the time factor, sometimes books that I haven't read yet pile up next to my bed. I get to them eventually. Usually I agonize for a long time at the library or book store, picking up many different books and putting them down. Usually what happens is I read the introduction or a random section and I can't put it down, so I take it home.

Believe it or not, that is exactly what happen with me.

Can you name a book which made a hurricane, or let's a storm inside of your head and made you totally change the way you think?

How do you choose the book you plan to read?

Is it based on certain recommendations by others?
based on your interests on a certain topic or field of study?
based on your mood?
based on what your limited time might allow?
based on what interest you at the moment?
based on a topic which suddenly attracted you on one of the shelves of the library?
others?

If it's a combination of some or all of the above then try to give me some percentage for each one of them if you don't mind.

I have really enjoyed reading Such, Such Were The Joys for George Orwell, and it made me think about it for many days. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/member-announcements/90807-happy-birthday-mr-spinkles.html

:)

I don't really consider myself a Communist to be honest, I don't really know Politics that much, I just tend to voice my opinion.

Personally, the way I see it is that: take a city for example, it should all be Public, it should consist of all the neccesary elements needed to gett it functioning and prosperous, nothing more.

I wanna see religious buildings and other (in comparison) useless private property converted into vital public buildings needed for the Public. This (as in the useless Private buildings) can range from Temples to Golf courses etc.

Things like that, y' know, stuff where the practical needs of the many are shunned for the leisurely "needs" of a few wealthy individuals.

Surely you'd agree with me there, right?

I'm trying to frubal you for your excellent thread on Israel and Palestine, but it says I have to frubal a bunch of others first.

Regarding the term "the other", it's a direct translation from the arabic word الآخر which Saudian newspapers, and media in general use when they discuss how they view other people in the West and many other regions. All what people cared about in the past is how they view others, but now all that have changed, and people started to care about how "the other" as they call it, view us, and how we are dealing and thinking of them.

I wasn't surprised at all by what you said, because i expected you to do the very same thing as i do, because we have alot of things in common and i sensed that in you. I really love the way you write, and unlike many other people, the more challenging and intelligent questions i receive, the more i get more interested to dig the issue more in the hope to have a great conversation, not necessarily an answer right away, but of course, it's good if we reached to good answers at the end.

I really love the people who makes me think deeply and push me to challenge myself and my beliefs (religion, politics, etc). That will eventually lead me to read more and enrich my mind with bigger topics and questions to think about. I think and wonder alot and i spend much time to "know" more. I can read forever and i can read about any topic which i didn't cover before.

Well, i always do. I tell my friends about the good people i got to know here. I always try to convince them that not all Americans are tv and media dumb. sorry to say that, but this is how they feel about most of Americans. While you see me here challenging non-Muslims, but when i go back to the Muslims i know, i challenge them too in topics like religion and politics. Most of the time i take the side of "the other" when i discuss with them. That's why many of my friends call me a liberal, and others call me secular, lol. Yeah i know, it's hard to believe that, but that's the truth.

I'm always speechless when i read your nice words about me, and really don't know what to say. Thank you so much for your beautiful words. I really appreciate it. You know, i'm always eager to hear or read anything from you in any type of discussion because you are a unique person and a fine thinker.

I hope we can talk soon.

OK now there is a trial going on for months in here that includes murder of Hrant Dink. they talk about some project. some dark forces/betrayals chosed non-Muslim targets and Hrant Dink appears to be one of them. it is not about genocide though. first name that got the entire negative reaction is a Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk because of some comments he made about the issue. maybe some day truth come out. i don't believe in genocide of Armenians. something happened back then but defination of genocide does not really fit. anyways..sort of tired seeing one history being written by thousands hands differently.

hi we don't have access to youtube here. would you tell me which writer you talk about that's killed?

i like those days when families get together i hope you all make best of it.

i am fine i do not have news. same all same all

hi i haven't seen you around. how are you? how's everything?