Eternal Blah-blah

Love & TRUST

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:01:00 -0700

Guess Melody Pellegrin joins us in a discution on trust and love, inspired by the story from the Mythology Cupid and Phycie.

What Is Art?

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

This might be a stupid question... but really what is it?

How to Subscribe to Podcast

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Mon, 6 Sep 2010 11:22:00 -0700

How to subscript to our new podcast resented by Brandon.

http://www.artistrycinema.com/podcast/ScreenRecordingHD.mov

Respect episode 001

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Sun, 5 Sep 2010 22:31:00 -0700

Yes first one!!

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:47:00 -0700

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:56:00 -0700

Steven

What kind of criteria is considered "shallow" when searching for love?

When two people connect on an emotional level, they will become friends. When those two become physically attracted, they quality for basic compatibility. Two individuals don't choose to be attracted when searching for a mate. one Either is attracted or they are not. When attracted, they advance. When they are not attracted, they either stay or retreat. Since physical beauty is a superficial characteristic, it is usually noticed first. People need not overcompensate and disregard physical attraction to avoid being labeled as "Shallow." Though its difficult to judge someones motivation thus pointless, in a general sense, its shallow to pursue a relationship when one of theses two factors has proven to be missing. This lack of chemistry wont end in the fireworks.

Brandon
Not sure what we are talking about other then if your find someone sexy is it will benefit your relationship a lot more them someone you don't. Why would you marry someone with different background, different religious views as you-its just a kink in your relationship |=| dating someone you don't find attractive. I am in the business of buying merchandise that is gaged. In other words equipment that runs in all shapes qualities and prices. More expensive equipment has better quality and more well verse capabilities- if you buy something cheap it wont work as well and not do all the same things as the more $ one. You can get a cheap deal or shop hard and get a hot girl-it going to cost more on your effort but she is going to more well diversetize the relationship- making it more successful.

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Thu, 13 May 2010 07:59:00 -0700

Brandon:

Either Live happy and die over nothing, or live depressed and die for nothing.

Steven:

Everyone has the right to choose that which makes them happy. People can be depressed from a whole range of circumstances.

Faith, stickily religious?

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Tue, 4 May 2010 22:56:00 -0700

Brandon

Does it take faith to not believe in God? I would say yes, to rest your existence on the whit of a scientist that has no idea who you are, that has exercised theses theories, yet he, nor anyone one else has ever actually seen unfold before their eyes; Is similar to going on the whit of a spiritual leader who has exercised his theologies, and has had them proven in the spiritual mind.
So now that I have swung the pendulum completely to one side lets bring it back. Science is a refined method of finding truth and is more tangible then religious experiences, but I am talking about the big questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? Scientist have theorize some answers, still you would have to go just as much on a limb as you would for belief in God.

Belief that life is an accident |=| belief that it was created with purpose

Let me clarify where i am coming from
"If men were duly to consider themselves, and turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds, they would readily discover that it is faith, and faith only, which is the moving cause of all action in them; that without it both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, both physical and mental...Are you not dependent on your faith, or belief, for the acquisition of all knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence? Would you exert yourselves to obtain wisdom and intelligence, unless you did believe that you could obtain them? Would you have ever sown, if you had not believed that you would reap? Should you have ever planted, if you had not believed that you would gather?"

Joseph Smith
Imagine you are in a dinning room with a very elegant table with these amazing chairs. The chairs are so amazing they grab your attention. You study the floral design, then you get on all fours to check out the engineering of the chair, you admire how it was constructed. You conclude that chair could hold your weight if you sat in it. Is this faith? Not tell you release your balance, let gravity take you-- now you have faith that this chair will hold you.

A person who will turn their back on ideals of a religious zealots, say to themselves "there is no god" and who takes action to live that life, has faith that they have simple turned their back to a man made ideal. Is that not true?

Faith is power to act on what you believe

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Sun, 2 May 2010 21:21:00 -0700

Steve

Question from a follower, "Is it better to believe in no god or a benevolent false god?"

Strictly answering the question, it's better to believe in no God than a Non Existent Benevolent One. It would be interesting to see if people respond to this question as an attack on his or her faith and choose to be offended rather than choose between the two choice given. Anyways, for the Christians who read this, the Hindus may come to mind since their concept of God is so vastly different from that of the Christian faith. Perhaps these two examples of vastly different religions see the other as illogical. For the agnostic, the question isn't 'which God to believe in' rather 'does god really exist.' A strictly logical, zero based thinker will believe according to what he or she feels is true. According to the philosopher Brian Johnson, "Ask yourself the following question, 'Knowing what I know now, would I have gotten involved in this relationship, this career/job, this project, whatever?!?' If the answer is 'No!' then get out of that situation as quickly as possible. That’s Zero-Based Thinking. ( "Zero based thinking" par. 1). If the answer is "yes" than keep doing and believing what ever you want. Of course this gets very complicated when considering all of life's many decisions decisions. The whole point is that a zero based thinker who sees insufficient evidence for God will not believe in God no matter how benevolent, almighty, loving or omnipotent God is reported to be. A zero based thinker can also acknowledge what he sees as evidence and then believe in God as long as thhe evidence is valid.

Source

Johnson, Brian. Brian Johnson's Philosopher Notes. http://www.philosophersnotes.com/idea/show/zero- based-thinking

Brandon's response:

Yes, a person believes what they are going to believe. The question seems irrelevant- people believe based on what they know- but I will not take the question as if your suggesting to change a persons mind (I very much believe in agency). Only worth while person is one that has purpose, goal seeking, or aim. If a person seeks after good=good! If you believe there is no consequence and therefore cruelty to others is a justified means to get ahead=bad! Even from a spiritual perspective: you are judge on what you did with your given knowledge. Should a person live a lie- no! I have meet a man that follows and practices the LDS faith, even though he is strongly agnostic (on the verge of atheist)- yet he wants his sons to be ordained to the priesthood, his daughters married in the temple; why? He still feels strongly that the rituals are good for them and if they develop a faith in Christ they will be better off (the real controversy is should he ordain his son himself?). Is this man going to hell? HELL no. Take what ever truth you have, what ever purpose you have and let it lead you to truth. My "T"ruth is a purpose in God, that is relative to my knowledge.
P.S. I wouldn't trust a religious person more then an atheist if that helps answer your question.

Steve's Response:

Your response is interesting but you didn't answer the question. My Initial response was a strict answer to the question "Is it better to believe in no God or a Benevolent false God?" How is the question irrelevant if could be seen as hypothetical, applicable to Agnostics and atheists, or even applicable to other Gods like Zues. Zeus is arguably a false god and I choose not to believe in him no matter how benevolent he is reported to be.

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:17:00 -0700

Self✦You are unique, you will never exists again, you can not be duplicated- not even by GOD!

Your genetic make up is special. In my case my parents have had 7 children; same two people 7 radical individuals. My experiences in my life are not shared, my opinions, character, and capabilities are all distinct to me and no one else.

So what is self? Most critical factor is circumstance. One thing that empowers both the Plan of Salvation and Evolution is circumstance, it is shaping who we are physicaly, and mentally. God has always placed laws that shapes us/ your environment selects who survives. A very close subject that bleeds all over this is consciences. That is a powerful subject of its own so I would rather subcategorize this post and keep it in the realm of "what does it mean to taste self." Your "self" means not as much to any other man as it does to you. What does it feel like to be one's self, how do you know if you know your self? What attributes are invisible to the self? We all have spectacles that we see life through- so can one be trusted to judge them self; yet the responsibility of yourself is solie yours alone?

How you define yourself will translate how you conduct the way you act. Your judgment, moral choice is a product of "self." (more to come)

Steve's Response:

I refrain from the spiritual and comment on that which can be measured scientifically.I agree with much of what you have said regarding the end result of existence you call "self," though most of the organically occurring molecules that make up the physical components of the body can be duplicated and we shall see startling discoveries in the near future. Of course, your statement goes beyond the physical and defines self as a combination of physical, spiritual, and the ever present circumstance of environment. Your exactly right that I myself have my opinions, character, and capabilities unlike all others and their shall never be someone else like me. Currently Their is no formula to predict how someone shall behave and what choices they will make, though computer technology will come close in the next 30 years. The point is, when all the factors are thoroughly identified and understood, it will be possible to profile individuals and make accurate predictions about how their distinct self may behave in a certain situation. None the less, this doesn't negate the difference between people. Its important to understand the brain in the equation. The brain is the key to understanding the "self."As soon as we now what the other 90% of the brain does, we will learn so much more about the "self."

Brandon:
You didn't answer my questions! they are in purple

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:37:00 -0700

Steve

I have Question - What is Intelligence?

Intelligence is observed as a complex system of reactions within a carbon based life form. When observing a cell and studying the chemical reactions that occur, at what point doesn't something become intelligent? DNA replicates itself based on charges and reactions but is it aware of what it is doing? Garth Lane, my father, states that an organism must be self aware to be considered intelligent. So at what point does something became self aware? The human brain is composed of trillions of cells working together allowing for the mind to think. Baking soda reacts with Vinegar but its this an intelligent reaction? Well, most would say no except, chemical reactions similar to this are happening on a smaller scale all the time within the cell. The quantity of reactions increases the complexity and at some point the being becomes intelligent. Their is also the concept of religious intelligence based on spiritual components. I didn't discuss this because it cant be measured scientifically.

Brandon response:

We'll Steve you and I can make quite a scene with this subject, the place I draw insight is from a doctrinal approach. I enjoy comparing what can be measured with science along side of Religion.

[Intelligence] is the light of truth which gives life and light to all things in the universe. (LDS)

Light is refereed to as "Divine energy", energy is interesting word selection. Some kind of force inside everything giving it life and its own divine energy. Not sure how truth fits into it besides that truth is everlasting and so is intelligence. ❡ DNA is a fascinating crucial function in life. Science has done a good job of breaking down these units of life so well once we get to the very bottom all we see is simple reactions. Action--Reaction. Were is the intelligence in this? It would be great to ask a tRNA how aware are you? It is sooooooo amazing as I sit here and type this inside each cell of my body this process is happening making me who I am. Without this body I could not experience the events that make up the other half, third, fourth (what ever) that makes me ME. If that DNA decided to (not really decide, or does it?) keep reproducing Telomeres dang I now have cancer or if chromosomal aberrations happen I am screwed, all because of action then my body reacts. Ok so what is intelligence, the ability to react- too simple. The ability to choose between reactions?

sounds like AGENCE

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, [...] righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.(2 Nephi 2:11) But there is a law given, and a apunishment affixed...and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God. (Alma 42:22)

Sounds a lot like action reaction Just on a bigger scale. You Steve once told me all we are doing is reacting- TRUE. Human nature, human nurture, our own personal evolution is all based on action reaction. So is the gospel. Your life experience will dictate how you react to a situation. Super complicated reactions (motivations) but none the less reactions.

After all this jib Jab i realize I still don't know if we will ever find the answer.

Please comment tell us what you think

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:47:00 -0700

Steve

The earnings of greed is the climax of counterfeit joy. The problem is that where someone is elevated, another may be exploited. None the less, the possession of that which is material or emotional brings pleasure. True joy is to enlarge the pie and bring happiness to all who know you.

Brandon

At the root of greed is pride. At what point is someone seeking joy actually seeking greed? The difference is pride..

pride |prīd|noun 1 a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired :

True but I like the more specific church definition

Psalms 10:2
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
President Ezra Taft Benson
The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.”

Enmity can be so very slight, just taking one's self and placing themselves over another in hurtful way: emotionally, physically, financially, or even spiritually.

Steve's Response:

Of course pride is a religious taboo but the world has excepted such behavior. Fortunately, the world also uses the word incorrectly for the most part thus should bring a small measure of comfort. For Example, their is no problem with the supposed "pride" felt towards a child or the accomplishments of our own. The problem is the elevation of ones self status above that of another. For example, "my child is better than yours" or "I'm greater than you are." These are not humble statements and thus prideful. My experience with real joy often comes from other people with the exchange of love and concern whereas my pride comes from the expense of others feelings. This is counterfeit Joy and I strive to avoid it.

opatang@gmail.com (Brandon & Steve) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:38:00 -0700

cooleo