Worth it.

should say "nice reflection."...

This was hysterical and extremely well done. Reminds me why I turn to Jon for news.

Thanks, Greg. I really appreciate that thoughtful reply.

I had missed the distinction between pantheism and panentheism, though your rebuke of Roger's piece makes even less sense in light of that concept.

Of course, I select those three questions knowing full well that there is a very clear orthodox reply to them. I was intent, however, on provoking the possibility that you may have more in common with Roger than you were leading us to believe. In other words, I think your response has clarified that you step back from the statements that Roger had "left the reservation," that there was "No point in calling yourself Christian," that his work was akin to pissing on your leg and claiming it's raining. I don't suppose those are the statements you will now happily stand by.

If, indeed, panentheism is one expression of God's immanence in creation (one that perhaps emphasizes immanence more than transcendence, as you would apparently prefer), then it is not the case that "there is no point in Roger calling himself a Christian." Indeed, these are both Christian concepts of God, albeit with a different focus.

BTW, you ought to be careful about placing too much weight on the Joahannine gospel. As you well know, this was likely the last written of the gospels, the least historical, and the most influenced by "pagan" philosophies, like gnosticism. It's a beautiful gospel, especially the introduction, but it's not exactly the historical Jesus. As a matter of practice, we might do well to set some of these speculative disputes aside, no?

This movie must be great. I can't wait to see it.

I really like the idea of the analogy between viewing a movie and being in a dream. There's this great little book I read awhile back called, "In the Blink of an Eye" by Walter Murch (a big Hollywood film editor). His thesis is basically that a well edited movie coordinates cuts that are so natural that they induce an audience to blink synchronously. (This has actually been experimentally demonstrated.) The effect of this is that the entire audience's visual experience is identical and is entirely enveloped in the world of the movie. It is as if the silver screen is the projection of thought or imagination externally.

Anyway, thanks for the post. Have a look at Murch's book sometime: http://www.amazon.com/Blink-Eye-Revised-2nd/dp/18...

I love it when the student says, "It's like having a clear mind."

Aha!

Yes. I like this. Thank you.

I always say: the phenomenal world is real and the physical world is hypothetical. I think this is clear from the fact that the phenomenal world is what matters most to us. It's what we care about, fundamentally.

What part of climate change is a hoax, Greg?

I'm down-town Julie Brown:

Alright now, roll your arm, pop, lock your shoulder and drop, chataranga...

Right. So, I just don't think this is a brutal killing, unless you think all killing is brutal, which is what you seem to be saying.

From my perspective, it looks like hunting is going to have to be part of a holistic and sustainable approach to eating. There is good reason to trim some species, or even breed certain species, that will ultimately wind up on dinner plates. In my view, it would be far better to satisfy someone's appetite for meat with the food than to supply maggots and carrion birds with food.