Comments for Humanity I Love You http://www.humanityiloveyou.com An open reflection on self and society Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:16:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on The Human Nature of God by Karim http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2010/02/17/356/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Karim Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:16:44 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/?p=356#comment-118 Renee, I need to find myself one of you. Renee, I need to find myself one of you.

]]> Comment on The Human Nature of God by Renee http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2010/02/17/356/comment-page-1/#comment-117 Renee Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:05:48 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/?p=356#comment-117 I enjoyed this. I find myself plagued by the similarities in popular religions that you mentioned above. If the ultimate good is in these religions, it seems to be masked by the absence of truth. And "good" can really only be measured by truth; if something never existed to begin with, how good can it be? This is why I find myself distanced from Christianity. I read too much. Maybe I should reread Doctor Faustus and take a lesson. Good post. I enjoyed this. I find myself plagued by the similarities in popular religions that you mentioned above. If the ultimate good is in these religions, it seems to be masked by the absence of truth. And “good” can really only be measured by truth; if something never existed to begin with, how good can it be?
This is why I find myself distanced from Christianity. I read too much. Maybe I should reread Doctor Faustus and take a lesson.
Good post.

]]> Comment on The Human Nature of God by Karim http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2010/02/17/356/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Karim Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:55:04 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/?p=356#comment-116 Yeah, I have faith in the metaphysical God, and I believe something exists outside of the physical world. But I think the epistemology of our metaphysical constructs is flawed in that we think we can have faith not only in the unseen but also in the form of the unseen: what it thinks, what it believes, how it looks, etc. It's in our nature to define things, so I'm not knocking what we view as God, but I believe that our conception of God is closer to what we want to believe than what actually exists. I think there's a beauty in our anthropomorphic God, because the characteristics we've applied to him are mostly noble and enlightened, which in turn paints a pretty picture of what it is we hope to someday become. I'm not arguing that God doesn't exist, but that our depiction of him most likely has less to do with reality than an ideal we've created in order to follow. If we analyze all the world's most popular religions we find similarities in what every culture sees as the ultimate good, and it is in this conception of good that we can find something true, perhaps regarding the qualities of God, but primarily (and more importantly, in my opinion) regarding the qualities of man. Yeah, I have faith in the metaphysical God, and I believe something exists outside of the physical world. But I think the epistemology of our metaphysical constructs is flawed in that we think we can have faith not only in the unseen but also in the form of the unseen: what it thinks, what it believes, how it looks, etc. It’s in our nature to define things, so I’m not knocking what we view as God, but I believe that our conception of God is closer to what we want to believe than what actually exists.

I think there’s a beauty in our anthropomorphic God, because the characteristics we’ve applied to him are mostly noble and enlightened, which in turn paints a pretty picture of what it is we hope to someday become.

I’m not arguing that God doesn’t exist, but that our depiction of him most likely has less to do with reality than an ideal we’ve created in order to follow. If we analyze all the world’s most popular religions we find similarities in what every culture sees as the ultimate good, and it is in this conception of good that we can find something true, perhaps regarding the qualities of God, but primarily (and more importantly, in my opinion) regarding the qualities of man.

]]> Comment on In medias res by Karim http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2008/05/12/in-medias-res/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Karim Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:45:08 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/2008/05/12/in-medias-res/#comment-115 This is a very old post. Thanks, though. This is a very old post. Thanks, though.

]]> Comment on In medias res by Ethan Rocke http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2008/05/12/in-medias-res/comment-page-1/#comment-114 Ethan Rocke Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:38:11 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/2008/05/12/in-medias-res/#comment-114 The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I wrote that. You can use it. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

I wrote that. You can use it.

]]> Comment on The Human Nature of God by Ethan Rocke http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2010/02/17/356/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Ethan Rocke Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:32:54 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/?p=356#comment-113 Then again there's always the possibility that God is God, existing externally of any human conceptions, and likely, His essential nature is such that it exists far beyond the capacity of mortal understanding. But yeah, we try, and that's our nature. I think you're right about why we seek to know God (and more importantly, why we should), but I'm not one to reduce God's essence to something attainable by humans -- not by a long shot. You didn't necessarily say that, but I would say the sentiment in this piece is generally humanistic. Duh, right? Then again there’s always the possibility that God is God, existing externally of any human conceptions, and likely, His essential nature is such that it exists far beyond the capacity of mortal understanding.

But yeah, we try, and that’s our nature. I think you’re right about why we seek to know God (and more importantly, why we should), but I’m not one to reduce God’s essence to something attainable by humans — not by a long shot. You didn’t necessarily say that, but I would say the sentiment in this piece is generally humanistic.

Duh, right?

]]> Comment on On Social Determinism by Nader Atassi http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2009/12/04/on-social-determinism/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Nader Atassi Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:11:38 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/?p=357#comment-112 I sense a tinge of existentialism in this writing. Great stuff. Social determinism is the ultimate denial of liberty, but it's not surprising that a lot of people subscribe to it(most of the time unknowingly). I believe the reason for this is that many people simply don't like the idea of freedom. Some like orderly, authoritarian environments. I know what you're thinking: to say that is in itself a socially deterministic argument. To clarify, I'm not saying that they are bound to this way of thinking. I'm saying that those people freely make the choice to deny their freedom. Back to my point, the reason that social determinism is so popular is because the idea of freedom is scary, certainly at first. When coming to the realization that you are completely free, and you are not bound by anything, it can certainly be a very frightening prospect, because the freedom to act also means that you are responsible for all the consequences of your actions, which is not something everybody can man up to. But once you pass the frightened phase, and realize that this freedom also means that there are endless possibilities, the freedom that you were once frightened of becomes enlightening and empowering. I may just be echoing Sartre here, but I thought I should comment on something that I strongly agree with you on. Cheers. I sense a tinge of existentialism in this writing. Great stuff. Social determinism is the ultimate denial of liberty, but it’s not surprising that a lot of people subscribe to it(most of the time unknowingly). I believe the reason for this is that many people simply don’t like the idea of freedom. Some like orderly, authoritarian environments.

I know what you’re thinking: to say that is in itself a socially deterministic argument. To clarify, I’m not saying that they are bound to this way of thinking. I’m saying that those people freely make the choice to deny their freedom.

Back to my point, the reason that social determinism is so popular is because the idea of freedom is scary, certainly at first. When coming to the realization that you are completely free, and you are not bound by anything, it can certainly be a very frightening prospect, because the freedom to act also means that you are responsible for all the consequences of your actions, which is not something everybody can man up to. But once you pass the frightened phase, and realize that this freedom also means that there are endless possibilities, the freedom that you were once frightened of becomes enlightening and empowering. I may just be echoing Sartre here, but I thought I should comment on something that I strongly agree with you on. Cheers.

]]> Comment on Revisions by Ethan http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2010/02/16/revisions/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Ethan Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:56:58 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/?p=391#comment-111 If you're going to have a major psychological breakthrough, this is how to do it in style. Nicely done. If you’re going to have a major psychological breakthrough, this is how to do it in style.

Nicely done.

]]> Comment on Revisions by Karim http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2010/02/16/revisions/comment-page-1/#comment-110 Karim Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:53:33 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/?p=391#comment-110 Thanks, Joe. I'm working through a lot of buried thoughts right now and it just felt impossible to go to sleep the other night without some catharsis. Thanks, Joe. I’m working through a lot of buried thoughts right now and it just felt impossible to go to sleep the other night without some catharsis.

]]> Comment on Revisions by Joe http://www.humanityiloveyou.com/2010/02/16/revisions/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Joe Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:25:16 +0000 http://www.karimdelgado.com/?p=391#comment-109 fucking awesome. fucking awesome.

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