Thursday, July 28, 2022

Motivational v Informative answer

Photo: NASA: STScI-SMACS0723_webb Webb's First Deep Field, July 13, 2022

A comment I stated today in a meeting (paraphrased):

At times, some falsely assume a motivational answer is needed, when it is in actuality, an informative answer that is needed.
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(The second usually requiring a higher level of intellectual difficulty)

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Quick Bullets: I am attempting to take moral & ethical responsibility for thoughts, actions & acts, where I can

• Buzzfeed image

• This morning I was at a new low, by a few pounds, since leaving England/Wales.

• I am still working out with weights, martial arts weapons and walking.

• As I have noted, working out, is nothing new.

• In my case, in particular, low calorie intake is not enough.

• 20 carbs approximately a day, no potatoes or regular, non-vegetable pasta is a key for me.

• As the results of my decreasing sleep apnea, become less through surgeries years ago, diet also tremendously helps with weight.
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• IMHO, socially stigmatizing bad thoughts, actions & acts is not as problematic as the bad thoughts, actions & acts committed.

• From my MPhil/PhD, website, work, those with significantly healthy, rational, adult, minds, have moral and ethical responsibility for his/her acts/actions.


• I have noted: As a compatibilist, and Reformed theologian, within soft determinism, I view God, as infinite, eternal and omnipotent, as the primary cause of this theoretical chain of human nature, consciousness, thoughts, desires, limited free will, choices, acts and actions.

• When this chain is embraced by a human being, as a finite, secondary cause, as in willing and choosing, leading to acts and actions; there is significant, moral responsibility.

• I reason a human being cannot choose or change his/her nature, from corrupt to incorrupt.

• But where this nature leads to embracing choices and the results, without force or coercion, significant moral accountability exists.

• God through the applied atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ, within the gospel, regenerates persons (John 3, Titus, 1 Peter 1).

• God legally justifies sinners and also sanctifies these persons toward eventual post-mortem resurrection (1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 20-22).

• The human nature is biblically in this realm, sinful and fallen (Genesis 1-3, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Hebrews, as examples). 

• God being the primary cause of all things, whether within his perfect or permissible wills.

• God remains, perfect and holy.
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• Back to my own story. I could take no responsibility for my weight, as I did not choose it as it was.

• I have never embraced my former weight...

• But, by God's grace, prayerfully, something has been done about it.

• I am attempting to take moral & ethical responsibility for thoughts, actions & acts, where I can.

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BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) ‘Fatalism’, in Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, p. 137. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 

BLOESCH, D. (1996) ‘Fate, Fatalism’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

CARSON, D.A. (1981) Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility, Atlanta, John Knox Press.

CARSON, D.A. (1990) How Long, O Lord?, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

FEINBERG, JOHN S. (1986) Predestination and Free Will, David Basinger and Randall Basinger (eds.), Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

FEINBERG, JOHN S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

FERRE, FREDERICK (1952)(1976) ‘Self-Determinism’, in American Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 10, Number 3, in John R. Burr and Milton Goldinger (eds.), in Philosophy and Contemporary Issues, London, Collier Macmillan Publishers. 

FEINBERG, JOHN S. (2001) No One Like Him, John S. Feinberg (gen.ed.), Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1975) Philosophy of Religion, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1978) The Roots of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1986) Predestination and Free Will, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1996) ‘Freedom, Free Will, and Determinism’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books. 

GEISLER, NORMAN, L (1999) ‘The Problem of Evil’, in Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

GREENSPAN, P.S. (1998) Free Will and Genetic Determinism: Locating the Problem (s), Maryland, University of Maryland. 

GRENZ, STANLEY J., DAVID GURETZKI AND CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press. 

KAPITAN, TOMIS (1996) ‘Free Will Problem’, in Robert Audi (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

MAWSON, TIM (1999) ‘The Problem of Evil and Moral Indifference’, in Religious Studies, Volume 35, pp. 323-345. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 

KAPITAN, TOMIS (1996) ‘Free Will Problem’, in Robert Audi (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 

POJMAN, LOUIS P. (1996) Philosophy: The Quest for Truth, New York, Wadsworth Publishing Company. 

STACE, W.T. (1952)(1976) Religion and the Modern Mind, in John R. Burr and Milton Goldinger (eds), Philosophy and Contemporary Issues, London, Collier Macmillan Publishers. 

STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Burlington, Welch Publishing Company. 

THIESSEN, HENRY C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Wednesday: Death by mosquito blood draining? Bullets

• Raid advertisement from the early 1970's.

• From How Many Mosquito Bites Would It Take to Kill You (and Other Mosquito Musings): Matt Heid/July 1, 2014: Appalachian MTN Club 

• Cited 'Death by mosquito draining? For an average person, losing two liters of blood becomes life-threatening. The average mosquito bite drains 0.01 to 0.001 milliliters of blood.' 

• Cited 'Thus it would take somewhere between 200,000 and 2 million mosquito bites to kill you from blood loss. For the average adult male (a.k.a. me), that works out to between 68 and 680 bites for every square inch of skin. (Converted from average body surface area of adult male: 1.9 square meters.)' 


• Cited 'Now consider the average human has 5.5 liters of blood, or 5.5 million microliters. If you do the math, you'd need a swarm of 1.1 million Asian tiger mosquitoes to completely drain a human's blood — but chances are you'd die long before all your blood was gone.' 

• Cited 'A condition called hypovolemic shock sets in after you lose about 20% of your blood, and it leads to major organ failures because your heart loses the pressure necessary to circulate blood.' 

• Good news on the mosquito bite front...

• TSN (paraphrased): The new Blue Jays manager, is not to be confused with former Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider.

Monday, July 11, 2022

Interesting Disney 3D Birthday Cards

Much appreciated. The dinner was very good on the actual day, as was the Thor film last evening. (The Star Wars card dedicated to Chuck and Zombie's, Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, discussions)

Friday, July 08, 2022

Friday Bullets: IMHO, the best objection to age gap relationships

 • Photo, Coquitlam today, July 8, 2022

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• I am philosophically, pro-life.

• I think a lot of Global News is liberal propaganda when it comes to social commentary.

• But I will agree with the observation heard more than once recently on certain Global News reports, that in the US, the minority is dictating morality to the majority.

• Pickup/Hookup culture, for one, dictates, abortion on demand as a 'right'.

• In contrast, I respectfully hold to a biblical worldview, within a Reformed tradition.

• It is also not my purpose as a Christian, to attempt to force secular powers that be, to have certain laws.

• Romans 13: archived

• I reason that the secular, liberal powers that be, will find legal methods to insure that abortion on demand stays a right in America.

• For the most part, anyway.

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• Recently, a good friend provided, IMHO, the best objection to large age gap relationships.

• This is an old one to me.

• With older male, younger female, the female will likely end up a widow.

• Agreed.

• Without a personal attack, my friend stated it would be selfish of me to seek a large age gap relationship.

• I disagree.

• As noted on my first website, I still have procreating abilities (possibilities, not certainties at any age) past 35 years of age, so often a man's situation is different.

• By the way, is this not nature's (God's) way of stating that age gap relationships, older male, are natural? But I digress.

• I also do not have the typical experience of someone my age.

• I am not aged.

• By God's grace, I have continually been much younger for my age, as an adult.

• My friend had no counter...

• I do not have an age rule.

• Other than legal age and in Christ, that we have mutual, spiritual, intellectual, physical, mutual attraction.

• Only intellectual women would find me interesting long-term, for the most part.

• As I heard an online teacher state once (paraphrased), intelligence makes up for age.

• An intelligent woman has every social opportunity to reject a large age gap relationship.

• Socially, I am open, but not an aggressor, whatsoever.

• Only take what is given to you (a thought while praying).

• An intellectual Christian woman today, has no guarantee she will meet anyone, of any age, that is relatable for a long-term marriage.

• It is a reasonable possibility that like me with my wide range to find someone relatable, a younger woman may need to prayerfully have a similar view.

• A career woman may not need a husband early in her adult life, and may not need a man later in her life.

• Stating that I am selfish, assumes that in my case, an intellectual, Christian woman, will obviously have better options than me.

• I disagree that this is obvious...

• Prayerfully, true love in Christian marriage is not measured by having socially, as long as marriage as possible, say for example 60+ years.

• Prayerfully, true love in Christian marriage, is measured in-part, by seeking God's perfect will, with the inclination toward someone where there is mutual, spiritual, intellectual and physical, attraction (Matthew 5, 1 Corinthians 7, 2 Corinthians 6, as examples)

• I do think it is selfish (not my good friend), and offensive, when some in the evangelical church, expect a person my age, to ONLY date, in the same way, seeking the same potential partners, as would someone with vastly more experience than me, say divorced with children, for example.

• How is that based in love and truth, when my ontological nature and experience is not seriously considered?

BARCLAY, WILLIAM (1976) The Letters of James and Peter, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press. 

BRUCE, F.F. (1987) Romans, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

CRANFIELD, C.E.B. (1992) Romans: A Shorter Commentary, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

DUNN, JAMES D.G. (1988) Romans, Dallas, Word Books.

MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1995) The New American Commentary: Romans, Nashville, Broadman & Holman Publishers. 

Monday, July 04, 2022

Quick Bullets Monday: 'Pop' sound

 

• Not my oven. Although, this one reminds me of the ones in English flats I rented.

• This morning, my 'star tenant' told me that one of the burners on the stove made a 'pop' sound and then shorted out. 

• Well, being as the complex was apparently built in around 1987, long before I was in here, the stove is probably close to original. 

• We did some element unplugging, and I plugged one back in and heard a nasty 'pop', which had both of us move away quickly.

• The right side of the stove appears to have shorted out. 

• I will call the 'repairman' or 'repairwoman' tomorrow.

• So when I moved in here with the now departed 'Boss', ex decades ago, of the 'star tenant', I was expecting to eventually move on to the USA or UK with my PhD for employment.

• As an adult, I felt and thought myself led by God to gain a British/European PhD with difficult subjects.

• I have never felt or thought myself, necessarily led to be a professor.

• To be a scholar, theologian and philosopher of religion, absolutely, but professor, not necessarily.

• I am pleased to be in the process of being placed, have a career working in government.

• Being in this good-sized condominium, with rising value, is fine for me.

• I received my first government, official verification, that after paying thousands in probate fees, two years after the 'Boss', departed, that I am now indeed the owner.

• The tax notice of course!