Apr 28, 2009
If I Can Be Serious For A Moment (Philosophical Survey)
Current mood:inquisitive
I stumbled across this "Philsophy Survey" and as soon as I saw it, I realized I needed to do it. It's a lot more serious and somber than most of the surveys I do, but I enjoyed doing it. It made me think and that's always a good thing, right? Some of the questions are pretty straight-forward and others... well. I hope I don't offend anyone with my answers, but I tried to be as truthful as possible. And if I did, ooops! Anyhow, enjoy the survey. And thanks for reading.
-Doug
Simple Questions:
Do humans carry souls?
I believe so... yes.
What about animals?
Others may not agree, but I certainly feel that my cat and my dog are both intelligent little personalities with their own individual souls.
Was September 11th a government conspiracy?
No - it was exactly what it was - a terrorist attack on the United States.
Do you believe a plane actually hit the pentagon?
I have no reason to think they're lying about that.
Are the methods the U.S. is using to handle illegal immigration satisfactory?
Not really - some of the methods seem like over-kill, while others are just a joke. They need to get their act together and the Government needs to come up with a responsible, yet fair way to handle illegal immigration and cut back on the number of illegals in our country.
Do you think that John F. Kennedy's assasination was a government conspiracy?
I really don't know enough about it first hand to have a valid opinion, but considering how our Government operates, it wouldn't surprise me at all to think that the JFK assasination was arranged by Government agents.
Do you believe in ghosts?
I don't believe in "boo!" ghosts, but I do believe in spirits and several aspects of the world of the supernatural. Read my "Supernatural Survey" blog (three blogs ago) for more details on that.
Can subjection to violence in media lead to violence in the real world?
Yes - constant exposure to violence in the media, in video games, in movies, on TV, etc numbs people to real violence and they don't see people being hurt or killed as a big deal as a result.. and if killing someone isn't a big deal, what's to stop someone from blowing away their family? Nothing.
Did O.J. Simpson murder his wife?
According to the jury at his trial, the verdict was Not Guilty.
Do
you believe going to war in Iraq was the right thing to do?
Getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do, but there should have been other methods used for that task instead of invasion and going to war in Iraq.
Can we as people ever co-exist with each other peacefully?
I doubt it.
Do you believe the course of our lives are pre-determined by unseen/unknown forces?
I believe we are given choices and opportunities - and the choices we make and opportunities we take determine the course of our lives - nothing else.
Has democracy made the world a better place?
For some, yes and for others - no..
Was the governments reaction to Hurricane Katrina acceptable?
Not really, but the main fault falls on the local and state governments first for being slow to react and do their part. The feds are, by law, not supposed to move in until the local governments request it - and the local & state government in Louisiana didn't have a clue as to what they were supposed to be doing.
They didn't make the necessary requests for aid until it was far too late to do any good. And people got hurt and died because of their incompetence. The Feds are to blame for a lot of things, but when it comes to pointing fingers, most of the fingers need to be pointed at the Mayors and Governor first. They dropped the ball in the beginning and everything else was just trying to play catch-up.
And this sounds, cruel, but people were given plenty of notice to evacuate and get out - yet many chose to stay in their homes. They were ignorant and didn't listen to the warnings and deserved what they got. If they had done what they were told, I'd have more sympathy, but it's not easy.
Are celebrities punished justly for crimes they commit?
Nope
Can we ever win the war on terror?
Not a chance in hell - we wipe out one terror cell and ten more pop up - it's a losing battle that we'll never be able to win..
Are professional athletes over-compensated for their abilities?
Most definitely.
Did the fabled people of Atlantis ever exist?
I believe so - yes..
Are there other intelligent beings in the universe?
I think so - look at the size of the Universe. We're talking about millions of galaxies. Is it really realistic to think that in all of those millions of galaxies and billions of planets, that we're the only one that has intelligent life. That is just a ridiculous notion.And by what standards would we measure intelligence anyhow? They could be so far beyond us, we're the unintelligent ones and we're the lower forms of life.
Should the 1st Amendment protect all forms of expression, including those that may be offensive or harmful to others?
Within reason, yes. Libel should not be allowed, nor should slander. But those are the rare exceptions. Also, saying things that may cause physical harm to others should have limitations. But where valid opinions are concerned, they should be protected, whether I or you choose to agree with them or not.
Is it better for one innocent man to be sent to death or 5 murderers to be pardoned?
No man is totally innocent and no murderer should ever be pardoned (except in a case of self-defense and that's not murder - that's protecting yourself - there's a difference). Tough question though. I hate to say it, but better for one innocent man to die wrongly than the potential dozens (or more) that might die if the murderers are released and set free.
ESSAY QUESTIONS (One to two short paragraphs):
In the case of homosexuality, do you believe it's sin?
It's no more of a sin than getting a tattoo (defiling God's temple), getting divorced, pre-martial sex, eating shellfish, smoking, drinking to excess, or anything else. I could go into the long speech about how so many different things were not allowed in the old Testament, yet now, they're more common that not, but I'll suffice my argument just by saying this.
God made me who I am - and that includes the part of me that is attracted to other men. God is supposed to be infallible, omnipotent and incapable of mistakes - yet I'm gay and it's part of what and who I am. So my being gay must be what he wanted for me. And if it's what he wanted for me, then it must be right. Therefore, it's not a sin. It's all part of life and God's will. So there you go.
Can the human race ever help the planet Earth to recover from the ecological damage it has suffered?
Maybe in some small ways, we can help repair some of the damage, but the damage is too much and has been going on for too long for anything we humans do to have any kind of permanent healing effect. All we can do is apply the band-aids and try to prevent it from getting worse.
Will race/ethnicity always be an issue amongst differing peoples?
Yes, because it's human nature to be suspicious about those who are different from us, whether it be because of race, religion, gender, social status, wealth, sexual orientation, or whatever reason. Some people can overcome these basic instincts and be truly non-judgmental, but those people are few and far between and unfortunately, it's usually the bigots, the racists, the zealots who have the influence, get the power and stir the pot to keep things stirred up. And the issues just get bigger and bigger rather than become non-consequental as they would be in a perfect world - because as we all well know, this is not a perfect world.
Are you for or against abortion?
This is one I've answered many times. I amnot crazy about the idea of aborting an unborn child, but at the same time, I'm a gay man. Being pregnant is something I never have to fear happening to me and having to deal with. To raise a child or have an abortion is something I will never have to deal with and I can't sit here and pass judgment on anyone who has to make that decision. I have accompanied a friend to go get an abortion. I wasn't thrilled about it, but my friend asked me to be there with her and I was.
An abortion is something I don't think I could ever do. It's not a choice I think I could make and live with myself if I had to make that decision. But I'm not going to judge or condemn anyone for what they feel they have to do. That's up to the mother, the father (hopefully), their doctor and their God. Not me.
Are you for or against capital punishment (i.e. the death penalty)? Why?
Another one that I can honestly see both sides of. If we kill the killers, what does that say about us except for that we're no better than they were. But at the same time, the old cliche' about "an eye for an eye" jumps out at me. If someone takes an innocent life, or several innocent lives for that matter, why should we put them up, provide security and lodging, meals, etc. and pay to keep them alive and under supervision for twenty or thirty years. That doesn't make much sense either.
I had to be an advocate of vigilante type justice, but in the old days, when a person murdered someone, they had a trial, and if found guilty, were sentenced and then put to death in a matter of days. And there were far less murders and violent crimes back then in comparison to the statistics now.
People do things now because they know there is no real punishment for it. If they kill someone, so what? They'll go to prison for a few years, probably get paroled and be back on the streets eventually. If they're almost certain to be put to death if they kill someone, I'm pretty sure that will, for some anyhow, make them have second thoughts and reconsider their actions before they do anything so rash.
FINAL QUESTION (3 part question)
part 1- Do you practice any form of religion? Why?
Do I practice any form of religion? Not in the practical sense, but I do believe in a higher power. Whether you choose to call it "God", "Allah", "Buddha", or just "The Higher Power", I won't argue with you. I do read the bible on occasion (more frequently now than I used to) and I do even attend church on occasion. I do not believe in one particular religion or particular group having more legitimacy than others - and I honestly do believe that hypocrisy is a major part of all of the churches. So I'm a cynic at the best of times.
But of all the religions I've studied and learned about, if I had to choose a label, I probably would most likely consider myself a Christian. I have many friends and associates in the church and I actually volunteer and help out at a nearby church, a "Church Of The Nazarene" - and I feel comfortable and for the most part, relaxed there.
I don't agree with everything they teach or preach, but overall, I feel the general message is a good one and the people there are good people. I attend because it helps me learn and understand other people and why and how they are the way they are and feel the way they do about certain things. And it gives me a chance (by volunteering and helping out with the food bank) to give back a little bit and help those that haven't been as fortunate as I have. I can't really say that I "practice religion", but I do go with the flow and if it comes my way, I'm not running and hiding either.
part 2- Do you believe that the writings in the bible can still apply to today's world?
The basic message of "love thy neighbor" is still good. The overall message, based on the interpretations I've heard, is generally a good and positive one. Some writings, as bad as it might sounds, are obselete and don't really jive with the world of 2009.
I'm not saying that they should be totally ignored, but everything needs to be kept in the proper perspective with the world we live in. People need to remember that the Bible was written by man who are translating to us, the words of God. And everything we hear and read was their interpretation of what they believe God told them. And then, every time it's been translated over several thousand years, the meanings and intrpretations have been changed again. And every single preacher, minister, priest, etc., that teaches the Bible, puts their own spin on what they read and learn as well.
So listen to the words, but don't follow blindly. Use common sense and keep the mind open. If that's done, the words can and are very applicable and good for even the world of today.
part 3- Has religion made the world a better or worse place?
For the most part, a better place. There has been much bad because of religion - wars, prejidice, hatred, etc., but still, without some kind of faith, some kind of religion in their lives, most people would not have the strength to go on through the hard times, to bend when needed and stand strong and firm when necessary as well.
Religion gives people hope and strength and a reason to go on and endure. For those reasons alone, the world is better. For a world with no hope is no world at all - it's just dead!
And there you go. Thoughts? Comments? Questions?
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