Life

If life all began with a single cell, then the first cell would have to have been fully functional. If a string of amino acids did happen to come together, was the function to replicate intrinsic? The idea of replication is a feed forward process. The first cell/protein would also have to have the ability to acquire external raw material, sugar for energy and protein as building blocks, to replicate. Replication requires DNA, so DNA, RNA, and all the supporting proteins to carry out replication and bring raw materials into the cell would have been a part of the first cell. This seems to be getting a bit complicated for random molecules coming together by chance.

How about the idea of chromosome formation? So, let's say the first cell did somehow have DNA and could replicate itself. Chromosomes are bunched up DNA. How then does a new chromosome form? Humans have 46 of chromosomes, pigs 38, and monkeys have 48. So if we came from monkeys, where did the other two chromosomes go to? Assuming the first cell had one chromosome, how many base pairs did it have? In humans the chromosome with the fewest base pairs is just over 46,000 base pairs. I know simple cells without a nucleus can have around 10,000 base pairs. How many did the first cell have? Even though errors in each chromosome occurs, how does the formation of a new chromosome occur? Cell 1 has it's one chromosome, where does chromosome two arise, and how does that happen?

The Dog Delusion

I was probably watching a football game the other day, when a commercial for the local news shows a bus with an advertisement on the side of it which reads, "50 Million Americans are good without God". Of course that is something that is likely to cause a stir in the buckle of the Bible belt. I never actually saw what the news spot was about, but it was easy to surmise it's general content. Well, there have been more commercials about this same topic. I guess it was popular.
I never watched any of the local news pieces on atheism marketing efforts, but it did peak my interest to look into the world wide web to examine this. So I went to Google and put in the search term: "atheist billboards". In typical Google fashion, 90,600 links were found containing some form of this topic. Here is one links that I found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YHbSx7NE2U

Now, I don't have any issues with any individual group marketing their beliefs (I truly believe that most all marketing is devious in it's own way - but that is an opinion for another time), but it seems to me that their marketing angle is a bit harsh. Most of the times I here something from atheists about religion, I get this sense that they believe they are intellectually superior to the religious populous. Anyway, who made this the paragon of humanity. To make such a generalization is much like making other generalizations, worthless - because they cannot apply to everyone. Many of the greatest scientists believed in some form of a God. Perhaps their marketing efforts should focus on the benefits of atheism rather than bullying others. If they are marketing to the religious group, then they are simply creating a gap. For those in the gray area between, their marketing may be effective. When you see a good commercial, it is not generally because one company belittles another that you decide to buy a product. Effective marketing taps into a person's basic needs and shows how 'this product' can help meet those needs.
While some religions can help provide a sense of purpose, I don't know how atheism will market that. "Have you been feeling empty...searching for that sense of purpose? The answer is atheism. Take an anti-depressant, there is no purpose." But really, why not tell of what atheism has to offer me as an individual. "Being free from oppressive control" is not something I think too many people really care about. That angle places the 'religious' in the position of being the ineffective dolt who follows others blindly, and is unable to make rational decisions. And it has already been mentioned that this generalization is hollow. While many may follow what their parents taught them, many have come from various walks of life and labored long and hard on making purposeful decisions about choosing to follow a 'religion'. That is what I think many atheists have done as well. The world does not make sense with a God for some. To others it doesn't make sense without one.

The Mayshower

Drip Drop like a clock when it hits the ground
Crash bash in a flash and you hear the sound
Pitter Patter is the splatter as it trickles down
A hole is opened in the sky and the ground is soon a flood
Leaves are met and earth gets wet as dirt turns into mud
Showers wash and puddles slosh and form a terrestrial sud

Body, Mind, & Spirit

I woke up at 4:45 this morning with clarity of thought on this idea.

We commonly speak of the whole self as body-mind-spirit. Focus is given to the body and mind, but what are your thoughts on the spirit? Is it not what makes us different from the animals?

What is this spirit that we sometimes speak of? The body is what we move around, our physical selves. The mind is our own personal central processing unit. We make sense of our surroundings and generate ideas with our mind. It is closely connected and part of our physical being. It works through the processes of the brain. It is what I believe is the connector between the body and the spirit.

I imagine the spirit as more of a universal force that is unique to each of us, but is who we really are. An cosmic person in the ethereal spiritual soup swimming in eternity. I believe our spirits are all the same in intent. It is essentially good and is unselfish. The collective spirit all pushes in the same direction for the same goals. Our body on the other hand is selfish. It wants. We crave food, and money, sex, nicotine, dopamine, and amphetamines - things of this world, the physical and that which the physical can give us. How can I survive? Me me me. The spirit desires and seeks peace, friendship, love, unity, utopia.

When we do something that is opposed to what we truly believe, if we take from someone who is unable to defend themselves, or lie to mislead for our own gain - we feel shame for this without being reprimanded by someone else. This is our mind realizing we have done something in opposition to the spirit. Feelings of discontent, anger, fear, and unhappiness manifest themselves. We feel joy and love through our minds and in our body when we do things that are in line with our spirits. Even though these feelings fade, be they pleasant or malcontent, these decisions we make slowly form us into who we are.

The spirit can be quieted and contained in those who completely buy into the stock of themselves. Self survival gone awry can overpower the spirit, our minds listen to what "I" need more than what we need. I believe though that these people can eventually learn by the teaching of the spirit that chasing after the things of this world can leave you void and unhappy.

Some things are essential, some are born with access to more, things are not bad, but how we use them can be. Go out, be successful, make the most of who you are, but listen to your true self.

I feel God communicates with our spirit, the bible says God is spirit. As God was a man through Jesus Christ he communicated with men directly, now our spirits are our direct lines to God. Listen to the what it says. Turn off yourself, what do you hear?