LeadProphet In reply to Hraesvelgr [2009-04-29 14:02:00 +0000 UTC]

Whoops, yeah, haven't had too much time for writing lately... I am now a teacher of English and Composition at a local catholic high school. This job is HARD for me. This summer, when I am free at last - then you can expect to see some more stuff from me. I've been working on what may be my best short story yet, but I've so little time it's taking me as long as a novella to write!

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Hraesvelgr In reply to Hraesvelgr [2009-03-14 23:42:34 +0000 UTC]

*ahem* I mean November. It's okay, I don't know what's going on in my head either.

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LeadProphet In reply to clan-destine [2005-08-05 03:03:06 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the watching, and no, we will be friends despite everything we may disagree on. The thing with me is, I tend to have more opinions than the average joe and so if I want to get along with people, I always expect differences. I also love to talk about them.

I wouldn't say I'm always reasonable, and I do like to win my arguments. But I try not to make too much of an ass of myself. I can see you have thought about this sort of stuff at least as much as I have, and after taking your words into consideration I have adjusted my views as necessary. I believe that I continue to think God is in some way a creative, cognizant individual that permeates the universe, is the universe, etc. But due to our wonderful conversation, I would also venture to say that far less of my religious imperatives are truly important, but rather simple conveniences that I will continue to use so that I am well-integrated socially and because, since I am used to them, they do aid my prayer and philosophy to some degree. But this has greatly contributed to my growing realization and clarification of what I believe in. For helping me with all of that, thanks a bunch. I hope I've done the same.

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clan-destine In reply to LeadProphet [2005-08-05 15:13:11 +0000 UTC]

Well that makes me very happy. I am happy that my words were of aid to you rather than an obstacle. Really, the similarity of our exchange to mine with Kent is eerie. I remember being just as grateful for my conversation with him and for the same reasons. And like him, I am very happy that we bumped into each other.

I am so young and new at this that I have trouble comprehending what it means to help someone along in this endeavor. Kent seemed to think that my conclusions were inevitable and that he just catalyzed the process. I imagine that your conclusions were much the same in nature.
To be honest, my fundamental beliefs did not change as a result of our conversation, but my hope for human beings has. You've shown me that despite how rare people who take the truth by the horns and ride it no matter where it goes like me, Kent, and Metatetron seem to be, there are always more of us. I can only hope that more people with a taste for the truth like you and I are on the way and that somehow we as a society can find a way to increase their numbers. Because how great of things we could be capable, I imagine, if all of our eyes were pointed away from fear and irrelevance.

As for continuing to find meaning in God, like I said, outside of theism, I am terribly inexperienced. The issue becomes much more difficult to encapsulate and understand. A History of God, however, has some interesting perspectives of God found throughout history. There are many more than theism, especially among early Jews, Islamic mystics, Christian Trinitarians, Hindus, and atheistic theologians like John Spong that may be useful.

What such a book makes you ask yourself is, ultimately, is there really no objective meaning in the word? Is it just a subjective concept we use to give our lives purpose? And even so, can it still be useful? I try to address the issue in the Colossal Essentia deviation, but it is probably only the beginning of attempts by devoted theologians.

I understand wanting to stay integrated socially. Staying integrated had a sizeable influence on my continued church going. I really despise conventional prayer, but I am capable of it if necessary.

And I will emphasize that you have helped me greatly clarify and order my beliefs as well. So in that respect (which I didn't see earlier in my comment), yes, thank you very much and I have enjoyed talking to you.

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LeadProphet In reply to clan-destine [2005-08-05 20:52:47 +0000 UTC]

No problem. And I did read that Collossal Essentia deviation. Good stuff, can't say I agree with it, but I wouldn't have any logical reason to disagree. Once again, I have to say that I can't say one way or the other. I choose for now to believe the other, based on my other writings which I'm sure you'll have read by this time.

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LeadProphet In reply to LeadProphet [2005-08-08 16:26:33 +0000 UTC]

"My other writings" was simply the other replies that I sent you. My works that I have posted here on DeviantArt are entirely fiction and poetry, so they probably would not avail you in that respect.

My philosophies are essentially what I have already said to you.

About the self-being/consciousness idea I can extrapolate.

I go from the hardcore existentialist standpoint that the only thing I can be sure of about my perceptions is the perception that I, somehow somewhere in some way, percieve. I am. It is also a standard of the Turing test for sentience that all sentient beings are aware of their own existence, whereas those who are not sentient do not percieve their own existence. Dolphins, Monkeys, Octopi, and Gorillas have all, to my knowledge, failed the Turing test, whereas normal humans always succeed.

Therefore I can assume that I am sentient, intelligent, capable of creation. I am not a chemical-biological machine of intuition and learned behaviors; I am capable of true randomness and intuitive thought. Hence humanities' ability to paint paintings, write novels, sing songs, build statues, and think about such metaphysical things as God. We create.

Because we are the only sentient beings around this neck of the woods and because we also seem to be the only ones who Create, I proceed to logically assume that sentience and creativity are linked somehow. One needs the other, or they both require each other, or something. Basically I will assume that wherever I see one, I may expect the other to be linked to it in some way.

The universe was created. Therefore I assume sentience comes with it, somewhere, somehow. This in and of itself does not require a God; the universe could be entirely my creation; indeed, I am the only being of which I can be truly aware that I exist. But I must also answer the question then of who made me. Perhaps someone else made me. But I have no proof of that assertion. Perhaps I made myself; I am perpetual, eternal, immortal and beyond the beck of time and space. I have no memory of that, but that in and of itself means nothing.

So I am stuck at a crossroads: either someone made me and the universe in which I exist, or I made myself and the universe in which I exist. This is a very old argument, basically the position that I could either be in my own dream or someone else's dream.

The incontinuities with it being my universe, however, begin to add up. I created a universe in which I am not supreme. I will die and have little control over when, I am limited by its physics, my mind is limited by the biological parameters of my brain. I already know that at the deepest levels of my own psyche, this is not the world that I would wish upon myself, even subconsciously. If it is my dream, all other beings in it should be a product of my imagination, but they think of things that I am simply not capable of contriving myself. I am not aware of all that I have created.

Therefore it seems slightly more likely to me that someone else created me and the dream/reality in which I am. But who is this person? Where do they come from? Perhaps they created themselves, are perpetual, eternal. Perhaps someone else created them. This question is unanswerable by me because I do not know the mind of anyone else. I do not know what kind of universe they would create. However, I can deduce a pattern. Either the buck stops here and there is only one perpetual creator of me and my universe, or there is an infinite string of creators creating each other, with my creator somewhere in that loop.

And as we know, perpetual and infinite are synonyms! So whether there is one creator or an infinite amount of creators, the value of infinity is intrinsic in the concept. Either one is eternal and undying, or there are simply an eternally long string of creators. Logic dictates then that we may associate Eternity with creation and therefore with sentience.

Thus my deduction that if there is a Creator, he is conscious, sentient, cognizant, whatever you want to call it.

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clan-destine In reply to LeadProphet [2005-08-06 19:48:38 +0000 UTC]

No, your writings were so proliferous I didn't even know where to begin What are the best starting points for your philosophies? Because I am interested. Your theory about knowledge of self being related to consciousness as Truth was novel to me and I'd be interested in hearing more.

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LeadProphet In reply to clan-destine [2005-08-08 16:37:40 +0000 UTC]

And I forgot to add at the end that all that reasoning I did would mean that my creator(s) were eternal, as I too would be.

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LeadProphet In reply to abyss4ever [2005-08-05 03:10:42 +0000 UTC]

lol, unfortunately I don't remember what I did for you. Glad to be of service though!

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LeadProphet In reply to ClaireM [2005-03-21 07:30:41 +0000 UTC]

No problem. At first I thought you were a Claire that goes to Illinois State University lol... but even when I realized that this was not the case I thought some of your work was interesting. Feel free to peruse my works as well - hopefully you'd find them enjoyable.

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LeadProphet In reply to Riverwolf [2004-12-04 19:33:36 +0000 UTC]

Oh, not really. You can read any of them. If you really need a guide, just go read Combat, Upon The Sweet Dark Wind, and Water and I.

tear 'em apart for me, eh?

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Riverwolf In reply to LeadProphet [2004-12-04 19:36:35 +0000 UTC]

ill speak only the truth how about that

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LeadProphet In reply to Riverwolf [2004-12-05 10:39:33 +0000 UTC]

You will speak your opinions of the truth; beyond that, no one can say ^_^.

Aside from my philosophical inanities, thank you for your offer to comment. I want all the help I can get with my work. Hopefully I will be able to reciprocate the favor for you in the future.

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Riverwolf In reply to LeadProphet [2004-12-05 19:37:40 +0000 UTC]

ehh its no biggie my friend

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LeadProphet In reply to goldmistress [2004-11-03 07:03:40 +0000 UTC]

Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but if I were around you could certainly kiss me!

Nay, whatever you've gotten I'm sure you deserve it.

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goldmistress In reply to LeadProphet [2004-11-03 16:00:56 +0000 UTC]

Somebody sent me a note informing me that you had won a writing contest. The prize was a subscription for you and two other people. They said you chose me and *CryingSunday .

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LeadProphet In reply to goldmistress [2004-11-03 18:28:24 +0000 UTC]

Meh. I saw that you had all that kickass stock photography and figured you could use it. Plus... well, it's you!

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goldmistress In reply to LeadProphet [2004-11-05 21:32:04 +0000 UTC]

thank you, dear. you're going to give me a massive, obnoxious ego! lol

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LeadProphet In reply to CryingSunday [2004-10-29 07:08:26 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, you need to read my "I Hate Vampires" piece. Something you might appreciate.

Next time I come down I should have time to visit everyone.

I missed you, man.

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LeadProphet In reply to izebhel [2004-10-09 08:49:19 +0000 UTC]

Not a problem at all. If you ever have something else you want me to look at (be it yours, your friend's, or whatever) just send it my way. I'll try to give a helpful critique, although God knows I'm no expert!

Thanks for reading some of my stuff; I'm glad you enjoyed some of it.

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