Dualism (Identity)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Thursday, March 19, 2015, 02:45 (3536 days ago) @ dhw

DHW: But you keep saying that my spirit has no consciousness and is not “me”. I don't understand how it can have a backup of me without being me...How do you visualize the process, and once more please explain the actual nature of the backup. -Ok, I will try again. A computer has a bunch of components. Some are what are called I/O devices, that receive inputs and output data. RAM (Random Access Memory) stores information in energy form. A hard disk actually writes the information to a physical structure, and is hence called physical memory. Processors take information, and process that information mechanically based on algorithms, and return information. However, all of that still is not conscious. It requires a user to make concious decisons regarding that information, and to give instructions to the machine to carry out. Of course, this entire process requires energy, in electrical form, which acts as a carrier for information between components. If the machinery was showing signs of failure, a savvy user would create a backup of the information. When the user replaced the hardware with an upgraded model, he could then restore that information to the new device, thus preserving all of the information from the former machine. A VERY savvy user, could create an image backup, and put it on an exact duplicate of the hardware, and the user would notice no difference except that the new hardware would perform better. -
Now, as it relates to our discussion. Your body serves as the I/O components and other hardware accessories of the machine. Your brain acts as both a processor and a physical storage device for information. Your spirit provides the energy, which I strongly suspect acts like RAM, a information storage buffer that holds information as energy. Yet, all of these things combined to not equal a consciousness. The machine needs a driver, a user, and the consciousness is greater than the sum of its parts. The conscious takes the information stored in the brain (memories) and the processed sensory data and makes decisions and issues commands which are then returned to the machine (Brain/Body complex) and executed. When the hardware fails, an image is taken of all the information stored, including the genetic blueprint, and that information is stored (as energy) via the spirit, which returns to god for safe keeping. Because the spirit is no longer there and the hardware is no longer functioning, the consciousness ceases to function. It knows nothing, does nothing, is aware of nothing. The spirit acts, as you said, like a thumbdrive, or more specifically, like an image of your entire system. But it is ONLY information. There is no consciousness there. -The bible talks, a lot actually, about death and the resurrection. Your material body is recycled into the earth (dust to dust), your consciousness ceases to exist, and your spirit returns to God. During the resurrection, a new body is formed(because the old no longer exists) using the genetic information preserved by the spirit to create an replica of your body (albeit with fewer issues). Then your information (memories, experiences, knowledge are loaded) on to the new brain. As you are now once again comprised of energy, physical materal, and information, consciousness emerges, replete with all your memories which influences your personality. ---> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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>DHW: Eben Alexander, an atheist, is now a firmly committed theist, and as far as I know, many NDE patients do feel much closer to God after their experience. So who the heck is your Satan working for? -
Suppose for a moment, my agnostic friend, that you acknowledge something is either truth, or a lie. If something is a truth, then anything that deviates from it is a lie. If something is a lie, things that deviate from it may or may not be the truth. Now, the bible protrays Jehovah as a God of Truth and Righteousness. There is no lie in him. So, if he were to proscribe a path, and is incapable of lying, then that is the path we must follow. Now, there is a theory called 'Nudge Theory" which basically talks about gently nudging people the way you want to go by offering them other options instead of beating them over the head with what you want them to do. Now, if Jehovah says that there will be a resurrection on earth of both the righteous and the unrighteous, and that Christ died as a ransom for our sins, and that no one ascended to heaven before Christ, then by convincing this man that dead relatives go to heaven Satan has succeeded in making both God and Christ out to be liars. Not only has he convinced one man, but he also convinced anyone that listens to his story and takes it at face value, thus achieving major gains (turning people away from his enemy, God) as well as tarnishing his reputation and devaluing the sacrifice of his son. -Satan's time is short. He is going down, and he knows he is going down. His only goal at this point is to take as many others down with him as he can. That is why he is described as "roaming about like a roaring lion seeking to devour". He doesn't have to convince people to worship him, he simply has to convince them not to worship God the way God instructed us to do. He simply makes God out to be a liar, which is the same tactic used all the way back at the very beginning.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.