You could create a local branch of the Humanist International in your location.

I think, I would like to devote myself to bringing Jerusalem under international control and an international historic site. And how about moving on to creating Athens as an international historic site, and what other places should be added to the international historic sites? — Athena

I think the whole world should be one egalitarian country.

Thank you for clarifying.

That's great. You probably have a local humanist organisation depending on which country you live in. Try Googling for it.

I am experiencing the present continuously. As are all living things. None of us can time travel to the past or the distant future. We are all moving forward at 1 second per second. If we can't visit the past or the future the way we can visit another city or country, then how do we know that the past and the future exist?

How about https://humanists.international ?

I agree that many of the stories in the Bible are plagiarised. All religions were made up by people.

I am so sorry they deleted your entire discussion. That must be so annoying. The first discussion I posted in this forum was also deleted. I don't know if that was deliberate or if that was a glitch. In either case, I have 10 discussions on this forum currently if you want to check out the other 9. We get attached to our egos and beliefs. It takes detachment to investigate all possibilities.

I understand. Thank you.

If the past still exists, why can't we visit it and change it?
— Truth Seeker
We do it all the time – the "visits and changes" are our memories. — 180 Proof

I am not talking about our memories. I am talking about physically visiting another point in the past and changing events e.g. going back in time and preventing the murder of John Lennon. Can we do that? If so, how do we do that?

How do I visit last year?
You're already there. — noAxioms

I am in the present continuously, not in the past. I am living the 12th of May 2024 today, not some day in 2023. What you said doesn't make any sense to me.

Black holes don't exist except in eternalism and moving spotlight, and the latter is kind of a solipsistic view. — noAxioms

I have seen photos of black holes online - doesn't that prove they exist? Why would they only exist in eternalism and moving spotlight? I don't understand. Please explain. Thank you.

You can visit it. If you look at last year, you'll find yourself there. — noAxioms

How do I visit last year?

Growing Block Universe: This theory is similar to the block universe theory but adds the idea that time is "growing" or expanding as new events come into existence. The past and present exist, but the future does not yet exist.
— Truth Seeker
This interpretation seems to me both the most evidence-based and consistent with human experience. — 180 Proof

I agree with you. If the past still exists, why can't we visit it and change it?

I thought Moving Spotlight was the same as Block Time Theory. Sorry, I have not presented them well. I did the best I could. Reality gives me a headache. I don't understand so many things. Apparently, Einstein subscribed to Eternalism/Block Universe Theory. Why did he do that? Here is a link on Eternalism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternalism_(philosophy_of_time)

Thank you for your reply. There is no reasonable ground for things like solipsism, simulationism and illusionism even though these are ideas we can contemplate.

I am not taking seriously at all the scenes you paint. It is more than obvious that it is fictional. But the reasons you are giving for creating them should be taken seriously. I have found that, usually, the wilder the fantasy the more serious the cause. — Sir2u

Glad to hear it. The reason for my fantasy is that the world is full of suffering, inequality, injustice, and death. Inequality, injustice, and death have been around ever since life evolved on Earth 3.7 billion years ago. Suffering was added when sentient life evolved.

Personally, if I were to invent a universe because I did not like the one I was in, I would invent one that had solutions to the problems that were workable instead of making one where it is impossible for them to exist. — Sir2u

It sounds like you prefer hard science fiction to soft science fiction. I prefer soft science fiction because it is limitless.

Things cannot be sooooo bad then, if you can find enjoyment in the little things. :wink: — Sir2u

My chronic pains (neuralgia and joint pains) are always there. My sciatica pain is intermittent. I get flashbacks most days, intrusive thoughts many times a day, and nightmares every time I sleep. My mood fluctuates frequently. I am depressed many more times than I am manic. Here is a mood scale I use to monitor myself:

+5: Total loss of judgement, exorbitant spending, religious delusions or hallucinations.
+4: Lost touch with reality, incoherent, no sleep, paranoid and vindictive, reckless behaviour.
+3: Inflated self-esteem, rapid thoughts and speech, counter-productive simultaneous tasks.
+2: Very productive, everything to excess, charming and talkative.
+1: Self-esteem good, optimistic, sociable and articulate, good decisions and get work done.
0: Mood in balance, no symptoms of depression or mania.
-1: Slight withdrawal from social situations, concentration less than usual, slight agitation.
-2: Feeling of panic and anxiety, concentration difficult and memory poor, some comfort in routine.
-3: Slow thinking, no appetite, need to be alone, sleep excessive or difficult, everything a struggle.
-4: Feeling of hopelessness and guilt, thoughts of suicide, little movement, impossible to do anything.
-5: Endless suicidal thoughts, no way out, no movement, everything is bleak and it will always be like this.

Right now I am at -1 but it will change. I was at -3 two days ago. I am on a mood roller coaster I can't get off. Words don't do Bipolar Disorder justice. Reading about what it is like is very different from experiencing it for many years. Things could be infinitely worse or infinitely better. I am most grateful that it is not infinitely worse.

I did not give this information as a way to get sympathy or brag, but as an example that you are not alone in your suffering. I could go on about other problems I have, but I won't because I still consider myself to be a very lucky person compared to many others I know. I presume your motives for listing your woes were for similar purposes. — Sir2u

I understand your motive. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I listed my experiences because, in your first reply to me, you said: "I have no idea about your life nor what you are suffering from, but I am willing to bet that I know people with even worse luck in the lottery of life." I asked you in my first reply to you: "How would you calculate who has worse luck?" I think you must not have noticed this question as you haven't answered it yet. I have had my share of both good and bad luck. Our lives have both positives and negatives. So far in my life, I have experienced more negatives than positives.

Thank you for answering my last two questions from my first reply to you. All-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful beings don't actually exist and will never actually exist. I am merely imagining such beings for fun. You are taking it far too seriously. This is a fictional scenario.

Because I don't think that your small picture of the world is adequate to work on as we do not know the rest of the universe and there might be millions of the creatures you describe out there already, my ideal universe is a place where nature and her laws do what they are there to do.
If it takes millions or billions of years for nature to develop worlds that can be populated with the beings you so desire then millions or billions of years will have to pass. But it is doubtful that it will ever happen.
To create the beings you want, you would have to start with a fully formed universe that is the perfect place for them to live. Is a static universe even possible? It would have to be, or they would be forced to fight with the laws of nature and physics. It would be impossible for them to live on a world with anything but a perfect climate. Or would their all-powerfulness make it possible for them to sustain the lives of stars indefinitely? — Sir2u

I accept your ideal universe. Do you accept my ideal reality which consists of an infinite number of all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful beings who each own an omniverse containing an infinite number of universes? To create these beings all I need to do is imagine them. We are talking about a fictional scenario. In my universes, I can make whatever I imagine as soon as I imagine them. This includes imaginary laws of physics and stars that burn forever.

I am pretty sure that if you ask most artists about the satisfaction they get from their drawings, musical instruments, poems and stories, they will say that it is from the creative part of the process that leads to the final attaining of the ability to do something well. All-knowing beings would miss out on that. — Sir2u

I agree with you partially. All-knowing beings would miss out on the learning process, but they won't miss out on the enjoyment the acts of drawing, writing and playing musical instruments bring.

The other part of their satisfaction comes from the acceptance and happiness brought about in others reception/perception of their art, in a place where everyone can do just as good as you that would also not happen. — Sir2u

Just because someone else can do something as well as you can it does not mean that they can't enjoy your work and you can't enjoy creating and performing. I do improvised comedy with other people who are equally good at it. We enjoy each other's performances. The same goes for all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful creators and performers.

They would not even be able to paint the changing of the seasons or design clothes for each of them. I would not wish an eternity of that on my worst enemies. — Sir2u

Yes, they would be able to paint the changing of the seasons and design clothes for each of them. They are all-knowing and all-powerful. Such tasks would pose no difficulty for them. In fact, no task would pose any difficulty for them - that's what makes it so great! Unlike you, I would love to be one of an infinite number of all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful beings who each own an omniverse containing an infinite number of universes. It's my idea of heaven!

You and I have very different ideas and that's totally fine. We are all products of our genes, environments, nutrients and experiences so it makes sense that we have very different ideas. I didn't ask you or anyone else to agree with me about anything. This thread is called "Changing the past in our imagination" because I posted it as an exercise for our imagination. It's supposed to be a fun thread where everyone can imagine whatever they want!

I agree.

What right do you think you have to do this? Whether you believe in a godly creation or in evolution, suffering is a part of life. — Sir2u

I am so sorry for all your suffering and loss. Two of my friends with Bipolar Disorder took their own lives as the illness is so hard to live with. Many of my relatives have died from illnesses and accidents. This is not a competition on who has suffered more. Suffering is subjective so it is impossible to compare it. For example, I am in constant pain. I have a friend who is also in constant pain. How would we know whose pain is greater given the fact that only I can feel my pain and only he can feel his pain?

By not letting it exist you are destroying its potential, even if it is only in your head. — Sir2u

That's true but I am also creating an infinitely greater potential by creating an infinite number of all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful beings who each get an omniverse containing an infinite number of universes for free. It's like losing trillions of dollars to gain an infinite amount of dollars. So, the gain infinitely outweighs the loss.

What right do you think you have to do this? Whether you believe in a godly creation or in evolution, suffering is a part of life. — Sir2u

I have more than a right, I have a duty to prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths. If you had a Natural Disaster Preventing Machine would you not use it to prevent all cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, droughts, landslides, etc.? I certainly would.

I want to prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths because these things are so awful. We live in a horrific and unjust world. I was born in Bangladesh and lived there most of my life. I don't understand why you would not want to prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths. Surely, it is better to have beings who never suffer and die than beings who suffer and die? We all prevent the existence of babies by not having sex without contraceptives constantly. What right do we have to destroy the potential lives of billions of babies? Yet we are doing it every second. This is not even an imaginary event. This is actually happening every second all over the Earth.

Do you think that a bunch of god like creatures would not suffer? Have you no idea about the effects of boredom? Something that is all knowing has no motivation to learn nor experience new things. Something that is all powerful never knows a challenge.
What the hell would they do with their eternal lives? — Sir2u

All-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful beings would be able to keep themselves from being bored using their abilities. For example, I draw pictures, write stories and poems and play musical instruments, etc. I could do so much more if I were all-knowing and all-powerful. I would be able to draw an infinite number of pictures, write an infinite number of stories and poems and play an infinite number of musical instruments, etc. Why would something need to be challenging to be enjoyable? I enjoy lots of things that are not in the slightest challenging e.g. getting a massage or eating vegan ice-creams.

You didn't answer the questions I asked you in the previous post. Is that because you don't know the answers or don't want to answer my questions? In either case, I wish you all the best.

I agree.

Strange that you would destroy what could be trillions of millions of possible life forms based on what little you know about the earth. — Sir2u

I would not be destroying anything. I would be preventing. For something to be destroyed, it must first exist. You can't destroy something nonexistent.

But doing so after possibly killing off a lot of beings just like that without even knowing. — Sir2u

Again, I am preventing the existence of those who suffer and die and instead creating those who are all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful so that they will never suffer and die. No one is being killed. By your logic, every sperm and every egg that does not become a baby is the same as a baby being killed. Should I arrest all the sperm producers and egg producers for preventing the existence of babies by not having sex without contraception constantly? Of course not.

I didn't ask to be born. I wish I never existed.

Misery loves its own company.
It is easy now to see why your imagination creates the scenes you describe above. You appear to be suffering from "The world fucked poor lil'ol me" syndrome. With a side of "Only I know what I am suffering" complex thrown in. — Sir2u

It is completely true that only I know what it is like to be me. No one else lives in my body. No one else has my genes, my environments from conception to the present, my nutrients from conception to the present, my experiences from the womb to the present. The same goes for all living things. Only you know what it is like to be you.

I have no idea about your life nor what you are suffering from, but I am willing to bet that I know people with even worse luck in the lottery of life. And some of them will never have the opportunity to go online to complain in a philosophy forum. — Sir2u

I have been suffering from CPTSD since 17 December 1982, Bipolar Disorder since 29 September 1997 and chronic nerve pain since 21 August 2008. I am on various medications but they are not very effective. I was kidnapped when I was 4 years and 5 months old. I almost died by drowning when I was 4 years and 9 months old. I was raped when I was 5 years and 9 months old. I watched people murder each other when I was 8 years old. I was beaten regularly by my Mum from my earliest memories (age 4) to 15 years old. I was beaten regularly at school by my teachers. Six of my relatives were murdered. My best friend was also murdered. When I was 9 years and 7 months old my younger brother died at the age of only 8 days due to doctor's errors. When I was 13 years and 8 months old my favourite uncle died due to an anaesthetist's error. My uncle was only 28 years old and had just gotten married. When I was 12 years and 10 months old, I experienced a cyclone that killed 138,866 people.

How would you calculate who has worse luck? I didn't claim to have had the worst luck. I have reviewed Earth's history. It is full of suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths. 99.9% of all the species to evolve on Earth so far are already extinct and the remaining 0.1% will likely go extinct within the next 5 billion years. I think the luckiest are those who never existed.

Most of us I believe spend some of our time here on earth wondering "what if". It is a wicked waste of time and torture to our brains. All it does is make us feel miserable about things we did wrong but cannot change. — Sir2u

I am not torturing my brain wondering about What If scenarios. I like exercising my imagination. I have saved and improved many lives by volunteering, donating blood, food, water, money, clothes, etc. and working in the health and social care sector. I have also saved and improved lives by going vegan 18 years ago. I am profoundly sad about the fact that all the lives I have saved and improved are temporary. Sooner or later, they are all going to suffer and die. I long to make all living things (including the dead ones and the never-born ones) forever happy but I can't. Making an infinite number of all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful beings and giving each of them an exclusive omniverse containing an infinite number of universes for free is my ideal world where there is no suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths. It's a pity that I can't take it out of my imagination and make it real.

What does your ideal world look like? How would you prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths?

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. So, are you a deist or a polytheist or a pantheist or a panentheist? I am an agnostic about the existence and nature of all Gods.

I don't agree with you. Their truth is not philosophical or empirical truth. — Corvus

That's fine. I have not asked anyone to agree with me about anything.

It doesn't matter what Buddha taught. We notice how the historical buddhism has been, and is now in reality. — Corvus

It matters to me what Buddha taught. I agree with the concept of Anatta which is the doctrine of "non-self" – that no unchanging, permanent self or essence can be found in any phenomenon.

I am not convinced that God or Gods exist. Are you convinced that God or Gods exist? If so, which God or Gods exist? How do you know this?

The bottom line is I pretty much like life as it is — Athena

You would not say that if you had my genes, my environments from conception to the present, my nutrients from conception to the present, and my experiences from the womb to the present. I hate life the way it has been and is. The world has been and continues to be full of suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths.

You are talking about totally different kind of truth which is in the Bible, i.e. the religious truth. It is not the factual or rational or even empirical truth. — Corvus

Truth is truth. There is no separate religious truth and factual truth or rational truth or empirical truth. Religions claim a lot of things are true e.g. the Biblical God created the world in six days.

There are so many different schools of Buddhism. — Corvus

I am talking about what Buddha taught. Not what different schools of Buddhism teach.

How do you know that all of the universe is like our little shit hole corner of it? — Sir2u

I don't know. I didn't claim to be all-knowing. I am going by what I have observed on Earth.

Your god syndrome and alpha macho ego are definitely on show hare. — Sir2u

I am merely exercising my imagination, nothing more.

In that case, truth or falsity don't belong to religious domain. Rejecting religions solely on the basis of lack of truth is not reasonable. — Corvus

On the contrary, religions claim to be true. "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6, The Bible (New International Version).

Most religions including Buddhism have been for the believers' wishing good fortune, prosperity, good health, good luck and better afterlife and rebirth after their deaths, rather than academic or philosophical debates on the universe or self. — Corvus

No, Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths and they are based on empirical observations. Please see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/beliefs/fournobletruths_1.shtml The original Buddhism did not have any Gods. Also, Buddha was agnostic about the existence of souls. He said, ""Don't blindly believe what I say. Don't believe me because others convince you of my words. Don't believe anything you see, read, or hear from others, whether of authority, religious teachers or texts. Don't rely on logic alone, nor speculation. Don't infer or be deceived by appearances. Find out for yourself what is true and virtuous." This is the total opposite of other religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam where skeptical enquiry is prohibited and adherents are required to have blind faith in the religious books.

Also, Buddhism teaches the concept of Anatta which is the doctrine of "non-self" – that no unchanging, permanent self or essence can be found in any phenomenon. While Judaism, Christianity and Islam teach that we are immortal souls which are resurrected by God after we die and Hinduism teaches that we are immortal souls which reincarnate according to karma after we die. So, religions are unavoidable in a discussion of the true nature of the self.

You could be right. You could also be wrong. I think you are more likely to be wrong given what we know about brains and how they work.

Hope you win. Good luck!

You said that you have been reading much and all the religious books. I am sure you would understand my points. — Corvus

Most religions rely on faith instead of evidence. Buddhism is an exception in that Buddha's original teachings are based on what is empirical.

The time-wasting part would be thinking about something that is unknowable in the hope of getting to the truth about it. — Janus

I agree. It is futile.

I am glad you love the idea. It's a pity that this can happen only in our imagination.

But if there were two all-powerful beings, wouldn’t the power of one be a limit on the power of the other, so that there were no all-powerful beings? — Fire Ologist

I could give each all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful being a unique omniverse with an infinite number of universes. I imagine this would prevent any conflicts between them.

And if a being could only make the perfect choice, would there ever be any option or choice to make? Wouldn’t that mean such beings had no reason to ever choose, as each “choice” was really just a seeking of the knowing the one way to act? — Fire Ologist

I don't know. I am not all-knowing so it is impossible for me to know what that is like in practice.

And if you didn’t already know the right way to act, knowing the perfect choice (as when you pause to consider options), how can you say you are all-knowing? — Fire Ologist

I imagine an all-knowing being does not need to ponder which choice to make.

But that said, people are so damn intolerant, willing to act unreasonably, self-centered, and just plain hurtful, it’s worth thinking about how to change this without losing the real circumstances that beg us to tolerate differences, to be patient enough to find reasonableness, to consider others before ourselves and seek to help others instead of hurt them. — Fire Ologist

Why are people the way they are? I think it is because of their genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences. Our choices arise out of the dynamic interactions of our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences. We are not free from these determinants.

I wouldn’t change the world. If I could change myself, and we all could, this world could be good enough. — Fire Ologist

You can change yourself. We all change as we age. We learn new skills, we learn from mistakes, etc.

I agree.

Hey, should we start a thread for that? Everyone can pick his/her time in history and place and say what should be changed, why, and how? — Athena

Thank you for the proposal. I have created such a thread: https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/15185/changing-the-past-in-our-imagination

I loved Genghis Khan, the early Nintendo game. I loved that we could save the game and repeat a part of it if things went really wrong. I also liked how it expanded my ideas of what is important and how to balance everything. — Athena

If you loved that game you are likely to love Civilization VI.

Surely, if I am the only entity in existence, my memories would go as far back as I want them to go?
— Truth Seeker

Surely not. — Lionino

I don't understand your reply. Please explain. Thank you.

It seems to be sure that one thing common in religions is that it is beyond the rational thinking system. You kept brining in religions into your threads, so I was expecting that you might be saying something more significant than religions are fiction. Claiming that religions are fiction without solid arguments has no significance in philosophical discussions. — Corvus

How could religions be true when they contradict themselves and contradict each other and contradict what we know from evidence-based research? Please see https://www.evilbible.com and https://skepticsannotatedbible.com

Solipsism will most likely never be defeated, perhaps only become obsolete. — Lionino

If solipsism is true, why do I have memories starting from age four to the present? Surely, if I am the only entity in existence, my memories would go as far back as I want them to go?

Thank you for the link. The article reminded me of laboratory experiments where mice stimulate the pleasure centres in their brains until they die. What I want to do is different from both what the article says and what the lab mice did. I want to make all living things all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful because such beings would not harm others and would not be harmed by others. Such beings can will themselves to be forever happy. Of course, the scenario is impossible in the real world. It's nothing but wishful thinking.

I agree with you.

If all the religions are fiction as you claim, then why do they keep believing in them for thousands of years? — Corvus

The believers of a particular religion believe their religion is true. They also spread their beliefs to their children. There is often a steep penalty against leaving the religion one is born in. For example, leaving Islam is punishable by death. This is how religions survive for thousands of years.

But if you just label all the religions are fictions, then people might wonder what was the point of you even mentioning them in your posts. — Corvus

Whether or not I believe in them, religions exist and billions of people believe in them and live their lives according to them and happily kill others for them.