No, I am not Roma but it is interesting to me for two reasons: There are a lot of Romas living in Spain so I guess I should be concerned about the issue and probably take care of.
On the other hand, it surprised me the negative etymology of this word. I never thought until today that the negative prejudice of "gypsies" is around the world.

You are right. It should be in the way around. I meant to say "gypsy" but I do not why my paper only appears "gyp" as if it would be ancient English or something.

I promise I was thinking about Kierkegaard as a good example of individual and "being apart of the church" too. K was a very important philosopher, they way he changed the interpretation of the Bible in his books like "the concept of anxiety" impact me even when I am an atheist. It is completely worthy. I remember one phrase of Sartre: "Kierkegaard could have been the most complete philosopher if he wasn't so religious"
I am agree with you. It can be done but... We never had another philosopher as Kierkegaard again...

Another thing I have noticed is that Spaniards in general like to be Spanish and something else at the same time, which is why you hear them saying things like “I am Spanish and Andalusian”. — Apollodorus

Completely. I am from Madrid and I feel more "madrileño" than Spaniard itself. I am really proud of the city I was born and raised and to me it looks like so different from the rest of the state. Probably, others would say or feel the same if they were born in Catalonia, Andalucía, Basque, etc...
So, seeing and speaking about Spain as a whole is very complex or even impossible.

How did they manage to preserve a language that is totally different from other European languages, or from any other language? — Apollodorus

Easy. Their government put a lot of money on the table to make sure basque language is not forgotten. They even use this language as a "weapon" against the Spanish state because for them basque is a sign of freedom and fight against fascism, and then they think Spain is so related to fascim. Every kid in Basque country go to public schools which only teach in basque and English. I remember meeting one girl from Navarre that she didn't know how to speak Spanish. Her parents and school never taught her how to. Interesting right?
I guess Basques and Navarra just hate Spain and Spanish culture or people :lol:

I personally think that a secular educational system would provide open minded people and a great developed society.

I don't think so. Energy is always working, no? But God spends eternity not doing anything. — bert1

:up: :100: excellent!

One can be perfectly and rightly religious just sitting in one's own room, and be religious happily reading the holy scripts, meditating and praying to one's own God. — Corvus

Well... I guess when you want to be baptized you have to pass through a church or institution. You cannot be part of "God's blessing" if a priest does not make the average "ritual" in the church.
Also, most of the people just go to church in Sunday and hear a lecture.
It is weird to see a person who reads the Bible in their own home or room but... Yes I agree with you that these people can exist.

Agreed that of course there are persons who truly believe and care about religion. It is true. But I guess the real target here is the church or episcopal institutions. I totally think that those are simply powerful lobbies that work for politicians (conservative most of them). If you live in a tiny town and somehow you want to be the mayor or council you will need to work or debate with the church in the town because it has a lot of power of influence.
My point here: I respect and understand all the individuals who truly believe in God and they act in this way. On the other hand, I not respect the Church as an entity at all... I guess they should not be part of important things as homosexuality or educational system. This is why it can seen as dangerous by atheist like me.

It is true that all the arguments I wrote are pretty general or opaque. I guess the points of what really wanted these authors I quoted are two: A) free will and free thinking without depending in a subterfuge like God. B) A good criticism of church or all religious entities which somehow seems to be dangerous due to their practices and roles.
We can be agree here with the point that not all religious people are the "same" but sadly, there are a big percentage who act like this way. Most of them feel completely disappointed if you or me critique the image of "God" and the role of religion in schools (which are pretty chaotic and I demand for a secular education system so urgently)
It is interesting when they say they have the right to believe in God. Sure they have! But at the same time I have the right to opposing their dogma then.
There is a big problem since the moment where they try to impose their religious ideas or beliefs. This happens a lot acting the church or religious entities as lobbies which can control the citizens and power. I guess this is why those authors said how dangerous they can be.

Europe looks for solutions as it grapples with catastrophic wildfires

As wildfires ravage the Mediterranean region, many have asked if such blazes are an inescapable part of global warming or whether steps can be taken to reverse the trend.

I think it is both. But one of the things that tears me off is the fact of how some persons can be so evil. They burn down all the forest and vegetation in a period of year where there is a lot heat and lack or rain. Obviously, the fire spreads so quickly around all the Mediterranean making a completely catastrophe.
What I want to share here is the worrying of notice the existe of such bad persons without ethics and moral. I can't even understand what they see as "fun" burning down trees and destroying the environment. I wish if they are catched by police officers they would receive a heavy sentence.

is it just pseudo philosophy? — Ross Campbell

To be honest, I guess it is just pseudo philosophy... Probably sometimes he thinks and talks about this kind of philosophical thought but as a basic thinker. It seems he does not has a deeply knowledge on philosophy.

According to your own personal beliefs, what is the Pure Spiritual Dimenson?

Peace

Si Vîs Pacem, Parâ Bellum
If you want peace, prepare to war.

Good question. I think existentialism is pretty individualistic because the main objective is explain our behaviour when we are not part of the society. I mean, these authors want to contradict the "social" principle of Aristotle (Man is a social animal as you wrote above). Probably, we can consider that existentialism has as a base the person itself and how is the role without being affected by the mass. It is interesting to emphasise that most of the theories and essays about existentialism tend to be pessimistic. Most of them want to explain that life is not worth living at all and when you look deeply at the person it doesn't seem to have motivations to keep living. Even, some of them develop this thoughts explaining the absurdity of life and the anxiety when you try to interact with others.
Kierkegaard:

is an Existentialist because he accepts, as fully as Sartre or Camus, the absurdity of the world. But he does not begin with the postulate of the non-existence of God, but with the principle that nothing in the world, nothing available to sense or reason, provides any knowledge or reason to believe in God. While traditional Christian theologians, like St. Thomas Aquinas, saw the world as providing evidence of God's existence, and also thought that rational arguments a priori could establish the existence of God, Kierkegaard does not think that this is the case. But Kierkegaard's conclusion about this could just as easily be derived from Sartre's premises. After all, if the world is absurd, and everything we do is absurd anyway, why not do the most absurd thing imaginable? And what could be more absurd than to believe in God? So why not? The atheists don't have any reason to believe in anything else, or really even to disbelieve in that, so we may as well go for it!

Probably you would like to read: Existentialism

In Defense of Bramantip

The Arch of Aristotelian Logic

Understandable then :up:

rather than saying they are bad and stupid. — Corvus

I did not say they are bad and stupid... I just think they are brainwashed or similar. Some of the arguments I have according to the books I have read are the following ones:

Religious people often assume that those without a belief in the supernatural cannot find beauty and inspiration in this world. Non-believers know that meaning in this world is of their own making and not dictated by a higher being... (Elisabeth Cornwell, Evolutionary Psychologist, "I Don't Need God to be Inspired," Center for Inquiry - LA, 7 October 2012)

In case I haven't mentioned this before, I'm an atheist. I do not believe there is any mind/body separation. All we are is our brains. We are chemical reactions. We are stuff - Penn Jillette, Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales, Simon & Schuster, 2016, p.125.

Augustine was an self-centered fantasist and an earth-centered ignoramus: he was guiltily convinced that god cared about his trivial theft from some unimportant pear trees, and quite persuaded -- by an analogous solipsism -- that the sun revolved around the earth.

New atheism:

making truth claims about the nature of reality, and are subsequently rejected on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence to support them. New atheism further maintains that religion is not simply wrong, but irrational, pathological and uniquely dangerous. By promoting beliefs and behaviours that emphasize cosmically ordained rules, sanctions and ways of life, religion is believed to foster divisive tribal mentalities, creating prejudice, discrimination and violence

but back it up from a logical point of view with universally valid reasoning and evidential facts on why the claims or statements are relevant and logical and therefore it is true.  That is philosophy. — Corvus

True! But I guess it is so difficult being rational with someone who believes in a celestial dictator as "God"
Facts, arguments, knowledge, statements, axioms, and other forms of logic, cannot fit with religion because those persons are already so influenced by a dogma which is so strong.

:up:

What can replace religion? — Wheatley

A better secular education system too.

Maybe they're different now. — frank

Yes, probably they are different or... They are just acting beacuse they are intelligent enough to understand all the pressure from social media and news Afghanistan is having.

Spain and UK have growing concerns for women and girls in Afghanistan

Spain, the UK and others have signed a statement outlining their concerns for women and girls in Afghanistan. The statement said, “We are deeply worried about Afghan women and girls, their rights to education, work and freedom of movement. We call on those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan to guarantee their protection.

:up:

I wish their protection is well guaranteed.

We’re All Existentialists Now

Hopefully I am not the unique boy!

This may also explain why social media exhibits its more toxic aspects. Social media is disembodied minds articulating mere words under the detached, judgemental, and baleful Look of an amorphous Other. It results in living either in pride or in shame through the detached and objectifying Look of the Other, with none of the solace, nuance, understanding, transcendence, or possibilities of connection that full-blooded, embodied being-with can provide.

This was so excellent :up: I am completely agree with him. The lack of understanding and transcendence probably were the main aspects of why I deleted my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. These monsters only created an amorphous platform where the youngest are only interested in empty "likes"

Anyway, thanks @Banno for sharing with us this interesting article. :ok:

I happen to like Karl Popper's philosophy of science:
https://youtu.be/ztmvtKLuR7I — Wheatley

I am glad you liked Karl Popper. He was an extraordinary man. Here in this context, I also recommend to you another philosopher and teacher: Leonard Nelson. He was the teacher of Popper. He was described as a person with an outstanding personality. Nelson was one of the founders of the proceedings of the Freisian school.
Check him out: Leonard Nelson

I think Sir Karl Popper was a key philosopher in XXth century. According to him:

It is imagination and creativity, not induction, that generates real scientific theories, which is how Einstein could study the universe with no more than a piece of chalk.

Popper wanted to change how Philosophy of Science was understood back then. Popper realized that science advances instead by deductive falsification through a process of "conjectures and refutations."

I guess you would like these links:
Criticism of Karl Popper in Martin Gardner's Are Universes Thicker Than Blackberries?
Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994)

Which are the differences between "Astral Region of creation" and "Causal Region of creation?"
Why the brain is not involved in those at all?

Is not the climate an element of the Creation?

What is your meaning of Creation? Because deserting or flooding the most part of the world because of pollution and bad decisions does not seem to be a Creation significant to me but the contrary, we are literally destroying instead of building...

I am not worried about it but it pisses me off because they are so hell stubborn. I think Spain is losing a lot of time and resources due to this issue.

Prepare to read:

The warrior of the Tiger skin. by Rustaveli.
This is a collection of epic poems from Georgia (most of them in Tbilisi) where Christianism, Muslim, and Hinduism are influenced. All these poems were written between XII and XIIIth century.

Note: If you are interested in this book, be careful and search it also as "panther warrior" because for some authors Rustaveli referred about this epic animal not the tiger.
The poem is composed by 1487 quatrains.

It is so beautiful. Sad of how humans can destroy the nature and earth just for religious or political beliefs, right?

I just got the second vaccine of Moderna. I want to thank all the doctors and nurses who work hard when it is even summer time. They deserve holidays but here they are putting all the vaccines to the citizens.
Despite the fact Madrid changed the plan and now you can go at any hour of the day, I did not see a lot of people in queue as in June and July (probably due to holidays...). I wish, in September we can already get the 70 % (we are in 63 %) of the population vaccinated, but due to Delta variation we can't know what the future holds and it frustrates me a bit...
Stay safe, you and your family and friends :up: :flower:

How long has philosophy sought to prove the existence of Truth, and yet has failed to do so? — 1 Brother James

Philosophy provided (or at least it tried to) a lot of logical principles to discover the "truth". This word as anothers like "freedom" or "happiness" are so free of interpretation and opened to many answers related. Before blaming philosophy to not discover the truth, you have to ask yourself: what do I consider as a "truth"?

Cool. I wanted them out of Spain too because they do not stop wasting Spanish resources and economy. It is interesting that they say they can live from us but at the same time they are always asking to Pedro Sanchez a loooot of competencies and money.
I don't know what the future holds for Catalonia but I wish it did not affect us for bad like a civil war or something related

Probably my point of view was epistemological or metaphysical. I am agree with you in all you said previously but I was referring that I guess mysticism is not observed by intelligence neither is a "Whole of Man" as you said just because I see it as completely dogma. You cannot debate or put arguments (axioms or syllogisms for example) in something as simple as mysticism.

Spain could blow up at any time. — frank

Because of Catalonia riots or Catalan politicians pardons? :scream:

Madrid protests: Thousands rally against Catalan pardons

Hello James, we already debated this topic in this thread created by @T Clark Probably you are interested in what we discussed then because it is related to your question.
What is Mysticism?

can one's brain experience Mystical phenomena? — 1 Brother James

I think this is very opened to so different answers. There are people who actually defends they lived some Mysticism and they use it as an argument to explain everything around them. To be honest, I think the same as you and I am agree. For me, Mysticism is another religious belief which operates similar towards another religion dogma. According to the thread I shared above, I wrote back in the day:

No, completely not. As you shared with us, mysticism is another religious doctrine or way of living.

Context: We were debating if Taoism could be consider as "Mysticism". I stated no because Tao Te King is clearly a philosophical view which is related to our awareness, life, virtues, ethics, etc...
So much different from Mysticism, which is "spiritual energy" as you mentioned.

Turkey has announced its willingness to put its own military at the disposal of the Taliban. — Apollodorus

Turkey has lost all their chances to be part of the Western world with this action. Erdogan is a crazy and incompetent leader...

Expected Afghan influx reopens divisions over refugees in Europe

Albania, a country of 4.2 million in south-eastern Europe, is taking in hundreds of refugees.

“I am devastated to see people left behind and want to give them at least the possibility to breathe again,” the country’s prime minister, Edi Rama,

:up:

Austria’s interior minister, Karl Nehammer, described banning deportations as “a pull factor for illegal migration which only fuels the inconsiderate and cynical business of smugglers and organised crime”.

:down:

JOE BIDEN's handling of the situation in Afghanistan has been blasted by a republican Congressman, who admitted the US has more troops in Spain than Afghanistan.

OK this was so hilarious.

The book is a steaming pile of shit, I do not recommend it at all. Save your time, most of it is just atrocious. — darthbarracuda

Finally I found someone that thinks like me about that stupid ass book! Thank you. I remember getting tired before the page 100...

Yes, it is true that both Russia and China left their embassies but I think it was “just in case” context. I was watching the news and they are not clearly saying that are against talibans. Probably there will be many chances that Russia or China would start making some contacts and see which are the real interests of Afghanistan.
To be honest, I feel they win. This mess is now focused in the failure of the Western. I totally think that Russia and China are planning something but is not the appropriate moment yet.

China's effective support for the regime may become problematic for the general discourse on human rights, — thewonder

It is true that the focus of human rights will be around China again but it looks like this country never ever cared so much about the issue so it is not effective at all…