TheFrog said:

I love that poem I don't believe in God or Jesus or anything but I think it's a beautiful message

CarrieMpls said:

Thanks, Carrie. It sounds like you're pretty clear about both of those. Does that help in your decision-making processes? You being fully certain that you are the master of your own life?

Please don't answer if it's too personal, but are you an atheist? Just wonderin'.

TheFrog said:

fate is a bitch

NatisseG said:

Me too.

It conjures up a wonderful image, with a wonderful message, and still gives me the ol' shivers down the spine when i read it.

ella731 said:

ok, fate.

TheFrog said:

exactly

TheFrog said:

Yes and no. I make my own choices, I deal with the consequences, good and bad. Things that are out of my control are just that. I don't think it would help me or hinder me in any way to think that things are 'supposed' to be one way or another. Things just are.
And yes, for the most part, I'm an atheist. I could say I'm agnostic, as I admit I really don't know how we all came to be, there's no irrefutable proof one way or the other for the existence of a god, blah blah blah. But deep in my heart and head, I know there isn't. I can't prove it. But I just know. I suppose that's a sort of faith. So, yeah, I'm basically an atheist. lol.

TheFrog said:

well i think you get to where you're supposed to be...but sometimes you took the long way or you show up to the party with a few extra cuts and scraps and i dont think i know that poem..but google will show me the way

kinda like couldbuster trying to go to town in his 1981 rabbit with no hood...and it takes 5hrs to get there but he makes it.


anyhoo coughing and ears going red never heard that.ive also heard if you kiss an m&m to the sky you can eat it after it fell on the floor.


but anyhoo...why are we picking numbers? is it a lotto?

i'm afraid to choose either fate or coincidence, for fear of pissing one or the other of them off.

so, i'll post here but i won't commit myself either way

Christopher said:

Im afraid of what we would be winning

TheFrog said:

Actually, my answers were slightly tongue-in-cheek answers based on some of the ideas touched on in The Matrix, but they do reflect, to a certain extent, what I believe, or at least what I would like to believe.

The concept of fate is disturbing to me - that the choices I make are not really of my own making, but are merely instructions in some design over which I have no control - that brings me down the road of creationism and deity's, and I choose not to believe that. Fate is the anthithesis of freedom, which is probably why I find it disturbing - I much prefer the idea that I can make my own choices.

As for coincidence - my thoughts on this stem from the time when I was reading the Celestine Prophesy, the first few chapters of which deal mainly with coincidence. One of the suggestions made in the book is to start noting every coincidence and to look out for them. During the period of time I was reading the book practically everything I did and saw seemed to be in some way or another coincidental, to the point where it started to freak me out - I was having dreams of future events, and was constantly having "I was just thinking of you" and "I wouldn't be surprised if such-n-such happened" thoughts. I'm not sure I can explain this properly but it's something like this : Coincidences were happening so regularly that I had to conclude that either everything is coincidence (which doesn't make sense to me), or coincidence doesn't really exist, and if we are receptive to it, we realise that this is just the way reality works, and that what we perceive to be coincidence is just the result of the choices we have made, or reminders of the choices we have yet to make.

Actually, I'm not explaining this very well at all, and sadly I'm at work so I don't have the time to think it through properly. Maybe later.


I chose 23 because it's the universal number of synchronicity, and without doubt the most interesting number there is : http://yiri.maniac.com/23.html

I was sitting on the train this morning, sipping my latte and staring out the window, and I started to think that if things are going to be determined by fate, i want the whole thing. None of this 'general trends' towards things happening, but you have some sort of say.

All or nothing, please.

I want absolute pre-determination, or absolute freedom and, basically, chaos.

I'll freely admit that I prefer the latter. And since there is no way of knowing for sure (while alive, at least) I think it's probably healthy to believe that you are absolutely your own master, and utterly culpable.

I believe in both; we plan our lives before we arrive, plan the people we will meet and the events that we will experience because we want to experience and learn. But when we're here, free will plays a part and we determine whether to ignore the signs and paths presented to us or to follow them. Life flows more smoothly when we go with the flow - if we push against it, we may have to come back and try again.

AsylumUtopia said:

The world won't listen.
[Edited 8/19/05 5:41am]

Number23 said:

I assume this is why you chose it as your org name ?

Reincarnate said

I like that, it's a good way of looking at it.

ella731 said:

oh boy, did you fail

AsylumUtopia said:[quote]

Number23 said:

Aye, Robert Anton Wilson's eight circuit mind theory and the fact Prince enjoyed the same number of 'positions'.
[Edited 8/19/05 5:49am]

Number23 said:

Yay, another RAW fan. Have you been to his website ? http://www.rawilson.com/main.shtml Possibly the best use of server space on the entire web.


BTW, it was Tim Leary who came up with the 8 circuits theory.

I believe in neither.

26.

GeorgeWBush said:

There was no real saving this one

No fate.

I pick coinky-dink.

And the number 31.

AsylumUtopia said:

Thankyou

More than likely


My number is 13

TheFrog said:

No.


Yes.


69.

Ace said:

good number

Fate.

8

You are given the opportunities and it's up to you to make the best of them.

127

I like TheFrog.

ReturnOfDOOK said:

Is that fate or coincidence ?