The Meaning of Life

WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT HATS AGAIN?

2011-05-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

The meaning of life is explained very clearly in this clip from Monty Python's epic film, THE MEANING OF LIFE.

The Story of Rama and Sita

2011-02-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite animated films, SITA SINGS THE BLUES. Watch the whole thing on YouTube! Here is part 1 of 10.

Here is a link: http://www.sitasingstheblues.com

THE CLASH - SANDINISTA

2010-11-12T23:35:00.000-08:00

THE CLASH SANDINISTA

I think this has something to do with the meaning of life...

Insanity in the Name Of

2010-09-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Philosophical Discussion Forum looked to be as good a place as any for me to put this little bit. I love the idea of pantheism because it puts a little bit of god in all of us and doesn't require belief in supernatural beings or outright atheism either one. That said, this is what I want people to THINK about. WHY in a thousand lifetimes would ANYONE want a God that condoned killing? I know a lot of people will condem me for daring to broach the subject, but why can't we worry about GOOD rather than a GOD? Are we so greedy as a species that we have to create the illusion of immortality in order to feel good about our little egos? I notice a recurring theme in world events. It seems that the three religions that trace their roots back to Abraham are the CAUSE of nearly all the EVIL that makes the news these days. I like what John Lennon said a few years ago, IMAGINE. Imagine no religion. Imagine a world where people loved and helped each other rather than throw stones over differences that are about of all things something that doesn't even exist except in their overactive imaginations and some really old books. Who should we believe? People that wrote on clay with sticks and sat in the dark with animals or scientists with electron microscopes and the very best of computers and sensing devices? I could care less how someone chooses to view or not view god. I CARE very much when they take up arms over an illusion that no man has ever seen and that furthermore seems to be at the root of nearly every war that was ever fought. Always this god. I wish I could catch it and put it in a bottle in the Museum of Natural History. oops...supernatural I should have said. Sorry if I stepped on anyones toes with this but the more I look at the headlines the more sure I am when I say enough of religion is ENOUGH when it is the fuel for the fire of murder and hate. Thanks for hearing my unpopular side of this.

December 28, 2008 | Frank (swampcat59@yahoo.com)

ZEITGIEST (MOVIE)

2010-06-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is a MUST-SEE film for anyone who is interested in the meaning of life.

THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING - FRANK ZAPPA (VIDEO)

2010-05-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

The meaning of life is clearly laid out in this masterful musical arrangement by the immortal Frank Zappa. Thank you Mr. Zappa! You are a true guiding light.
I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do:

SUBGENIUS FETTUCCINI

2010-05-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

SUBGENIUS FETTUCCINI: Rev. Stang is a constant source of comfort and inspiration to me.
Happy Mother's Day! SUBGENIUS FETTUCCINI

OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE (VIDEO)

2010-04-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

In order to understand the meaning of life one must first understand his/her place in it...you can watch this series of six parts right here just hover your cursor over the player, after the first part is over and then select Part 2.

Philosophy Football - Monty Python

2010-04-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Satanic Cult In Arizona?

2009-12-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

Are they comedians? Quacks? A dangerous cult?
Or, are they as they claim, just atheists and agnostics having a little fun?

Let me know what you think. See the little comment button at the bottom of this post?

On Free Will and Determinism

2009-06-17T00:18:00.001-07:00

Long has the debate raged over free will versus determinism. I have had discussions with several people recently relating to creative visualization: Books which espouse the philosophy that we all create our own reality and thus are the architects of our own destinies have become very popular lately. I believe that people have limited freedom of choice within certain environmental and economical limitations.

The very popular (and profitable) book, THE SECRET, written by Rhonda Byrne, has made it popular among the middle and upper classes to espouse the philosophy that the Universe is some kind of gigantic wish-granting machine, designed to give us anything we ask for. According to this book all we have to do to harness the power of this beneficent Universe-Genie, is to practice envisioning what is we want in great detail and then behaving as if we already have it. According to the book, bad things only happen to people who engage in negative thought--unfortunately, it appears that this magical wish-giving machine can’t tell the difference between fears and hopes; as a result, optimistic people lead happy and successful lives, while pessimists are constantly seeing their worst fears come true. In my opinion this book should be categorized with such things as horse-feathers, bull-pucky, and gobeldy-gook.

In order to accept such a philosophy one must assume that tragedy is caused by negative thought, instead of the other way around. I do agree that there is great power in positive thinking, and I think I am generally regarded by my friends as a fairly positive and optimistic person. In my opinion, a more realistic model of the factors influencing "success" can be found in Malcolm Gladwell's book, OUTLIERS. Mr. Gladwell offers a refreshing look at the way our society thinks about success and brings up some astonishing statiscal facts to make his point. Let me ask you to ponder these questions:

1. How did the first negative thought originate?

2. Why are some people gifted with this magical ability to think positively all the time, while so many others seem to be unable to do so?

3. Am I a negative thinker for writing this article?

I believe that negative thought is born out of negative experience. In this way people are a little like tape-recorders: their experiences become a part of their persona. Not only do negative experiences teach us to avoid unpleasant situations or circumstances, they can also be useful in teaching us to survive. For instance, if I burn myself on a hot stove, I learn through negative association not to get to close to hot stoves. Conversely, if I hear a song that I enjoy, I know that I will probably enjoy hearing it again in the future. Also, if I try a food I like, I am likely to try it again.

I see it as normal that wealthy and successful people should believe in free will. When a person is successful at what they set have out to do, it is natural that they should have such a belief. But how many struggling, poor or poverty stricken people believe in free will? Let’s not forget that there are forces beyond our control which shape our destinies. Were the victims of the 2004 Tsunami or Hurricane Katrina simply negative thinkers? How much free will do you think an orphaned child in war-torn Iraq has? One friend of mine from a fairly affluent family argued that she knew a young man who had come to the United States from war-torn Iraq to become a successful and popular musician. After I pointed out to her that there were many talented and deserving musicians in Iraq who didn't make it out, she had no reply. My wealthy and successful readers will find this distasteful, but I will put it to you that a person’s success in life depends more on luck (environment) than anything else. Look at the weeds in a nearby vacant lot. Why do some weeds grow to be larger than others? Generally, life grows to the limits that it's resources allow. That is how dominant humans have managed to occupy virtually every bit of habitable space on the planet.

Of course, success usually (not always) requires talent, self-discipline, and sacrifice, but without a certain amount of good luck these qualities are not enough. Although I know people with vast estates, I have never met anyone who called themselves rich. My wealthiest friends say they are just middle class—they always point their fingers to others who have more, maybe a few of them consider themselves to be lucky. I suppose “wealth” is a very relative term. I do not equate success with wealth. For the purposes of this discussion, success should be defined as having achieved a sense of well-being and satisfaction with one’s accomplishments in life and an ability to pursue one’s true passion.

One might say that a person’s measure of free will is directly proportionate to his or her wealth. I will agree with this only to a certain degree for there are certainly other factors which can either add to or decrease a person’s free will. Even the wealthiest man on Earth can’t visit a nearby star should he so desire, although it’s possible that we might reach such a goal collectively as a race someday. Of course, an individual’s free will is also relative to his or her desires. In other words, if a person wants nothing more than to eat, drink, defecate, urinate, meditate and sleep, one could say s/he would even have free will in prison.

Although it might be pleasant for one to believe that all of the good fortune a person enjoys is due to the fact that they simply have a great attitude and know how to ask for what they want, but if you ask any one of the millions of struggling, poverty stricken people in the world to believe that all they have to do is “be positive” and their bad luck will change, this author thinks that most would disagree.

Monty Python's Meaning of Life Song:

2009-03-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Insanity In The Name Of Religion

2009-03-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

December 28, 2008 | Frank

2009-01-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of life? Who are we? Where did we come from? What is our Purpose? FreetheGods.com invites you to post your theories, Ideas, or beliefs.

I'll kick it off with a little food for thought on Pantheism:

I am a Pantheist. I don't believe in the traditional concept of God. Instead, I think of the Universe itself as God, and conscious life as a vehicle by which the Universe may view itself. In that sense, each and every conscious being is a manifestation of the Universe (God); hence the name of the site, FreetheGods.com.