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I guess this is Mayor Quimby’s new friend & colleague…
About Admin
"Admin" is just editors Vern Nelson, Greg Diamond, or Ryan Cantor sharing something that they mostly didn't write themselves, but think you should see. Before December 2010, "Admin" may have been former blog owner Art Pedroza.
I enjoyed Gilliam’s presentation and will acknowledge that he has quite a story to tell, but I do wonder about the label “humanism” applied to him and, frankly, about his philosophy also. Humanism—yes, a notoriously ambiguous term—is often viewed as a non-theistic (aka godless) philosophy that embraces the notion of the power of human faculties—especially reason. Gilliam has surely abandoned God and embraced human capability, but his embrace of reason is questionable, for he does seem to embrace “faith,” or something very like it, and it is faith (one might argue) that makes religion religion more than does embrace of the supernatural. Yes, Gilliam was saved in part by internet activists, but his rescue had more to do with medicine and the phenomenon of individuals choosing to make their organs available to others—both pre-dating the Internet. And so why does he attribute the miracle of his rescue to the Internet and not to these other things, which surely are more fundamental to the event? At a certain point, Gilliam reminds one of the charismatic preacher who, having roused his audience with stories of happy accident, human kindness, and whatnot, commits the usual non sequitur: it’s Jeeeeeesus.
Gilliam simply replaces Jesus with the Internet. So, what we have here is not humanism but a new, but a typical, religion—a thing with an utter failure of logic at its core. I think I’ll pass.
Not exactly. He was very clear to say that the internet is his RELIGION, not his GOD – as Jesus is to Christians.
And I thought he was also clear toward the end to say something like “YOU – the mass of humanity working together – are THE CREATOR.”
“YOU – the mass of humanity working together – are THE CREATOR.”……. Hmmm
If you not get censored by THE EVIL, that is.
ya mean, if Stanislav can’t say “fxxx” on the blog?
“ya mean, if Stanislav can’t say ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz on the blog?”…….. Hmmmm
It is a OK for Stanislav If at least Vern can say it.
As leftist say: what is Stanislav’s it is Vern’s and what is Vern’s it is non of Stanislav’s business.
Obviously a person who ZZZZZZZZZed the foregoing was sexually abused by his mother who instead of making love to him did fucked him which left deep scar on his brain.
(Mirrored)
Vern, “not exactly” what?
Gilliam asserts that the “internet” is his religion, and yet his account is not so much about the internet as about the familiar doings (more or less) of humanity, independent of the internet (e.g., medicine, people leaving their bodies for use by others). In logic, this is called a non sequitur. It’s poor reasoning. It’s bad, not good.
Gilliam is charismatic, but his logic stinks, at least as regards to what he offers here. He tells a charming story about X and then declares the glory of Y. Why does anyone put up with this?
My point is that this bald non-sequiturian leap is characteristic of religion at its most irrational–it’s utter leaps in thought, sans reason. Do you see? Gilliam pretends to rise above the conventionally religious, but in truth he is essentially like them.
Respond to that.
Wow! Powerful presentation by jim. havent seen him in years. Hope he is still doing well.
You knew him, Paul?
It looks like he’s okay, he did that presentation earlier this week I think. (And it’s become an overnight sensation)
Vern
Yeah Jim was a member of the OCYD when I was the Vice Chair. he was active for a short time and he leftthe OCYD to go and work on the film about the iraq war he references in this speech. What do you mean by overnight sensation? .Iknow jim got some noteriety for his work on the film and I see him pop up here onlibe once in a while. Havent heard from him personally for a few years though.
This is a confused man that has been through a lot and is trying to make sense of it. It is also difficult to discern his point. IF he is saying that in his mind God touches people through the internet and they react positively because of God’s touch that is consistent with almost all of his childhood beliefs. While he does say that there were times that he lost faith in God, it seems like that faith was restored as he saw God working through people touching his life.
Unfortunately, I think that there will be those that hear his words as a rejection of God and embracing “people” or the “internet” as a replacement God.