Comments on: A Universe From Nothing

By: The Pinoy Connection - Disturbing the Peace (In Ayala Alabang)

The Pinoy Connection - Disturbing the Peace (In Ayala Alabang) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:51:15 +0000

[...] A Universe From Nothing [...]

By: Isang Kaibigan

Isang Kaibigan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:29:33 +0000

Thanks for enlightening me, mikong!

By: frank

frank — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:06:09 +0000

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that people are more polite that you might think. A number of us neither drink alcohol (or coffee) nor smoke, and you can be certain none of us seriously threaten physical harm (right, Karl? ^^)

I think your wife might be among those who think atheists and freethinkers are baby-eating monsters, and it would be nice if you could bring her along if you ever decide to brave a meet-up. The only thing in any danger of being hurt in our meet-ups is pride, actually, but we're usually quite polite and civil in real life.

And I sure hope "the guy who was very hostile" to you wasn't me. ^^ I'm actually quite a nice guy if I might say so myself. :p

By: Isang Kaibigan

Isang Kaibigan — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:56:45 +0000

Thanks Frank! I can’t blame my wife for thinking negatively. And no, I don’t think it is you , Frank. Since I joined the forum last June, I can’t even recall who were those hostile to me earlier. I can only recall those who recently threw negative words. Just today, I received a harsh word from someone. That made me really think not to appear in the Meetups.

By the way, I’m a coffee lover. Ironically, I’ve only tried Starbucks twice in my whole life (both of which were free treats for me by my friends), because I work on a tight budget. Even this PC I’m using is a borrowed one.

Happy New Year!

By: Isang Kaibigan

Isang Kaibigan — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:49:08 +0000

Hi Gundam! I’m neither Crusader not John Paraiso. I don’t know those guys. Please let me remain anonymous here. I don’t intend to be anonymous so that I can run after punching. I don’t intend to punch or hurt anyone. I intend to interact since this is about freethought. The reason I made up this pseudonym is if just in case someone dislikes my opinion, I still might be able to run away. Believe me, I’ve never been into a physical fight in my whole life. I’m not even a confrontational person. I best express myself through monologue or writing.

I don’t think I can remain anonymous for long. It only takes a hacker to know my real identity. I request that people will respect that. Pls don’t try to hack me/my PC.

By: Akó si Gundam

Akó si Gundam — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:54:01 +0000

If you really are Crusader (I hope not), then you're referring to John Paraiso, aren't you?

By: mikong

mikong — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:18:34 +0000

@Isang Kaibigan: A lot of the people in the Starbucks meet-ups are very opinionated, and some will argue with people who don't share their principles, and a few would even raise their voices during discussions and be shocked at other people's opinions in a sort-of "What ?!! Are you serious!!?" kind of way and possibly call other opinions stupid. But I don't really see anyone being a threat to anyone's security. I think you'd be surprised at the contrast of how people behave in online discussions and during meet-ups. Also, people only drink coffee, chocolate drinks and fruit shakes during these Starbucks meet-ups, and we actually stay in the non-smoking area. I think there's nothing for you to worry about. You can even just observe at first instead of speaking your mind (some people stay quiet most of the time and just listen). Anyway, it's up to you if you want to attend.

By: Isang Kaibigan

Isang Kaibigan — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:30:57 +0000

This is what I like about these guys (mikong and innerminds). They are very civil and objective.

I would have joined the Starbucks Meetup if only I don’t feel threatened from some of the guys who go there (and if only I don’t attend Sunday church gatherings). They never made threats, but they are hostile in their responses from my comments. I sense that I would be an odd guy (for my views and since I don’t drink alcoholic beverages too). Some of them still can’t accept a theist being a freethinker at the same time. (I will not name them. Pls don’t ask me to name them.)

I looked at the flickr of FFF from Kristine Chan. When I saw the guy who was very hostile to me, frequently attending that Starbucks Meetup, I decided to show up anymore. My wife said “Absolutely No! You have a family. Think of our security.”

Oh, yes, I can’t stay long around where there is smoking. I’ve been free from asthma for 3 years now. I don’t wanna go through it anymore. (By the way, I don’t condemn anyone who drinks and smokes. I’m not a moral judge of anybody.)

By: Igme

Igme — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:23:08 +0000

Crusader is that you ?!?

By: innerminds

innerminds — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:38:29 +0000

Even though I believe in the Big Bang, I still do not discount the possibility that the universe could have existed eternally in some form or another (an example for this scenario would be the Big Bounce – cyclic model or oscillatory universe, among others). I had always thought that it's either the universe was caused by an eternal creator or has itself existed eternally in some form or another, but now you've presented a third feasible option – that the universe happened as an accident in nature. Actually I've already considered this option before, but I figured that for an accident to happen in nature, SOME nature must have existed eternally to produce such accident, because an accident cannot just happen in nothingness, and so we're back to the universe having existed eternally in some form or another.

And that's what makes this video very interesting, because it shows how the universe could have literally come out of nothing by pure accident. Of course, this is still just a hypothesis and not yet a scientific theory in the strict sense, but it's very compelling. Perhaps I could appreciate this even more if I was well versed in quantum mechanics.