You: so why'd you put truth?
Stranger: Christian :)
You: what does that have to do with truth?
You: like the true word of God?
Stranger: I wouldn't be that stringent on that definition but the effective message yes
You: ah
Stranger: For example, the truth behind the physical realm we currently experience and perceive on a day-to-day basis
Stranger: I think the Bible has an accurate view on it
You: ok, I kind of try to avoid talking about religion
You: what are your other interests? most of mine are never matched
Stranger: fair enough, how about basic physics?
You: what about?
You: know anything interesting off the top of your head?
Stranger: how about the laws of physics?
Stranger: know anything about them?
You: 1st law, 2nd....they're vague
You: in my head
You: I mean Newton's
Stranger: how about the conservation of mass and energy?
Stranger: Einstein?
You: I know about them, but just the surface definition
You: I'm taking Physics I next semester (I'm kind of behind)
Stranger: No worries :)
You: electrical engineering major so I need to take all the physics up to modern
Stranger: nice, any goals behind that?
You: don't know what you mean
You: this made me laugh: http://joelvelasco.net/teaching/120/cartwright-How_the_Laws_of_Physics_Lie.pdf
Stranger: I meant dream/goal/vision-wiser
Stranger: wise*
You: ohhh
You: make a lot of money to give away, and develop the skill to know how to tinker with devices
Stranger: Why give it away?
You: I don't want to spend it on my self
You: Earning to Give
You: peter singer stuff
You: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earning_to_give
Stranger: Sorry, not directly familiar
Stranger: hmm
You: wikipedia explains
You: tithing basically
You: & peter singer is a poverty philosopher
Stranger: Ah, very noble
You: well, it hasn't happened yet
Stranger: True; I myself am building my own business with people who are teaching me to duplicate their own results in order to achieve dreams and ambitions of my own (most of which are ministry oriented)
You: duplicate what?
Stranger: Their income mostly
Stranger: but also their quality of life and relationships with family, spouse, and children
Stranger: The are currently earning between 60 and 120k / year part time and are effectively semi-retired
You: wow
Stranger: yea, it's pretty intense; their mentors are actually earning about triple and are currently retired and do a lot of charity work
Stranger: The one guy is an ex-NHL player and his wife was a nurse
You: what kind of charity work?
Stranger: The nurse is involved in work overseas trying stop the slave trade, specifically the sex-trade of young girls if I recall
Stranger: I'm not that up-to-date on them to be honest
Stranger: I'm not sure what the NHL-guy is doing; he may just be doing some training camp thing for kids and hockey
Stranger: I'm not a big hockey guy so I'm not really interested :P\
You: ok
Stranger: Anyway, my dream is to save the world (naive as that may sound)
Stranger: I've had a pretty rough past and managed to escape some crazy things (including death) so I just want to give back
You: have you read philosophy before?
Stranger: some, Aristotle, plato, etc.
Stranger: I started with psychology since that's where I wound up (mental hospital)
Stranger: then philosophy, then buddhist philosophy, and finally Christian apologetics vs Buddhist theology
You: do you think altruism is possible?
Stranger: well I think it is more than possible; but on it's own without a foundation in WHY to be altruistic, it is little more than a subjectively nice thing to do
You: www.pdx.edu/sysc/sites/www.pdx.edu.sysc/files/altruism_npc_0.pdf#page=2
You: the chart at the bottom of the page gives an idea
You: it's bias towards Buddhism though it seems ("Being")
Stranger: well, from my skimming, I can agree with the principle, but when you use a statement such as "universal ethics calls for ... altruism," what do you mean by that?
Stranger: Universal as in naturally occurring, or universal as in probable evolutionary path, or universal as in cemented law?
You: I guess, i haven't read it for a while
Stranger: I also have a slight qualm with evolutionary theory so, lol
Stranger: for example, when evolutionists bring up the fact that we have 98% DNA commonality with lower primates
Stranger: We also have 50% commonality in DNA with a banana; does that make me part fruit?
You: I'm not a biologist...but if a million monkeys banged a million monkeys eventually they would produce a Shakespeare
Stranger: Well, no offense, but that would just mean a probability of another million monkey's in my mind
You: just a joke I heard
Stranger: Hehe, nice
You: ya know, monkeys typewriting to infinity
Stranger: Oh yes, I remember that one
You: twas a tasteful spin
Stranger: But that doesn't mean it would have the expression of a human mind's creative force
Stranger: it would be as amazing as rewriting a phone book by accident
Stranger: and that's really my contention here
Stranger: are we just accidents waiting to be accidental whatever the heck we become
Stranger: or are we a guided, created thing, made for a purpose?
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