Steve, Rand advocated a moral code which we
might find agreeable, don't you think? abstaining
from initiating force or mental coercion -- ok? the
honoring of others' natural rights -- ok? the
acknowledgement of ownership, starting with one's
own body -- ok? most of the philosophies which
I have encountered, many parading as religions,
have attempted to guide behavior in these ways,
however twisted.

I made no comment about state endorsement,
and, of course, vehemently oppose that, as
you do.

it is my conviction that this nation was founded
on a system of honoring inherent human truths,
like those mentioned above, and the loss of an
appreciation of that system undermines the
nation. just as an attorney general and a president
who will not obey nor enforce certain laws
undermines the nation.

make sense? -- j

This is one of those posts that's going to turn religious, isn't it?

You can't create the world. It exists and you exist in it. It is and you are.

I love people. Some? Any? All?

A life of desperation and you help them rise? There are more than 6 billion people in the world. You can't help them, they have to learn to help themselves. After that, you can demonstrate the rightness of an Objective life.

Not altruistic. Certainly sounds so.

To live among thinkers, achievers, and not existers. Utopia doesn't exist. Humans are humans with all their faults. All think. All achieve. All exist. It sounds like you're trying to measure something that's subjective. You can only measure yourself.

Desire to see growth in others and be an instrument of that development. Have children. You can fail, even with them, but you can try. Some times it works, some time it doesn't.

Difficult to know where and how is the best course. Such is life. Study, learn, and immerse yourself in the Objective Philosophy of self, rational mind, and life.

Pragmatism is inconsistent with Objectivism and with morality as such. Pragmatism offers no moral principles and substitutes the short for the long run.

What is morality to you? The "good religions?" What might they be? Good by what standard? The bible is certainly no standard for an ideal morality. I wonder why you rely upon primitive religion for a moral code. To this day England is a theocracy, and that's why the Founding Fathers opposed state endorsed religion.

You aren't an atheist; you are an agnostic. If you think that you are an atheist why do you refer to the bible, which is the poorest standard of morality that I can think of? And I'm 67, by the way.

Thanks for reminding me of the Ford quotation... just added it to my home page...

Solver, could you give some examples of what you mean?

Jan

Thank you. I have received many interesting perspectives. While some were tangental in nature, the discussions are still valuable. I'll continue to review and absorb them. I post this because I did not comment on each individually, but appreciate the thoughts given.
I never found this level of value on Facebook! Lol!

Thank you! Your comments are not only insightful, but helpful. I have a considerable endeavor ahead to achieve my goal. It may sound daunting and a little odd, but I chose to live my life in pursuit of it. It would have been better that I discovered it when I was younger, but I was a mess well into adulthood. In my mid 30s I began the process of self re-education (as if I had been educated). Now I'm 41 and fueled by a passion. Where I will direct it (i.e. The vehicle(s) I will need to employ), is still in the formative process. I appreciate the assistance. I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THE GULCH!

I would refer you to Ayn Rand's collection of essays "Philosophy, who needs it". The irreducible primary of living organisms is to live. Consciousness can only exist if one lives and only in the minds capable of that level of cognition.

Over 15 years ago, pre-Internet in every house, I asked those same questions. It started with idiocy in school curriculum called Outcome Based Education (an oxymoron at best). I began to write letters to the editor, informing some, gaining lasting friendships with many. We kept in touch, researched, and settled on a one person at a time education idea. If we could each educate one person on a topic, they would talk to others, and each of us did that, our influence would grow. We grew into a large e-mail tree and expanded into blogging. We continue to share truth and real education about pseudo-global warming, Common Core (pseudo-education) and Agenda 21. We can find other like thinkers in this way, and if we succeed, we can make a difference. Education must happen outside of schools, as it does not happen within them. If it is not enough, Atlas will shrug.

People can look down at kindles all they want, but it doesnt alter two important facts.

1. Kindles or their equivalents make it much easier for people that want to read to do so, which encourages reading on its own.

2. You can load a heck of a lot more books into an ereader of any type and have them AVAILABLE when you have the time or desire to read instead of put away sonewhere.

Not to mention that you dont have to worry about storage space for physical books.

+1 for you Jan. Invictus has been my favorite for over 40 years.

If the functionally illiterate are willing to learn, and increase their level of effort, then work with them; if not, not. If too few of the functionally illiterate are willing to up the ante, then you need to separate yourself from them, because it will get ugly if you stay.

Not to be redundant or obvious, but POTUS letting in all the world's immigrants dilutes the chances you will find to surround yourself with thinkers. I have always found myself in love with books, which I could neither afford nor had room to keep in my home. I got a Kindle MP3. I know they have glowing screen ones now and mine's obsolete, but I have a lot of books I would have given my incisors to get when I was in high school. Go to Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=a9_sc_1?rh=i... "the gutenberg project" Note, there is no cost for these e-books. Some snoots to whom I have referred this tell me the quality isn't as good as printed volumes.OK, but it is 95% as good and it is free without cheating anyone because all of these are out of copywright. See the "Book Thief" if you wonder how much knowledge is worth to each reader. Without reading, the Western Civilization will disappear not to be seen again for a millennium or eternity. We were lucky with the fact of the Renaissance. Only 500 years of ignorance separated the fall of Rome and the rediscovery of knowledge and wide spread reading because of the Gutenbergs. We live in an amazing time. Ignorance and materialism flourish with the gifts of high technology none its consumers could begin to explain. And ironically, that class votes for Tyranny and the end of Western Civilization.

That is the point. I don't try to prove a physical infinity. If someone claims that the Universe is really, really, really big, then I can agree. If they claim that the Universe is infinitely big, I reject that. That is unless they can somehow prove otherwise.

I try to be objective. I also try to use reason and logic on this claim. If someone claims, something is infinitely big or infinitely powerful I ask them to prove it. Trying to prove the negative is always futile.