From: wakeman@crchh7ce.BNR.CA (John Wakeman)
Subject: Re: Past Civilizations
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:08:47 GMT
Reply-To: wakeman@crchh7ce.BNR.CA (John Wakeman)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Keywords: Spinning, Marcab, space opera

In article <schaf.726565952@cgl.ucsf.edu>, schaf@socrates.ucsf.edu
(Chris Schafmeister) writes:

 . . . buncha stuff deleted previous in this thread . . .

|>I'm going to assume that you believe in past-lives, I have
|>a few questions that are open to anyone.
|>
|>Why do you believe in reincarnation and past-lives?
|>What kind of machinery could possibly exist in the universe 
|>to constantly cycle thetans from one body to the next?
|>Where did the thetans come from?
|>How can they interact with our physical bodies to
|>control our muscles?
|>What is the structure of a soul that it is able to store
|>memories between bodies?
|>What is the function of our complex brains if our thetans
|>can do all of our remembering and thinking?
|>Why has the universe been constructed as a play-ground for thetans?
|>Who constructed this whole thing?
|>If it is our own 'thetans' that run this whole show then
|>why do we cripple ourselves by wiping out all of our past
|>lives whenever we step into a new body?
|>If our thetans consciously decide to forget everything
|>and assume new bodies then why should people
|>remember 'past-lives'.
|>What is the situation with mentally-handicapped people?
|>Are they handicapped thetans?  Or have they crippled themselves
|>by entering crippled bodies?
|>What happens to thetans in bodies that undergo brain damage?
|>It goes on and on...
|>

Whoa, lotta questions there with alot of meat. 
 
One thing I can do is reiterate something I said in the previous post, 
For me there is an interest in what exist beyond life.   And, I would
guess any who pursues any religious insight has this curiosity or need of
reassurance.  What happens when I die?   Is life finite?   So, for this 
reason, I would say that this is the point in determining whether or not 
such things might be true.

Having globally said that, I'll address your Q's individually. 

I believe in reincarnation and past-lives because I have an awareness of
previous existence, and it meets my needs for immortality. 

I have no idea What kind of machinery could possibly exist in the universe 
to constantly cycle thetans from one body to the next?   If pinned to the wall,
I would say we do it ourselves.   I would like to clarify an issue I have with
your syntax.   I exist and I manipulate my body.   Whether I am Christian,
Scientologist, Buddhist, whatever, this is a common thread.   I am the
thetan/spirit,
It is not some other thing with me inside my body.

As to  Where did the thetans come from, where did anything come from?

What is the structure of a soul that it is able to store
memories between bodies?   Good question.   Something else, I would like
to clarify
at this point.  I do not claim to know the answers to any of your
questions, I just
have opinions which are formed from the sum toatl of my experience.

As to the brain, I would say it is much like the CPU, without some extra
driving
force, a computer's CPU does very little.

Why has the universe been constructed as a play-ground for thetans? 
Didn't know
it was,  maybe I've been missing recess.

If it is our own 'thetans' that run this whole show then why do we cripple
ourselves by wiping out all of our past lives whenever we step into a new body?
I'll give you a Scientology based answer here for lack of better... The past is
so painful, it is better to have it buried than to have it right out
front in the
memory system.  Of course, how this occurs I don't know.   I can echo
your question
and query why is it most folks don't remember conception up through the
first four
or five years of life?

What is the situation with mentally-handicapped people?
Are they handicapped thetans?  Or have they crippled themselves
by entering crippled bodies?
What happens to thetans in bodies that undergo brain damage?
It goes on and on...
I'll go with my Eastern philosoophy here,  ever heard of karma?

|>Why do you believe that in a physical universe that isn't supposed
|>to be real at all, but a fantasy constructed by the collective
|>aggreement of many thetans that there should be any objective
|>evidence for past-lives?


|>Why do you believe that you can find any hint of a spiritual reality
|>within our physical universe?
|>Why do you give money to listen to people who probably
|>don't know the answers to your questions anyway?
|>
|>Why don't you just be patient, live life as best you can, 
|>and see what happens when you die?
|>
|>.Chris.
  
Chris, do you pay to go to school?  Yes, of course.  Do you agree with
everything you learn there?   Hopefully not!  That is one of the greatest
facets of mankind, that we are entreated with the ability to challenge 
existing schools of thought and create new versions of reality.  i.e. to 
reference a favorite in this group "GEB-EGB" because people questioned
Euclid's fifth thereom, we have non-euclidean geometry.   I only seek to
know, not claim to have the answers.  So, even though I can formulate answers
to your questions, I really think, I should question to you why is it so
important to find potoential fault with what you assume to be my beliefs rather
than to pursue the answers to the questions that you have yourself.

john
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I don't know what's going on, I just work here.
BNR doesn't endorse anything I say....    ANYTHING!

wakeman@bnr.ca
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