Interafaith: Comparative religion: world religions

Go Back   Interfaith forums > Religion, Faith, and Theology > Comparative Studies




Comparative Studies Comparing religious beliefs across human history and cultures

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rating: Thread Rating: 2 votes, 5.00 average.
Old 01-11-2009, 03:39 PM   #121 (permalink)
Executive Member
 
Dream's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Eastern USA
Posts: 2,340
Dream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura about
Re: Designing a New Religion

Quote:
Originally Posted by TealLeaf
Considering that all major religions predict the end of an era and the coming of a new prophet and further considering that we are fast approaching the ultimate carrying capacity of the Earth it seems reasonable to me that a major new religion or philosophy could very well be on the horizon.
The ultimate carrying capacity of the Earth can increase far beyond what it is now, and here is one way it might happen:

Imagine a world where there are fewer roads but they are double or triple in width, and nobody actually has to go anywhere on a daily basis. Everyone is on the internet. Every community contains a small automated manufacturing facility taking care of most needs (The tech for this exists btw.). Farming and other repetitive tasks are handled by artificial intelligence robots. Food and medicine become freely available, limited only by the incredible amounts of energy our sun pumps out every day.

What would be the earth's carrying capacity then?
Dream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2009, 09:01 PM   #122 (permalink)
Soul Adventurer
 
TealLeaf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 128
TealLeaf is on a distinguished road
Re: Designing a New Religion

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dream View Post
Imagine a world where there are fewer roads but they are double or triple in width, and nobody actually has to go anywhere on a daily basis. Everyone is on the internet. Every community contains a small automated manufacturing facility taking care of most needs (The tech for this exists btw.). Farming and other repetitive tasks are handled by artificial intelligence robots. Food and medicine become freely available, limited only by the incredible amounts of energy our sun pumps out every day.
That is an interesting scenario that you laid out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dream View Post
What would be the earth's carrying capacity then?
Please do tell.
TealLeaf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2009, 10:43 PM   #123 (permalink)
Executive Member
 
Dream's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Eastern USA
Posts: 2,340
Dream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura about
Re: Designing a New Religion

The earth is about 200 Billion square miles and converting only 20% of the sun's light 24-7 from 1/4 of its surface is equivalent to the energy gotten from 10 Billion square miles constantly lighted and 100% converted -- not that much; but it represents enough calories of energy to feed six billion people (our current population) about seven million times every single day.

Seventy percent of earth's surface is ocean, however even some of the light striking the ocean can still be converted for our use. Overall, I'll guess that 20% of the sun's energy on average can be harvested from any given spot (only half the ratio we currently get with the latest electric solar panels). To make up for Earth's rotation of day & night, I only calculate using a fourth of the available light, assuming a mere 5% of all sunlight on Earth is converted for human food production. (At least 1/4 of the earth is getting some sunlight at all times. That is probably less than the true fraction, but I am limited to rough calculations.) Parts of the earth get less light and others more. The rest of the sunlight continues to warm, brighten the earth, invigorate the weather, and run machines.

The Wikipedia says "The Earth receives 174 petawatts (PW) of incoming solar radiation (insolation) at the upper atmosphere. Approximately 30% is reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses. The spectrum of solar light at the Earth's surface is mostly spread across the visible and near-infrared ranges with a small part in the near-ultraviolet." It also says about half of the total 174 Petawatts strikes the ground. (Solar energy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

For simplicity: I will take Wiki's number of 175 petawatts & half it to 87.5 Petawatts that it suggests can reach the ground, then take only 5% of that. I get 4.376 Petawatts. 4.376 Pettawatts all day every 24 hour day converted to Joules is (4.376 x 10^15 Joules/sec) x (86,400 sec/day) or 3.78 x 10^20 Joules of pure energy every day. A food Calorie = 4.1868 Joules, so we're talking about 9.03 x 10^19 Calories available per day to feed people. Going by the USDA food standard of 2,000 Calories per day per person, that is enough calories to feed 4.51 x 10^16 human adults.

I've heard Astronomers say the Sun has enough mass to continue shining like this for 5 billion more years.
Dream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2009, 09:23 AM   #124 (permalink)
Soul Adventurer
 
TealLeaf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 128
TealLeaf is on a distinguished road
Re: Designing a New Religion

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dream View Post
4.51 x 10^16 human adults.
So that's your honest answer? Wow.

I'm not going to get into all the outrageous assumptions that you made and the realities that you ignored in coming to that ridiculously inflated number but suffice to say that you are many orders of magnitude off base.

Organizations like the UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organization variably estimate the maximum sustainable population of the Earth to be between eight and twelve billion people with their more recent estimates being closer to lower figure.
TealLeaf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2009, 10:52 PM   #125 (permalink)
New Member
 
Gavriel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 3
Gavriel is on a distinguished road
Re: Designing a New Religion

Here is a site i love, it explains how to create your own religion in ten easy steps. Enjoy! Hail the Great God Lardicus!!

How To Create Your Own Religion In 10 Easy Steps
Gavriel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2009, 05:01 PM   #126 (permalink)
I think therefore I exist
 
romeo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2
romeo is on a distinguished road
Re: Designing a New Religion

Hi, I am new.
I have been reading this thread for the last consecutive 2 hours.
Good information demonstration though rarely in favor of the topic.
I am now choosing an avatar. later you will have the chance to absorb my comments.
romeo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2009, 05:33 PM   #127 (permalink)
Why do cows say MU?
 
seattlegal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pacific Ring of Fire
Posts: 4,204
seattlegal is a jewel in the roughseattlegal is a jewel in the roughseattlegal is a jewel in the rough
Re: Designing a New Religion

Welcome to IO, romeo.
seattlegal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2009, 05:53 PM   #128 (permalink)
I could while away...
 
Paladin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 1,576
Paladin has a spectacular aura aboutPaladin has a spectacular aura about
Send a message via Skype™ to Paladin
Re: Designing a New Religion

Quote:
Originally Posted by romeo View Post
Hi, I am new.
I have been reading this thread for the last consecutive 2 hours.
Good information demonstration though rarely in favor of the topic.
I am now choosing an avatar. later you will have the chance to absorb my comments.

Hi Romeo
Welcome to the forum.
You'll have to get used to this happening, we do that a lot here.
Paladin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2009, 07:42 PM   #129 (permalink)
Executive Member
 
Dream's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Eastern USA
Posts: 2,340
Dream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura about
Re: Designing a New Religion

Quote:
Originally Posted by TealLeaf
I'm not going to get into all the outrageous assumptions that you made and the realities that you ignored in coming to that ridiculously inflated number but suffice to say that you are many orders of magnitude off base.
I'm honestly not trying to shoot you down, TealLeaf. Its just that we're no where near earth's population limits. The true limitations we have reached are in our governments and infrastructure. Every time those improve, the population limit goes up. Sometimes they have to go down in order to come up higher - like the stock market. This allows the infrastructure to improve, whereas a large population slows progress. Change has to come in spurts. I agree we are reaching a sort of limit with the infrastructure and govt. we now have but nowhere near the ultimate limit.
Dream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2009, 07:54 PM   #130 (permalink)
Executive Member
 
Dream's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Eastern USA
Posts: 2,340
Dream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura about
Re: Designing a New Religion

Romeo, hello.
Dream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2009, 09:11 AM   #131 (permalink)
I think therefore I exist
 
romeo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2
romeo is on a distinguished road
Re: Designing a New Religion

Thank you for your welcome messages.
I will join the discussion soon. I am too much busy now.
But for the start one of the cornerstones of My Way (it is not a religion) would be "Diversity" and the second one would be "Freedom of Choice" (two different categories).
romeo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2009, 07:42 AM   #132 (permalink)
Soul Adventurer
 
TealLeaf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 128
TealLeaf is on a distinguished road
Re: Designing a New Religion

I just discovered that Timothy Leary published a pamphlet titled Start Your Own Religion back in 1967 in order to encourage people to start new religions.

I believe this is copy of the original pamphlet:

http://www.iot.org.br/caostopia/wp-c...n-religion.pdf

Interesting.
TealLeaf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2009, 04:35 PM   #133 (permalink)
wil
UNeyeR1
 
wil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 9,552
wil is just really nicewil is just really nicewil is just really nicewil is just really nice
Re: Designing a New Religion

Quote:
Originally Posted by TealLeaf View Post
I just discovered that Timothy Leary published a pamphlet titled Start Your Own Religion back in 1967 in order to encourage people to start new religions.

I believe this is copy of the original pamphlet:

http://www.iot.org.br/caostopia/wp-c...n-religion.pdf

Interesting.
And Amazon.com: Remember, Be Here Now: Ram Dass: Books was published in 1971. Twas a bible of sorts at the time.
wil is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2009, 01:28 AM   #134 (permalink)
Executive Member
 
Dream's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Eastern USA
Posts: 2,340
Dream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura aboutDream has a spectacular aura about
Re: Designing a New Religion

I ran across this scan of a book called "The Book of Tea". Tea is a religion, too, you know.

The Book of Tea - Google Book Search
Dream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2009, 01:07 AM   #135 (permalink)
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1
Anoop is on a distinguished road
Re: Designing a New Religion

Quote:
Originally Posted by TealLeaf View Post
I have read that the Sikh religion's God is sufficiently fuzzy to be simultaneously a monotheistic creator God as well as something that is synonymous with the entirety of the Universe. Of course I have also read that the Sikhs are polytheists that while they believe in and worship one Supreme God also believe that other lesser Gods exist so I am not sure what to believe. I'd love to read their book "The Guru Granth Sahib" to see what they actually have to say and how they say it but it seems impossible to find a hard copy of the thing. (I hate reading things online.)
Hello all, I just joined to clear things up regarding the Sikhi.

It is untrue that Sikhs believe in lesser gods. Sikhs believe that god is one, god is everything and god is endless. I think people confused the Guru's with gods but Guru means Teacher/Master and Sikh means Learner/Disciple.

To obtain a copy of the Silent Guru the "Guru Granth Sahib Ji." You can pick one up from your local Gurdwara for a small donation. There is an english version available but the one written in maharni is the real deal if you really want to learn about Sikhi without discrepancies. I would like to add that the poetry written in the Guru Granth Sahib requires one to think outside the box to understand the meaning.
Anoop is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Western Concepts: Are they Compatible with Islam?? DrumR Politics and Society 104 06-05-2009 08:56 PM
Hatred In Religion - with Video Footage LenoBee Comparative Studies 53 02-24-2009 04:26 PM
what God really wants? dayaa Comparative Studies 86 02-05-2009 10:27 AM
The Anthropology of Religion Part I: Definitions path_of_one Comparative Studies 86 08-21-2008 04:25 AM
Anthropology and Religion: Culture path_of_one Comparative Studies 23 08-11-2008 06:11 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:36 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.2.0 ©2008, Crawlability, Inc.