just nate – code is poetry, life is code

Earlier I wrote about how I have been on a journey of discovery in an attempt to decide whether or not to stay in the church of my upbringing, and I likened this to the Amish practice known as Rumspringa.

I think my journey has ended. Without incredible evidence with which I am not yet familiar, my conclusion is that the church is false and that I would do better on my own. This is not an infallible conclusion, and so I leave the door 1% opened. Any more would be unnecessary and limiting.

Rene Descartes believed that our senses are inaccurate and not a good truth-measuring tool. He concluded that the only way to learn truth is to use reason. Descartes suggests removing all preconceived notions of truth, and adding back only those portions which can be proved reasonably and logically. “If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.”

I followed this model, as closely as I could. I doubted as much as possible. And I am left with the conclusion that the God hypothesis has some glaring holes.

Just saying.

There are just some things that you cannot have opinions about.

Let me back up. Today someone told me that evolution is based on “will” and that all animals exercise their will to evolve. When I began methodically removing the several layers of misconception inherent in the statement, my friend exclaimed in a nearly shrill voice, “but this is my opinion! Everyone is entitled to an opinion!”

Really?

Stop playing the opinion card, folks. It pisses me off. Some things don’t allow for an opinion. Math things. Science things. Yes, you’re entitled to believe that the communicative law of addition is false. No, you’re not entitled to shove your medieval, baseless belief on me as some sort of speculative opinion vomit and expect me not to blast it to the ground. No, it doesn’t matter if that’s your opinion. A is A, just as Aristotle’s Law of Identity states.

politicize that, bitches!

Those of you who see me often in person probably think the request to see pictures of me is laughable at best.

I know, right!?

Yeah, some crazies out there keep asking for more pictures on my blog. Apparently spiders and emacs don’t cut it for you! So, uh….look at these ones, you know?

I’ve seen at least three of these in our office in the last week. Apparently their bites don’t do too much to you besides just hurt for a while. They’re still a little freaky.

spider identification chart