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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ann Corrigan who wrote (231893)	2/27/2002 8:39:28 PM
From: goldworldnet	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769669

Worships nature, very New Age. * * *

To: Ann Corrigan who wrote (231893)	2/27/2002 8:44:48 PM
From: Dr. Doktor	Respond to of 769669

Spinoza 1632 Nothing exists but God. God is one, that is, only one substance can be granted in the universe. [I.14] Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived. {I.15] God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things. All things which are, are in God. Besides God there can be no substance, that is, nothing in itself external to God. [I.17] God is the force preserving things in existence Although each particular thing be conditioned by another particular thing to exist in a given way, yet the force whereby each particular thing perseveres in existing follows from the eternal necessity of God's nature. [ii.45] Individual things are expressions of the attributes of God Individual things are nothing but modifications of the attributes of God, or modes by which the attributes of God are expressed in a fixed and definite manner. [i.25.] There is no evil The perfection of things is to be reckoned only from their own nature and power; things are not more or less perfect, according as they delight or offend human senses, or according as they are serviceable or repugnant to mankind. [i. Appendix] Knowledge of God is the highest good The intellectual love of the mind towards God is part of the infinite love wherewith God loves himself . . . The love of God towards men, and the intellectual love of the mind towards God, are identical. [v.36] The mind's highest good is the knowledge of God, and the mind's highest virtue is to know God. [iv.28] The human mind has ideas from which it perceives itself and its own body and external bodies as actually existing; therefore it has an adequate knowledge of the eternal and infinite essence of God. [ii.47] Our highest happiness is in . . . the knowledge of god . . . We may thus clearly understand how far astray from a true estimate of virtue are those who expect to be decorated by God with high rewards for their virtue . . . ; as if virtue and the service of God were not in itself happiness and perfect freedom. [ii.49] Learning to see God in all things The mind can bring it about, that all bodily modifications or images of things may be referred to the idea of God. [v.14] The more we understand particular things, the more we understand God. [v.24] He who clearly and distinctly understands himself and his emotions loves God, and so much the more in proportion as he more understands himself and his emotions. [v.15] Our mind, in so far as it knows itself and the body under the form of eternity, has to that extent necessarily a knowledge of God, and knows that it is in God, and is conceived through God. [v.30] Acceptance of destiny In so far as we understand the causes of pain, to that extent it ceases to be a passion, that is, it ceases to be pain; therefore, in so far as we understand God to be the cause of pain, we to that extent feel pleasure. [v.18] The wise man . . . is scarcely at all disturbed in spirit, but, being conscious of himself, and of God, and of things, by a certain eternal necessity, never ceases to be, but always possesses true acquiescence of his spirit. [v.52] The mind has greater power over the emotions and is less subject thereto, in so far as it understands all things as necessary. Proof: The mind understands all things to be necessary and to be determined to existence and operation by an infinite chain of causes, therefore . . . it thus far brings it about, that it is less subject to the emotions arising therefrom, and feels less emotion towards the things themselves. [v.6] Nature does not work with an end in view Nature does not work with an end in view.For the eternal and infinite Being, which we call God or Nature, acts by the same necessity as that whereby it exists. . . . Therefore, as he does not exist for the sake of an end, so neither does he act for the sake of an end; of his existence and of his action there is neither origin nor end. [iv. Preface] God is indifferent to individuals God is without passions, neither is he affected by any emotion of pleasure or pain . . . Strictly speaking, God does not love anyone. [V.17] He who loves God cannot endeavour that God should love him in return. [V.19]