#nth

Let us remind ourselves of the terminology. A theist believes in a supernatural intelligence who, in addition to his main work of creating the universe in the first place, is still around to oversee and influence the subsequent fate of his initial creation. In many theistic belief systems, the deity is intimately involved in human affairs. He answers prayers; forgives or punishes sins; intervenes in the world by performing miracles; frets about good and bad deeds, and knows when we do them (or even think about doing them). A deist, too, believes in a supernatural intelligence, but one whose activities were confined to setting up the laws that govern the universe in the first place. The deist God never intervenes thereafter, and certainly has no specific interest in human affairs. Pantheists don't believe in a supernatural God at all, but use the word God as a non-supernatural synonym for Nature, or for the Universe, or for the lawfulness that governs its workings. Deists differ from theists in that their God does not answer prayers, is not interested in sins or confessions, does not read our thoughts and does not intervene with capricious miracles. Deists differ from pantheists in that the deist God is some kind of cosmic intelligence, rather than the pantheist's metaphoric or poetic synonym for the laws of the universe. Pantheism is sexed-up atheism. Deism is watered-down theism. ↗

— Richard Dawkins

#pantheist #theist #forgiveness

You get the software you pay for. In every sense. To the nth degree. That's the way the world works. ↗

— Dave Winer

#every #get #nth #pay #sense

I sold my most valuable possession, but I knew that because I worked at Hewlett Packard, I could buy the next model calculator the very next month for a lower price than I sold the older one for! ↗

— Steve Wozniak

#buy #calculator #could #i #knew

I would say the secret is to be enthusiastic about everything that comes into your life. To care, to care about people. To be excited about everything that comes close to you. I love to read. And I love to write, mostly. ↗

— Fay Wray

#care #close #comes #enthusiastic #everything

I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then, if possible, add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success. ↗

— Wilbur Wright

#already #am #attain #avail #construction

St Paul, in his second letter to Corinth, spells this out further in the important eighth and ninth chapters, where he urges some of the Christian communities to be generous to others so that they may also have the chance to be generous in return. ↗

— Rowan D. Williams

#chance #chapters #christian #communities #eighth

Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night. ↗

— Darryl F. Zanuck

#after #any #box #captures #every

The function of Theology? The recitation of the incomprehensible by the unspeakable to pick the pockets of the unthinking. ↗

— Robert Anton Wilson

#incomprehensible #pick #pockets #recitation #theology

I divide my time between homes in Arizona and England, six months a year in each place. ↗

— Terri Windling

#between #divide #each #england #homes

When you start being enthusiastic about whatever it is you like, that is the golden age for you. ↗

— Michael Winterbottom

#age #being #enthusiastic #golden #golden age