Aspen Ideas Festival 2011: Panel Agrees on Washington’s Problems. The Solutions, Not So Much | FORA.tv Blog. Ron Brownstein True to form, the 2011 Aspen Ideas Festival kicked off with some big ideas on big problems. “We are here to talk about the state of the American political system and its ability to produce solutions,” said Ron Brownstein, political director at the Atlantic Media Company and moderator of the Aspen Ideas Festival’s June 28 panel discussion, “We Agree on Problems; Can We Agree on Solutions?”
Mark McKinnon Brownstein painted a picture of just why the country can’t readily agree on solutions. When all of this is set against a backdrop of 9 percent unemployment, he asked, is there a way out of this morass? An expert panel that included Obama and Bush advisors, an insurance company CEO and two former US Representatives (one Democrat, the other Republican) tackled this very question. Is Our Political Division a Reflection of Public Sentiment, or Just Partisan Politicians? David Axelrod Chief media advisor for George W. Is Compromise Between Parties Now Perceived as Capitulation? Hundreds of Proofs of God’s Existence.
NOTE: For real proofs of the nonexistence of any god, see "Why Atheism? " For other evidence, go to Atheists of Silicon Valley debate page . Hundreds of Proofs of God’s Existence Formerly: Over Three Hundred Proofs of God’s Existence Originally adapted from a forum on the Internet Infidels . TRANSCENDENTAL ARGUMENT, a.k.a. . (1) If reason exists then God exists. (2) Reason exists. (3) Therefore, God exists. COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT, a.k.a. . (1) If I say something must have a cause, it has a cause. (2) I say the universe must have a cause. (3) Therefore, the universe has a cause. (4) Therefore, God exists. (1) I define God to be X. (2) Since I can conceive of X, X must exist. (1) I can conceive of a perfect God. (2) One of the qualities of perfection is existence. (1) God is either necessary or unnecessary. (2) God is not unnecessary, therefore God must be necessary. ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN, a.k.a. . (1) Check out the world/universe/giraffe.
. (2) Only God could have made them so complex. ARGUMENT FROM BEAUTY, a.k.a. Hiroshi Tasaka: 3 Strategies for Fusing Science and Spirituality. What is the most important thing that will happen in the 21st century? The fusion of science and spirituality. That will happen. Why? Because this world in which we live changes, develops, progresses and evolves according to a certain law: the Law of Interpenetration of Dialectic. Then, two questions arise in our minds: how will this fusion happen? Strategy 1: Teach Modern Science in the Religious Community (Natural Sciences Approach) When we learn the latest findings in the forefront of modern science, a sense of wonder naturally comes to our mind. Strategy 2: Deepen Modern Psychology Through the Wisdom of Traditional Religions and Spirituality (Human Sciences Approach) The most important question for the science of psychology in the 21st century is "Who am I?
" Then, one important question arises in our minds: Where can we find and observe the world of the collective subconscious? These are the three strategies that I propose in order to promote the fusion of science and spirituality. Deepak Chopra: How to Dispel the Darkness. When people face a dark hour, as all of us have to, what is the best way to move out of it? The kinds of darkness haven't changed over the centuries, but our response has. The greatest change is that medicine has replaced religion as a way to explain what is happening. We speak of depression and anxiety as disorders, not as curses or as signs of sin. In the aftermath of trauma we don't ask why God wanted to punish us; we cope with post-traumatic stress disorder through therapy, either talking to a professional or taking a pill. Thus the doctor has replaced the priest as first choice for dispelling the darkness when it descends. The medical model is free of judgment; it removes blame from anyone who is afraid or depressed, who suddenly loses faith in themselves or wants to give up out of sheer hopelessness.
This is all to the good. The paradox of suffering Suffering is universal, and yet pain isn't a good motivator for change. Passivity: The vast majority of people do nothing. Dr. Tian Dayton: The Hidden Pain of the Addicted Family. Part of "Recovery Month" Series In the 1960s, when my Dad got treatment, we all thought that once the alcoholic got sober, the rest of us in the family would sort of get better automatically.
Normalcy would be restored and we could all go on with our lives as if addiction had never really been there. We weren't total idiots, that's what everyone thought. That's what a lot of people still think, in fact. If you happen to think this, I will save you a lot of time and heartache. It's not true. How Addiction Leads to Trauma Living with addiction often results in cumulative trauma that deeply affects family members. How Trauma Leads to Addiction Living with the kind of unpredictable and damaging behaviors that surround addiction, often challenges our sense of a normal and predictable world. When the Addict Gets Sober Why Isn't the Whole Family Better? The addict sobering up is only the first step in healing.
The addict may relapse. The family may break up or polarize.