Your preferred reality

[Demigod]

Just thought I'd spice things up a little on the forums with a nice little poll (there haven't been too many recently). As the title suggests this thread is about your preferred reality. I've noticed that there have been numerous ideas of reality portrayed in movies, books, television and other such mass media. This thread is to ask which you most believe (or is most believable in your eyes) and which would be your favourite (even if you don't believe in it). I've narrowed my choices down to five:

1) Jedi - You believe in the power of the Force, the energy that is created by all living things and binds the universe together. It is the Force that gives life and takes it away and only a few have the ability to use it. It is an imbalance of the light and dark in the Force that has caused the rise of the world's tyrants (Napollean, Hitler, Saddam) and causes suffering. You believe that upon death you will return to the Force and become whole with the universe again. This theory can also be applied to FF7 and other similar theories on reality.

2) Matrix - The world as we know it is a computer simulation. We live in a virtual world, a world of logic and order, ruled by machines who feed energy off our bodies. We live in ignorance, unaware of reality, save for a few. There are virtual people and programs all around us, all working within the Matrix. You also believe of an anamoly, the one who can defy the Matrix and who is destined to free humankind from enslavement by the machines. When the day comes for you there is no doubt in your mind which pill you will take.

3) Star Trek - Humanity is but only one of many civilizations that inhabit the length and breath of space. One day humanity will descend into the void of space and come in contact with new life forms and new civilizations. We will travel in advanced space ships, equipped with powerful weaponry such as phasers and photon torpedoes. We will meet strange new enemies who wish to destroy, capture or assimilate us but also meet friendly life forms and engage in commerce and trade with them. Such is the destiny of humanity. This theory can also be applied to games and other media that have a similar theme (most space simulators).

4) Bible (includes Qur'an and other religious material) - You believe in God almighty, who created the heaven and earth and all that dwells within. Everything is by His works and His will and the purpose of humanity is to worship Him and follow his teachings. You hold the Bible as the word of God, as the absolute truth. When your time has come you will stand before Him to be judged and if seen worthy will enter His kingdom to live in peace for all eternity, else suffer in the flames of Hell. This theory is based on the premise that there is a one above us, an all-encompassing being, usually spiritual and holy who watches over humanity and judges us based on our acts.

5) Nothing - You don't believe in any "reality theories" that you hear. No mystic energy controls your life and the universe and world is as you see it. You rely on cold, hard logic and science for your answers to life. You don't believe in anything illogical or "mystic" as there is no such thing. When you die that'll be it, you'll be no more. There won't be any afterlife or any spiritual sequence that follows. No siree, I am myself in this reality and that's it.

So there you have it. You're not limited to these choices though, they're just for reference. If you have some other theories on reality feel free to post them and choose them (and a mod can add it to the poll or something).

[vc15]

none of them really hit the nail on the head for me.

i voted for nothing, since it was the closest, i suppose.

i have always tried to follow some central tenets of almost every mainstream religion (especially buddhism and christianity, however) -especially those which deal with how one should attempt to coexist with one's fellow creatures. i believe ONLY in these certain philosophical elements of religion. i have never participated in any way in organized religion, and i don't plan to.

here's an example of what i mean. the bible said:

'thou shalt not bear false witness'
and
'judge not lest ye be judged yourself'
and
'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'

that's the ONLY part of any organized religion which i think is worth paying attention to. everything else is worthless to me.

i'd like to note, though, that considering that it is a part of my job to inflict suffering onto others, i find myself constantly torn between conflicting obligations - between morality and humanity. i sometimes wish i was without morality.

[Shiori]

I would prefer the Star Trek one, although I tend to lean towards the "Nothing" choice.

[Rhombus]

I agree with Shiori. The thread is called your "preferred" reality and indeed I would prefer a future like Star Trek, where humanity is at peace, and life is about self improvement and the search for knowledge. I don't really actually believe in such a reality though... so I'll vote for the nothing choice.

[Valeron]

I believe in something like star trek/ multiple galaxies...
Earth is juz a small dot in the galaxies

[Tori-Yama]

Add an Anime universe I would vote for this.

[DarkAurora]

I voted Matrix because I would like to be able to perform all those cool stunts but Force is most close to my beliefs.

[Boltzmann]

Greetings,

I've chose None, since I'm an atheist existentialist, a positivist (and to a great extent, a reducionist). Science (giving empirical conceptual frameworks) and subjective experiences (interpreting the phenomena - a reminiscence of Hume) matter for me. No god-of-the-gaps, no afterlife and no phony transcedentalism for me.

But as to what kind of world I would really like to live in, it would be the Star Trek universe. I only think that it's unrealistical because the energy requirements for space travel (specially so for warp drives) would be too high, and space is too vast for any reasonable chance of finding new civilizations near us (unless life is exceedingly common). But it would be the best choice for me, nonetheless.

Live long and prosper.

[Myconid]

There shouldn't be the I don't believe in any of that stuff choice in the poll.Because this is not something we believe in,but how we would preffer things to be.This is not the question of believing. Not believing in that stuff is you're favorite scenario how can that be,what that is you're preffered reality?that makes no sense!You should've put i have my own reality choice or sumthing like that.

[Syed Fawad]

The reality in which I believe is "God"

AFA preferred reality is concerned, I am not quite sure about that..

[op3n_skill]

i believe in nothing...............
yeah... maybe you're right boltzmann, That Science is the only real thing, Luck is nothing more but a bunch of mathemathical equations, that there is no such thing as After-life or deja-vu only death, and near death experiences are but a psychological disturbance..............
Science seems to fight Religion, A never-ending Tug of war to where the people believe.

Im also a Atheist but also Christian, If only i wasnt born in the Philippines w/c is a religious country.....

[vc15]

>That Science is the only real thing

sceince is nought but the new religion.

[Demigod]

Originally posted by Myconid
There shouldn't be the I don't believe in any of that stuff choice in the poll.Because this is not something we believe in,but how we would preffer things to be.This is not the question of believing. Not believing in that stuff is you're favorite scenario how can that be,what that is you're preffered reality?that makes no sense!You should've put i have my own reality choice or sumthing like that.

The lack of belief in the above choices is also a belief, isn't it? That choice is for the aheist and one who only believes in nothing outside our current realm of existance. One who only believes in what he/she sees right now and holds truth to science and facts. Although I come from a Christian family and believe in some spiritual matters I've been increasingly drawn towards the others, mainly the multiple galaxy theory (we can't be the only sentient species in the entire universe, can we?) and the aheist philosophy, as what I've seen in most, if not all of my life has been through fact and reality. Science has opened the doors to the inner workings of the world and many of the beliefs of the old world do not exist any longer (demon possession for example).

As I said in my first post you're not limited to the choices above. If you have your own preferred reality then feel free to post it and ignore the poll altogether. This is just for fun, as I know some who believe strongly in some of those things. My sister works for Statistics Canada and some of the people she calls identify their religion as "Jedi". Some may believe in it, others may want to believe in it and this thread is for people to express what they like or believe most. I've just listed some of the major influencial reality theories in our current point in time. If someone wants something else put up there then they can post it and perhaps a mod/admin can add it to the poll.

[Boltzmann]

Originally posted by vc15
>That Science is the only real thing

sceince is nought but the new religion.

I don't think so. Science is not dogmatic and does not kill or promises damnation for the unbelievers. Science s empirical, while religion is metaphysical. You cannot compare the two properly.

>>I've been increasingly drawn towards the others, mainly the multiple galaxy theory (we can't be the only sentient species in the entire universe, can we?)

As I've said on some other thread, the odds for the existence of extraterrestrial life are enormous. Through the sheer number of possible sites for life that exists in our galaxy alone it's highly improbable that we're the only life forms on it. But finding the other beings is another problem (and a really big one).

[op3n_skill]

Well to me the only logical thing is to believe the logical, and science is it, even though it is not very in-depth it logically explains everything.
Science also builds on its mistakes, it is the backbone for development and technology.

Unlike religion, mistakes are kept in the dark, to show that the principles are built on perfection.....
and is it not what we want to have..................

[Phoenix]

I believe in whatever I want to believe, I like the Matrix "Style" but where the Matrix philosophy goes, is deeper, contains concepts of all time human mankind history.
All these "realities", "religions" go to the same place, it's a matter of "style", which one you adopt is up to you.

[N1ghtw0lf]

Although the reality is just reality...theres nothing you canr eally do about it...i put i dont believe in it

[Myconid]

Originally posted by Demigod
The lack of belief in the above choices is also a belief, isn't it?

Yeah but I doubt it's prefered reality.

[N1ghtw0lf]

are you asking us what we would like reality to be?

because last time i heard noone wants to live in a computer simulation (enless your life sucks) and we already discussed god in the paradoxes thread...and multiple galaxies are there...it is just far in the future before we can really do anything about it...but overall reality is something you cannot change in itself...so you kinda gotta learn to just live with it

[Demigod]

Originally posted by N1ghtw0lf
because last time i heard noone wants to live in a computer simulation (enless your life sucks) and we already discussed god in the paradoxes thread...and multiple galaxies are there...it is just far in the future before we can really do anything about it...but overall reality is something you cannot change in itself...so you kinda gotta learn to just live with it

Well I don't really mean change reality, just whatever "reality" you like or prefer. You don't have to believe it and it doesn't have to be probable. We all wish to get out of reality sometimes and believe in things beyond our realm. I just wanted to give people a chance to express their preferred reality.