//That the Big Bang started from nothing is not a part of the theory. It is currently impossible to investigate what, if anything, existed before the Big Bang. It may not even make sense to ask.//

AJ, I agree with the first sentence but not the second. My philosophy is that it always makes sense to ask.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04cbbld

Dear Toni Lavis,

Part of my philosophy is not always to commit oneself to act in a certain way. Sometimes one should ask. Sometimes one should not ask. Sometimes one should get further information before deciding. Sometimes one should try to find the information by experiment or research rather than by asking. Sometimes one should ask oneself whether the question could be formulated better or is worth asking. if one is dealing with a person who confuses their opinion with truth and thinks others should have that opinion it may be wisest to keep quiet. I question my participation in this stream. Has it been worthwhile? Have I or anybody else benefitted from my participation?

Looking back on my statements I do not regret mentioning MacCulloch’s “A History of Christianity”. I learned much from that book, and I hope others will also.

Toni Lavis,

Thanks for the link. It looks interesting. I'll be sure to check it out when I've got more time.

If it makes any difference (and I'm sure I'll find out if it does when I check out the episode you've linked to), what I meant by "it may even not make sense to ask" is that, so far as we can tell, time didn't exist before the Big Bang; so, to therefore ask what came "before" the Big Bang may be a nonsensical question.

//Sometimes one should ask.//

Not sometimes: always.

How else do you expect to learn anything?

//Sometimes one should not ask.//

Nah, piss off.

//Sometimes one should get further information before deciding.//

Falls under the general heading of 'asking'.

//Sometimes one should try to find the information by experiment or research rather than by asking.//

See above. Also, did you even bother listening to the podcast?

//Sometimes one should ask oneself whether the question could be formulated better or is worth asking.//

Sometimes one should not fall to prey to self-doubt and second-guess oneself.

The Force will not be with you if you are not with the Force.

//if one is dealing with a person who confuses their opinion with truth and thinks others should have that opinion it may be wisest to keep quiet.//

Appeasement?

Nah, bugger that for a joke. Look where it got Neville Chamberlain....

//I question my participation in this stream.//

See above point about self-doubt.

I think you do a sterling job: keep up the good work.

//Has it been worthwhile? Have I or anybody else benefitted from my participation?//

Yes to both.

Hi David f,

All discussion is worthwhile, even if its only to get one out of mowing the lawn. Seriously, an inquiring mind is a healthy mind, and like all the discussions on the forum you take part in, you have again constructed a reasoned argument, and even your detractors cannot deny that. Myself, I tend to be flippant at times, not appearing to be all that serious, now and then when the discussion get a little hot, I find its good to lighten up and laugh at ourselves with a bit of frivolity. I have read all the posts on this thread and have learnt a great deal from every contributor.

Hi there TONI LAVIS...

You briefly touched on the Freemasons and the secrets they allegedly like to possess. Freemasonry and this topic, are in no way in conflict with each other, in so much, one of the important tenets of Freemasonry is the belief in a superior 'being', whatever that 'being' may be called? There are claims Masonry is a 'secret' society. No, Masonry is a society with some 'secrets'.

There are so many myths, fallacies and legends, all of which have been ascribed to the Freemasons, you'd be sitting down all day, trying to find them all, and furnishing all the answer(s) to those who're critics of the Craft. In fact I've found, after nearly forty years or so in the Masons, the greatest critics are those who know the least about them?