In thr past I've also been an aggressive atheist. Now I take it more easy about this, also I have changed my views.
The interesting think about the scientific approach is that even for top scientists and physicists it is not clear what the real meaning and implications of the more recent theories and mathematical equasions like quantum theory and string theory are.
According to these, our reality is completely mind-blowing and not imaginable to the average person. Who would usually think that there are things like worm holes and parallel universes and matter is existent or not depending on whether there is an observer?
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Therefore, especially as an atheist it is very important use critical thinking but always stay open-minded at the same time, not to narrow the view too much.
I agree with that. If you narrow your views, you narrow the people you can connect with and relate to. And I value the ability to connect with others despite our differences.
By the way, @redgaruda. I used to play a phone app game that was loosely based on Pokemon. The name of the game went through several changes because of copyright issues with the names they were using (the game was based on china). There was a guild in that game that I was the leader of called garuda. Where did you get your username from?
Really, you were the leader of the garuda guild? That's nice! I never played this game, maybe I should have!
It is just a coincidence, basically I made the name up by myself.
According to hindu mythology a garuda is a powerful bird, a kind of powerful giant eagle.
I still think this kind of stuff is interesting - mythology and fairy tales - whether or not these things have any base in reality, these kinds of archetypes play a real role in our individual and collective subconciousness ;-)
The guild I was the leader of was originally created by a guy from either Indonesia or Malaysia, I forget which. After he stopped playing the game, our guild elected me to be guild leader. He just stopped playing with no warning, and left no line of succession so we had to vote. Our guild ended up being the strongest guild in the whole game, too.
I believe the word garuda might be an Indonesian or Malaysian word as well, because the guy who named it was from around there. So I was thinking that either you played that game and was in my guild, or you were also from one of those two countries.
It's good to learn what that word means though!
Yes, also in Thailand, Malaysia/Indonesia the Garuda is very common and a symbol of royalty.
You can find out more under https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda.
Actually - and I wasn't aware of that - there is a deity called red garuda, I just found out.
As for myself, I'm not from Indonesia but I'm a german born guy living in Taiwan!
Cool! I've been to Taiwan, but only for two short layovers on my way to the Philippines.
How long have you been living there? Did you move there as an adult or did your parents move there when you were younger?
Do you speak Taiwanese well? What job do you have there? Where were you educated?
Is the Garuda anything like the phoenix? The phoenix comes from western mythology, but when I think of "red garuda" it makes me think of a phoenix, due to the red imagery and the regal, "royal" connotation.
I've been living here since 2 years. Happy to live here, I appreciate eastern culture in many ways and I need a break from germany...
My wife is Taiwanese and I have a little son. I was taking care of him most of the time and plan to learn chinese soon.
About the phoenix, yes, it was also mentioned in an article that the phoenix is kind of the "western" garuda.
Although we have to bear in mind that our so-called western culture originating in ancient greece has its roots in the east as well, in sumer, in india...
By the way, are you "westerner"? Where do you live?