Does the Quran support Theocracy?

[Ferrocyanide]

8Are We There Yet:
 
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adolescent-health.htmG9+
 
Grand Nudger:
 
That’s an interesting point:
“Tell me about your heaven and I’ll tell you what you are missing in life”
 
Still: I’m not so sure that science and technology is going to solve everything for us.
 

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I mean: Are we the most gifted generation that has ever existed?
 
My Grandparents needed to go to a public bath for instance. Did anyone here ever go to a public bath in his/her lifetime?
 
Yet: We are not that happy. I don’t know about you but I always look forward to the next good thing in my life. Advertisement is pushing all sorts of useless stuff into our hands. And many are simply too caught-up in this game.
 
So spiritually come and says: “Wait a minute. Just stop for a second and be here now”. We might lengthen this debate if you like, but that’s what I see in it.
 
The accomplishments of major civilizations are not myths. We are able to go there and observe them (though historical records and archaeology of course).
 
But what I said about Ancient Egypt is something I could say for the Arab civilization of the Middle Ages. Within history there are those highly advanced societies that could harbor a man like me without killing me in a few months from an infectious disease and/or burning me alive by accusing me of incarnating demons. All that I said was that I would not miss the 20:00 news of this civilization that much. Nor would I miss the alienation, the pollution, massive cities on concrete…
 
Just look at our cities: No civilization has ever built anything that ugly. + Going from one edge of London to the other edge in the 19th century was faster than now in the 19th century.
 

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I’m not saying it would not be difficult. But I don’t think I would shed a tear for not being able to return to the 20th century.
 
Brian Sodding:
 
1- Yes. That’s what I am saying.
2- I’m not a believer in time-travel. In fact let us leave this analogy aside. I would not mind living a different lifestyle. I wouldn’t be that unhappy in a more communal / pastoral type of living if I could afford it. All I am saying is that this urbanized / industrialized / technological / liberal-economy life is not always making that much sense to me. All I am saying is I would not miss it that much if I lived in ancient Athens for instance.
 
Meaning: Yes Science and technology is great. It’s good to go see a certified MD rather than the priestesses of the Temple Asceplius who will prescribe you some herbal medicine and diet based on the dreams you saw while sleeping on the floor of the temple. Yet… Did you see the Movie Dances with the Wolves” (Kevin Costner – 1991) – I don’t think anybody is missing my point here
 

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3-4: We all have our theories. My theory is that something is not working at its full capacity inside of us. And even saying that is one of these “deep” issues of spirituality. It’s not scientifically proven. But it’s a type of practical knowledge, so when you have it, you know it.
Another mentioning of the movies. Let’s think of cloud Atlas. Why is it that we have this need for more? Why does everyone always want more instead of (for instance) realizing how lucky you are for having some of the most unnoticed things in your lives?
 
In my case that is a lake. I’ve had a house with a lake view for more than 30 years now. Last year they built a huge conglomerate in front of me. And then that was it: No more lake.
 
For 30 years, I had all sorts of issues. But it didn’t really cross my mind that I was so lucky of owning a house with a view on the lake. Never.
 
So you may think of this a type of practical philosophy. A process of self-transformation. I know people who tattooed themselves with the phrase “carpe Diem” (Seize the Day) on their arms. But how do you seize the day? How do you bring yourselves to see and enjoy a beautiful view on the lake while it is still there?
 
This world is all about having things, being promoted, putting price tags on things. So let me ask you: Let’s say I will pay you, what is the price of a living tree? If you chop down a forest you can sell the wood and build over the area and make millions of dollars. But what is the price of a tree, that’s just standing there being alive and all that?
 
- So this society has a problem. I’m not saying that my way is the only way. But I believe that if we learn more about what we truly are, we may make a U-Turn before the Titanic hits the giant iceberg.
 
And the thing is: It all starts with us (Us-Ourselves).
 
So that’s my proposition. That’s my approach to things. Some say it’s all messed up: Well maybe it is.
 
But as I said: I used to like science fiction books. I don’t like it that much anymore. I am more convinced now in a future without humans. Meaning: Our specie is going to be more self-aware in the future. I think we will even get to a point where armed conflicts will not exist anymore. And this won’t happen through science. It will happen through us working on our problems in the way I’m describing here.
 

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You can at least accept this as a theory right?

Science is just about knowledge. It is about learning about the universe and various parts of it work.
Technology is about using science to make some useful gadgets: a bridge, a building, an electric engine, glassware, etc.
Mass production is about using science and technology to make a lot of product and reduce the production cost.

I don’t know if every problem will be solved through science. Probably not.

As for the comment about happiness, it is in human nature to want more:
more entertainment. Someone who likes music wants better hits but there comes a point where it is difficult to find more.
(I remember Michael Jackson saying that once you have a hit, you try to do better and try to come up with a bigger hit and maybe you’ll succeed but for the next one, it becomes even harder to do better)
if you like scary movies, you’ll keep on searching for more but after watching your 100 movie, it doesn’t have the same impact as the first few you watched.

If there wasn’t anything more or anything new, then life would become boring.
If they didn’t release a new version of Windows and didn’t try a few stupid ideas, then the technology stagnates.

I think the present is way better than the past for reasons already mentioned. Better healthcare, easier life, more entertainment.
There is a cost that comes with it: huge cities with millions of people and nobody knows anybody.
At one point, I felt like I was just waking up, going to work, coming home to just eat and sleep and then work tomorrow again. Life seems a bit pointless when the majority of your life is spent at work.

In the old days, they had large families, they spent a lot of time together. That bond helped people to reduce stress. They worked hard on their farms but you don’t need to put in travel time to get to work, no need to work 8 h per day.
Probably once the kids grow up, they don’t move thousands of km away. They live nextdoor to mom and pops.
This also has an effect on marriage. Marriages lasted since it was a wide family bond and not just a bond between 2 people.

You had a house by the lake. That is beautiful but it is human nature to get tired of it eventually.

Paradise? Utopia? Heaven? I ask theists about it and non of them can give a clear answer as to what their heaven is. They can’t even answer what they want to do for 1000 y or 10^100000000 y.
I know the answer. Whatever they want to do, they will eventually get bored of it. The only way to escape boredom is to wipe your memory and start over.

If there is a god that has existed for an infinite amount of time, how many planets/universes and life forms has he created so far? After a while, what’s the point? There isn’t a single theist that can answer that one and it happens to be one of my favorite questions for them.