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 Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 5:55 am
(Butting in here)
I don't think that dragons are entirely fictional since there are some rumors of fossils resembling dragons being found recently.
I believe that it might have been a reptile of sorts. Maybe a descendant of one of the dinosaurs who survived the catastrophe that wiped them all out. Hunted to extinction by fearful superstitious people in ancient times. It doesn't really sound like something that couldn't possibly exist.
Spitting out fire? Nothing special. Who knows, maybe it has some organ similar to that of electric eels that generate electricity and an organ that produces some sort of flammable compound like gas in it's throat. Combine those two together and BAM! Instant fire breathing. With nature, almost anything is possible.
Also, there have been many cases in ancient times of people seeing some strange new animal and thinking up crazy things about them. Like the Romans seeing a Giraffe for the first time and thinking it was some super powerful fierce monster.
Grand Pianist had mentioned about The First Jade Emperor of China being protected by some dragon. I'm not really a believer in magic and such so I think it's perfectly normal that he died even when a 'dragon' was protecting him. If what I had surmised before was correct then that supposed dragon was probably just some huge fierce looking reptile. Someone probably just caught some huge reptile in the wilds and sold it to the Emperor. Making up wild stories about it to get a big profit and seal the deal.
It's probably similar to a little kid thinking he is untouchable by the neighborhood bullies because he has a huge fierce dog as a pet. I knew of such a case once were there was a kid with a big pet dog and he was bragging about it to the other kids saying "It can shoot lasers from it's eyes, it can even beat a lion, etc, etc.".
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:53 pm
Gah, I'm so late on this, but I felt this was a proper place to introduce myself (so to speak). Hello, all. I go by Ichido. So, let's get started!
Introduction
I have a bizarre mix of beliefs from liberal to conservative to left to right. I lean towards a left-wing anarchist, however.
General
I try to be open-minded about ideas and understand them before I make a judgement. I have briefly studied many religions and have found them all distasteful; from a lack of evidence supporting their claims or lack of evidence supporting their evidence. I dislike the idea that gays should not be able to marry (a typically liberal belief) but I also am pro-life (a typically conservative belief).
God
Eh. I'm definitely an agnostic. I believe that anything is possible as long as no evidence is present to say it is not. No one can prove to me that any god exists; on the other hand, no one can prove to me that one does not exist either. However, I do not believe in the Christian God. It seems preposterous to me that an omnipresent, omnipotent, beneficent, and perfect God whose supposed son preached love and acceptance could ever condone homophobia, sexism, and racism, all of which are themes that appear in the Bible. I believe that the Bible is a work of fiction to set into place the rules and customs of Christianity and as such, although it teaches many proper moral beliefs and practices, it also contradicts them by reflecting upon the ideas of the time. To me, the Bible is out-dated and does not fit the time in which it is currently being practiced. Also, this paragraph is long and has gotten very off-topic. Sorry.
Supernatural
Eh. I'm not sure. I certainly believe in the possibility of them (you'll be hearing "possibility" a lot from me). I'm more inclined to believe that ghosts are real then any other supposedly supernatural creature: it makes a certain sense to me that a mind like a human's, with powerful, advanced mental capabilities and a electromagnetic field, which is often reported at ghost sightings, would be capable of leaving an imprint of itself behind.
Fantasy
Fantasy is definitely my favorite genre of book. However, fantasy must have rules. Random conflicts and deux ex machina's cannot appear suddenly with the ridiculous explanation of "it's fantasy." There need to be clearly established rules: in Harry Potter, for example, the wizard's magic comes from within himself and is expressed by his wand and words of power. No magic can be performed unless a wand is present and the words of power are at least thought, excepting from incredibly powerful wizards. Rules.
Psychic Phenomena
I certainly believe in this. I doubt that many people can wield this force consciously, but think: when you say something that someone else was just thinking, someone starts humming a song you were just thinking about, and when two people do something at the exact same time. Coincidence? Possibly. It is more likely to me, given the frequency of the events described, that people unconsciously communicate with their minds: whether through actual, clear thoughts or impressions of feelings or actions.
Religion
Religion is fine with me. You want to be a Christian? Great. Muslim? Fabulous? Buddhist? Go for it. The only things I really hate about religion are evangelism and those self-righteous assholes who believe that their religion is the right one and that everyone else should think so too. I really hate when people try to force their religious beliefs on others. I could go on for hours about gay rights, but to put it succinctly: If your religion says "gays are sinner," that's cool. YOU believe that. Alone. Only you. You do not have the right to tell another person who is gay that they can't be gay and that it is a sin. You do not have the right to say that gays can't marry. If YOU believe that being gay is a sin, then only YOU should be expected to follow that belief. Of course, the self-righteous assholes believe that their religion should be what laws are based on. (1. We have a thing called separation of church and state. 2. Didn't God say something about how he was the only one who was allowed to judge people? Yeah, he did.) I hate democracy because almost no one actually cares about those points in the USA. (Where I live).
Afterlife
Eh. I don't know what to expect in the afterlife. However, I do not allow some idea of purgatory to govern my actions. When I decide not to do something, it is because that action conflicts with my own morals, not because I fear an eternity in hell. I do not fear going to hell for not being a Christian because, as mentioned earlier, any righteous, perfect God could not be so if he judged a person based on if they believed in him and not if they were actually a good person or not.
Society
If I did this one, it would take me a very long time and a hell of a lot of typing, so I won't.
Belonging
I find that I have many different faces for interacting with different people. My key traits (excitability, loudness, and cheerfulness) do not change, but I will say different things and act different ways around different groups of people. Honestly, though, I don't really care about fitting in. I find that it happens naturally. I'm on good terms with almost everyone at my school, but I am only close friends with a handful. My biggest tactic is, honestly, the Golden Rule. I make an effort to be friendly to everyone, and more often then not, they reciprocate it, even if we are very different people.
Conclusion
The way I think about things is evolving, largely due to the rectification of my own ignorance. As I am only 15, I am discovering new issues, beliefs, and philosophies every day. I was not pro-life until having a debate with a friend about abortion. So be patient with me if you are looking at this for reference and I am saying completely different things if we are debating.
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