well, wikipedia also happens to say this, (i.e. "fail" on above)

Biological analysis and theories
In the 1990s, Dr. Rick Strassman conducted research on the psychedelic drug Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) at the University of New Mexico. Strassman advanced the theory that a massive release of DMT from the pineal gland prior to death or near-death was the cause of the near-death experience phenomenon. Only two of his test subjects reported NDE-like aural or visual hallucinations, although many reported feeling as though they had entered a state similar to the classical NDE. His explanation for this was the possible lack of panic involved in the clinical setting and possible dosage differences between those administered and those encountered in actual NDE cases. All subjects in the study were also very experienced users of DMT and/or other psychedelic/entheogenic agents. Some speculators consider that if subjects without prior knowledge on the effects of DMT had been used during the experiment, it is possible more volunteers would have reported feeling as though they had experienced an NDE.
Dr. Karl Jansen, a New Zealand-born psychiatrist, claims to have reproduced the effects of NDEs through the use of ketamine, thus giving potential evidence of a biological cause of the experience.[46]
Critics have argued that neurobiological models often fail to explain NDEs that result from close brushes with death, where the brain does not actually suffer physical trauma, such as a near-miss automobile accident. Such events may however have neurobiological effects caused by stress.
In a new theory devised by Richard Kinseher in 2006, the knowledge of the Sensory Autonomic System is applied in the NDE phenomenon. His theory states that the experience of looming death is an extremely strange paradox to a living organism - and therefore it will start the NDE: during the NDE, the individual becomes capable of "seeing" the brain performing a scan of the whole episodic memory (even prenatal experiences), in order to find a stored experience which is comparable to the input information of death. All these scanned and retrieved bits of information are permanently evaluated by the actual mind, as it is searching for a coping mechanism out of the potentially fatal situation. Kinseher feels this is the reason why a near-death experience is so unusual.
The theory also states that out-of-body experiences, accompanied with NDEs, are an attempt by the brain to create a mental overview of the situation and the surrounding world. The brain then transforms the input from sense organs and stored experience (knowledge) into a dream-like idea about oneself and the surrounding area.
Whether or not these experiences are hallucinatory, they do have a profound impact on the observer. Many psychologists not necessarily pursuing the paranormal, such as Susan Blackmore, have recognized this. These scientists are not trying to debunk the experience, but are instead searching for biological causes of NDEs.[47]
According to Engmann[48], near-death experiences of people who are clinically dead are psychopathological symptoms caused by a severe malfunction of the brain resulting from the cessation of cerebral blood circulation. An important question is whether it is possible to “translate” the bloomy experiences of the reanimated survivors into psychopathologically basic phenomena, e.g. acoasms, central narrowing of the visual field, autoscopia, visual hallucinations, activation of limbic and memory structures according to Moody’s stages. The symptoms suppose a primary affliction of the occipital and temporal cortices under clinical death. This basis could be congruent with the thesis of pathoclisis – the inclination of special parts of the brain to be the first to be damaged in case of disease, lack of oxygen, or malnutrition – established eighty years ago by C. and O. Vogt.[49] According to that thesis, the basic phenomena should be similar in all patients with near-death experiences. But a crucial problem is to distinguish these basic psychopathological symptoms from the secondary mental associated experiences which may result from a reprocessing of the basic symptoms under the influence of the person’s cultural and religious views.
Some research has suggested that unconscious patients can overhear conversations even if the hospital machines are not registering any brain activity. Research conducted at Sheffield University led to a finding that the release of adrenaline caused by tissue damage during surgery may cause this.[50] Recent findings have also shown that people diagnosed in a "persistent vegetative state" can communicate through their thoughts, as detected by an fMRI.[51][52]


but keep pushing that old time religion.

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Here's the Garden of Eden>

http://www.ldolphin.org/eden/


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/13/60minutes/main5635191.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CBSNewsMain+%28Breaking+News%3A+CBSNews.com%29


and tower of Babel>http://www.atlastours.net/iraq/babylon.html






So what's your excuse? I suppose you spent years of study to come to your conclusion that the atheist doctrine is true? Did you spend several years obtaining a "Masters of Divinity" certification or even put half as much time and effort of unbiasedly researching the topic as Dr Ross did.

It's a good thing too that we have personal accounts from people that have done just that.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4136610474021109864#

In the first two links, they are not sure yet. Wait till they find the right trees before we claim they have found it. Can the find the serpent? How about the tree of life? Or the flaming sword? If you have found the flaming sword guarding the area, I'll be more convinced it is Eden. Better yet, find the tree of life, eat the fruit and see if you can live forever.

That is the tower of babel? Where the wonderful deity screwed with mankind because he was advancing too far? Sounds like a wonderful father to me. My dad would be tickled pink if I exceeded him. 91 meters is the tower that is suppose to reach the stars. Wonder if it will give me a nosebleed if I go up it too fast. I think the Space Needle has a much greater height.

I'm agnostic, not atheist.

Unbiased? That is a joke.

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So what's your excuse? I suppose you spent years of study to come to your conclusion that the atheist doctrine is true? Did you spend several years obtaining a "Masters of Divinity" certification or even put half as much time and effort of unbiasedly researching the topic as Dr Ross did.[/QUOTE]

uh, not aware of an "atheist doctrine"

we non-believers, who actually usually prefer to be considered agnostics, don't need a doctrine - we think for ourselves.

sadly, you seem to lack this ability? or the courage to do so?

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

You would think that women of that age would be experienced enough to know that nobody buys a used car (no matter how good it looks) without taking it for a test drive.

A couple of things.

1. They are hoping to get you so excited at the prospect that you forget caution and just buy it. Vince Schlomi Impression: "You haven't gotten any and you won't till you commit. But if you buy this now, and you know we can't do this all day, you get......."

2. There is a sucker born every day.

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The finding of the Tower of Babel is actually old news . I've got a issue of the Biblical Archeology Review dated 1975 with a full story on it's discovery with aerial photographs but I suppose for you to believe it I would have to carry you on my shoulders on a tour of the place while feeding you out of my hand.



Ok if your agnostic and believe in a higher power what is your belief? You put a lot of effort in bashing Christianity so it must be a really good viewpoint and I'd love to hear about it and how much unbiased research you put into coming to it

For someone that claims to be so unopinionated you are quick to personally attack me when your dogma is challenged.Are you fearful that your faith is based on lies? I would have more respect for you and other atheists if they had a more tolerant live and let live attitude .

Come to think of it, there do seem to be a lot of very defensive "agnostics" here.

They want to see some honest doubt among Christians; but have absolutely none of their own.

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Maybe gift isn't the correct word. I think grace would be better. An unearned gift given without expectation of return. Not to be confused with mercy.
What makes you think you have to swear allegience to God to recieve his grace?
You just don't get it.
God doesn't stand on a high moral ground and he doesn't expect you to.
Now your mixing in politics with religion? You really like to stir the pot don't you?

Danny

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(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination

Fair enough. IF that is the tower they are referring to it stands to reason that you can prove the events that happened next based of the text of a malevolent creature.

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the earth

BTW, the "scattered" did not stop working on the tower for a couple hundred of years

I'm an agnostic not a theist. I believe that at this time, you cannot know the metaphysical. It might be true, it might not be. Perhaps someday we can prove it but not today. As such, I classify this like the actions the Chinese used to take when they had an eclipse. The would bang on the gongs to frighten the dragon away that they might have their moon back. It worked. They always got it back.

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Atheism is not faith. It is the abscence thereof. You should understand that before attempting to claim it's the same as superstition.

- Peter.

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i have no dogma.

i have no faith.

attacking? no.
merely pointing out that you "parrot" the ideas of others. you have no desire to think for yourself. why? are you scared to be an individual? (just seems to follow????)

as to tolerance, i have found - through studying history- that "true believers" in an absolutist faith may claim to be tolerant, but - be they muslims, christians, mormons, scientologists, twelve-steppers, moonies, etc - they are really cult members who are unconcious, programmed, brainwashed tools of their belief system and its hierarchy.

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

OK. So now we call it grace. Either way, there is a return, is there not? Is it given freely to everyone irespective of what they choose to believe or do? If not, how do you believe it is more than a trade of commodities?

How do you receive this "grace"?

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