For me, knowing ridiculously far more than I should, as well as too many coincidences and synchronicities underlie my belief in a God that is mostly unrelated to religions.
In this article is a part on Roger Penrose, who predicts that almost all matter in the Universe will be be absorbed by huge massive black holes, which will evaporate and disappear through Hawking Radiation. Then the universe will basically be made of photons and become a singularity (which is what the universe was at the time of the Big Bang).
Something to think about - Photons, or light, do not experience time (current theories of physics state so), and thus, are not affected by distance.
I wrote a related post. Maybe a decade ago? Seems Roger Penrose theory is gaining recognition.
There seem to be many conscientious, good people who are concerned by climate change, wars, inequality, hunger and other things.
There also seem to be at least as many who appear concerned, yet waste money, waste food, waste resources, while millions go hungry and have little hope.
Been eating salads, fruit, beans, tofu, nuts, cheese for two months in order to lose weight. Exercise also. My strength improved every three days (I repeat exercises every three days). Lost around 15 pounds, but still have to lose a couple more.
Made me realize that humans are killing a lot of animals just to gorge themselves and doing it out of habit.
When I refer to God, I am talking about something that enlightens me, shows me the mistakes I have made and pushes me to try to be good, probably you also. Mostly unrelated to the Bible and religion.
I am sure that God is concerned (not that God has human characteristics, but no other way to explain at the moment), but why does good change seem to happen so slowly?
In an ideal world, humans would be vegetarians. Maybe also drink milk, eat cheese, no sugar (maybe one teaspoon a day, at most). Rich people would give all they could to charity and work towards providing everyone a place to live, along with basic needs. Expensive private cars, yachts and such taxed at over several hundred percent, or more until they fade out.
I give monthly to UNHRC, also sometimes to destitute people I happen to meet on the streets. Yet, I definitely spend more time, somewhat selfishly, being more concerned about the well being of my family than people in unfortunate situations.
I am sad sometimes, but also sometimes it seems that God rewards me and I feel happy, smile.
Used to think I was poor and actually, I was very poor compared to the rich. Then my apartment's value went up, became a journalist, started receiving a small pension, children got jobs, wife gets pension and suddenly, I am well off.
Been sort of lucky all my life, in some ways.
Is banning restaurants, meat, alcohol, things with too much sugar and fat, and the like too radical?
Maybe to keep Stone from spilling the beans on him, or writing a book?
Stone doesn't seem like a person who would go to jail willingly.
Rich Koreans keep on buying up all the real estate and residential properties in Korea as they have been great investments in the past. The problem is they keep jacking up rents and prices.
So, the government is raising residential property taxes to 6% for people who own 3 residences or more in certain neighborhoods where property prices have skyrocketed and worth over around $80 million, if I remember correctly.
Since the progressive party has a majority in the National Assembly, the bill to raise property taxes will definitely pass without any watering down from the conservative party. :)
I think most Koreans are in favor of the tax increase. I definitely am. Tax the hell out of speculators driving up prices and not paying a fair share of taxes.
I would be in favor of increasing property taxes on people with only one residential property, which includes me.
$600,000 apartment, and I only pay about $400 a year in property tax, lucky me and maybe around ten million other Koreans. The appraisal value used by the government for tax purposes is about 40-50% lower than the market price.
I keep telling other Koreans that we, including filthy rich landowners, pay almost nothing in property taxes and that we should pay more. My rich acquaintances' aversion to such ideas, I understand, but even my middle class friends disagree with me.
Hope, they start raising taxes on commercial property too, but that might cause rent increases, even though around 10% of commercial properties are vacant in downtown Seoul (estimated from all the "for rent" signs I see on buildings.).
Also used to prevent recurrence of bladder cancer. They flush the bladder with it and the bladder walls become more resistant to cancer. In most of the cases.
Have a feeling that this could be one of the reasons why Korea has managed to keep the number of coronavirus infections in control. Along with the masks and contact tracing...
