A place and an event. How close do you have to be to an event to consider yourself present, even if your in a distant place?

[John_Russell_Jr]

My dear friends

The question arises from my notion that if you exist in this universe you can decide you are present at any r every event though you are in one place at a time only? Who’s to say you must see, hear or be in close proximity to an event in order to consider you have been at that event if the event is in the same universe you exist in?

A mass is an event. Is it possible to be at Mass if its in a far off location if the church ok’s it. Just because of great distance who says you cannot be trult present?

A place and an event are 2 separate things. Does anyone know how to establish rules here because as I see it I can be at home and still present at every event in the universe if I
want. Even if I’m oblivious to all. What do you philosophers say.

God bless all:thumbsup:

John

 

[CDNowak]

My dear friends

The question arises from my notion that if you exist in this universe you can decide you are present at any r every event though you are in one place at a time only? Who’s to say you must see, hear or be in close proximity to an event in order to consider you have been at that event if the event is in the same universe you exist in?

A mass is an event. Is it possible to be at Mass if its in a far off location if the church ok’s it. Just because of great distance who says you cannot be trult present?

A place and an event are 2 separate things. Does anyone know how to establish rules here because as I see it I can be at home and still present at every event in the universe if I
want. Even if I’m oblivious to all. What do you philosophers say.

God bless all:thumbsup:

John

It would be interesting to see how you justify the emphasized premise for a material being in a material universe.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

It would be interesting to see how you justify the emphasized premise for a material being in a material universe.

My dear friend

Can you define - material? I believe the universe is spiritual and we are spiritual. I have no problem with the term material or matter but I think we simply have a creation that is varying types and degrees of the spiritual. Some parts of which we call material. All is a thought in the mind of God or thought eminating from the mind of God. And thoughts are spiritual. What do you think?

God bless you:thumbsup:

John

 

[ChadS]

My dear friends

The question arises from my notion that if you exist in this universe you can decide you are present at any r every event though you are in one place at a time only? Who’s to say you must see, hear or be in close proximity to an event in order to consider you have been at that event if the event is in the same universe you exist in?

A mass is an event. Is it possible to be at Mass if its in a far off location if the church ok’s it. Just because of great distance who says you cannot be trult present?

A place and an event are 2 separate things. Does anyone know how to establish rules here because as I see it I can be at home and still present at every event in the universe if I
want. Even if I’m oblivious to all. What do you philosophers say.

God bless all:thumbsup:

John

I think for what you are describing to occur would require you to have some sort of omnipotence and to be omnipresent. Only God can meet those requirements. So yes, while we exist in the same universe where everything is happening some sort of proximity and ability to witness or testify to something happening is required. So for you to say you went to Mass I would think, and I believe the Church would agree, that your physical presence is necessary not just in the same building, but in the nave of the church. Otherwise, anybody who didn’t feel like getting out of bed could say they met their Sunday obligation.

ChadS

 

[MindOverMatter2]

I think being far away and close to something is a bit subjective, since a thing can be far away from you and yet far more closer to you than some other event. What you consider distant or near is dependent on the context and the method of measurement that you choose to apply to a particular event. In terms of distance, I think if we were to look at the problem objectively, i would have to say that any event that isn’t an infinite distance away from you is relatively close to you.

 

[DeOppressoLiber]

"A place and an event. How close do you have to be to an event to consider yourself present, even if your in a distant place"

Well…
If your twenty miles from ground zero when an atomic weapon detonates…

You’re present

If you’re twenty miles from the court house when the subpoena says you should be
there…

You’re not present.

Yes that is a flippant answer, but there is a grain of truth to it. I suppose for most situations being within a proximity to physically be impacted by the action taking place, and in turn effect an impact on them would qualify as present. Other cases, “present”, is specifically defined by some recognized authority: such as being in the proper place, at the proper time, in the proper uniform.