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Zonie63 -> RE: The Erosion of Progress by Religions (6/9/2014 8:39:49 PM)
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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
Don't be overly concerned there is still hope for you. I said dim wit, which means there might be a glimmer of light. Dim does have a tiny bit of light, turn on a light and you will be golden and in the zonie.
It depends on what kind of "light" you're talking about. I may not have said this before, but at one time in my life, I was a believer. But either way, if anyone is a "dim wit," it's whoever wrote that story you posted.
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What do you think the US would do to civilians operating terrorism knowingly by flying planes into foreign buildings with no active war going on? Think we would support those doers, hide them, support them?
We probably wouldn't be able to do anything, if they were flying planes into foreign buildings and killing themselves in the process. They'd be dead and at the bottom of a pile of rubble.
As far as U.S. civilians operating terrorism, supporting them or hiding them, it depends on which civilians you're talking about. If they're civilians who work for the CIA or the State Department or some other part of the government, then we might have to open up another thread about what they may have supported or hidden. Your question here opens up quite a can of worms (and I have no idea how it's relevant to my post or the story you posted or anything else in this thread).
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Don't think so.
For every consequence there is a reaction.
Exactly.
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People can be extremely tolerant and turn cheeks all the time. But oh yes comes a time they are convicted to stand up.
Christians are not taught to devalue life and attack physically unless provoked to no choice.
I see. So, in your estimation, the soldier who got up and slugged that professor was provoked to no choice?
I suppose if the professor said "God, strike me dead," the soldier would have no other choice but to kill him?
I once knew a guy who claimed to be the Messiah. Actually, I've known a few different people claiming to be Messiahs, but this guy actually made quite a big thing out of it. His main shtick was to show up at various Christian churches and call them out for being hypocrites and apostates. The Christians didn't care for him too much, but there were a few atheists and anarchists who thought he was pretty cool. But he would say things that would anger Christians, and there were several occasions when he'd been physically attacked or arrested - and he viewed that as proof of their apostasy. He was not committing any violence against them, yet they attacked him, just like this soldier in your story attacked a professor who was not committing any violence against anyone.
Sure, I recognize that there are times when Christians - or any decent human being - would find valid justification for standing up for a cause. The Abolitionists would be a good example, and some found it necessary to use violence in order to stop violence, atrocity, and other such gross violations of human rights.
But I would say that someone peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights and saying something that someone else doesn't like - I don't think that breaks the barrier of "just cause." I can't even see how it can be justified on religious grounds.
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Yes God directs humans dear, it's not a new story. Get with the program.
Oh, believe me, I was with that program once upon a time. I recall one passage from the Good Book which says "you will know them by their fruits." If someone commits a sin and says that "God sent them," then by the fruits of their action (sin), we can deduce that God most likely didn't send them. That's "the program" that I once knew. But the reason why I don't "get with" that program is because all anyone can really do is guess.
Really, I'm not against faith or religion as a general concept. I'm not discounting the possibility that there could be some "intelligent design" at work, although there's no real evidence or proof of such. But a possibility. Perhaps there's some order of intelligence at a higher dimensional plane which we can't fathom. If someone comes to me and says "this could be the truth," I'd be far more open-minded than to listen to someone who says "this IS the truth, and I know what God wants for us all."
Anyone who implies that they have personal knowledge of what God is thinking or feeling or what He might possibly want is when problems seem to arise. That's the essence of religious discord and conflict - the root cause of millennia of violence, suffering, torture, and murder. Mix in elements of politics and greed, and, well...you will know them by their fruits.
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Science can be a beautiful discovery or your worst nightmare. The day always has relieve doesn't it after waking from a nightmare doesn't it sweet pea?
Just as with any other scholarly pursuit, science is what it is, neither a beautiful discovery or anyone's worst nightmare.
I view science somewhat like I view the weather report. They have all kinds of devices and instruments to measure temperature, wind speed, barometric pressure - and plenty of other things a meteorologist might use. All I can say is that it's pretty darn hot - and dry as a bone. No rain in sight. I'm sure that people here would be absolutely ecstatic for just a few drops of rain. I check the weather forecast on the local news every day, just to hear that there might be even the remotest chance for a rain shower in our future...but the TV meteorologist has nothing good to report. I know I can't blame the messenger, since it's not their fault the weather sucks.
That's how I tend to view science. They're just the observers and messengers, telling us what's going on out there - at least as much as they can discern with the technology, tools, equipment, and knowledge currently available. I'd like to see more energy and resources devoted to enhancing and improving that technology and tools needed to increase our knowledge and understanding of the universe in which we live. That might actually make the difference between a beautiful discovery or a terrible nightmare. Some science might actually be dangerous in the wrong hands, so that's all the more reason why we need to give the scientific community the freedom, resources, and support they need to do their jobs.
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