Does God Exist?

[Hobbit]

Did the Spartans have it right?

Nope. The Spartans selectively bred their population solely for war, and at that, they succeeded greatly. However, I doubt America would have the technology it had today if the physically 'inferior' were left out in the cold.

[Hagbard Celine]

Nope. The Spartans selectively bred their population solely for war, and at that, they succeeded greatly. However, I doubt America would have the technology it had today if the physically 'inferior' were left out in the cold.

Our country's name is "The US," not "America" regardless of how many times President Bush says it. What if the UK called itself "the United Kingdom of Europe?" or if China called itself "The people's republic of china...of asia?"

It's disgusting.

[5stringJeff]

Our country's name is "The US," not "America" regardless of how many times President Bush says it. What if the UK called itself "the United Kingdom of Europe?" or if China called itself "The people's republic of china...of asia?"

It's disgusting.

Actually, our country's name is "The United States of America." "America," "US," "USA," or "United States" are acceptable nicknames.

[Gaffer]

Natural selection still applies to humans, but not fully. It's now rare that those with genetic disadvantages rarely die off early as a result. However, each person still chooses with whom to mate. Traits that make an undesirable mate are still weeded out or relegated to the dregs of society. When's the last time you saw a successful, good-looking, rich businessman banging some poor, ugly skank. Desirable traits for mating, such as beauty, intelligence, and physique are still more likely to be passed on than undesirable traits, such as ugliness, weakness, and stupidity.

As far as letting the incompetant die, I'm all for voluntary charity there. If somebody was too stupid to move out of the way of a hurricane, I'll be more than happy to help them out a bit, but I want the power to cut off that help if they piss me off.

One final note, Stephen Hawking is currently physically inferior to most of mankind. He cannot walk. He cannot talk. He can, however, perform complex differential equations in seconds and unravel the deepest mysteries of the cosmos, so I'm all for keeping him alive.

I was going to bring up Hawkins myself.

[Gunny]

We have the intellect and technology to keep weak members of our species alive--members who would've been picked-off by natural selection, hence natural selection no longer applies to us humans.

Yeah, and look at what it's done for us.

[Hobbit]

I was going to bring up Hawkins myself.

Hawking? I met him once (long story, let's just say I have sufficiently nerdy friends). Nice guy. Doesn't talk much.

[Gaffer]

Hawking? I met him once (long story, let's just say I have sufficiently nerdy friends). Nice guy. Doesn't talk much.

I wonder why?

[LOki]

Personally, I think that Religion is the problem. Everyone knows what is right and wrong. There is no such thing as "origional sin" or even a concept of sin. There is only right and wrong 'depending upon circumstance'. If you kill someone is it wrong? I firmly believe it depends upon the reason. Did you get in a drunken fight, or were you defending your family, or defending an old woman being attacked on the street. The christian religions are the worst for 'written in stone' sins. Thou shalt not kill. Look at nature to know the truth...

Sin is being disobedient of God.

The problem is not religion, or the belief in God, but rather adherence to a religion that glorifies and worships as the supreme moral authority a God that considers disobedience the prime cause for punishment over evil.

[Doniston]

Sin is being disobedient of God.

The problem is not religion, or the belief in God, but rather adherence to a religion that glorifies and worships as the supreme moral authority a God that considers disobedience the prime cause for punishment over evil.

So if there is no god, there is no sin.? I don't subscribe to that --to me you sin upon yourself

[Hobbit]

Sin is being disobedient of God.

The problem is not religion, or the belief in God, but rather adherence to a religion that glorifies and worships as the supreme moral authority a God that considers disobedience the prime cause for punishment over evil.

It's a bit more complex than that. Sin has consequences, but most of the consequences of sin do not stem directly from it being that "God said so." For the life of my, I can't find any commandment in the Bible that doesn't have a practical application, whether you believe in God or not.

[LOki]

It's a bit more complex than that.

If you're talking about what "sin" is, then you're wrong--sin is just that simple.

If you're talking about "the problem," I'll grant you that--I didn't mean to over-simplify, but to rather cover alot of ground efficiently.

Sin has consequences, but most of the consequences of sin do not stem directly from it being that "God said so."

Really? Considering the what "sin" means, the whole omniscience & omnipotence business (and every thing they mean), and the consequences that are relevent to the discussion, I'll just have to disagree.

For the life of my, I can't find any commandment in the Bible that doesn't have a practical application, whether you believe in God or not.

How about:<blockquote><b>Exodus 20:4:</b>"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"</blockquote>Hardly any practicality in there at all--I might go so far as to suggest it's rather impractical, or invites impracticality.

[loosecannon]

Natural selection still applies to humans, but not fully. It's now rare that those with genetic disadvantages rarely die off early as a result. However, each person still chooses with whom to mate. Traits that make an undesirable mate are still weeded out or relegated to the dregs of society.

So is this natural selection or unnatural or something else?

When's the last time you saw a successful, good-looking, rich businessman banging some poor, ugly skank.

I think this happens a million times a day in the red light districts.

Desirable traits for mating, such as beauty, intelligence, and physique are still more likely to be passed on than undesirable traits, such as ugliness, weakness, and stupidity.

Alcohol: helping ugly people get laid for 3000 years.

As far as letting the incompetant die, I'm all for voluntary charity there. If somebody was too stupid to move out of the way of a hurricane, I'll be more than happy to help them out a bit, but I want the power to cut off that help if they piss me off.

Spoken like vengeful God himself.

One final note, Stephen Hawking is currently physically inferior to most of mankind. He cannot walk. He cannot talk. He can, however, perform complex differential equations in seconds and unravel the deepest mysteries of the cosmos, so I'm all for keeping him alive.

We will never live long enough to know if he unraveled those mysteries correctly.

Natural selection would have offed him a decade back.

Or is that unnatural selection or something else?

[LOki]

So if there is no god, there is no sin.?

That is correct.

I don't subscribe to that...

That's ok, you don't have to, I'll bet you're not subscribing to the dictionary--not your fault.

...--to me you sin upon yourself

Sin could also be monkeys to you, but we can always find an impartial reference to help us clear up our difference of opinion. ;D

[Hugh Lincoln]

I disagree. We uphold the "values" of human life. Natural selection in the mortal sense stopped applying to humans a long time ago.

Holy crap, is this ever wrong. Every time a woman passes me by for a better-looking guy, that's natural selection at work.

[Doniston]

That is correct.

You took the following out of context:

(quote) I don't subscribe to that --to me you sin upon yourself (unquote)

By spliting it into two parts and thereby changing the intended meaning. that is very disengeneous, and thus why should I give you the slightest credibility??? I personaly consider that a form of lying.

That's ok, you don't have to, I'll bet you're not subscribing to the dictionary--not your fault.

For your information I use the dictionary quite regularly, and Sin is not only described as Biblical.