Current/Recent World Conflicts thread.

[Jahled]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6309979.stm

 

Tolerant bunch aren't they. I don't like Islam. Rough remark from an otherwise very liberal fellow.

[DarthTex]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6309979.stm

 

Tolerant bunch aren't they. I don't like Islam. Rough remark from an otherwise very liberal fellow.

I don't mind that they practice their religion their way, BUT anything that they think must be enforced on others against their will really rubs me the wrong way

 

I don't think the word "tolerant" exists in their (religious) world

[DarthTofu]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6309979.stm

 

Tolerant bunch aren't they. I don't like Islam. Rough remark from an otherwise very liberal fellow.

I don't mind that they practice their religion their way, BUT anything that they think must be enforced on others against their will really rubs me the wrong way

 

I don't think the word "tolerant" exists in their (religious) world

 

I'm sure there are some very good, moderate Islams out there. If Christianity were judged based on the Ku Klux Klan and extremists who have chopped off their children's hands in what they claim to be the name of God Christianity would get a horrible reputation as well. While Islam has a larger history of violence that is not to say that its followers as a whole are violent.

[Eagle]

I don't think the word "tolerant" exists in their (religious) world

Me either!

 

What disturbes me most of these so called "moderate" muslims is that they don´t really show that they are against the islamic-terrorism. Because of that it looks like they do agree with them at least in some points. If there is a demonstration in germany against terrorism you won´t find much muslims among them.

[Jahled]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6309979.stm

 

Tolerant bunch aren't they. I don't like Islam. Rough remark from an otherwise very liberal fellow.

I don't mind that they practice their religion their way, BUT anything that they think must be enforced on others against their will really rubs me the wrong way

 

I don't think the word "tolerant" exists in their (religious) world

 

I'm sure there are some very good, moderate Islams out there. If Christianity were judged based on the Ku Klux Klan and extremists who have chopped off their children's hands in what they claim to be the name of God Christianity would get a horrible reputation as well. While Islam has a larger history of violence that is not to say that its followers as a whole are violent.

 

What you miss my friend is that according to that bbc article, 1/3 (37%) of young Muslims living in my country want to see Sharia law in my country, and about 1/6 of them think the 7/7 bombings were understandable according to further bbc findings. To put this level of insanity in the context of the larger Christian religious community, and tossers like the Ku Klux Klan, is wrong. The vast majority of Christians worldwide I should imagine find the racist ideology of the Ku Klux Klan vile and repugnant, and at a far larger ratio than the percentage of young Muslims who think the imposition of religious law 'to underpin society,' as they see it, is a healthy thing.

 

Remember this is the stone age law the Taliban imposed in Afghanistan that got women executed for the crime of being raped because they couldn't produce four witnesses. And on repeated occurrences.

 

You would have to be completely consumed and blinded with hate to think there aren't Muslims who are perfectly normal and not so overwhelmed with religious crap that they are all potential suicide bombers lurking in the midst of our societies; I don't think of someone with that particular faith that way, but I am a little rattled by the statistics of the young men who are Muslim who apparently see their faith as the highest law in the land, when it clearly has major flaws, like girls being executed because they were raped for example.

 

And how dare they judge or condemn anybody for having sex in the first place when they choose to for christ's sake! It's about the most basic function known in biology.

 

I'm not an obvious fan of religion in general, but feel slightly less threatened by the presence of the various Christian elements living in my country than the presence of Islam. When I tell Bible-bashing Christians to get out of my face, I am left with the feeling they might prey for my soul (in their eyes) as opposed to behead me in the case of Muslims because i've cursed their invisible friend and thus forfitted my right to existance.

 

Lovely guy, this god fellow.

[DarthTex]

... I'm not an obvious fan of religion in general, but feel slightly less threatened by the presence of the various Christian elements living in my country than the presence of Islam. When I tell Bible-bashing Christians to get out of my face, I am left with the feeling they might prey for my soul (in their eyes) as opposed to behead me in the case of Muslims because i've cursed their invisible friend and thus forfitted my right to existance.

 

Lovely guy, this god fellow.

I'll "pray" for you too J

 

God didn't create evil.

 

Man excels at ignorance

 

Just rambling ...

[JediHunter]

... I'm not an obvious fan of religion in general, but feel slightly less threatened by the presence of the various Christian elements living in my country than the presence of Islam. When I tell Bible-bashing Christians to get out of my face, I am left with the feeling they might prey for my soul (in their eyes) as opposed to behead me in the case of Muslims because i've cursed their invisible friend and thus forfitted my right to existance.

 

Lovely guy, this god fellow.

I'll "pray" for you too J

 

God didn't create evil.

 

Man excels at ignorance

 

Just rambling ...

In order for good to exist evil also too must exist.. so.. therefore.. God must have made evil in order to appear as good before man... plus.. didnt God create the angels??... and Lucifer is an angel.. who fell.. to become Satan.. and all that is evil.... therefore God created evil... well... I think i may be wrong somewhere in there... enlighten me..

[Jahled]

... I'm not an obvious fan of religion in general, but feel slightly less threatened by the presence of the various Christian elements living in my country than the presence of Islam. When I tell Bible-bashing Christians to get out of my face, I am left with the feeling they might prey for my soul (in their eyes) as opposed to behead me in the case of Muslims because i've cursed their invisible friend and thus for-fitted my right to existence.

 

Lovely guy, this god fellow.

I'll "pray" for you too J

 

Compassionate attitude! This is more what what I was on about..

 

Nicer than this:

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e253/Jahled/muslims.jpg

 

 

God didn't create evil.

God 'apparently' created the enitre universe, so i'm perplexed how God neglected to overlook a few flaws in human nature. Like why? Our Sun is terribly large. Antares is even larger. The size of the universe is vast beyond compression, and God overlooks evil? It's like, let me give humaniti a project, just for the sadistic sake of a pointless project. 'I create WITH ERROR,' world class!! 10/10 god dude! Eternity must be very boring.

 

Man excels at ignorance

 

It's our apparent unique speciality..

 

Just rambling ...

 

me to..

[Darth_Rob]

In order for good to exist evil also too must exist.. so.. therefore.. God must have made evil in order to appear as good before man... plus.. didnt God create the angels??... and Lucifer is an angel.. who fell.. to become Satan.. and all that is evil.... therefore God created evil... well... I think i may be wrong somewhere in there... enlighten me..

 

I agree with ya JH. If anything, there can't be good without evil. Simple as that.

[Jahled]

In order for good to exist evil also too must exist.. so.. therefore.. God must have made evil in order to appear as good before man... plus.. didn't God create the angels??... and Lucifer is an angel.. who fell.. to become Satan.. and all that is evil.... therefore God created evil... well... I think i may be wrong somewhere in there... enlighten me..

 

I agree with ya JH. If anything, there can't be good without evil. Simple as that.

 

So this god-guy creates the entire cosmos but not consciousness amongst a carbon-based life form wherein dwells such plots as good and evil? For christ's sake it had about thirteen billion years to get it right. What an oversight! And it demands to be worshiped?

[DarthTex]

So this god-guy creates the entire cosmos but not consciousness amongst a carbon-based life form wherein dwells such plots as good and evil? For christ's sake it had about thirteen billion years to get it right. What an oversight!

A man is talking to God ...

 

[man] God, what is a billion years like to you?

[God] Like a second.

[man] God, what is a billion dollars like to you?

[God] Like a penny.

[man] God, can I have a penny?

[God] In a second.

 

And it demands to be worshiped?

God doesn't demand to be worshiped; he gave us free will. Muslims demand you worship Allah (God), and you better do it their way or by darn they'll freaking go cut your head off!

 

 

And on another note, how reality copies fantasy: The Galactic Empire comes to Earth.

[DarthTofu]

And on another note, how reality copies fantasy: The Galactic Empire comes to Earth.

 

Let's see: Ruling party wears red, their controlled by militaristic leaders, and they're headed straight for Communism. This sounds remarkably like Soviet Russia. *Sniffs the air* Is it just me, or did that article leave the lingering smell of sulfur in the air?

 

@Jahled and Tex and Rob and JH and everyone else discussing theology: I sincerely doubt that we're going to convert anyone. Just saying...

 

Granted, I do wrestle with why we would be created on this level of existance if there is another that we get to when we die, which is something that we can do in any number of ways... Meh. I'll live my life the way I see as best, helping the people I feel need help and hope that, in the event that I was wrong, whoever the invisible overseer is judges me not based on what I believed but how I lived and what I did.

[ElvisMiggell]

I believe that there must be a God, the universe's existence strikes me as impossible without some outside help. It seems as good an explanation as any for our being here.

 

As for worshipping him, been there, done that, and i'm not convinced. The thing that really put me off is the level of hypocrisy and beaurocracy within the church, so i figured it was more important to just try and be as nice a person as possible to as many people as possible, and trust that if there is a God and heaven etc etc, in his infinite wisdom he will understand what i'm trying to do.

[Darth_Rob]

Elvis, you have just said pretty much how I feel. It's comforting to think that there is something after death. I didn't like the church either, since I always felt like a robot, repeating the same thing over and over again week after week. So I just live my life, practicing my morals and being a good boy. I just hope I there is a heaven one day so I can shake Chris Farley's hand. That is...if he is in heaven...

[DarthTex]

... So I just live my life, practicing my morals and being a good boy...

Uh Rob, isn't that statement contradictory for you?

[Darth_Rob]

I dunno Tex. You were around when heaven was created, so you should have a good grasp on its values.

[Jahled]

I'll live my life the way I see as best, helping the people I feel need help and hope that, in the event that I was wrong, whoever the invisible overseer is judges me not based on what I believed but how I lived and what I did.

 

Very wise. From a younger chap as well. Most impressed Tofu!

 

@Jahled and Tex and Rob and JH and everyone else discussing theology: I sincerely doubt that we're going to convert anyone. Just saying...

 

Convert? That's not what I guess we're on about fella! Tex didn't demand my decapitation because I find the concept of a conscious architect as a divine creator to be rather feeble in my own view. That's ultimately rather pleasant. He is entitled to his particular faith, just as as is any other human being. If Christianity brings warmth and love to families and personal faith, as with conduct in life, then it's a matter for the individual and in probability a good thing. Life's hard fella, the more so the more you keep on living it. When i've had a tough day for whatever reason or another, and I look up at the stars and wonder what the hell it's all about, when i'm walking home at night, I have my particular way of approaching the subject, other people have theirs. That's life.

 

Having a particular concept of how each of us as unique individuals come to to terms with this majestic apprehension that is the shear scale of the universe, and our meek place within it, bullied and shuved down our throats by zeolots, be they Muslims, Evangelicals, or Marxist nutters is bang out of order.

 

Hence my alarm a few posts back.

[DarthTofu]

Sorry if I offended anyone. I just have a sort of view of apologetics of peoples of any faith or lack therof as being, well, rather annoying. Atheist apologetics in particular. Faith is sort of like a sand castle- It's a wonderful thing to have, and it can make lives that much brighter. I'd feel like a total ass if I walked around trying to kick over other people's sand castles, regardless of whether I succeeded or not. As for deep thoughts: That's a side effect of insomnia... It's what has made me quite recently decide to go vegetarian...

[SOCL]

I'd like to throw in my few cents, albeit late to the conversation.

 

I believe that there is a God. Why bad things happen and humans in general are actually pretty evil things is beyond me, though I have confidence that the Old Man has something of a reason...a damn good one, at that. Even so, God ain't such a bad fellow, he just doesn't send me emails as often as I'd like...for that matter, never. We talk and at times I feel inspiration, but God is something more of a way to describe the sum of good things, rather how people refer to Satan as the epitome of evil. In any event, given that I don't believe in Satan or a devil or even a hell. I mean, damn, if there's something worse than how life treats some of us on a daily basis...then I'm not too sure about God. So in the end, God is what I invest my hope and trust in and whether he exists or not is hard for me to actually decide. From the perspective of a historian who can go back and study the development of religion and such, it's hard to believe anything besides this, all that is around us, exists, but then, it feels good to believe that the Old Man is there when I need Him, eh? In that sense, my belief in God is a personal matter.

 

And that was rather pointless...

[PsychoInfiltrator]

I'd like to throw in my few cents, albeit late to the conversation.

 

I will do such too.

 

Some of you argue that God goofed and made up evil... well, there are some issues with that.

 

1. Seeing as most of such seems to be rleating to the Judaeo-Christian God, you must use the applicable Creation story. God didn't create evil, he merely gave man and the angels the ability to choose to bring it into being.

 

PS: And if that does not phaze you, there is always the argument that 'evil is the absence of God.'

[malarkie]

I believe that God did create evil. It is necassary (sic, it's late) for us to know evil in order to tell what good is.

 

And the whole free will thing.

[DarthTex]

And that was rather pointless...

On the contrary SOCL; it was more important than you realize. First you got to express your opinion (which many people in this world can't or won't); secondly nobody berated you, beat you or killed you for an opinion not the same as theirs (there are some that will contradict or argue with you though. Right Tofu?).

 

I'd say that your comments are worth more than the sum of the words you ... typed

 

Have a good day, everyone!

[SOCL]

Fifteen members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines were taken into custody earlier today by the Iranian Navy for what Iran says was crossing illegally into Iranian territorial waters. I must say, if this had happened to U.S. service-personnel, it would have been the flash point for war. I certainly hope it doesn't come to that, but, for the love of God, we know these fellows weren't in Iranian waters--UK and US personnel on site witnessed the entire thing as it happened! Iran needs to return these fellows at once.

[Darth_Rob]

It's an act of war, says I!!!

[SOCL]

It's an act of war, says I!!!

It probably is, but whose going to fight it? You going to volunteer to enlist Rob? Too many troops pinned down in Iraq and not prepared for another conflict-action. I believe war is avoidable.