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Originally written by Yama:

Muffin, please don't tell me that you're actually Ed. Please...

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Originally written by No more muffins:

I'm am not that spamfull, flamefull idiot.

I am a good person. I am also friendly to animals.

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Originally written by Drew:

As they say, there was no malice aforethought here

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Originally written by Ceylon:

I can't believe I am saying this, but I hope he isn't banned forever.

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Originally written by Stillness:

Yes we've had school shootings, children getting crazy at parties, war, divorce, etc in the past. I acknowledge that. What I'm talking about is scale. If you can't see it I don't really know how to do a better job. Look for yourself and see or not.

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And somebody at a different time saying morals were decreasing has nothing to do with now. Maybe they were declining, maybe they were not.

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Originally written by Stillness:

Kel, I appreciate your passion, but calm down.

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I never said Christian values are hard-wired. I said absolute morality is.

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Originally written by Stillness:

People don't refrain from killing simply because they don't want to be killed or they fear the authorities. I think that plays a role, but love, empathy, and value for life are all involved as well. All these can be overcome to actually commit murder because we aren't driven by instinct. When a person does though, this can leave them with a scarred conscience. Your theory doesn't explain this well.

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Originally written by Stillness:

It's also not farfetched because we see basically the same thing now. This is the situation we had on the other thread and we're in the same positions. I think things are the same, you think they work differently.

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Originally written by Stillness:

OK, but would you mind clarifying exactly what was hypocritical for my own edification before you and Kel check out. If I see I’m wrong I’ll gladly admit to it. I really don’t get it atm. Are we talking about video game addiction or the infamous “Regulation?”

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Originally written by Stillness:

But, I guess since man is at his peak it’s absolutely impossible for anything to have existed that we don’t see today. Any evidence to the contrary should be automatically discounted and mocked.

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Originally written by Stillness:

Your views are more influenced by modern western values. A lot of those values are good, especially in this country. Marriages can do ok using them, especially if you have good upbringing and similar backgrounds. It’s just a little more difficult.

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Originally written by Yama:

Well, it no longer enforces sodomy laws. It's amazing how many are still on the books, though.

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I didn’t say that there weren’t large scale wars. I said there weren’t world wars.

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It doesn’t matter if something is legally mandated if it still goes on. Or maybe you think the government doesn’t know about forced labor. No caste system? ... “Blacks comprise 13 percent of the national population, but 30 percent of people arrested, 41 percent of people in jail, and 49 percent of those in prison…Thirteen percent of the black adult male population has lost the right to vote because of felony disenfranchisement laws.”

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Originally written by Stillness:

You say the golden rule is age old and not originating with Christianity, please list the other source(s) that has that rule.

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Christianity is not responsible for any wars, atrocities, or invasions. It’s impossible for it to be.

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What happened in the last century was unique though. I agree that technology played a role in the ease of killing. But we had two world wars – absolutely unprecedented! That has nothing to do with technology.

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Darwinistic thought, which teaches competition and advantage over others translating into survival and prosperity, heavily influenced the governments that were based off of Marx.

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Racism, sexism, and intolerance are still alive and well too. That’s why a lot of folks have love/hate feelings towards the U.S. This country is supposed to be so concerned with human rights yet it tortures, bullies and abuses all over the world.

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Originally written by jg.faust:

Indeed. Integration by Parts should be placed on the list of condemned weapons by the UN. :(

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Originally written by Student of Trinity:

My wife didn't have to worry about getting a telegram saying I'd been killed when my integral blew up.

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Originally written by wary wanderer:

Of course, the question of whether and how viruses, prions, and obligate intracellular parasites (like Rickettsia) fit into our understanding of life is still a difficult one.

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Originally written by Drew:

As for life, my understanding was that it probably would have to be carbon-based and rely on oxygen to some extent, owing to all that Krebs cycle stuff I've mostly forgotten from 10th grade biology. Not that all organisms rely on ATP or whatever, but I assume that only particular molecules/atoms are suitable for the exchange of ions/anions and whatnot for everthing to stay "alive"/in motion. Am I way off the mark here?

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Originally written by Stillness:

As a Christian I'm certainly not counting faith out. But, religion is not as important to people as it was 200 years ago, especially in western society. And it's still declining. I think such a discovery would speed that trend. I think we'd see a more rapid decline in morals and a general feeling of uneasiness about what else lies beyond our skies.

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