Profile for Ash Lael
Field | Value |
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Displayed name | Ash Lael |
Member number | 5491 |
Title | E Equals MC What!!!! |
Postcount | 1861 |
Homepage | http://www.onewayfm.com.au |
Registered | Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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Wheel of Time in Blades of Avernum | |
E Equals MC What!!!!
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written Saturday, August 6 2005 21:01
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quote:Have you forgotten that Northern Kingdom 0: Prologue ever happened or something? :P -------------------- SupaNik: Aran, you're not big enough to threaten Ash. Dammit, even JV had to think twice. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Human cloning in General | |
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written Saturday, August 6 2005 19:57
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I'm actually quite flabbergasted at how many people had serious misconceptions about cloning before this topic. Imagine this: A man and his wife want a child, but can't conceive. They think about IVF, but then the doctors suggest an alternative. They clone Donald Bradman. Obviously, it wouldn't be resurrecting the Don, and if he decided that he didn't want to play cricket and would rather be a teacher or something, that would be fine. But if he did decide to be a professional cricketer, he'd have a head start by virtue of the best genes in the business. Moral positions on the above hypothetical situation? I'm sorta on the fence. On one hand it would be cool to be made in the mold of one of the world's greatest sportsmen, but on the other it could be difficult to deal with the expectations that came with it. Kinda like never being able to emerge from the shadow of your father. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
If you could invite 4 people to a dinner in any form... in General | |
E Equals MC What!!!!
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written Saturday, August 6 2005 19:01
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Jesus and TM. It'd be hilarious. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
RICHARD WHITE LEGAL TEAM in Richard White Games | |
E Equals MC What!!!!
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written Friday, August 5 2005 20:48
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Ta. I think you might be interested in Greg Sczebel. He's a young Canadian chap (20, I think) with a bit of a Jazz/Funk sound. I haven't got full songs available, but I do have some shorter clips: Here To Stay - John Lennon Songwriting Competition Grand Prize Winner In The Pocket - Shai Awards Song of the Year Lights Are Coming On Though they probably aren't really what you're looking for, I can't resist the chance to give a plug to Switchfoot. They're one of my favourite groups, and while they do have some really rowdy songs, most of their stuff is more mellow surf-rock. They also have a few actual ballads, though I don't tend to like those songs so much - which may say more about me than anything. :P More Than Fine This Is Your Life Redemption Another of my favourites, Jars of Clay. While I normally prefer the heavy stuff, these guys are the exception to the rule. Unforgetful You I Need You Sunny Days Also, Chris Rice: The Other Side of the Radio - If you don't like this song, there has to be something wrong with you. :P Brooke Fraser seems like an ideal choice (especially "Arithmetic"), but I'm struggling to find her stuff online. New Zealand Spiderwebbers will probably know the name, but she hasn't caught on in Aus or (presumably) the US yet. My searching revealed that she performed in Canberra a few weeks back and I didn't even know. :( See how you go with those. [ Saturday, August 06, 2005 17:57: Message edited by: Ash Lael ] -------------------- SupaNik: Aran, you're not big enough to threaten Ash. Dammit, even JV had to think twice. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Friday, August 5 2005 18:02
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Heck, it could easily get annoying for Christians. It would annoy me if I was an American. But I still think he has a right to do so if he so chooses. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Friday, August 5 2005 16:45
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quote:I agree that it's an irrelevant point. However, it's one that Dolphin brought up as an objection to Bush's actions. Whether or not it's a good argument is beside the point - it's her argument and I was attempting to persuade her to abandon it by exposing the inherent flaws (I could have attempted to demonstrate that it was irrelevant, but I thought it would be easier to attack the logic of the argument itself). [quote]When arguing for Bush's right/obligation/decision to show his religion, we need to distinguish two things. His policies, and his prayers. 1. Praying in public is a non-political issue. Some people have idiosyncrasies - I need to walk around while making a presentation, for instance. It is an indication of someone's character (it tells I am nervous about speaking in public). But it does not harm anyone. However, it is perfectly justified to vote accordingly. You can draw conclusions from his behavior, and use it to judge what kind of leader he would make if elected.[/quote]This is how I regard prayers during/before speeches. [quote](Personally, I'm ready to go with this. If he wants to pray in public, he's fine, but in my opinion he's showing off his faith, which is a character fault).[/quote]Agreed. I've never been comfortable with "horizontal prayer" personally. I think he probably means what he says - but he does it publicly to promote the image of a pious, Godly leader and therefore to get the Christian vote. I'd say there's more to object to from a religious viewpoint than a political one. [quote]2. His Policies, and his official statements. quote:(The actual quote by Bush refers to "strict constructionists", which has another meaning, but has been used by Bush to refer to religious conservatives.) There is a difference between praying (which is his right) and using his political sway to promote his religion. By appointing conservative judges, he does this.[/quote]I'm suspicious of anything that rephrases someone else's words. I'm also somewhat confused here. How are judges picked normally? Is it unusual for Presidents to appoint judges that hold similar views to themselves, or are people objecting because the similar views are religious in this case? PS: Kel, you can't just take a swipe at me and carry on like nothing happened. Could you please either offer some sort of apology or explain why you think I'm fouling up the conversation? -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 23:02
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quote:Huh? -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 22:58
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Sure you can. There's no proof of either. Thus they are just as real as each other. :P EDIT: For clarification. If you're seeking to prove the existence of God, there's no point looking for tangibile evidence unless you can first prove that tangibility itself exists - otherwise you're doing nothing different than those who say "Of course God exists - the Bible says so!". Naturally it's not human nature to refuse to believe something until we have absolute proof - but that's not what you were asking. :D [ Thursday, August 04, 2005 23:28: Message edited by: Ash Lael ] -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 22:35
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Well, in America, most people are also satisfied that God exists. :P -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 22:27
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That doesn't prove it exists. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 22:16
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quote:Does he have to prove that the world exists and isn't just an illusion created in his mind by the Matrix before he comments on Iraq? If not, why not? -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 21:58
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quote:Well, I could make a case about the latter. However, that would be missing the point. quote:God = Important to those who believe in him, an annoying popular myth to those who don't. Holocaust = Important to those who believe in it, an annoying popular myth to those who don't. If Bush has to be sensitive to those who don't believe in God, does he have to be sensitive to those who don't believe in the Holocaust? -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 20:36
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quote: quote: quote::confused: quote:Fair enough. But he can't mention evolution or the Holocaust. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 20:12
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quote:I thought praying before a speech had nothing to do with the actual policies? Do you think it is consistent for endorsing a particular religion to be specifically prohibited (leaving aside whether it actually is, for now) and endorsing a particular colour of pyjamas not to be? -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 20:05
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quote:I love that second sentence - it's almost entirely made of qualifiers. :P I'm afraid I haven't managed to grab the distinction you're trying to draw here, though. If Bush expresses an opinion about Howard (he's ballsy) and he expresses an opinion about God (he exists), why is the one permissible and not the other? [quote]Religion tends to be a sensitive issue for people, and most people don't like being told that what they believe is wrong, or be preached to.[/quote]Sure. But how do you ban a politician from doing that and not ban him from expressing other opinions without being inconsistent? [quote]I just find it inappropriate when the president repeatedly says like… "Thou shalt not kill" is pretty universal. (School) districts ought to be allowed to post the Ten Commandments, no matter what a person's religion is." -- GOP Debate in Johnston, Iowa, Jan. 16, 2000 "Our priorities is our faith." -- Greensboro, North Carolina, Oct. 10, 2000 "I appreciate that question because I, in the state of Texas, had heard a lot of discussion about a faith-based initiative eroding the important bridge between church and state." -- Speaking to reporters, Jan. 29, 2001 "All of us here today understand this: We do not fight Islam, we fight against evil." -- Remarks by President George W. Bush to the Warsaw Conference on Combating Terrorism November 6, 2001 "Americans understand we fight not a religion; ours is not a campaign against the Muslim faith. Ours is a campaign against evil." --President George W. Bush Remarks by the President to Airline Employees O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois September 27, 2001 I guess Bush has the inside tip on what is "evil".[/quote]I dislike it when anyone defends a position I disagree with using stupid arguments (e.g. quote 1 - while that might be an argument for including One Commandment, the same doesn't necessarily hold true for the other nine). I don't think it has anything to do with religion. Regardless, while it would be nice to outlaw being a complete tool, it wouldn't exactly be right. Without context I'm not really able to comment on 2 and 3. Don't know what your problem is with 4 and 5... if mass murder of innocent civilians doesn't qualify as "evil", I'm not sure what does. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 19:33
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quote:While I didn't reply directly to you, I thought I more or less covered that point in the course of replying to Dolphin. quote: -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 15:40
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I can't say what his motivation is, but I don't particularly care. If you're going to ban him from praying you're also going to have to ban him from complimenting John Howard, because not all Americans will agree with his assessment of the man. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 15:28
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quote:I don't disagree with you at all here. I'm not defending his decision to pray publicly, I'm defending his right to pray publicly. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 15:16
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quote: quote: -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Our President in General | |
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written Thursday, August 4 2005 15:11
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quote:I'm not even sure what you're referring to here. quote:Surely not this? [quote]I'm trying not to be redundant, but the point remains that "freedom of religion" means that one is able to have free expression of their religious views, but they also have the right to not have the views of others forced on them. If someone needs to listen to the president's speech about the progress of the war they are forced to sit through a prayer and listen to numerous references about God throughout the president's speech.[/quote]And politicians never ever waffle unnecessarily about anything else. [quote]If the president is unable to separate his religious viewpoint from his job as a leader of a diverse population he will be inclined to make decisions based on his faith rather that what the people want, or what is in the best interest of the masses; abortion at any stage is baby killing because if it's fertilized it's a baby which has been given life by God, or medicinal marijuana should be illegal because getting stoned is evil even if someone is dying.[/quote]This is an invalid point, as neither of those points has much to do with Christianity. The Bible does not say that abortion is wrong, or that life begins at conception. It just says "Don't kill" - and you don't need to be a Christian to believe that killing is wrong. And it also has nothing to say about drugs, as far as I'm aware. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Death to Anama!!! in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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written Wednesday, August 3 2005 22:22
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You are in so much trouble when Drakey sees this. -------------------- SupaNik: Aran, you're not big enough to threaten Ash. Dammit, even JV had to think twice. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Death to Anama!!! in Blades of Avernum | |
E Equals MC What!!!!
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written Wednesday, August 3 2005 22:22
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You are in so much trouble when Drakey sees this. -------------------- SupaNik: Aran, you're not big enough to threaten Ash. Dammit, even JV had to think twice. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
RICHARD WHITE LEGAL TEAM in Richard White Games | |
E Equals MC What!!!!
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written Wednesday, August 3 2005 20:16
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Sorry I haven't gotten around to this in a bit. Stug, could you give me a few pointers on what sort of thing you're looking for? Also, since my particular field of expertise is in Christian music, would it bother you if I recommended something from within that genre? Note: To clear up a few misconceptions you might have, while there's a subgenre of worship music which is more or less endless variations on "Praise God, praise God, praise God," most Christian music is more along the lines of, say, U2. There's plenty of stuff that isn't directly religious, though it's consistent with Christianity, such as Michael W Smith's "We Can't Wait Any Longer" which is about third world poverty. -------------------- SupaNik: Aran, you're not big enough to threaten Ash. Dammit, even JV had to think twice. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
Say your prayers... in General | |
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written Wednesday, August 3 2005 19:54
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quote:Uh, yeah, lots of people still do this. I'm not one of them though, despite considering myself a devout Christian. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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written Wednesday, August 3 2005 19:51
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It probably won't be long now before there will be far too many people chipping in for me to possibly respond to them all. Still, I'll do what I can. quote:I'm trying to boil this down. Let me know if I've got it wrong. It's okay for Bush to say something that not everyone agrees with, ala the Iraq War, just so long as it's public policy. However, while speaking as President, he is not allowed to say anything at all which is not a view held and endorsed officially by the US government. Would you then object to him saying that the way the Zimbabwe government treats its people is immoral? Or when he praised the Australian Prime Minister, saying that John Howard had "backbone", do you find that objectionable? As far as I am aware, the US government as a whole has no official position on the character of John Howard, or any purpose other than to govern those within its own borders (and thus no interest in Zimbabwe other than as a potential threat or as a trade partner). Or have I misunderstood completely? Because I think it's silly to demand that the President does not voice any of his personal opinions while on the job, especially when it's completely obvious which of the two, say, a prayer to God is. quote:Christian/Catholic? :confused: They aren't necessarily two different things, the latter is just a subset of the former. Why use that term? I have never understood what people mean when they say someone should keep his beliefs seperate from his policies. It makes no damn sense. If I believe that outlawing abortion infringes on a woman's rights, should I ignore that when I'm formulating abortion policy? If I believe that single mothers need help to be able to be effective as both workers and parents, should I ignore that when formulating welfare policy? Religious beliefs aren't really any different to any other type of belief. They're just an opinion on whether or not X is true. I'm not even going to respond to the examples you gave. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |