venomai

Since when does a wedding ring make sex safer? I'd love to see these stats. I've seen statistics that make a lot of regular activities look bad -- does this mean we should stop enjoying life? Sex, alcohol, drugs, roller coasters, coffee, soft drinks, computer games, sports, driving, etc.

The internet has helped me become more aware in many subjects that I otherwise wouldn't know much about. For example: culture, religion (Buddhism especially), spirituality (OBEs), world issues (Iraq, Darfur), politics, drug use, the media etc. It's like a book that is about everything, never stops giving you knowledge, and is always willing to accept your thoughts and compositions. Also, I'm guessing the internet will heavily play into my career when the time comes. I aspire to become a game developer, and much of that is based on the internet. Not only the fact that many games use the internet, but often the development process involves a lot of searches, along with hosting online code repositories and game websites. Also, online communication (eg: IRC) between developers is extremely helpful and boosts cooperation, teamwork and all-around understanding. Not to mention all the torrents I've downloaded... :XD: The internet is a double-edged sword. If you use it properly and responsibly, it can greatly improve certain aspects of your life. If you use it irresponsibly (such as playing RS all day) then it can damage certain aspects of your life. Same with soft drugs, really. :P

I've blacked out from an injury before. Same feeling. It's just absolute "nothingness". But this is personal non-existence. The non-existence of the universe is a whole different ball game, if you ask me. I disagree with your logic. Microscopic cells, for example, exist whether or not we perceive them. Before the time that cells were observed, they still existed, we simply hadn't the technology and mind-power available to perceive them. For a more recent example, take a look at the discovery of dark matter. This is something that we cannot (currently) observe through science, and it's something that we have only recently started to comprehend. I suspect that, eventually, we will evolve enough to fully understand the nature of dark matter. Of course, when we evolve to that point, there will be other questions; each one deeper and more complex than the next. We've only just scratched the surface of "reality". :) How far down the rabbit hole will we go?

People say the same about God, yet we still don't hesitate to debate about him and jump to conclusions. I believe the universe is infinite, and never truly stops existing. :) But of course, that's just a guess...

Guys, suicide isn't a topic to [bleep] around with. If you think he's a troll, report his posts and keep your thoughts to yourself. If he is telling the truth, which I believe he is simply because this is not a subject that one regularly jokes about, you insulting him could make matters worse.

Fair enough. I'm only trying to keep the debate going, no harm meant. :) It's an interesting subject. The protagonist in a novel does not need to be the same age as the target audience. Many novels have adult protagonists but are aimed at teens, and vice versa. That's true, but like I said, you shouldn't be forcing your opinions on them. If you do, you are being just as bad as you claim Pullman to be. That's why I suggested you let your children embrace different opinions. By boycotting or blocking potential for different opinions, you are effectively forcing your own opinion on your children. Anyways, we shouldn't be talking about children, as most of them won't be watching/reading His Dark Materials. Instead, let's change the discussion to late teens and young adults, which is a more appropriate target for the series. In my opinion, by the time a person hits their late teens, the beliefs they were raised with are pretty much set in stone. Granted, certain experiences may change those beliefs, but, for the most part, they will follow them throughout their entire life. Again, I ask you, did you feel that this movie has affected your religious beliefs? If not, then what makes you think it will affect others of your age or older? You can't boycott every opinion that differs from yours. Even though I am not anti-religious, I respect Pullman for at least preaching his beliefs in a subtle and artistic manner. Have you ever been harassed by religious groups? I would much prefer subtle symbolism in a movie to what I currently get. Certain Christians, among other religious persons, don't hesitate to stop me on the street, phone my house, and knock on my front door to try and convert me to their belief system. Pullman does it through entertainment and beautiful artistic symbolism and he gets bashed for it?

Have you read the books? I wouldn't say the books are directed towards children. The content is very mature, and the books themselves are certainly not "easy" reads. Late teens is a more accurate target.

That's just a different opinion than yours, no need to boycott everything that doesn't agree with you. Anyways, you said in your first post that anti-religion isn't the reason you are boycotting it: This is untrue. Try teaching your children to grow up as murderers and child services will take you away. In the case of His Dark Materials, you would be effectively shielding your children by not letting them see the different opinions expressed in the movie. And yes, it's true that with enough convincing you may very well be able to change your child's opinion. But that's along the same lines as what you claim Pullman is doing -- you would be pushing your own beliefs down the throats of your children. The official stance of the Christian Church is that His Dark Materials is "ok". Why would you go against your own religious leaders?

I disagree. It's not the taxes that are the problems, it's where the government puts the tax revenue. (ie: cut military funding if you want to see other programs benefit) I'm Canadian, I don't know enough about Ron Paul to make any comments.

You say you didn't even pick up on the symbolism and that you enjoyed the movies. So why would you boycott it? Why would a child be any more inclined to understanding the symbolism, if you can't? And, even if a child does pick up on the symbolism, what is to say it will have any impact on their opinion? Did watching the movie change your view on religion? One shouldn't shield their children from an opposing opinion. Instead, they should embrace the different opinions, and let the child make their own decisions. If the child is too young to do so, then they are also too young to understand the symbolism in a series like His Dark Material.

Tell your parents, too. Not only about your friend, but also about how you are feeling. Make sure they know how serious the situation is for both you and your friend. You don't need to be in a psychiatrical hospital. You just need people to talk to about it... A counsellor or a therapist can really help.

Tell people IMMEDIATELY. Tell your guidance councellors at school, tell your own parents, call the suicide help line, etc. Sereph, you've just gotta stay strong and stick with it. People can help you and your friend, you just have to tell them about what's going on. Call the police about it, tell them you can't get ahold of your friend and you're worried she might commit suicide.

Who's implying that atheism is a religion? If a calculator became self-aware and had the same intellectual ability as a human, then sure, it can choose a purpose for its life. Ever seen I, Robot?

What's your point? :-s It's still an atheistic religion. I decided to decide my own purpose. :) In other words, I decided not to let somebody else decide my purpose for me.

You really are ignorant, Plectrum. -.- Buddhism (Theravada sect) is an atheistic religion -- one with plenty of faith and meaning to life. Also, it's worth noting that not all Buddhists believe in an "afterworld". I strongly suggest you read a little on the subject of atheism and religion. http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/fastfacts.htm

The point is, I enjoy those signals, so I continue to help others. You can break anything down to electrical signals, soundwaves, chemical reactions, light waves, etc. Even your individual belief of God can be broken down -- does that mean its pointless to believe in God? I assume you've never heard of atheistic religions? Take Rebdragon's advice and research a little on Buddhism (Theradava sect). As for definitions: Theism - the specific belief of god/gods Religion - a set of general beliefs and practices followed by a group of people The two are apples and oranges, like you said, so don't try to compare them with ignorant claims like "all atheists are not religious". You need to get out more. :lol:

I guess it's different for everyone. A few reasons for helping others... 1. I get a good feeling inside whenever I help others and act kindly. 2. I find it unfair that some people are born less fortunate than me, so I choose to help some of those people when I can. 3. I believe that the more we cooperate and help each other the more advanced our species will become. 4. When I finally die, I want to die knowing I've done good things while I was alive, while still managing to enjoy my life to the fullest.

Haha, pretty amusing senior prank. http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1772718

This isn't true, and it's a very cynical view on life. You don't need to be a significant historical figure to affect others. Chances are you will affect a lot of people in your lifetime. Even if it's something as minor as donating to charity, loving your friends and family, or working hard at a job, you can still affect others.

Why do you feel the afterlife requires God? I personally don't see why God would be needed if there were to be an afterlife. If somebody truly wants to murder/steal/etc. the thought of the afterlife won't stop them. In some cases the afterlife makes things worse. Take religious radicals, for example. Bombings and other terrorist attacks from these groups are often thought to ensure a "better" afterlife. And I'm not just referring to radical Islam. Radical Christians are also very large problem, although it isn't as often exposed in the media. http://www.commonplacebook.com/current_ ... terro.shtm If the afterlife is simply a "bonus" then why do you say life has no meaning without it?

There are some atheists who believe in the afterlife. Atheism, as has already been mentioned, only means disbelief in higher beings. It doesn't suggest anything to do with other aspects, such as meaning or afterlife. Many atheists perform these acts for the benefit of those they are helping, and for themselves. It would be selfish to only perform these acts of kindness to ensure your status in the afterlife. Death is a natural part of human biology. Every living animal will die, it is utterly inevitable. What makes you so afraid of death? And, although his death would not matter to him, it would matter a lot to those who knew him. For many atheists and theists alike, the absolute purpose of life is to simply enjoy it while it lasts. What is the absolute purpose of playing Runescape? :-s

What kind of question is that? Nothing comes before God, because He is eternal. He is neither created nor destroyed. He's just there for all time, even before time existed, actually. If you can apply that logic to God, why can't you apply it to the universe? That's not science disproving the FSM, that's you saying he was made up. If I say God was made up, does that mean science disproves God? No. If you can provide me with any scientific sources that directly disprove the existence of the FSM, then I will stand corrected. Although the cyclic model incorporates certain concepts from the Big Bang theory, it does not fully depend on it. The Big Bang theory suggests that the universe "starts" with a point of singularity (this is where God usually comes in) and that it will expand until an eventual "end" or destruction. The Cyclic model suggests that there was no true "start" or "end" point to the universe. If one day scientists prove that the universe could not have started or ended, thus disproving the Big Bang theory, it would only give rise to the cyclic model. In any case, I'm not saying the cyclic model is flawless, but rather that it is "another possibility" we should at least consider. See above. The FSM is no more imagined than the Judeo-Christian God. How mature... :-w

I'm pretty sure cyclic models don't go against the big bang, it's good science as far as I'm aware - they do incorporate it and just say it is but one 'beginning' of an arbitrary number before it. Sorry, poor choice of words. :) I'll edit it.

The Christian God is very real only in the eyes of a Christian. Also, I'm surprised that you label God as a "person" -- a mere human. I have a hard time grasping the concept of monotheism. I have an even harder time understanding Christianity. :) That's a nice quote, aside from the fact that atheism doesn't suggest the universe is pointless. :) Some people make such deductions, but so could anyone (theist or not).

I don't think it's about money and taxes. If it were, pot would be legal, and so would other drugs (notably shrooms and LSD). The government can gain a lot of money through taxing more drugs. A lot of people think that you "can't tax drugs" but this isn't true -- take a look at the alcohol and tobacco industry. Also, I believe Amsterdam taxes their weed pretty effectively. In fact, for the U.S., the prohibition is losing them billions of dollars every year. [1] Support is part of it, but in America the government doesn't need to ask the citizens what they think about a particular bill. Anyways, there is a quite a lot of support for legalization across the United States. In countries like Canada, there is even more support. :D I have a hard time believing that, considering another reliable source puts deaths at around 280 over the course of 8 years.[2] Either way, I feel that most of these marijuana-related deaths can be prevented with legalization, regulation and responsible use of the drug. In my opinion one of the problems is that the U.S. spent so long advertising their "War on Drugs". It would be embarrassing for them to admit that they were wrong. Same problem with the current "War on Terror" sentiments. I also feel that there is a strong correlation between soft drug use and peace/antiwar sentiments. And, of course, America would not want that. :P As for Canada, I think we are very close to legalization. But, considering how pissed the Bush administration got for the Vancouver Safe Injection Site, we would probably get bombed for legalizing marijuana. :lol: Sorry for the hijack, but it's just too tempting for me not to reply... :mrgreen: