Is God real post your thoughts!

[wildernessfreelancer]

Well, the patent should be accepted.

 

 

 

Schmo0zle, you are hereby charged with bigotry in the form of Islamophobia, religious persecution and religious intolerance. You have the right to remain silent. If you don't know what I'm talking about then Wiki it.

 

 

 

Man, this guy is like, scary. :ohnoes:

 

He sounds like he hates Islam/Muslims to such an extent that he may be considered a threat to humanity.

 

The last thing I want to hear is him going into a mosque with a machine gun and killing Muslims while they're doing their Friday prayers. :ohnoes:

 

 

 

Oh, and by the way, nice speech you made there. I don't know if you got your ideas from Salman Rushdie's book or something. Still, you sound evil. :ohnoes:

[Schmo0zle]

Well, the patent should be accepted.

 

 

 

Schmo0zle, you are hereby charged with bigotry in the form of Islamophobia, religious persecution and religious intolerance. You have the right to remain silent. If you don't know what I'm talking about then Wiki it.

 

 

 

Man, this guy is like, scary. :ohnoes:

 

He sounds like he hates Islam/Muslims to such an extent that he may be considered a threat to humanity.

 

The last thing I want to hear is him going into a mosque with a machine gun and killing Muslims while they're doing their Friday prayers. :ohnoes:

 

 

 

Oh, and by the way, nice speech you made there. I don't know if you got your ideas from Salman Rushdie's book or something. Still, you sound evil. :ohnoes:

 

 

 

Fortunately for me, killing people is against my beliefs. Unlike your religion, which promotes it openly! This is a fact you can deny all you please, but denying facts do not make them false. If they did, I'd just deny Muhammed's existence and call it done. Unfortunately, this man DID live, however, and now we have to put up with his BS.

 

 

 

So, no...Not planning on bursting into a Mosque with a machine gun anytime soon. You see, Jesus (who was a far greater man [if you can call him that] than Muhammed ever was) told us to pray for those who would harm us, and to pray for those who persecute you in their disbelief. You, as well as all other Muslims, are prayed for by Christians, not gunned-down in the streets.

 

 

 

...Which is more than we can say for Islam, who - while I type this - is likely the cause of some atrocious death somewhere, especially if a Christian in a Muslim nation is involved.

 

 

 

No one on my end of the computer is "Islamophobic". I do not fear Islam, I simply know it's ways; apparently, more so than you do. Spread the word peace while showing none (the opposite, in fact). That is the name of Islam's game.

 

 

 

Tell me, how do I sound scary? Futhermore, how do I sound anymore terrifying than you do? I am saying what your religion is about, and you are not denying it. YOU are terrifying. There is nothing terrifying about Christianity. No beheading of unbelievers, no beating of wives, nothing.

 

 

 

So, I am hereby "charged" with "bigotry"? Um, then so be it? But keep in mind that you disagreeing with what I am saying makes you just as much of a bigot. Especially since you've referred to me as "crazy" (even though I'm clearly not) and pointed out the fact that I am part Jewish as if that were a BAD thing. You're not saying it out-right, but I'm willing to bet anything that you hate Jews. All Muslims do, because all Muslims perceive Jews to be at fault for the conflict on-going around Palestine and the taking of "Muslim land", even though it was clearly Jewish land for thousands of years before Muslims stole it. Keep in mind, too, that Muslims in Palestine as a whole are now teaching their children to be Jew-killing suicide bombers, not "loving, peaceful Muslims". Bless all those who see through Muslims' BS.

 

 

 

I have no idea who "Salman Rushdie" is, by the way, nor his or her book.

[Schmo0zle]

Venomai:

 

 

 

Like pretty much all teens, I've tried all of those things, and found them to be vastly over-rated and, for lack of better words, pointless, stupid, and boring.

 

 

 

I do not deny the healing powers of Marijuana. Some people claim it helps their pain. So be it. However, it is a mind-altering substance, and after these people take it long enough, they become [wagon]es. I know that's not a scientific fact, but it's an observation of mine and MANY other people. Have you ever been sober around people smoking pot? They can go from awesome friends into total idiots...They talk about completely redundant things, "new" ways to smoke their pot, which are often completely stupid...They laugh non-stop and they...Well, they just ramble on about stuff that is completely irrelevant.

 

 

 

You argue that having an "altered state of mind" is helpful. I completely disagree, and since that is simply your opinion - not a fact - I believe I can do that. Having an altered state of mind, especially repeatedly or for long periods of time, is NOT helpful at all. It distracts you from the REAL world and puts you in one that is completely imaginary. Now, when you smoke pot, you don't go to a new plane of existence, but you do go to a "place" in the real world where things just don't matter anymore. Do you know how many people discuss things that DON'T have to do with pot or their current state of mind while high? Not very many. I'd wager zero.

 

 

 

All of my friends smoked pot when I was growing up, so of course I tried it after some coaxing. After I sobered up from that, I realized how much of a [wagon] I was being while I was high. I mean, we'd talk about things like what to make bongs out of, where to get better pot...Growing pot...Pretty much everything revolved around pot.

 

 

 

If you're going to do drugs, I'd say stick to pot, Psilocybes or Dimethyltryptamine, nothing more, for one...And if you're going to do them, do them very rarely. But we both know why this never works - pretty much everyone ends up doing them FAR more often due to peer pressure, lack of self control, etc etc. THAT is why they are bad and should be avoided. Almost no one knows what self control even means anymore, lol.

 

 

 

As for drinking, drinking is by far the most over-rated experience I've ever had. I only drank once and it was probably the dumbest feeling ever. Your mind feels a little different, then you pass out and remember nothing, damaging your liver in the process. Yay...

 

 

 

I do not deny that alcohol has been shown to help your heart or whatever. As for your IQ, as a whole, I'd severely doubt that one! People who use alcohol more than they should are JUST like pot-heads. Stupid, and thinking nothing of anything but alcohol.

 

 

 

And again, that is the problem - One drink is okay, one joint may be okay, but just like a potato chip...No one has just one.

 

 

 

I just stay away from them because they're damaging to your body and a distraction from life, period. Nothing good has ever come of these things in the long run.

[NorthernHero]

 

Nothing good has ever come of these things in the long run.

 

Just a few examples to prove u wrong my friend.

 

 

 

-Some person who was born because his parents decidet to drink lots of alcohol wouldn't say that. Alcohol makes you feel good and happy and it makes you feel love too.

 

-there would be no beatles as we know if it it wasn't for drugs. Same goes for many other artists, painters.. etc.

 

-having fun and laughting is good thing to me. Even in the long run.

[Schmo0zle]

 

Nothing good has ever come of these things in the long run.

 

Just a few examples to prove u wrong my friend.

 

 

 

-Some person who was born because his parents decidet to drink lots of alcohol wouldn't say that. Alcohol makes you feel good and happy and it makes you feel love too.

 

-there would be no beatles as we know if it it wasn't for drugs. Same goes for many other artists, painters.. etc.

 

-having fun and laughting is good thing to me. Even in the long run.

 

 

 

:roll:

 

 

 

Your first two points are ridiculous and the first one REALLY proves my point (accidental pregnancies), and the third one is quite sad.

 

 

 

You cannot have fun without alcohol and/or drugs? A very sad existence that must be, indeed. And even more sad yet, it is an argument used by MANY to explain why alcohol and drugs are a "good" thing. So apparently you're not alone in such an apparently pitiful existence. According to you, that is. ;)

 

 

 

Please, don't use such strong statements as "proving me wrong" unless you're actually going to really put me in my place.

[venomai]

You argue that having an "altered state of mind" is helpful. I completely disagree, and since that is simply your opinion - not a fact - I believe I can do that. Having an altered state of mind, especially repeatedly or for long periods of time, is NOT helpful at all.

 

Why are you so afraid of being in an altered state of mind?

 

 

 

When you sleep, you are experiencing an altered state of mind. Meditation is another harmless method of inducing an altered state, and so is an out of body experience. Both meditation and OBEs are regarded as spiritual experiences.

 

 

 

As for drinking, drinking is by far the most over-rated experience I've ever had. I only drank once and it was probably the dumbest feeling ever. Your mind feels a little different, then you pass out and remember nothing, damaging your liver in the process. Yay...

 

That sounds stupid and irresponsible. #-o

 

Notice my original question asked whether you have tried drinking responsibly. Apparently, you have not.

 

 

 

I do not deny that alcohol has been shown to help your heart or whatever. As for your IQ, as a whole, I'd severely doubt that one! People who use alcohol more than they should are JUST like pot-heads. Stupid, and thinking nothing of anything but alcohol.

 

You are referring to irresponsible users of drugs/alcohol. As the articles said, light to moderate drinking can be benefitial. If you drink or smoke more than you should, it can be detrimental to your health. The same applies to any activity.

 

For example, if you lifted weights more than you should, there is a good chance that you could destroy your muscles and render them useless.

 

 

 

I mean, we'd talk about things like what to make bongs out of, where to get better pot...Growing pot...Pretty much everything revolved around pot.

 

Hah, that sounds pretty awful. Reminds me of a Dave Chappelle bit about how white men only talk about weed when they're high. :lol:

 

 

 

Have you ever been sober around people smoking pot? They can go from awesome friends into total idiots...They talk about completely redundant things, "new" ways to smoke their pot, which are often completely stupid...They laugh non-stop and they...Well, they just ramble on about stuff that is completely irrelevant.

 

Yes, I won't deny that being high is often an experience best suited around others who are also high. : But you talk as if laughing and "irrelevant" conversations are a bad thing.

 

 

 

And again, that is the problem - One drink is okay, one joint may be okay, but just like a potato chip...No one has just one.

 

Almost no one knows what self control even means anymore, lol.

 

It sounds a lot like you are the one with self control issues. Myself, along with all other light to moderate users of drugs/alcohol, have enough self control to enjoy these substances responsibly.

 

 

 

You can't seem to wrap your head around the idea of "responsible" use of certain activities or substances. I think part of the problem is that you have never tried these activities in a responsible and enjoyable setting.

[venomai]

You cannot have fun without alcohol and/or drugs? A very sad existence that must be, indeed. And even more sad yet, it is an argument used by MANY to explain why alcohol and drugs are a "good" thing. So apparently you're not alone in such an apparently pitiful existence. According to you, that is. ;)

 

Of course you can have fun without the use of alcohol/drugs. :-s

 

 

 

Take video games, for example. Many people say they play video games because it is "fun". That doesn't mean life isn't fun without video games, it simply means that video games can help you amplify your "fun".

 

 

 

In the same way, life is fun without alcohol/drugs, but those substances, when used responsibly, can help amplify your fun.

[BlueLancer]

You cannot have fun without alcohol and/or drugs? A very sad existence that must be, indeed. And even more sad yet, it is an argument used by MANY to explain why alcohol and drugs are a "good" thing. So apparently you're not alone in such an apparently pitiful existence. According to you, that is. ;)

 

Of course you can have fun without the use of alcohol/drugs. :-s

 

 

 

Take video games, for example. Many people say they play video games because it is "fun". That doesn't mean life isn't fun without video games, it simply means that video games can help you amplify your "fun".

 

 

 

In the same way, life is fun without alcohol/drugs, but those substances, when used responsibly, can help amplify your fun.

 

 

 

Hate to turn the discussion towards drugs, but sadly, only a few select, light drugs can even be used "moderately", like marijuana and other 'medical' plants. Harder drugs like LSD, extasy or heroin make you physically addicted to the substance by altering your brain chemistry permanently.

 

 

 

I personally don't smoke, do drugs or drink at all (except if offered by an important host at a party etc.), but if you had to choose from those, you're better off experimenting with drinking than 'smoking' anything or taking stuff up your nose/in the veins.

[Schmo0zle]

You argue that having an "altered state of mind" is helpful. I completely disagree, and since that is simply your opinion - not a fact - I believe I can do that. Having an altered state of mind, especially repeatedly or for long periods of time, is NOT helpful at all.

 

Why are you so afraid of being in an altered state of mind?

 

 

 

When you sleep, you are experiencing an altered state of mind. Meditation is another harmless method of inducing an altered state, and so is an out of body experience. Both meditation and OBEs are regarded as spiritual experiences.

 

 

 

As for drinking, drinking is by far the most over-rated experience I've ever had. I only drank once and it was probably the dumbest feeling ever. Your mind feels a little different, then you pass out and remember nothing, damaging your liver in the process. Yay...

 

That sounds stupid and irresponsible. #-o

 

Notice my original question asked whether you have tried drinking responsibly. Apparently, you have not.

 

 

 

I do not deny that alcohol has been shown to help your heart or whatever. As for your IQ, as a whole, I'd severely doubt that one! People who use alcohol more than they should are JUST like pot-heads. Stupid, and thinking nothing of anything but alcohol.

 

You are referring to irresponsible users of drugs/alcohol. As the articles said, light to moderate drinking can be benefitial. If you drink or smoke more than you should, it can be detrimental to your health. The same applies to any activity.

 

For example, if you lifted weights more than you should, there is a good chance that you could destroy your muscles and render them useless.

 

 

 

I mean, we'd talk about things like what to make bongs out of, where to get better pot...Growing pot...Pretty much everything revolved around pot.

 

Hah, that sounds pretty awful. Reminds me of a Dave Chappelle bit about how white men only talk about weed when they're high. :lol:

 

 

 

Have you ever been sober around people smoking pot? They can go from awesome friends into total idiots...They talk about completely redundant things, "new" ways to smoke their pot, which are often completely stupid...They laugh non-stop and they...Well, they just ramble on about stuff that is completely irrelevant.

 

Yes, I won't deny that being high is often an experience best suited around others who are also high. : But you talk as if laughing and "irrelevant" conversations are a bad thing.

 

 

 

And again, that is the problem - One drink is okay, one joint may be okay, but just like a potato chip...No one has just one.

 

Almost no one knows what self control even means anymore, lol.

 

It sounds a lot like you are the one with self control issues. Myself, along with all other light to moderate users of drugs/alcohol, have enough self control to enjoy these substances responsibly.

 

 

 

You can't seem to wrap your head around the idea of "responsible" use of certain activities or substances. I think part of the problem is that you have never tried these activities in a responsible and enjoyable setting.

 

 

 

I've told you why I don't wish to be in an altered state of mind. It has nothing to do with being "afraid" and everything to do with wasting time in things that are not reality. Wow, my altered state of mind made me see teletubbies and pretty colors, but...Now I'm sober, and that didn't mean jack! Yea, I'd say that is a waste of time no matter how you slice it.

 

 

 

When you sleep is different from when you take drugs. First off, you have no CHOICE but to sleep. If I did, I would choose not to sleep as well. Why? Again - it is a tremendous waste of time. We spend 1/3 or more of our lifetime sleeping. What a waste. Anyways, while sleeping, you're not in an altered state of mind...You're unconscious. It's different. Except for the first few hours where you're in REM sleep, in which case you're unconscious, paralyzed and tripping on Dimethyltryptamine, which is ironically one of the most illegal drugs in the world, but it is made in our own brains in order to induce REM sleep. When you extract it (which I know how to do, but will not discuss here for obvious reason) from things and take it, you basically are in a conscious REM state, AKA it's messing with your mind...That is an altered state of mine. However, if you're sleeping, the same happens, but you're unconscious. I think the most important point, however, is that we don't have a choice to do this. We have to. That is how it's different.

 

 

 

When I said I drank and the eventual results are passing out, I did not mean that is what I did. I mean that's what everyone ELSE did while I sat there just feeling funny and asking myself "Why do people EVEN BOTHER?" because it was perhaps the most over-rated experience of my life. Next to Halo 2. Well, no...Halo was probably better.

 

 

 

And you keep going on and on and on about light, moderate usage, when - again - I've already stated that most people are not responsible enough to stop at moderate and keep on truckin' into addictions without even noticing. When you have addicts in your life and see what it does - you tend to stray from even touching the stuff they're on. ;) And yes, those people I speak of are older guys and they've amounted to absolutely nothing in life, hence why I don't even wish to take the chance. I have no desire to "enhance" my state of mind by lowering my state of existence.

 

 

 

How do I sound like someone with self control issues, again? :lol: I don't partake in these things at all!

[Rebdragon]

And you keep going on and on and on about light, moderate usage, when - again - I've already stated that most people are not responsible enough to stop at moderate and keep on truckin' into addictions without even noticing. When you have addicts in your life and see what it does - you tend to stray from even touching the stuff they're on. ;) And yes, those people I speak of are older guys and they've amounted to absolutely nothing in life, hence why I don't even wish to take the chance. I have no desire to "enhance" my state of mind by lowering my state of existence.

 

 

 

How do I sound like someone with self control issues, again? :lol: I don't partake in these things at all!

 

You sounds like one of those holier than thou I don't drink 'cause drinking is evil General people -_-". Why do you believe that most people aren't responsible? From what I can tell, all you've got is one experience and maybe the media to go off of (and possibly three family members, at most). Probability laws kind of require a higher sample size than that before making judgement :| .

 

 

 

Honestly, you've never been with people who casually drink wine and beer? You might need to get out more, meet these people you assume "lower their state of existence" by having a bit of alcohol with their meals.

[venomai]

Hate to turn the discussion towards drugs, but sadly, only a few select, light drugs can even be used "moderately", like marijuana and other 'medical' plants. Harder drugs like LSD, extasy or heroin make you physically addicted to the substance by altering your brain chemistry permanently.

 

Heh, the joys of the media. :D

 

 

 

The main distinction between "hard" drugs and "soft" drugs is their level of physical harm and dependence. Based on that, although much of North America would argue otherwise, alcohol and nicotine are often considered hard drugs. Since drugs like LSD, magic mushrooms and marijuana are relatively low in harm and dependence, they are often considered soft drugs. Use of the terms may vary based on societal expectation -- most parents in America would discourage their children from doing hard drugs but are fine with them drinking alcohol.

 

For more details, Wikipedia provides a quick summary on the terms:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_and_soft_drugs

 

 

 

MDMA (Ecstasy) is an "in-between" drug because studies often vary on its bodily harm and dependence. I wouldn't try a drug like MDMA simply because I have not found enough definitive studies about its health effects.

 

Heroin is a hard drug which I do not think anyone should use.

 

 

 

However, when you classify LSD as a hard drug and alcohol as a softer drug, I feel obligated to correct you. LSD is almost never injected or snorted, and it is extremely low in physical harm and dependence. Smoked marijuana is more physically harmful to you than LSD. LSD is less addicting than caffeine and marijuana.[1][2][3] It's nearly impossible to overdose on.[4] LSD is cleared out of your system in a matter of days -- which is much faster than other drugs, such as marijuana.[5]

 

 

 

 

 

If you take LSD in a responsible set and setting, and you are prepared for the trip, than it can be an extremely safe and very enlightening experience.

 

 

 

On the other hand, alcohol has been ranked more addicting than cocaine (nasal) and heroin in certain situations.[6] In any case, it is certainly more addicting than MDMA or LSD. It's extremely easy to overdose on alcohol and it causes thousands of deaths per year. It is in no way a "soft" drug, no matter what the media portrays it as.

 

 

 

What's my point? If people can enjoy alcohol responsibly without damaging their liver or getting addicted, why are you so against people enjoying drugs like marijuana and LSD responsibly, which have shown to be far safer than alcohol?

 

 

 

If you want to continue the discussion on soft drugs, I have a steady thread with a lot of info:

 

http://forum.tip.it/viewtopic.php?t=690812

[Schmo0zle]

And you keep going on and on and on about light, moderate usage, when - again - I've already stated that most people are not responsible enough to stop at moderate and keep on truckin' into addictions without even noticing. When you have addicts in your life and see what it does - you tend to stray from even touching the stuff they're on. ;) And yes, those people I speak of are older guys and they've amounted to absolutely nothing in life, hence why I don't even wish to take the chance. I have no desire to "enhance" my state of mind by lowering my state of existence.

 

 

 

How do I sound like someone with self control issues, again? :lol: I don't partake in these things at all!

 

You sounds like one of those holier than thou I don't drink 'cause drinking is evil General people -_-". Why do you believe that most people aren't responsible? From what I can tell, all you've got is one experience and maybe the media to go off of (and possibly three family members, at most). Probability laws kind of require a higher sample size than that before making judgement :| .

 

 

 

Honestly, you've never been with people who casually drink wine and beer? You might need to get out more, meet these people you assume "lower their state of existence" by having a bit of alcohol with their meals.

 

 

 

You perceive I am "holier than thou", I do not think it. So is that a compliment, or what?

 

 

 

You're kinda' proving my point by singling me out as "special" because I don't get bombed all the time.

 

 

 

But, as I said before...Having a drink (as in one) with a meal is fine, it isn't alcoholism. But a lot of people go from one to 20 before they know what the hell just happened. I don't even start with one because I have no desire to drink alcohol. The entire POINT of alcohol is to get drunk...If I'm not drinking it to get drunk, why drink it? If you think it tastes good, that's your opinion. You're quite an odd person, though, since alcohol tastes horrible. :P But of course, that is MY opinion, however...It is also my opinion that anything that burns when it goes down, can harm your liver and make you black out shouldn't be ingested at all because it's PROBABLY not good for you.

 

 

 

Yes, I am aware of the "alcohol helps your heart" stuff, but they fail to tell you that it hurts your liver regardless as well.

 

 

 

Why are we going on and on about alcohol and drugs being bad or not? Stop trying to fool yourselves. One has been illegal for MANY years now and the other was once illegal too. The only reason alcohol is no longer illegal is for obvious monetary reasons, not good-health reasons, lol.

 

 

 

As the beer adverts on TV say...Always drink responsibly!...But of course, they thank God for the fact that no one listens to those. :lol:

[venomai]

First off, you have no CHOICE but to sleep. If I did, I would choose not to sleep as well. Why? Again - it is a tremendous waste of time. We spend 1/3 or more of our lifetime sleeping. What a waste. Anyways, while sleeping, you're not in an altered state of mind...You're unconscious. It's different.

 

If you are unconscious, you are in an altered state of consciousness/mind.

 

 

 

And yes, they are very different states. I'm not saying being on drugs and being asleep are the same thing, but rather that they both induce an altered state of conciousness from your normal, waking reality.

 

 

 

And you keep going on and on and on about light, moderate usage, when - again - I've already stated that most people are not responsible enough to stop at moderate and keep on truckin' into addictions without even noticing.

 

That is a huge generalization, and it is in no way true. Like Reb has said, if you've never heard of people lightly enjoying wine, beer and other alcoholic drinks with their meals, then you really do need to get out more. :wink:

 

 

 

When you have addicts in your life and see what it does - you tend to stray from even touching the stuff they're on.

 

I've seen addictions ranging from marijuana to coffee to video games to Chinese food. It's very hard to stay away from anything that could be potentially addicting, as almost anything in this world is.

 

Rather than fearing every substance and activity for its potential addiction, I choose to live in moderation.

[warri0r45]

And you keep going on and on and on about light, moderate usage, when - again - I've already stated that most people are not responsible enough to stop at moderate and keep on truckin' into addictions without even noticing.

 

I think this topic (namely the recent discussion about alcohol) needs some studies and stats:

 

 

 

SENSIBLE DRINKING

 

 

 

While current advice on sensible drinking, within the UK, advocates consideration of daily consumption levels and the number of alcohol-free days (Department of Health, 1995), many of the reviewed studies have used weekly benchmarks of 14 units for women and 21 units for men to monitor safe or sensible drinking behaviour. In the GHS survey (Bridgwood et al., 2000), 36% of men and 13% of women within the 16ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ24-year age group exceeded these weekly consumption guidelines.

 

 

 

The study of West et al. (1990) provides similar data for male students (see Table 2), but the later studies of Webb et al. (1996, 1998), Norman et al. (1998), Hannay (1998), Pickard et al. (2000), Underwood and Fox (2000) and Newbury-Birch et al. (2000) all reported higher percentages of 54, 50.8, 63, 48, 41, 51 and 45%, respectively (mean ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâñ SD: 52 ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâñ 8%). This most recent evidence would suggest that male students are more likely than males in the general population to exceed 21 units of alcohol per week, and more importantly, that approximately one in two male students is doing so.

 

 

 

For females, File et al. (1994) reported that between 12 and 22% of non-Asian females exceeded 14 units per week in the first three undergraduate years. This figure rose to 26% in year 5. Ashton and Kamali (1995) reported a figure of 18.3% while Norman et al. (1998) recorded 16.9%. Again the later studies (Webb et al., 1996, 1998; Hannay, 1998; Newbury-Birch et al., 2000; Pickard et al., 2000; Underwood and Fox, 2000) present higher values; 43, 58, 38, 41, 38 and 39%, respectively; mean ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâñ SD: 43 ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâñ 7%.

 

 

 

Comparison with GHS data would suggest that female students are at least three times more likely to exceed weekly guidelines than their counterparts in the general population.

 

 

 

Significantly, the difference between the genders clearly evident in the GHS data is less obvious in the UK undergraduate population. GHS figures suggest a male:female ratio of 2.8:1 for those exceeding weekly guidelines. Studies cited above might suggest a male:female ratio of 52:43, i.e. 1.2:1.

 

 

 

According to several investigators, the main reason given by students for drinking was pleasure (Ashton and Kamali, 1995; Webb et al., 1996, 1998; Newbury-Birch et al., 2000) or ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¹Ãâenjoying the tasteÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ and ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¹Ãâbeing sociableÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ (West et al., 1990). Less than 10% felt that examinations were the motivation (Ashton and Kamali, 1995). Other factors which might influence drinking behaviour, e.g. student demographics, require further investigation.

 

 

 

From these stats and the fact that these studies regard uni student alcohol consumption which is suggested to be more vigorous than the average person, I'd have to say most people don't excede sensible drinking levels in the UK.

 

 

 

Source: http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/co ... -ETAL-2000

 

 

 

How much alcohol do Australians drink?

 

Results from the 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey show that, for Australians aged 14 years and over:

 

 

 

10% of people drank at levels considered to be harmful for long-term health -- 7% at 'risky' levels and 3% at 'high risk' levels.

 

20% of people put themselves at risk of alcohol-related harm in the short term.

 

17.5% of people did not consume alcohol in the previous 12 months.

 

The levels of risk used here come from the National Health and Medical Research Council's alcohol guidelines.

 

 

 

10% + 20% = 30% therefore at least (perhaps some of these people could have long and short term risk with their drinking) 70% of Aussies (note the general population, not uni students this time) don't drink at levels that are considered harmful long or short term.

 

 

 

source: http://www.aihw.gov.au/riskfactors/alcohol.cfm Australian Gov't

 

 

 

Alcohol use is very common in our society. Drinking alcohol has immediate effects that can increase the risk of many harmful health conditions. Excessive alcohol use, either in the form of heavy drinking (drinking more than two drinks per day on average for men or more than one drink per day on average for women), or binge drinking (drinking more than 4 drinks during a single occasion for men or more than 3 drinks during a single occasion for women), can lead to increased risk of health problems such as liver disease or unintentional injuries. According to national surveys, over half of the adult US population drank alcohol in the past 30 days. Approximately, 5% of the total population drank heavily while 15% of the population binge drank. Our national surveys previously defined binge drinking as more than 4 drinks for both men and women. In 2001, there were approximately 75,000 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use. In fact, excessive alcohol use is the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death for people in the United States each year.

 

 

 

See the graph also. In 2004, roughly 5% of drinkers were heavy drinkers and 15% binge drinkers. I'd have to say at this point Schmoozle bought into the media hype.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/index.htm CDC, U.S Gov't

 

 

 

Key facts

 

In England in 2004, 74 per cent of men and 59 per cent of women reported drinking an alcoholic drink on at least one day in the week prior to interview. Fifteen per cent of men and 8 per cent of women reported drinking on every day in the previous week

 

 

 

Thirty-nine per cent of men and 22 per cent of women had drunk more than the recommended number of units on at least one day in the week prior to interview

 

 

 

Older people were more likely to drink regularly - 30 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women aged 45-64 drank on five or more days in the week prior to interview compared to 8 per cent of men and 5 per cent of women aged 16-24. Younger people were more likely to drink heavily, with 48 per cent of men and 39 per cent of women aged 16-24 drinking above the daily recommendations compared to 19 per cent of men and 5 per cent of women aged 65 and over

 

 

 

In the UK in 2004, 61 per cent of people reported that they had heard of the government guidelines on alcohol intake. Of these people, more than a third (36 per cent) said that they did not know what the recommendations were

 

 

 

In 2005, 22 per cent of pupils in England aged 11-15 reported drinking alcohol in the week prior to interview; the proportion doing so has fluctuated around this level since the mid 1990s. Average weekly consumption almost doubled between 1990 (5.3 units) and 2000 (10.4 units), fluctuating around this level since then

 

 

 

In the UK in 2000, 30 per cent of mothers who drank before pregnancy reported giving up drinking during pregnancy. Those mothers who continued to drink during pregnancy reported drinking very little, with 71 per cent consuming less than 1 unit of alcohol a week, on average

 

In 2004/05, there were around 35,600 NHS hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol.

 

 

 

Younger people - the more likely to break reccomended drinking levels - had 48% men and 39% of women break those reccomendations for moderate drinking levels.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-dat ... gland-2006 Department of Health, UK Gov't

 

 

 

Most people would be moderate drinkers.

[Rebdragon]

By your logic, we should put make chocolate illegal too. Sure, it tastes good, and it does have an odd trait or two that is good for us, but overall it's a bad substance for our body to consume. Although consumed moderately by some, it leads to obesity and a drastic loss in quality of life of others. BAN CHOCOLATE!

 

 

 

Oh, and no, it wasn't a compliment. You may not percieve yourself as having such an attitude, but I'm having trouble not seeing it, from the way you phrase your posts anyways. You're not a "special case", just someone who seems to have something against alcohol for reasons I can't understand [read warri0r's post for the reason as to why I don't understand your viewpoint].

 

I don't even start with one because I have no desire to drink alcohol. The entire POINT of alcohol is to get drunk...If I'm not drinking it to get drunk, why drink it? If you think it tastes good, that's your opinion. You're quite an odd person, though, since alcohol tastes horrible. :P But of course, that is MY opinion, however...It is also my opinion that anything that burns when it goes down, can harm your liver and make you black out shouldn't be ingested at all because it's PROBABLY not good for you.

 

How old are you?

[darkforaster]

Wrong. God cannot simply forgive your sins for no reason, just like a judge cannot tell you "You're free to go" if you simply say "Oops. My bad."

 

 

 

God has always required sacrifice. Do you know why God took the dead lamb as a sacrifice instead of the fruit when Cain and Abel made offerings to God? Because God needs a sacrifice. This is why Jesus is called "The Lamb of God" sometimes. You have a blood-debt to God, and only blood can make it up to him. I know it sounds grotesque and evil, but that's only because society tells you it is these days. Back then it was cool. Heck, Muslims sacrifice lambs and their own blood to this day for whatever reason.

 

 

 

Christians, however, have already had their sacrifice given to them. Jesus took it upon himself to save us. And no, I don't think killing a lamb would appease God anymore, so I wouldn't try it. :P

 

 

 

There is an entire philosophy behind all this that I really don't want to get into because it's TOOOOOO darn long, but I'll, umm...Here, I may have a video for you that can explain it...

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNz1Jd-Umec

 

 

 

There ya' go. Goes into Islam and why they still do the blood sacrifice crap and why Christians don't have to. it's not the BEST video on why, since it's more of an anti-Islam video than a pro-Christian theology video, but it's all I have at the moment. :P

 

 

 

If god was all loving, then he would not wish for harm to be done to anything. Whether animal or plants. If you love something you care for them. If you care for them you would not wish for them to be hurt. And because he wishes sacrifice, he is not all loving.

 

 

 

so again, god isn't all loving and all knowing etc.

[ProZac_Rehab]

oh boy what a question.

 

 

 

Nobody will know the answer to that, nor will they come close to it.

 

This is a subject belonging with philosophy and ethics.

 

 

 

But if there is one thing i learned at school, it must be the dualism of the world, and god as perfect being. These are 2 parts of the philosophy by Descartes, a French philosopher from the 18th century.

 

In my opinion he had one of the most waterproof elements to claim that there is, or at least has been something as a GOD. Briefly, i think it's this:

 

"if there wasn't a god, then howcome we have a concept named . the IDEA of a god, has been given to us, by god himself, therefor he exists" [i hope this is right, but i think so]

 

It would be too much work posting his entire philosophy here, but i just refer to him, ppl interested in this matter can google him.

 

 

 

~Prozac~

[Satenza]

I think Descartes used such poor arguments to rationalize the existence of God in Meditations to show that it is completely absurd to undertake the task. I mean the first few chapters of his work is an incredible insight which revolutionized and brought forward philosophy into a new age. As soon as he starts babbling on about God he undermines his own method of doubt and his work after that becomes nothing but an interesting bitter disappointment.

[StrOwez]

oh boy what a question.

 

 

 

Nobody will know the answer to that, nor will they come close to it.

 

This is a subject belonging with philosophy and ethics.

 

 

 

But if there is one thing i learned at school, it must be the dualism of the world, and god as perfect being. These are 2 parts of the philosophy by Descartes, a French philosopher from the 18th century.

 

In my opinion he had one of the most waterproof elements to claim that there is, or at least has been something as a GOD. Briefly, i think it's this:

 

"if there wasn't a god, then howcome we have a concept named . the IDEA of a god, has been given to us, by god himself, therefor he exists" [i hope this is right, but i think so]

 

It would be too much work posting his entire philosophy here, but i just refer to him, ppl interested in this matter can google him.

 

 

 

~Prozac~

uh?

 

e.g.1 where do we get the concept named the IDEA of a tooth fairy has been given to us by the tooth fairy itself, therefore tooth fairys exist!

 

 

 

e.g.2

 

where do we get the concept named the IDEA of aliens has been given to us by the Aliens themselves therefore Aliens exist

[Satenza]

The argument itself is very interesting; it does not really prove anything and at the same time can not be disproved. Descartes relies more so on perfection than on concepts that do not exist like the tooth fairy. Since perfection is arguably the sole attribute that God possesses, and it can not exist in our world. So he would assume through the principles of cause and effect that we could not imagine anything attaining perfection. So I would say that you misunderstand Descartes argument Str0wez. In the context of his work it is a bitter disappointment, as an argument alone itÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s irrelevant.

 

 

 

I would argue against it by saying that Descartes relies on circular logic, assuming the existence of a perfect being before he proves him. You could also argue that we do not know perfection. All we know is qualities that we have, and we amplify them so they transcend anything that is physically possible like omnipresence, omnipotence ect. It however does not mean anything external has placed these things in our heads, since we know of them ourselves through our own actions. There are many arguments against Descartes trademark argument, but they all fail to really disprove what he says since it can not really be disproven.

[atestarossa]

Wrong. God cannot simply forgive your sins for no reason, just like a judge cannot tell you "You're free to go" if you simply say "Oops. My bad."

 

 

 

God has always required sacrifice. Do you know why God took the dead lamb as a sacrifice instead of the fruit when Cain and Abel made offerings to God? Because God needs a sacrifice. This is why Jesus is called "The Lamb of God" sometimes. You have a blood-debt to God, and only blood can make it up to him. I know it sounds grotesque and evil, but that's only because society tells you it is these days. Back then it was cool. Heck, Muslims sacrifice lambs and their own blood to this day for whatever reason.

 

 

 

Christians, however, have already had their sacrifice given to them. Jesus took it upon himself to save us. And no, I don't think killing a lamb would appease God anymore, so I wouldn't try it. :P

 

 

 

There is an entire philosophy behind all this that I really don't want to get into because it's TOOOOOO darn long, but I'll, umm...Here, I may have a video for you that can explain it...

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNz1Jd-Umec

 

 

 

There ya' go. Goes into Islam and why they still do the blood sacrifice crap and why Christians don't have to. it's not the BEST video on why, since it's more of an anti-Islam video than a pro-Christian theology video, but it's all I have at the moment. :P

 

 

 

If god was all loving, then he would not wish for harm to be done to anything. Whether animal or plants. If you love something you care for them. If you care for them you would not wish for them to be hurt. And because he wishes sacrifice, he is not all loving.

 

 

 

so again, god isn't all loving and all knowing etc.

 

 

 

hmm, i do disagree a little here. God does NOT demand blood... lets take this part by part.

 

 

 

Offerings of lambs/grain et cetera: This is about showing respect to God, in the old testament, there is the rule about giving one tenth of what you earn back to God, because you should remember who gave you all this in the first place, and which is why i still give 1/10 of what i have to God (although this isn't much, i'm no rich man)

 

 

 

but the point about Jesus dying: Lets start with this, okay? God is holy, perfect, divine, whatever word you want to use for it, and therefore he can't meet sin. And that way, the price of sinning, is death. since you can't go to heaven after having sinned, and death is the opposite of everlasting life, right? (i do believe that whats described as hell in the bible, is actually nothing, after death, there is either everlasting life, or everlasting death Aka. nothing at all for ever, you can't see a dead thing have pain, right?)

 

 

 

Thats why Jesus came, fully God, though fully human. He died, taking all our sins with himself, having died for them.(Seen/read Narnia? well, that's a re-writing of the same thing) And therefore sinners are cleaned, if they just want Jesus to actually take these sins for them.

 

 

 

just my few words.

[darkforaster]

If god was all loving, then he would not wish for harm to be done to anything. Whether animal or plants. If you love something you care for them. If you care for them you would not wish for them to be hurt. And because he wishes sacrifice, he is not all loving.

 

 

 

so again, god isn't all loving and all knowing etc.

 

 

 

hmm, i do disagree a little here. God does NOT demand blood... lets take this part by part.

 

 

 

Offerings of lambs/grain et cetera: This is about showing respect to God, in the old testament, there is the rule about giving one tenth of what you earn back to God, because you should remember who gave you all this in the first place, and which is why i still give 1/10 of what i have to God (although this isn't much, i'm no rich man)

 

 

 

but the point about Jesus dying: Lets start with this, okay? God is holy, perfect, divine, whatever word you want to use for it, and therefore he can't meet sin. And that way, the price of sinning, is death. since you can't go to heaven after having sinned, and death is the opposite of everlasting life, right? (i do believe that whats described as hell in the bible, is actually nothing, after death, there is either everlasting life, or everlasting death Aka. nothing at all for ever, you can't see a dead thing have pain, right?)

 

 

 

Thats why Jesus came, fully God, though fully human. He died, taking all our sins with himself, having died for them.(Seen/read Narnia? well, that's a re-writing of the same thing) And therefore sinners are cleaned, if they just want Jesus to actually take these sins for them.

 

 

 

just my few words.

 

 

 

I sturggle to see the argument against my point about god being not all loving, not all powerful and not all knowing.

 

 

 

yes, Showing respect to god is good. you said that by giving him 1 tenth of what you earn, it shows you remember who gave it all to you in the first place. remember this is all about genesis. I believe that genesis is more of a story than the truth. in genesis it says something along the lines of god making the earth in seven days. on the seventh day he rested etc etc. he also said he made man and animals and birds in genesis. But then, there's no dinosaurs, no lava earth etc. However, this is all proved to have happened. But the bible mentions no such thing. genisis is a story and nothing more. Which means he didn't give anything.

 

Surely an all loving god would not lie to us in such a way?

 

 

 

Remember god does not take away the evils of the world, he made us humans, obviously knowing (because he's all-knowing) that we would kill animals and wreck the planet. He allowed the dinosaurs to die. he could not stop lucifer or satan.

 

 

 

To summarise

 

 

 

1)He is not Omniscient, Omnipotent and all loving.

 

 

 

2) genesis is a story, nothing more.

[assassin_696]

I think Descartes used such poor arguments to rationalize the existence of God in Meditations to show that it is completely absurd to undertake the task. I mean the first few chapters of his work is an incredible insight which revolutionized and brought forward philosophy into a new age. As soon as he starts babbling on about God he undermines his own method of doubt and his work after that becomes nothing but an interesting bitter disappointment.

 

 

 

Couldn't agree more, his first few meditations laid the foundations for the best of the "modern philosophies" but his later "proofs" of everything which he threw out in the first meditations are just silly.

[Joes_So_Cool]

Keep this off the second page :shock:

 

 

 

~Joe.

[kuu4]

I don't belive in god.

 

Don't really care about does someone else belive in it, im fine with it if he doesn't act idiot:

 

 

 

"0MFG J3SUS 1S S0 C0oL!!!!111"

 

:|