Quote: DaButt @ December 15 2008, 4:22 AM GMTOnly a fool would claim that people do not suffer. I am not a fool. It is also not foolish to rightfully state that modern man suffers less and lives longer and more comfortably than ever before.
mmmmmmmmmmmm maybe in your world but there are many lands that people are not more comfortable and do not live longer. So I would look at what you write as a foolish thing to write.
Quote: Dr Mato @ December 15 2008, 4:32 AM GMTmmmmmmmmmmmm maybe in your world but there are many lands that people are not more comfortable and do not live longer. So I would look at what you write as a foolish thing to write.
I made it very clear that I was speaking about places like North America, Europe and Australia, but I'd like to see evidence that people lived better, longer and healthier lives in Africa, Asia and South America hundreds of years ago. Do you have such evidence?
Quote: Dr Mato @ December 15 2008, 3:46 AM GMTI for one chose to acknowledge that many do suffer and hope I can lend if nothing else a heart and open hand.
That'll help then.
A couple of years back I thought the answer could be found in Philosophy too.
David Hume's 'Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion' are what made the most sense to me. God can't be explained within nature, God can't be an all powerful and all good God at the same time and he probably doesn't exist.
Then I Nietche'ed it up and my belief in the possibility of a God was pretty much over.
Until I dropped the Philosophical garbage and started reading science books. I quickly realized at that point that he definitely didn't exist and thus there was no afterlife.
I also think that I would have figured this stuff out a long time before I hit 25 if I wouldn't have been so indoctrinated by religion.
Quote: Dr Mato @ December 15 2008, 3:46 AM GMTHow do you think you know so much about everything?
There are people who to this day live in conditions that were better 100 years ago.There are people who suffer dearly, look at Iraq. To pretend different is ridiculous. You do not know what experiences others of BSG talk forum or for that matter, for others all over the world have had or have not had. How arrogant of you to think you are " all knowing". I will not make a sweeping judgement, especially to others circumstances. You seem to do that a lot.
I for one chose to acknowledge that many do suffer and hope I can lend if nothing else a heart and open hand.
He did say "very few people", not all. Calm down.
Quote: Aaron @ December 15 2008, 1:59 PM GMTHe did say "very few people", not all. Calm down.
Oh I love giving him a go. I shall stop....... I guess. 
In the real world I would never say a word to Da Butt. 
Yes, you do love it. But it's not him that's coming off as the most irrational of the argument.
After you've pegged it...nothing happens. That's it. The Eternity of nothingness. Nowt.....hopefully.
Quote: Aaron @ December 15 2008, 2:05 PM GMTYes, you do love it. But it's not him that's coming off as the most irrational of the argument.
What me irrational?
Well I shall leave him alone from this day forward. I promise. The poor guy being picked on by an irrational crazed lady. 
*note to self.... stop picking on Da Butt because it is irrational and makes Aaron call you out.
Quote: Curt @ December 15 2008, 9:36 AM GMTI quickly realized at that point that he definitely didn't exist and thus there was no afterlife.
Do God and an afterlife have to be mutually exclusive?
"Common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness" - Vladimir Nabakov.
Quote: Dr Mato @ December 15 2008, 2:03 PM GMTIn the real world I would never say a word to Da Butt.
In the real world I would shake your hand and buy you a drink of your favorite gin.
Quote: DaButt @ December 15 2008, 2:12 PM GMTIn the real world I would shake your hand and buy you a drink of your favorite gin.
And then shoot him.
Is this how the US Civil War could have been avoided?
Quote: DaButt @ December 15 2008, 2:12 PM GMTIn the real world I would shake your hand and buy you a drink of your favorite gin.
Well, you can buy me a drink. 
If you check your gun at the door. 