<DIV>Paul,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I guess you could argue lots of things. I just know that I would rather live believing there is a God rather than there isn't. I would hate to think that being kind and just appearing to be kind had no real distinction. I would hate to think my existence in this world is meaningless and pointless and that I should do for myself not others. I like to think I am serving a higher power when I do good, not just the one person. I like to think I, you, and every person is something greater than a ugly bag of water polluting the earth and taking up space. I like to think there is a great equalizer out there seeing the great injustices done to others. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Even if I could magically know for fact that there was no God, I would not want to know that if it were fact. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Paul Rumelhart <godshatter@yahoo.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">There are some people that believe that the world is what it is, regardless of how much different we might like it to be.<BR><BR>Anyway, you could argue that a belief in an afterlife cheapens life here on Earth - you spend less than an eye-blink here, and then spend the rest of the time either floating on clouds or being burned alive.<BR><BR>If you have this one existence, and then nothing, then you might be motivated to make the best of what you have now instead of pining for a glorious future somewhere else.<BR><BR>Not that I don't believe in the supernatural, mind you. It just doesn't follow that a belief that this world is all there is necessarily leads to bad behavior any more than a belief in an afterlife does. Witness the suicide bombers and their
promised virgins, as one extreme example.<BR><BR>Paul<BR><BR>Donovan Arnold wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE cite=mid576559.10512.qm@web38115.mail.mud.yahoo.com type="cite"> <DIV>Paul,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Without a belief in a supernatural being life is not meaningful. Everything is only as it appears to be, nothing more. All actions, fortunes, misfortunes, and events are nothing more than happenstances. What a boring and pointless existence someone must have to believe that there is no higher intended purpose in life or what you do with it. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan<BR><BR><B><I>Paul Rumelhart <A class=moz-txt-link-rfc2396E href="mailto:godshatter@yahoo.com"><godshatter@yahoo.com></A></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">I really despise these cutesy propaganda-ish jibes at the <BR>non-believers. But putting that aside for
the moment, I'm trying to <BR>understand their point. At best, they seem to be saying that without a <BR>caring/feeling religion like Christianity, people treat life like it <BR>means nothing and can develop into despots and nazis. Yet when you look <BR>over the last couple of thousand of years of Christianity, you notice <BR>things like the Crusades, the Inquisitions, and the witch burnings. <BR><BR>We've argued on this list before about who has racked up the highest <BR>body count. The answer varies depending upon who you trust for a <BR>historical record and who you do or don't count in modern times. <BR><BR>However, if you can't easily find the answer then it follows that <BR>religion has no affect whatsoever on a human beings seeming need to kill <BR>it's own kind. <BR><BR>I don't know which is better. A God that so often inspires people to <BR>kill in the name of Good, or the lack of a belief in a God that fails to <BR>keep our basest instincts in line. It's my
opinion that the people that <BR>do these kinds of things are just looking for an excuse no matter what <BR>rationalizations they finally decide upon.<BR><BR>Paul<BR><BR><A class=moz-txt-link-abbreviated href="mailto:heirdoug@netscape.net">heirdoug@netscape.net</A> wrote:<BR>> I thought some of you who think for a living would like this one.<BR>> enjoy, Doug!<BR>><BR>> <A class=moz-txt-link-freetext href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm1JYYIk-pI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm1JYYIk-pI</A><BR>> ________________________________________________________________________<BR>> Check Out the new free AIM(R) Mail -- Unlimited storage and <BR>> industry-leading spam and email virus protection.<BR>><BR>> =======================================================<BR>> List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>> <A class=moz-txt-link-freetext
href="http://www.fsr.net/">http://www.fsr.net</A> <BR>> <A class=moz-txt-link-freetext href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR>> =======================================================<BR>><BR>> <BR><BR>=======================================================<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext href="http://www.fsr.net/">http://www.fsr.net</A> <BR><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR>=======================================================<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV></DIV> <HR SIZE=1> Looking for a deal? <A href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=47094/*http://farechase.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTFicDJoNDllBF9TAzk3NDA3NTg5BHBvcwMxMwRzZWMDZ3JvdXBzBHNsawNlbWFpbC1uY20-">Find great prices on flights and hotels</A> with Yahoo! FareChase.
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