Bolshevik

this "choice" reasoning is a recurring theme. "choosing to perpetuate abuse" - did he believe it was abuse? Does this make a difference? "sneak and hide" - oh come on, that's wayfer lifestyle, the unbelievers don't understand.

there is no such thing as good or bad. people make this distinction up and then try to make pet theories up when things don't add up. One could reevaluate why they consider things "good" or "bad", and redefine them, if it so troubles them. you've brought up "rulers" now. hmm. . . "religious dogma" "political decree" "years of conflict . . ." You believe religion came from rulers first? Or religion came, then rulers learned to use it, as any opportunity?

I wasn't talking about inter-species reproduction. I was talking about within a species. If I have time I'll try to find a link on the subject. where does religion come from?

I didn't raise them. What is your explanation for it?

ignorance of what? what is bad and what is good? don't marry outside the chosen group can be explained by genetics. species generally like to breed with similar, because their genes have proven to work, but not too similar . . . so people come up with a religious reason for this biological behavior . . .

vpw was teaching the trees when he was a kid. people stay in twi until it doesn't give them what they want. people want what vp promised. so vpw raped women? the kids don't care . . .

there's still thousands of folks just like him then. They chose to promote what they don't understand as if they did. They had a choice. Or their parents failed . . . Or people are just robots, easy to reprogram . . .

You can't excuse dead people. The teenagers in twi today, they have no excuse either . . .

I don't share your optimism. I believe the result will be more of the same, but in a new form.

I've heard it said, from muslims I believe, that Abraham was special not because god spoke to him, but because he recognized his voice, and acted. He didn't have to stop and ask "did I hear something?". Heck, twi was about trying to get as close as possible to the guy with the strongest connection to the supreme being . . .

There was also the "sweat of thy brow something something work work work work . . ." which one could extend to the constant WTF? of trying figure things out.

and what's left?

(I was reminded of twi's "you hit what you look at" and GSC's "black and white thinking") "chooses to see", "seek and you'll find", could be taken as seeking evidence of things you want to be there, suggestive, so to speak. . . I don't know that making vpw the devil helps, it just makes it easier . . .

you got me thinking, another topic of course In the context of my understanding of christianity outside twi, God rules. We carry the consequences of our ancestor, death and decay, for defying the order of things. Whether we die now, yesterday, or a million years from now; and the method of death; makes no difference whatsoever. Suffering is a given.

I wouldn't use the word "ridicule", I believe he was trying to be light, he said something common in our culture, he is one of us.

Which lies was Hitler referring to if any I wonder? Maybe he didn't mean anything at all.

I believe someone pointed out when Obama said what he said, everyone laughed. what does that say about most everybody? It's obama's job to alter the "morals" of a people? Schwarzenegger pointed out Obama's heart is in the right place and that's what matters.

Now, didn't lcm mean well? He just wanted to serve God and be his best.

So was vpw a victim? Nope. Lions eat zebras. That's just what they do.

Honour thy father and mother, that it may be well with thee, and you'll live long on the earth. Ha! What a joke.

Oh, this is about design? Why is there death? Was there always death? I think most of the dreamed up theories say proliferation was in place before the cell even. Macromolecular self replication or whatever. Then came cells. They were either solar powered or ate each other. So what is death? If my car breaks down, did it die? What is the different between plant and animal death? Do fish have feelings? What is death? I don't know. . . when does human life begin? I think vpw is dead. Although he may be living in Argentina with Hitler and Elvis. . .

Life can proliferate by giving individuals one task, or supporting role. Whether or not completed, the matter and energy can be transferred to other life. Just passing a baton, not really any choice in the matter, it's to big to argue with. Gold jewelry can be melted into new jewelry, the gold is the same gold, but the old jewelry is gone forever. That something else was there how can one show? I think I've heard this question phrased "Is their an ontological explanation for the soul?" The real question is, if there is no Silicon Heaven, then where do all the calculators go? :D P.S. not sure I understood this sentence: " So at the least I've found myself asking the question "why is dat, the fail thing?" and what does it mean?"

I don't understand why you stop at religion. Why not take it a step further?

Does this set up only two options? One or the other, be light or be dark?

I think it was Ezekial?, where God told him He was going to kill his wife, and Ezekial? was not to cry. Then God killed his wife. Not that she did anything far as I know. Just so Ezekial? would be an example to Israel. Jesus spoke of the tower falling and killing people. He said it wasn't cause of anything they did. Oh, the book of Job. Plain as day. I like to mess with wayfers sometimes.