[geeks] Re: [rescue] It's official, the U.S. is screwedfor4 more years

[Phil Stracchino]

On Tue, Nov 09, 2004 at 01:32:25PM -0800, Francisco Javier Mesa-Martinez wrote:
> On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 15:36:40 -0500
>  Phil Stracchino <alaric at caerllewys.net> wrote:
> >On Tue, Nov 09, 2004 at 03:17:47PM -0500, Michael Horton 
> >wrote:
> >That, IMHO, is wa whacked as Islam's idea that you go 
> >directly to
> >paradise if you die fighting the infidel, regardless of 
> >anything else
> >you may have done.
> 
> Don't they also get 70 virgins or some ridiculous number 
> like that. Imagine 70 pissed of women at the same time, 
> that sounds more like hell than heaven in my book.

72?

Personally, I like the 72 Virginians joke....   :)


> The sad part is that Islam in its beginings was a 
> relatively liberal religion, as per usual theory and 
> implementation are quite different.

Yup.

> The theory behind this, as a recovering Christian, is that 
> only god has the ultimate power (i.e. life and death) and 
> taking someone's life is stealing god's abilities since 
> he/she is the only one who can create life AND destroy it. 

So what about the other guy?  Or does this school of thought assume that
if someone comes to kill you, it must be god's will?  (In which case no
crimes should be punished....)

> We just rent our bodies for the time being if you wanna 
> think of it that way. As per usual the bible can be 
> interpreted to basically support any position you want 
> (that is one of my main beefs with using a book with 
> serious continuity problems as a moral guide).

Yeah, there's so much room there for cherrypicking and selective
interpretations....

> The whole 
> notion of christianity is the duality of heaven/hell and 
> our earthly existance being nothing more than a testing 
> ground to see where you are supposed to go when you die. 

Frankly, I've always figured that if heaven and hell exist, and even
HALF the sanctimonious bastards who spend all their time on the airwaves
promising their followers that they're all going to heaven and everyone
else is going to hell actually get there, then I'd sooner try hell.

But then again, I also have a personal belief that if there is such a
thing as hell, then it exists to be a destination for those who are
certain they have the divine power to judge others and consign them
there.


> Of course there is the possiblity that if God does indeed 
> exist, that maybe he is crazier than a fruitbar... that is 
> always a possibility that should be contemplated. I always 
> enjoyed the theodicy paradox regarding god and the 
> possibilities it opens.

There's an interesting little philosophical question.  If you have
convincing-to-you proof that your god exists, but said deity appears to
be a raving loony, are you obliged to follow your deity's commandments
anyway, no matter how irrational they may seem?  Or is it more "morally
correct" to use your own best judgement?


> I appreciate the calm discussion in this group, and some 
> of the points are rather interesting.

Funny, I was just saying that.  :)


-- 
  ========== Fight Back!  It may not be just YOUR life at risk. ==========
  alaric at caerllewys.net : phil-stracchino at earthlink.net : phil at novylen.net
   phil stracchino : unix ronin : renaissance man : mystic zen biker geek
     2000 CBR929RR, 1991 VFR750F3 (foully murdered), 1986 VF500F (sold)
           Linux Now!  ...Friends don't let friends use Microsoft.