Same reason why religious people try to shove religion down your throat; they want you to see the 'evil' of your ways and convert you on the 'good' path
Well if you're not trying to convert or shove religion down others' throats, you're certainly one of the very rare exceptions amongst the religious crowd
True they have feelings, but they're still lower down on the food chain. Nature is built up that way, there's prey and predators.
Is a lion evil because he kills an antelope? No.
Same as for us, we need meat to stay fit and strong. If you consider a pig, cow or chicken on equal terms with yourself, then our views differ widely on that.
I don't condone unneccessary cruelty to animals raised for food mind you; but consider that if they weren't raised for food, most of those animals raised in captivity wouldn't even exist in the first place.
Well, my earlier stating that it's a fair bet that when speaking to a bible thumper, god will make his appearance in the conversation whatever the topic, IS stereotyping.
However, it should be borne in mind that stereotyping usually has a basis of truth in it, hence it wouldn't become a stereotype.
As to the christian group in Afghanistan, since I've yet to meet a religious person who won't mention god every couple of minutes, it's a fair assumption on my part that god will have been mentioned by that group while operating in Afghanistan.
Maybe I'm too cynical, but I'd be ready to bet the odds on what I said above
The fact is, you can't prove that something doesn't exist. On the other hand, I have yet to meet a believer that could give proof that his/her deity exists based on FACT and not some stupid quote from their favourite mythology book.
Actually friend if you bother to open a history book, you'll find no religious wars during the periods in which most of the major religions were polytheistic (worshipping more than one god), whereas once the monotheistic religions start to appear (judaism, christianity and islam being the big 3), religious wars raise their ugly heads.
While I agree in principle with what you've written above, in practice aren't such trials a facade of justice covering the (inevitable) biases and political pressures of the powers involved?
Excellent similarity. While his reasons were most probably motivated by a sincere love of nature and preservation of bears, he ended up blinded by his sentimentalism and died a foolish death.
Your post actually makes sense too, but in reality we really do not know the exact causes of why Sarmatian society changed and caused the decline of the Amazons.
What I think can be considered certain with a certain degree of accuracy, is that the Amazons existed in some form (though not as a purely matriarchal society as portrayed in myth).
There are several texts of ancient authors that mention encounters by Greek and Roman expeditions in the area aroudn the Black Sea, and apart from that there's the archeological evidence of the female tombs buried with weapons.
During his conquests, Alexander the Great is deemed to have met Queen Thalestris of the Amazons, who approached him with a request to have a child by him. Her reasons were that Alexander's conquests had proven him to be the greatest of men, and since she was the greatest of women, their offspring would certainly eclipse all other mortals. Alexander is said to have spent 13 days with her (ok, no prizes to guess what they got up to! )
The above story is probably embellished with myth, but Diodorus, Plutarch and Pompeius Trogus all mention it in their histories, so there's probably an element of truth in it. :)
Well in nature, humans can often end up as food to other carnivores, so nothing new under the sun there.
As to being vegetarian, if your decision is based on not wanting to see other animals suffer, I can understand that in part. However, nature is meant to be that way, we are omnivores, so we need both meat and vegetables to survive healthily.
If you follow a sports related diet and lifestyle, if you just eat vegetables you'll soon end up at risk of anemism. If it's a matter between risking my health, and the death of a chicken, then I'm sorry, but I value my life as being better than a chicken's, simple as that.
Seeing how we've often clashed in other political posts in the past, if I managed to get your approval I can be pretty certain I put up convincing arguments this time around
I do realize that the people who are upset at my comments are driven by emotion here. I tried to see this incident in a logical manner since this is the way I try to view things; logic gives a truer picture of events (although I realize that it often appears cold hearted and cruel), while emotion can much more easily blind you.
Interesting post. I think that anyone who reads history with a detached view will end up realizing that no war is ever fought for the sake of principle alone. Any nation going on the offensive in a war ALWAYS has a material objective to aim for; whether this be territory, or some other type of resource.
The Iraq and Afghan war fall in the latter category, while letting the facade of an 'independent' government ruling the said countries, but being quick to do puppy tricks when their real masters click their fingers.
However, put sentimentality aside for a minute, and consider this in PRACTICAL terms.
1) It's a fact that for civilians to go around in a WARZONE is plain asking for trouble;
2) The said 'missionairies' were sent there by a christian organization, so I find it REALLY hard to believe that prattling about god etc was not on the agenda. Just talk to any bible thumper and see how god sprouts up after a few seconds in any conversation they make. Doing it in a country that views the West and christianity as 'evil' is plain asking for trouble;
3) There have been many cases of civilian Westerners being kidnapped in both Iraq and Afghanistan in the past years since these 2 wars began. Did it really require a nuclear physicist to foresee that these doctors' mission would end up with their deaths at worse, or their kidnaps at best?
Pause to think for a minute what would have happened had these doctors been 'just' kidnapped. A ransom which would have been refused, followed by a public execution would probably have happened. To prevent this a high risk military operation involving Special Forces would have been required, putting needlessly at risk the lives of Service Personnel already involved in a hard thankless task down there, without the need to babysit do gooder bible thumpers.
4) As to the locals being thankful for the doctors' presence, when will people stop being naive about the whole situation down there?
Talibans have been operating a GUERRILLA war for years now, and you can't do that successfully unless you have the local population's support. The reasons for the war aside, the Afghans don't want a Western presence down there. How do you think your average local Taliban would consider the presence of a female (which they consider to be barely human in the first place) doctor WORKING there? (When said Talibans consider women only good enough to work in the kitchens and raise babies)
5) I re-state my views that any civilians choosing to go to Afghanistan on do goody missions are just asking for trouble not only for themselves, but needlessly putting the lives of Service Personnel at risk as well. It is a FOOLISH act that will certainly get no sympathy from me whatsoever.
You make an excellent point mate, but somehow I doubt it'll make an impression on the church brigade here. She'll probably quote something new from the fairytale book
Well, the truth is that part of the world isn't a fairy tale place where people hug each other to make themselves feel better.
From what I've read of this whole incident, these people were quite religious, so knowing from personal experience how the typical devout christians act, they couldn't have helped prattling about god, praying and showing the bible around.
Doing that in a country that is renowned as one where fanatical muslims abound is certainly NOT a wise thing to do. Sensitivity on my part has nothing to do with it, period.
Would you feel sorry for someone who enters a lion's cage in order to caress the lion's mane, and end up devoured in the process? I'd call such an action foolish, and see it on a par with what these christian doctors have tried to do there in Afghanistan.
You're quite free to disagree of course and shed crocodile tears for these doctors.
No dear, by quoting the bible you just wriggled around the bush once more, and quoted a lot of babble without answering anything. The bible wasn't written by any supernatural being, it was written by PEOPLE, and if you think that this fairytale book justifies the murders and atrocities committed by your religion over the centuries, then I truly am sickened, and at the same time feel sorry for you; because you are definitely blinded by your superstitions.
As regards going to the library, I'm sure you'll find the bible next to other myths such as the Greek, Sumerian, Roman, Egyptian, Norse, Aztec and various other civilizations' mythology. The bible is just that after all, Jewish mythology.
If you do go to a library dear, make sure to read those mythologies, you'll find that plenty of their myths bear a very close resemblance to many of your Jewish myths, while being centuries older. If you do bother to read my previous posts, you'll see several references to them.
Virgin births? Plenty of those in Greco-Roman myth, apart from being a convenient excuse for getting pregnant out of wedlock in ancient times.
Divine conceptions? Hey, Zeus spread his seed far and wide, nearly all the heroes and demi-gods of Greek myth were sired by him.
Going to heaven with body and soul? Horus, Hercules & Romulus did that to mention a few.
Christmas (as in 25th December)? Mithras and Sol Indiges (also known as Sol Invictus) had their birthdays on the 25th December
Of course, you're free to quote some other babble. It's all you christians can do after all can't you?
wulfen Forum Posts (810)
RE: My daughters 45th Birthday and we spoke for the first time ....
Hi Smoky, just wanted to say I'm happy for you. Wish you all the best