dimreepr

I think we should allow such arguments, not only because they can be fun but now and then a new perspective/understanding can create a completely new understanding/argument that fundamentally changes everyone’s understanding.

I think the answer to your question is; would you be happy to see your mother/loved one suffer to advance your cause?

All you need is love by the Beatles is one that springs to mind; you should consider them, not from a religious standpoint, but from the message/philosophy they stand for, much like imatfaal's suggestions. Edit/ To add, if there was ever a humanist song then it has to be Imagine-John lennon

If I claim to be god would you follow? How dare you hide from my truth. No, there isn't.

Islam forbade usury for the same reasons Christianity did; because its fraud at the most fundamental level, as in it takes advantage of the most vulnerable. The feudal system keeps one beholding for very different reasons, as in keeping slaves.

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” - Winston S. Churchill.

Maybe it's a wooden sword to play with his friends?

You continue to conflate terrorism with Islam, no doubt through ignorance or maybe because they use the Muslim religion as an excuse, much like the KKK used Christianity. If I used the word god to describe myself would you prey to me, or just dismiss me as a loon?

This just confirms my initial thought when I read the OP; it’s just an ignorant rant. Did you ever consider the word prejudice? It means to pre-judge as in judging without knowledge or thought.

I’ve come to think of god as a concept, designed, to lesson fear and allow people to forgive more easily (for those who lack understanding/knowledge). I’ve also come to think of churches, originally, as a place of learning/school which later became the tool of those that failed to understand the true meaning of what was being taught. Organised religion is subject to politics and personal ambition, and so is also subject to the corruption that can bring. There’s nothing wrong in belief, it brings comfort to so many people, what’s wrong is trying to use that belief in others for personal gain. Not everyone is capable to rationalise/understand as well as the average member on this site; after all the greater freedom to breathe and a lack of that bad taste can equally come from true understanding or just a sincere attempt.

The climate we have now is conducive to human life whereas the climate predicted, in the long term, may not be.

When the stereotype is based on a culture, then you may have a point, when they are based on your prejudice, then you don’t.

In the short term the ‘crapshoot’ may result in beneficial weather conditions in a, very, few places but is far more likely to result in large scale crop failures and mass starvation. In the long term the only upside that I can see from AGW is that humans will have a common ‘enemy’ against which to unite.

A bully is a bully because they were made that way, usually through being a victim of bullying/abuse, not because of a philosophy. Whatever your anecdotal evidence and however often you’ve witnessed such behaviour is by no means evidence that that behaviour is ubiquitous.

I don’t think wanting to protect innocents from the consequences of demonising an entire minority, by separating them from those who commit such hateful acts, should be disparaged by using a charged term like political correctness.

This, I fear, will provide propaganda for the right wing jingoists to demonise all Muslims, however peaceful they are, and who knows where that may lead.

That's kind of my point; you tell me.

John Steinbeck had a similar view; ‘The grapes of wrath’.

No me neither and I have no doubt your figures are correct (so I haven’t checked). Sociopaths and probably paedophilia’s would never consider they needed fixing; so given the percentages and the instinctual drive involved, your average priest is far more likely subject to the latter.

If this thread has any point; it’s that you need to try harder.

I didn’t say you were preaching, I asked how it differs, but surely there’s an interesting question, embedded, that could be discussed.

I’d be surprised if sex in the animal kingdom, other than simple survival (and not always even that in some cases), isn’t the strongest instinctive drive; so to suggest we simply think our way out of said drive may be possible for some, hunger strikes as a protest does happen as does abstinence but it’s very very rare and is a consequence of extreme motivation.

How is this different from preaching?

Tell that to the children that suffered because of the Catholics insistence that priest’s attempt such a practise.

A bully hates because he/she is taught to do so; if, for instance, the teacher is a man or atheist then all men or atheists are hated, dogs just happen to be an easier substitute/target.