A pretty good likeness, too (except for the mustache).

Nice bow-tie

I have a concern about how people can actually think/believe the things he says. But then again I have the same concern for most organized religions and the flocks of people who buy into them.

How long before logic and reason really do win the day... Or is it bound to never happen?

Meh, "logic and reason" are pretty mutable constructs as well.

I think religion is ok, for those who want/need it because like other important documents it holds certain truths to be self-evident.

I am a huge fan of the billions of mediocre minds being taught weekly not to lie, cheat, steal, and kill, and you should be too.

Also, I'm a huge hater of the popular "Look down on the problem" mentality....
Look up, it is the godless wretches that are truly destroying your country.

Note: Written before adequate caffeine levels have been achieved

I don't think religion makes people better people

I don't trust democracy - which is why I'm so concerned about what the NSA is doing even if it appears to be benevolent and only directed towards fighting terrorism aorn (although even that is a leap of faith)

What do you prefer over democracy?

I like it when they look up into my eyes

Anarchy

Wow, Abe did you see that last woman on the chase? Can't get much thicker than that.

Sure it does. Suggesting otherwise is insane. What it doesn't do is make fake-believers better people as they sit in the pews and observe socially-directed normative behavior.

Dear Ant,

I have more guns than you, and will be by directly to collect your things.

Warm regards,
Grasshopper

Basically what I'm looking for in governance is a Mad Max type scenario.

Can you translate that to, "haven't seen/read/whatever you're supposed to do to it"?

What is your evidence for this?

You want us all to move to Australia, get mohawks and wear cod-pieces?

I might be down with that.

Can you actually grow a Mohawk...?

Mad Max is a dystopian action film wherein anarchy rules.

"Dystopian fiction (sometimes combined with, but distinct from apocalyptic literature) is the opposite: creation of an utterly horrible or degraded society that is generally headed to an irreversible oblivion, or dystopia."

The Ayatollah is a pious man (so they say).

No, but I can wear a cod-piece.

In.

I would have sworn it was Australian.

I agree that religion has a great premise and they're teaching of love, forgiveness, and some things is okay.

What I hate about it is the fact that it breeds the normative behavior you speak of. If humans are made to make the hard decisions instead of just accepting that "God wants them to do it this way". Then I think it would be a great leap in human morality. Could it open the door to humans ultimately deciding that extinction of our race is better than continuing to reproduce, sure. But I like to think it would lead to many greater understandings that we just are not capable of with this whole "we were put here to die and go to heaven" thing we have going on now.

Sure religion teaches those things, but they're not unique to religion.

It's really a cop out to say religion is good because it teaches some good things.

Take this convo to the religion forum or oot.