How slow this group is these days
 

I used to come here daily and found lots of engaging threads. Today, I come back after a long absense to find very few new thread/posts. We must be all busy with our facebook wall!

What Facebook wall?

Heya Speck.
We just keep replying to the same threads every day. And nope, I'm not on Facebook (anymore) or on Twitter either.

(IIRC, I first met you years ago on the JA forums. I wasn't part of the mass exodus but I've abandoned JA almost entirely (mostly due to TMT... y'know, "too many twits" :shifty: ) and rarely post there nowadays, instead wasting my time here every day! :D)

I noticed that, too. I check almost relegiously every hour, and it's very slow going. :P

Well I'm busy working full time and running a family. I just don't have the time or enough energy to post much.
And my co-workers are very much into debating everything these days I get my fair share of discussion at work.

Yeah noticed the same unfortunately ,but then again I should stop using the internet that much all together.

I've just started reactivating my forum memberships after a long absence from all but my home site. I see the old Thread Must Die thread finally died :p (Edit: or not... There it is, two threads below this one. I guess I am getting blind in me doddering years.)

Welcome back to the forums Specksie! It's indeed slower than it used to be, but it's still fun to come here every day. But that's because we missed eloquent and provocative people like you ;).

I agree with Jelena.... but durning this summer I will have more time to talk with everyone.... but I still like coming everyday to see what you all are up to :D

Alright now you're talkin my friend! How about someone say how awful people of Faith are and then blame us for everything from Global Warming to Death in general. Even though Death is just doing her job and shouldn't be so persecuted.

I have no problem at all with people of faith; In fact, I harbor quite a bit of admiration for their ability to believe that there exists order and "a plan" in what I see as a basically chaotic and random universe.
I do, however, have a problem with the ugly twin sisters of people of faith- people who degrade, devalue, and sometimes outright prostitute their faith by attempting to sell it door-to-door, as if the afterlife is a land of free appliances for whoever signs up the most converts.
I also have a HUGE problem with the wicked stepmothers of people of faith- people who use their "faith" as a sword to divide society into "Us" and "Them", with the "Thems" being relegated to second-class citizenship because they don't share the same beliefs (or frequently simply don't interpret the same beliefs in the same way) as the "Us's".

Oh yes, even in our church there was a lot of anger and grief over that. It's one of the reasons why I gave up on religion altogether. All gods that have ever been invented teach tolerance and kindness toward other people, but people always seem to think they know better.

Here's a question, not necessarily directed at you personally. I hear this kind of sentiment a lot from non-religious people, and to be honest, I'm baffled about why people express "admiration" for others believing in something that they don't perceive as real. Is it just me, or do I hear a slightly patronising sense of pity in such statements? I don't mean to accuse anyone of anything here; I'm just curious.

Incidentally, your description also happens to fit many materialists whose faith lies in science. Was that intentional? :)

During a period of my life I had lots of religious friends and I also accompanied them to church and their activities. I sort of watched them and wondered if I too would feel what they felt, but that never happened. And I remember being almost jealous that I couldn't be part of it.
I guess I felt some kind of admiration for their dedication.

*Grins and waits for someone to say Hitler*

Guys...how did we get talking about freakin' relegion?! :crazy:

Well, I for one am not around here because, uh... things happened ... sort of.

Hey Undeaf, nice to see you again! Everything OK?

Nope, no patronizing intended. In my opinion, it takes a fair amount of intestinal fortitude to place one's trust in that which is by it's very nature unknowable. Or put another way, to have faith in one's "faith". I imagine it is quite a comfort during times of stress or tragedy to be certain that whatever awful things happen, there is a reason and in the grand scheme of things all will be well. I am by nature a cynic, and as such I am constitutionally incapable of such belief, so it's only natural that I would admire people who are capable of something I am not.

No, but I see where you're coming from. The main difference between religion and science is that religion tends to say "This is how it was, is, and will be for all time, period", whereas science leans more towards "Right now, as far as we can tell this is how it was/is/will be, but there's always a chance we could be wrong. If you can come up with a better theory and provide reasonable proof, then we'll change our view of how it was/is/will be". Of the two, I can relate to the scientific outlook more easily.

Interesting split between religion and science. I've always felt to a certain extent science is a "faith" of sorts, largely for the "we could be wrong" part of your definition. So many scientific theories have fallen over the centuries that, to have any belief that our current theories won't do the same is an act of faiith. Conversely, few genuinely religious people will claim a perfect knowledge of god, but their faith leads them to strive towards that goal.

Right behind you on the two ugly sisters of faith. Even when trying to persuade people to your view (and this extends outside religion as well) you should always respect their right to not agree with you.

Back on the topic, this seems a good time to offer a sneak preview of a futuer NNN that could have been written for this very thread.

Number 41

Nothing New

The torches they are all unlit, not one of them aflame
And every thread I look at, the content is just the same
It may just be that no-one has got anything to say
Or perhaps I shouldn’t sit here 24 hours of the day