thank you for taking the time to visit cait's site. it helps me feel connected to her to update the theme to the seasons, etc.

you know, when she was sick she was on all sorts of prayer lists: catholic, baptist, pagan, buddhist…the whole gamut. when people would ask if it was alright to put her name on i would always respond that no prayer sent to the skies with honest intent was ever a waste.

caitie was a pagan from the top of her curly head to the tips of her toes. she loved the goddess and the rule of 3 and blessed be. that post about the godless living an empty life would have had her typing furiously /laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

best,

annie

Sigh…if that's how you choose to go about life, more power to you. Seems pretty empty and sad though. What exactly do you live for? I mean, in your worldview, life is pointless right? There's no reason for it. We are just machines with the biological need to reproduce. For no reason. There is no reason to reproduce, because in the end, reproduction gains us nothing. The entire species will either be wiped out, or will move on to be something else according to the evolutionists…But WHY? You may say that if we reproduce better than the next life-form than we are the better species to live. But again, why? What does it matter? There would be no point or purpose in seeking knowledge. No urge to do what is "right" for another person that we care about. Shoot, why have emotions at all? They don't help me mate. Heck, they mostly hindered it when I was a teenager! /laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

So again. I affirm your right to believe what you do, but I also claim the right of thinking you are crazy to want that kind of worldview. /unsure.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':huh:' />

I create meaning in my life with each choice that I make.

The question to ask yourself is why do you need an external agency to give your life meaning? Happiness and contentment come from within.

I am perfectly happy and perfectly content being a single small human on a speck of a world hurtling through the infinite void. What happens when we die? I don't care. Is there a god? I don't care. It matters not one wit to me and would not alter my behavior in either case.

I'm a good person. I help my neighbors when I can. I try to do the right things even when no one is looking. Why? Because I am kind and compassionate. Why? Because I am. No other reason is required.

Weel KUDOS to you! You should be proud of being a good person. Even though millions of years of evolution say that you are actually being non-competitive, and as such, will be bred out of existence. I need no external "agency" to give my life meaning. One simply exists, and I choose to acknowledge that fact. I simplly appeal to Occams Razor, and say that the simplest explanation fits. The universe looks designed because it was.

I suppose that I get a little…ummm…confused, as to why people like Hawkings postulate millions upon millions of imaginary universes, along with imaginary time to explain our being here…You may deny it, but I have a sould and a maker….and I am proud of that.

To each his own huh? /laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />

'imaginary' is in the mind of the conceiver, perhaps. kudos to you on your pride, gryph, tho i think that may be just a wee bit sin tinged…

imho, cooperation/goodness etc are not on the freeway to extinction as these are traits that enable societies to remain cohesive.

Yes, but society has no purpose other than to allow weaker "animals" to provide for a common defense (survival). So if the human animal has evolved to grow into societies, the individual has ceased to mutate as such, becasue the need is no longer there? Are you implying that now it is society that mutates? How does that work on the Darwinian level?

And as for the pride comment…there is nothing at all wrong with pride. It simply depends on what you are proud of.

Oh…And of course "Imaginary is in the mind of the conceiver". Where else would imagination be? /laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

Good is good, evil is evil right? Well, according to Darwin, there really could be no such thing as good or evil. Just instinct. So according to evolution, you aren't being good. You are just being. And if someone were to murder your entire family (God forbid!) they would not be doing evil, they would just be removing potential rivals for survival. Perhaps they consider you a rival at work. Would it then be o.k. to kill you?

Evolution implies that good is nothing….so why do it? You can't claim morals and then say that there is no moral yardstick.

Perhaps it is the instincts that have evolved, to form "good" and "bad." That would mean that the guy who has the potential to murder my whole family has instincts that have not evolved. Survival of the fittest being what it is, he would have to be eliminated or contained. It is not conducive to the human species to have murderers running around.

LOL!! Hugs are good! : /biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

yes, hugs are good. but i have absolutely no idea why you are quoting that here or why the LOL…it was to do with the deaths of our children.

you were saying that hawkin et al were looking for imaginary solutions when GOD is right there. as i said: imagination is in the mind of the conceiver. is was a perhaps lame play on words. but i stand by it. some would say that GOD is an imaginary solution.

i was reading a study the other day in the Syracuse paper about how they are finding out that babies/very young toddlers are kind, helpful etc way before they are able to conceive of the concepts; it's just there in their natures. no sunday school, no nursery school influence, not really enough parental influence even at that point. they seem able to regulate their own little societal groups regarding acceptable behaviour. it was very interesting.

you equate a life not worshipping a god with 'nothingness'. that is an enormous leap and not a little bit of arrogance on your part, imho. to think that religious people have a monopoly on morality is very silly, again imho. one need only look at the history of religion to see that.

Guys – as always, religion and God are subjects that cause people to be passionate about their belief system and message. I would toss in a quick reminder here to please be sensitive to the beliefs and feelings of others as you continue to post in this thread. We really would like the discussion to continue. Please be respectful of the beliefs of others.

Thanks!

you're right, of course. i would like to see it continue also, but perhaps it would be better doing so with out me participating. my social skills are not what they once were… /smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />

Weel KUDOS to you! You should be proud of being a good person. Even though millions of years of evolution say that you are actually being non-competitive, and as such, will be bred out of existence. I need no external "agency" to give my life meaning. One simply exists, and I choose to acknowledge that fact. I simplly appeal to Occams Razor, and say that the simplest explanation fits. The universe looks designed because it was.

I suppose that I get a little…ummm…confused, as to why people like Hawkings postulate millions upon millions of imaginary universes, along with imaginary time to explain our being here…You may deny it, but I have a sould and a maker….and I am proud of that.

To each his own huh? /laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

I'm a little late to this game and I probably should leave sleeping dogs and all that but I see nothing "Hitleresque" about this statement. I see no harm in posters explaining their personal belief systems, in fact I would fight for their right to do so. That's what makes this country great. IMHO

Are you serious? Where did you devise that line of thought? I'm not even sure what I'm looking at or where to begin! What you've written here is rather hitleresque. I think it best if I just sit back and shudder.

Can't we leave political correctness in its own place and have a civil conversation without accusing each other? Censorship is a duel edged sword and I'm not so sure I want to exercise it either way. I think you are reading way too much into his personal opinions. IMHO