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Originally Posted by Sickntiredofliblies
There's been far more extinctions than just dinosaurs and buffalo. Studies show that over 90 percent of the species to ever have existed have become extinct. The changes you mention were not observed by the species. They were oblivious to the changes and died out accordingly. Humans have more developed brains and we can at least realize changes (sometimes) and act accordingly. Of course that does not mean we can survive every change that is thrown at us.
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Of course that's true that many species have become extinct. But you have claimed that they became extinct out of ignorance. I say not, rather that they became extinct because of changing circumstance. You have not proved your point. Humans may be able to do something about circumstances, but whether our intelligence will ultimately prove to prevent our extinction is yet to be seen.
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Originally Posted by Sickntiredofliblies
Ahh but us secularists cannot justify these actions rationally. We can only condemn them today. The same cannot be said about the atrocities carried out in the name of a god. Those atrocities are still justified today by that god's followers. One could say that a person like Stalin considered himself to be somewhat of a god. A truly evil person indeed.
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Both Stalin and Mao had rationales for the Great Purges and 5 year Plans and such. Obviously their followers followed those same rationales.
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Originally Posted by Sickntiredofliblies
People can do great things no matter what religious beliefs they have or don't have.
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true... they can. But faith in a higher being can sometimes help a person to reach great heights and do great things. I just don't like to see people of religious faith be condemned anymore than I like to see those without it condemned.
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Originally Posted by Sickntiredofliblies
Is it christianity that deserves such recognition? After all, it was christians that enslaved them.
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I am not sure that Christians used theology as an excuse for slavery, although I guess once they got the Africans over here they did they to convert them. But it was the Christian idea that led to their freeing. Harriet Beecher Stowe ("The Little Lady that Started a Big War") made her appeal out of "Christian" charity.
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Originally Posted by Sickntiredofliblies
Good things can be done by all types of people. With that said it's not out of the question that in some instances churches have gained followers by offering them the reward of humanitarianism. A trade off where both parties gained something.
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I don't disagree with that. Good things can be done by all types of people, though it is easier to understand good things being done in the name of a charitable God as opposed to good things being done in the name of secularism. Even secularists 'get something' out of being charitable and kind. To me, being a secularist is not in itself any better or worse than being a believer. A secularist can be just as ignorant as a true believer. In fact, to me , secularists tend to consider themselves intellectually superior to anyone else who believes in any of the organised/ or not religions. I don't buy it.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x0bU...watch_response
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL0C2QvqIlo#
"The courageous over the infidels, make war for Allah and are not afraid... This is the depiction of the army of Allah that will come at Allah's decree, from here or from there, to liberate these lands from the defilement of the Jews, for Allah was angry with them in his book and called them once 'monkeys,' once 'swine,' and once 'donkeys.'" (Palestinian TV, March 30, 2001)