Benjamin Franklin
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Posts posted by Benjamin Franklin
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Don't forget to not let ignorance be your achilles heal.
I truly believe in God, who created the Heavens and the Earth according to the Genesis passage... I believe that as strongly as anyone can believe anything.
But I also teach science, I teach evolution.
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But if you study evolution, it has a lot more to it than just the previous paragraph... which I do not believe in.
Be informed, you are on the winning side of this debate, but be informed as well.
Evolution is just one of several theories, and ID deserves a spot at the scientific table, since it can explain more than evolution. You wonder why kids in the US aren't doing well in school? It's because teachers refuse to be more flexible in what they teach their students.
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Einstein claimed God would not make junk and so posited a unified theory that still is holding up. Chesterton remarked that an atheist has a hard course because he has to believe in EVERYTHING being possible. Pascal's binary mind concluded that either God and Heaven and stuff is true or it is not. If "off" it matters not but if "on" it matters for eternity; thus, the safe bet is "on". Food for thought.
Exactly my point. Thank you.
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I think there's room for both theories. Even if all life as we know it evolved from one cell of primordial slime, where did the slime come from? It was created somehow...it came from somewhere. Whether it was "intelligent design" that created the slime and the roadmap for evolution, who knows.
But what they're doing in Kansas has nothing to do with alternative theories. It has everything to do with the insecurity and intolerance and disdain for science of a handful of extremists.
There can't be both room for both theories and not room for them. ID belongs in the classroom, and is a viable option for children to consider- especially those that do not buy evolution.
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I was wondering when someone was going to get around to posting this. There was a Nature article on this that came out last week.
Nature 434, 1062-1065 (28 April 2005)
No one is saying the Theory of Evolution doesn't have holes in it. Most theories do. That's why they are "theories" and not "laws". But real science tries to fill those holes with testable hypotheses and experimentation, not just passing them off as the "divine hand of God" or some other crap.
Typical of you "science" guys to say that god is crap, when in fact, if you are truly seeking the truth, be it scientific or spiritual, the only answer is god.
And this debate is not about religion in schools. ID is just another theory- an alternative to evilution. Since evolution doesn't have all the answers (as even you admit!) and you are skeptical of ID, then why not just consider that ID is an alternate theory. It deserves as much credence as your theories. Isn't this the foundation of scientific debate? I thought this is what made you guys happy- hashing out scientific theories.
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Debating ID with a monkey is like shooting ducks on the head of a pin.
Different argument, but the Davinci Code's own author says that it's based on fact. Therefore it is allegedly "non-fiction." But since so much of the "fact" is made up, maybe it should be fiction.
QED.
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WashPost article
Wait hold on to your hats.......the world is not coming to an end because GWB decided to cut taxes.......instead the results are exactly as expected..and predicted. Increased tax revenues based on good economic conditions.
Go figure........the dems were screaming at the top of thier lungs about how GWB and friends were buering us in debt because of the tax cust that they gave to the rich. Well, once again facts trumped lous mouthed fiction, and the proof is in the tax revenue reciepts.
Whats next for the dummycrats.....complaining that the increase in tax revenues should be given back to the folks instead of being used to pay down the debt? Who knows, but this much you can count on. Once again they will be behind the curve, and grasping at air. They are rudderless, and have turned into nothing more then a reactionary party. No vision, no hope, and no confidence in the people of the USA. In otherwords........lost.
GWB is the first president to cut taxes, actively cut the size of government, and pay down the debt. All it took was a man with balls and vision, which is why...
Democrats=dead in '08.
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Come on science lovers: tell me how important it is to teach evolution- a theory so full holes that it's like swiss cheese that you couldn't fit it through the eye of a needle.
Intelligent Design is the only way to explain the complexity of the world. Thankfully, it's finally getting its day in the schools. This is a great day for American children and for the future of scientific debate in the US- with an acknowledgement that so-called "scientific" theories take a back seat to the higher power.
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For the most part, THIS is a great thread. It's what this board is all about. Welcome to the board and many happy returns. Feel free to post any question you have on the main board- on any topic... relationships, medical advice, whatever- there is a lot of expertience on here who can help you out when you need it.
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The same bunch of people supporting the "Satan" thread. What a surprise.
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We haven't been talking about it, but there's a lot on the table right now about Social Security. The ME-generation, i.e., the baby boomers, are tackling the problem late, because as usual, it won't affect them, just their children. So this selfish group, which is now considering the problem, will likely make changes that involve:
(1) raising the SS tax;
(2) raising the retirement age;
(3) raising the SS ceiling so that people making more than 90K pay more;
(4) etc.
Oh yeah, and the privatization thing, which the Democrats say they won't even discuss, and won't even join in a discussion about social security until privatization is off the table. So petty.
Anyway, what should we do? I'll step off my pie in the sky dream that I get to take responsibility for myself, which I know is too much to ask in my United Socialist States. Here's what I hope for:
(1) raise the retirement age to about 75, maybe 77;
(2) make the private investment option more accessible;
(3) let people "opt out" of some of their SS tax- which at the same time forfeits future benefits. Even a 20% exchange would be a step in the right direction. Or, make that money go into mandatory IRA accounts that people can manage how they see fit.
The big thing would be number 1. If you aren't saving, guess what? You can't retire and expect the government bail you out. If you are saving, you can retire whenever you can afford to do it. #2 won't happen because the baby boomers refuse to let younger people take care of themselves. #3 really won't happen.
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Gavin- give gay marriage another go and I'll bring him out.
Eminem is dead. He cannot be revived.
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The populus is to apathetic and the politicians crave too much power. Bad mix.
As far as the usernames, at least this week you expanded your horizons out of the Founding Father era. How is the book coming along? Last I knew, you finished about 150 pages, which should cover the introduction and maybe chapter 1.
Through the first two Lincoln Douglas debates... about half way through it.
I only have Ben, John, and Abe... all my other names have been left behind.
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Could you stick to one user name per week, please?
Darin's idea would definitely work to teach people how much they are paying in taxes. Right now, people overlook that part of their paycheck and just look at the total. If more people paid attention to this part of their check stub, I think you would see more people bitching about government spending.
The problem arises in implimentation of that type of tax system. You will continually see budget shortfalls because people are not paying their taxes along with increasing the size of the federal government in order to track these people down.
Who me?
The implementation of all the simple tax systems (flat tax and consumption tax) is unlikely because you can't do JimBob's social control, and a lot of beuracrats will lose their jobs. And Ameicans don't care about this issue. And politicians have no balls.
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That's a novel argument. The falsification of a Bush National Guard memo should be compared to leading the country based on faulty intelligence (and then not holding anyone accountable for some SERIOUS gaffes in the intel). OK.
I guess I'm crazy to care more about the intelligence failure and lack of accountability of my government than Dan Rather using a memo about whether Bush served in the ANG thirty years ago.
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Wow...great job by the Democrats here, keeping those annoying minor party candidates off the ballot. Just what the founding fathers had in mind.
I guess they're not worried about 'disenfranchising' the Nader supporters, huh?
Funny. The Republicans and Democrats do everything they can to make sure there are ONLY two parties. Now that one of them takes advantage of the system they both sowed, it's the Dems that are the bad guys.
Also funny that Republicans are trying to get Nader ON the ballot in many states. That's stand-up politics.
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I was crushed when Losman got hurt. Not because I thought he would (or even should) start, but because I figured I had a win-win season coming.
If the Bills are good, which seems possible, I win.
If the Bills were only OK (more likely), I get to see Losman start a few games at the end of the season, and win because I get excited about the future. To that end, I hope he heals fast, and is around the team 24/7 at least learning what he needs to learn while he heals.
Anyone got any more info on his recovery? Last I heard there was a chance he'd be back by week 8.
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I wonder if Putin will borrow Ashcroft's December 6, 2001 Senate testimony and tell Powell:
"To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve They give ammunition to Russia's enemies and pause to Russia's friends."
Rather than telling them how to run their own country, why don't we try and see if they are more interested in supporting our efforts in the wake of the awful attacks they have suffered?
Their message to the world RE those attacks is pretty clear. "This is our business. Don't you dare try to interfere."
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Looks like this is a developing story. Powell says that the US may meet with Moscow officials in the next few days to discuss concerns. I'm sure Moscow will give a rat's ass what the US says. They have a cultural identity that bristles at the suggestion of US interference.
Iraq is a pimple compared to this rumbling volcano.
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This reply might get wiped by the admins, but I hope that their general level of disdain for your posts, which probably exceeds mine, overcomes their urge to delete.
Do you ever have anything insightful to say? Are you sticking to "Dean" as a "lock" to win the nomination? Still ducking and running for cover when confronted with the facts? It's too bad we lost the archives of old posts, because my post pointing out at least 5 instances of your totally incorrect statements, and how you ran into a hole when confronted with the facts (a post you hid from of course), was a nice reminder of the tripe you post on here.
Now- I know Rush doesn't have Russia talking points, because you know, it's not really that important what's going on in Russia, so I know you have nothing to add to this. But imagine you were an intelligent Conservative commentator like Buchanon, and address the issue, if possible.
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Russia is still a major world power, and let's review what he's done/wants to do:
1) He's re-taken over the TV media oultets in Russia and turned them into pro-government propaganda machines. (His admin has also arrested reporters critical of his gov't- others have diappeared.) -- His response to outside criticsms: "There are grounds to their concerns," he said. "And we will do our best to settle the matter. This is not an attempt to stifle democracy. If there are legal problems, we will look for a way to solve this."
2) Major political rivals have all been withdrawing from offices, and the big money behind his rivals is under a wide-sweeping investigation that has frozen his assets.
3) He wants to abolish NATO because it is no longer needed. (I have my own criticsms of NATO, but just putting this into context).
4) In the wake of the recent terror attacks, he wants to remove the regional governors and make them non-elected officials appointed by the Kremlin.
I know he is/was an outspoken reformer. He does, however, have a great distrust of democracy (he's said the Democracy that is chaotic is to no one's benefit, and that the gov't must intervene to make sure things stay stable). Further, even if HIS motives are good, and they might be, centrtalizing all that power makes it a lot easier for a successor to use the centralized government for ill.
Any international observers, and there are a few on the board certainly more qualified than me, have anything to say/add?
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Lets just take a look at the latest hate remarks he made:
How about this little favorite: When Gore, in an interview with The New Yorker, compared Bush's faith to "the same fundamentalist impulse that we see in Saudi Arabia" and elsewhere. Whew....I am so glad that he squared that away.
Here's a little more context from the New Yorker. I agree with Gore. In this light, it scares the living spit out of me that Bush's finger is on the button and Ashcroft's hands are around our necks.
Gore’s mouth tightened. A Southern Baptist, he, too, had declared himself born again, but he clearly had disdain for Bush’s public kind of faith. “It’s a particular kind of religiosity,” he said. “It’s the American version of the same fundamentalist impulse that we see in Saudi Arabia, in Kashmir, in religions around the world: Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Muslim. They all have certain features in common. In a world of disconcerting change, when large and complex forces threaten familiar and comfortable guideposts, the natural impulse is to grab hold of the tree trunk that seems to have the deepest roots and hold on for dear life and never question the possibility that it’s not going to be the source of your salvation. And the deepest roots are in philosophical and religious traditions that go way back. You don’t hear very much from them about the Sermon on the Mount, you don’t hear very much about the teachings of Jesus on giving to the poor, or the beatitudes. It’s the vengeance, the brimstone.” -
Clinton spends 77 billion on war in Serbia - good
Bush spends 87 billion in Iraq - bad
This needs updating. We left 87 billion in the dust a long time ago, and we're still spending like mad. This weekend on Meet the Press I heard the current cost of the Iraq war was at 200+ billion (last I recall, Congress had approved around 160 billion but I'm sure that has been increased) and obviously, still growing, with no end in sight.
I really wish Moveon, an obviously biased organization, would air that debt-related ad with the kids working more frequently. No matter what party you belong to, the sentiment of that ad- our kids will be paying off the debt we incur- is right on target.
Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility. If you say it enough times, I guess you start to believe it.
Good News on Intelligent Design
in Politics, Polls, and Pundits
Posted
Exactly. Theories like ID.