LJ,

We agree on the French and have exercised the right to express our displeasure, for different reasons of course, the same way. 

As regards your statement about an alleged penal colony, it appears to me that you may have a reading comprehension problem that you are not aware of at this time.  Being non-judgmental as I am, and a believer that we all should be inclusive of the stupid and the ugly, I point this out you with the only the love of one member of the world community to another.

Zilch: Biofuel is certainly an interesting idea, and might have some limited uses

One idea I particularly like is making certain plastics from cornstarch or other biological sources, this keeps the photosynthesised carbon locked up and may decrease oil demand. As for the usefulness of the plastic - that’s not for me to say.

Consi, the information haphazardly ensconced by easily parried thrusts into my metaphorical gonadic area whilst being abso-fucking-lutely aware of my limited intellect is once again clearly camouflaged [ ] but nevertheless advertised by your obtuseness in not explaining whatever the fuck you’re attempting to cleverly communicate.
I realise that sentence trips over itself but being a dim wit gives me licence to do what I want.
As for my having problems of which I am unaware ... there are none with which I am unfamiliar to a smaller or lessor degree adequately described by the use of short of long, known and … or unknown words ... but thanks for being so empathetically, or should that be pathetically, considerate. 
Oh, and as usual, you didn’t answer the question ... do something new. 

Aaron:and Micheal I agree that it is unfortunate that most of us are still on stage one, but since we are thankgoodness that their is a God![athiests dont coment on this you know what i mean]

Aaron, you are most certainly an intellectual coward.  That would normally irritate me to the point of using the word fuck a lot, but I find you likable enough, so I’ll restrain my initial impulse to write you off as just another gullible, superstitious thrall that has apparently never heard of spellcheck.

Instead, a challenge.

Elsewhere, true believers have made what I take as the correct claim that belief in God is not a matter of intelligence, scientifically verifiable evidence, or reason.  I find a similar thread in many of your arguments, such as they are.  So my challenge to you is to admit - to yourself if not here in this forum - that your world view is guided by a fundamental rejection of science, logic, and reason. 

If, on the other hand, you think there is value - any whatsoever - in rational and logical thinking , the the additional challenge is to simply ask yourself why you believe what you do - and earnestly seek the answer with the power of the intellect you say your god gave you.

My thesis is that you’re a coward - that’s you’re willing to use logic sometimes - but not when it comes to what you appear to take as the the central point of your existence.  I believe that you think you’re being open minded and logical and brave for commenting on SEB, but when I read your words, I see the mind of a dupe.  I see someone who’s probably bright, but who’s been indoctrinated into a cult - maybe even the same cult that his parents or significant others also live in.  I think you’ve got a mental blind spot.  If I were religious, I’d pray that you would one day be able to see what’s there. 

Aaron: His last comment makes Him sound like a Klansmen

He may or may not be a Klansmen, but the Klan is most assuredly a Christian organization.  You might want to look into the history and motives of your Christian brothers and sisters.  I might say they give the Christianity a bad name, but it’s hard to top some of the other atrocities committed in the Lord’s name.

Thanks, Michael, I enjoyed that.
What a shame Aaron will probably not read this as he is off somewhere sucking his thumb whilst basking in the ever-present, radiant, make-believe, love and light of JAsus, the only begotten, immaculately conceived and, painlessly delivered, sun [sic] of THE Lord God (PBUHim) and from THE, still after all these years, Virgin Mary (PBUHer).
To me, that sounded like Chaucer doing an intro.
A thrall? 

MP - I like the approach, gives him a chance and inspires thought, and quite a fair and patient test for him classify himself in our eyes, he knows what we’re looking for in his comments.

Aaron - If you’re still here, It’s OK to admit that a theory may be incomplete, nobody alive has all the answers yet, that’s what I have said in the past about both science and religion having fundamental things to explain. Sometimes it’s just a case of piecing together what we can from scraps of information we know from science and trying to fit any religion around it - I am fully behind St Augustine’s view, which LJ said earlier:

LJ: St. Augustine (note the spelling) took the view that the Biblical text should not be interpreted literally if it contradicts what we know from science and our God-given reason.

LJ: A thrall?  

Nice!  I was actually thinking of the second sense of the word as described here.

Since everyone’s doing quotes these days, here’s my favorite thrall quote:

It is not “Can any of us imagine better?” but “Can we all do better?” Object whatsoever is possible, still the question recurs, “Can we do better?” The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.

-- From Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address

(emphasis added)

...thanks for being so empathetically, or should that be pathetically, considerate.

You are most certainly welcome. I try.

Consi, the information haphazardly ensconced by easily parried thrusts into my metaphorical gonadic area whilst being abso-fucking-lutely aware of my limited intellect is once again clearly camouflaged [ smile ] but nevertheless advertised by your obtuseness in not explaining whatever the fuck you’re attempting to cleverly communicate.

With all due respect, I ain’t exactly sure what it tis that you are saying.  So I’ll parse it as I see fit. First, I would not ever attempt to emasculate you.  However, should I ever decide differently, it would not be with easily parried thrusts.   I did want to give you kudos on your own personal recognition of your limitations.  A word of advice from one dimwit to another:

“If human beings are perceived as potentials rather than problems, as possessing strengths instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather that dull and unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their capabilities.”

Godspeed LJ.

then they thrive and grow to their capabilities.

I Googled that because for some reason I couldn’t see that vacuous female saying anything too bright.
It turns out Bob Conklin said something similar.
I can’t be bothered sorting who said it first but I’d rather believe that murderer (if he’s the same man) than the mother of your current one. 

Godspeed LJ.

Haven’t heard from Aaron for a while, I’d like to think he needed time away from SEB to think about what’s said, hopefully giving him food for thought and hopefully realising he needed to think about it to get across what he was trying to say. If he left disillusioned then I hope he will think about it to find peace. I was not too unlike Aaron a few years ago.

The transition from faith to thought is a big shock to the system because it blitzes what gave them security in the past (which is in my view what makes faith popular and why you need a lot of stamina to change convention), if this is what happened and if he survives, then the benefits to everyone he affects, if he suicides without the psychological security then that will affect everyone he affects too, though differently. There is always a better option than suicide, even if that is to lay down and do nothing, and you are never in a completely inescapable situation.

For anyone depressed or wanting to avoid depression, you can think your way out of it by becoming at peace with what troubles you, there is no way back to the days of security for those who can’t help questioning, but don’t avoid the deep though that can result in depression, it benefits everyone around you and your understanding.

There is always a better alternative to suicide and you are never put out of your depth. There are religious theories that suicides have to re-experience everything that led to it, because that life is written off on karma grouds, I don’t know if this is true or not, but it’s possible and enough reason not to try it.

In addition you are only alive a finite amount of time, and so can only experience finite suffering in a life, but can bring near-infinite benefit by the long term consequences of what you do, also if life is temporary then hell, might as well see what happens at least.

When you are depressed you are often less afraid of the life-threatening and the night, and that can actually be nicer.

---
I look forward to the discussion on his return if questioning the faith is what’s happened. It could take quite a while though because it is a tall order. I’ve been persistent because I saw potential.