I understand that there are more people and hence more births and more deaths.  And so of course we can have a falling rate of something while the absolute numbers grow.

Imagine 2 islands.  One has 100 people and 10 murders a year.  The other has 1000 people and 15 murders a year.  Which is more violent?  I think it’s not good thinking to say…[Read more]

Is there any evidence based reason to believe violence is rising globally?

T8, I didn’t even know I was having this conversation with you.  I thought it was Ed.   I have been typing very fast on m phone while at work.

I was was pretty sure Ed was from the U.S.   I know you aren’t.

t8, think of the Muslim world as being how most of people were in the past.   You picked up Sticks on the wrong day, you got tortured to…[Read more]

T8, I didn’t even know I was having this conversation with you.  I thought it was Ed.   I have been typing very fast on m phone while at work.

I was was pretty sure Ed was from the U.S.   I know you aren’t.

t8, think of the Muslim world as being how most of people were in the past.   You picked up Sticks on the wrong day, you got tortured to…[Read more]

T8, I didn’t even know I was having this conversation with you.  I thought it was Ed.   I have been typing very fast on m phone while at work.

I was was pretty sure Ed was from the U.S.   I know you aren’t.

Hi ed. Of course violence still eists in the US.  It’s just less and less every year over 4he long term.

I at one time also just refused to believe 5he stats.  Maybe the government had reason to fudge the numbers.  But no. Hospital records match.  And there are several reasons for the decrease.  And it’s not just in areas that we a unsure abou…[Read more]

You keep mentioning the middle east.  Yes. Tthings are bad in the middle east.  There there are also places in Latin America such as Venus Ala where things are getting worse.  I’m looking at the whole.  Think of the ancient world like one giant Afghanistan.  Today Afghanistan still exists but it’s only Afghanistan.  Imagine the whole world in th…[Read more]

In the Middle Ages the Jews were burned alive to death in village after village.  People blamed the plague on them.  They were actually being burned alive even before the plague reached those villages sometimes.  This is because the people wanted to do away with their creditors by killing them.  They used the plague to their advantage.

In a f…[Read more]

Why do you think rape is common place?  It’s dropped 80% in the U.S.  Is that where you are from?

Why do you think torture is getting worse?  Today it has to be done in a clandestine secretive manner. In the last people were toetured to death for very petty crimes.  And the torture devices seem satanic.  Slowly the death penalty became less and…[Read more]

Pinker discusses the mechanic idea of a build up.  There is no historical reason to believe thats the case.   Maybe great wars fought by world powers are simply done.  There hasn’t been a build up when it comes to human sacrifice.  Or slavery. Sometimes things that are common and last for thousands of years simply become unacceptable and dec…[Read more]

Also, how about that decline of violence.  Crazy right?

Chip theology propaganda?  Sounds interesting. I have no idea what that is.  Please don’t tell me about it.  <b>yes. </b> I noticed Nick was back a few months ago.   Which is GREAT. I’m so GLAD Nick is back.  It’s just great.  Great.

I cant cant find that search box.  Maybe it’s because I’m using a tablet.  Not here for the holidays.  At least…[Read more]

Wake up, what are your thoughts on evidence?  How important is it when determining reality?

((I came on here today looking for something.  Is there a search function??))

I think Laurence Krauss wrote a book called the universe from nothing.  I think his idea is that matter and antimatter cancel each other out but it still really feels like that doesn’t explain why nothing would split into matter and antimatter.

Why do we think that terrorism specifically is a sign of the end of this world?  Terrorism kills almost no one, compared to homicide or war deaths or car accidents or just about anything.  It does make the news.  And in making the news, it fulfills its purpose–to create fear at minimal cost.  The average person is infinitely more likely to die…[Read more]

I think perhaps because since I was 7, having been keenly interested in all forms of deception, watching and taking in and studying magicians and illusionists the way the average person listens to music, I am not so easily impressed by anecdotes or stories.

One of my hobbies is dissecting things that appear impossible.  I think everyone should…[Read more]

“What at doesn’t happen is amputees being miraculously healed, no matter how much they pray. Why is that.
David,”–David

“If God healed amputees, then there would be NO DOUBT, and without doubt, we would ALL BELIEVE. Every single person almost (if we had all the truth as well) would be a Christian. Do you really think God would make it THAT E…[Read more]

I feel like I should create a separate thread on prayer and illness.

There are are many many scriptures that say we should pray to God for healing and he will answer your prayer.  It talks of moving mountain like obstacles and says nothing is impossible.  Whatever you ask I will do it.  Nothing will be impossible.

And there is one scripture th…[Read more]

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?

The heart (mushy emotional somewhat irrational part of the brain) is deceitful above all things.

Who can understand it?

what I’ve been doing is examining all the way people deceive themselves, the way our personal desires cloud our thinking, the ways our…[Read more]

Gene

I don’t remember ever saying anything to that effect.  I don’t actually Rememebr mentioning jehovahs witnesses too much as all in the past 10 years. It’s probably been 8 years since I mentioned them.  It is Nick that has posted 1000 posts about this continually saying things that aren’t true.