shaftiel

Electric razers?! Bah! Real men use Bowie knives!

Of course, real men don't usually live long after that first 'oops!'

Shaftiel <---- not man enough to use a Bowie knife, just a ho hum razer

Sounds fun, I'd be interested.

Shaftiel

Well, the link doesn't seem to be working for the hotel reservations. Is there a promo code for Fragfest so that I could get the discount rate, as well as the free breakfast?

Shaftiel

I understand that you truly believe in your God. No question, happy you have something you can believe in. However my main argument was that, yes, christians believe in God. They know he exists, and that he his wholly good. Problem is, every single religion that there has ever been, now, in the past, in the future, all of them, had equally fervent followers.

My question to you is, why are Christians right. Simple question. Unfortunatly there is no answer to that. The only answer you could give is that you are right because God is real. And thats no answer at all.

Your answer to how God could damn people of other faiths to Hell, regardless of thier good works, simply because they did not do it in His name seems weak. God is allowed to be self centered? Its just fine for a 'Loving' and 'Caring' God to send undeserving people to eternal torture? Please, when was the last time you went to confesion? Perhaps the Catholics are right. In which case you yourself might end up in Hell, or purgatory. If your a Calvinist then only a set number of people will be allowed in to Heavan. No matter what you do, those 'Elect' have already been predestined. So if they are right you very probably would end up in Hell.

Its all very well and good to simply say, "I know God. God knows me.", but do you? Is your particular schism in possession of the Truth, and all the other Christian schisms are wrong, or in error?

Religion is a tricky and difficult thing. There are no answers. You could be wrong. The Buddist could be right. Funny thing is, that the Jews, Muslims, and Christians all worship the same God. And yet there is such animosity that you would think they didn't. Religion, in all its forms and incarnations, has been one of the most divisive and destructive forces in our world. And yet, as I stated previously, every religion basically says, "Be Nice." Funny that.

Shaftiel

Your last post quite clearly defines why there can be no debate. Everything is such a circular argument.

I could say that man is fallible. The stories and letters in the bible were writen by man. Man later decided which books and letters to include in the bible, excluding those that they deemed inappropriate. The bible is transcribed and copied by man. The bible is translated by man. Christians look at the bible as Gods word. Man is fallible. The bible can not be taken as the litteral word of God.

Now what a Christian would say is that yes, man is fallible, but that God through man wrote the bible. And since God is infallible, the bible is Gods word.

My reply would be that you have nothing to support that view other than what you have been told by man. Man is fallible.

A Christian would then tell me about how they know God exists because the bible says....

Circular argument. That is why you can not debate a Christian.

Shaftiel

As a side point, how self centered is God, that he would send good people to Hell simply because they did not do those good deeds in his name?

Edit > After reading this again I may have come across as a bit harsh. Not my intention. Just getting my juices going, I to debate heh

The Truh is something that doesn't exist. And even if it did, we would not be able to understand it. We can not comprehend infinity. We live in an Universe with out boundrys, it has billions of trillions of stars in it. The Truth would be too vast a concept for us to grasp. That is why religion is based of faith. We could not hope to define or understand an infinite being that was omniscient and omnipotent. That is also why religion fails. It trys to define God. God likes this, God demands this, God wants this. We can not possibly understand the desires and needs of an infinite being. For instance, many bible scholars would claim that unless you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you will go to hell. Sounds like a rather harsh punishment for the Dahli Lama, or Gahndi, or any number of people of differant faiths that work tirelessly for the poor and disadvataged of this world. But if you do not make your religion THE RELIGION, why should people believe?

Every religion in the world today boils down to two words, "be nice". And yet, with even just that simple message, we fail. If there is a God, how can anyone claim to be worthy to sit at his side for eternity, when we can not follow such a simple request?

Shaftiel

Maintain control? Did we have control of the area to begin with? Whether Saddam hung or not really is not going to create anymore of a division in the region. Everyone has already chosen sides. This will neither hurt nor help our very desperate sitiation in Iraq. Seems like every moth that passes is labeled as 'The deadliest month for our troops'. September was, then October, then November. Our deaths keep escalating, and the situation in Iraq keeps getting worse. I'm worried that we have made a terrible terrible blundder, and that there can be no winning this. I fear that the only thing America will receive from Iraq are caskets. Lots of them.

Shaftiel

Well, if the trend on nonrenewal does continue into next month, I would be willing to pay in advance my own future renewal fees to help GC through this rough patch. In that scenario, I would be paying multiple years renewal fees up front, thus allowing the GC staff an extra month or so to round up the lagging base of subscribers, with only a $50 shortfall once a year for X years. I would only be able to do this once, so if GC feels that they can pull it together given a month or so extra, then great. If not, there would be no point to me putting the money forward.

I have found nothing but good people, and clean wholesome killing here. I would hate to see this community disapear in the comming months. Let me know what I can do to help.

shaftiel

Um.. I got a shirt, and a sweater.

But the greatest thing was watching my sons open their gifts. Thats why I love Xmas.

Shaftiel

Um.. the topic title pretty much sums it all up. You can not tell someone that what his faith and beleive tells him is true, is in fact wrong. Nor can you tell someone that what he knows to be true though observation, trial and error, and peer review, is incorrect.

There have been thousands of different religions in our history. Each one trully believes that they know the Truth. Over time each one has stumbled and been replaced. Christianity is no different. Right now there are hundreds of different flavors, each of them with the Truth. Not to mention the other major religions of the world, with each of them having sole custody of God and the Truth.

At least when a scientist has an idea, he has to prove it. And then present it to the world and let other scientists try and tear it down. This proccess usually resolves itself without much bloodshed.

Religion on the other hand, does not handle that process very well. Religion is a much more powerful and personal thing than science. Religion defines people. That is why the history of religion is one of nearly endless fighting and bloodshed. To question someones religion is to question their place in the world. And well, history tells us that people don't like that much.

So how do you reconcile these two things, science and religion? I don't think you can. But I am a realist. how can I beleive that the Christians have it right? They are no different in their whole hearted beleive in thier God than any other religion was before them. Why are the Hindus wrong? Why isn't Vishnu real? You can't disprove him, just like you can't disprove God. Does that mean they are both real? How would that be possible?

Shrug. Like I said, I agree with the topic title.

Shaftiel

34.076.. sigh

shaftiel

I only played the original C&C. Never was very interested in any of the later games. If this next installment is more like an upgraded version of the original, then I might just have to buy it.

Shaftiel

Sigh. Can we close this now. Nothing constructive is being said here.

Shaftiel

Check this out... http://www.playaholics.com/scores/yesterda...ordsandsandals/

You'll see me at #40 with 313,728

I taunted the Slave Driver and the guy with the whip to death LOL! Got creamed by some nobody in the 5th rung.. bah! Hit me for 98 damage and threw me accrost the entire arena.

I think I hate this game... addicting.

Shaftiel

Hmm.. of course after about 9 or 10 on Friday night this link will be meaningless... ah well

Nice flowers! I do not have a green thumb I'm afraid.. its like a death sentance for plants if I grow them heh:). However, my wife is a great gardener, and there is nothing I like better than sitting in the garden and relaxing, just looking and enjoying the colours and smells.

Well done W8t4time, you have quite a talent there.

Shaftiel

Heh, out of the houndreds of players on his kill list only 2, Mag and M2, actually have a winning record on him... wow. Impressive

Shaftiel

I both love and hate playing against those that are much more skilled than I. I love it because I'm a competitive guy, and having a really tough challenge gets the juices flowing. I hate it because... well jeesh, getting blown away every round by one guy gets real old. I especially hate playing against a team with 3-5 skilled AWPers who, coincidentally, all have AWP's heh:).

All and all I can't say as I mind that much if I'm playing against a stacked team... makes it all the more satisfying if, through some miracle, we win. Ah.. the thrill of victory over a superiour force.. there is nothing sweeter my friends.

Shaftiel

Good Lord! You are good a 'wandering' aren't you? Heh

Welcome aboard

Shaftiel

Well, I have had cable, Direct TV, and Dish. Over all I have found very little difference in both customer service, or picture quality with Direct and Dish. Cable has by far the most problems of the three. I live in the mountains with lots of fog, freezing rain, and snow. With Dish Network the only time I have issues with the signal is when the dish gets covered by more than 1" of snow or ice. The bundled programming packages are reasonable, and the on screen navagation is very simple. For me, if I needed to choose between Dish Network and Direct TV, my discision would be based on cost, because they are so similar in both performance and programming.

Concidering the fact that Saddam was a castrated dictator with no ability to harm us, or create any more instability in the region. And after we removed Saddam the region has become extremly unstable with tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi's dying, Thousands of American troops and hundreds of contract employees dying. Not to mention fuelling the very anti-American sentaments that started this whole mess, with a very high probability that it will only get much, much worse.... so yes, I think it was a mistake to remove Saddam.

Hmm.. would it be possible for you to make me one? If so..

1) Colours - deep Red/Black

2)Name - Shaftiel

3) sorta a religious theme, but with a demonic tilt. Shaftiel was an angel until he sided with The Morning Lord (Lucifer). Up until that time he was the Keeper of the Angel of Death, and the Judge of God (or so the monks in 1245 A.D. said.. but what did they know right?). So perhaps some sort of demon who regrets his decision, perhaps railing agains the shackles of hell.. that sort of thing.

Be interested to see your take on it. I have alot of ideas, but no artistic skill at all

Shaftiel

Fair enough. I just hate to see something shot down for reasons that are unfounded and frankly really beyond the pale as far as actualy happening. You are again using that 'slippery slope' argument when you talk about going after peoples kidneys and such. Women have around 1,000,000 eggs available in their overies. Only a small fraction of these are suitable for fertalization, but even that number is still astounding. Removing a 100, or even a 1000 of these eggs does not have any impact on her well being. Whereas removing a kidney, while not deadly, does negativly impact their well being and health. The two can not be compared.

As for not wanting your tax dollars to fund such scientific reaserch, again, fair enough. I'm just afraid that you are making the decision to vote against this funding based on exagerated scare tactics and faulty information. But thats what great about America, we can disagree and still be civil to each other. Thank you for having this discorse with me. . Please if you would like to continue our discusion by all means do, I'm having fun.

Shaftiel

The "slippery slope" argument is used so often its a cliche. And as an argumentative approach is without merit. As for your fears of the desperate young and poor being used as walking egg farms, there are already thousands of young women who donate their eggs to infertility companies, and are rewarded quite well for their trouble. Are they being exploited? Sure, but they receive 5 - 10 thousand dollars to help them get out of debt, or buy that car they have always wanted, and the couple down the street are finally able to have that child they have always wanted. Are you against companies paying for plasma or blood? The poor are their best clients. Are they being exploited? Sure, but its a win win situation. They get some money to help pay for food and bills, and we get blood and plasma to save lives. There is no 'slippery slope' here. There has never been a 'slippery slope'.

Shaftiel

Um.. exept for a different look in the buy screens, full ammo, and prices changing all the time for your fav weapons and equipment.... the actual in game experience has not changed much at all. I think that some are getting alittle too bent out of shape about what amounts to a rather minor portion of this game. This game is much much more than just what the price of a particular gun is this week or the next.

Just let it be, give it a month, we can adapt and strettch our little brains enough to deal with this little bump.

Shaftiel

Yeah, I say give it a try.

West coast server

Shaftiel