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Posts Made By: Paul Kammueller

July 16, 2010 06:36 AM Forum: Religion

Why do Atheists...

Posted By Paul Kammueller
William Paolini said:
So my question is, why do atheists spend so much time concerned with what non-atheist groups are doing?

In my observation they haven't been concerned with what most non-atheist groups are doing... only those particular non-atheist groups that are fixated on converting them, converting their government, their schools, etc etc.

Religion doesn't exactly have a history of 'leaving people alone'.

August 10, 2010 07:39 AM Forum: Global Warming - REAL or NOT

Actually...

Posted By Paul Kammueller
Dave Snope said:
World food production will increase with increases in warmth or CO2. It is incredibly naive to associate only drought with warmth without also considering the increased moisture levels and increased rainfall that come with increased warmth in large climate zones.

3 problems with this gleeful assessment of more heat:

1) If true, desertification should have reversed by now. There is no question that things are warmer and there is more CO2 -- why is desertification still a problem? When would you predict the reversal will occur?

2) The food crops that currently exist are not evolved for the climate that awaits us. They are evolved and bred to grow on the planet that preceded the new climate. It is extremely naive to assume that food crops developed for a known past climate will actually grow better in a future unknown climate with higher temperatures and unknown local moisture levels.

3) The premise is false. Higher heat will result in more moisture in some places, less in others. To suggest this will have universally beneficial effects (for either condition) is extremely unrealistic.

August 10, 2010 07:41 AM Forum: Global Warming - REAL or NOT

Re: Hope you're all getting used to it

Posted By Paul Kammueller
Charles R Genovese, Jr MD said:
Uhhhh ....Weather not climate. highest temp in Memphis was in 1980 at 108 degress.
Well, every time it snows in December some genius chortles that it's proof there's no global warming, so fair is fair. wink

August 19, 2010 11:39 AM Forum: Politics

Ground Zero Mosque - Yet another Take

Posted By Paul Kammueller
David Cotterell said:

The so-called "Ground Zero Imam" has a history which seems not to be mentioned much these days......

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/685071

That's because only frightening and extreme coverage will get on everyone's radar. If it sounds like he's just another American it won't get much play in the press.

Unless this is an extreme branch of the religion that actually advocates suicide bombing, I personally see no difference whether a mosque, church, synagogue or whatever gets built in the area, provided it isn't being done with taxpayer funds.

If we've reached the point where Americans will take away each other's freedom to practice their own religion simply as a result of 9/11, then we have given the terrorists their final victory. They have succeeded in taking our freedom -- or more accurately, we have willingly ceded it as a result of their actions.

August 26, 2010 03:58 AM Forum: Global Warming - REAL or NOT

Venting Methane

Posted By Paul Kammueller
There's something decidedly unglamorous about being done in by a giant fart. 8O

August 26, 2010 04:01 AM Forum: Religion

If humans became omnipotent...

Posted By Paul Kammueller
To get into the original question, I would think most people at first would aim to use it to do good. But humans, being human, wouldn't most of us become eventually corrupted by such power? Corrupted absolutely, even? As has been mentioned elsewhere in the thread it would take incredible overwhelming wisdom to keep such power from running amok. To have only the omnipotence, would probably ultimately have tragic results.

August 29, 2010 03:00 AM Forum: No Holds Barred

A Question regarding the Hypothetical

Posted By Paul Kammueller
John Wemesfelder said:

If we may, let us assume that a Federal statute has been passed by Congress, and confirmed by the Supremes, which states that: " Any human fetus/fertilized egg is a human being, with all of the rights and responsibilities of a full-term human."

Another issue that arises is that they would immediately have to start securing any and all possible means to bring all the millions of existing embryos to full term. Freezing embryos would be a form of unlawful imprisonment, so they would presumably all have to be 'released'.

August 30, 2010 10:37 PM Forum: No Holds Barred

Whose hand is it?

Posted By Paul Kammueller
Could be a baby, could be a fetus, could be a wax mold, could be an irregular doll.

You're not getting answers because everyone knows what things look like in the womb, we've all seen pictures. It's not new, it's just focusing the argument onto form over substance.

What makes a person a person is not how they look. If you lose your hand, or even both hands, you have not suddenly ceased to be a person. It's a matter of what human sentience is and when it occurs (that's my opinion, folks on both sides of the debate may disagree with that but there it is). Being sentient, on some human level aware, is what makes you a person. Without a mind you're basically a non-aware collection of fluids and organs that just happens to look like a person.

THAT distinction is where the debate should be focused if there is any to be had. Everything else is noise.

September 8, 2010 03:12 AM Forum: Politics

Burn A Koran Day?

Posted By Paul Kammueller
Lee Spain said:
O.K., everybody, what's your take on "Burn A Koran Day?"

...sponsored by the ironically-named "Dove World Outreach Center" (I swear I am not making this up!)

September 11, 2010 04:51 AM Forum: Politics

Burn A Koran Day?

Posted By Paul Kammueller
This kook has gotten far too much attention from the press/media, government, generals etc. already. How does a leader of a church with nearly zero followers suddenly become a world celebrity? By going for shock value, using freedom of speech to try to destroy freedom of religion for fellow Americans. I wonder how large a 'muslim-free zone' in NYC would have to be to satisfy guys like this.

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