My education is average, given todays standards. Perhaps at one time, such as the 1950s, a high school education in the United States was considered a great accomplishment by the majority if the population. Obviously your elites in the North East had another view, but a popular opinion was one of great respect for those completing a Bachelors degree in almost any field, while a Masters or a PhD was outstanding.

Today it may be fair to place a bachelors degree in the category of a high school education in the 1950s. Obviouly one with a Bachelors would cover a major area will more detail than the other group.

This thinking drives me nuts, it can be good for discussion and thinking while at the same time can lead to distractions.

I find issues, especially broad ones, very hard to analyze, discuss, and debate when terms and facts are in disagreement.

At the end of the day we might forget these semantics and discuss real issues. Dare I say, "A 'god', what it is it, what proof do you have."

The lessons of youth and countries retoric may bring about a notion of a Christian God of sorts, or perhaps those other religions such as Judaism, Buhdism, and countless others. of course if I grew up in those faiths I have confidence I would still have no faith, but the faith of popular culture would forever be embeded in my mind as that of my orgin culture.

Perhaps a Christian or Jew has similiar thoughts? Or a Muslim or Hindu? Please let me know how you came about to discover the truth and why you believe as you do?

I have great respect for religious people. Many live productin lives, and the population as a whole that professes these religions are relatively well off. Great for them, or the West, or.......ya the West.

This is how complex the issues at hand are. Scienece is obviously the preferred mechanism for debate on this board, but it is hard to debate science with on of another orgin. Orgin, end, hell before I was born I didn't exist, so I think. Is that possible? Why religions would say your soul must live on. Did I exist before this life Christians? So they try to get scientific (a religious persons worste mistake) but at the end of the day when they suggest a proven lose of energy and therefore a proven prolonging of our conscience, I would ask, how is some energery proven to have a conscience?

Perhaps it isn't.

• Religious people and witch doctors should be respected. - johnpowell - April 4, 2001 - 23:32 UTC