Make up your minds is it written by the hand of god or just open to picking which one you like that day?

Analogies can be used to illustrate a point, but not to argue it. Talk about the real thing, not some made up story and you’ll find the truth, whatever that might be.

@Fester: You seem to believe that because one group of military personel engaged in prisoner abuse, the whole military is like that. Another example of you using a paint roller when a detail brush would be more appropriate. And I’m glad that guy is going home. I’m sorry that he was detained for so long when he shouldn’t have been. But he’s the exception, not the rule.

And as I said before… you really don’t understand the Psychosocial Operations/Interrogation part of your own intelligence gathering service… what went on at AG and what went on at GITMO won’t be that much different…

The can was opened, worms are out, and you still manage to get off on the brutality,even though you’re now claiming that you don’t… Human rights are human rights. Whether you ‘think’ (which is a claim I doubt) they deserve it or not… it’s an all or nothing deal… you’re earlier posts stand in mute testement to the sort of creature you REALLY are… shame you really don’t have the guts to follow through on it…

You’re right, and you will never know how strong you are, or how strongly you believe in your ideals until you are faced with that decision.

If you can’t sacrifice for the future of those ideals, then you
didn’t really believe in them because you’re weak, or they are.

Besides, we have a responsibility to lead by
good example, even when our enemies
aren’t using the same rule book.

@Scum: I agree with your points. That which
has been crossed cannot be uncrossed.

It’s much safer, and better in the long run for all involved to never cross those lines. No, it’s not perfect, but nothing is.

I won’t argue it because there’s no way to account for all circumstances ahead of time. I will however point out that once you cross that line:

A. You can never go back
B. It’s that much easier to cross that same line the next time.

If you think the ends justifies the means, it just gets easier and easier to justify each time.

If you’re talking about fashion sense, uh…

*twitches*

I also think that sometimes lines do have to be crossed to save lives.

It seems as though you’re saying that crossing lines leads to lives being saved. I read that to mean the lines in place via the Geneva Conventions. Am I wrong?

Torture has been demonstrated to be an
ineffective, even negative tool for gathering
actionable intel. [LINK]

Now what?

@Goodness: I’m sorry that you think I’m a psychopath if homicidal killers get the snot beaten out of them doesn’t bother me. But I still go back to the whole “we don’t torture.” Thing. And I don’t think it should be the official policy to torture someone to get information. I also think that sometimes lines do have to be crossed to save lives. That doesn’t mean I like it, or think it’s appropriate. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t do it, honestly, because it’s not the type of person I am. But I also don’t want to see 3000 civilians murdered in the space of hours ever again.

To me, the concept of sin indicates that you’re not free. Ultimately, almost any idea of sin is based on an acceptance of a moral basis not your own. Certain things are defined as right and wrong, and you conform to this.

As has already been noted, an atheist is free from sin de dicto. Fear and hatred are almost inescapable flaws of the present human condition. To be completly free of them, in this lifetime, is almost unwishably optimistic. I’m settling for self-improvement leading to a lessened need for emotional escape valves.

To choose to make your own decisions about morality, life and what your will mean, is to me the ultimate act of individuality. You choose to make your life something of your own making. If you’re familiar with the book, I’d liken this to Michael Valentine Smith’s ‘coming of age’ in Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land”.

And I personally like to be alone. To be honest, the idea of a god who was always with me would freak me out a little. I’ve always seen comfort with yourself as part of being an independent human being.

@unc i would tend to agree with you about people “keeping to themselves.” i think that everyone has a right to believe whatever they want, but when their beliefs begin to hurt other people who do not subscribe to their particular version of reality, i have a problem.

Sadly, PK hates my link, and doesn’t like it
when I put it into the comment section with
spaces, etiher.

At any rate, one of my sources indicated the
original word to mean “miss” in both Hebrew
(“het” or “chet,” as you noted) and Greek.

If you’re interested, you can get to my source
by googling “hebrew archery sin,” and it’s the
second hit, entitled, “What’s Archery Got to
do…”

Here is the link (please to remove spaces):

http://www.articlesbase .com/religion-articles/whats-archery-got-to-do-with-the-jewish-high-holy-days-213128. html

At any rate, this article is concerning the
Hebrew word “het” (“chet”), as you noted
above. Either this or another source I read
have it as “miss” in both Hebrew and Greek.

Voldemort neither received nor gave it. This allowed him
to kill without remorse, for his own ends (and to kill to avoid
his own death) and to use and deceive even his own followers

Harry himself never received it growing up at his aunt’s
house – but the thing that saved his life was the fact that
his mother loved him enough to use her own sacrifice as
his shield. Enough of this kind of love, I suppose, managed to live within him (despite horrible circumstances as a child) to be able to
still feel it as he got older, and to avoid the poison that
lived within him through his link with Voldemort.

The third character is such a moving portrait of human error
and eventual redmption due to unrequited love that I can’t even discuss it without totally spoiling the entire story for anyone who hasn’t taken the time to
read the books, but his portrait and my opinion of his place
in the tale hides behind my name.

And love is supposed to be what Christianity is all about. Dumbledore, with his belief in second chances, was more Christian than most
of the Christians who would condemn him for being a gay
wizard.

No one is free from fear all the time. Even the brave who
boldly go feel the fear; they just act against it. If one feels no fear, then they live a pretty sheltered life, or are just really dumb.

Freedom from hatred? Then how do you explain all the
Christians who do hate? Even “hating the sin and loving the
sinner” is still to feel hatred.

Freedom from conforming? WTF? That makes no sense
whatsoever. Does not a churchgoer conform to the
beliefs and dress of his congregation? A non-conformist is one
who thinks his own thoughts, does his own actions, and
dresses the way s/he feels fit without giving a damn whether
anyone else likes it or not – and not just to fit into some
subculture (to which s/he is ultimately conforming to.)
The only Christian non-conformist I can think of would be
Jesus himself.

Freedom from being alone – One can be free from being alone
simply by going out and seeking out other people. I am
a hermit; I have lived as such at various times in my life,
and am doing so again, due to certain circumstances that
rather demand I do (for my own good) for the forseeable
future. I do not leave my house except to get mail and
groceries; I speak to no one except through this medium. and
the occasional phone call my ol’ man is allowed to have to me.
I don’t need to make my life more complicated and miserable than it has been by introducing new and questionable people into it. Fantasizing about imaginary friends does not change this state of “being alone” in the least – it just takes one’s mind off the loneliness for a time. It wouldn’t matter if it
were biblical characters, or characters of my own or someone
else’s devising (and none of the biblical characters are
anyone I personally would want for a companion, imaginary
or otherwise. After all, if Jesus was a celibate, he certainly
wouldn’t fit my bill for a fantasy man right about now. My taste is currently running along the lines of what’s hiding behind my name at
the moment, ie, tall dark and possibly desperate.)

You may feel free as a Christian, but I feel quite free (to the
extent that I allow my own self to be!) as an atheist.

I try not to listen too much, truth be told.

I think that’s apparent…