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  1. Runt

    Is myth any less valuable a tool for living than science?

    I'm curious as to how we're defining "science" and "myth". By "science" do we mean the scientific method? The body of knowledge the scientific method gives us? The technologies developed as a result of this body of knowledge? The collective sum of all of the above? By "myth" do we mean...
  2. Runt

    John McCain and GOP Shock the Nation!

    The one that is an expectation of a large constituency of Americans, even though it is not actually a law. I know many people will NOT vote for a candidate who does not have military experience... for them, there IS a military service requirement that they expect candidates they will vote for...
  3. Runt

    Who's a UU?

    For what it's worth, I agree; I think a person who has been around for a while, or who contributes in other ways (by volunteering time and effort to church activities) should be able to vote. However, the problem with that is: how do you determine who is and is not "deserving" of a vote? Do...
  4. Runt

    Who's a UU?

    Wow, way to disrespect the very people you're coming to for questions. UUs are all different, as are our congregations. I don't know if my congregation itself has a bit of a misguided approach to Stewardship, or if the Stewardship committee alone is responsible for such unwelcoming behavior...
  5. Runt

    John McCain and GOP Shock the Nation!

    Well duh! If Obama were a veteran, he'd know---like McCain knows---that veterans don't want expanded benefits!
  6. Runt

    Legislating Morality--Is it Okay?

    Okay.
  7. Runt

    Legislating Morality--Is it Okay?

    This isn't a petty game of semantics. We're talking about two ontologically different types of thought and behavior. An action may be considered "moral" without being ethical. Case in point: In a small village in Africa, three-year-old twins are abandoned in the desert because the culture's...
  8. Runt

    Legislating Morality--Is it Okay?

    It's ethics, not morality. Given, the terms are used interchangably in applied ethics, but I consider them to be significantly different beasts. Ethics is a branch of philosophy, morality is tradition (religious or cultural) which may or may not be backed by ethics. So when determining whether...
  9. Runt

    Black and White

    :bow:
  10. Runt

    Spiritual activity experience or metaphor?

    There is no such thing as an unmediated experience. By that, I (well, actually Katz or King, the author who originally stated it) mean that any and all sensory (or in the case of a mystical experience, supersensory) input is immediately incorporated by an individual into various...
  11. Runt

    Utilitarianism

    Utilitarianism is in some ways a form of "tyranny of the majority", as John Stuart Mill once put it. But at the same time, I think it is generally preferable to many alternatives. The "greatest good for the greatest number" is an ideal that necessitates a cost-benefit approach to life, where...
  12. Runt

    Do People Need God?

    Oral traditions, indigenous traditions, and lots of other religions that are not textually-based? Oh, and let's not forget mysticism. And if the God of the Books really exists, why would He go away if the books went away? Are religious texts some kind of extradimensional space wherein God resides?
  13. Runt

    Black and White

    I agree with ThePhoenixSisters. If we're going to use colors as metaphors for looking at the world, I think we're limiting ourselves by restricting the spectrum to black, white and shades of gray. The world is very dynamic, and although things are simpler in black and white, even shades of gray...
  14. Runt

    Do People Need God?

    People need many things, some of which are provided by God---whether God is a reality or just an idea some people have. Stephenw pointed out a good human need: meaning. Victor Frankl talked about humanity's "will to meaning", and I definitely think he's right. We also need comfort, guidance...
  15. Runt

    Who's a UU?

    Oh good. I have to admit, when I lost the subscription---and then started being plagued by phone calls of people reminding me that all members have a financial obligation to the church---I was getting a little annoyed and feeling as though they wanted my money more than they wanted me. I didn't...
  16. Runt

    Do You Know Why You Don't Believe?

    [/COLOR][/COLOR]I think you misunderstood the point I was trying to make. I wasn't saying "People have experiences of X, Y and Z, therefore X , Y and Z exist". I was saying people have experiences---which seem very real to them---which lead them to believe that X, Y and Z exist. I agree that...
  17. Runt

    The world is massively overpopulated

    I didn't prove your point. You missed my point entirely. Say I bought t'shirts at $0.25 from Company X because they were the cheapest. Now Company X is selling t'shirts for $4.00 because they're paying their workers a fair wage, but they're STILL the cheapest t'shirts one can buy. So, Company X...
  18. Runt

    Legislating Morality--Is it Okay?

    I think the only valid liberty-limiting principle is the harm principle. I don't think it's right to legislate people's actions according to paternalism, offense or morality.
  19. Runt

    Looking for a Swell Bible

    Skeptic's Annotated Bible is "just Jake". :D
  20. Runt

    Who's a UU?

    To be honest, I'm kind of fuzzy on how membership works. I know members have a financial commitment we're supposed to make, but if we don't, I don't think anyone tells us "You're no longer a member, so sorry!", especially since so many people give time and energy to the community even when they...
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