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  4. Letting them die: parents refuse medical help for children in the name of Christ

Letting them die: parents refuse medical help for children in the name of Christ

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  • G GStrad

    More examples isn't a significant statistic though is it? What are the survival (or maybe full recovery rates) in the two groups - I would put a pretty large sum of money on the fact that modern medicine has a higher success rate than prayer alone. That is the whole point behind why these parents are delinquent.

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    ZurdoDev
    wrote on last edited by
    #30

    GStrad wrote:

    That is the whole point behind why these parents are delinquent.

    I can't speak for this example, but I can give several specific examples that I lived through where deciding to not listen to modern medicine and instead use "old-fashioned" techniques proved to be the better choice. You only hear about this "news" story because the child is dead/dying (didn't read the whole thing). But parents, religious and not, every single day refuse medical help that never makes the news.

    There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

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    • L Lost User

      Letting them die: parents refuse medical help for children in the name of Christ[^] It seems some in Idaho belong back in the Dark Ages. Parents like these do not belong in a modern, civilized society. Let them rot in jail! Why do they get away with these medieval values in a modern society? :mad: Quote: "Idaho is one of only six states that offer a faith-based shield for felony crimes such as manslaughter."

      Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!

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      A Offline
      Alan Burkhart
      wrote on last edited by
      #31

      Sad, this. I always think back to the case of Madeline Kara Neumann[^]. She died of diabetic ketoacidosis in 2008 while her holy roller parents sat around and prayed. I developed ketoacidosis in 2006 so I know a little about what this child endured before she died. The pain is unbearable. The really tragic part of it is that it's so simple to treat: Insulin and fluids. That's it. I was released from the hospital in less than 48 hours. Left untreated, it's 100% fatal. Religious faith and the ignorance it fosters has no place in the 21st (or any other) century.

      Sometimes the true reward for completing a task is not the money, but instead the satisfaction of a job well done. But it's usually the money.

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      • Z ZurdoDev

        GStrad wrote:

        Evidence appears to suggest otherwise,

        Actually, if you look, you'll find way more examples where it would appear faith healed someone than cases like the OP posted.

        There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

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        Richard Deeming
        wrote on last edited by
        #32

        "Appear" being the important word in the sentence. :)


        "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

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        • R Richard Deeming

          "Appear" being the important word in the sentence. :)


          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

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          ZurdoDev
          wrote on last edited by
          #33

          Richard Deeming wrote:

          "Appear" being the important word in the sentence.

          Indeed. I was attempting to not de-rail the conversation into a different topic. But I'd love to go there with you, if you dare. :-\

          There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

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          • R Richard Deeming

            "Appear" being the important word in the sentence. :)


            "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

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            G Offline
            GStrad
            wrote on last edited by
            #34

            Richard Deeming wrote:

            "Appear" being the important word in the sentence. :)

            And also why I said it would need statistically valid data to prove it either way :-).

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            • L Lost User

              Letting them die: parents refuse medical help for children in the name of Christ[^] It seems some in Idaho belong back in the Dark Ages. Parents like these do not belong in a modern, civilized society. Let them rot in jail! Why do they get away with these medieval values in a modern society? :mad: Quote: "Idaho is one of only six states that offer a faith-based shield for felony crimes such as manslaughter."

              Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!

              D Offline
              D Offline
              den2k88
              wrote on last edited by
              #35

              I'm ok with that... The kid dies and does not propagate the evidently rotten family genes, the parents get jailed and maybe someone learns that no, faith does not substitute medicine. Remember that we are still apes: we learn that the snake is poisonous when we see the ape who didn't know die for the bite. We learn that fire burns when we get burned by it. Want confirmation? look at children - tell them 1000 times doing something hurts and they'll do it anyway until they get hurt. It's too much time that there exist layers and layers of protection that allow the unlearned apes to survive and thrive... in the smug confidence that all the other simians are dumb. I sincerely hope in a high rise of cases like this, also I'd legally force several extremist segments of the population to actually live to what they preach. Either they drop the mask (many people are just egomaniacs which secretly do just as anybody else, except they carry political weight) or they die - so the other apes learn again what's good for their health.

              GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre /xml>

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              • D den2k88

                I'm ok with that... The kid dies and does not propagate the evidently rotten family genes, the parents get jailed and maybe someone learns that no, faith does not substitute medicine. Remember that we are still apes: we learn that the snake is poisonous when we see the ape who didn't know die for the bite. We learn that fire burns when we get burned by it. Want confirmation? look at children - tell them 1000 times doing something hurts and they'll do it anyway until they get hurt. It's too much time that there exist layers and layers of protection that allow the unlearned apes to survive and thrive... in the smug confidence that all the other simians are dumb. I sincerely hope in a high rise of cases like this, also I'd legally force several extremist segments of the population to actually live to what they preach. Either they drop the mask (many people are just egomaniacs which secretly do just as anybody else, except they carry political weight) or they die - so the other apes learn again what's good for their health.

                GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre /xml>

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                R Offline
                Richard Deeming
                wrote on last edited by
                #36

                den2k88 wrote:

                the parents get jailed

                Except they don't.

                Quote:

                ... laws exempt dogmatic faith healers from prosecution ... ... those who believe that prayer is the only way to cure illness are exempted from this law ...


                "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

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                • G GStrad

                  Richard Deeming wrote:

                  "Appear" being the important word in the sentence. :)

                  And also why I said it would need statistically valid data to prove it either way :-).

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                  Lost User
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #37

                  When a person is sick and it appears that he was healed by faith, it is simply a case of his or her immune system overcoming the disease, and religious zealots taking the credit for it.

                  Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!

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                  • L Lost User

                    When a person is sick and it appears that he was healed by faith, it is simply a case of his or her immune system overcoming the disease, and religious zealots taking the credit for it.

                    Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!

                    9 Offline
                    9 Offline
                    9082365
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #38

                    That's a very simplistic analysis. We know from placebo studies that faith plays a very important part in healing even if it's only faith in your doctor's 'magic'. Studies have also shown that the knowledge that you are being prayed for has a significant beneficial effect in healing even for 'unbelievers'. I'm not for one second suggesting that this is proof of divine miracle but it would be foolish to dismiss out of hand something which aids the healing process just because it's not 'science'.

                    I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!

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                    • D den2k88

                      I'm ok with that... The kid dies and does not propagate the evidently rotten family genes, the parents get jailed and maybe someone learns that no, faith does not substitute medicine. Remember that we are still apes: we learn that the snake is poisonous when we see the ape who didn't know die for the bite. We learn that fire burns when we get burned by it. Want confirmation? look at children - tell them 1000 times doing something hurts and they'll do it anyway until they get hurt. It's too much time that there exist layers and layers of protection that allow the unlearned apes to survive and thrive... in the smug confidence that all the other simians are dumb. I sincerely hope in a high rise of cases like this, also I'd legally force several extremist segments of the population to actually live to what they preach. Either they drop the mask (many people are just egomaniacs which secretly do just as anybody else, except they carry political weight) or they die - so the other apes learn again what's good for their health.

                      GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre /xml>

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                      Z Offline
                      ZurdoDev
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #39

                      den2k88 wrote:

                      Remember that we are still apes

                      Speak for yourself. :wtf:

                      There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

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                      • Z ZurdoDev

                        enhzflep wrote:

                        Seriously, keep your fairy tales to yourself - in my experience, they are not welcomed at Code-Project.

                        Because the site is full of atheists and agnostics. But if you are allowed to have your atheistic view why are you mad that he is sharing the religious view? Seems very bigoted of you to not allow someone to explain the religious side of the story. :^)

                        There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

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                        E Offline
                        enhzflep
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #40

                        Yep, and that's just fine. When was the last time you ever had an aethiest/agnostic knock on your door and try relentlessly to sell you the virtues of disbelief? How about the last time you saw an organization representing either of these two groups being made tax-exempt? The difference my friend, in this case, is that aethiests/ags don't bang on about it like this chap did and most particularly and humanly - people aren't irritated by the constant barrage of calls for people to live their lives according to the book of law, rather than the book of suppositions (not intended to be superstitions) that belongs to one mob or another. As a member of the peanut gallery, I look around and find some other members to be making more noise for the affirmative than the negative. I guess we're all wrong and in the wrong place... To be fair mate - its no secret that you and I have very different views on the matter - we've discussed them on more than 1 occasion. But you know what differentiates you and I from the member I replied to? The amount of unsolicited talking on the topic we each do - put together for a month, you and I still couldn't hold a torch to what this fella did in a week. Reasoned debate is one thing. Continually banging on about a particular thing is another. (am I making my point yet, by deliberately re-using the term banging-on?)

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                        • L Lost User

                          Letting them die: parents refuse medical help for children in the name of Christ[^] It seems some in Idaho belong back in the Dark Ages. Parents like these do not belong in a modern, civilized society. Let them rot in jail! Why do they get away with these medieval values in a modern society? :mad: Quote: "Idaho is one of only six states that offer a faith-based shield for felony crimes such as manslaughter."

                          Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!

                          N Offline
                          N Offline
                          Nathan Minier
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #41

                          Seems to me that this is evolution in action; simply behavioral instead of genetic. If you let it continue, it will go away on its own. If you try to regulate it, you just make it stick around longer. Incidentally, incarceration for socially punitive purposes (rather than rehabilitative) is ACTUAL medieval philosophy.

                          "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli

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                          • 9 9082365

                            That's a very simplistic analysis. We know from placebo studies that faith plays a very important part in healing even if it's only faith in your doctor's 'magic'. Studies have also shown that the knowledge that you are being prayed for has a significant beneficial effect in healing even for 'unbelievers'. I'm not for one second suggesting that this is proof of divine miracle but it would be foolish to dismiss out of hand something which aids the healing process just because it's not 'science'.

                            I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!

                            L Offline
                            L Offline
                            Lost User
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #42

                            9082365 wrote:

                            That's a very simplistic analysis. We know from placebo studies that faith plays a very important part in healing even if it's only faith in your doctor's 'magic'.

                            This is a common misunderstanding of the placebo effect. The placebo effect does not reflect a clinical benefit to patients, it is a form of measurement error in clinical trials due to various forms of bias (procedural bias, self-reporting, etc). Secondly, prayer and faith has not been dismissed out of hand, there have been many (probably too many, given the low plausibility) studies of intercessory prayer, overall showing very mixed results probably due to mixed methodology and publication bias.

                            9082365 wrote:

                            Studies have also shown that the knowledge that you are being prayed for has a significant beneficial effect in healing even for 'unbelievers'.

                            The opposite has also been observed - at least one RCT has shown that the knowledge of being prayed for was associated with a greater degree of post-operative complications. Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health. - PubMed - NCBI[^]

                            - F

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                            • E enhzflep

                              Yep, and that's just fine. When was the last time you ever had an aethiest/agnostic knock on your door and try relentlessly to sell you the virtues of disbelief? How about the last time you saw an organization representing either of these two groups being made tax-exempt? The difference my friend, in this case, is that aethiests/ags don't bang on about it like this chap did and most particularly and humanly - people aren't irritated by the constant barrage of calls for people to live their lives according to the book of law, rather than the book of suppositions (not intended to be superstitions) that belongs to one mob or another. As a member of the peanut gallery, I look around and find some other members to be making more noise for the affirmative than the negative. I guess we're all wrong and in the wrong place... To be fair mate - its no secret that you and I have very different views on the matter - we've discussed them on more than 1 occasion. But you know what differentiates you and I from the member I replied to? The amount of unsolicited talking on the topic we each do - put together for a month, you and I still couldn't hold a torch to what this fella did in a week. Reasoned debate is one thing. Continually banging on about a particular thing is another. (am I making my point yet, by deliberately re-using the term banging-on?)

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                              Z Offline
                              ZurdoDev
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #43

                              enhzflep wrote:

                              we've discussed them on more than 1 occasion.

                              To be honest, I don't ever recall that. I guess you must have responded with politeness and logic. :-D

                              enhzflep wrote:

                              to what this fella did in a week.

                              I see. So, it wasn't really this one post that you were responding to, it was an accumulation of other things. Thank you for explaining because I was struggling to figure out how your reaction was justified. But still, we are all allowed to share our opinion and in this post he only did it once.

                              enhzflep wrote:

                              When was the last time you ever had an aethiest/agnostic knock on your door and try relentlessly to sell you the virtues of disbelief?

                              I think you're trying to suggest that religious people relentlessly try to convert you? Not sure where you live but I've had plenty of people stop by my house to share a religious message. They have always been polite. I've even had people stop by and try to sell me candy bars, coupon books, or other items. In fact, it's the salespeople that are the most rude in my experience, the religious people are quite polite. :^)

                              There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                              W 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • L Lost User

                                9082365 wrote:

                                That's a very simplistic analysis. We know from placebo studies that faith plays a very important part in healing even if it's only faith in your doctor's 'magic'.

                                This is a common misunderstanding of the placebo effect. The placebo effect does not reflect a clinical benefit to patients, it is a form of measurement error in clinical trials due to various forms of bias (procedural bias, self-reporting, etc). Secondly, prayer and faith has not been dismissed out of hand, there have been many (probably too many, given the low plausibility) studies of intercessory prayer, overall showing very mixed results probably due to mixed methodology and publication bias.

                                9082365 wrote:

                                Studies have also shown that the knowledge that you are being prayed for has a significant beneficial effect in healing even for 'unbelievers'.

                                The opposite has also been observed - at least one RCT has shown that the knowledge of being prayed for was associated with a greater degree of post-operative complications. Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health. - PubMed - NCBI[^]

                                - F

                                9 Offline
                                9 Offline
                                9082365
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #44

                                Fisticuffs wrote:

                                The placebo effect does not reflect a clinical benefit to patients, it is a form of measurement error in clinical trials due to various forms of bias (procedural bias, self-reporting, etc).

                                Er ... ok ... I guess all the thousands of studies and experiments unrelated to clinical trials, to say nothing of the 97% of UK NHS doctors who have prescribed a placebo, could all be wrong but you'll forgive me if I'm inclined to doubt it.

                                I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!

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                                • N Nathan Minier

                                  Seems to me that this is evolution in action; simply behavioral instead of genetic. If you let it continue, it will go away on its own. If you try to regulate it, you just make it stick around longer. Incidentally, incarceration for socially punitive purposes (rather than rehabilitative) is ACTUAL medieval philosophy.

                                  "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli

                                  9 Offline
                                  9 Offline
                                  9082365
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #45

                                  Nathan Minier wrote:

                                  is ACTUAL medieval philosophy

                                  No, it's ancient (quite possibly prehistoric) philosophy which survived into the mediaeval period and is still going pretty strong even in the allegedly enlightened West. Whatever the intention, the fact is that the vast majority of people see 'justice' as punitive revenge primarily especially when they are the victims of a crime, with rehabilitation coming a distant third to protection of the public.

                                  I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!

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                                  • 9 9082365

                                    Nathan Minier wrote:

                                    is ACTUAL medieval philosophy

                                    No, it's ancient (quite possibly prehistoric) philosophy which survived into the mediaeval period and is still going pretty strong even in the allegedly enlightened West. Whatever the intention, the fact is that the vast majority of people see 'justice' as punitive revenge primarily especially when they are the victims of a crime, with rehabilitation coming a distant third to protection of the public.

                                    I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!

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                                    N Offline
                                    Nathan Minier
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #46

                                    I always find that to be remarkable, since the stated purpose of the prison system is rehabilitation and reform. I'll take your clarification, and even bump you for it!

                                    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli

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                                    • 9 9082365

                                      Fisticuffs wrote:

                                      The placebo effect does not reflect a clinical benefit to patients, it is a form of measurement error in clinical trials due to various forms of bias (procedural bias, self-reporting, etc).

                                      Er ... ok ... I guess all the thousands of studies and experiments unrelated to clinical trials, to say nothing of the 97% of UK NHS doctors who have prescribed a placebo, could all be wrong but you'll forgive me if I'm inclined to doubt it.

                                      I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!

                                      L Offline
                                      L Offline
                                      Lost User
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #47

                                      9082365 wrote:

                                      Er ... ok ... I guess all the thousands of studies and experiments unrelated to clinical trials

                                      Citation needed? How can you examine the effect of a therapy outside of a clinical trial (without special pleading, that is)?

                                      9082365 wrote:

                                      , to say nothing of the 97% of UK NHS doctors who have prescribed a placebo,

                                      That figure is misleading and originates from this paper: PLOS ONE: Placebo Use in the United Kingdom: Results from a National Survey of Primary Care Practitioners[^]

                                      Quote:

                                      Reasons for prescribing pure placebos varied. 55% (95% CI 51 to 59) of respondents reported prescribing pure placebos to induce possible psychological treatment effects, 33% (95% CI 30 to 36) to calm patients, 32% (95% CI 29 to 35) because the patient requested a therapy, and 31% (95% CI 28 to 34) to treat non-specific complaints.

                                      They are not using placebos to treat disease. The act of prescribing or offering a placebo has a measurable psychological effect ONLY in self reported outcomes. The placebo itself has no effect. The "placebo effect" is measurement error in a clinical trial. Do you see the distinction?

                                      - F

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                                      • L Lost User

                                        Yes. In the case of Idaho at least, it's a remnant of the administration of that crook and liar Nixon. Why am I not surprised?

                                        Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!

                                        K Offline
                                        K Offline
                                        Kyle Moyer
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #48

                                        What surprises me is them not yet having been struck down as unconstitutional... We are all (children included) granted a certain set of rights that cannot be infringed upon by others. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness are the big three, outlined before anything that came in the Amendments. So why should it be permissible to allow someone to die (manslaughter) because of your religious beliefs? It shouldn't. Any just god would send these parents straight to Hell for doing that to their child.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • R Richard Deeming

                                          den2k88 wrote:

                                          the parents get jailed

                                          Except they don't.

                                          Quote:

                                          ... laws exempt dogmatic faith healers from prosecution ... ... those who believe that prayer is the only way to cure illness are exempted from this law ...


                                          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                          D Offline
                                          D Offline
                                          den2k88
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #49

                                          Now, that's stupid. Basically nobody could prevent them having another baby and letting him/her die due to them being evolutionary failures...

                                          Quote:

                                          ... laws exempt dogmatic faith healers from prosecution ...

                                          I guess it's easier there to swindle people, here in Italy this may cause jailing. I'll keep it in midn should I find myself without a job...

                                          GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre /xml>

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