The eternal debate: evolution vs. ...
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I remember seeing something on sheep ranchers in Austrailia if a Dingo got in one of the pens, a single animal would kill something like 50 sheep in a night. Mind you, the large canine vs. sheep matchup is slightly one sided, but it illustrated how little the instinct to kill has to do with hunger for some animals.
I can imagine the sinking feeling one would have after ordering my book, only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon
andy brummer wrote: but it illustrated how little the instinct to kill has to do with hunger for some animals. Another example is when one put rat in small cage together with young rats or mice. Result: masacre. Reason: instinct saying there isn't enough space for them all to live (I belive). David
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Stan Shannon wrote: Actually, it isn't. Actually it is. Were the crusades were nothing to do with religion? There are plenty of examples of religious persecution throughout history. I would agree that conflict is more often about resources but religion and extreme politics have certainly played their part. Stan Shannon wrote: Marxist revisionism Lol. Care to give some examples?
Dan Bennett wrote: Were the crusades were nothing to do with religion? There are plenty of examples of religious persecution throughout history. I would agree that conflict is more often about resources but religion and extreme politics have certainly played their part. Well, consider the Crusades just as an example. Islamic forces were isolating Europe from the rest of the world, controlling trade routes, etc. Religion may have been a convenient motivation to inspire men to actually sacrifice their lives, but the conflict was about trade and control of commerce by the early nation states. The truth is probably that even had the middle east remained Christian, war on as grand a scale as the crusades would almost certainly have occured. Dan Bennett wrote: Lol. Care to give some examples? OK, most wars have been between states or peoples, not between religions. Yet religion alomst universally gets the blame as being the single greatest source of violence in the modern view of history, to the point that we rarely even analyze other potential causes of conflict. What one political group has the greatest vested interest in promoting such a view? Marxism. Which just happens to be the same one most closely affiliated with universities where history is taught. Don't tell me that is a coincidence. "Capitalism is the source of all true freedom."
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Dan Bennett wrote: Were the crusades were nothing to do with religion? There are plenty of examples of religious persecution throughout history. I would agree that conflict is more often about resources but religion and extreme politics have certainly played their part. Well, consider the Crusades just as an example. Islamic forces were isolating Europe from the rest of the world, controlling trade routes, etc. Religion may have been a convenient motivation to inspire men to actually sacrifice their lives, but the conflict was about trade and control of commerce by the early nation states. The truth is probably that even had the middle east remained Christian, war on as grand a scale as the crusades would almost certainly have occured. Dan Bennett wrote: Lol. Care to give some examples? OK, most wars have been between states or peoples, not between religions. Yet religion alomst universally gets the blame as being the single greatest source of violence in the modern view of history, to the point that we rarely even analyze other potential causes of conflict. What one political group has the greatest vested interest in promoting such a view? Marxism. Which just happens to be the same one most closely affiliated with universities where history is taught. Don't tell me that is a coincidence. "Capitalism is the source of all true freedom."
Stan Shannon wrote: What one political group has the greatest vested interest in promoting such a view? Marxism. Which just happens to be the same one most closely affiliated with universities where history is taught. Don't tell me that is a coincidence It's a coincidence :) History was often reported in this way before Marxism existed. To a certain extent it goes back to your point about religion being used as an excuse. When you write up why your country went to war, it sounds better to say it was for high moral reasons (to bring religion to the savages/heretics) rather than because you fancied your neighbours resources. These days the reason is freedom, democracy and the war on terror. Of course Marxists will have their own idealogical variation on this.
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I remember seeing something on sheep ranchers in Austrailia if a Dingo got in one of the pens, a single animal would kill something like 50 sheep in a night. Mind you, the large canine vs. sheep matchup is slightly one sided, but it illustrated how little the instinct to kill has to do with hunger for some animals.
I can imagine the sinking feeling one would have after ordering my book, only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon
Hmmm. that does put a different light on the "save it for a rainy day" notion. Maybe dingos are afraid of sheep. :rolleyes: BW
All the chickens get it.
And them singing canaries get it.
Even strawberries get it. -
Stan Shannon wrote: What one political group has the greatest vested interest in promoting such a view? Marxism. Which just happens to be the same one most closely affiliated with universities where history is taught. Don't tell me that is a coincidence It's a coincidence :) History was often reported in this way before Marxism existed. To a certain extent it goes back to your point about religion being used as an excuse. When you write up why your country went to war, it sounds better to say it was for high moral reasons (to bring religion to the savages/heretics) rather than because you fancied your neighbours resources. These days the reason is freedom, democracy and the war on terror. Of course Marxists will have their own idealogical variation on this.
I'm guessing what you're saying is that religious faith isn't the actual reason for conflict, it's the enabler and focal point. Sam Harris' book The End of Faith[1] discusses this - there's a bit on how one Christian group centuries ago waged war on another, justifying it from some of the stuff in Leviticus. Except they ignored the bit where you had to destroy all the loot :rolleyes: [1] A book which Stan would probably find quite interesting and benefit from reading; there's a whole chapter on the problem with Islam, and Chomsky/"liberalism" gets a right bashing (conservatives do too). I'm having to re-evaulate quite a lot of my opinions regarding faith, terrorism, and so forth as a result of reading it.
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Always search forum before asking dumb question. Always search forum before asking dumb question. Always search forum before asking dumb question. Always search forum before asking dumb question. Always search forum before asking dumb question. .... (don't take me seriously :) ) here you go![^] David
Hmmm... I hardly think asking for a translation qualifies for a dumb question. ;) The link takes me to a page and not a specific post. Nowhere on that page does Rui (or somebody else) explain what it means. If you found such a post, could you give me the translation, David? Cheers, Vikram.
http://www.geocities.com/vpunathambekar "It's like hitting water with your fist. There's all sorts of motion and noise at impact, and no impression left whatsoever shortly thereafter." - gantww.
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I'm guessing what you're saying is that religious faith isn't the actual reason for conflict, it's the enabler and focal point. Sam Harris' book The End of Faith[1] discusses this - there's a bit on how one Christian group centuries ago waged war on another, justifying it from some of the stuff in Leviticus. Except they ignored the bit where you had to destroy all the loot :rolleyes: [1] A book which Stan would probably find quite interesting and benefit from reading; there's a whole chapter on the problem with Islam, and Chomsky/"liberalism" gets a right bashing (conservatives do too). I'm having to re-evaulate quite a lot of my opinions regarding faith, terrorism, and so forth as a result of reading it.
Ian Darling wrote: I'm guessing what you're saying is that religious faith isn't the actual reason for conflict, it's the enabler and focal point. Yes. But those religions (or at least the religious establishment) must take some blame for allowing their religion to be used. The Pope did call on Christians to go on a crusade. Organised religion, like organised politics, can be used for some very bad things.
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Hmmm... I hardly think asking for a translation qualifies for a dumb question. ;) The link takes me to a page and not a specific post. Nowhere on that page does Rui (or somebody else) explain what it means. If you found such a post, could you give me the translation, David? Cheers, Vikram.
http://www.geocities.com/vpunathambekar "It's like hitting water with your fist. There's all sorts of motion and noise at impact, and no impression left whatsoever shortly thereafter." - gantww.
It is a poem which became a proverb. In a loose translation: "Wanderer, there is no path. The path is created as you go walking." It represents the belief that there are no predefined ways on how to live, and conduct your life. You have to discover it by living. I kept in spanish because of the rythm. Garcia-Lorca was a spanish poet killed during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). David
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Hmmm... I hardly think asking for a translation qualifies for a dumb question. ;) The link takes me to a page and not a specific post. Nowhere on that page does Rui (or somebody else) explain what it means. If you found such a post, could you give me the translation, David? Cheers, Vikram.
http://www.geocities.com/vpunathambekar "It's like hitting water with your fist. There's all sorts of motion and noise at impact, and no impression left whatsoever shortly thereafter." - gantww.
and here is the link... hopefuly. :-o http://www.codeproject.com/script/comments/forums.asp?msg=1146901&forumid=2605#xx1146901xx[^] David
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It is a poem which became a proverb. In a loose translation: "Wanderer, there is no path. The path is created as you go walking." It represents the belief that there are no predefined ways on how to live, and conduct your life. You have to discover it by living. I kept in spanish because of the rythm. Garcia-Lorca was a spanish poet killed during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). David
Thanks, David. :-D Cheers, Vikram.
http://www.geocities.com/vpunathambekar "Anyone under 30 is a kid, but most of them lack enough experience to realize that." — Roger Wright.