Re: Boy Genius or Craft Idiot?

From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Sat May 31 2003 - 13:57:06 MDT

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    In a message dated 5/31/2003 2:18:04 PM Central Standard Time,
    fauxever@sprynet.com writes: Put another way, is being deceitful ever smart? IMO yes. If a
    religious nut with a gun to my temple asked me whether I believed in god, I
    would lie and say "yes." Question: Who's keeping score here? Answer: The
    religious nut with the gun to my temple (at least, temporarily).

    Olga,
           If I can return to Earth at this time. Has a religious nut ever put a
    gun to your head? How about the head of someone you know?
           Hitler wasn't a religious nut, nor was Stalin, nor Mao? I know we
    caught an alleged religious nut this morning. I know that a few years ago a
    racist nut went through my neighborhood shooting people but those were pikers
    compared to Hitler, Stalin or Mao as well as some others we know.
           I also read that article and yes I noticed the kid made a passing
    reference to God but I don't know upon what level of intensity to read that. Is
    he extremely religious or has he picked up an expression without thinking what
    it even means?
           But I noticed that everyone has walked right by the reporters hand
    wringing over this kid allegedly being so bright. Do you and the others, by your
    silence, agree that there is something deeply wrong with having an IQ that
    high? If so you might excuse him on that basis. If you think a boy that
    intelligent can and is perfectly healthy then you might also excuse his belief in
    God on that basis.
           In any case given that the universe is somewhere 10 and 20 billion
    years old (I have seen no agreement on the age); that we can't even agree whether
    or not this universe is the only one nor even how big it might be -- after
    all when we look closely at the stars that are the furthest removed of any we
    know then beyond them we see more stars. Under all those circumstances isn't it
    a little dogmatic to make vast sweeping statements about God.
           In my opinion we have to all be somewhat agnostic whether we mainly
    believe in God or believe there is no God. We have to reserve a possibility
    that we are mistaken.
    Ron h.



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