The Greatest Speech Ever Made

[TheJamsh]

Never heard this before, but it's quite inspiring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibmcsEG ... r_embedded#!

[Clavin12]

Unfortunately he came up with the wrong answer, namely socialism. The government should not be the active party, because they are impersonal and blunt like a machine. Rather, I believe that the church should take care of the poor and the afflicted, and indeed this is what Christianity teaches. Unfortunately many churches fail to fulfill this vocation.

[AcneVulgaris]

Churches are a little reluctant to help those that don't ascribe to their beliefs.

[Clavin12]

Indeed some may, but imo that is not how it should be. In any case, my church does not.

[HitchcockGreen]

Unfortunately he came up with the wrong answer, namely socialism. The government should not be the active party, because they are impersonal and blunt like a machine. Rather, I believe that the church should take care of the poor and the afflicted, and indeed this is what Christianity teaches. Unfortunately many churches fail to fulfill this vocation.

Unless you're an atheist....

Socialism has become such a bad word down there. You've already been subscribers of aspects of socialism for a looong time but don't realize it. Chaplin did speak of people helping people, which sounds like something a church would do, but why on earth would you rely on a church?
It's not necessary.

[Red Devil]

meh, the "progressives" (read, "utopians" or "politicians") infected this wonderful country of ours 100 years ago and they will soon be thrown out on their ear.

[Clavin12]

Unfortunately he came up with the wrong answer, namely socialism. The government should not be the active party, because they are impersonal and blunt like a machine. Rather, I believe that the church should take care of the poor and the afflicted, and indeed this is what Christianity teaches. Unfortunately many churches fail to fulfill this vocation.

Unless you're an atheist....

Socialism has become such a bad word down there. You've already been subscribers of aspects of socialism for a looong time but don't realize it. Chaplin did speak of people helping people, which sounds like something a church would do, but why on earth would you rely on a church?
It's not necessary.

If you're an atheist, then you're a fool.

[TwinShadow]

Let's not drag atheists into this discussion, unless you want to talk about the morons who want to complain about everything when in fact, most atheists don't care about religious artifacts and simply ignore them. Calling any atheist a fool is a stupid and moronic thing to say. I'm an atheist, however, I don't care about the cross, or any particular books, or anything. I just simply ignore them and move about my own way.

I haven't listened to the speech, not sure when I'll get to it. Lumping atheists into socialism is also a bad idea, considering I'm also against it, and I'm sure most others are as well.

[GSH]

Keep it civil, or I (or another moderator) will bring out the locks on this thread.

-- GSH

[Clavin12]

Well never mind then.

Edit: Do you really know what you're endorsing when you reject God? I take it you probably believe in evolution? Under evolution everything is based in genes and parentage. Because of this people have the excuse that their genes made them do it, or that they were "born this way". Using this argument they can do anything and get away with it, and no person also believing in evolution can bring an argument against them! Our culture is becoming more and more aware of this argument and is using it. The result will inevitably be chaos and anarchy, with rampant murder, rape, and anything else you can think of! Is this really what you want?

[Warfreak]

Well, that edit was uncalled for; furthermore the base theory of evolution is about adaptation over time to result in new(ish) forms of life, not so much directly with genes. If anything is to blame for that it is the view that biology affects mentality, which in some instances it does but for the most part I think it is safe to say it is morality. Genes can give percentages, but anyone with a sense of right and wrong can easily control their own idiocy (for the most part).

[Clavin12]

But where would such a sense of right and wrong come from, if we are merely a jumble of chemicals? In any case is does not matter. In an atheists world he is the highest authority, and no one can tell him otherwise.

[HitchcockGreen]

Well never mind then.

Edit: Do you really know what you're endorsing when you reject God? I take it you probably believe in evolution? Under evolution everything is based in genes and parentage. Because of this people have the excuse that their genes made them do it, or that they were "born this way". Using this argument they can do anything and get away with it, and no person also believing in evolution can bring an argument against them! Our culture is becoming more and more aware of this argument and is using it. The result will inevitably be chaos and anarchy, with rampant murder, rape, and anything else you can think of! Is this really what you want?

By "rejecting God" I endorse nothing. Yes, I find evolution to be a valid theory. And you've got it wrong - evolution does not excuse people to use statements like "I was born this way" etc, etc. You should study more about nature versus nurture because you're blending the two into your argument.

Also: lack of religion does not mean a lack of ethics or morals. Atheists do not need a religion to tell them what is right or wrong with threat of eternal damnation otherwise. What does it say of a person if they actually need an ancient book and an organized religion to tell them that murder or rape is wrong?

[HitchcockGreen]

But where would such a sense of right and wrong come from, if we are merely a jumble of chemicals? In any case is does not matter. In an atheists world he is the highest authority, and no one can tell him otherwise.

Sorry, that is not true either. Sure, lots of faith-friendly media sure like to play it up like that (Fox's annual "war against christmas" stories come to mind) but just as religion, you get some nutjobs put into the limelight.

[MrTwosheds]

But where would such a sense of right and wrong come from, if we are merely a jumble of chemicals? In any case is does not matter. In an atheists world he is the highest authority, and no one can tell him otherwise.

We are not just a jumble of chemicals, we are not just individual beings, we are ancient beings, much more than we think we are, your thought process has been stunted by your rigid indoctrination, you explain all with with one word, and explain nothing at all. Only thoughts die, the flesh lives on, learning, changing, sometimes failing but always growing in complexity. There is a miracle within your eye's, no need to imagine another. I was not born 48 years ago, or 73 years ago, when my egg first formed, but uncountable millions of years ago when the first life perceived its environment for the first time, I am the body and its knowledge, not the thoughts, a continually reproducing and diverging organism, I am oak and ant and YOU...