The Future of Space Exploration

I am not afraid of what I do not know about. I have been a member of a christian church, I have read the bible cover to cover more than once, I have read the Quoran and several other of the "sacred texts". I am afraid of what I DO know. I do know that people have been killing people over the "my imaginary friend is better than your imaginary friend" issue since it was first dreamed up. I know that the mystical robed figures have been abusing their power over believers since the dawn of time.

I see a once great nation that once walked on the moon descending into religious fanatisism and electing leaders who publically deny evolution. They are moving backwards.

You state that certain "facts" and ideas have been around for thousands of years ..... What facts? Furthermore I am hard pressed to come up with any ideas that are thousands of years old that still hold much water today.

Then you say that people shouldn't choose for themselves what is right or wrong? This from a citizen in the "land of the free". I would much rather allow people to determine for themselves than take the word of some guy in a pointy hat with funny slippers who's organization was and is actively protecting child molesters. Or should we take the word of the turban wearers who are keeping the women of the world in the stone age while sending their children off to blow themselves up? No? Maybe we should be led by a religion that was founded solely so it's founder could get rid of a wife he was tired of and marry another.

I noticed in your list of catastrophies you left out the crusades, the Spanish inquisition, the dark ages, yet you included the holocaust. A perfect example of blindly following one person's idea of what is right and wrong. "I was just following orders" has been the defense of the zealot for ages, it didn't work at Nurenburg, it won't work anywhere today.

I'm scared to see that small but loud groups can force thngs that have absolutly no basis in fact to be taught in science classes of modern nations. I am scared that we may be once again slipping into a "dark age" where mysticism and religion will again hold sway over the masses. I am scared that ancient texts will again become the law of the land and rule over reason, fact and proof. And I am scared that I see evidence of these things on a website dedicated to science and reason. That is what scares me about your comments.

rant/off

Eloquently said. GA.

GA

"I see a once great nation that once walked on the moon descending into religious fanatisism and electing leaders who publically deny evolution. They are moving backwards."

I think you are mistaking your opinion for the facts of history. Go to many of our national monuments and Federal buildings that were erected at the beginning of our country and many years subsequent to that and you will find inscriptions that reflect deep fundamental Biblical beliefs. Our founding documents are not to the exclusion of individuals or groups of people but to help people develope their potential in a free enterprise environment.

We aren't decending anywhere because of Bilblical thought. We are descending into a moral morass, but it is because of those who are moral relativists, not those who abide by Biblical principles. Lumping all people who may think different than you into a group who "are child molesters, or, turban wearers who are keeping the women of the world in the stone age while sending their children off to blow themselves up", is silly.

There is a huge difference between someone with strong Biblical beliefs and some fanatic. You can't equate one with the other. The people who carried out the atrocities of the events you mentioned like the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, etc. were not people of true Biblical thinking. Those were people who were abusing their positions of power for the sake of seeking to gain even more power.

Laws are based upon principles for the good of all people, not just for those who have the ability to force their will on others.

People of fundamental Biblical ideology are those who seek to see science and research go on to the betterment of all mankind, not just a few people who want to keep and expand their power base.

Nice. CSN's Woodstock.

We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon.