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The People Vs. Common Sense
Mogg writes "GamerGod.com has a new article up entitled "The People Vs. Common Sense, A Citizen's View at Michigan's SB-0146 Law," commenting on the new Michigan state video game law. "Have we made absolutely certain books and movies are not degrading the minds of our children and video games and all computerized representation of violent and sexual acts are the cause of an increase of depraved sociopaths??" Very nicely written piece.
On the other hand, the youth of Socrates' time were suspicious of Democracy, and after the Peloponnesian War set up a fascist government that attempted to kill remnants of Democracy, as well as anybody who disagreed with their rule. Government head Critias was Socrates' associate and pupil and widely hated by Athenians, and his relation (and the entire movement's relation) to Socrates was probably the reason Socrates was later executed by the state. This relation to a much-hated movement would continue to be held against Socrates, much like (say) Mao's role in the Cultural Revolution would weigh negatively on anybody studying his writings or poetry.
Plato idolized Socrates, and was using the quote to disassosiate Socrates from a reign of terror that everybody hated. Without knowing your history you seem to interpret it as "ah shucks, even Socrates 2500 years ago could be an old codger!" which isn't at all the case, Plato wasn't one to tell gee-whiz anecdotes.
Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
Wow. Do you live in north Jersey?
That was probably the best description of the biggest (family) problems northern New Jersey faces. Coincidentally, I was just having the same discussion with my wife last night about the "lock-in" people around here face, exactly as you describe.
With regard to the immigrant workers around here, many of them (at least the nanny types) have excellent value systems, but are afraid to impose them on the little imps they care for, fearing that the parents will disagree. From what I see of comments here, most of you would disagree with the generally Catholic upbringing and value systems of the hispanic immigrants, and so their timidity is well-founded.
As for the language thing, the upside is that a lot of kids know Spanish by the time they're 5, which is certainly nice.
I'm new to New Jersey (about a year and a half now), and the oddest thing I've seen is that many families hire regular babysitters to work while one of the parents, usually the mom, is home. They want to go to the mall, get their hair done, etc, without being bothered by their offspring. While any parent can attest to sometimes needing a little help, the policy of outsourcing the rearing of their child when one of the parents is readily available on a regular basis seems a bit odd to me.
I don't really have a point. I just wanted to validate your observations with some of my own.
If you're looking to dismiss people of faith as simple-minded peons who have no understanding of logic and who rapidly embrace hypocrisy, then your understanding of that verse is sufficient.
It's true that the King James Version of the english Bible translates that passage "Thou shalt not kill" but the NIV, NKJV, NASB and others translate that passage "Thou shalt not murder."
There's a distinct difference between murder and killing. God ordered the Israelites to kill the people in the promosed land because they rejected God and did what was evil. There was no hope of their turning to doing what was right, and God knew that the only outcome of leaving them alive would be to draw many of the Israelites away from God.
You don't have to agree with what God ordered them to do, but there's no direct contradiction between Exodus 20:13 and God's orders to His people.
Respectfully,
Anomaly
But Herr Heisenberg, how does the electron know when I'm looking?
The other ones are plain old socialists and hippies and other liberals. Violent games are bad because they go against the peace-and-love worldview.
WTF does socialists and liberals have to do with peace-and-love? I think you got your wires crossed...
Most "Socialist and liberal" countries have MUCH more relaxed sex and violence censhorship on entertainment.
Hitler was neither a Christian, nor an Atheist. He believed in Aryanism which is certainly not what Atheists believe - nor is it what Christians believe. His beliefs, the beliefs of the Nazi Party and the Thule Society were very strange and were certainly "religious" in the sense that they had no basis in scientific or historical fact.
I do not think his beliefs are relevent to arguments about Chrisitianity vs. Atheism.
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