Personally, I think that both candidates are worthless. I just happen to believe that McCain is the lesser of two evils.
I by no means agree with everything he's said or claimed, but I agree with him more than I do Obama.
Plain and simple, redistribution of wealth, or, let's call it what is really is, socialism, has been proven throughout history to not work. I'd rather keep my hard earned money, and spend it how I want, instead of being taxed more and the government telling me that they can spend it better than I.
The other problem I have with Obama's tax plan, is that he claims that it's going to help the middle class, cause he's only going to tax people and businesses making x amount or more per year. He is oblivious to the fact that in doing so, it's going to screw the middle class, since it will very likely cause prices to go up, and payroll to go down. And either way you look at it, the middle class gets screwed cause we either have to pay more for products, or lose our jobs or get our pay cut.
I'm more of a fan of the Fair Tax plan than I am of what either of the two candidates are talking about.
However, my issues with Obama go way beyond that he's a socialist. I won't go into those right now though.
You know, I freely admit that I'm not an expert on evolution, I may not even be the best person to form any arguments in this subject. Hell, I said I'm not even a scientist. However, I'm also not an idiot, despite what some of you may think. To say that there *is* enough evidence to support evolution, to prove it to be 100% fact is not a very good argument. I'm going to post something a friend of mine just said. I pasted him this following post from earlier:
"Evolution is a theory. This is a lie. You are a liar.Evolution is not a fact (at least, not according to science) because it is untestable at this time. This is a lie. Every human is capable of observing for themselves, by themselves that mutations exist. Every human is capable of observing for themselves, by themselves that selection happens. Mutation+Selection=Evolution -- that's all there is to it. There's nothing else left that needs to be tested. Evolution is an absolute, 100% uncontrovertable certainty, beyond any past, present or future doubt because it is a tautology:
Whatever survives, survives; whatever dies, dies.That's it. That's all there is to it. Only absurd, insulting liars like yourself would try to deny a tautology."
This is what my friend had to say. A note, he is a programmer, and he is a Christian.
"ok, this guy doesn't know the definition of evolution. sure, if evolution is strictly darwinism in its purest state of "Only the strong survive" but we are talking about one species developing into another species. This can be tested and is tested with every birth of every living creature on this earth. the problem is that we do not see any case where evolution is proved. we see case after case of a species being wrought from the same species. never once has it been recorded that one species came from a different species. so through thousands of years of recorded history, if evolution were a fact that has occurred with every species in existence or to have ever existed, this would have shown up at least once under our current understanding of mathematics and probability. Since it has not been seen, then one can safely assume that evolution (as opposed to survival of the fittest or natural selection) does not exist. But since a species carries different physical traits in different regions, then we can conclude that truly natural selection does exist. What we need to do is separate these from one another and address each as an individual concept that can either A) be proved or B be disproved. If neither of these can be done, then we don't need to discuss this as a matter of fact or totality. There is no fact that can be shown at any time in recorded history so it is a fact that this is a theory. that is the only truth in the whole concept of evolution."
Take it for what it's worth. Which, I'm guessing you won't think it's worth that much. You, and many people on here, think that all religious people are stubborn, hardheaded, idiots. Yet, you are no different than they are. What you fail to realize, think about, or not care about, is that there are MANY religious people out there who are open minded, and do think about stuff. Yet, some people, like yourself, are just the same as the hardheaded, stubborn, religious people. You think that *your* way is the only way, and anyone who believes differently is an idiot. EVERYONE needs to learn to have an open mind. My mind could be a more open then what it already is, but I'll tell you, I do have an open mind. Sounds to me like your mind could definitely use some opening up. I don't deny that evolution may be happening. But I'm also not too idiotic to believe everything that science claims. Like this whole global warming crap.
You know, when the world comes to an end, I'm going to feel a combination of laughter and sorrow for people who are too closed minded to realize that God IS out there. And, if I'm wrong, well, I guess none of this is really going to matter anyway.
"The point of all this? That evolution is indeed a theory subject to change as new results come in. So is gravity. If you insert disclaimers and stickers to the school textbooks warning kids about evolution, better do the same for the chapter about gravitation too."
I couldn't agree with you more. And for that matter, I agree with what someone else said, that one of the important things they should be teaching is the scientific method. I think that if they are going to teach evolution in schools, that it should not be taught as fact. Likewise, I don't really think that they should be teaching anything religious in a science class. That does not, however, think that science and religion should be separate. On the contrary, I try to make my religious beliefs a part of every aspect of my life, including my political decisions. I also do not think that they should take religion out of public school. Don't think they should have religion classes, unless it is a class that talks about different kinds of religions, but I think that there should be a moment of silence, that if a kid wants to pray quietly to him/her-self, they can, or if a kid wants to sit there with his/her thumb up their ass, they can. This country has the freedom of religion, and that, along with many other freedoms, are being stripped away because too many people are being offended by stuff. All I can say to them is tough. Get over it. Deal with it. There is no way to make everyone in this country or in the world happy. Toes will always be stepped on when it comes to feelings. People need to learn to grow up and take it like a man or woman. Instead, you've got too many people complaining about their feelings, so the rights of others are being infringed on.
Sorry about the rant. I know it was a bit off topic. But on a side note, I do thank you for being a good sport about this conversation. Too many times I get someone who's head is so far up their rear end, that they cannot hold a good, level headed conversation. Too many people automatically assume that because I'm a Christian, that I cannot hold a well rounded conversation, so they speak down to me, or to other Christians. Glad to finally find a good conversation here on/.
That may very well happen. Like I said in my first post. Sometimes scientist prove what they once thought to be true to actually be false. Could the same not possibly happen with evolution? I choose to believe in God. I believe him to exist. Does that mean that I'm 100% right on it? No. It is possible that when I die, I fill find out that I'm wrong. But I choose to believe in Him. People may choose to believe in evolution, only to find out x amount of years later that it doesn't exist. Or, perhaps x amount of years it will be proven to be fact. We will just have to wait and see. But, do you, or anyone else out there, admit that it is possible that evolution could possibly be proven wrong?
Based on the knowledge that we have, can you dispute gravity? Seriously? Like I said, I'm not a scientist. Never have been, and never will be. But can you dispute gravity on what knowledge we have? Now, can evolution be disputed? I think there is some evidence to support evolution, but I don't think there is enough to consider it to be fact. What is so wrong of me to look at a broader picture and not hear some evidence and automatically jump on the bandwagon?
I occasionally make posts on/., but not very often. And I'm often not too popular. The reason why is because I'm a geek and a Christian, and I make no secret about it. I'm not a scientist. I admit that. I believe in gravity. I believe that evolution is possible. I do not, however, think that it is a law or is a fact. I believe it to be a theory. The reason is that while scientist think that they've got full evidence of it, they do not have complete evidence. They cannot show 100% proof, that for ALL species, evolution has taken place. However, even if they do eventually show it, it still does not affect my believe in God. I KNOW that God exists, because of what He has done in my life and in other's lives that I know. I cannot prove to you all that God exists, I cannot show it to you. You first have to take that leap of faith. But, back to the evolution thing. Maybe evolution is true, maybe it isn't. If it is true, I believe that God started it. That in no way goes against the Bible. The problem comes in when you have the fundamentalist who are too dumb to take parts of the Bible as symbolic, instead of word for word literal translation. But, the reason I take evolution as a theory is because science is not always right. Sometimes science has an idea that they claim to be true, and then they find out they are wrong, and there goes that idea. It happens.
I will, no doubt, get a lot of negative feed back for this post, because I am a Christian, and a lot of you think that I am stupid because I believe in something that I cannot prove to you. But, I ask this. How many of you have EVER believed something without having 100% proof? And I'm not talking religious stuff. I'm talking about anything, including scientific theories or hypotheses?
Before you go bashing someone for believe in God, think about that question. I find it very hard to believe that you all only believe stuff that has been 100% proven.
First, I'm going to say that I'm prepared for whatever anyone wants to say to or about me for this post.
I for one am a Christian and a geek. I do not claim to be part of any Christian denomination, and normally speaking, don't really care for the Southern Baptist denomination that Huckabee is in. However, in my opinion, I don't see how you can have politics WITHOUT religion. Why? Because of the moral and ethical decisions that are required to be made. I have not always been a Christian. I spent a good 7 years or so as an Atheist/Agnostic, after growing up in a Roman Catholic household. During those 7 years, while I did not believe in God, nor did I really care to believe in him, I still maintained the ethics and morals that my parents taught me as a child. I didn't maintain them because I believed in God. I maintained them because they are good things to hold on to.
Right now the USA, as much as I love this country, is heading to hell in a handbag. A part of it is because of Bush administration. However, another part of it is because of all of the far left wing liberals in this country. Because of them, the moral fibers this country was founded on are being cut. Take a look at some of the shit that has been going on in California lately, and for that matter, all around the US.
I don't want a president who is going to be evangelical. I firmly believe in the freedom of religion. But, I do want a president who is going to use his faith and intelligence to help make educated decisions. And I know a lot of you people are going to say that because of his faith he's not intelligent. But let me ask you this. Can you say that ALL Christian morals and ethics are stupid or unintelligent?
Now, given, someone can be moral and not religious. But keep in mind, that morals came from religion. And a lot of them from the Jewish and Christian based religions.
Yeah, right after I posted that first message I realized that I got it wrong, and immediately posted a new messaging making the correction. But thanks for mentioning it. And yes, I agree, the love of money is also the root of all bad software.
Crap, I'm gonna correct my own post. The love of money is the root of all evil. But still, M$ has so much of it, that I'm pretty sure they love it. And, they are hoping that other's love of money will get them there way. Just goes to prove that M$ is PURE EVIL.
Sounds like typical M$ bullshit tactics. Throw money around to get their way.
I would love to see all of these major movie studios tell M$ to fuck off. But, alas, money is the root of all evil. Maybe that's why M$ has so much of it?
I too am not trying to get into an argument. I prefer conversations over arguments, simply because conversations are more civilized.
You are indeed correct. That is quite possible. The same could be said for a lot of things. Earthquakes, tornadoes, the great depression, ect. Being a native of New Orleans, I can personally speak of times when we had some worse flooding then I have seen anywhere else that I have lived. I also watched the aftermath of Katrina in my hometown. However, we claim that it was a bad flood, and that it was not everywhere. And I admit that perhaps the "great flood" that all of the ancient civilizations talk about could have just been local floods to those regions at different times. I simply believe it to be one, but one of the reasons I believe it to be, is that if I am not mistaken (and I admit that I might be), all of those civilizations existed around the same time, and recorded the flood(s) around the same time. IF that is true, and like I said it may not be, that is an awfully big coincidence that all of them would report massive floods at the same time.
While I do admit that it could have been multiple floods, I simply ask, can you admit that it could have been one flood?
"Um... because it doesn't have to be the same flood?"
You are indeed correct. There could have been multiple floods. However, can you sit there and honestly not even think that it is possible that perhaps there was one giant flood? Your so easy to say that it was different floods. But what about the chance that it was one? Can you, or anyone else on here, at least admit that there is a chance that there was one giant flood? If not, and I'm not saying that your answer will be no, but if not, that is very closed minded for someone who is into science.
"The truth really is quite irrelevant to you but you do not think this is so."
This saying can be said for a LOT of people, and not just Christians. From a non-Christian point of view...if the Bible is in fact the inspired Word of God, and someone does not believe it, that is their business, however, the quote would be just as relevant to that person as you claim it is to me because I do believe in the Bible.
This is what gets me about discussions like this. People are generally too narrow minded in their beliefs or view points. People will sit there and criticize all Christians because of something like this museum, or criticize all Christians simple because we are Christian. Likewise, some Christians will sit there and criticize people like those of you on here for being agnostic, athiest, or whatever else someone may be. Hell some 'Christians' will even criticize other Christians. Criticizing is one way for people to feel better about themselves, or to simply attack that which they do not like or understand. I am not saying that I am innocent of never criticizing anyone. I criticize religion all the time, especially Christian religions. I don't think that religion is a good thing. It can be, but it can also be a very bad thing. That is why I am a Christian in faith, not religion. When it boils down to it, I know where my beliefs lay, and those beliefs are shared by some and not by others. I hope and pray that more people will start to share them. From time to time I will talk to non believers, and I will listen to their beliefs, as long as they do not try to shove their beliefs down my throat. I try not to do that either, I feel that it is wrong. I also feel that it is wrong to sit there and call someone stupid for their beliefs, like many of the people on here do as if it is second nature to them. Regardless of whether God exists or not, we have the right to believe what we so choose. Thats what gets me about mankind, is that by nature, mankind is so cruel towards each other. Why does it have to be that way? Why can't we just accept each other for who we all are and what we believe?
But, thats my two cents. Just like all the other comments in this post.
You know, I am a Christian. I don't disagree with this museum, but I don't necessarily agree with it either. I believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God, but I think that there are some things within it that are meant to be symbolic, and other things that are meant to be literal. I don't know how old the earth is. The people who created this museum don't know how old the earth is. And you know what, NO ONE on here, or ANYWHERE on the earth for that matter, knows how old the earth is. I don't exclude the chance that evolution exists. To me, it is more important that God started everything, that He is the creator, then it is to argue and bitch about whether or not creation was as the Bible says, or if the big bang and evolution explain everything. I am a very open minded person. I have not always been a Christian. I've looked at things from both sides of the fence. I believe that everyone has the right to believe whatever they want. If someone wants to believe that there is no greater being out there that started everything, fine. If someone wants to believe that there is a greater being out there, but instead of being God, its a frog or a cockroach, then so be it. But I do raise this question. What does all the bitching back and forth accomplish? I'll tell you, not a damn thing. Now, I realize that this post is going to open a doorway for all of you to start attacking me. So be it. Y'all claim that Christians are so closed minded. LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Y'all are just as closed minded as we are. "But we have science on our side." Wake up. Science is NOT always right. There are flaws in your so called 'dating methods.' How do you explain there being no great flood when nearly every ancient civilization, if not all of them, has a great flood recorded? Where is your science in that? I guess my point is this, you believe what you believe, I believe what I believe, and others believe what they want to believe. Leave it at that. So they want to open a museum up based off of their beliefs. Science has a LOT more then one freakin museum. So you don't believe with the museum. Thats fine. No one is forcing you to go to it. BUT, until you can prove your opinions, based off of science, without ANY doubt (good luck with it, because you can't even get all scientists to agree on everything science related- regardless of if they are Christian or not)then don't sit there and criticize others for believing in God. When we all die, we'll find out who is right and wrong. But, my opinion is that IF I am wrong for being a Christian, then I'll be rotting right next to y'all. However, if Christians are right, then it will be a whole different picture painted when we all die.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." --John 3:16
My first question after reading this, is what are they going to do with the parents who buy these games and give them to their 5, 6, and 7 year olds? Are the parents going to have felony charges against them? From personal experience selling games, I can say that parents will buy damn near anything just to shut their kids up. I've seen several parents, against my advice, buy GTA:SA for kids below the age of 9. Thats pretty messed up in my opinion.
As far as the talk about the Second Amendment, I'm a FULL supporter of the Second Amendment. Any politician who wants to take that right away from not just me, but all of the good, law abiding citizens who actually care about this country, can kiss my ass. The problem is not the guns, but the worthless pieces of shit who actually use the guns for murder instead of sporting, hunting and self defense (yes, i realize if it wasn't for these shit heads, we wouldn't need guns for self defense). The other thing, is that even if they did try to take away all the guns, the criminals are still going to commit crimes, including murder and assault.
But back to the whole felony thing. I don't know if its a good idea or not. I don't think that some of the games out there should be in the hands of kids, but parents will always do what they want to get what they want- their kids to shut up.
I had no intentions of this discussion going this deep. I am part glad and part upset about it./. is not the place for a discussion that has gone this far to be done. I did not think that my initial post was out of line by no means. People were already talking about the 'end of times'. but, in response to Caspian's last two posts to me, i'm going to make one more response.
I read your links. And there is some things your not looking at. I'm guessing that you were either raised a Christian and lost faith and remain some type of athiest, agnostic or something, or you were never raised Christian and don't have an actual education on Christianity and the Bible. Either way, you make a mistake in your posting of all of those links. Now, I am by no means saying that I am an expert on the Bible, but apparently I know more about it than you. When reading the Bible one has to take into consideration not the context of one a single passage, but the context of the versus before and after it. Thus, why I posted 11 versus in my initial posting. The other thing that one needs to take into consideration the context to whom the letters were being written, especially in the New Testament. All but one of the versus you quoted is from the Old Testament. When Christ was born, and when he died, God gave a new covenant with people. One that in some cases added on and in others rewrite anything that was in the Old Testament. For example, the O.T. speaks of an eye for an eye, but Jesus preaches to turn the other cheek. The main message of the new testament is that of love. Jesus died on the cross for all of humanity out of love. Yes, there are several places in both the O.T. and N.T. where the Bible speaks out against homosexuality. God did not create humans for that purpose. He created man and females for a reason. I personally do not believe that all homosexuals are going to go to hell. Somewhere in the N.T., I forgot exactly where, but it is there, there is a reference to the act of homosexuality being wrong, and that someone who is homosexual should resist the urges that they have.
Caspian, I present a challenge to you. After reading this post, let both of us stand up and be men, and just let this line of discussion drop. While I love a good theological discussion,/. is just not the place for it. I will continue to bring up my faith in my posts, when I think it is relevant. So, this probably won't be the last time that you will have to attempt to 'make fun of the Christian' or to try to attack a Christian. I'm man enough to end this now. are you?
no, we can't. and instead of quoting a web page, why i suggest that you read the Bible, especially the the New Testament. Try to do it with an open mind, and you might even learn something. i love how you jump conclusions and think that i'm a lunatic. i'm not more a lunatic that you or anyone else on/.
so i'm a geek who's a Christian. whats the big deal? i'm also a gun enthusiast. I would much rather believe in and worship God who is jealous than a god who gives a false sense of power and freedom, as in oh, satan.
but, i'm not here to try to start an argument. i made my original post just throwing in my two cents. i didn't mean to offend or upset anyone, like Caspian, but i'm not going to apologize for it.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see. And come the morning of the next next day we can all start posting again on how wrong people were. Seriously, how many people think that mankind will be able to predict when the world is going to end? I may be wrong, but I don't expect many people on/. are Christians, and thats cool with me. God created us all with free will. We can choose to believe in him or not. As for me, I don't think God is the only one who knows when the world is going to end, and we'll all find out when it happens.
and to answer your question about the Mayan calendar, i'd say its just a coincidence. but thats my two cents.
"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." --1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
i knew that EA had some licensing on Goldeneye 64, but i did not know that mico$oft does. That pisses me off, not just because of the fact that it probably won't get released on the Wii, but more imporantly because mico$oft just had to go and soil an all time favorite of mine, and one of the best fps games ever made. Damn micro$oft. I pray for the day that they go under. Sure, I know its likely to hapen, but hey, i can pray and dream about it. can't i.
I don't have a Wii yet, but I want to get one. I've heard for some time now from a Nintendo rep that I used to work with (I was a salesman at a local electronics store) that Nintendo was supposed to offer a lot of the original stuff for download. While there are several original games I would love to be able to play again, including Duck Hunt, and the original Zelda, the one main game I would like to see released in its original form with the only difference being more players per map, is Goldeneye 64. Out of all of the fps games I've played, including Halo, Goldeneye: Rogue Agent, and some of the other new ones to come out, Goldeneye 64 has got to be the best one. I know its not a Nintendo original, but surely they can get it released on the Wii.
I am not a huge gamer, but I do play some. Even violent games. I am not one to think that violent games are the cause of violent actions in kids. I think that the games can potentially add some fuel to violent actions in kids, but I think the root cause is f***ed up parenting.
With that said, the thought of a game based off of that tragic event at Columbine is a gut turning, sickening thought. Who in their right mind would want to play it? Chances are, and I may be jumping to conclusions here, the only people who would want to play it are people who are already messed up in the head and not far off from doing something similar. Sure, there are a lot of WWII games out there, and seems like more and more are coming out. There are also a good bit of Vietnam games out there. The difference between the WWII and 'Nam games vs. the Columbine game is that the WWII games especially, and the 'Nam games to a degree, are based off of tragic wars in our history that had a very significant meaning to them. I say this more so for the WWII games. The Columbine game, on the other hand, is a bad attempt to make money off of a tragedy. There are not many things that I take a strong stance against. But that game would be one of them.
I took major insult at the true event, even though I live in the Southeastern US. I have been one to wear a trench coat for some time now, not because of the 'trench coat mofia' but because I like the style, yet, I still got criticized for wearing a trench coat. I still get odd looks to this day when I walk into a public place during the winter, because I usually tend to wear all black and one of two black trench coats. Again, not because of anything other then the fact that that is what I prefer to wear. There are two things that usually get people to lighten up a little- they see the Cross and Crucifix I wear openly to show my faith in God and Jesus, or they actually talk to me and find out I'm a pretty nice guy.
If these game makers were able to release this pathetic attempt at a game, I would join in with Christians, and others to protest it.
I don't see how any good can come from a game like that. Bad taste on their part.
I agree with some of the people that projectors are very nice. However, when choosing between Plasma and LCD, i've gotta go with LCD every day of the week. For a while the main reason was life span. Original plasmas only lasted for about 5 to 8 years. Nowadays, plasma life span is somewhere between 10 and 15 years. However, I still choose LCD, but not your standard LCD.
I realize that lifespan of a tv isn't something to be too concerned about because in five years something newer and better will be out. but, when i'm going to make a large purchase, i want to get the best life span i can. LCD is the way to go for that. And keep in mind, there are 3 different kinds of LCD: 1- flat panel LCDs, LCD Projection tvs, and LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon, which is another version of LCD Projection)
Given the choice, I'd take an LCOS tv over ANYTHING on the market right now. give, these tvs are not meant to be hung on the wall. They are on average 18" to 22" deep, but usually weigh less then 105lbs. which is incredibly light for a 50"+ screen size.
My pick for the LCOS tvs goes to the Sony XSRB tvs which come in a 50", 55", 60" and 70". They are very nice with all the connections you would need, including HDMI, DVI, and VGA, and they also come with a 5ms response time, which is just fine for me for the small amount of gaming that I do.
Despite my love for the LCOS tvs, I'm also looking forward to the new LCOS2 tvs that are in the works. I haven't heard much on them, but i think they are expected out within the next could of years.
A bit of background, I used to sell electronics, and NEVER willing recommended a plasma. If I did, it was only because the customer was set on a plasma, so I was suggesting to them the better bran to go with that we sold.
You bring up some good points. I fall into the "geek" category, but also very much into the "gun fanatic" category. I support the 2nd Amendment 100% and I'm against 99% of any type of gun control laws that people think up. What these morons today do not realize about the 2nd Amendment is that it was put into place because of the regular people who lived in the area and helped to fight off the English to get this country started. The men who wrote the Amendments knew that there was a good chance of us being attacked again, and they saw that it is a good thing to let the citizens keep guns. And I agree with what you say about guns not killing people. To all those people out there who think that outlawing guns, research other countries that have done so. One of two things will happen. 1. Only the outlaws will have guns. Or 2. The people who want to hurt and attack you will only do it with something else, like oh, a knife, baseball bat, hammer, crowbar, pencil, and pretty much ANYTHING they can get their hands on, including their own hands. Look at the stats in Autralia. If I'm not mistaken, they outlawed guns, and the murder rate actually went UP because all the criminals knew that the citizens didn't have any guns to protect themselves with. So what do all you damn liberals want to do, outlaw anything that can be used as a weapon? Tell you what, to all you people out there who are against guns, put up a big sign on your property that says something along the lines of "This property not protected by guns, knives, or any other weapon" and see what happens. Or, if some other country does have the balls to try to invade us (which is a posability that someone may try to do it) what are you going to do, stand there waving your white flags, saying something along the lines of "we're a gun free country. you can't bring that in here" while they walk past you and put a bullet in your ass, or are you going to grab a gun yourself and start fighting to protect this great country, where you have the right to bitch about anything you want? I promise you, when the shit hits the fan, whether it be while your in a store and someone starts shooting, or if the world is going into chaos (more so then what it is now) you will be thankful for all of us who support and practice the 2nd Amendment.
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Personally, I think that both candidates are worthless. I just happen to believe that McCain is the lesser of two evils. I by no means agree with everything he's said or claimed, but I agree with him more than I do Obama. Plain and simple, redistribution of wealth, or, let's call it what is really is, socialism, has been proven throughout history to not work. I'd rather keep my hard earned money, and spend it how I want, instead of being taxed more and the government telling me that they can spend it better than I. The other problem I have with Obama's tax plan, is that he claims that it's going to help the middle class, cause he's only going to tax people and businesses making x amount or more per year. He is oblivious to the fact that in doing so, it's going to screw the middle class, since it will very likely cause prices to go up, and payroll to go down. And either way you look at it, the middle class gets screwed cause we either have to pay more for products, or lose our jobs or get our pay cut. I'm more of a fan of the Fair Tax plan than I am of what either of the two candidates are talking about. However, my issues with Obama go way beyond that he's a socialist. I won't go into those right now though.
You know, I freely admit that I'm not an expert on evolution, I may not even be the best person to form any arguments in this subject. Hell, I said I'm not even a scientist. However, I'm also not an idiot, despite what some of you may think. To say that there *is* enough evidence to support evolution, to prove it to be 100% fact is not a very good argument. I'm going to post something a friend of mine just said. I pasted him this following post from earlier: "Evolution is a theory. This is a lie. You are a liar.Evolution is not a fact (at least, not according to science) because it is untestable at this time. This is a lie. Every human is capable of observing for themselves, by themselves that mutations exist. Every human is capable of observing for themselves, by themselves that selection happens. Mutation+Selection=Evolution -- that's all there is to it. There's nothing else left that needs to be tested. Evolution is an absolute, 100% uncontrovertable certainty, beyond any past, present or future doubt because it is a tautology: Whatever survives, survives; whatever dies, dies.That's it. That's all there is to it. Only absurd, insulting liars like yourself would try to deny a tautology." This is what my friend had to say. A note, he is a programmer, and he is a Christian. "ok, this guy doesn't know the definition of evolution. sure, if evolution is strictly darwinism in its purest state of "Only the strong survive" but we are talking about one species developing into another species. This can be tested and is tested with every birth of every living creature on this earth. the problem is that we do not see any case where evolution is proved. we see case after case of a species being wrought from the same species. never once has it been recorded that one species came from a different species. so through thousands of years of recorded history, if evolution were a fact that has occurred with every species in existence or to have ever existed, this would have shown up at least once under our current understanding of mathematics and probability. Since it has not been seen, then one can safely assume that evolution (as opposed to survival of the fittest or natural selection) does not exist. But since a species carries different physical traits in different regions, then we can conclude that truly natural selection does exist. What we need to do is separate these from one another and address each as an individual concept that can either A) be proved or B be disproved. If neither of these can be done, then we don't need to discuss this as a matter of fact or totality. There is no fact that can be shown at any time in recorded history so it is a fact that this is a theory. that is the only truth in the whole concept of evolution." Take it for what it's worth. Which, I'm guessing you won't think it's worth that much. You, and many people on here, think that all religious people are stubborn, hardheaded, idiots. Yet, you are no different than they are. What you fail to realize, think about, or not care about, is that there are MANY religious people out there who are open minded, and do think about stuff. Yet, some people, like yourself, are just the same as the hardheaded, stubborn, religious people. You think that *your* way is the only way, and anyone who believes differently is an idiot. EVERYONE needs to learn to have an open mind. My mind could be a more open then what it already is, but I'll tell you, I do have an open mind. Sounds to me like your mind could definitely use some opening up. I don't deny that evolution may be happening. But I'm also not too idiotic to believe everything that science claims. Like this whole global warming crap. You know, when the world comes to an end, I'm going to feel a combination of laughter and sorrow for people who are too closed minded to realize that God IS out there. And, if I'm wrong, well, I guess none of this is really going to matter anyway.
"The point of all this? That evolution is indeed a theory subject to change as new results come in. So is gravity. If you insert disclaimers and stickers to the school textbooks warning kids about evolution, better do the same for the chapter about gravitation too." I couldn't agree with you more. And for that matter, I agree with what someone else said, that one of the important things they should be teaching is the scientific method. I think that if they are going to teach evolution in schools, that it should not be taught as fact. Likewise, I don't really think that they should be teaching anything religious in a science class. That does not, however, think that science and religion should be separate. On the contrary, I try to make my religious beliefs a part of every aspect of my life, including my political decisions. I also do not think that they should take religion out of public school. Don't think they should have religion classes, unless it is a class that talks about different kinds of religions, but I think that there should be a moment of silence, that if a kid wants to pray quietly to him/her-self, they can, or if a kid wants to sit there with his/her thumb up their ass, they can. This country has the freedom of religion, and that, along with many other freedoms, are being stripped away because too many people are being offended by stuff. All I can say to them is tough. Get over it. Deal with it. There is no way to make everyone in this country or in the world happy. Toes will always be stepped on when it comes to feelings. People need to learn to grow up and take it like a man or woman. Instead, you've got too many people complaining about their feelings, so the rights of others are being infringed on. Sorry about the rant. I know it was a bit off topic. But on a side note, I do thank you for being a good sport about this conversation. Too many times I get someone who's head is so far up their rear end, that they cannot hold a good, level headed conversation. Too many people automatically assume that because I'm a Christian, that I cannot hold a well rounded conversation, so they speak down to me, or to other Christians. Glad to finally find a good conversation here on /.
That may very well happen. Like I said in my first post. Sometimes scientist prove what they once thought to be true to actually be false. Could the same not possibly happen with evolution? I choose to believe in God. I believe him to exist. Does that mean that I'm 100% right on it? No. It is possible that when I die, I fill find out that I'm wrong. But I choose to believe in Him. People may choose to believe in evolution, only to find out x amount of years later that it doesn't exist. Or, perhaps x amount of years it will be proven to be fact. We will just have to wait and see. But, do you, or anyone else out there, admit that it is possible that evolution could possibly be proven wrong?
Based on the knowledge that we have, can you dispute gravity? Seriously? Like I said, I'm not a scientist. Never have been, and never will be. But can you dispute gravity on what knowledge we have? Now, can evolution be disputed? I think there is some evidence to support evolution, but I don't think there is enough to consider it to be fact. What is so wrong of me to look at a broader picture and not hear some evidence and automatically jump on the bandwagon?
I occasionally make posts on /., but not very often. And I'm often not too popular. The reason why is because I'm a geek and a Christian, and I make no secret about it. I'm not a scientist. I admit that. I believe in gravity. I believe that evolution is possible. I do not, however, think that it is a law or is a fact. I believe it to be a theory. The reason is that while scientist think that they've got full evidence of it, they do not have complete evidence. They cannot show 100% proof, that for ALL species, evolution has taken place. However, even if they do eventually show it, it still does not affect my believe in God. I KNOW that God exists, because of what He has done in my life and in other's lives that I know. I cannot prove to you all that God exists, I cannot show it to you. You first have to take that leap of faith. But, back to the evolution thing. Maybe evolution is true, maybe it isn't. If it is true, I believe that God started it. That in no way goes against the Bible. The problem comes in when you have the fundamentalist who are too dumb to take parts of the Bible as symbolic, instead of word for word literal translation. But, the reason I take evolution as a theory is because science is not always right. Sometimes science has an idea that they claim to be true, and then they find out they are wrong, and there goes that idea. It happens.
I will, no doubt, get a lot of negative feed back for this post, because I am a Christian, and a lot of you think that I am stupid because I believe in something that I cannot prove to you. But, I ask this. How many of you have EVER believed something without having 100% proof? And I'm not talking religious stuff. I'm talking about anything, including scientific theories or hypotheses?
Before you go bashing someone for believe in God, think about that question. I find it very hard to believe that you all only believe stuff that has been 100% proven.
First, I'm going to say that I'm prepared for whatever anyone wants to say to or about me for this post. I for one am a Christian and a geek. I do not claim to be part of any Christian denomination, and normally speaking, don't really care for the Southern Baptist denomination that Huckabee is in. However, in my opinion, I don't see how you can have politics WITHOUT religion. Why? Because of the moral and ethical decisions that are required to be made. I have not always been a Christian. I spent a good 7 years or so as an Atheist/Agnostic, after growing up in a Roman Catholic household. During those 7 years, while I did not believe in God, nor did I really care to believe in him, I still maintained the ethics and morals that my parents taught me as a child. I didn't maintain them because I believed in God. I maintained them because they are good things to hold on to. Right now the USA, as much as I love this country, is heading to hell in a handbag. A part of it is because of Bush administration. However, another part of it is because of all of the far left wing liberals in this country. Because of them, the moral fibers this country was founded on are being cut. Take a look at some of the shit that has been going on in California lately, and for that matter, all around the US. I don't want a president who is going to be evangelical. I firmly believe in the freedom of religion. But, I do want a president who is going to use his faith and intelligence to help make educated decisions. And I know a lot of you people are going to say that because of his faith he's not intelligent. But let me ask you this. Can you say that ALL Christian morals and ethics are stupid or unintelligent? Now, given, someone can be moral and not religious. But keep in mind, that morals came from religion. And a lot of them from the Jewish and Christian based religions.
Yeah, right after I posted that first message I realized that I got it wrong, and immediately posted a new messaging making the correction. But thanks for mentioning it. And yes, I agree, the love of money is also the root of all bad software.
Crap, I'm gonna correct my own post. The love of money is the root of all evil. But still, M$ has so much of it, that I'm pretty sure they love it. And, they are hoping that other's love of money will get them there way. Just goes to prove that M$ is PURE EVIL.
Sounds like typical M$ bullshit tactics. Throw money around to get their way. I would love to see all of these major movie studios tell M$ to fuck off. But, alas, money is the root of all evil. Maybe that's why M$ has so much of it?
I too am not trying to get into an argument. I prefer conversations over arguments, simply because conversations are more civilized. You are indeed correct. That is quite possible. The same could be said for a lot of things. Earthquakes, tornadoes, the great depression, ect. Being a native of New Orleans, I can personally speak of times when we had some worse flooding then I have seen anywhere else that I have lived. I also watched the aftermath of Katrina in my hometown. However, we claim that it was a bad flood, and that it was not everywhere. And I admit that perhaps the "great flood" that all of the ancient civilizations talk about could have just been local floods to those regions at different times. I simply believe it to be one, but one of the reasons I believe it to be, is that if I am not mistaken (and I admit that I might be), all of those civilizations existed around the same time, and recorded the flood(s) around the same time. IF that is true, and like I said it may not be, that is an awfully big coincidence that all of them would report massive floods at the same time. While I do admit that it could have been multiple floods, I simply ask, can you admit that it could have been one flood?
"Um... because it doesn't have to be the same flood?" You are indeed correct. There could have been multiple floods. However, can you sit there and honestly not even think that it is possible that perhaps there was one giant flood? Your so easy to say that it was different floods. But what about the chance that it was one? Can you, or anyone else on here, at least admit that there is a chance that there was one giant flood? If not, and I'm not saying that your answer will be no, but if not, that is very closed minded for someone who is into science. "The truth really is quite irrelevant to you but you do not think this is so." This saying can be said for a LOT of people, and not just Christians. From a non-Christian point of view...if the Bible is in fact the inspired Word of God, and someone does not believe it, that is their business, however, the quote would be just as relevant to that person as you claim it is to me because I do believe in the Bible. This is what gets me about discussions like this. People are generally too narrow minded in their beliefs or view points. People will sit there and criticize all Christians because of something like this museum, or criticize all Christians simple because we are Christian. Likewise, some Christians will sit there and criticize people like those of you on here for being agnostic, athiest, or whatever else someone may be. Hell some 'Christians' will even criticize other Christians. Criticizing is one way for people to feel better about themselves, or to simply attack that which they do not like or understand. I am not saying that I am innocent of never criticizing anyone. I criticize religion all the time, especially Christian religions. I don't think that religion is a good thing. It can be, but it can also be a very bad thing. That is why I am a Christian in faith, not religion. When it boils down to it, I know where my beliefs lay, and those beliefs are shared by some and not by others. I hope and pray that more people will start to share them. From time to time I will talk to non believers, and I will listen to their beliefs, as long as they do not try to shove their beliefs down my throat. I try not to do that either, I feel that it is wrong. I also feel that it is wrong to sit there and call someone stupid for their beliefs, like many of the people on here do as if it is second nature to them. Regardless of whether God exists or not, we have the right to believe what we so choose. Thats what gets me about mankind, is that by nature, mankind is so cruel towards each other. Why does it have to be that way? Why can't we just accept each other for who we all are and what we believe? But, thats my two cents. Just like all the other comments in this post.
You know,
I am a Christian. I don't disagree with this museum, but I don't necessarily agree with it either. I believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God, but I think that there are some things within it that are meant to be symbolic, and other things that are meant to be literal. I don't know how old the earth is. The people who created this museum don't know how old the earth is. And you know what, NO ONE on here, or ANYWHERE on the earth for that matter, knows how old the earth is. I don't exclude the chance that evolution exists. To me, it is more important that God started everything, that He is the creator, then it is to argue and bitch about whether or not creation was as the Bible says, or if the big bang and evolution explain everything.
I am a very open minded person. I have not always been a Christian. I've looked at things from both sides of the fence. I believe that everyone has the right to believe whatever they want. If someone wants to believe that there is no greater being out there that started everything, fine. If someone wants to believe that there is a greater being out there, but instead of being God, its a frog or a cockroach, then so be it. But I do raise this question. What does all the bitching back and forth accomplish? I'll tell you, not a damn thing. Now, I realize that this post is going to open a doorway for all of you to start attacking me. So be it. Y'all claim that Christians are so closed minded. LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Y'all are just as closed minded as we are. "But we have science on our side." Wake up. Science is NOT always right. There are flaws in your so called 'dating methods.' How do you explain there being no great flood when nearly every ancient civilization, if not all of them, has a great flood recorded? Where is your science in that? I guess my point is this, you believe what you believe, I believe what I believe, and others believe what they want to believe. Leave it at that. So they want to open a museum up based off of their beliefs. Science has a LOT more then one freakin museum. So you don't believe with the museum. Thats fine. No one is forcing you to go to it. BUT, until you can prove your opinions, based off of science, without ANY doubt (good luck with it, because you can't even get all scientists to agree on everything science related- regardless of if they are Christian or not)then don't sit there and criticize others for believing in God. When we all die, we'll find out who is right and wrong. But, my opinion is that IF I am wrong for being a Christian, then I'll be rotting right next to y'all. However, if Christians are right, then it will be a whole different picture painted when we all die.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
--John 3:16
My first question after reading this, is what are they going to do with the parents who buy these games and give them to their 5, 6, and 7 year olds? Are the parents going to have felony charges against them? From personal experience selling games, I can say that parents will buy damn near anything just to shut their kids up. I've seen several parents, against my advice, buy GTA:SA for kids below the age of 9. Thats pretty messed up in my opinion.
As far as the talk about the Second Amendment, I'm a FULL supporter of the Second Amendment. Any politician who wants to take that right away from not just me, but all of the good, law abiding citizens who actually care about this country, can kiss my ass. The problem is not the guns, but the worthless pieces of shit who actually use the guns for murder instead of sporting, hunting and self defense (yes, i realize if it wasn't for these shit heads, we wouldn't need guns for self defense). The other thing, is that even if they did try to take away all the guns, the criminals are still going to commit crimes, including murder and assault.
But back to the whole felony thing. I don't know if its a good idea or not. I don't think that some of the games out there should be in the hands of kids, but parents will always do what they want to get what they want- their kids to shut up.
I had no intentions of this discussion going this deep. I am part glad and part upset about it. /. is not the place for a discussion that has gone this far to be done. I did not think that my initial post was out of line by no means. People were already talking about the 'end of times'. but, in response to Caspian's last two posts to me, i'm going to make one more response.
I read your links. And there is some things your not looking at. I'm guessing that you were either raised a Christian and lost faith and remain some type of athiest, agnostic or something, or you were never raised Christian and don't have an actual education on Christianity and the Bible. Either way, you make a mistake in your posting of all of those links. Now, I am by no means saying that I am an expert on the Bible, but apparently I know more about it than you. When reading the Bible one has to take into consideration not the context of one a single passage, but the context of the versus before and after it. Thus, why I posted 11 versus in my initial posting. The other thing that one needs to take into consideration the context to whom the letters were being written, especially in the New Testament. All but one of the versus you quoted is from the Old Testament. When Christ was born, and when he died, God gave a new covenant with people. One that in some cases added on and in others rewrite anything that was in the Old Testament. For example, the O.T. speaks of an eye for an eye, but Jesus preaches to turn the other cheek. The main message of the new testament is that of love. Jesus died on the cross for all of humanity out of love. Yes, there are several places in both the O.T. and N.T. where the Bible speaks out against homosexuality. God did not create humans for that purpose. He created man and females for a reason. I personally do not believe that all homosexuals are going to go to hell. Somewhere in the N.T., I forgot exactly where, but it is there, there is a reference to the act of homosexuality being wrong, and that someone who is homosexual should resist the urges that they have.
Caspian, I present a challenge to you. After reading this post, let both of us stand up and be men, and just let this line of discussion drop. While I love a good theological discussion, /. is just not the place for it. I will continue to bring up my faith in my posts, when I think it is relevant. So, this probably won't be the last time that you will have to attempt to 'make fun of the Christian' or to try to attack a Christian. I'm man enough to end this now. are you?
no, we can't. and instead of quoting a web page, why i suggest that you read the Bible, especially the the New Testament. Try to do it with an open mind, and you might even learn something. /.
i love how you jump conclusions and think that i'm a lunatic. i'm not more a lunatic that you or anyone else on
so i'm a geek who's a Christian. whats the big deal? i'm also a gun enthusiast. I would much rather believe in and worship God who is jealous than a god who gives a false sense of power and freedom, as in oh, satan.
but, i'm not here to try to start an argument. i made my original post just throwing in my two cents. i didn't mean to offend or upset anyone, like Caspian, but i'm not going to apologize for it.
y'all have a good night. God Bless.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see. And come the morning of the next next day we can all start posting again on how wrong people were. Seriously, how many people think that mankind will be able to predict when the world is going to end? I may be wrong, but I don't expect many people on /. are Christians, and thats cool with me. God created us all with free will. We can choose to believe in him or not. As for me, I don't think God is the only one who knows when the world is going to end, and we'll all find out when it happens.
and to answer your question about the Mayan calendar, i'd say its just a coincidence. but thats my two cents.
"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." --1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
i knew that EA had some licensing on Goldeneye 64, but i did not know that mico$oft does. That pisses me off, not just because of the fact that it probably won't get released on the Wii, but more imporantly because mico$oft just had to go and soil an all time favorite of mine, and one of the best fps games ever made. Damn micro$oft. I pray for the day that they go under. Sure, I know its likely to hapen, but hey, i can pray and dream about it. can't i.
I don't have a Wii yet, but I want to get one. I've heard for some time now from a Nintendo rep that I used to work with (I was a salesman at a local electronics store) that Nintendo was supposed to offer a lot of the original stuff for download. While there are several original games I would love to be able to play again, including Duck Hunt, and the original Zelda, the one main game I would like to see released in its original form with the only difference being more players per map, is Goldeneye 64. Out of all of the fps games I've played, including Halo, Goldeneye: Rogue Agent, and some of the other new ones to come out, Goldeneye 64 has got to be the best one. I know its not a Nintendo original, but surely they can get it released on the Wii.
I am not a huge gamer, but I do play some. Even violent games. I am not one to think that violent games are the cause of violent actions in kids. I think that the games can potentially add some fuel to violent actions in kids, but I think the root cause is f***ed up parenting. With that said, the thought of a game based off of that tragic event at Columbine is a gut turning, sickening thought. Who in their right mind would want to play it? Chances are, and I may be jumping to conclusions here, the only people who would want to play it are people who are already messed up in the head and not far off from doing something similar. Sure, there are a lot of WWII games out there, and seems like more and more are coming out. There are also a good bit of Vietnam games out there. The difference between the WWII and 'Nam games vs. the Columbine game is that the WWII games especially, and the 'Nam games to a degree, are based off of tragic wars in our history that had a very significant meaning to them. I say this more so for the WWII games. The Columbine game, on the other hand, is a bad attempt to make money off of a tragedy. There are not many things that I take a strong stance against. But that game would be one of them. I took major insult at the true event, even though I live in the Southeastern US. I have been one to wear a trench coat for some time now, not because of the 'trench coat mofia' but because I like the style, yet, I still got criticized for wearing a trench coat. I still get odd looks to this day when I walk into a public place during the winter, because I usually tend to wear all black and one of two black trench coats. Again, not because of anything other then the fact that that is what I prefer to wear. There are two things that usually get people to lighten up a little- they see the Cross and Crucifix I wear openly to show my faith in God and Jesus, or they actually talk to me and find out I'm a pretty nice guy. If these game makers were able to release this pathetic attempt at a game, I would join in with Christians, and others to protest it. I don't see how any good can come from a game like that. Bad taste on their part.
I agree with some of the people that projectors are very nice. However, when choosing between Plasma and LCD, i've gotta go with LCD every day of the week. For a while the main reason was life span. Original plasmas only lasted for about 5 to 8 years. Nowadays, plasma life span is somewhere between 10 and 15 years. However, I still choose LCD, but not your standard LCD. I realize that lifespan of a tv isn't something to be too concerned about because in five years something newer and better will be out. but, when i'm going to make a large purchase, i want to get the best life span i can. LCD is the way to go for that. And keep in mind, there are 3 different kinds of LCD: 1- flat panel LCDs, LCD Projection tvs, and LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon, which is another version of LCD Projection) Given the choice, I'd take an LCOS tv over ANYTHING on the market right now. give, these tvs are not meant to be hung on the wall. They are on average 18" to 22" deep, but usually weigh less then 105lbs. which is incredibly light for a 50"+ screen size. My pick for the LCOS tvs goes to the Sony XSRB tvs which come in a 50", 55", 60" and 70". They are very nice with all the connections you would need, including HDMI, DVI, and VGA, and they also come with a 5ms response time, which is just fine for me for the small amount of gaming that I do. Despite my love for the LCOS tvs, I'm also looking forward to the new LCOS2 tvs that are in the works. I haven't heard much on them, but i think they are expected out within the next could of years. A bit of background, I used to sell electronics, and NEVER willing recommended a plasma. If I did, it was only because the customer was set on a plasma, so I was suggesting to them the better bran to go with that we sold.
You bring up some good points. I fall into the "geek" category, but also very much into the "gun fanatic" category. I support the 2nd Amendment 100% and I'm against 99% of any type of gun control laws that people think up. What these morons today do not realize about the 2nd Amendment is that it was put into place because of the regular people who lived in the area and helped to fight off the English to get this country started. The men who wrote the Amendments knew that there was a good chance of us being attacked again, and they saw that it is a good thing to let the citizens keep guns. And I agree with what you say about guns not killing people. To all those people out there who think that outlawing guns, research other countries that have done so. One of two things will happen. 1. Only the outlaws will have guns. Or 2. The people who want to hurt and attack you will only do it with something else, like oh, a knife, baseball bat, hammer, crowbar, pencil, and pretty much ANYTHING they can get their hands on, including their own hands. Look at the stats in Autralia. If I'm not mistaken, they outlawed guns, and the murder rate actually went UP because all the criminals knew that the citizens didn't have any guns to protect themselves with. So what do all you damn liberals want to do, outlaw anything that can be used as a weapon? Tell you what, to all you people out there who are against guns, put up a big sign on your property that says something along the lines of "This property not protected by guns, knives, or any other weapon" and see what happens. Or, if some other country does have the balls to try to invade us (which is a posability that someone may try to do it) what are you going to do, stand there waving your white flags, saying something along the lines of "we're a gun free country. you can't bring that in here" while they walk past you and put a bullet in your ass, or are you going to grab a gun yourself and start fighting to protect this great country, where you have the right to bitch about anything you want? I promise you, when the shit hits the fan, whether it be while your in a store and someone starts shooting, or if the world is going into chaos (more so then what it is now) you will be thankful for all of us who support and practice the 2nd Amendment.