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Well we have the highest prison population in the world. We're definitely headed towards police state status.

They can arrest you for basically anything these days.
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BlazeKING: They can arrest you for basically anything these days.
"You're under arrest!" the policeman growled once he had winded me against the hood of his vehicle.
"What for?" I managed to ask, catching my breath.
"Not being under arrest."
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Krypsyn: I'd just like to see the Biblical passage that states that life begins at conception, rather than at birth.
Not voicing a stance either way (because I really don't care to get into the ethics issue), but the biblical quote refers to Mary's pregnancy with Jesus as "Mary was with child." That is the biblical basis that life begins while in the womb.
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ChaunceyK: Not voicing a stance either way (because I really don't care to get into the ethics issue), but the biblical quote refers to Mary's pregnancy with Jesus as "Mary was with child." That is the biblical basis that life begins while in the womb.
And I am sure you could find plenty of examples to prove the opposite. I hate it when people pull arguments from the Bible, the book is contradicting itself on so many levels...
Actually, this happened in my hometown too.

A woman had a miscarriage. She never reported it. People found out and she was accused of murder. And convicted.

And then a judge reversed the decision two years later.

And then the church started attacking her.
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Sargon: If the American people don't stand up against these people you are looking at a theocracy next.
It already is. Almost to a Fundamental Theocracy level, like Afghanistan. Religion is so intertwined at the very lowest and highest levels of their politics it's unreal.

God is invoked at every level from birth, through all levels of schooling, working life, having a meal, TV, radio, having a shit, state-sanctioned prisoner execution, gun-control (or lack thereof), money. I cannot think of a single facet of the USA that is not mentioning or using or abusing (think "Westboro Baptist Church" here) the concept of God at some level.

Nominally, The Monarch of the UK is also the Head of the Church, but it's not thrust down anyone's throat the way it is in America. At all. Even our Fundamentalists are fairly reasonable about it. (I'll leave the Irish Question out to save getting complicated).

In the 50s, America had McCarthyism, and the Communist Hunts....and it's all going downhill from there....but since that time, it's not "Communists", it's in the name of religion, God, and anyone that doesn't "Believe!" in the same manner as whatever idiot is making a crusade in whatever flavour of church, ministry, or dogma they happen to control.

FoxNews is a really prime example of this : Watch how many times they equate "God" to a story or opinion piece. It's laughable.
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ChaunceyK: Not voicing a stance either way (because I really don't care to get into the ethics issue), but the biblical quote refers to Mary's pregnancy with Jesus as "Mary was with child." That is the biblical basis that life begins while in the womb.
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Twilight: And I am sure you could find plenty of examples to prove the opposite. I hate it when people pull arguments from the Bible, the book is contradicting itself on so many levels...
Incorrect. When quoted out of context the Bible is self contradicting, unless you mean the disparity between the NT and OT, which is a whole different ball game.

However, most people use the bible either in improper context, or entirely out of context, when they want to support X argument, as well there's one fun fact that the 'vocal' Christians really don't like being reminded of.

According to the Bible. Sin is sin, and sin renders you impure and unfit to enter Heaven without being cleansed by blood of Christ.

There's no points system with sin, no scale of 'how bad' a sin is. So, technically speaking, going over the speed limit* is 'just as bad' as murdering someone.

*While obviously the Bible never says "And thou shalt never drive thine motor vehicle above the posted speed limit." it does express that we are to obey the laws of man, until such time as they conflict with the laws of God. And the Bible also DEFINITELY does not say "When thou art late for thine employment, or in dire need of wares from a merchant who is near to closing, it is permissible for thee to drive thine motor vehicle above the posted speed limit."
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Lone3wolf: [...]
I thought it is like that because of whole "civil religion" concept in USA, not Christianity in particular.
Wow. Just wow.
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Sargon: If the American people don't stand up against these people you are looking at a theocracy next.
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Lone3wolf: It already is. Almost to a Fundamental Theocracy level, like Afghanistan. Religion is so intertwined at the very lowest and highest levels of their politics it's unreal.

God is invoked at every level from birth, through all levels of schooling, working life, having a meal, TV, radio, having a shit, state-sanctioned prisoner execution, gun-control (or lack thereof), money. I cannot think of a single facet of the USA that is not mentioning or using or abusing (think "Westboro Baptist Church" here) the concept of God at some level.

Nominally, The Monarch of the UK is also the Head of the Church, but it's not thrust down anyone's throat the way it is in America. At all. Even our Fundamentalists are fairly reasonable about it. (I'll leave the Irish Question out to save getting complicated).

In the 50s, America had McCarthyism, and the Communist Hunts....and it's all going downhill from there....but since that time, it's not "Communists", it's in the name of religion, God, and anyone that doesn't "Believe!" in the same manner as whatever idiot is making a crusade in whatever flavour of church, ministry, or dogma they happen to control.

FoxNews is a really prime example of this : Watch how many times they equate "God" to a story or opinion piece. It's laughable.
Maybe in some small towns, but the federal government is hardly a theocracy. That is way over the top. The only federal law that Christian extremists can claim is the Defense of Marriage. Most text books are strictly secular except in Texas. In our culture Christianity is tied with family values (vaguely) so most politicians spout Christian rhetoric with plastic smiles but don't worry, they only care about the money. Anything like this story that gets to the Supreme Court or even the state level is shot down. This is just another small community that is largely ignorant of the outside world.
Post edited June 27, 2011 by Tulivu
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Zolgar: And the Bible also DEFINITELY does not say "When thou art late for thine employment, or in dire need of wares from a merchant who is near to closing, it is permissible for thee to drive thine motor vehicle above the posted speed limit."
Are you 100 % sure about this? I think I read this in the King James version.
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Zolgar: And the Bible also DEFINITELY does not say "When thou art late for thine employment, or in dire need of wares from a merchant who is near to closing, it is permissible for thee to drive thine motor vehicle above the posted speed limit."
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Sargon: Are you 100 % sure about this? I think I read this in the King James version.
Well yeah, but the KJV is a giant joke, no one uses that translation.
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Prydeless: I think the one in Indianapolis is being misconstrued, but all those other ones in the south... Seems like prosecutors trying to make a name for themselves by making use of an ill-conceived law. I expect these to reach the Supreme Court and get shot down. If not my country is definitely fucked.
Once its in law there isn't much the prosecutor can do, it's not their place to make moral judgments about that sort of thing, just to prosecute when they have the evidence to do so.

The real people that caused this are the politicians that seem to always be better at moralizing other people's lives than their own.
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Zolgar: [snip]
Rom 1:20 "God's attributes are revealed in his works"
Job 11:7 / Is 40:28 "God's attributes cannot be discovered"

Gen 22:1 / 2 Sam 24:1 / Jer 20:7 / Matt 6:13 "God tempts men"
James 1:13 "God tempts no man"

Num 32:13 / Num 25:4 / Jer 17:4 "God's anger is fierce and endures long"
Ps 103:8 / Ps 30:5 "God's anger is slow and endures but for a minute"

Prov 15:3 / Ps 139:7-10 / Job 34:22,21 "God is everwhere present, sees and knows all things"
Gen 11:5 / Gen 18:20,21 / Gen 3:8 "God is not everywhere present, neither sees nor knows all things"

Ex 32:27, Murder approved
Ex 20:13, Murder forbidden

Gen 17:10 Circumcision ordained
Gal 5:2 Circumcision condemned

Mark 3:29 There is unpardonable sin
Acts 13:39 There is no unpardonable sin

Gen 1:25,26,27 Man was created after the other animals
Gen 2:18,19 Man was created before the other animals

Mark 6:8,9 The disciples were commanded to wear sandals and carry a staff
Matt 10:9,10 The disciples were commanded to not wear sandals or have a staff

Mark 15:25 Crucifixion happened at the third hour
John 19:14,15 Crucifixion happened at the sixth hour

Gal 4:22 Abraham had two sons
Heb 11:17 Abraham had but one son

John 10:13 / Phil 2:5 Christ = God
John 14:28 / Matt 24:36 Christ != God

1 Kings 8:46 / Prov 20:9 / Eccl 7:20 / Rom 3:10 No man is without sin
1 John 3:9,6,8 Christians are without sin



Do you want more?

Crap, I just turned this into a religious discussion. Again.
Well it has some merit from an artistic viewpoint since much of English literature that were influenced by and referenced the bible like Paradise Lost did so based on the King James version.
There is more punch to the antiquated language. But of course, the new versions translated from the Greek texts are more accurate to what the original authors wrote and therefore better.