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Fantastic post, Tolthar.

Can I ask indulgence of your patience for just one more clarification? Would you say that your answer to the question is based on: 1) The empirical unknown - which might not be resolved in our lifetime. 2) The logical inconsistency between this potential empirical falsification and Rand's rationali...

Really... we could bring this entire thread to closure by answering your original question based on what we know about genetically transmitted disorders: The existence of an altruism gene would not cause me to change my stance on objectivism because the mere existence of a gene that lends a tendenc...

Really... we could bring this entire thread to closure by answering your original question based on what we know about genetically transmitted disorders: The existence of an altruism gene would not cause me to change my stance on objectivism because the mere existence of a gene that lends a tendency...

At no time did I state that just because we happen to have a specific gene that it _must_ be beneficial. In fact, there is a much narrower statement that has to be made - the gene must persist through multiple generations, and must show an evolutionary advantage over non-carriers (i.e. it must be n...

Genetic variation is a natural phenomenon, but it does not mean that we have to accept the specific outcomes that these genes produce. The implication that the presence of a trait at this late date being validation that the trait is better than what came before might not be valid. Variance moves in...

You see, that problem with that theory is that the guy states that god is never gonna hurt you. But just read the bible, God actually lets people down... and hurts them. Seriously... anyone ever read the sermon "Sinners in the hands of an angry god" in high school? http://www.iclnet.org/p...

B. Do we have medical insurance in a objectivist society? Why wouldn't it? Medical insurance can be a fine private business. I would say that medical insurance, if anything, becomes more important in an objectivist society. Because you're certainly not going to be able to force everyone around you ...

My alt's name for this is Primus Focht.

This sounds hilarious. Count me in. Around what time frame were you thinking? (This week, next week, etc?)

So I think it's a real shame about what happened to Bhutto... they keep changing the story about how she died, so I do not really know what happened yet. Al Qaeda, however, has claimed credit for it. Do you guys think that is creditable? Or do you think it was really the Musharraf administration an...

So I think it's a real shame about what happened to Bhutto... they keep changing the story about how she died, so I do not really know what happened yet. Al Qaeda, however, has claimed credit for it. Do you guys think that is creditable? Or do you think it was really the Musharraf administration and...

Tolthar Lockbar wrote:Do you believe in free will?

Yes, I believe in free will. This does not make me or anyone else immune from having passion override that free will in certain circumstances.

If I went outside a Roman Catholic church and burned a cross on the sidewalk I should not be shocked and amazed if a mob comes and confronts me in a violent fashion. I agree with this statement, but are you saying that violent people should be punished? Also, is the cross burning breaking someone's...

Sophid: I don't really get your point here. I agree with what you are saying, but I don't get what you are after here. He's trying to say that if you go and pick up a rattlesnake by the tail, you should not persecute all snakes as evil because you got bit. Muslims think that it is a horrible thing ...

So communism is not an evil idea? Neither is murder? Its just the action of such that is evil? Whatyour saying is the mind-body dichotomy. Every action comes from thought. The action is to be judge just as much as the thought behind it. Its not people missinterpreting the Ka'ran either, its them ta...

I'm just saying that we would be gravely mistaken to assume that all 1.8 Billion living Muslims are "evil" because the Qu'ran has some riveting passages in it. Islam is not evil, Muslims are not evil. Anyone trying to state otherwise as a "fact" is merely stating a heavily biase...

And people who follow that text should be made fun of. But no force should be put against them until we know they are gonna be hostile. I'm just saying that we would be gravely mistaken to assume that all 1.8 Billion living Muslims are "evil" because the Qu'ran has some riveting passages ...

Have you ever read the Qu'ran, Oleksandr? I'm interested in hearing about all of the evil it preaches... perhaps you could tell us what some of these things are? Sure thing, here's the quote: "Fight those who believe not in God nor the last day, nor hold to be forbidden that which has been for...

Have you ever read the Qu'ran, Oleksandr? I'm interested in hearing about all of the evil it preaches... perhaps you could tell us what some of these things are?

What you are saying is exactly the same as calling all White Christians "Nazi Skinheads" because a very small group of them have carried out hate crimes around the world. This is actually a bad analogy. Being Muslim in a choice, being white is something one is born with. I'll let Olex def...

Muslim is a bad violent religion, that's the cause of terrorism today. That's just stating a fact. Okay. Wow. I want to clarify something here... the current Muslim population of the world is estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.8 BILLION people. There are around 40 countries with a Muslim majority po...