Texsox

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 02:13 PM) But you're using some strong words here: You make it seem that all atheists wish ill will towards Christians. I'm sure a large portion of them find the topic of heaven as irrelevant and wouldn't proactively "hope" that it didn't exist. QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 02:14 PM) I don't think the poster was saying that you can't have goodness with god. I think it was trying to say that you can have goodness with god and without god. I see you points, agree that the way I wrote the post does come off that way, so please allow me to rephrase. Different ways to write that poster. Leave off any mention of God. Good for goodness sake. Appeals to the broadest range of humans. Wonderful sentiment that the broadest group of humanity could embrace. What could anyone reject in that? A simple beautiful message for a better tomorrow. Don't believe in God? . . . Again leaves the believers in the mix and invites non believers as well. Why Believe in God? . . . Challenges those that believe. Tells the believers this isn't for you unless you reject God, and IMHO, all that goes with a Christian God, which would include heaven. Appeals to a smaller, but still sizable segment of humanity and places one group in opposition the other. So which truly is goodness for goodness sake? I do not believe that message was core for this group.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 02:05 PM) Talk about generalizing. Sheesh. I don't think everyone who believes in an afterlife hopes that others get into heaven also. Just look at radical Islamists. Likewise, people who don't necessarily believe in an afterlife wouldn't automatically hope there isn't a heaven. Because the poster mentions God, it would seem they are targeting a Christian deity. And because we seem to be debating atheism here, which is an outright rejection of any sort of higher being, I did not think it was too much of a generalization. The poster is the one promoting goodness and rejecting God. So which is goodness for goodness sake?

Let's recap. If you believe in an afterlife, and you promote your beliefs, you are hoping that others get to heaven also. If you do not believe in an afterlife, and you want to promote your beliefs, you are hoping they don't have a heaven to get into, and they share your nothing else attitude. Which is good for goodness sakes again?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 01:24 PM) Most species become extinct and there is no singular answer for "why?" besides "life's a b****." I still don't see why any of this would make people uncomfortable with a scientific theory. It's like being afraid of the theory of gravity because it hurts when you fall. You wouldn't. We can stop here.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 01:04 PM) Extinction. Why would that make a scientific theory uncomfortable for anyone? It's a reality. And why do some species become extinct?

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 12:51 PM) American Humanist Association is an organization that promotes secular and other forms of humanism. The ad is centered around helping other people for the sake of helping other people. Not because what will happen to you in the afterlife or your because god tells you to do it. I think its pretty straight forward and un offending. Much better than most religious signs that call people "baby killers" or tell us that we are "going to burn in hell". I don't believe that many, and certainly not most, religious signs mention baby killers. But maybe in your neck of the woods. If the ad was to help other people for the the sake of helping others, why was God even mentioned? Isn't helping people for the sake of helping enough? Why must you reject God in the process?

QUOTE (knightni @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 12:43 PM) Head on over to Broad Street and check out the burnt-out car hulls with "PHILLIES #1!!!!" painted on them. Isn't that where all the strip clubs are?

QUOTE (sox4lifeinPA @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 12:35 PM) uh oh... I don't like where this is going. To where darwin becomes uncomfortable for some? I like that spot.

street food in Lincoln Park.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 12:10 PM) Check out Dawkin's The Selfish Gene. It talks about evolution and how organisms are programmed to pass on as many copies of their genes as possible globally and not necessarily individually. .So what does it mean when a species is not able to pass on any copies of their genes?

I do not find an incompatibility between evolution and my religious views. In one camp are the High Priests of Science who claim, after looking at ancient fossils, that life came from a primordial soup and nothing has evolved higher than humans. They can't really explain with absolute proof where the material came from to begin with, it just was. On the other camp, Religions have seen the fossil records and believe that someone or something evolved to a higher level than humans and created this life. They too can't explain with absolute certainty where the raw materials came from. It just was. Much like we have created new genetically altered plants and animals, so too could a higher being have genetically altered this life and set in motion this process of evolution.

The billboard could have been Don't Believe in God? Be Good For Goodness Sake and promoted "goodness". Obviously they are making an anti-God statement. As long as groups are able to make a pro-God statement, life is good, just, and fair. I do not remember making a choice to be straight but I do remember making a decision to not experiment with a gay lifestyle. Is the reverse also true? I don't know and I doubt it really matters.

street vendor roulette on the Philly Steak. Make sure there is a jar of Cheese Whiz close by. Any attempts to make them citified corrupts the process.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 10:35 AM) That's the American Spirit, right there. Looking over their other product, bacon salt, I'm placing an order.

There is a certain amount of intolerance on both sides. I would prefer a world that people could share their beliefs over a world where all beliefs are considered bad. I would prefer agnostics and atheists that are trying to promote good for goodness sake over no promotion at all. However, this tries to do more, it seems to be promoting two things at once, good for goodness sake, but also, to ask people to give up faith in God. Now I guess that in fairness, asking people to believe in a higher power is also asking them to give up believing one does not exist. Now imagine the power of believers and non-believers joined together in a message of good for goodness sake. That would be consistent with most belief systems around the globe, and would do the most to promote harmony rather than discord, of goodness over evil. In other worlds, would have done the most for what they on the surface were trying to promote. And I see no problem with the ad being on a bus as long as, for example, someone could place an ad wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

QUOTE (YASNY @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 09:10 AM) Well let's see here. You have Democratic controlled House and Senate. Obama pushed this when he met with Bush the other day. Obama is by definition the leader of the Democratic Party right now. How could anybody possibly think this is Obama's bail out? Because despite some of his shortfalls, Bush has always stood up and done what he thinks is right. For example he has stood up against his party on immigration issues.

I just started thinking that for primitive camping, this may just have a place. I've carried baccos for some stuff, why not bacon as a condiment?

QUOTE (MurcieOne @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 08:59 AM) says shes from Kansas City. Models like that travel the world . . .

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 08:55 AM) For Italian, I wouldn't do Italian Village. That place is about atmosphere - the food isn't that good, IMO. There are a metric ton of good italian places downtown - call the Hilton concierge (as was noted earlier) to recommend one of those. There is a famous one that is excellent, just north of the NW corner of Millenium Park, right on Michigan Ave, and the name is escaping me. And for a tourist making their first or occasional trip to Chicago, atmosphere may tip the scales over quality of food. I can take you to an awesome Mexican feast in Reynosa, Tamps. Mexico about 30 minutes from my house. You will be scared to death, and I'll be a little nervous, but the food is amazing. Or I can take you to a really cool place, great service, great decor, and the food will be ehh, OK. Touristy stuff.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 08:39 AM) No, Tex, things haven't changed. Scientific fact and theory are two separate things and always have been. A fact is an observation. A theory is an explanation. Things do not become accepted theories until they are rigorously peer-reviewed, but there's no evolution ( ) of observation -> hypothesis -> theory -> fact/ law. Theories stand on their own and are one of the strongest parts of our scientific knowledge. At this point? Sure. In the future? Maybe not. we probably could have saved some time and posts if I was clearer in my earlier post.And I am certain we will unlock the mystery. Probably not in my lifetime, but eventually.

Then I stand corrected. I thought the scientific process was to develop a hypothesis, design an experiment to test that hypothesis, publish the results and methods in a peer review journal, have others recreate the experiment. A good theory would spark further research and eventually, through this repetition of results, something would be considered scientific fact. I guess things have changed since I was in High School. And I have no squabble with evolution. I think it is part of our creators plan. It's the origin of life that takes faith, no matter what you believe.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 08:05 AM) Didn't we do this one already about 10 pages ago? 10 pages ago? Rookie Change your settings. My Setting > Options > 50 Posts Per Page All the lunacy, Half the time!

QUOTE (Soxy @ Nov 12, 2008 -> 10:32 PM) I don't know probably entrees around $15-20 sounds right. She's not a big red meat eater, but she really likes poultry. I was thinking the Italian Village, but I haven't been there in ages (and I think it's a ways off). Anyway, she likes Italian/Greek, Thai, Indian, Mexican. It's been fifteen years since I've been to Italian Village. I'm getting home sick. Theater and Italian Village

QUOTE (farmteam @ Nov 12, 2008 -> 10:46 PM) The exit you're referring to is Tower, it looks like it's the Skokie Lagoons, somewhere between a little south of Tower to about halfway between Tower and Dundee. I knew she wasn't in Texas, you know, just sayin'

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 07:57 AM) Again, "primordial soup" is not evolution. That is abiogenesis. (this is going off on a complete derailment of the original thread topic) We have plenty of direct evidence for evolution. There are many facts of evolution. These facts go into the larger theories of evolution. These facts and theories are well-evidenced and supported by different fields of science (geology, genetics, cosmology, etc.). Scientists have witnessed and reproduced many aspects of evolution. We have countless amounts of direct evidence. Acceptance of scientific knowledge or theory does not take faith, because faith is believing in something without evidence. Scientific research is the exact opposite of faith. Origin of life, how it started. Faith or fact?