h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh, yes. And vice- vice- versa too, I hope.

Yeah, please do.
How are we meant to know that this is Purgatory? From the point of view of us here on Earth, we don't know if there's going to be any more life past the grave border, so we'll try and hang onto life with any means. If we see that people who "sin" live longer, we'll accept "sins" as the norm for life and attempt to join them.
Just look at the Pope.

Yeah. Pope Jean Paul II: Twenty Five years of laughs.

And twenty-five seconds of memory.
Yet he still refuses to step down. I applaud this, as every day he remains in power weakens the Vatican by a significant amount, as the true ineffectuality and confusion at the top becomes clearer to the world.

actually just being happy in the present moment and striving to better yourself and others ...at least that's my opinion!

"Yet he still refuses to step down."

Can a pope step down or does he have to die?

Oh, he can and should step down; otherwise every time they grow old and unintelligable, like the current incompetent incumbent, they'd have to assassinate 'em.

robandthedogs
The conclusion we've (kinda) come to as a (sorta) consensus is that it's all individual. I like yours, though.

I suppose that before you ask a question, what is the meaning of life, shouldn't you first ask, how do you define life?

Just a thought

We did human life a page back.

I agree, he should. They have already started picking out his successor.

Evolution is a natural process and therefore cannot be seen as either morally right or wrong. the use of medical technologies to save those who would normally die due to inferior genetics to the age where they can reproduce (passing on their inferior genetic material) weakens and undermines the process of evolution. Hence the act of saving those with congenital diseases is immoral, as it lessens the long term the survival of the human species

If evolution is found to be immoral then what is medicine?

killing is a natural process, used by the stronger in a group of creatures to assert dominance and maintain control over the whole group, which keeps it stable, working, and therefore alive.
greed is a natural process, in which a living thing will try to get what it needs to survive.
lust is a natural process responsible for evolution.
anger is a natural process, see killing.
envy is a natural process, derived from greed.
Go figure.

"Evolution is a natural process and therefore cannot be seen as either morally right or wrong"

As AK says, natural processes do not guarantee immunity from morality. I don't believe you can call evolution morally bad, it's true

"those who would normally die due to inferior genetics to the age where they can reproduce (passing on their inferior genetic material) weakens and undermines the process of evolution."

What counts as inferior genetics? Having cystic fibrosis(for example)? Being a carrier of cystic fibrosis? Being Jewish? It is too easy to define 'inferior genetics' to fit an ideological agenda.

"Hence the act of saving those with congenital diseases is immoral, as it lessens the long term the survival of the human species"

The act of helping those with genetic diseases is a sign of how we are able to use technology to better lives; a disabled person may make a better contribution intellectually than physical- like Stephen Hawking.

The flip side of the coin is, there are a few explosive signs of our technological progress floating around in orbit, aboard submarines and buried in the Arizona desert; I think these represent more of a threat to our long- term survival.

"If evolution is found to be immoral then what is medicine?"

Medicine has nothing to do, for the most part, with genetics. But if medicine undoes the wrong caused by medicine, doesn't that make medicine good? It certainly doesn't make it evil.

Phoo, that was a long post, I feel quite exhausted. Don't mean to discourage you, Prince_of_shadow, but my mind was in need of exercise.

Evolution is neither good nor bad. It's not a moral category.

Tying your ethical claims to evolution, or the Word of God, or whatever, is a "bad move". The facts can always be found to be wrong.

There is no conceivable scientific or religious discovery that could make genocide morally acceptable.

Competition, greed, and aggression are natural processes. As are cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution.

Noggin

"There is no conceivable scientific or religious discovery that could make genocide morally acceptable."

Quite.

Well, we think so at least. But in the words of the man in Bowling for Columbine who sleeps with a loaded magnum under his pillow, "There's wackos out there".

Talking about loaded magnums I could murder an icecream.

Noggin

Yes, the world would be a happier place if that was all magnum meant.

I think I'll go and get some Carte D'Or. No- one's ever been killed by Carte D'Or have they?

I intend to try.

42 ist the answer to everything, that is, everything in life. So indeed 42 is the meaning of life. Otherwise, it always is nice to play a little Jeopardy and go the other way round by inventing questions like 'Isn't it a beautiful sunrise?' or 'Can you believe how beautiful she is?'. The answer to these questions , even though it certainly is 42, doesn't really matter at all.

So long

Sebanious

Grrr....
How is 42 the answer to everything in life?

It's been calculated. Wanna question mathematics?