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

What if the upcoming generation begin something new? What if they do not spend their time, like their parents, straining or every deeper depths of dirt and depravity; ever greater degrees of filth?

What if they suddenly decided, in needing to do something different from their parents and generations before them, they decided to be decent? And what if they adopted God's standard of decency to scandalise their parents?

What would happen if they all adopted the norms of Christians, though most would not actually be Christian? They would not swear, would not get drunk or take drugs, would not whore around, or fornicate. They would not lie, or steal, and would not hang around pubs and clubs. They would be helpful and respectful to their elders. They would loathe sodomy and feminism, so beloved of their parents, and would be hard working trustworthy employees. They would be virgins on their wedding night and faithful within marriage.

Instead of striving for every greater depths of immorality and filth they would reject that and reach for the highest standard before God, upwards.

How would the current generations cope, when the younger ones have reject false pagan/Satanic religion, and will not watch TV or see films, as their content is so bad that it is gut wrenching to Christians?

Would the current generations feel bad that their youngsters, and those of others around them, were all decent folks and made them look bad in their filthy ways, and made them concious of the righteousness of God?

Justin

Any radicals?

One things for sure Justin, you and the Taliban would have got on well together. You both seem to have the same warped interpretation of scriptures.

Besides, what good would it do them. According to your ideas they would still be dammed to burn in the lake of fire, unless my some miracle that were chosen to be saved. So why bother?

Donald

I expect my parents would find me *very* radical, as my beliefs are so opposed to their fundamentalist Christian beliefs. Instead of bigotry, I embrace tolerance. Instead of hatred of that which is different from me or which I don't understand, I choose acceptance and love and open-mindedness. I have the presence of mind to realize and accept that it is a grave sin to try to force my own morality upon others, as well as a sin toward myself to allow anyone else's morality to be forced upon me. The land in which I live does not, as of yet, allow others to dictate what I do with my own body, mind, and soul, thank the gods.

Looking at some of the things above which are listed as "sinful", I'm both appalled and confused. Feminism? What exactly is your definition of "feminism", and what is "sinful" about it? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, I just need a bit of clarification on that. Yes, I am aware that as a pagan, my beliefs cast my lot with Satan, as you perceive things. I don't have a problem with that, I'm comfortable in the knowledge that it's not up to you to make that judgement. But I would truly be interested in hearing your answer to my question.

I'm a bit confused by your claim that "feminism" is "sinful", because you'd told me over in the "marriage" forum (and I haven't had a chance to respond yet, for which I apologize) that you never insinuated that you adhered to the biblical version of what marriage was, much of which was spewed forth by that great misogynist and bigot, Paul the Apostle, in his many epistles of the New Testament. Most of what was written in these epistles was what was taught in the Christian church I was raised in, filled with people who claimed to "know" Christ amd have a "personal" relationship with him, as if anyone could have a "realtionship" with a dead man. (Unless, of course, he was another avatar of the Divine, like the Buddha and Mohammad, et. al.)

I won't bother with the other things mentioned, just now. I can't abide theives or liars either, but I ceratinly don't cast them in the same lot with those who enjoy the occasional drink or who follow their own hearts instead of outdated, recycled dogma.

Oh, and I apologize for the many typos in that last posting. I really must start using the "preview" button, most of the time I spend here is after at least 12 hours' work, when I'm quite tired, and my fingers get a bit stupid. I hope they didn't render my posting unintelligible.

Everybody with these new 'radical' views beliefs whatever, would all die from bordum. I would.

I think so, too, 2legs. Or if not boredom. loneliness.

Bottoms up to my fellow sinners.

And just think, without all the c**p programs on TV and c**p films to moan about, we will probably start moaning about 'real' things, realise how much we hate each other, or particular people and their annoying habbits, and madness and mayhem above and beyond that that was there before would prevail.... and lo, we do drink and fornicate, and lo, we think it is good, as are the other evil things as dictated to us by but one man...

to drink and fornication!

Anyway, on a serious note, I agree with you, 2legs. (And might I add, I've long admired you but never before had the b*lls to speak to you, as I'm actually quite shy!)

Going to film is a sin? *All* films are the devil's tool to occcupy idle hands? I doubt it very strongly... film has given me a greater understanding of the universe and everyone in it, as has reading, and music, and all of the srts.

I agree, if we all spent all of our time thinking of all the things we hate or which annoy us, we'd sink into a quagmire of madness and mayhem, like none seen before. Thank the gods that the evil things dictated as by one man are not seen as such by the rest, or by the Divine. Otherwise, life would be much more scary.

Might I digress for just a moment, long enough to add that the most heinous of acts which have been committed upon me, and there have been some really *bad* things, have been committed by followers of Christ, who heard him speak and *told* them to do those things? Which is the greater sin... to be a young child, impressionable and able to be steered toward anything, but open to revering Nature and the Divine in all living things, includiing ALL people- or to be an adult, hellbent on breaking that child's will, through torture, starvation, sexual mutilation, or what have you, anything to "save" that child's soul? Just wondering.

Interesting question. Let's see... what would happen?

There's a very simple answer which anyone with a basic grounding in logic and mathematics would know about.

Justin, you have (unwittingly - but then everything you do is done unwittingly...) hit upon "The Prisoner's Dilemma". It can be phrased in many, many ways, but basically it boils down to this:

Imagine the population of the world is just two people, Justin - me, and you.

God offers us both, individually, a choice: cooperate, or betray. We cannot confer.

If we both cooperate, we each get £6,000.
If I cooperate, and you betray me, I get nothing, and you get £10,000.
If you cooperate, and I betray you, you get nothing, and I get the £10k.
If we *both* betray each other, we each get just £1,000.

Obviously (I hope...) the best outcome is for us both to cooperate.

And if we were both perfectly rational people, we would do just that.

But I *know* you're not a rational person. I know for a fact you have no concept of logic, and that you are capable of betrayal. Therefore if I cooperate, I'm as good as inviting you to stiff me. So clearly the only sensible thing for me to do, is, with regret, to betray you in self-defence, thus costing myself £5,000.

Now extend that metaphor to the whole country. What if the upcoming generation do as you suggest? What if they all become decent, hardworking, hearts and flowers cooperators?

Answer: half a dozen rational youngsters with the wit to betray their moronic, sappy, cooperative brethren could take over the country armed only with butterknives.

Oh, and your generation of youngsters would die young and in pain from lack of education or non-mediaeval healthcare, and good riddance.

ooh, game theory...

depressed Re-mem-mem if you really take that cynical a view
so all cooperation is to be equated with stupidity
if everyone took that attitude, wait they did, it was the 1980s, and Thatchers Britain was the result
don't see JtPs ideas as very radical, just the same old reactionary nonsense about how it was better in the Golden Age, but I think we do need a new radicalism

"depressed [...] if you really take that cynical a view
so all cooperation is to be equated with stupidity"

And I'm depressed you didn't read what I wrote. Try again to understand what I meant when I said:

"Obviously [...] the best outcome is for us both to cooperate.
And if we were both perfectly rational people, we would do just that."

Universal intelligence and rationality leads to universal cooperation. Any set of individuals who respected and trusted each other's rationality would not just *tend* to cooperate, they would be FORCED to cooperate by the bounds of logic. The reasoning goes like this:

1. I am a perfectly rational individual. My choice to cooperate or defect is based solely on logic.

2. I know that all the other individuals with whom I am dealing are also perfectly rational and bound by logic alone.

3. Logic, like arithmetic, is independent of things like location or emotion. 2+2 always equals 4 for anyone who can do arithmetic.

Therefore, whatever I decide to do, I can GUARANTEE that that is what everyone else will decide to do - for they are perfectly rational as well. They could no more do something different to me than they could add 2+2 and get 42.

Thus, in a situation where everyone makes the same choice, the best choice is to cooperate - so I cooperate."

Therefore cooperation is equated with intelligence, rationality, and trust. However, it is also to be equated with what might be characterised as a touching naivety. Premise 1 and 3 are fine, but who among us believes the rest of the population is at least as intelligent as we are?

Everyone knows at least one person who they know to be an irrational, emotional liar who thinks themselves a cut above everyone else. I could name one posting to this thread...

And the problem is that it takes ONE such cretin to knock down the whole house of cards.

Justin:- I'd like to know from you, just exactly why you view all TV/moovies as being 'bad' or 'evil' or whatever? What is it about that makes them this way? Surely if we take it that God does exist, and I understand anything at all about the bible, which I have read, though it was some time ago, that arn't 'we', made in Gods immage, and arn't we given free will by God, so are not films, TV, moovies/whatever, all 'of God', as we are created by God, and we make films etc?

Darn it Justin. I thought this was going to be an interesting thread about some new viewpoint that might have a chance of helping us evolve a bit, rather than hearing once again about your very unradical views, those ideas that are the heritage of the sorts of imperialistic, patriarchal, stratification-supporting religions that are super great at starting wars but not so keen on, say, making sure everyone gets fed once a day or so and lives without threat of violence.

hi Justin,

Hey, you're slipping - you forgot to mention paedophiles this time round. Or, since you equate paedophiles with feminists, did you think it might be redundant?

<>

You mean instead of whoring around after marriage and siring bastard children, like, um, you?

H*******E!



az

What about those fish, they are just as bad in my book, I mean, like, what, I mean, on that day, who were they, like kidding or whatever maan, like totally see wat I mean.

2legs,

I could not explain it for you as the reasons are spiritual. Because you are of the same spirit as those who make the films etc., you are bound to agree with them, and cannot see why Christians (other than nominals) hate it.

Believing that God exists does not make you a Christian. All people KNOW that God exists. You are forgetting that this world is utterly corrupt and evil in the eyes of God, and all that man do on it is also. When the Lord God has finished saving out a people for Himself, and perfecting them, He is going to take His few out of it and burn the rest.

Your problem is soley based on the fact that you simply have no revelation of God, and in the light of that, you cannot see why sin is so putrid and evil that the only thing good for it, and all tainted with it, is burning. In your position that is fair enough. Based on all you can see you can only come to the conclusions you do. But God does NOT use your ideas/conclusions. If you come to Christ, Himself, and receive mercy and new birth, you will see immediately why the world is wicked, and you too can be exasperated at the sick love for sin and evil held by all unsaved folks.

J.

<>

Oooh, a lifetime of exasperation at others' sick lovin'. You're really selling it to me, J!

"Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo" - H.G.Wells

*aside*
psychocandy - JtP has defined "feminism"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/FFM19585?thread=384501&skip=20&show=20#p4904213

post # 38 onwards.

- still makes me smile.