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

Josh, just click on the smiley face and you wil be transported, as if by magic to the smiley faces page where you will find all the smilies that can be used in posts and if you use <SMILEY TYPE="name of smiley"/> on your page too.

Alji (Member of The Guild of Wizards @ U197895)

But you'll have to change your page to guideML to do it.


If you want to see how a page is constructed, replace the 'U' in front of the researcher number with 'testuserspace' e.g. U172782 becomes testuserspace172782 .
For entries just replace the 'A' with test e.g. test712595.
You can click on anything underlined and if you click on a smiley you will be instantly transported to the smiley page where you will see all the smileys you can use. Some of the smileys on my page are links, so clicking on them will show you some of my contributions to h2g2. I use classic goo (the original colour of the h2g2 site before the beeb took over)

Alji (Member of The Guild of Wizards @ U197895)

"I never meant to say that people who do not have God in their lives have no morality."

Then why can't we teach morality as a way to be good to your fellow man for it's own sake, rather than 'be good, or else God will get you in the end'. The former makes much more sense than the latter. In fact, teaching the latter may be have been the problem all along. If you teach children that morality comes from God and then they come to the conclusion themselves that God doesn't exist, then where is the basis for their morality? We need to teach kids morality and ethics based upon society, independant of a Christian God.

"I am asking that our voice be heard with equality."

How many other sections of society, never mind a minor section of a religion, have their own TV channels (I was flicking through the cable channels the other night)?!? How many other religions have pressure groups lobbying the political process contantly so that their extreme points of view be aired and acted upon in legislature? How many Senators, Reprasentatives and members of the US government do you need to have your voice heard? Fundamentalist Christians have a massively disproportionate voice. It's in their evangelical nature I suppose, but it doesn't excuse it. To say that you have a tiny little voice and you just want your oppressed opinions heard, but we aren't allowed because of political correctness or whatever is just wrong. Have you listened to Talk Radio and Rush Limbaugh (sp?) and all of the other right-wing loonies rant on on national radio? I mean Josh, what more do you want? Oh, I forgot, schoolchildren.

I never said that Christianity should be left out of the education system. It should belong in Religious classes, ethics and morality should be taught independant of God, but in acknowledgement that they come from a Christian base rooted in pragmatism. If I were to say to you that Hindu scripture should be taught in Mathematics classes you'd say I was crazy. It's the same to say Christianity should be in science classes. However, I do think religion does not belong in any way in the political process. Just look at Iran and Israel and the troubles that causes.

Religion does not make me uncomfortable. I went to church last week , my in-laws are active in their church community, and sometimes I go along.

I hope you crisis gets a lot less severe Josh. Are you alright?

Ste

PS click on any smiley. Look up the thing that tells you what to type for which smiley. When you post, enter that. E.g., is a '<' then 'earth' then a '>' with no spaces.

Dear Ste and Alij,

Folks, my "crisis" has done nothing but get worse. Don't worry, though, I'm sure it will resolve itself. Nevertheless, I feel that I'm going to have to take a few days off from our discussions. I have a very long weekend ahead of me, and I will try to pick up the thread again Tuesday or so.

Sorry, but I am having a hard enough time focusing during my classes, much less formulating arguments and such. I hope you will understand.

Josh, MKOT

P.S. I like Rush Limbaugh, thank you very much

Have you seen the Rush Limbaugh website?

Alji (Member of The Guild of Wizards @ U197895)

I do hope you're ok Josh. Good luck with whatever problems you have.

No, I haven't Alji, would it get moderated if you posted the link?

Ste

"If a bunch of white people had bombed buildings..." Do you mean like Oklahoma City? How about the first WTC bombing? Do you think you should be up for extra scrutiny if you want to buy fertilizer or rent a truck?

Pardon, but where did that come from?

Well, guys, I'm back, and am happy to say that the situation is resolved...at least, for the moment. I'd love to say more, but it's a very long story, and really has nothing to do whatsoever with our thread.

I spoke to Josh the G last night on the phone, and implored him to rejoin our discussion; he said he will try, but he's terribly busy (frankly, I think that's what having girlfriend does to you).

Anyway, where were we...

Josh, MKOT

P.S. My apologies, Alji. It appears that all this time I have been spelling your handle A-L-I-J, when it's supposed to be A-L-J-I. I'm usually quick to catch on to and fix these sorts of things; forgive my sluggishness.

Josh, MKOT

P.P.S. Thanks for the tips on the smileys.

I think it was a reply to post number 2!

Glad to hear your problems are eased somewhat Josh. Why does the knowledge that Josh the G has a girlfriend frighten me a little?

Ste

Can't say I noticed Josh!
Ste, here's the link;

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/menu/whatsnew.guest.html

Alji (Member of The Guild of Wizards @ U197895)

Dear Ste,
I know what you mean about scary! You married folk don't seem to have to worry about this sort of thing, but we singles out here... just to clue you in, my whole "situation" last week had to do with matters of the heart, so among other adjectives, scary fits the whole thing quite well. However, after much trepidation and some strange occurrences, I'm happy to report that I'm still happily in love.

But you didn't care to know that, did you

Personally, I think that Rush Limbaugh, for all his faults (including his egotism, I know), has been one of the best influences on modern political thinking that this country has had in a very long time. After all, he simply encourages people to THINK about the issues, knowing that if they do, they'll see where he's coming from.

Like they say, Rush is Right.

Josh, MKOT

P.S. Oh yeah, I love his song parodies too.

Ha ha, that smiley cracks me up! I think I'm going to make it my default face for everything I write!

[Unsuitable link removed by Moderator]

So, let me get this straight: RL tells people to think for themselves so that they might realise that he was right all along! I don't like people who spout hatred, especially ones that do it with such vigor and from such a prominent platform. The extreme right wing only damages society, keeping things sweet for a small minority who happen to be in power, and screwing the rest. It makes me mad to see people be so blatantly selfish.

Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah, waiting for your reply to post 223.





Ste

Glad things are still a-ok at your end Josh

Ahh Ste, RL doesn't HATE liberals. He gets very frustrated at them and shouts at them as children (which many of them act like), but he doesn't hate them. If anything, he feels pity for them, and wishes to enlighten them about a better way. Oh, and the whole "the few rich screwing over the many poor" is a sad testament to rich people, NOT to the Republican mindset. Frankly, it's called capitalism, and it's one of those things that makes this country great.

I would challenge you, Ste, to call Rush Limbaugh sometime. If you can get through, why don't you ask HIM if he hates liberals and/or the liberal mindset. He's a far better defender of his integrity than I am.

Josh, MKOT

Oh, and in response to post 223, I can only ask: if there's such a huge follow-up on Christianity, from, as you said, politicians to just about everybody, might there not be something a little more..."to it" than just simple fundamentalist radicism?


Josh, MKOT

In post 223 I was saying in response to your claim that Christian Fundamentalists don't have a voice that they in fact have numerous dedicated radio and television stations. Not to mention the political clout that they enjoy. That voice is disproportionate. Now you seem to be agreeing with me.

RL is an angry fool. I feel pity for him and his listeners who do not seem able to think for themselves. "...wishes to enlighten them about a better way.", that would be greed, racism and selfishness then?

"...the whole 'the few rich screwing over the many poor' is a sad testament to rich people..."

Next sentence:

"Frankly, it's called capitalism, and it's one of those things that makes this country great."

So, 'the few rich screwing over the many poor' is what makes America great? Good grief.