Recent content by Dr Alimentado

Reupload of MapTweaker Utility Thread: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=73990 You need FreeImage.DLL (copy to Windows\system\ folder) Get it here: http://freeimage.sourceforge.net/download.html and Microsoft .NET Framework to run it. Original Creator is Dr...

LOL, I love the fact that you are arguing the point with St Augustine :D "but Im not wrong when I say it should be"; This also makes me :) I know you're not a Christian, which is why this is so funny. (and why I asked) Why do you believe this though? It feels like you want to make all...

I didn't answer your question because its irrelevant (and being a UKer I have little knowledge of local charities in the US). We agree that there are both good secular charities and good faith based charities. I don't know what the ratio is but for the sake of argument lets pretend that faith...

Nope; (from wiki - but this quotes Augustine directly) Of course there are a lot of christians through history; not all will agree ;) Religion may not be a democracy, but it is neither a strictly defined system. You might think that christianity isn't christian enough but what does it...

As for the actual issue in the OP; I am pretty ignorant of the intricacies of US law. From my over-the-pond perspective it seems strange that in a country with a very strong constitution (which prohibits the government favouring religion?) such a thing arises. If this is the way to challenge it...

Are you trying to say there are no worthwhile secular charities in the USA? That is an extroadinary claim imo. Moboss your missing my point I think. I am not saying that faith based charity shouldn't be funded; I am saying it should be funded with the same criteria that secular charity is. I...

Actually I don't think many christians take/ have taken the bible so literally. Catholicism (arguably the largest domination throughout history) takes a very interpretive route to scripture. Protestant fundamentalism (and bible literalism) is relatively recent and imo its probably only in the...

If "Its not an issue of faith" then why not leave faith out of it and simply fund the groups who can get the job done? (If these would be 90% faith based no problem). The fact that Bush feels the need to tie it to faith based groups speaks for itself imo. His motivations are; a) to...

Seems fairly obvious that the more funds a charity has the more powerful and influential it is. (Even if it operates 100% free and all monies go out it will still have more impact and => more influence/power the more work it does.) Bush is choosing to channel more funds through religious...

I disagree, computers may well get millions of magnitudes more powerful but it could be impossible to build a sentient AI (assuming this is what 'independent machine intelligence' means). We just dont know. If we do get 'true AI' then I think you might be right.

Yeah I guess you are right, but by 'sentient AI' I assume human or above intelligence coupled with self awareness. If we found human level intelligent aliens what would the theological position be; and from that would there be any difference morally between intelligent aliens and intelligent...

This athiest is also slightly fascinated by the theological argument; I mean surely any sentient creature would be equal under god?

I love both Dan Simmons and Asimov, but I agree that Asimov is less realistic in many ways. He's great for his 40k year story arcs though :D Never read Alastair Reynolds - is he any good?

But they would be sentient... Presumably you would be okay with enslaving a sentient alien species then - lets say they are very intelligent but are only at a stone-age civ when we discover them in our FTL ships. Is it okay to enslave them because they are aliens? I am very interested in...

I'm sure you are right. What happens if he is convicted of 'lewd conduct' - could he appeal up to the federal level (seems it would be discriminatory/anti-civil rights if he was convicted)? I'm just a bit weirded out that in (some places in) the US the cops can arrest someone for trying to score...