I don't believe that we're unique in the universe given its apparent scale. I think there's probably life as we know/could recognise it elsewhere but possibly, we'll never find it.

Obviously there was a conspiracy, it's just a question of whether there was any American foreknowledge or involvement. If we take only the undisputed facts, there are certainly some interesting questions which could and should be answered. For example, where did all the thermite and thermate residue in collected dust samples come from? Why won't NIST release their data to the scientific community for peer review? Why did NIST eliminate heat conductance through metal as a parameter in their computer models?

I do know what it is. (And here are some random words to beat the 50 character minimum.)

It should be treated as a fashion and nothing more. It is up to the immediate employer whether it is allowable. Any sort of religious claim should be discounted. Imagine if there were a religion where ceremonial 9mm handguns must be kept about the person at all times - clearly unacceptable in the workplace.

No, it's a response. Atheists don't believe in whatever god/deity/ghost is being postulated. They don't necessarily believe in anything specific nor is atheism any sort of 'world view' as you can have communist, collectivist, Marxist atheists.

There is no meaning, it doesn't matter what you do. If eating as many peaches as you can is your life's goal then go for it - it doesn't matter inwardly or outwardly - you're going to die in a few decades regardless.

They could barter the resulting film for a Canada Goose novelty telephone.

Yes, but it's a slippery slope. We might consider MS a disability today and abort a fetus. Tomorrow, we might abort a fetus with a 90% chance of having red hair. What we perceive to be a disability is a moving target.

'Why is it that speaking the truth is mostly connected to hurting someone?'

Without statistical evidence to establish this as a general rule, it is a subjective viewpoint which only you can answer.

There is no contradiction. The bible describes Jesus performing miracles and it exhorts faith. There was purpose in the miracles e.g. water to wine because the wine had run out.

You cannot believe something incredible without some sort of evidence. If the bible presents enough evidence for your scepticism threshold then you'll believe. If it doesn't, it won't. We don't 'have to make do with written scripture [read: book] and 'faith' [read: lack of knowledge] alone'. We can simply reject the claims.

The point of the war (from an American standpoint) was simply:

1. To ensure large amounts of tax money go into the hands of the government's corporate friends (or otherwise justified and spent as desired)

2. Maintain the dollar as the petrodollar

3. Maintain the 'terror threat'

4. Secure cheap, accessible oil

Therefore, it's been largely successful.

There is no meaning whatsoever. It doesn't matter what we do, who we are or where we go either in terms of location or advancement - we exist because we can. To imagine any kind of meaning or purpose is groundless fantasy. Sorry.

School uniforms shouldn't be banned because they:

reduce costly 'fashion show' competition

identify children as school children outside school

cultivate individualism through intellectual rather than commercial/financial means

enhance a sense of community

Yes. Thank goodness it's over. Now we have 2 years before the circus gears up again.

Yes, as long as the the religious accept that not everyone believes in non-human, non-corporeal intelligences with no evidence and atheists accept people who do.

Being wealthy automatically earns respect. One must respect those better able at numbing their moral and ethical senses while chiseling large nuggets of cash away from the world's dwindling resources and the starving mouths of the poor. Applaud the face grinders I say!

I have a fairly large, 4:3 Sony CRT with a terrestrial digital decoder plugged in and the picture quality is crystal clear. I have yet to succumb to a flat LCD or plasma - and probably won't till my telly blows up in 2042!

From my experience of other people's flatties, they pixellate more conspicuously, judder with fast action and never, ever display any broadcast content at the correct ratio resulting in artificially fat news presenters and people who fatten up as they walk out of the screen.

Throw in the same old rubbish remote design all tellies suffer from e.g. infra-red that you have to aim with a billion nonsensical buttons that aren't back lit and no dial for traversing all the trillion garbage channels and an upgrade seems pointless.

And it's not like movies are ever, ever in 16:9 so you get the black bars anyway!

Yes, if it's a democratically elected government. Making education wholly voluntary would lead to bone-headed and dangerous sects who believe in anti-social nonsense. Additionally, market mechanisms would exploit the fact in any number of ways i.e. if there is an economic motivator to urge non-participation it will happen. What company wouldn't want a horde of idiots buying their wares?

But what would you do if you couldn't endorse anyone? Can you spoil your ballot in the US?

You're right, they're all the same.

A cynical celebration of consumerism.

Dick Cheney, white tie.

Music with a melody, an attribute sadly lacking in today's commercial, derivative garbage.

'..regardless of which side you're on, you're there based on faith.'

No faith is the belief in something with inadequate evidence and in the case of God, lots of evidence to the contrary. Science is based on evidence.

'Science and a belief in God do not have to be mutually exclusive of each other.'

Indeed. There are scientific reasons why people believe in gods.

'I believe God intended us seek knowledge and question things...even Him.'

You can believe whatever you want but if it adversely affects the lives of others, you should be held accountable with reasoned inquiry.

E.g. I may believe that the sun sets in the Indian ocean every night because my parents and community say so but if I punch those who dissent from my belief I should be forced to face reason with evidence.

'For everything science brings to the table, it won't be able to prove "scientifically" that the universe and everything in it, is a result of random happenstance.'

That's your assumption. Perhaps it's akin to a 10th century peasant saying 'never' when conteplating the lunar landings.

'A time came when I realized that there would ALWAYS be something to be discovered..'

So?

'..I put my faith in God..'

But why?