"Hell is an infinite response to a finite amount of harm"

... no. Hell is where those who are imperfect (i.e. have a sin nature) and do not seek to be perfected (i.e. do not seek Christ [and the reconciliation to the Father that comes with Him, and thence to slowly kill off the sin nature]) go, because with the sin nature left unchecked anyone can do an inordinate amount of harm, however finite. Look at Hitler in WWII with the Shoah (or Holocaust as only Anglophones call it), for instance. He used warped reasoning to justify his hatred, and hatred comes from letting the sin nature run unchecked - as most people are wont to do (at least in our worst of moments).

Erm, no. That's too cynical a view - what of all the things that definitely are good, then? Nature, for instance?

"Disease, war, murder, rape, racism, sexist [sic], ageism, and hatred" - the laundry list of sins quoted by Prayerfails comes about due to the sin nature. We became imperfect at the Fall of Adam and Eve.

Erm, no. That's too cynical a view - what of all the things that definitely are good, then? Nature, for instance?

"Disease, war, murder, rape, racism, sexist [sic], ageism, and hatred" - the laundry list of sins quoted by Prayerfails comes about due to the sin nature. We became imperfect at the Fall of Adam and Eve.

"Does a person choose what they believe?"

Ultimately yes.

"Is it possible to spontaneously change belief?"

Not spontaneously, but it is possible to change belief.

Why are my answers as such?

Because while we are influenced by what surrounds us (family and friends, pop culture, business culture etc.) we do have minds and some degree of intelligence - not to mention free will - and hence we are equipped to question what we believe. If our beliefs do not stand up to our own personal scrutiny then we can choose either to abandon the current belief or to add to it to make it become plausible again in our eyes. I am sure, though, that the process of changing belief is not without anguish.

The bottomline? A person can choose and change beliefs, though not spontaneously.

"I thought Islam was a religion of peace???? If it is a religion of peace then why should one worry about it inspiring hatred and more insurgents?"

Unfortunately, just like practically all other religions (see link), the Quran is being manipulated by radicals into justifying anti-American war.

Besides, if Islam is NOT a religion of peace, then why do I have NO trouble from my moderate and practising Muslim friends? Why do the other communities in my country have NO trouble from our Muslim community?

Respect for others, perhaps. That's very much advocated by my culture, in contrast to individualism (freedom of expression at all costs, getting what one wants at all costs) as pop culture advocates (general observation from having been in contact with it for many years). I mean, you can express yourself respectfully.

"As far as your examples, they are merely anecdotes, not proof. I can come up with anecdotes that show the opposite. The point I'm trying to make is that on the whole, "In English, you can express a large amount of information with fewer words.""

... yes well... please prove it, Joe, because I honestly can't quite see that; restating something over and over doesn't make it true.

"I'm sorry but I'm an engineer."

I see. I don't think this is above you, though.

Never underestimate the role of society and culture in determining one's identity. Case in point: why do women in Muslim nations ask for rights to practise their religion - including the wearing of the veil? It's a part of tradition that's become part of their identity. Where I'm coming from, people are simply getting way too Westernised (or should I say Americanised?) for their own good - thinking that "me, me, me" should come first above all things. We're becoming too consumerist, and thus losing - slowly but steadily - that warmth that is a defining feature of the cultures we come from.

Cultural wisdom? Well many cultures have their own nuggets of wisdom that can only come from having been brought up in that particular culture. The collectives that that builds up into form cultural wisdom. Essentially, attitudes towards life - that are better and wiser than what we see coming out on pop culture every day.

We're losing these though - to my great regret. And I don't want anyone else to undergo that. Cultures mustn't be lost. They've been giving reference points to all societies ever since they came about. Some need recalibration, yes, but not everything must be lost.

Whoa there, don't get me wrong. I don't believe Hispanophone children are too stupid to learn English via immersion. Nor do I believe that English is the easiest language on earth. So your suggestion somewhere in this thread that you should identify those who are having trouble and give them the special lessons is valid. However, might I add a modertaing remark: for those who can handle English at the higher levels, give it to them straightaway, but give them their native tongue as well - both at a level that can engage them. Gives them an edge, no?

Also, your saying that "Do you think I got A's in English because they have lowered the standard so much?" is just flawed, seriously. Nobody's demeaning you. Stop your ad hominem attacks please.

So you really do resort to ad hominem quite easily, don't you, Joe? I'm trilingual, LOL.

And no, the structures of the three that I know are all fairly easy. They're just... different from one another.

"In English, you can express a large amount of information with fewer words."

Proof?

"Jeux Olympiques de la Jeunesse" (8 syllables) = "Youth Olympic Games" (5 syllables) = "青奥运" (3 syllables). Chinese wins hands down.

"Je veux y aller" (4 words) = "I want to go there" (5 words) = "我要到那儿去" (6 words; phonetically, 5). French wins this time.

"Je veux voir un film" (5 words) = "I want to watch a movie" / "I want to see a film" (6 words each) = "我要看电影" (5 words). French and Chinese tie.

... and you speak of concision in English? WOW.

Quod erat demonstrandum.

And please reference A war here. Which? WWII? Cold War? War On Terror? None of these justifies anything about linguistic spread.