Decreasing the Surplus Population

Rhys »

Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:58 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

It is the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) that is important, not how many children a particular family has. If one family has 10 children and ten others have none, the overall effect is the same as if 10 families have one child. Laying guilt trips on families that love and want children, and bring them up well, is not the way to go.

Five Asian countries will account for almost half of global population growth in coming years. Almost all world population growth will come from the developing world. Concentrating on Britain is foolish and irrelevant.

Britain's total fertility rate is 1.66 (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/peo_tot_fer_rat-people-total-fertility-rate), far below the break-even rate of 2.1 children per woman. The EU as a whole averages about 1.5. This means that the problems Britain (and Europe)will be facing are not overpopulation, but an aging population without enough young people to support the old, and eventually population collapse.

Porritt is a typical general, still fighting the last war.

Britain's population growth is entirely due to uncontrolled immigration, not birthrate. The same is true in the US, which wouldn't be growing without it, as we have a TFR of exactly 2.1.

On the other hand, no one has ever been able to have a growing economy without a growing population - which is why immigration isn't limited. If Porritt was actually successful, the British economy would crash and burn.

Fla. Church Draws Fire with 'No More Christians' Series

Rhys »

Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:17 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

"The reason for the decline in US Christianity is not people who call themselves "christian" so much as the CHURCHES that call themselves "christian and preach a gospel of hysteria about abortion and prejudice against gays, and never mention charity"

More likely it is the churches and Christians who have abandoned the Bible as the source of truth and go by their own ideas and feelings and what popular culture says is right.

Vt. Legislature Overrides Veto; Legalizes Gay Marriage

Rhys »

Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:58 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 3

The church opened the door for this back in the 18th and 19th centuries by allowing the State to move into marriage, which was originally a private affair (New York State didn't even keep records of marriages until 1880). Easy divorce was the first crack in the dam - the church had to go along with it as they had turned marriage over to the State, now Christians divorce at about the same rate as non-Christians.

The State is turning marriage into a bad joke. It's time for the church to opt out of the State regulated civil marriage system and institute its own with its own standards. Sure, the state won't recognize such marriages as "legal", but with huge numbers of people today living together without benefit of marriage, who even cares what the State thinks?

The only reason to get a "legal" State sanctioned marriage is to get government benefits. Christians could get a second State-sanctioned marriage for that purpose, or better yet take advantage of the Civil Unions law to do it!

At at the rate the government is printing money, State benefits aren't going to be worth the paper they are printed on in a few years. Christians really need to start taking care of their own, as the Amish do.

Designer Babies

Rhys »

Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:48 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

This isn't the worst that is facing us. In Turkey, babies have already been genetically modified to provide bone marrow transplants to their older siblings. How long will it be before babies are cloned to provide spare parts for adults?
Certainly there will also be those attempting to create the "master race" genetically, also.
It will all be cloaked under the "finding cures for genetic diseases" mantra.
Christians seem to be as blind to this issue as they were to abortion before Roe vs Wade took them by surprise.

3rd 'Narnia' Film to Set Sail Without Disney

Rhys »

Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:00 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

I hope they do make the rest of the films, but it is going to be difficult to find financing in the present economic climate.
I've seldom been impressed with Disney's interpretations of any story, but I didn't think "Prince Caspian" was actually that bad. It probably didn't make as much because of the timing of the release and poor publicity (I almost missed it). Considering the overall awful quality of movies released in 2008, it should have done well.

Many Americans Say Christianity Not the Only Way to Eternal Life

Rhys »

Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:37 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Unfortunately the new American religion of "Tolerance" has infected the church. It is "intolerant" to say there is only one way and that those who don't follow it are going to Hell. Much better to say, like George Bush, that we all worship the same God - though ask a Moslem if he worships Jesus Christ and see what answer you get!
Most so-called Christians never read the Bible and teaching on it in the church is usually restricted to feel-good lessons on overcoming problems in your own life.

Survey: Students Lie, Cheat, Steal, But Say They're Good

Rhys »

Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:53 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

This is the inevitable result of the godless evolutionary worldview taught in schools. If there is no God, there is no one to answer to. We will just cease to exist when we die. Standards are just lines in the sand drawn by people for their own purposes, If you can lie, cheat, and steal and get away with it, why not? The only "sin" is getting caught. Everything is relative anyway, there is no right or wrong.
Students are told over and over in schools that they are good people, they just make bad choices. Why wouldn't they feel they are good? Most of them are totally ignorant of the Bible or the holiness of God.

The end result of this will be the total breakdown of society. Business itself can't flourish without trust, and who can trust a liar and a cheat? When the anarchy gets bad enough, people will look for someone to restore order and end up with an iron dictator.

Scholar: Why Do Good in a Hopeless World?

Rhys »

Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:16 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

We should be doing good simply because God tells us to and because He is living in and through us.
The idea we are going to bring about a new earth by our own efforts is foolish. The Bible is clear that things are going to get worse until God Himself steps in to put them right. The New Heaven and New Earth are entirely God's creation, not ours.
If we are the product of blind chance or evolution, there is NO hope - we just cease to exist when we die and will soon be forgotten. Eventually the sun will go out and the human race will cease to exist and be forgotten. Everything is futile if there is no God.

Baptist Pastors in West Face Decline and in South, Poverty

Rhys »

Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:11 pm Agree: 4   Disagree: 0

Perhaps numbers don't say it all. The Lord is much more interested in quality than quantity.
Joh 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Jesus was continually saying things that offended some and made them leave off following Him. He didn't worry about the numbers. He preached to multitudes and to the upper classes but concentrated His efforts on a few uneducated lower-class men.
Those who are offended by what the Bible teaches, (including about homosexuality), are indeed voting with their feet - voting to choose sin over righteousness, man's ideas over God's clear teaching, to remake God in their own image rather than letting God change them into Christ's image.
Good riddance! The church is better off without them.

Study: God Relationship Not Most Important to Americans

Rhys »

Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:13 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

While God should be first in importance, the family should come before the church.
People who put the church above God are the ones who become disillusioned or disappointed and drop out.

Poll: Do People Need God to be Good?

Rhys »

Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:57 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

Good by man's standards? Yes, some nonbelievers are better than some believers. But what man defines as "good" is extremely changeable.
Good by God's standards? No way.

Does Marriage Really Matter Anymore?

Rhys »

Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:50 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Generally I feel someone who won't keep their marriage vows won't keep their word to me either. However, I know there is no guarantee that someone who does stay married will keep their word, or that someone who gets divorced won't. However, past performance DOES provide an indication of what future actions may be. Though God can change a person, I would want to see some evidence of that change before voting for them.
I used to vote for the "lesser of two evils" but I now believe Christians shouldn't support evil in any form, so will vote for the person I believe best, even if a third party candidate or I have to write someone in.

Incidentally, I don't believe France is a good example for the US to follow in any area!

Does Marriage Really Matter Anymore?

Rhys »

Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:49 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Generally I feel someone who won't keep their marriage vows won't keep their word to me either. However, I know there is no guarantee that someone who does stay married will keep their word, or that someone who gets divorced won't. However, past performance DOES provide an indication of what future actions may be. Though God can change a person, I would want to see some evidence of that change before voting for them.
I used to vote for the "lesser of two evils" but I now believe Christians shouldn't support evil in any form, so will vote for the person I believe best, even if a third party candidate or I have to write someone in.

Incidentally, I don't believe France is a good example for the US to follow in any area!