The Right Way to Reform Health Care

dongard »

Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:00 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

tort reform is a red herring and a bad joke. taking Land at his word, if all malpractice insurance was eliminated it would save less than 15 dollars a month per person in the united states. that is about one percent of what i have to fork over every month to get the benefits of this best in the world medical system.

Government Subsidy Devalues Marriage

dongard »

Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:40 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

to scientist3, please consider these historians who disagree with you.

Vegetius theorized, supported by the historian Arther Ferrill, that the Roman Empire declined as a result of an influx of Germanic mercenaries. Henri Pirenne maintains that the Empire continued up until the time of the Muslim conquests in the 7th century, which disrupted Mediterranean trade routes. Pirenne's view on the continuity of the Roman Empire before and after the Germanic invasion was supported by recent historians such as François Masai, Karl-Ferdinand Werner and Peter Brown. John Bury gives a multi-factored theory for the Fall of the Western Empire that a number of contingencies arose simultaneously: economic decline, Germanic expansion, depopulation of Italy, dependency on Germanic foederati. Arnold J. Toynbee and James Burke argue that the Roman Empire had no budgetary system and thus wasted whatever resources they had available. The economy of the Empire was basically a Raubwirtschaft or plunder economy based on looting existing resources rather than producing anything new. Historian Michael Rostovtzeff and economist Ludwig von Mises both argued that unsound economic policies played a key role in the impoverishment and decay of the Roman Empire. William H. McNeill argues that the severe fall in population left the state apparatus and army too large for the population to support, leading to further economic and social decline that eventually killed the Western Empire. Peter Heather maintains the first real indication of trouble was the emergence in Iran of the Sassanid Persian empire. Tainter presents the view that for given technological levels there are implicit declining returns to complexity, in which systems deplete their resource base beyond levels that are ultimately sustainable. Bryan Ward-Perkins argues that the empire's demise was brought about through a vicious circle of political instability, foreign invasion, and reduced tax revenue. Adrian Goldsworthy sees the causes of the collapse of the Roman Empire not in any 'decadence', but in a combination of endless civil wars between factions of the Roman Army fighting for control of the Empire.

None of these well known classical historians supports your thesis.

Government Subsidy Devalues Marriage

dongard »

Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:06 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 1

to scientist3 as a historian, i agree that ones facts should be backed with proof. therefore you now must back up with verifiable sources that Greece and Rome collapsed because of sexual deviancy. Perhaps you might care to start by explaining why Edward Gibbon's seminal and widely respected "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" blames Christianity as a major reason for Rome's decline. "Gibbon's blasphemous chapters excoriated the church for "supplanting in an unnecessarily destructive way the great culture that preceded it" and for "the outrage of [practicing] religious intolerance and warfare"

Lawsuit Against Gay Marriage Ban Irks Christians

dongard »

Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:29 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

so we are now at least four times out on the parents can force their kids to have daddy's baby and the right wingnut, that you are saying no fair we are right, but if gays homos want to test the waters thats an afront to to democracy. grow up christians and maybe just for once play by the rules you demand of others

Californians Pass Gay Marriage Ban

dongard »

Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:58 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

the campaign to overturn christian imposed hate began this morning.

Thousands to Pray, Fast Together for California Marriage Protection

dongard »

Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:35 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

prophet

if you looked beyond your ideological blinkers the answer how homomsexuality promotes a species would be obvious. it limits the number of alpha males while providing beta males an outlet for their sexual instincts. it provides an alternate gene pool while enabling a prime gene pool to dominate the current enviromental cycle. it is not meant to be the dominate reproduction cycle but adapt the species to a pro-active response.

what christians are trying to do is maladapt the species on a faulty premise and hold species adaption in a downgraded state. mammials are dynamic short term species that have specialized in high turnover adaptation.

Pro-Family Groups Rally Connecticuters to Overturn Court's Gay 'Marriage' Ruling

dongard »

Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:57 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

christians ought to pause and consider for a moment what they wish for. a constitutional convention is not limited to any one subject. the present one could be dumped completely and the entire constitution can be rewritten. many other groups will want to make changes too. nor are anyone's rights provided at such a convention.

Palin: My Faith, God Have Been Mocked

dongard »

Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:10 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 5

it is sad that faith is a object of scorn. on the other hand organized religion, and in this country, protestants in particular, have for decades attacked any person of faith who dared to believe outside the mainstream.

perhaps one of the reasons that so many protestants are worried about attacks on their faith is that they are so comfortable attacking other faiths and the lack of one.

what goes around comes around.

Biden, Palin Contend for 'Change' Reputation

dongard »

Fri Oct 10, 2008 12:29 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

why would any american want to "ban" other americans from voting? what kind of american would even come up with such a question?

'Christian' Call for Boycott of Bill Maher Film Adds to Satire

dongard »

Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:56 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 5

christians claim,and with good measure, that they cannot practice their faith. yet they will not allow anyone else to practice theirs. how many people must die before the followers of jesus are happy?

Islam, Secularism and the Gospel – Part II

dongard »

Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:41 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

i am really looking forward to craven's 67 part series on why garlic and basil are bad spices for christians(but only on blue moon tuedays) then again, possibly the position of earth in craven's universe remains off and therefore he will have more, much more, to say on how cows walk in the dark.

Palin-God Cartoon 'Despicable,' Says Pentecostal Leader

dongard »

Wed Sep 24, 2008 4:38 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

seedplanter

i will be happy to respond. but first stop the sophomoric ad hominem put downs. for the record, i did not just go to berkeley, i have taught there. given that it is the number one ranked research university in the world, i would like to know what you are bringing to the table.

Palin-God Cartoon 'Despicable,' Says Pentecostal Leader

dongard »

Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:56 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

seedplanter

first of all so what. second that's your spin,didn't christians fight more than a few wars over this? christian is not a copyrighted term. and most importantly those of you who have attempted to define "central" terms have not faired well in the history of christian faith or church history.

Palin-God Cartoon 'Despicable,' Says Pentecostal Leader

dongard »

Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:37 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

seedplanter

actually obmana has come out and clearly declared his religious beliefs. the problem is that you do not respect him. you and many others want even demand that he must worship according to your preconceived rules. even if, and i don't believe it for an instant, he wanted to be some version of a christian muslim. that is his right as an american. he has tried to explain where he stands. it is you that has the problem. you want him to be pushed into some corner that makes you feel good. well so sorry no one should have to justify their faith to make you feel that yours is the right one.

Palin-God Cartoon 'Despicable,' Says Pentecostal Leader

dongard »

Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:59 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 3

abhodim

christians historically are past masters of the art of bullying. most of your texts are organized around the art of the put down. mostchristian leaders in the 1500 years of organized participation in society have favored coercion and force to insure loyalty. if you christians are serious about faith and the basic tenets of jesus christ, it would do you well to reflect of the message that has been delivered, and not just the one that you want to think has been delivered.

Palin-God Cartoon 'Despicable,' Says Pentecostal Leader

dongard »

Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:50 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

political satire is a very old tradition stretching back long before the christian era. egyptians and no doubt cave artists) used to mock the pharaoh (or chief or king) on the walls of the temples.

the question you should be asking (imho) is not why christians are not treated as muslims, but why newspapers and others will not mock allah. that is a debate i will support you in. but when you attempt to claim the same treatment as radical muslims, or whoever, then you deserve to be compared to them.

Palin-God Cartoon 'Despicable,' Says Pentecostal Leader

dongard »

Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:43 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 3

and i might add apparently the comments on this post share that distain for any american who will not buy the claim that their beliefs can never be questioned.

oh ye of little faith, why do you need to belittle others to make yourself large?

Palin-God Cartoon 'Despicable,' Says Pentecostal Leader

dongard »

Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:13 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

so what this story boils down to it that George O. Wood, wants to be treated as if he was the leader of the taliban. he does not believe in freedom of the press, in americans who do not share his particular sense of awe, and that those who fail his tests are not americans.

Poll: New Ballot Wording Affects Support for Calif. Marriage Amendment

dongard »

Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:03 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

pgcfriend

i accept your analysis, therefore i am calling on you to immediately demand the withdrawal of the parental notification amendment in california. unlike the gay marriage (defeated only once) amendment the voters of our state have spoken on the elimination of teenage rights to abortion and defeated it three times. not just once. therefore this is an outrageous attempt by a small minority to consume our state's resources. if you believe that the ssm question has been settled then so has the parental notification issue much more so. stand by your principles or withdraw.

Bill Maher Sets Out to Debunk, Mock Faith in 'Religulous' Flick

dongard »

Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:05 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 3

todays winner of the sean hannity personal attack award is reg599
your entry of


"The older Bill Maher gets the more he looks like Uncle Ernie in the movie Tommy....all he needs is a trenchcoat. Attacking religion is the last desperate act of an aging and largely untalented comedian faced with his own mortality."

way to go for proving that some christians believe in trashing others simply because they disagree with your bias.

you are entered in the finals for the father lorini award. ie the really smart bishop who condemned gailieo. hang in there dude. i think you can make it to the finals