Mr Rayon

Generally speaking, are women more sexually attracted to men than men are to women? I've heard that men have a higher libido than women? Is this true? What the the most recent scientific evidence suggesting?

If atheism becomes the major world belief, will homosexuality and polygamy be likely to be embraced? (i.e. more than it currently is today) If atheism dominates will gay marriage be endorsed by society? What does everyone think?

Is it more healthy to eat breakfast first before brushing your teeth in the morning or is it more healthy to brush first and then eat breakfast? What does everyone usually do first? And according the most recent scientific findings which order is best to do?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve#Islamic_tradition Hey, everybody. I just read the above wikipedia article and it mentions that: "Shi'a Muslims believe that Adam is buried next to Ali,[13] within Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq." If all Shi'a Muslims believe this than wouldn't this be easy to prove or disprove using science (e.g. carbon dating etc)? I think this would certainly be possible and it wouldn't go beyond the capabilities of science at all. But if Adam is buried in Iraq, then would his bones have turned to pretty much dust by now or would it still be present? Is there any information science can obtain if Adam is buried there?

I heard that in today's society, Chinese (Mandarin) by far is the most frequently spoken language in the world. But I'm wondering whether it will stay like this for long because I've heard a few years ago that over there they now have somesort of one child policy rule. I am wondering whether anybody knows whether this is being properly regulated (i.e. the one child per family rule)? If it is, will this significantly reduce Chinese Mandarin influence globally? And what do you think will be the dominant language in the near future? I think Arabic and Spanish are good contenders. What do you think?

Okay, what about biologically and pscyhologically speaking? And what about sociologically speaking too? I don't really care too much about what has been traditionally the best time for marriage.

Why is polygamy illegal in so many countries? What's wrong with polygamy? Do you think it should be illegal? And why is homosexual marriages illegal in so many countries as well? What exactly are their arguments on both sides? Do you think it will ever be legal? I am also aware that there is a lot that we don't currently know about homosexuality, for example, what causes it. If homosexuality is caused by genes would it be legalised? In what cases, do you think it would be legalised?

At what age is the best time for two people to get married? Does it differ between men and women and should it? I've heard of people getting married for the first time from the ages of 19 to as old as 27. But in everybody's opinion what's the best age? In the olden days women used to get married at really young ages however as time passes everyone seems to be marrying when they are older. I think 24-25 years is the best age as you would have undertaken a few years of university by this time and hence would probably be able to sustain a reasonable works pay to look after family, find a house to live in etc while possibly continuing or finishing off university. Also, incidentally, does anyone know what the global divorce rates are? Compared to they were in the past, how have they changed?

Alright. But what about scientific contraditions regarding the other holy books? To name a few, the Koran and the Torah? Do they claim the same things also?

So, this is actually considered factual evidence? What do we do when, say the Bible says this however the Koran says something else?

Is there really a conflict between religion and science? Or is it more that religion cannot be proven and assumed to be true using our current scientific methods? What exactly is it that the religions of the world propose which contradict the teachings of science? Would anyone be able to provide a list of these contradictions if this is indeed the case?

When it comes to the history of religions, where to we get the facts from to establish that the things which happened really did happen? It's just that a lot of people are a bit skeptical to take the word of the Bible or the Torah as being historical evidence for things which happened in the past and I'm just curious. When it comes to history, how do we distinguish between what we know as fact and what we are uncertain of? What is it that makes the history of religion fact? I mean is it based on archaelogical evidence or through the letters from ancient peoples that have been uncovered? How do we know that Jesus existed? I mean whenever I read information from the net is it confirmed history? And what processes do we go through to confirm that something indeed happened in the past?

What about if you invite your best mate and introduce him to your wife/girlfriend and you catch him perving, getting tongue-tied or other signs that he finds your wife/girlfriend attractive when he is near her, how should one react if something like this happens? Should you tell him not to ever see your girlfriend/wife again?

All the religious people in the past who may have originally believed rationally and logically in what they were preaching in most religions of the world are now dead (e.g. the prophets, people who have been directly contacted by angels etc). Hence, they cannot be contacted now and further more evidence to be provided by them. Today in many cultures and religions, children are forced into an indoctrination system, by their parents and society into a faith where they are only given a religious text to analyze and groomed to believe everything in it. This is second-hand evidence and according to you guys these texts are not real proof. Assuming this to be the case, then all the believers of the world today believe irrationally and illogically in their religion, because it is not scientifically proven and because most likely they themselves wouldn’t have personally experienced any of the supernatural phenomena which have been mentioned in these texts that they are forced to believe in, in fear of the Hell-fire or other reasons. Mr Skeptic, the fact that most people believe illogically and irrationally in a false and scientifically unproven religion through the forced indocrination is everyone’s problem too, not just the people that are part of the particular faith. It is humanity’s problem and we need to address this. Adopting a detached “not my problem” attitude won’t stop people from believing in these things. Historically, Islam, Christianity and religion in general has caused extensive loss of life on a global scale. It has restricted one’s freedom and put limitations in what the people that are part of the faith can or cannot do how to act and basically how to live their lives. If all the religions of the world are false then it has for no good reason caused much inconvenience to the lives of millions of people throughout the millennia and much unnecessary pain and suffering globally. If you want people to open their eyes to rational thinking as you’d probably like to call it, then someone needs to find some extraordinary proof. We already have the Theory of Evolution which scared a lot of people when it was first publicly debated, now’s the time to go the extra-mile and make it fact. Religion is an obstacle which must be broken through if we want to create a more civilized society where there is mutual understanding between people and irrational stigmas broken. It is also unnatural for a religious follower to find the scientific evidence because assuming that religion is irrational then it shouldn’t logically mix with science which is rational. An extremely rational, objective and open-minded scientist needs to find these proofs because being part of the scientific community it is his/her responsibility to prove or disprove. Just like how it is the responsibility of those countries which have lots of money to eliminate poverty, it is the responsibility of the scientists to provide scientific evidence to the irrationally-minded about their beliefs and why they are wrong logically. Sure you may be hated or threatened by many believers of a faith at first but future generations would be very grateful (assuming you can find proof), just like how Thomas Henry Huxley, Charles Darwin and a few other notable figures are today for their contributions to science. Well, you wouldn’t need to scientifically investigate cartoon figures and fairy tale entities because it is already well known among the scientific community, the religious community as well as the people who make these up that they are indeed false. There is no debate and no controversy in the last examples you provided and it’s unfair to use them to exemplify your point. We could do it one step at a time and slowly build proof or disproof.

No, no and no, definitely disagree here. Sounds like youre both condoning ignorance. As I mentioned before, this is not the proper scientific approach. This is what I call cultural bias and prejudice. When analyzing religions we must be open-minded and be as objective as humanly possible and this can only be done by understanding other cultures/religions and having nothing at stake whatever the most recent evidence is suggesting. This helps eliminate cultural bias/prejudice and make anything uncovered sound more plausible. Every religion which suggests in the existence of one or more gods needs to be analyzed and scrutinized until proven with substantial evidence to be false. We must assume every religion to be a possibility until the time comes when future generations will find out the real truth with their more advanced technologies and harder evidence. Thats on the assumption that all the religions of the world are correct. However this doesnt seem to be the case as almost all the religions (if not all) seem to be mutually exclusive (i.e. they contradict each other if put together). Hence if any are right, its likely that only one will be the true religion, others being false (assuming all the religions of the world are mutually exclusive). It seems to me that whatever evidence people of the past provide us with nothing is enough for you guys. And if a god did appear in a major scientific conference today however made all our modern technology and other recording device momentarily dysfunctional with its appearance, how would one convince others not present at the conference from believing that a god had actually appeared and future generations from believing this story too? If you told anyone youd be immediately laughed at by Stephen Hawking himself and stripped away of any future possibility of winning the Nobel Prize in any category. You would write memoirs and internet blogs of yourself, mentioning the phenomenal supernatural event which took place, some would believe you but future generations would be more skeptical and doubtful. How would you make everyone believe you? Also if time travel were a possibility future generations could go back in time and see for themselves all these supernatural religious phenomena that have occurred throughout our history. With super-futuristic technology we could stalk the so-called prophets and gods from afar (possibly in space) based on what we currently know about them and record their whole lives and with this we could determine which religions if any are right. This would be an extra-ordinary proof which could be brought back and shown to us today by future generation people with their time travelling machine. However these future generation people and their society may cease to exist after they do this; however being a worthy sacrifice for the sake of fulfilling our own curiosity and accumulating knowledge as well as understanding more about humanity and how we humans spread propaganda. In any case, there have been many reported cases of religious/supernatural phenomena in our modern 21st century society. There really needs to be a proper scientific investigation regarding all these strange events. To back up what I've just said, below are a few videos I've encountered on youtube about people who have witnessed supernatural phenomenas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=507z8bq-GUQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTIS7ozy7CA I mean like you yourelf said Mr Skeptic, some religions/supernatural phenomena do have testable predictions and with the technological advancements we're making right now I'm sure we'd be able to prove or disprove a lot of these things as we head into the future. Let's show everyone that religion really doesn't go beyond science and that it provides a lot of genuine answers in life.

Certainly not. Though if you have some strong opinions for or against then I'll be sure to read them if you post them up (unless me mentioning this has made it too awkward for you to do so)! I'm just interested what you logical people think about this and if you think this is okay what would your spouse think? Doesn't this sort of behaviour just encourage feelings of jealousy and other problems to develop for your spouse, if you perve (regularly) that is?

If you are married, is it immoral to perve and to stare at the bodies of people of the opposite sex? Does this depend on whether the person undertaking this activity enjoys doing this or not? And generally, do people do this frequently in our modern society? I know a lot of old people are often portrayed in movies/TV shows/cartoons to be perverts who love taking walks along beaches for "sight-seeing" (particularly the men). Do you "check people out"? ...And is this immoral?

But what if, say hypothetically, the consumption of beer was illegal in your country.

Does everyone think its harder to make friends when you're an adult than as a child? I've heard that the friends you make as a child can be life long while those who you make with as an adult will be less meaningful and be more susceptible to wither away as time passes. Also as adulthood approaches, one steadily loses their innocence as they absorb the ways of thinking society has predisposed them to think. Adults hide things, they scheme, they talk behind their friends' backs, they become more malicious and selfish with the preoccupation of accumulating unlimited wealth through long work hours making extra-curricular activities and bonding with those you have met in the past nearly impossible. What does everyone think? Are everyone's closest friends their childhood friends?

Well, this is on the assumption that God would not let the true religion come to non-existence. If a true religion did exist, it would exist now and be uncorrupted and would have remained the same throughout the years since the religion first came to life. Whatever religion that is, is most likely to be the true religion, even if we don’t agree with how it teaches us how to live our lives or in its different moral codes compared to today’s standards. Also to study all the minor religions that ever existed would be difficult due to a lack of resources/materials. Everyone should study from the religions which they can and this is easiest with the most well-know and currently accepted religions. If you disagree with them move on to the least well-know and accepted religions. Once you have gone through all the religions and still have no believe in the existence of god/s than you can call yourself an atheist. It won’t. We haven’t even discovered any extra-terrestrial life out there yet. And if this is the case, then I’m sure God would understand as He is fair and merciful. Many holy books suggest in the existence of God while very few (if any) suggest there is none. Hence objectively speaking, there is more reason to believe in the existence of God than to not. What I find hard to believe is that so many people believe in the existence of Jesus while they don’t believe in God. Jesus has been mentioned in many books and so has God (more so actually), so why not believe in God but believe in Jesus? Yes it does apply only to atheists. You can be a true Christian without looking at any of the other religions. However you wouldn’t be a very logical and open-minded Christian. Similar to what I said above, despite not being scientifically proven, there are an overwhelming number of religions which suggests in the existence of one or more gods while very few (if any) which suggests in the existence of no god/s. There’s more reason to believe in one or more gods than there is to believe in no gods hence for one to become an atheist they must look for reasons to become one. This is done by analysing the flaws involving the other religions, before becoming an atheist one must look at all the other religions first for answers. If they still haven’t found the one and true religion they can then become atheists. However for someone to believe straight away, without investigating other existing religions, that god/s doesn’t/ don’t exist is more illogical and irrational as not only isn’t it scientifically proven but less (if any) religious texts suggest this view than the opposing one. What more proof do you need? The ancient peoples did not possess video cameras to record angels or any of the other religious phenomena that occurred at the time. However there are still many “Holy books” which can be analyzed and any archaeological evidence uncovered so far. It's not the fault of religion that it goes beyond science as to defy our sense of logic however still remaining logical.

Yes, tolerance and open mindedness are what I believe to be two very important qualities that make for a good scientist. One must have all these qualities when they choose to become a true atheist. And no, it’s not intolerant for me to ask whether these atheists have looked at any of the other religions before they became atheists. Some of the people above have already mentioned that they have already studied a particular religion thoroughly and have concluded that the religion doesn’t make sense and hence is false. Therefore they have concluded God/s doesn’t/don’t exist. But what exactly are these contradictions and things which don’t make sense? What exactly is it that is so hard to believe? Before anyone becomes a true atheist (i.e. an informed atheist) one should have studied all the major religions of the world. They should be able to refute with evidence why all the religions of the world are wrong. And before a person becomes an atheist they should make a list of pros and cons, listing the parts which make sense and the parts which don’t and some of the problems regarding some of these religions. I believe the people above (as well as the majority of atheists) are uninformed atheists, just because one religion is wrong doesn’t make all the others wrong too. This is a completely narrow minded way of looking at things and is in no way open-minded at all. What about all the religious phenomena that have occurred during the millennia and this century? Are you all concluding that they were all made up without even having a glimpse of knowledge of the world’s whole religious culture and practice? If a new false religion were to form, it’s very hard to fool a lot of peoples/villages/civilizations into believing; people aren’t idiots as much as one would want to believe. There must have been a genuine reason why in the past so many people truly accepted these religions with open arms. Do you believe that Jesus, Mohammed, and Buddha were all liars? Some may have been, but you have to study religious cultures and practices and (if any) their associated religious texts to get a good idea which religions are false. Because I am a theist. God exists. A true believer does not say “I believe God exists” he/she says “God exists”. Sometimes I say “I believe...” when talking to people outside my belief but I prefer to say the latter. I also make hypothetical "ifs" (e.g. if God doesn't exist then why...etc) to get into other peoples' shoes and to show that I understand their perspective even though they're wrong but when I make these ifs they are not my personal opinions. Scientifically, there has been no evidence to suggest that God/s doesn’t/don’t exist. Yes, I have. My beliefs do not clash with the Theory of Evolution. For people who do not have a purpose in life, religion offers that (i.e. a purpose). Others who already have a so-called purpose may not need it right now but they will never reach spiritual fulfillment and become truly humble and satisfied with how the world is if they don’t. Religion is a set of beliefs which tells one how to live their life, but not just that but also of history and the things to come.

Well, keep trying. Don't give up! Have you guys looked at any of the other religions? Buddhism?...Shinto? The Abrahamic religions seem rather popular too and if you've already tried Christianity, then maybe Judaism or perhaps Islam? One of them must be right! Which religion seems most logical so far? You guys brag a lot in the forums about hating ignorance, read the Torah and the Qu'ran, accumulate knowledge. Then see what happens, eh? Everyone needs to believe in something spiritual, even if they're false religions.

Perhaps not right away. But you can make a conscious decision to analyze/study other religions and then make up your mind yourself whether God/s exist. The only problem I have is when people choose to become atheists when they haven't looked at any of the existing religions and what they have to offer. People automatically dismiss these ideas as being rudicrous without a second thought for tolerance as well as open-mindedness. Once a person has investigated in detail, he/she may be able to select which religion makes more sense and which ideas of "right" and "wrong" seem more correct and least misinterpreted/distorted. This may lead to a greater feeling of spiritual fulfilment as well as a belief in God/s whatever the religion may be. The faith may not be 100% all the time, but it will be there or not completely (as is the case with atheism).

There is a root-cause for every action/behaviour. These people can't help but behave the way they do when they use this site. For example, why do many priests commit rape crimes? ...because they have been predisposed in a certain way to be more susceptible to undertake this behaviour/action then the general population (e.g. because of a life of celibacy in a sexually stimulating environment where sex sells, but remains as sinful temptation). Similarly social networking sites predispose people to cheat on their spouse and make them act childish. These sites, particularly Facebook are the prime causes for "childishness" exhibited in adults. I'm sure there are a lot of things in this world which can make a person childish, however it doesn't stop Facebook itself from causing people to be childish. There will be many who will resist this temptation to act childish or cheat on their wives when the opportunity presents itself, but this is undeniably the result of Facebook and the types behaviours it encourages people from all walks of life to do.

I don't think any human can have 100% faith, at least not all the time in regards to religion. It's an ongoing battle to achieve that complete level of faith, all the time. For example, Amrozi bin Nurhasyim (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrozi_bin_Nurhasyim), an Islamic extremist who made the news headlines here in Australia a few years ago, because of the Bali bombings (which killed many Australians), was noted in the above wikipedia article that "despite his carefree demeanor throughout his trial and incarceration, he was reported to have been pale faced and shaking in the moments before his execution." This suggests that he was fearful of whether he was going to be punished or rewarded in the After-life by God after his death for the actions he probably thought were right at the time they were carried out. So, even the most convinced believer constantly questions his/her actions, beliefs, considers other possibilities and is in a constant position of denial as well as wonder/fear and open-mindedness (even though they probably wouldn't like to admit this for understandable reasons). You can increase/decrease your level of faith by investigating other religions as well as that of your own, but it never stops, one's level of faith will be in a constant increase/decrease, both subconciously and consciously as well as all the other levels. Humans are imperfect we all know this, so there will certainly be times when people will have doubts as to believe fully in the existence of a particular deity, some unclear/ambiguous things that is part of their religion, as well as actually believing this all the time, a perfect being which defies our sense of logic and understanding as to exceed our level of comprehension (i.e. the existence of God/s). I think it is completely irrational to believe completely (i.e. that there are no contradictions in the Bible, Koran, Torah etc) and all the time and I believe that all humans are rational to some degree and hence persuassion by logic and reasoning can sway someone into as well out of a faith (however this is very unlikely for true believers but I believe it still to be possible). I think to become a good scientist, to find answers, to find cures to diseases, one would need to remain open-minded to various possible remedies. Same thing applies with religion. One would need some, not necessarily strong, but some justification for why a particular religion is correct and why the others are wrong. This requires some but weak logic, but if you make enough it becomes strong logic and then you have a relatively strong believer of a particular religion. He/she will be in a constant position where he/she will be required to question some of the more subtle beliefs that are part of his/her religion, its history (and this is normal), but I'm not saying believing in God fully is difficult. It's more through the uncertainties regarding interpretation, false interpretation of a particular religion/belief is definitely possible (as humans are imperfect and errors can occur in interpretation). In fact, a lot of people make their justification about their religion being right and others being false through this as it makes sense to some degree to certain people. If Karma existed then why do bad things happen to good people? Because they were bad in their former life? I also don't think you can fully believe that there is no God, it's an on-going struggle, mainly being influenced by our own past life experiences and who knows maybe it's that God/s made certain people believe certain things as to misguide them for underlying hidden reasons we are yet to fully comprehend.