With all due respect to all of you, I feel like half the stuff on here is getting really boring and uninteresting to read. I figured to throw off the norm, I'd create a thread that hopefully contains interesting material. In this thread, you can post your opinions on any controversial topics. Hopefully this will lead to some super-sweet, wicked tight discussions/debates. My theory is that the debates themselves will be intriguing, and then they will become so heated, that opponents will ditch the topics and insult each other--an event that would surely multiply the fun.
Go.

Abortion should be legal.

Gay marriage should be legal (although can someone explain the difference between civil unions and marriage, because it seems like in most states, they are basically the same)

The death penalty should be legal. And child molestation should be punishable by death.

Marijuana should be legal. The drinking age should be 18 or 19.

The whole idea of a God is ridiculous.


alex > james ≥ purp

LOST is a better show than 24

The Office (US) > The Office (UK)

quote:

Originally posted by Tomatoes&RadioWire:
Abortion should be legal.

Gay marriage should be legal (although can someone explain the difference between civil unions and marriage, because it seems like in most states, they are basically the same)

The death penalty should be legal. And child molestation should be punishable by death.

Marijuana should be legal. The drinking age should be 18 or 19.

The whole idea of a God is ridiculous.


alex > james ≥ purp

LOST is a better show than 24

The Office (US) > The Office (UK)

I don't think the idea of a God is ridiculous. You might not agree with it, but to say its ridiculous is a little bit arrogant. And I think the Death Penalty shouldn't be legal.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I think anyone who blames thier crimes on Grand Theft Auto is full of shit and needs to control themselves and learn to seperate fiction and reality.

And I think J.K Rowling saying that Dumbledore is gay is absolutly great, and it makes me respect her even more.

I don't believe in the death penalty. Two wrongs don't make a right...

The drinking age is 18 here, I would be really annoyed if it were 21. Not because I long to become a crazy drunkard, but because I would like to get into overage shows within the next year, thanks.

I dont get how saying a character is gay makes you respect someone more. Like this "god is gay." hopefully you respect me more now cause I said god a character is gay.

The idea the US Office is better than the UK version is madness. I like the US one, but it doesn't even compare to the UK version.

quote:

Originally posted by Jdub815:
I dont get how saying a character is gay makes you respect someone more. Like this "god is gay." hopefully you respect me more now cause I said god a character is gay.

What I respect about it is that the Harry Potter Books are so big that anouncing that such an important character is gay would provoke the right winged nutjobs. She didn't care and did it anyways. that's why i respect her. It has nothing to do with any character being gay, but the fact that she disn't care about pissing off a bunch of homophobic dip shits is what i respect.

The books are big in pop culture and bringing in money. it isnt like Mein Kampf and has some profound effect on a country. I dont think she had the whole thing planned out or even did it to stick it to the man. She was asked a question then answered it. It seemed like almost a passing thought to her.

I think gay marriage should be legal as well. I find it incredibly ridiculous to use a religious argument against it in a nation that is the home to so many different religions. The idea that one religious doctrine should be used to govern a country that was founded upon the ideal that different doctrines should be accepted doesn't make sense. I completely respect someone's belief if they feel that being gay is a sin(I completely disagree, but will respect that belief.) However...that's great for them; if that's their belief, then they shouldn't be gay, but they should not be working to restrict the rights of someone who doesn't feel that way. And Tomatoes... from my understanding the differences between civil union and marriage are technically fairly slim, however the fact that differences, no matter their size, even exist is a symbol of inequality, and that is why many gay couples are fighting so hard to obtain marriage rights.

Marijuna--I'm not too fond of the use of it. However, I support the legalization of it. I think it should be taxed, however. This would most likely lead to a decrease in crime, and would stimulate the economy, all the while making the potheads happy. I hate alcohol, smoking, and drugs. Always have. But I don't think any of it should be illegal. If anything the fact that alcohol is legal should be used as support for the fight for the legality of marijuana. You hear of drunk husbands beating their wives and kids, but have you ever heard of a high husband doing the same. In my opinion, the effects of alcohol are far worse than those of marijuana. Though, I think both are gross, and have personally decided to avoid both.

Socialism--I'm for it, but not in America. I don't think it will work in America. We're too greedy, and we would never do something for the good of the country if we weren't being rewarded in some way. It's a cynical view, but I unfortunately find it to be true. While, I often hate capitalism, I think it's the best fit for America.

God--I don't find God ridiculous at all, and I find that there are too many logical fallacies with the scientific answer. However, I do not believe in religion. I don't believe in Hell either. I don't believe in an absolute truth--I don't believe that one religion is right and that only those that practice that religion get into heaven.
For those supporting a scientific argument, I have a question for you. If the world, or life, or whatever was created by an explosion caused by the splitting or combining or whatever the theory proposes of atoms/particles/elements, where did these atoms come from?

Also, I don't feel that evolution is necessarily evidence against a God or creation.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: .Justin.,

quote:

Originally posted by Jdub815:
The books are big in pop culture and bringing in money. it isnt like Mein Kampf and has some profound effect on a country. I dont think she had the whole thing planned out or even did it to stick it to the man. She was asked a question then answered it. It seemed like almost a passing thought to her.

His sexuality impacts the plot though, its not as though it has nothing to with the story. So, the fact that he was gay was planned. And besides, the fact is that I respect her for saying he's gay because she knew she'd alienate some of her fans. And I don't know what the fuck this has to do with Hitler. All I said was that I respect her for being true about it, I don't get what there is to argue about.

quote:

Originally posted by .Justin.:
For those supporting a scientific argument, I have a question for you. If the world, or life, or whatever was created by an explosion caused by the splitting or combining or whatever the theory proposes of atoms/particles/elements, where did these atoms come from?

tisk tisk tisk... justin you couldnt spend 30 seconds looking it up? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_bang: "the idea that the universe has expanded from a primordial hot and dense initial condition at some finite time in the past"

okay, consider it read, and yes my understanding of the theory is still elementary, but it still all starts from an initial condition. By posting that link, Tomatoes, you helped prove my point.
I quote only the most reliable source for scientific research, wikipedia:

"...the Big Bang theory cannot and does not provide any explanation for such an initial condition"

There is its major flaw. I personally feel that the only explanation for this initial condition, is a divine being, a greater power, something that created it.

How ridiculous is God looking now? With all due respect, the theory of God seems fairly infallible. It's the religious interpretation of God that often reveals contradictions.

Just because we don't understand something completely yet means that God did it? Plenty of things through history have been explained by a divine power until science was able to explain it. We may one day figure this out as well.

quote:

Originally posted by .Justin.:
Marijuna--I'm not too fond of the use of it... I think both are gross, and have personally decided to avoid both.

Why not? I fucking hope you've at least tried it.

quote:

Originally posted by .Justin.:
God-- I find that there are too many logical fallacies with the scientific answer.

What are these logical fallacies you speak of?

quote:

Originally posted by .Justin.:
"...the Big Bang theory cannot and does not provide any explanation for such an initial condition"

There is its major flaw. I personally feel that the only explanation for this initial condition, is a divine being, a greater power, something that created it.

Yeh, good one captain douche-bag. So where did this divine being come from? You can't just keep creating 'divine beings' to help you sleep at night.

quote:

Originally posted by SIMPAK.:
I don't believe in the death penalty. Two wrongs don't make a right...

Since when is killing a predator wrong? It happens in the wild all the time.