Original Sin?

The hindu/muslim violence that occurred during the partitioning of India killed between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people. Those numbers are similar to the total deaths during the Korean war.
The partition was necessary because the people could not agree on common rules to live by, because of their religious beliefs.

Quote: Dalex64

The hindu/muslim violence that occurred during the partitioning of India killed between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people. Those numbers are similar to the total deaths during the Korean war.
The partition was necessary because the people could not agree on common rules to live by, because of their religious beliefs.

A good read if you're up for it: Partition. It's much more complicated. The author argues that division of the state was done for political reasons and it was the politics of the partition that started the regional war of religions. Once territories had been decided, attacks and retributive attacks took place in order to drive the Muslims to Pakistan and the non-muslims (Hindus, Sikhs) to the India side. It did not help that Mountbatten moved up the date of Partition nor was there a military presense to make the transition a peaceful one.

Quote: boymimbo

Actually the bloodiest century in terms of genocide and percentage of population is the one when Noah, when God destroyed all but 8 people and all animals except 2 of each.

I wonder how FrGamble would define the value of everything if humans didn't exist. (He couldn't because he wouldn't exist, but aside from that)

I value myself, as everyone does, but I don't think it means a whit to the rest of the Universe if we weren't here. I also think another species would probably rise to prominence if the Earth didn't suffer a major catastorphe. Perhaps not chimps. Maybe another cousin. Turns out a seaworm is 70% genetically related to humans -- more than the chicken.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/11/19/this-weird-worm-is-a-surprisingly-close-cousin-of-ours/

*It would be fun to think everyone values "me", but that's probably worded badly.

Quote: rxwine

I value myself, as everyone does, but I don't think it means a whit to the rest of the Universe if we weren't here.

My view is that nothing of interest happened on Earth until there were beings capable of being interested in things that happen on Earth :)

Quote: Nareed

My view is that nothing of interest happened on Earth until there were beings capable of being interested in things that happen on Earth :)

Does beauty exist if no intelligent being ever sees it? Or does it come into existence at that moment? I've probably got the question all wrong. Then again someone else might not appreciate this at all, especially, if they need to get up it in a hurry.

Quote: rxwine

It would be fun to think everyone values "me", but that's probably worded badly.

You have value, as a food supply for
another species. Other than that, we
have very little value to the universe
at all.

Quote: rxwine

I wonder how FrGamble would define the value of everything if humans didn't exist. (He couldn't because he wouldn't exist, but aside from that)

I value myself, as everyone does, but I don't think it means a whit to the rest of the Universe if we weren't here.

I am very anthropocentric. We are the crown jewel of God's creation. Nothing would even be here if God had not created human beings in His image and likeness and invited us to share in the eternal divine life of God.

You should value yourself. We are all unrepeatable human beings with a free will, intellect, and an eternal soul. We are God's precious children. Just think for a second about, regardless of how much DNA we share with a seaworm, how radically different we are to all other creation around us. We are amazing and each of us holds an inestimable value from the moment we are conceived till the moment we return to the Lord.

Quote: FrGamble

We are the crown jewel of God's creation. .

The sheer hubris of this statement always
astounds me.

(hubris: arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, hauteur, pride, self-importance, egotism, pomposity, superciliousness, superiority)

You invent a god, and then make yourself
his biggest accomplishment. Hubris on
steroids.

My dog thinks he's the center of
the universe too, he really does.
But he doesn't know any better,
so I don't make fun of him like
I do religious people.

I think it is hubris to not believe in God and you think it is hubris to not believe in Dog.

Quote: FrGamble

I think it is hubris to not believe in God .

Not believing something is not hubris,
it's not anything. If your god was real,
for me the world would become a
terrifying and horrible place. That's why
I think you don't believe in god either,
you want to so you kid yourself into
thinking you do.