Nature and the fall of man

jar writes:

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For the first time in history we are also beginning to do what Adam was suposed to be doing, taking care of the garden. Efforts like the Endangered Species List, Conservation, Environmental Protection Laws, efforts such as the Occupational Protection and Health Administration undertake are steps towards becoming the stewards GOD charged us to become.

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I should point out that every single one of these programs here in the US have been vehemently opposed by the religious right. Under the Reagan administration, Secretary of the Interior James Watt actually derided the idea of environmental and energy conservation in testimony before Congress since the end of the world was at hand, saying, "after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back."

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Rrhain

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Thank you for your submission to Science. Your paper was reviewed by a jury of seventh graders so that they could look for balance and to allow them to make up their own minds. We are sorry to say that they found your paper "bogus," specifically describing the section on the laboratory work "boring." We regret that we will be unable to publish your work at this time.

randman responds to me:

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Rrhain, you've been snookered by an urban myth. Watts never said that.

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Not according to Austin Miles' book, Setting the Captives Free (page 229). I admit that the reference I was using to first look it up made the erroneous claim that he made it in testimony to Congress. My apologies for my error.

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The reason many Christians and conservatives oppossed federal land policy is that it essentially took away private property rights and did so without compensation.

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Excuse me? You're concerned about money? Isn't that a direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus? Aren't you supposed to give everything you have away in order to follow the lord? Aren't you supposed to render unto Caesar that which is due Caesar? When someone asks you for your shirt, aren't you supposed to give him your coat as well?So where on earth do these Christians get off complaining over the protection of the environment? Once they found out that their lands were home to endangered species, they should have been on the forefront to do what it took to maintain the integrity of the ecosystem.

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essentially make once valuable land worthless monetarily

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There's that money-worship again. What do you care about money for? If you're faithful, god will provide, will he not? You're supposed to be giving it away to those who need it more than you, anyway.

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So there is and has been some injustice to government policies at different levels.

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How can following the commands of your lord, Jesus Christ, and of god himself be "injustice"?It would seem that the religion these people follow is the god of money.

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Rrhain

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Thank you for your submission to Science. Your paper was reviewed by a jury of seventh graders so that they could look for balance and to allow them to make up their own minds. We are sorry to say that they found your paper "bogus," specifically describing the section on the laboratory work "boring." We regret that we will be unable to publish your work at this time.

randman responds to me:

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Not according to Austin Miles' book, Setting the Captives Free (page 229).

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It's still a well-known urban myth.

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Says who? You? Why should we believe you? There are plenty of other quotes of Watt showing him to be an apocalyptic Christian who believes we are living in the end times.

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You're concerned about money? Isn't that a direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus?

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No.

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That's not what the Bible says.Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

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The idea you think professing Jesus equates holding to socialist political positions shows you are a shallow thinker when it comes to Christianity and the Bible.

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(*chuckle*)Who said anything about socialism? I know I didn't. It would seem that you are worshipping something other than the teachings of Jesus.But since you bring it up:Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

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There is no call for socialism, as you suggest.

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Strange, I would say that the best teachings of Jesus are nothing but a call for socialism: Take care of your neighbor, bear each other's burdens, give everything you have, love one another.1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.Jesus even favored progressive taxation:Luke 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
21:2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
21:3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

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Sure, the Christian is to help the poor, but lobbying for the poor to be harmed by rich liberal elites is not a command of Jesus Christ.

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Who said anything about liberals? We're talking about the religious right. The fact that there are other bad people in the world doesn't make the religious right any better.The simple fact of the matter is that environmental and social service programs, some of the most successful programs we have ever had to help the environment and the poor in this country, are continually under attack from the religious right. What do you think the whole thing with regard to Social Security this past year was? An attempt to gut the most successful anti-poverty program the world has ever seen.

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The idea we should favor government exploitation of people, as you suggest, is disgusting, as is your post.

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BWAHAHAHAHA!Keeping people from starving is "exploitation"? Keeping the air breatheable, the water drinkable, and the food from being poisoned is "exploitation"? Don't tell me you've converted to holmes-speak.Turned off smilies since it screwed up the Matthew quoteThis message has been edited by Rrhain, 01-02-2006 03:26 AM

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Rrhain

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Thank you for your submission to Science. Your paper was reviewed by a jury of seventh graders so that they could look for balance and to allow them to make up their own minds. We are sorry to say that they found your paper "bogus," specifically describing the section on the laboratory work "boring." We regret that we will be unable to publish your work at this time.