[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Steve9930

Carl I see your right on target with this post. I felt that if they gave the same coverage as a shooting might actually start to point to the real problem. Mental instability versus blaming the evil gun. Also not enough controversy so less profit.

Not sure if you can call this mental illness. We will have to wait and see. There do not seem to be any indications that this kid had a history of any mental problems other than perhaps being bullied.

[CFrance]

It has not even been confirmed that he was bullied. That was one statement by one kid who said he "assumed" the kid was bullied. Guess we will know more later.

It's a stable, safe school district in a mostly affluent suburb where parents spend a lot of time on their kids. I know kids and parents who lived there and attended that school.

[kittygilchrist]

Is there a devil? Does he influence peoples' behavior? Are good and evil really making a play for us, as portrayed in the cartoons of my childhood where an angel voice went in one ear and a devil in the other?

[SantaClaus]

I wouldn't believe the cartoons, but I do believe Jesus... He seemed pretty convinced that the devil and demons are real.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by kittygilchrist

Is there a devil? Does he influence peoples' behavior? Are good and evil really making a play for us, as portrayed in the cartoons of my childhood where an angel voice went in one ear and a devil in the other?

That's a very interesting question. I see the devil more as a reflection of the evil within us already. This evil sure can prosper if good people do not live by a code like that found in the US and State Constitutions as well as in the Golden Rule which is the basis of many religions. It can happen anywhere and anyplace that the worse passions, ideas, prejudices, hubris, etc. of people take over.

There is also the problem when some philosopher, leader, etc.'s ideas become bastardized like with Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles Darwin and that despicable philosophical idiot Alfred Rosenberg. Friedrich Nietzsche - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nazi_ideologues http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Rosenberg

This is a fascinating discussion about professors who taught ethics and the rise of Nazism -- http://schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com...losophers.html

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by SantaClaus

I wouldn't believe the cartoons, but I do believe Jesus... He seemed pretty convinced that the devil and demons are real.

That's easy for you to say, you're Santa Claus!

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by SantaClaus

I wouldn't believe the cartoons, but I do believe Jesus... He seemed pretty convinced that the devil and demons are real.

Not sure if we can ever be certain of exactly what Jesus said as he seemed to have had a lot of editors from when he lived up to now. I am just starting reading Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. It will be interesting to see if he addresses that problem.

[SantaClaus]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Not sure if we can ever be certain of exactly what Jesus said as he seemed to have had a lot of editors from when he lived up to now. I am just starting reading Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. It will be interesting to see if he addresses that problem.

I don't want to completely hijack this thread, but having spent five years as a biblical studies and philosophy major I can assure you that we know what the original authors said that Jesus said. And we know that the oldest and best documents show that those authors were contemporaries of Jesus, and that their writings were distributed at the time that witnesses to the events were alive (and therefore could refute the claims). The tiny fraction of the text that remains in question (on the order of half a percent) is footnoted in any good Bible and none of those variants are of theological significance. Finally, I'm certain that Mr. O'Reiley had no difficulty finding experts to present a controversial viewpoint, there are always folks around who are more interested in getting published or booking speaking engagements than winnowing out the truth. I'm not saying this as a matter of faith, just as a case for the reliability of the documents. We actually have better evidence of what Jesus said than we do that Plato or Julius Caesar ever lived.

All that said, I do not see a demon behind every bush. I think man is fully capable of the worst kinds of evil all on his own and seldom needs prodding from the devil. Especially when we teach our kids that they are nothing but grown up germs, that terminating a pregnancy is no more significant that having a wart removed, and that all that awaits us is the tomb (that sweet Nirvana of escape). Ok, flame suit is on.

[buggyone]

From what I have seen on television and read, the boy who stabbed others looked about 13 or 14 but was actually 16. This kid was most likely bullied daily and finally just snapped. I would guess he did this as a last resort and was hoping to be killed. Definitely a mental case and will most likely be institutionized for many, many years.

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by buggyone

From what I have seen on television and read, the boy who stabbed others looked about 13 or 14 but was actually 16. This kid was most likely bullied daily and finally just snapped. I would guess he did this as a last resort and was hoping to be killed. Definitely a mental case and will most likely be institutionized for many, many years.

That will be his lawyers defense for sure whether it is real or not.

[SantaClaus]

Certainly seems to have been an impulsive plan, using what was at hand. It's not like he had a couple of $200 commando knives he'd saved for months to buy.

[Golfingnut]

I am very surprised to hear the parents say he was a normal child with no sign of any problems.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by SantaClaus

I don't want to completely hijack this thread, but having spent five years as a biblical studies and philosophy major I can assure you that we know what the original authors said that Jesus said. And we know that the oldest and best documents show that those authors were contemporaries of Jesus, and that their writings were distributed at the time that witnesses to the events were alive (and therefore could refute the claims). The tiny fraction of the text that remains in question (on the order of half a percent) is footnoted in any good Bible and none of those variants are of theological significance. Finally, I'm certain that Mr. O'Reiley had no difficulty finding experts to present a controversial viewpoint, there are always folks around who are more interested in getting published or booking speaking engagements than winnowing out the truth. I'm not saying this as a matter of faith, just as a case for the reliability of the documents. We actually have better evidence of what Jesus said than we do that Plato or Julius Caesar ever lived.

All that said, I do not see a demon behind every bush. I think man is fully capable of the worst kinds of evil all on his own and seldom needs prodding from the devil. Especially when we teach our kids that they are nothing but grown up germs, that terminating a pregnancy is no more significant that having a wart removed, and that all that awaits us is the tomb (that sweet Nirvana of escape). Ok, flame suit is on.

You should check out this link--

Historicity of Jesus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus

O'Reilly does have a section of other books to read about the historicity of Jesus. I minored in Religious Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno and have two BAs in History and Philosophy. Not sure that Jesus as a historical figure is as clear as many would hope.


On the subject of this kid--


We should wait and see what exactly influenced the Pittsburgh knife attacker. I am about 6' feet and was frequently bullied by much shorter boys in junior high as well as elementary school before became tall. Attitude seems more important when looking at who gets bullied.

[Golfingnut]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

You should check out this link--

Historicity of Jesus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

O'Reilly does have a section of other books to read about the historicity of Jesus. I minored in Religious Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno and have two BAs in History and Philosophy. Not sure that Jesus as a historical figure is as clear as many would hope.


On the subject of this kid--


We should wait and see what exactly influenced the Pittsburgh knife attacker. I am about 6' feet and was frequently bullied by much shorter boys in junior high as well as elementary school before became tall. Attitude seems more important when looking at who gets bullied.

Hey tal, what's up.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Golfingnut

Hey tal, what's up.

Originally Posted by Golfingnut

I am very surprised to hear the parents say he was a normal child with no sign of any problems.

Not much is up as far as I know but think that we should reserve judgment before accepting whatever version of this kid is out there right now. It may take them some time to get to the facts.

And sometimes you cannot get to the facts-- http://biblebabble.curbjaw.com/gospels.htm This is about conflicts in the Gospels. It does not look particularly credible but... its out there (in more ways than one).