Atheist knowledge

[Bruce]

Yes you could reckon that ritual spearing should be punished. But the judges in those days had no knowledge of aboriginal culture and therefore didn't know what they were punishing until Olive Pink explained to them.

 

I don't blame my parents, they were not educated properly. But the schoolteachers should have done better. And the judges should have been the best educated of all but they were not.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

So reading about the NZ earthquake, which is pretty damn serious and best wishes to those who are scared shotless today and suffering (I've been there, bloody terrifying) but of course clowns coming along saying "God Bless", "My prayers are with you" etc, the same effin "god" who did it.

 

 

[IBob]

So reading about the NZ earthquake, which is pretty damn serious and best wishes to those who are scared shotless today and suffering (I've been there, bloody terrifying) but of course clowns coming along saying "God Bless", "My prayers are with you" etc, the same effin "god" who did it.

It was unusual one, with a hugely long shaking to start with, then the more usual big jolts at the end.

 

Health & Safety will be all over the place like a rash...

 

 

[IBob]

For anyone who may be interested, we jump on here to see where and how big:

 

GeoNet - Quakes

 

and you can see the aftershocks coming through all the time now (though we're not currently feeling them in the Wairarapa, N Island where I am).

 

 

[turboplanner]

So reading about the NZ earthquake, which is pretty damn serious and best wishes to those who are scared shotless today and suffering (I've been there, bloody terrifying) but of course clowns coming along saying "God Bless", "My prayers are with you" etc, the same effin "god" who did it.

People died here Bex, but you can't help taking a cheap shot.

 

What did it was the earth's geological structure, which was doing it in biblical times; it was not your 'effin "god", and I didn't see any evidence of your clowns.

 

 

[Bruce]

Bex is not having a shot at the victims. He is pointing out the stupidity of using flattery to persuade an imaginary god to suspend natural law and intervene in our affairs, in this case to mitigate the suffering caused by the earthquake.

 

But this imaginary god was the one who sent the earthquake to begin with.

 

It must require a great effort of doublethink on the part of religious people to believe in this god.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Bex is not having a shot at the victims. He is pointing out the stupidity of using flattery to persuade an imaginary god to suspend natural law and intervene in our affairs, in this case to mitigate the suffering caused by the earthquake.But this imaginary god was the one who sent the earthquake to begin with.

 

It must require a great effort of doublethink on the part of religious people to believe in this god.

You're just as bad as Bex; an imaginary God who sent the earthquake?

 

Have any of the news services suggested that God sent the earthquake

 

It is disrespecting of the dead and their families to take the opportunity for cheap, baseless shots at religion.

 

If any of the people involved had done what you two are suggesting it might be a dabatable issue, but so far, there have been no reports, just the lightweight comments on here.

 

 

[facthunter]

Earthquakes are a completely natural phenomenon, moreso If you are located on a fault line. The continents are still moving and incomprehensible forces are sometimes at work. New Zealand is one of the youngest countries situated near us, one of the oldest. My eldest and most of his family landed at Christchurch at about the time it occurred this time. I spent 4 days in Christchurch just before the last one happened about 5 years ago. Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

Earthquakes are a completely natural phenomenon, moreso If you are located on a fault line. The continents are still moving and incomprehensible forces are sometimes at work. New Zealand is one of the youngest countries situated near us, one of the oldest. My eldest and most of his family landed at Christchurch at about the time it occurred this time. I spent 4 days in Christchurch just before the last one happened about 5 years ago. Nev

That's right, and while I don't have any references of ancient discussions on earthquakes, it would be surprising if civilizations which existed thousands of years BC, who could plot the exact positions of the stars, build accurate structures, measure water flow for irrigation and so on, were fazed by the shifting of the earth.

 

In fact, the South Americans built their poly-face block structure to interlock, which is a good indicator they knew they had to take care of business themselves rather than rely on God not to send earthquakes.

 

 

[facthunter]

When I was studying Science as a callow youth the Wegener Theory of Continental Drift was just a theory, based on how the continental portions appeared to "fit" each other. Not the sea level shape (which has varied a lot) but the continental shelf dimensions. Nev

 

 

[M61A1]

You're just as bad as Bex; an imaginary God who sent the earthquake?Have any of the news services suggested that God sent the earthquake

 

It is disrespecting of the dead and their families to take the opportunity for cheap, baseless shots at religion.

 

If any of the people involved had done what you two are suggesting it might be a dabatable issue, but so far, there have been no reports, just the lightweight comments on here.

 

That's right, and while I don't have any references of ancient discussions on earthquakes, it would be surprising if civilizations which existed thousands of years BC, who could plot the exact positions of the stars, build accurate structures, measure water flow for irrigation and so on, were fazed by the shifting of the earth.

In fact, the South Americans built their poly-face block structure to interlock, which is a good indicator they knew they had to take care of business themselves rather than rely on God not to send earthquakes.

Wow...Bex's point went so far above your head, you didn't even see it.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Yeah, very predictable.

 

 

[Bruce]

Well Turbs, if this is the first natural disaster in history where some religious people don't ostentatiously pray to their ridiculous god to save some person or thing then you are right and I apologise.

 

In the meantime, I can only say that I too visited Christchurch before the first earthquake and really liked the place and the friendly people there. When we had a problem at the airport they were much better than their counterparts in Australia.

 

How about lobbying your mp that we want decent aid sent? I have on mine.

 

 

[IBob]

National radio here has spent all day running coverage of the earthquakes. I listened to this for 4 hours solid in the car, and at no point was anybody's God invoked, blamed or insulted.

 

In other astonishing news, despite the fact that the affected regions are now crawling with various response personnel, the media have so far entirely failed to anoint a single Hero!

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Bex is not having a shot at the victims.

I went through the world's 3rd worst earthquake that killed 100,000 and helped in the local hospital for 2 days after. I was one of the bigger guys there so got to carry a lot of people, including ones no longer with us, and got to hold lots of padding over missing limbs, falling concrete does that, quite traumatic actually and effected me more than I realised for some time after.

 

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[facthunter]

It's the masonry falling that does the damage. In Papua Niugini they have them all the time and name them after something like Gurea sp?? which means shaking trees. Unless there is a Tsunami there's generally no damage whatsoever. might set up a rockslide or such occasionally. the loss of life is often poor building processes. related in other locations. In the South west of China near the Himalaya's, it's pretty active earthquake area. Large loss of life not long ago. Nev

 

 

[IBob]

Supposedly Frank Lloyd Wright made his reputation with a hotel he designed in Japan: not only did it stand through a big shake, they were able to use the ornamental ponds he put around it to fight fire. And fire used to be a huge problem after earthquakes, especially as the roads may be blocked with debris.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

A few years back a young bloke showed his earthquake resistant building idea on ABC's The Inventors.

 

Very low tech, but effective, it consisted of laying cords such as old ropes between courses of mud bricks and stones in buildings.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

It's the masonry falling that does the damage. In the South west of China near the Himalaya's, it's pretty active earthquake area. Large loss of life not long ago.

2008 Sichuan earthquake - Wikipedia

 

That's the one I went through Nev, I live/was some 30kms from the epicenter. .. and trust me, here it's the concrete that does the damage, mostly high rise apartments here.

 

I live in the red dot ..

 

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I try to consider the humorous moments of it;

 

2 weeks before the quake I had a lot of dirt bought up to make gardens on my roof, I am on the top 6th floor and have an outside rooftop. The housing management came to me and complained and asked me to sign a waiver about the weight and moisture doing damage. When the quake started, my first reaction was "OH FOOK!!! the garden is caving the roof in!"

 

We slept in the car for a few nights then tents with everyone else in the parks. After 4 or 5 days I just had to use my own toilet rather than the public park ones. So there I was sitting when the first of 2 BIG aftershocks hit, a 6.2 which is a strong earthquake on it's own. I could do nothing but consider just how great it was going to be for them to find me among the rubble with my pants down around my ankles.

 

A few days, maybe a week later we were in Chengdu in our other house, a 25th floor apartment when number 2 BIG one hit, a 6.0, my wife rushed and got under the table while I just sat on the couch telling her to come sit with me, if it falls there's nothing you can do and you can't use the lifts or run down 25 floors. I have done height work so am used to up to a meter swaying but it was still something to stain your underwear.

 

We still get plenty of small shakes, hate everyone of them.

 

[eightyknots]

National radio here has spent all day running coverage of the earthquakes. I listened to this for 4 hours solid in the car, and at no point was anybody's God invoked, blamed or insulted.

In other astonishing news, despite the fact that the affected regions are now crawling with various response personnel, the media have so far entirely failed to anoint a single Hero!

I went to Wellington for the day and I could not believe how much of ghost town the Wellington CBD was. There were plenty of people with high-vis vests and clipboards and trucks with orange flashing lights but none of the usual office people. I also went into the Newcastle (NSW) CBD back in 1989 and Hunter Street was far messier: many parapets and gables from commercial buildings had fallen into the main street.

 

There were some pretty big aftershocks felt during the day I was there GeoNet - Quakes . I am going again there for the day today (Tuesday); I hope there won't be the same number of shakes today.

 

 

[octave]

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[nomadpete]

It's not fair to poke fun at the limited scope of the Ten Commandments. After all, the commandments were much more comprehensive until some clutz dropped the other stone tablets on the way down from the mountain. Maybe his boss would have done better if he issued the text on a notepad.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Maybe it's 'cos they were in stone. You can imagine old Moses up there, chiseling away furiously as he thinks up all the rules his people need, but after 10 he goes "f*ck it, that'll have to do - my arms are killing me!"

 

 

[octave]

[nomadpete]

I don't quite get why an all powerful god had to rely on a mere human to chisel his rules for him. If he can make a universe in a week, the commandments should be ready in a millisecond with no more effort than a wave of the hand.

 

Maybe even do a letterbox drop at the same time, with a free set of steak knives.