Even if this science takes off we will always need men if for nothing more than genetic diversity. :)

Life would be boring without men.

Since the beginning of history mankind has been set upon by zealots and crusaders, who, have wanted to fervently raise them from benightedness to blessedness.

The result has been a great deal of bloodshed and violence committed in Thackeray's phrase, 'the mischief which the very virtuous do.'

Who are the self-appointed emissaries of God who have caused so much
havoc in the world?

They are men who believe in some cause without doubt and practice their beliefs without scruple, men who have become living, breathing, embodiments of some faith or idealogy...

Are such men necessary? Men who see themselves as appointed missionaries in a benighted world. Who have the arrogance to assume that the rest of us need educating - while they themselves lack the traits of kindness, compassion, respect, and a sense of fair play.
Or what is often described as character.

Necessary? About as necessary as a second head!

Fuzzy...(your new name until you talk sense :)

Kidding.. FOXY.. mate.. you are missing a few screws there in your argument. here is how it goes.

1/ You begin with a prefixed idea of 'religious people are horrible/fanatics'

2/ Someone speaks to you about Christ.
3/ Thus.. what they are speakng MUST (by virtue of your predisposed idea) be the words of 'horrible genocidal fanatics'

4/ Then.. you project that 'horrible fanatic/historically violent' image..on anyone who speaks about Christ.

Here's the flaw, and it's about as big as the old Quarry down at Box Hill...

"Jesus.. and those who imitate him, are not cruel or genocidal people." (They may be soldiers though)

I think you lack the basic understanding of what Jesus stood for.

What I CAN accept from you is this:

"Many people historically, have USED the name of God, or Christ, or the Church.. to justify many things of a horrific nature, but as I read the New Testament..I cannot see how they arrive at this behavior based on those scriptures" ah..'that'...I can accept.

You can even say 'Oh BD..ur such a badddddd Christian'..and I'd have to agree with you.. but the downside about that, is that no matter how I come across in here.. it doesn't change the actual truth of the message of Christ, or his words about the need to be 'Born Again'...

You could even say "OOOoh..if YOU are an example of what being born again is about.. leave me out of it"..and again..I'd have to agree.
(except that you don't actually know 'me'... just my writings)

But the downside a-gain...is that the truth of Christ does not depend on 'me'. It depends on the Words and death and resurrection of Christ Himself.

I reckon seven wives must have proved a point.

Without men, insurance companies would go broke as they would be obliged to lower their insurance premiums for car and motor-cycle drivers, to the point where they could not make a profit.

Without young men who believe they are immortals, who would be our heroes? How could we possibly fight wars? Our arms manufacturers would go broke and the women working in the arms factories putting explosives into shells would be out of work. And their parthenogenic daughters would starve.

And their parthenogenic daughters couldn't even earn a living as prostitutes.

The bar owners of Bangkok would go broke.

The New York taxi drivers would rapidly lose their reputation for rudeness if they all were women.

No, it's we men who make the world go round. We are essential!

Indeed, dear Henry.

Moreover, we are the ones with dicks!!

(I was going to say something about the penis in the room, but I decided to eschew the very dodgy cliche and go with the statement of the obvious)

Boazy said "I think you lack the basic understanding of what Jesus stood for."

Lets put it to a vote who between Foxy and Boazy who's posts best reflect what Jesus stood for.

Before voting please take a little time to review some of the posting history of both and take a read of Jesus most famous body of work on what he stood for - what we call the sermon on the mount.

I'll include the start of the work below to help.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205;&version=31;

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Foxy I don't know all of your life but I suspect that you at a minimum will be full, shown mercy, seeing god, called a son of god (sorry about the gender confusion in that) and apparently the kingdon of heaven is yours.

Boazy I've not seen evidence of any of this stuff in your posts, sorry but you dip out.

I'll vote for Foxy having demonstrated attitudes which best reflect what Jesus stood for.

R0bert