Arguing that chickenpox is better than smallpox is no reason to promote the spread of chickenpox.

Some mind-controlling diseases are more virulent than others and they mostly infect the young. Symptoms may include fever, delusions, speaking in tongues and sudden explosive combustion in the most extreme cases.

Now, the only way to become resistant to these infections is to have a good inoculation of reason. Exposure to these diseases should preferably be limited to adults, as children's immune systems are too immature to fight of infection.

Immune systems can all be strengthened by exposure (free speech), but only if proper reason is applied at the same time. Let them come.

Hmm interesting

I believe some people forget things. We read based on others opinions rather than facts, and go emotional upon what we believe. Personally I believe any ones belief should be respected even if it goes against your own.

If you can't respect it at least tolerate it. I can respect the belief of Muhammad being a messenger/prophet no problem just as I would respect the belief of Jesus. I'll criticise the religion only based on the texts not the people, and even then I'd need to understand the text before it’s criticised. Because people are just weaklings how many good people is there out there? I think it has its limits.

Lot's of things that are so called seen as "islamic" are actually cultural practice and not islamic. For example wife beating, arranged marriages, honor killing, and raping of any girl be it with or without head covering. All that is just rubbish.

Besides if it isn’t your own religion and you haven't read their books how can you genuinely say that "this is the truth of their religion because so and so said so".

Bugsy.. I feel the same about the Soviet Union indoctrinating a generation of Russian Childrn into overt_Atheism. Not just telling them 'There is no God' but encouraging them to ridicule those who DO believe that.
It works both ways mate. But, given the examples you mentioned, yes.. I tend to agree with you believe it or not. The mentality behind the 'happy clapping/speaking in toungues/Oh brother..I have a word of knowledge for you from the Lord" is to my mind, quite unbibilical.
You may well criticize our belief in the resurrection, but that such a belief is 'unreasonable' ? No way hosay :)

ABCD
Do you respect the now dead Pablo Escobar? No?...why? maybe because he was a murderer, drug dealer and a man who enjoyed sex with underage girls?

Now.. would you respect ANY murderer who had sex with underage girls?
Or a man who claimed specific principles of 'defensive' fighting ONLY, but then who murders a political opponent who has not as yet laid a finger on him?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka'b_ibn_al-Ashraf please read this.

I have 'respect' for Buddha, because while he was wrong, he was sincerely wrong. I have no respect for Mohammed. ZERO.
-Murdered
-Tortured and mutilated people.
-Sex with underage girl.
-Lied/betrayed (Leaders of Khaybar Jews.."Come...talk peace" then ambushed them on the way, killing them all)

As a figure of history, no one is more deserving of respect than Christ Jesus who died on our behalf, but that...was friday, Sunnnndays a comin as they say..you can't keep a good man down :)
Pastor Tony Campolo is not one I agree with on all things, but he sure does rattle the cage like here:

["I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a sh_t. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said sh_t than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."]

Have a listen to his "Its friday but Sunday is comin" message.
http://www.tonycampolo.org/media_archive.php its worth a listen.

Oh dear, Boaz, they ridiculed people who believed in God? Really? Gee, that must have hurt a lot, oh those poor children.

Those commies were a bunch of /b/tards weren't they? Ridicule, now why didn't I think of that?

I’m talking about spiritual religious beliefs, anything that isn’t just I wouldn’t respect but in some cases you just have to tolerate. For example if you have neighbours who rev a car all night long or a noisy or whatever, you’d need to tolerate it. Or if someone was a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist that’s their choice and you’d need to tolerate it doesn’t mean you need to accept their belief.

The claims you make a pretty big. Who did “he” murder? Who did he torture and mutilate? Sex with underage girl? who, his wife? When the agreement was made she was a young age besides marriage doesn’t mean sexual intercourse. And if you knew some history of Islam you’d know she was older when she got married. Either way different times different practices 30-40 yrs ago people used to get married young, it was the norm. BTW how is he a liar?

So what about this Ka`b he was a Jewish tribe leader that fought against Muhammad why wouldn’t he kill him? He didn’t even kill him his “companions” did besides they were after him from the battles. Maybe if you’re a Jew you’d feel so emotional about it. Ka`b wasn’t such a nice guy either though what significance is Ka`b to you? This is one example of one thing which isn’t even anything.

Look at Howard and Bush they send our troops overseas and get them killed, when our Aussie troops should be back at home. Should we start calling them evil?

You seem like a pessimist or maybe even sadistic just purposing looking for the wrong in people.

Jesus teaches us to love one another not hate.

No one is perfect, remember that

abcd,

Muhammed married Aisha when she was 6 and had sex with her at age 9. My understanding is that was unusually young even by the standards of 7th century Arabia.

However that is not my point.

My point is purely that Muhammed is no more a "no-go-zone" than John Howard. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is within her rights to say whatever she likes about Muhammed or about Islam generally. If Nada Roude of the NSW Islamic Council wants to live in Australia she had better get used to that just as Australian Christians have had to get used to having their religion trashed.

Do you, abcd, think that religions, or religious figures, deserve some sort of special protection?