Is Mise: In the first century BC there was very effective artificial insemination. the suck, insert and blow is still the same as the BC mode.

How about a reference or two? ;-)

Thank you Steele,

That's an interesting point: if one believes in an afterlife (and wouldn't we all like to ?), unlike those in the Jewish faith (for whom this one life must be all the more precious), is one more likely to think of this life as trivial, replaceable, if one simply follows the injunctions of what is required ? Murder a few non-believers at random and off you go - that must seem attractive to quite a few psychotics.

But I love Schopenhauer's remark that, if he could convince a believer that there was no heaven or afterlife, they would become atheist in twenty minutes. I don't know why twenty minutes, but I suppose it takes that long to work through the major implications for one's future - which raises the question: are true believers utterly selfish when it comes down to it ?

I suppose all one needs is a smooth-talking imam and more dopey kids are off on their killing sprees, thinking of those 72 virgins up there gagging for it.

Joe

Armed, when you blow yourself up you'll go to heaven & get 72 virgins.

OK. Bang!

OK Allah, where are my 72 virgins?

Arrrh, Armed, you ARE one of the virgins, bend over mate. :-0

Jayb,

There are no references that I can find to folk AI but the modern history dates from the late 1600s
http://www.fvvo.be/assets/97/13-Ombelet_et_al.pdf

There is a ref. to its use by ancient Arabs
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=MkUrAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA303&lpg=PA303&dq=artificial+insemination+in+ancient+times&source=bl&ots=AATwuFPdkr&sig=6Dd6LM-rYLF290nMZTGCPzUXy2s&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBWoVChMI95ykt-zLyAIVh8amCh2p_Qgn#v=onepage&q=artificial%20insemination%20in%20ancient%20times&f=false