Indy,

Absolute rubbish!

"The reality is that a National Service creates & instills (sic) a sense of responsibility." During the Vietnam War when national service was in operation it clearly did nothing to instil a sense of responsibility in conscripts, in fact it was divisive and negative, young male suicides rocketed, mental instability in nashos went up.

"Crime only exists because the majority of people allow it to exist" No where that laws and punishment are excessively draconian is there evidence that crime does not exist. China for example, they still have no shortage of victims to execute year after year, but crime still exists.

As for saying "the majority of people allow (crime) to exist, that's bunk, not worth answering.

You lack total credibility, when you became an Australian citizen, you were eligible for military service in the Australian Army up to the age of 35, BUT YOU FAILED TO ENLIST. Why was that? You are always prating on about others, and what should be done with them, none of it ever includes yourself. Why is that? Whinging old farts on aged welfare should be thrown into Seniors National Service digging up roads until they are 110.

We need to look to our instinctive behaviour.
Harming or killing another life form in defence of one's own life is a natural response.
If we are under threat, it is an instinctive reaction, and is needed for our survival.
Though we would almost certainly suffer severe emotional shock afterwards.

However, the detached and deliberate taking of life is not natural?
We would suffer too great an emotional upset?
Except that a psychopathic person would likely have no problem with it.
I am sure they made great hangmen in the past.

Those who suffer severe emotional distress from personal loss, will often 'fire up' and seek revenge.
This is instinctive behaviour which can get out of hand.
It can lead to 'the cure being worse than the complaint'.
Cooler wiser heads must ensure that restraint is exercised.

I am sometimes surprised to find that those with a religious bent can be severely vengeful.
My my. What a world we live in.
Isn't there a saying something about 'your slip is showing'?
Could it be that True Atheists have a far better feeling for life than religious persons do?

Hi IF,

Some good observations there.

"the detached and deliberate taking of life is not natural"
The Nazi regime were concerned about their soldiers shooting Jews. Not for any concern for Jews but the mental impact it was having on their men.

"Those who suffer severe emotional distress from personal loss, will often 'fire up' and seek revenge"
The 'My Lai' massacre during the Vietnam War seen ordinary men who had suffered personal loss of their own, direct their hostility towards innocent people, murdering 350 to 500 .

"I am sometimes surprised to find that those with a religious bent can be severely vengeful."
Until recent times the Christian God was portrayed as "vengeful", its only in the last few hundred years that the Christian God morphed into a "forgiving, benevolent" being. Christians cannot explain why for 1,000 years their god was such, and then suddenly changed. The best they can come up with is it was all a mistake on the part of the believers. Tough luck for all those they burned at the stake. Incidentally women who murdered their husbands were often burned alive, they had sinned against the word of God. Men on the other hand who murdered their wives could often justify the act as "she had sinned against thr word of God", and therefore they were set free.

Dear Ipso Fatso,

«I am sometimes surprised to find that those with a religious bent can be severely vengeful... Could it be that True Atheists have a far better feeling for life than religious persons do?«

But how can you tell that someone has a religious bent? Only because they say so?
True Atheists can be at least as religious as those who just claim to be religious with all the hoo-ha.

I think every person develops a set of 'understandings', or 'principles', which guide him through life.
Even when these are not based on the existence of a supernatural entity, some might regard them as a 'religion'?
It is sometimes said that even sport can be a religion.
So I suppose the word religion is taking on different 'hues'.

So atheists, and those with similar views, might be said to be religious in one sense?
It is just that their standards are not the same.
Theirs are based on truth and reason.
Theirs is a much healthier and more natural way of thought.

Many organised religions seem to be militant.
When you don't concur with their views, you are in danger.
True atheists are logical and peaceful as they go about daily life.
They mean no harm to those who disagree with them.
As a general rule, I would think they would not welcome the return of a death penalty.
They are not militant or vengeful.

Dear Ipso Fatso,

Albert Einstein was once asked by a blind person to explain them what 'white' means.
Einstein: "white is the colour of snow"
Blind person: "Ah, so 'white' means very cold"
Einstein: "No, a swan is also white, but is quite warm"
Blind person: "What is a swan?"
Einstein: "It's a white animal that floats on water"
Blind person: "Please describe this animal for me"
Einstein: "It has a twisted neck, just like this" and he goes and bends the blind person's neck.
Blind person: "Oh thank you so much, now I understand what 'white' means!"

Same for the blind who think that "religion" is about belief in supernatural entities - yes, belief in supernatural entities can at times be helpful as a religious method for some beginners, but to think of such beliefs as "religion" is just like thinking of a bent neck as "white" - just because they happen to coincide in swans.

Some people who believe in supernatural entities are zealots.
Some sports fans are also zealots.
To conclude that sports can therefore be a religion is like concluding that a broom can be the führer because both have a mustache.

«So atheists, and those with similar views, might be said to be religious in one sense?»

No, atheists don't automatically become religious merely because they are of the opinion that "God does not exist", same as believers don't automatically become religious merely because they are of the opinion that "God exists". To be religious, one has to truly earn it with good selfless deeds and other qualities that bring them closer to God.

Some atheists use logic and reason, some don't, same for religious people, so that isn't an indicator either.

«Many organised religions seem to be militant.
When you don't concur with their views, you are in danger.»

That being the case, I don't believe them to be religious - just pretenders.

«True atheists are logical and peaceful as they go about daily life.
They mean no harm to those who disagree with them.»

That being the case, they more likely are religious.