# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=831 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 832 --- ## [Can Fallen Angels repent? Be forgiven?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fallen-angels-repent-be-forgiven/332987)
**Author:** [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fallen-angels-repent-be-forgiven/332987 "2005-12-02T22:05:44Z")
I dunno where to put this. It is vaguely about religion, so I’ll start here. Can the Fallen Angels repent and be forgiven? --- ## [Is "fiction" an exclusively human concept? What drives it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fiction-an-exclusively-human-concept-what-drives-it/333768)
**Author:** [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fiction-an-exclusively-human-concept-what-drives-it/333768 "2005-12-02T20:46:57Z")
An offhand Galaxy Quest quote in another thread got me to thinking about this. How universal is the drive to create fictional stories? As far as I know, every human culture on Earth has some form of fiction. (Correct me … --- ## [Who wants to back El rushbo on this one! Iraq withdrawal.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-back-el-rushbo-on-this-one-iraq-withdrawal/333669)
**Author:** [@jocularjason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jocularjason)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-back-el-rushbo-on-this-one-iraq-withdrawal/333669 "2005-12-02T15:21:54Z")
Who wants to defend His Royal Rushness on this one? http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site\_120105/content/fruited\_plain.guest.html --- ## [I'm against standardized education](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-against-standardized-education/333450)
**Author:** [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-against-standardized-education/333450 "2005-12-02T15:03:21Z")
Ok, so I’ve seen a lot of arguments about the seperation of church and state, and what this has led me to is what I see as the fundamental issue, state indoctrination. I do not believe we should have state indoctrinatio… --- ## [Military (USAF) Fraternization Policies. Antiquated?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-usaf-fraternization-policies-antiquated/333699)
**Author:** [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-usaf-fraternization-policies-antiquated/333699 "2005-12-02T14:25:00Z")
I’m an Air Force officer how also happened to be enlisted (through E-5) and have come to feel, quite strongly, that the military fraternization policies (at least those of the USAF) are far too strict. Current rules are… --- ## [The death of PC games is nigh!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-of-pc-games-is-nigh/298016)
**Author:** [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Replies:** 255\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-of-pc-games-is-nigh/298016 "2005-12-02T12:51:44Z")
Or is it? I’m aware that the doom of pc gaming has been predicted by alarmists for some years now but I think that soon, this may prove right and I’m going to explain why. A few notes before I start: I’m mainly going … --- ## [Is the military really that bad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-military-really-that-bad/333006)
**Author:** [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-military-really-that-bad/333006 "2005-12-02T06:30:38Z")
A couple years back I was trying to decide weather to go back to college to get a BS or join the Navy. Eventually, I decided to do the college thing, but on the caveat that if I felt like it, I could always join some bra… --- ## [Ahmadinejad gone bonkers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahmadinejad-gone-bonkers/333298)
**Author:** [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahmadinejad-gone-bonkers/333298 "2005-12-02T02:29:41Z")
Iranian president thinks himself divinely inspired to bring about the reappearance of the 12th Imam - feels a holy aura surrounding him. So has Mahmud wipe-israel-off-the-map Ahmadinejad president of Iran and future nucl… --- ## [What is meant by the Jews being "God's chosen people"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-the-jews-being-gods-chosen-people/333608)
**Author:** [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 2, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-the-jews-being-gods-chosen-people/333608 "2005-12-02T01:03:30Z")
I never really thought about it before but that sounds awfully creepy and racist. “God loves or race of people more than others and blesses us more while punishing others”. What does this mean? How can such a view be … --- ## [Provenance of antiquities; are archaeologically rich countries demanding too much?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/provenance-of-antiquities-are-archaeologically-rich-countries-demanding-too-much/332466)
**Author:** [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Replies:** 54\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/provenance-of-antiquities-are-archaeologically-rich-countries-demanding-too-much/332466 "2005-12-01T23:41:06Z")
This from the schedule of upcoming programs on KCRW: I’d like to listen to the show before saying too much, but this just knocks me over. Are the archaeologically rich countries going to strip us bare? Will the Bri… --- ## [Randomness and free will.........](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/randomness-and-free-will/332162)
**Author:** [@Trust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trust)\ **Replies:** 89\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/randomness-and-free-will/332162 "2005-12-01T23:22:59Z")
Is anything truly random? You roll dice and have a 1 in 6 chance of picking the correct side it will land on. If we knew the angle it is thrown at, the friction, the speed, x number of variables, etc. we can find out exa… --- ## [What is more bliss?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-more-bliss/333491)
**Author:** [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-more-bliss/333491 "2005-12-01T21:53:06Z")
Well, I’m hoping it’s a valid “philosphical” question that sheer response volume can fill-in the rest of. \*\* If ignorance is bliss, then what about self-delusion? \*\* Ignorance is not knowing to begin with, self-delusi… --- ## [Isn't this a stupid thing for the US to do? \[Secretly paying for Iraqi press stories\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-this-a-stupid-thing-for-the-us-to-do-secretly-paying-for-iraqi-press-stories/333422)
**Author:** [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-this-a-stupid-thing-for-the-us-to-do-secretly-paying-for-iraqi-press-stories/333422 "2005-12-01T21:40:56Z")
This morning’s LA Times reports that our military has been secretlypaying for good news stories about Iraq in Iraqi newspapers. I think that once such clandestine operations are known, and they are certain to be known, … --- ## [Is "String Theory" essentially just unprovable mathematical noodling?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-string-theory-essentially-just-unprovable-mathematical-noodling/332737)
**Author:** [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Replies:** 102\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-string-theory-essentially-just-unprovable-mathematical-noodling/332737 "2005-12-01T20:13:34Z")
Does this physicist (Krauss) have a point? Theory of Anything? - Physicist Lawrence Krauss turns on his own. --- ## [Why is suicide bad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-suicide-bad/333038)
**Author:** [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Replies:** 93\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-suicide-bad/333038 "2005-12-01T12:33:57Z")
I read the CNN story about the teenage girl who killed herself, supposedly with the encouragment and assistance of a Usenet community, alt.suicide.holiday. I visited the newsgroup and lurked. I saw the expected influx … --- ## [Re ID could colleges legally screen out KS HS students for inadequate science educ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-id-could-colleges-legally-screen-out-ks-hs-students-for-inadequate-science-educ/332542)
**Author:** [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Replies:** 96\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-id-could-colleges-legally-screen-out-ks-hs-students-for-inadequate-science-educ/332542 "2005-12-01T12:18:50Z")
Just curious if Colleges nationwide could legally assume Kansas high school students are not adequately prepared because Intelligent Design is part of the curriculum, and exclude them just for being educated in Kansas H… --- ## [Indian Culture: Not "Aryan Invasion"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-culture-not-aryan-invasion/330811)
**Author:** [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indian-culture-not-aryan-invasion/330811 "2005-12-01T04:19:45Z")
Perusing a religion board I visit, I ran into a thread that had trainwrecked which began with an interesting premise: Max Muller’s theory that the dominant culture of India is largely the product of Indo-European (“Indo… --- ## [About Face: The Ethics Of Face Transplants](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-face-the-ethics-of-face-transplants/333489)
**Author:** [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-face-the-ethics-of-face-transplants/333489 "2005-12-01T01:39:37Z")
The main issue seems to be how we handle looking in a morrir and seeing someone staring back at us. That might be unnerving, but I think that if my choice was getting used to the horribly disfigured face caused by a do… --- ## [Limbo...A Kinder, Gentler Gawd?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbo-a-kinder-gentler-gawd/333363)
**Author:** [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbo-a-kinder-gentler-gawd/333363 "2005-11-30T23:28:34Z")
So I’m watching the Today Show and a Vatican City scholar priest guy is talking about the church easing up on the Limbo thing because it sounds like way too harsh to send innocent unbaptized infants somewhere bad when th… --- ## [Tuition Reform- A proposal](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuition-reform-a-proposal/333457)
**Author:** [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuition-reform-a-proposal/333457 "2005-11-30T23:06:07Z")
College tuition is out of control. Since 1960 it has been rising at about twice the rate of inflation. It has long been impossible to work your way through college. It is largely impossible for the average family to sav… --- ## [First Face Transplant - Moral implications?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-face-transplant-moral-implications/333442)
**Author:** [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-face-transplant-moral-implications/333442 "2005-11-30T22:55:41Z")
Wow. I’ve been reading and watching a lot about how close they were coming to actually performing this operation, and now it appears they’ve done it: http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/11/30/france.face/index.html Of course… --- ## [When is it acceptable to committ suicide?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-acceptable-to-committ-suicide/333262)
**Author:** [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-acceptable-to-committ-suicide/333262 "2005-11-30T22:34:12Z")
In this thread asking about if suicide is bad, I posed the same question I always do when this subject comes up. To the people who feel suicide is selfish and does irreparable harm to those left behind and therefore sho… --- ## [John Adams--Supporter of King George??](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-adams-supporter-of-king-george/333273)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-adams-supporter-of-king-george/333273 "2005-11-30T21:25:03Z")
Was John Adams a supporter of King George (as he seemed to have joined the defence team for British soldiers accused of massacring Bostonians?) Not only that, but he doesn’t even to have tried to hide his shame - he act… --- ## [Should voting machine manufacturers have security clearances?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-voting-machine-manufacturers-have-security-clearances/333350)
**Author:** [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-voting-machine-manufacturers-have-security-clearances/333350 "2005-11-30T20:49:18Z")
While perusing Slashdot about Diebold’s threatened withdrawl from North Carolina (because they’d actually have to reveal the source code in their voting machines, the horror), I stumbled across this message, which docume… --- ## [Governors in semis (and cars)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governors-in-semis-and-cars/333011)
**Author:** [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governors-in-semis-and-cars/333011 "2005-11-30T19:38:00Z")
Sorry I don’t have more details, but while listening to the local news this evening, I heard about a non profit group that, among other things, is pushing for governors to be installed in 18-wheel trucks that would limit… --- ## [Separation of Church and State -- how far should you take it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-church-and-state-how-far-should-you-take-it/333352)
**Author:** [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-church-and-state-how-far-should-you-take-it/333352 "2005-11-30T19:00:36Z")
I believe in the separation of Church and State as a matter of principle. I don’t think “Under God” should be in the pledge, I don’t think “In God We Trust” should be on the coins, and I definitely don’t think we should… --- ## [Will Marijuana Ever Be Fully Legalized In America?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-marijuana-ever-be-fully-legalized-in-america/332793)
**Author:** [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-marijuana-ever-be-fully-legalized-in-america/332793 "2005-11-30T17:33:52Z")
It seems odd to me that Marijuana is still illegal. It is much more benign than drugs that are already legal, including alcohol and tobacco. It’s almost impossible to find someone who didn’t toke up when they were youn… --- ## [How much of modern mathematics is historical coincidence?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-modern-mathematics-is-historical-coincidence/332027)
**Author:** [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-modern-mathematics-is-historical-coincidence/332027 "2005-11-30T17:09:45Z")
In this thread, Topologist raises an interesting question that I think merits some discussion. Alternate histories are by necessity speculative, but here’s my take on it: Pretty much anything that was developed in ant… --- ## [Why even have any identity at all?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-even-have-any-identity-at-all/333002)
**Author:** [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-even-have-any-identity-at-all/333002 "2005-11-30T16:21:54Z")
What does it mean to have an “identity”? Seems like a lot of people nowadays are copping a lot of different identities. Is there any worth to personally identifying with a given concept? One Doper, in a thread about com… --- ## [What if, instead of trying to remove the estate tax, it were increased](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-instead-of-trying-to-remove-the-estate-tax-it-were-increased/333117)
**Author:** [@VegaBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VegaBean)\ **Replies:** 97\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-instead-of-trying-to-remove-the-estate-tax-it-were-increased/333117 "2005-11-30T16:09:22Z")
To a very large amount. Like what they have in Britain. Would anything bad happen? The scions of the rich would still be richer than anybody else. But the trend would be that instead of wealth concentrating over generat… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=830) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=832)