I vote for better medicine

Decreased chance that I'm going to get eaten by a bear in downtown Philly?.

Really, when I hear that the great white sharks are becoming more scarce, I look up at the food chain and if the animal is above me, I'm alright with that.

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Peace Out, Philly!

The problem with any study is the limitations they put on choices.When faced with 3 choices yes, no or other, I feel other doesn't accurately portray the answer, as it might be yes/no with stipulations.

The second problem is that all studies should be compelled to state who paid for the study and what the goal of the study is.
These factor into the questions formulated and the answers desired.

Since the lifespan of the average human has gone from roughly 30 to 100 years over the last couple of thousand years... we can safely say that since the birth/death/undead of Jesus, God has grown to love humans about 2/3rds more than he did previously. By giving them smarter doctors...

Christianity works. Pray harder!

Or, the evolution of the species has gotten stronger and better.

Yep, I'm gonna make this discussion even more complicated by throwing Darwin into the mix!

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"I think that anything that begins to give people a sense of their own worth and dignity is God."
John Shelby Spong

Congrats Phils 2008 World Champs!

I like this quote - it speaks volume on modern medicine.
I get very upset when I hear about fanatical believers who refuse vaccination or medical treatment on their own children and rely solely on prayer. And if their child dies - they give their reason by saying it was "God's Choice"
Prayer should be use in conjunction with medical treatment!

Those who believe pray most of the time.
Those who don't pray in emergencies.

Was it Ernie Pyle who said, There are no atheists in foxholes?

I once heard that those who profess there is no God if ever in a plane getting ready to crash, Start praying, and asking, 'why me God, why me? as if it was personal.

The belief that a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree...

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You were once sitting next to an atheist during a plane crash?

I don't know what you are smirking at... just go through the personal stories of religious folk on this very forum... they all think God is concerned with them on a personal level.

Foxholes and prisons... I understand. I once had a kidney stone so painful I prayed to Jesus to make it stop. And Moses... and Santa Clause. Foxholes don't make God real anymore than my kidney stone made Santa bring me extra toys for Christmas.

Did you know that god is a vegan? I heard it from someone on this board who knows god personally. She can't get him to tell me who to place my bet on between Ohio St and USC this weekend though.