Where did my old art thread go?!
This is disgraceful.
Let's start off with Picasso - Synthetic Cubism period.
No idea why I like this one, it's called "Violin and Guitar" and is presently housed in the Hermitage.
[img]http://images.allposters.com/images/SHD/70245.jpg[/img]
Irf - got any more pics you took from your trip to Istanbul?
Once again the Constitution's deadline has been bumped back amid quarrelling over major democratic issues.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/08/22/iraq.main/index.html
It appears that the United States is really pushing for a federalist secular government - which might not be a particular expression of the people this constitution will govern.
There was debate earlier centering around whether Islam would be "a" or "the" main source for legislation. They "a's" have it.
I got into a tremendous argument with a raving liberal friend of mine.
I was arguing that society as a whole has been collapsing into vulgarity and rediculousness which is the result of too much indulgence in freedom (or too much indulgence period) and that as a whole we have cheapened ourselves.
He was arguing that vulgarity was simply the detritus of time, and that overall we are doing better morally since there is less racism - no more institutionalized racism, etc.
We really didn't come to a conclusion.
Where do yall stand on this one. Is vulgarity and constant indulgence in the rediculous the a sign of moral decay, or is it simply a natural biproduct of progress?
Reviving Seraph's famed thread. All props to Seraph.
Just finished up reading a bunch of interesting stuff:
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - It's like the Da Vinci Code and Dracula mixed, really interesting read great suspense and lots of historical background on an area of the world I don't know much about - the balkans.
Any one of the Princess books by Jean Sasson (well actually by Princess Sultana) - Lilsis recommendation to me a while back, absolutely amazing books about the suicidal decadence of the Saudi Royal Princes.
and in that vein
My Forbidden Face by "Latifah" a fascinating look at life under the Taliban, but also a very informative look at life in Afghanistan over the last 30 years.
This is a pretty common debate in the U.S. at the moment. We have always recognized a need to sacrifice some freedoms for the security of the nation during times of war - this is common to every civilization on the planet. This is even more pointed now that we are fighting an enemy we really cannot see. Americans - and foreigners of all nationality are now subject to greater scrutiny at airports and other sensitive areas, and the strange case of American's caught engaging in acts of terrorism or fighting against the United States has led to their denial of access to the courts. Few people argue that these are not germane to national security, and certainly these reforms are popular, but the question is how far is too far if we still want to remain a liberal democracy.
What is the Earthly punishment of God?
I have been growing to learn that God's will has created a natural order, nearly self governing. And that his commandments and the promise of punishment is not merely law and threat, but rather the reality of the situation. When the natural order is disrupted disorder ensues and bad things happen, when order is observed most everything functions smoothly.
Consider the liar.
As the bible states "And the fall of a liar is as if from the housetop" I am sure the Quran has similar statements on lying.
It's so very true though. In time a liar is almost always caught and some sort of bad situation ensues.
If men were meant to choose God - and not merely inherit their servitude from family/society etc. And God decided that it should be man's natural nature to have the ability to choose or reject him. What does that say about how we should organize our societies.
Should we be free to sin - no societal restrictions on murder, rape, fornication etc. So that there can be no way we were compelled to choose him?
Or should good decent godly people band together to create societies which strictly demand their citizens adhere to God's commandments?
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