What do you think is the most important problem of our time?

The persistence of the idea that a growth economy is inevitable, necessary, and sustainable.

(This ties into the climate change problem you mentioned, but also connects to so many other things.)

Hunger/clean water. I find it insane that we still can’t manage the most basic things people need.

You are really kinda fucked when you spend all day trying to get/transport food and water. The LDC trap.

@johnpowell: As a Malthusian, I’d have to say that even those needs tie into the idea of a growth economy. If every starving person suddenly had the food and clean water that they needed, the next order of business would be to create more people that, without the addition of more food and water, would starve and thirst.

Just like people are often promoted to the level of their incompetance, societies often generally grow to the point of hunger and thirst. It’s a natural limit.

Lack of Faith.

Belief in the idea that we are not responsible for our own actions, and that some pie in the sky is the reason for everything. And with that, the idea that the world is going to end, which seems to result in the idea that human’s can do whatever we wish when it comes to the earth and every living thing that it sustains.

Lack of belief in science and reason.

Lack of compassion for others who might have a different lifestyle, religion or circumstance than you. We seem to only care about ourselves and what feels good to us. We should take time to consider what it is like in the other person’s shoes, before we act or say something we should not. The world would be a better place if we just took those moments of reflection.

Yeah was about to say the samething as mrgator. Could not agree more.

Seconding on agreement with mzgator. Compassion for each other will go a long way.

Is it just me, or do the 2 responses directly after mine seem more like responses to my response instead of the original question? Why is any opinion including belief in God automatically sniped at? Tolerance…get some.

It’s just you. My answer is a direct answer to the question and would not have been different whether your answer was there or not. I didn’t say anything about religion, I don’t care what you believe in and I sure don’t use it as ammunition. I am offended at your accusation.

Why is any opinion including belief in God automatically sniped at?

Because those who do not believe are sick of getting sniped at for the last 2000 years or so (give or take).

Ah. So I should personally be held accountable for slavery as well? Wait…I’m of European descent, the mistreatment of Native Americans is probably my fault too. Isn’t there someone who has wronged white men in the past so I can feel entitled to be bitter? Geez…I repeat: Tolerance. Get some. If you want to deny the existence of God, go right ahead…I believe you’re wrong, but it’s your right to choose to deny. The question asked was answered, and I’m as entitled to my answer as you are to yours.

@Duo, if I was mistaken, I apologize to you.

@jholler: Sounds like I tolerate your side more than you tolerate mine.

Just a minor quip, jholler, I think it’s be more respectful and tolerant to say “your right to choose to not believe” rather than “your right to choose to deny”.

I think one of the most significant problems in the world today is the absence of world peace between all nations along with human rights issues/violations that affect so many across the globe. I guess that’s two problems but both of them are very serious, in my opinion.

point taken, duo.
Disagree, laureth.

Greed is likely our biggest problem and always has been.

Organized religion is the biggest problem – no matter what religion anyone chooses to belong to. It causes so many problems, in all areas of life, for the most part.

sighs at exchange over the “sniping” If there was more compassion to go around, you’d see that a bit less often. :(

@jholler,

“Why is any opinion including belief in God automatically sniped at?”

Probably because there is no rational basis for asserting that the problems of the world are due to “lack of faith.”

Rationality and faith (in anything) are mutually exclusive. We’ve already had this discussion, monty. Why should my opinion be dependent on your rationale?

@jholler,

Because faith and reason are not mutually exclusive (for reasons I have explained before).

But that’s actually beside the point, when you say that lack of faith is the most important problem of our time, you are making a statement about reality. We expect your statement to be rational.

If we take you at your word that faith is irrational, then it appears that what you are saying that the main problem with the world is that it is not irrational enough. That sort of thing invites criticism from reality-grounded people.

Guys, grow up. This is an opinion based question and both of you have expressed your opinions, neither one is right or wrong. Don’t make this into a belief vs disbelief argument when it’s not.

I agree with mzgator. More compassion, and this might even solve what johnpowell said too.

@shrubbery,

Sorry shrubbery, just think that one of the most important problems of our time—if not the most important problem—is a rising tide of irrationality that threatens to engulf our civilization. This is not a question of belief versus disbelief, even though it often breaks down that way, but whether you value logic and reason enough to defend them against people who willfully disregard reason because they prefer to hold illogical ideas. Its not so much that they have these ideas, but that they think them relevant to the real world and offer them up as if they were sound.

I agree with you that lack of compassion is a problem, but I don’t think it is compassionate to encourage people to be irrational. Irrational people display bad judgment, and that eventually results in harm to others. That’s why we encourage crazy people to take their meds. When somebody asks, “Why, oh why, oh why, do people get on my case when I say something nonsensical? I think they deserve an answer. (And, if need be, argued with until they get it.)

It is difficult enough to address real world problems with the full powers of reason, but it is a prescription for disaster when your analysis is based on irrational otherworldly assumptions. This might seem like infantile squabbling to you, but to me, the fact that someone would seriously bring up “lack of faith” as an actual world problem is evidence of just how serious this rising tide of irrationality has become.

Ok, fine.

But I just found it silly that you asked an opinion based question, jholler gave his opinion and then he got attacked for it.

That’s all I’m saying, this isn’t my fight, I’ve given my opinion and I’m done.

So you were just looking for affirmation of what you believe when you asked this? It sure doesn’t seem like you’re welcoming any views other than your own, and I resent being belittled for my opinion when it was asked for.

@MontyZuma
It sounds like you might think people that are even mildly spiritual, because they have displayed bad judgement due to having “faith” in something that can’t be explained by science (humanity’s attempt to explain our environment, which by the way seems to be fully understood by few, or even shown to few), are going to lead to harm to others. What about those people that have a belief in something “beyond” that have done the opposite? People are human beings that think, and feel (even if it can be easily explained as just growing up along something and wanting it to be true). Not everyone that is “irrational” takes it to an extreme and really does harm, a lot of people are reasonable enough to keep it personal, or find it as a means to helping others.

As for the compassion part, I don’t know if anyone mentioned it being compassionate to encourage people to believe in whatever they do (would you equate mercy with being encouraging? not quite the same), but I know it’s that attempt to wanting to understand that person that’ll help you determine in the first place if they’re crazy/irrational or not.

I’m going to give people the benefit of the doubt that their belief in something isn’t so simple as foolishness; there’s something else to it, because it obviously holds value for them. For some, maybe it’s what gives them validation as a person, because in a world like this one where there’s competition (and there’s always going to be someone better than you) or you just don’t feel like you have any control, or (hey, remember that word compassion?) they just don’t feel loved, they might have this to turn to. Even if it’s delusional.

And then there are just crazy people. Although, I guess it’s always the loud stuff that comes to mind, hard news is what sells after all. But I guess my point is, things aren’t simple, and people are a wild variable to consider in such a strict equation as some want to see it (and that also is a perception worth respecting).

This is sooo off topic.

Tiny, I think this is what he wanted when he asked the question anyway.

@toyhyena: Based on other conversations, I believe Monty’s beef with the religion that makes other people feel loved or validated is that it’s the same thing that compels them to vote against gay people being able to legally marry their partner.

It’s one thing to turn to your God in times of trouble, or to heed your God’s call to be compassionate and love one another. It’s quite another to cite religion as a reason to hurt others.

Don’t know why I’m a target then…I voted against Arkansas’ adoption/fostering amendment, and my baby sister is gay. Anyway, it’s his thread, he asked a question, I answered. I’m through feeding what is becoming increasingly trollish.

Oh yeah? That sucks. If that’s true, I’m sorry I contributed.

@laureth

” I believe Monty’s beef with the religion that makes other people feel loved or validated is that it’s the same thing that compels them to vote against gay people being able to legally marry their partner.”

Thanks, laureth, but I don’t have a beef with religion. My beef is with people who are irrational. Hard as it is to believe, there are are actually some people who openly question the existence of rationality—and who view it as an unwelcome imposition on their lives. They even go so far as to claim their religion requires them to be irrational. So that when you call them on being irrational, they turn it into an attack on their religion. And, then other people jump in and react as if I am attacking all religion.

@toyheyna

“It sounds like you might think people that are even mildly spiritual, because they have displayed bad judgement due to having “faith” in something that can’t be explained by science…are going to harm others.”

Why do you assume that I am attacking people who are “mildly spiritual”? I’ve said noting of the sort in this conversation. Indeed, in other conversations, I have been quite clear that I have no problem with mainstream Compassionate Christianity. So, let me make it even clearer, I consider any religion that follows the Golden Rule to be rational.

“Not everyone that is “irrational” takes it to an extreme and really does harm, a lot of people are reasonable enough to keep it personal, or find it as a means to helping others.”

I don’t have a problem with those people. But I do have a problem with people who claim that their religion requires them to be irrational, especially if that religion has a track record of theocratic activism—like blocking stem cell research, waging war on drugs, limiting a woman’s reproductive choices, stripping gays of their civil rights, instituting prayer and the teaching of Creationism in public schools and otherwise blurring the line between Church and State. They may not be doing harm at the moment, but they are certainly laying the groundwork for it. If you can get people to accept the idea that you don’t have to be rational, then anything goes.

“I’m going to give people the benefit of the doubt that their belief in something isn’t so simple as foolishness; there’s something else to it, because it obviously holds value for them.”

If there is something more than foolishness to it, they ought to be able to articulate what it is. But if they can’t, it is probably something fishy. I don’t think its too much to ask people to explain themselves—and to offer rational account of themselves and their beliefs. After all, none of you seems to have any trouble taking me to task for real and imagined objections you have. And, frankly, I don’t see why anyone else should get a free pass.

What do you think is the most important problem of our time?

Divisiveness.

The enevitable slide into liberal government.

@Noel_S_Leitmotiv And how, exactly, would that be a problem, much less the most important problem of our time?

Liberal government represents the abandonment of individual responsibility.

@Noel_S_Leitmotiv Really? I thought that was Anarchy.

No, Anarchy hardly represents the Nannystate.