Senuf

Same with F for Facebook!

Don't remember right now. Been reading a couple of Israeli news sites in English, al-Jazeera, and some other news sites, so whatever I say to you now might be misguided. Anyway, as far as I recall right now it wasn't speculation.

Well, the fact that most of them went back to Gaza makes me doubt that previously quoted number.

In any case, I hope Hamas gets an obliterating hit and can't recover, and that Israel remembers that not all Gaza is Hamas, so this is over as soon as possible with no more innocent lives lost.

Just answering to the first question: As of today, according to Israeli media, that number is quite off.

Yep. I never use sms nor other messaging systems save for WhatsApp. Not that I'm a fan of it since it was bought by Facebook, but it is what everybody here uses, and it works quite well, reliably, and has an interesting set of features.

I somehow envy your optimism.

Thanks a lot for that link. I am a hardcore science fiction nerd, yet I had never crossed paths with that one. Indeed relevant in this debate, too.

But what about outside the job? Things like taxes, being able to determine the truthfulness of things you read online, etc?

That was what I was going to comment. Especially that second part. It makes me wonder if it all isn't by design. Well, yes, it is.

Only n00bs build their own kernel, OS, compiler, and coding language, and they already have that program built in. Cool people create their own universe, with different laws of physics and constants, then they make it act as a whole computing entity capable of anything, it then creates a simulation in which we discuss this stuff.

I agree.

And your phrasing (italics are mine)

ideas like religions take part in a long-term process of evolution.

was quite interesting. Was it an intended pun? It made me laugh.

Apologies accepted, of course.

That may be case. Which is possibly why, historically speaking, Judaism doesn't seem to be on the winning side. Which is bad, because it means opportunities for more fanatical, agressive religions.

On one hand, I agree. Yet I think that had Judaism been more proselytist, it would have gained more followers and, probably, been more fanatical and aggressive. I mean, ultraorthodix Jews are as fanatical as your fellow Taliban or the right-wing Christians.

Thanks for this exchange of opinions.

I never said brainwashing children was ok as far as I can recall. Would you mind pointing at the part where I said so ~~it~~ or even implied so?

What I said is that that isn't proselytising. It's a different concept to raise your kids in a certain way and to go to others who already have a different faith (or none) and try to convince them to convert.

Of course, I know that everyone is born without any religion and by that account the limit is blurred, yet to raise a kid into one's own faith and/or traditions is not the same as proselytising.

As for Judaism, I stand by what I said: it's not proselytist in the way other religions are, trying to convert other people. I don't judge it as bad or as good, I don't care. I just state a fact as I've seen/read.

Edit: word