Lost civilizations

[Azred]

I have often wondered what the fascination with ancient, lost civilizations could be. The common motif seems to be that a really advanced civilization existed far back in the reaches of time and that those people were capable of all sorts of technological and/or magical feats, the likes of which we may only imagine. This is taking the philosophy of "the good old days" to its logical conclusion--the farther back you go, the better the world was.

Why? Why can't the world be great now? Yes, I know. The answer is too complex, but I think too many people look at the complexities and the problems we have these days (not just here, but everywhere) and give up, saying "back in the good old days...."

[K T Ong]

Well, on a similar note, I suppose we can also ask why we're so fascinated with medieval sword-and-sorcery stuff, with wizards and knights in armor and the rest of it. Aren't these all things of the past -- and furthermore just an imagined past at that? Why do we keep hankering after them, then?

More seriously, you do find strange things from the past that suggest some people then might have been smart enough to be able to come up with such things. Either that or it's aliens. It can't be dismissed out of hand. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Originally posted by MagiK: quote: Originally posted by Neb: quote: Originally posted by DiabloRex: quote: Originally posted by Deathbringer: Okay the two cities I was talking about are called 'Sodom' & 'Gomorrah', if your interested.

Hold on a minute here you are saying that the bible uses the names on a sexual behaviour and a disease to name the two cities? [img]graemlins/saywhat.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/saywhat.gif[/img] [/QUOTE]Or the disease and sexual behaviour are named after them? [img]tongue.gif[/img] [/QUOTE] I think Nebbies has it right this time!! [img]smile.gif[/img] [/QUOTE]lol, yes I think Neb is correct. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by the hand of god (according to the bible) because the people were evil and only caused famine and disease or something [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[K T Ong]

I don't think so; from what I understand, the two cities were nuked [img]tongue.gif[/img] because their inhabitants were all gay, with 'gaiety' being a big no-no in the Judaeo-Christian tradition...

Originally posted by K T Ong: quote: Originally posted by MagiK: In my ever so humble opinion, the idea that there exist major civilizations of an advanced nature sharing our planet with us is just a fantasy. These speculations are right up there with astrology, telepsychics and teleevangelists.

What makes you so sure, MagiK?[/QUOTE] Well mostly a lifetime of living and observation [img]smile.gif[/img] but as I said, I have no "proof" since it is an impossibility to prove something does NOT exist. I did however, say it were just my "opinion" [img]smile.gif[/img]

Originally posted by K T Ong: I don't think so; from what I understand, the two cities were nuked [img]tongue.gif[/img] because their inhabitants were all gay, with 'gaiety' being a big no-no in the Judaeo-Christian tradition...

Im pretty sure there is no mention of them being nuked because they were gay. There were a number of "sinful" practices listed for those citys among which sodomy may have been one, but I recall also wickedness, sexual relations with animals and general ungodliness being factors as well as a whole slew of things I cant recall at the moment [img]smile.gif[/img]

Just as a matter of speculation...my own that is. I think the only real reason (other than health issues) early Christians and Jews were against homosexuality was due to the reletive scarcity of humans. I think it all had to do with propogating the species, which homosexuality wether Lesbian or otherwise does absolutley nothing to promote. In those early times it was important to increase the population, and to increase the strength (manpower) of your tribe in order to preserve your genetic line.....just my musings there.

[john]

On Easter Island man lived in peace for 1000 yrs than over population kicked in,,Not enough food shelter or fire wood,,Than the fighting started and within a few generations the place was almost uninhabitable,,,we are on the same road!!!

[K T Ong]

Originally posted by john: On Easter Island man lived in peace for 1000 yrs than over population kicked in,,Not enough food shelter or fire wood,,Than the fighting started and within a few generations the place was almost uninhabitable,,,we are on the same road!!!

There is unfortunately every indication that we are indeed...

Originally posted by K T Ong: quote: Originally posted by john: On Easter Island man lived in peace for 1000 yrs than over population kicked in,,Not enough food shelter or fire wood,,Than the fighting started and within a few generations the place was almost uninhabitable,,,we are on the same road!!!

There is unfortunately every indication that we are indeed... [/QUOTE]Name two [img]smile.gif[/img]

I for one am not so pesimistic, ohh lots of us may die off, but our basic civilization is in no immediate threat from extinction....maybe a comet or meteor strike but the Western nations are not on a ruinous uncontrolled population growth track.
That is pretty much limited to the Asian and middle eastern parts of the globe. The western nations have a very low population growth rate on the whole and in some cases its negative and China I understand has its population growth rate under control but some other Asian nations are really outrageous in this area.

[ 08-25-2002, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

[K T Ong]

Suit yourself. Until you provide some substantiation for your optimism, I'll treat it as just... your opinion.