24 Jul 14
Originally posted by FMF1 Thessalonians 5:2,3
There are many problems around the world. This we can agree on.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them,..
There are many problems in the world. Always has been and always will be until God puts a stop to it.
It could be argued that things are getting better, until when? The next plague or world war? How is it getting better when in a hundred years from now not a single one of us will be here to see it?
The human race is cycling through the same patterns generation after generation. It's not getting better. Better today, worse tomorrow. Then repeat.
24 Jul 14
Originally posted by twhiteheadI am not that fond of Chinese food, especially, if I have to eat rice and everything with chopsticks. They seem to be more westernized today, so I might be able to pick up a hamburger at McDonald's. Therefore, I pick today.
But if given a choice would you rather live in China today, or China 100 years ago?
24 Jul 14
Originally posted by RJHindsIf choice of food was your only criteria then you either didn't think very hard or you are deliberately trying to avoid admitting that China is far better today than 100 years ago.
I am not that fond of Chinese food, especially, if I have to eat rice and everything with chopsticks. They seem to be more westernized today, so I might be able to pick up a hamburger at McDonald's. Therefore, I pick today.
But we can at least say that you are someone who would happily ruin the environment for a hamburger.
24 Jul 14
Originally posted by josephwDo you have any evidence ~ in terms of quality of life indicators ~ that substantiates this claim of yours?
The human race is cycling through the same patterns generation after generation. It's not getting better. Better today, worse tomorrow. Then repeat.
24 Jul 14
Originally posted by twhiteheadNobody, as yet, is trying to ban hamburgers because environmental pollution.
If choice of food was your only criteria then you either didn't think very hard or you are deliberately trying to avoid admitting that China is far better today than 100 years ago.
But we can at least say that you are someone who would happily ruin the environment for a hamburger.
24 Jul 14
Originally posted by robbie carrobieNo, I am not much interested in 'happiness surveys'. I don't place any weight upon them at all in debates about quality of life indicators and the state of the world.
quality of life indicators? measured in what? Units of happiness?
24 Jul 14
Originally posted by FMFIf this bad to worse stuff is to be related to the last days and the coming of the Son of Man, then not everything will go from bad to worse. There is supposed to be an increase in knowledge and people will be able to travel quickly to and fro over the earth. That sounds like that is a better thing. Also the gospel of the kingdom is to be preached to all the world before the coming of the Son of Man. That also sounds like a good thing.
No, I am not much interested in 'happiness surveys'. I don't place any weight upon them at all in debates about quality of life indicators and the state of the world.
Then there are some things that will continue about the same as they always have, such as people being married and eating and drinking and having good times. There will also continue to be wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and natural disasters.
But the last days will come upon God's people like the birth pangs of a women in labor. The pains get closer together and with more intensity until that time of delivery comes and then there will be great tribulation.
24 Jul 14
Originally posted by FMFQuality of life indicators?
Do you have any evidence ~ in terms of quality of life indicators ~ that substantiates this claim of yours?
Such as food and shelter? Or better and more education for greater numbers of people? More cell phones and computers? Infrastructure?
Maybe. But I was thinking more in terms of value rather than quality. Value meaning not just more schools, but more truthful knowledge being taught as apposed to indoctrination. Value meaning not just more cell phones so people can stare at text messages and crash their car. Value meaning not just more computers so people can waste their time on social networking with strangers to the exclusion of real and meaningful relationships.
Truthfully, I don 't think it's possible to quantify whether life is getting better over time due to all the vagaries and variables associated with living.
There are just too many human beings on this planet to feed all the better things to when resources are as limited as they are. Too much greed and corruption, and imbalance of distribution. There may be pockets of improvement here and there, but billions will expire before any real quality of life will be experienced by the vast majority.