To select none would be to have either style but the point would be that neither would be tyrannical.

As do other democracies.

OE is pointing out the flaw in Chan's insistence that the US isn't a democracy. Chan believes that the US is a republic and not a democracy. We've had this discussion so I'm not talking out of school.

It's a democratic republic (we democraticly vote for who will represent us).

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Set your destination with your heart, get there with your mind.

"The wisest men follow their own direction." - Euripides

Well, Chan, you are indeed consistent.

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An employee gets trampled to death by a frenzied, greedy mob at a Walmart sale, and customers actually complained when the store closed. Yet, I'm the bad guy for suggesting policies that assume people act like retarded herd animals that need government nannying and control....

Because much of that Eastern spiritual mumbo-jumbo packaged as "medicine" is bullsht? That's why. Western modern medicine is based on science. The other nonsense is akin to a tribal shaman jumping around a fire going ooga booga in order to balance your chi. Do you also Feng Shui your apartment to balance out the "energies?"

Hahah.


Edit: these parents ought to be punished to the fullest extent under negligent homicide laws or involuntary manslaughter (or something akin to it). Through their gross stupidity, they were negligent in their duty to care properly for their children. Faith healing kills. Unless you believe parents have the right to execute their children, they shouldn't have the right to "faith heal." It's the same result.

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No more so than western medicine. I have spiritual, faith-healing story to share.

When my son was four years old he contracted viral spinal meningitis. He was in agony 24 hours a day with a high fever that wouldn't abate. I took him to an MD who diagnosed him but wouldn't give him anything for pain since "it might hide other symptoms that may occur." This f!cking doctor wasn't sitting up 24 hours a day in a rocking chair trying to sooth a child in agony. Although I followed the MD's instructions and alternated giving my son either Tylenol or aspirin every two hours to bring his fever down, it didn't work. After several more days of this I called and pleaded with the doctor to prescribe something for pain. No dice. According to this poor excuse for a healing practitioner, my child was just going to have to suffer while the disease ran its course.

Long story short, through series of amazing, synchronous events that I attribute to a higher power, I took my son to see a retired MD who now strictly operated through faith. He did a laying on of hands that brought my son's fever down within a half hour! It also eased the pain so that my son and I were both able to get some rest. This healer also gave me something that I thought was "woo woo" which he called a "host" (he was charismatic Christian), a magnetic plate to place under my son's pillow since the back of his neck was where the meningitis was located. I did exactly what he said.

The next day my son's fever was back up so I took him back to the faith healer. Again he used laying on of hands and brought the fever down. He also told me who taught him that healing method and I went and learned how to do it. I started "treating" my son myself and he was healed.

I don't have much faith in western medicine for much besides trauma, which is where that modality excels. Eastern medicine has been around for centuries, healing people with natural, nontoxic means. I have had excellent results treating my son and myself herbally, and I have had good results using laying on of hands with friends. I don't discount western medicine and I do use it occasionally since that's pretty much what we're stuck with here but I'm glad to see things changing as alternative methods become more available. Energetic or faith healing can work but I sure wouldn't depend on that alone if a loved one had something treatable by western medicine.

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Walter Mondale: "George Bush doesn't have the manhood to apologize." George Bush: "Well, on the manhood thing, I'll put mine up against his any time."

Just to clarify, since some of us seem to be blurring the two:

Eastern Medicine =! Faith Healing.

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"Have you no decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
-Joseph Welch

I sincerely hope that story was an example of your fine literary skills in satire. I can't quite tell, which could mean you are really just that good. Like Jonathon Swift good. I don't see how anyone can take seriously faith healing. There's absolutely no scientific data to support it. Prayer will kill you if you are actually sick. So might western medicine, but for different reasons (people react different to it). However, wester medicine has a strong scientific track record of progress. Prayer can't possible cure you of anything other than through placebo (something psychological). Magic doesn't exist.

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That story wasn't satire, but a true account of something that happened surrounding my son's life-threatening illness when he was four.

When I see results, as far as I'm concerned, something works. Why should I care what anyone else says, just because they may have the label scientist on their resume? I'm not saying that faith healing works 100% of the time, but then neither does western medicine. I do know that I have seen, firsthand, seemingly miraculous results.

You're right, Donkey, that faith healing and eastern medicine are separate modalities. I like them both.

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Walter Mondale: "George Bush doesn't have the manhood to apologize." George Bush: "Well, on the manhood thing, I'll put mine up against his any time."