Texas hospitals are running out of drugs, beds, ventilators and even staff

[Charles]

So is an agnostic who behaves himself doing so because he is afraid there might be a god to punish him, or because he understands that not all types of behavior are equally reasonable or agreeable?

And if someone doesn't understand that not all types of behavior are equally reasonable or agreeable, is he going to behave himself just because he allows the possibility that there might be a god?

You ask as if there is only one possible answer. All the options are, however, possible. They can even work in combination. You would have to ask the particular agnostic.

[Stoic]

To get back to the subject of this thread, it looks like the measures Texas has taken will keep its hospitals from overflowing, but of course the number of deaths will continue to increase for a while.

Texas2.jpg

https://covidtracking.com/data/state/texas

[Stoic]

You ask as if there is only one possible answer. All the options are, however, possible. They can even work in combination. You would have to ask the particular agnostic.

Let me just say the I would not act differently if I was certain there were no gods, and I doubt that there is much difference in behavior in general between weak and strong atheists.

[Charles]

Let me just say the I would not act differently if I was certain there were no gods, and I doubt that there is much difference in behavior in general between weak and strong atheists.

And none of them are justifying the killing of the innocent or the imprisonment of children by pointing to god.

[oxmixmudd]

And none of them are justifying the killing of the innocent or the imprisonment of children by pointing to god.

But they have justified the imprisonment of and killing of millions because they DO believe in God.

Human nature is human nature Charles.

[Charles]

But they have justified the imprisonment of and killing of millions because they DO believe in God.

Human nature is human nature Charles.

Correct.

[Maranatha]

Well I live in New Zealand, so I noticed.

International media does appear to have run a fair number of articles on New Zealand's world-leadingly successful elimination of Covid, so presumably informed people who are aware of the world noticed.

Also, "America is big, that's why things suck so much here" on the whole isn't the greatest sentiment. Especially if in their next breath, American posters are trying to convince the rest of us that their country is great, perhaps even the best in the world. It's either actually great, or actually sucks cos it's big. You can't really go for both ideas simultaneously.

I am unconcerned about you suckiness measuring.

I certainly can't help that some can see no difference between a tiny island and nearly a third of the world's economy.

But hey, beat the chest, kiss the pecs, call yourself Super Country for all I care. We in America can handle it, we get the same tude from most other countries.

[shunyadragon]

I am unconcerned about you suckiness measuring.

I certainly can't help that some can see no difference between a tiny island and nearly a third of the world's economy.

But hey, beat the chest, kiss the pecs, call yourself Super Country for all I care. We in America can handle it, we get the same tude from most other countries.

Extremely insulting post without anything meaningful to contribute to the dialogue.

Do something meaningful, like respond constructively to post #257 on the topic of the thread.

[Cow Poke]

OK, I don't know what's going on but something's not right.

My wife works in the main office at Texas A&M, and is very much involved in reporting from A&M's Contact Tracing, working directly with the State of Texas, and being in on conference calls three times a week with the Governor's office.
They are puzzled that their numbers don't look anything like the numbers the Doom and Gloomers are so gleefully reporting.

I keep checking with my Hospital Chaplain network, and they're not seeing the drastic emergency you Doom and Gloomers are reporting.

We are seeing cases in Katy, Tx where people who never got tested are being advised they tested positive for Covid.

It's simply not adding up.

[Mountain Man]

It's simply not adding up.

You could say that about this entire pandemic... nothing adds up.

[Stoic]

OK, I don't know what's going on but something's not right.

My wife works in the main office at Texas A&M, and is very much involved in reporting from A&M's Contact Tracing, working directly with the State of Texas, and being in on conference calls three times a week with the Governor's office.
They are puzzled that their numbers don't look anything like the numbers the Doom and Gloomers are so gleefully reporting.

What numbers are you referring to? All of Texas, or College Station?

I keep checking with my Hospital Chaplain network, and they're not seeing the drastic emergency you Doom and Gloomers are reporting.

Any of them in Hidalgo County?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-c...-19-war-zones/

We are seeing cases in Katy, Tx where people who never got tested are being advised they tested positive for Covid.

This seems to be a different problem from the government reporting cases that don't exist, in which case I wouldn't expect them to notify anyone.

It's simply not adding up.

Texas is a big state. The virus isn't going to hit the whole state uniformly.

[Charles]

You could say that about this entire pandemic... nothing adds up.

Like they didn't actually have it under control though the president said so and we are still waiting for the miracle that will make it all go away?

[Mountain Man]

What if Abracadabra has already made himself and his eternal truth know to you but you rejected it because your "Christianity" is such a convenient justification for actions that Abracadabra has proven for you to be wrong?

Then I'm wrong.

However, this is not something that greatly concerns because I've found the positive arguments for God's existence and the truth of the Bible to be so convincing and compelling that it would take some very strong counter proofs to convince me otherwise.

[Charles]

Then I'm wrong.

However, this is not something that greatly concerns because I've found the positive arguments for God's existence and the truth of the Bible to be so convincing and compelling that it would take some very strong counter proofs to convince me otherwise.

So, at first you are open to the possibility that you could be wrong and shrug at it as if it is not important at all. At least that leaves it open that you could actually be wrong.

Then, leaving out the question asked, you go on to talk about the need for strong counter proofs. The question was:

"What if Abracadabra has already made himself and his eternal truth know to you but you rejected it because your "Christianity" is such a convenient justification for actions that Abracadabra has proven for you to be wrong?"

That, of course, includes strong counter proofs. So, in other words, your world view could be wrong and it could be wrong beacuse you rejected to hear the truth?

[Cow Poke]

What numbers are you referring to? All of Texas, or College Station?

Mostly the counties around me, and Harris county, where I'm in hospitals quite a bit -- there are 254 counties in Texas.

Any of them in Hidalgo County?

That's pretty much "Mexico" - it's "the valley", and it's an entirely different culture than most of Texas.
Nothing disparaging the people there - they're good people, but they have different ways, and it would not surprise me if a lot of the problem involved the frequent border crossings there.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-c...-19-war-zones/


This seems to be a different problem from the government reporting cases that don't exist, in which case I wouldn't expect them to notify anyone.

It's a totality of the disparity that concerns me.

Texas is a big state. The virus isn't going to hit the whole state uniformly.

You're preaching to the choir.