sfeviston : Whether or not video games can make kids more creative and imaginative is a little harder to discern, I am afraid. I will say this. In order for various parts of the brain to develop more, they need to be subjected to constant stimulation and then find a source to practically apply what said stimulation has taught it. Forms of stimulation that would promote creative and imaginative development would be things like books, music, and certain kinds of television and video games. Games like Call of Duty do nothing to stimulate either, as it deals with realism and real world scenarios. A better choice would be puzzle and strategy games.

rcarter2 : "Kids in 1st grade are being taught things that I didn't learn until third."

I'm glad you brought up this point. In my honest opinion, this is another large part of the problem with our schooling system. The developmental process of the human brain if a very complex and yet very delicate matter. As our brains mature, they become more susceptible to certain forms of stimulation at different phases of it's development. When our educational system was originally structured, this developmental process was taken into consideration. Certain subjects were deemed too advanced for younger mind, thus were selected to be taught once the mind was more matured.

When other sources caused the intellectual state to decline, instead of seeking out the true problem (ineffectual parents), it was determined that the educational system needed to be 'modernized'. This included adding unnecessary subjects as well as teaching more advanced subjects earlier. This, of course, hasn't solved the problem at all. In fact, it has made things far worse. Since young minds are being taught subjects that they are not yet fully capable of comprehending, they are not completely retaining what they are being taught. This, of course, has led to a further deterioration of the intellectual state.

Since all of this 'modernizations' are not working, the increasingly apathetic nature of human beings is causing many people within the educational system to cease caring about actually teaching young minds anything worthwhile. Instead, they read directly from dated textbooks and show them movies and then send them home so that those young minds can be sat down in front of the television by their parents. This is the downward spiral in which we have put ourselves.

I am not saying that every member of our educational system has succumbed to this state, my friend. If you and your wife still strive to teach young minds, then I applaud the both of you. However, I fear that you fight a losing battle against the overwhelming wave of detachment that threatens to engulf us all.

play4fun : How does it sway away from the main discussion? The original poster asks 'How can I know if Jesus returns.' I answer by stating there is no possibility that he will ever 'return', as he was not the Son of God. He was just a mortal man with very good ideals, no magical powers or properties. Therefore, it is logically impossible that the man you call 'Jesus' will ever return in any way, shape, or form. I then cited historical and logical facts, along with some speculation, as to why this was the case. If you would like me to give a more direct answer, then I can oblige:

You will know that Jesus has returned when unicorns fly through the sky on the backs of dragons, and Bigfoot and the moth man drink Panacea in Atlantis.

Does this satisfy? I hope it does, because I really didn't want to make such an insulting allusion. You forced my hand, sadly.

Now. As for as my claims being inaccurate or lacking credibility, I am sorry to say that you are mistaken. Just because you hadn't heard of something before doesn't make it automatically false. To belabor under such an assumption would be asinine. Three quarters of what I said are historical facts. They can be proven and substantiated by certain historical documents littered throughout the world. The easiest one for you to research and confirm is the origin of how Yeshua came to be known as Jesus. The fact that the name Jesus is a transliteration is a well known and widely accepted fact, even among many people of faith. I urge you to look this up or, if you do not wish to do the research, find I respected practitioner of your faith and mention the name Yeshua to him.

There is also historical documentation located in India and it's surrounding areas that proves Yeshua spent considerable time in this region. It even says in the Bible that he traveled abroad for a time, albeit the Bible gets the chronology of these travels incorrect. His travels occurred before he began the bulk of his ministrations, not during. It is also a fact that Yeshua was at the very least exposed to the Buddhist and Hindu philosophies, if not actually practice them. If you compare Yeshua's teachings to Buddhist ideals, you will notice how remarkably similar they are. This is no coincidence.

In the end, I really do not expect any person of faith to ever take claims such as these seriously. As they go against everything you were taught, it is understandable that these views would be hard to swallow. When I express my views on life and religion, all I am intending to do is reveal a new way of thinking to those that cake to listen. I have no interest in affecting how any other person feels or believes. Every person has a preferred method of coping with the great mysteries of life. For some, blind faith works. For those like me, a more logical approach is desired. I have spent the last twelve years of my life researching numerous topics of interest and then applying any findings to my overall philosophy. This is the manner that works best for me.