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Topic: What are your beliefs? (No debating, please)
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Well, I'm curious. What do you guys believe? And I don't mean what religion are you, I mean what do you you believe? You can name a religion, but anything you believe that doesn't strictly fall under that religion (or any you're aware of) are what I'm actually looking for. Lemme put it like this: if beliefs weren't categorized into religions, how would you describe your philosophies and/or beliefs in the metaphysical?
I myself am mainly agnostic about all things paranormal or divine, though am inclined to believe in a God-like force behind the uni-/multi-/omni-verse and our perceived experience therein. I do, however, not believe in a "personal God" - that is, a God with a personality and who cares for each (or even some) of us personally. I believe that, if God exists, he/she/it "evolved" in a sense as the uni-/multi-/omni-verse grew more complex and is, perhaps, reliant on its existence. I guess one could call me a panentheist agnostic. Or an agnostic panentheist. Whichever sounds better.
I'm also sort of fatalist in that I believe whatever will happen is meant to. Though I believe in the multiverse (branching timelines, etc.), I still often have that feeling like the universe is conspiring (seemingly through chance) to drive me in a certain direction, so to speak. I can connect this with my beliefs in the multiverse (the branches in the timeline occur, I believe, by the choices we make. This belief has a basis in quantum theory, which I'm a devout follower of xD, and also a quirk in neuroscience) by postulating that all possible outcomes of any possible event will eventually lead to a single "planned" outcome. I also believe any and all "miracles" have a rational scientific explanation, though just because a miracle (often a freak chance event) can be explained doesn't make it any less miraculous.
Finally, there's souls. Now, I've always been inclined to believe in souls, both as a result of alleged personal experiences by family members (two particular ones of which were quite convincing; one also involved a psychic (something I'm rather agnostic about)) and by my utter fear of Oblivion (ceasing to exist after death). However, my scientific side finds it very, very difficult to formulate a possible means by which souls can (more problematic is should) exist. Let's just say I'd like souls to exist, but think they probably don't.
In any case, as I'm agnostic, any of my beliefs can be easily changed if convincing enough evidence arises to contradict them, which makes arguing about religion rather fun for me as - taking into consideration that my views can go either way - I rarely lose xD.
But enough about me, what are your beliefs? 
Please keep in mind that everyone has the right to their own opinion and that beliefs do not equal knowledge.
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Edit: SpacelemoN, Wed 25 Jul 12, 6:52PM
Post: #669798  , Wed 25 Jul 12, 6:42PM |
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I believe in astrology. Every religion can be proven to be associated with astrology. I believe religion I is a system to keep reputable and worthy deemed actions and beliefs held high in societal standards. I believe in souls for a part. Like that there's an inward subconscious that recognizes other souls that are similar and draws us towards people we love or care for. I believe in celebrating life and nature, but not in worshipping anything or anyone.
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Post: #669808 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 6:59PM |
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I'm an atheist. I dont believe in a god/deity/higher power, I believe there is no such thing as a soul, spirit, devil, heaven, or hell. When you die, there's just nothing. The only reason there is "something" now is because our bodies act like receptors and send messages to our brain telling us to see, smell, hear, taste, or feel world around us, but when our bodies die, our ability to sense our surroundings also dies.
I think that the actions of all living beings and scientific law are the only things that decide how the universe will play out. I also believe that we have free will to make our own choices, I don't believe that some other power controls the actions you make, and I don't believe that we have a "destiny." Our futures are determined solely off of our own doings.
*NOTE: I know in some areas my wording made it seem like I was trying to say "This IS the way it is and everyone else is wrong," but that's not what I was going for. I just didn't want to keep saying "I believe _____... I believe _____..." over and over again. This is all just what I PERSONALLY believe.
You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you're all the same.
"Rub that glitter and grease around"
~Lady Gaga
"I'm fierce and I'm feeling mighty. I'm a golden girl, I'm an aphrodite, alright!"
~Kylie Minogue
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Post: #669822 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 7:28PM |
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Wow, your beliefs are really interesting @SpacelemoN. Didn't mean to sound condescending there, it's just refreshing to hear someone with different, thought through beliefs, considering I come from a town of mostly Christians, so I hear the same beliefs a lot.
Anyways, I'm an atheist, so I believe that there isn't a higher power that created the Earth, and I'm always inclined to go towards scientific evidence. I also don't like to believe that our life is planned out for us in advance, because I like to think that I am in control of my own life, and my achievements and mistakes are my own fault. Also, I don't believe in destiny/fate, because then it strives me to travel and meet people instead of waiting for people to come to me.
I like to think that people who aren't nice end up getting what they deserve (that kind of sounded a little psychotic, but you know what I mean), but I don't know whether that's karma or just the fact that someone will stop putting up with them eventually. Also, I like to think that after we die, because energy cannot be created and destroyed and we contain energy, that even if we aren't conscience after death, at least our energy is still around. Some sort of reincarnation, but not if that makes sense. Or maybe we go into the 4th dimension that is our minds, who am I to say?
We are as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. - Dumbledore
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Post: #669896 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 10:03PM |
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I'm Christian XD but I also believe Muhammad existed and I believe in Buddha and reincarnation XD. It's hard to explain but basically when I do the "sign of the cross" I go: "Father, son, Muhammad, Buddha" XD. I pray to all four of those higher beings. I know... I know... I'm weird  .
Oh and also, I believe in heaven but not hell and I believe in evolution but I believe God caused the "Big Bang" XD.
It's a mix of Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Science XD sorry people .
To see us dance is to hear our hearts speak- Hopi Indian saying
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Edit: blacksummer, Wed 25 Jul 12, 10:11PM
Post: #669898 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 10:09PM |
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:: Lia47
:: QA9 Grand Elder | |
I believe everyone should just try to be good and have fun, and that any god that really exists won't punish you for it. And if there is none, then at least you lived a good life. I don't really like to think about it.
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Post: #669899 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 10:12PM |
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I'm an atheist, for the most part. I don't believe in any higher power, I don't believe in heaven or hell, or that anyone was put on Earth for a reason. I also don't believe in soul mates. But I do believe in reincarnation... I'm not sure why, but I do. I believe in karma (what goes around comes around). I believe in spirits and ghosts and some paranormal stuff, but to an extent.
I'm not sure I believe in evolution, however. Or the big bang.
(I actually don't believe in a lot of stuff having to do with Science, even though I'm not religious. For example, I don't believe that "Pangea" ever really existed, but the reason I don't believe it isn't because I think "god created the Earth as it is". I just don't believe it. I'm also not completely convinced about dinosaours existing... But I'm also not so sure they didn't exist.)
^ When it comes to Science, I'm not really sure what I believe, but I do not believe that there is a higher power.
QUESTION:
To people who do believe in heaven and hell, I have a question- Are you one of the people who think that by just not believing, someone goes to hell, or it's the same as someone who does believe and it just has to do with how they live their life?
The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry. -Ernest Hemingway
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Post: #669901 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 10:27PM |
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I follow Christianity, but i am also aware that the Bible could very well have been tampered with by corrupt people.
i follow Christianity because i believe that it is about loving other human beings and helping others before yourself.
that doesnt mean im gonna only serve others, and if i aim for a goal, i wont give it up to someone else who wants it as well.
i just want to be there for people if they ever need help, because life can be hard sometimes, but it doesnt have to be if people have someone there who can listen to them and be there for them.
Patience-Resiliance-Versatility-Spirit-Creativity-Cleverness-
Faith-Love-Perserverance-Hope
So,If you care to find me; look to the Western sky. As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly
don't let my supposed "confidence" fool you, I'm still just a scared little kid. that doesn't mean I won't keep fighting.
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Post: #669906 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 10:43PM |
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I'm Christian, loosely speaking. I believe in God, I believe that he listens to us.
I also believe that he won't do things for us that humans could do for themselves. Otherwise, what's the point of us being here at all?
I believe in souls, because of something I read somewhere that energy can not be destroyed, only tranasformed. ...So where does life go, when we die? Also, I have a fear of not existing anymore.
Lizzie, I agree with you that God created the Big Bang. That's what I believe too. ^_^
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Post: #669913 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 10:59PM |
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:: Lia47
:: QA9 Grand Elder | |
@Britany
this strays from the original point of the thread a little, but I'm curious. Why don't you believe in Dinosaurs and Pangea?
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Post: #669915 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 11:06PM |
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@Liam: Well, with dinosaurs, I don't completely think they didn't exist, I'm just really skeptical. I'm not sure why... But when people talk about dinosaurs, I get the same feeling a lot of people get about ghosts- "they just COULDN'T exist, but then again, maybe I'm wrong." I'm just... Really not sure. And typing that made me kinda confused. Dx
Pangea, I don't believe because I don't believe that the plates and stuff shift enough for that to be true and for the continents to be this far away from each other. Plus, Pangea was said the have been like, 300 million years ago, and I don't really believe the Earth is that old... Especially since, the farther back you look in history, the harder it is to prove that your findings are right, and saying that something happened 300 million years ago... I just don't think it's very plausible.
The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry. -Ernest Hemingway
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Post: #669926 , Wed 25 Jul 12, 11:18PM |
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:: Lia47
:: QA9 Grand Elder | |
Okay, I guess I get Pangea, but what about all the fossils of dinosaurs? Actually never mind, we're not supposed to debate. 
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Edit: Lia47, Thu 26 Jul 12, 12:57AM
Post: #669945 , Thu 26 Jul 12, 12:26AM |
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Well make a new thread about this discussion so you can debate. I think it'll be very interesting. *nod*
"Are you ok?" "Yeah... I'm just tired." T orn apart, I nsecure, R eally faking a smile, E xtremely sad, D rowning in my tears "...yeah just tired."
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Post: #669947 , Thu 26 Jul 12, 12:30AM |
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:: TealSkye
:: QA7 Taking responsibility | |
I'm an Atheist, from the stand point, I don't believe in any of the existing theologies. Nor do I believe there are(is) any separate deitie(s) overlooking all.
I'm an Agnostic, I don't think any one could know.
Then I'm some other pretty nice shit
I think we are the very Gods we seek. I think the purpose of our very existence is to enjoy it, or not enjoy it, in whatever way we please. I believe individuality is a beautiful thing. I believe endeavoring to understand what surrounds us is surely a great way to improve human life for all, and those to come. Give us something to come back to in the next life, yeah?
And lastly, I respect, and strongly live by the Buddhist ideals ; Get the fuck over it. Life can get shitty: what are you going to do about it? Nothing? Move on.
I try to live by it anyways XD
And I'm pretty sure there are some obscure, and sexy terminologies for everything I just said, but I haven't bothered to look them up yet, and I wouldn't remember them if I did.
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Post: #669954 , Thu 26 Jul 12, 12:37AM |
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I'm a person of no religion, I choose to call Atheism a religion as well for certain reasons, however I did once come up with some beliefs I thought sounded alright. My beliefs, well it's more theories I guess, because I don't live by it. Anyways, it is centered around logic and the bacterial involvement in our bodies. You see, bacteria is within everything and is in fact a huge factor in the aging process of our bodies. I believe that there are different universes beyond our own and that what we call 'God' could really just be the major set of atoms or molecules which were present at the collision that we now know as 'The Big Bang'. I believe, that bacteria are also the minor stage of a perfect life-form(they are highly adaptable and evolve at a quick pace). I believe that bacteria are attempting to create a being as perfect as they are but one that is more complex in terms of body composition. We are only one stage of this process. I don't think that a soul can exist as an entity outside of the body, I instead tend to view it as an electrical current racing through us. This is believed by others because of how lighting is able to 'switch' us off when we're struck by it. Electricity is also passed through us in order to revive our dormant bodies. There isn't really a life after death, but I sorta accept that reincarnation could be a choice. I've tried imagining it, but the feeling is weird. The closest to death anyone could ever get to is by being blind, Dead and confined to a bed. I stick to the theory of Earth having being creating by masses of rock clusting together due to extreme force. The universe will eventually die and that everything occuring inside it, is merely caused by the actions of those residing in the shelter of the Universe. I think Religion is a method that we use to attempt to understand things that we would normally confused about. Also I stick to the theory of Evolution. Every miracle or unexpected occurance can somewhat probably be aan effect of a nearby universe.
There is no hope without salvation, there is no life without destruction, in this desolate world we can only rely on the unknown for our minds shame the very ground.
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Post: #669961 , Thu 26 Jul 12, 1:10AM |
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:: lylyzz
:: QA4 A spot of tea please, Alfred! | |
I honestly have a really hard time answering the question just because whenever I start to think about it, I always think why and why not. It gets to be a whole spiral of things. Really, I'd like to believe that good things happen to good people and that love conquers all. I can't say much in the way of an afterlife or a divine plan, but if there is one I have to say I question it quite often. But in the end, I'd like to hope our consciousness doesn't just fade away, even if it and it's ideas only live on through others. And if there was an afterlife, I wouldn't want to be defined by arbitrary rules about what you can and cannot eat or whether or not you believed the right parts of old stories, but rather whether or not you had good intentions and tried to be a good person in your life. Because, I think, if you really try to be a good person in life there is an afterlife, if only in the legacy of the other people's lives you've helped.
"I do what I do because I feel it's best. And if it makes me happy... Well all the better."
Try to do something unforgettable today. Even if you fail at what you wanted to do, you'll still have amazing memories.
My little tumblr hole: http://bethecrayon.tumblr.com/
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Post: #669965 , Thu 26 Jul 12, 1:13AM |
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Some pretty interesting beliefs around here.
@Alice. Thanks! ^^
I just think I ought to clear things up about the whole "energy cannot be destroyed" thing regarding souls. You see, when someone dies, their energy is actually still there. It doesn't just disappear, it becomes latent. That's why organisms can get energy from eating the remains of other organisms. As for your thoughts and whatnot, they're the result of electrical impulses in your brain and nervous system. When you stop living, your nervous system shuts down, but the energy itself is still in the nerve cells. That's why you can cause dead body parts to twitch by applying electrical impulses. Most of your energy, though, dissipates over a few hours after death as your body cools down (in other words, very simple proof that your energy doesn't spontaneously leave your body is that our body is still warm for a while after you die (or at least about as warm as it was when you died).
Therefor, the soul, in order to exist, must be metaphysical. That is, not reliant or even related to any known physical laws of matter or energy. So, the chances of souls being made of "energy" as we understand it physically are pretty negligible.
Sorry to have potentially burst your bubbles there, it's just I head that idea of souls a lot... ^^'
@Britany: I too find it very interesting that you don't believe in Pangea or dinosaurs. I understand where you're coming from with what you say about history, but it's not that it becomes harder to know the past the further back you go, it's that it becomes harder to be specific about events of the past the further back you go. In other words, it is possible the recount nearly all events of a day on Earth a day ago, but pretty much impossible to recount all events of a day exactly 65 million years, 11 weeks and 5 days ago, but it's perfectly possible to make rough estimations (for example "around 65 million years ago"), given sufficient evidence, which there definitely is. I don't wanna change your mind for you, but if you're interested I recommend reading up on the evidence of Pangea and whatnot. ^^
Oh, and I didn't mean I believe we have predetermined destinies, rather that it sometimes feels as though the universe is putting me on a certain path, so to speak, though that's very likely just in my imagination. I don't believe in true free will, though. Free will is an illusion in that it is entirely determined by three factors: all information your senses have ever absorbed, your brain's ability to process that information and make something of it, and the randomized firing of neurons in your brain. The latter is what a triggers the decision.
Another reason I don't believe in predetermined destiny has to do with quantum theory. The smallest of your subatomic particles oscillate (though that's probably not the right word) randomly, for example, left or right. There seems to be no way to predict whether the particle will oscillate left or right, nor any force which ca cause the particle to "make the decision". Therefor, some theoretical physics have come to the conclusion that the particle will oscillate both left and right simultaneously but in the fifth dimension (the fourth is time). This basically means that the universe splits in two: one universe (or reality) wherein the particle "chose" left and one wherein the particle "chose" right. The Schrödinger's Cat paradox tries to make this easier to understand, but actually doesn't. xD This cluster of infinitely branches timelines is called the "multiverse" (more than one universe. Get it? Multi-verse? As in "many universes"? Never mind). Anyway, most of these resulting realities would still pretty much be identical in almost every way, save for one particle oscillation: those which result the random firing of neurons in the brain. In other words, decisions. Therefor, you can imagine realities in which someone or yourself made totally different decisions actually existing, but in dimensions we unfortunately can not yet access... ;-; So yeah, I believe in the multiverse, which doesn't really correspond with beliefs in a predestined future.
Edit: Oh, something else about my idea of souls. If they exist, they must have either evolved with our intelligence (which would incline me to believe that all life forms have "souls" in some form or another) or reincarnate themselves to beings equal to their set sentient capacity. I say this because we (humans) most probably didn't just become sentient one day - our sentience most probably evolved gradually over time.
I also don't believe in "male" souls, "female" souls or even "human" souls, but perhaps just "sentient" and maybe "non-sentient" souls, but even those are very loosely defined. I also certainly don't believe that souls have a shape, even that of their physical bodies. I also believe in reincarnation and, to link up with the paragraph above this one, I think that souls would come into existence as very, very simple beings (and would similarly exist in very simple or "un-sentient" organisms) and would "grow" with each life to a more (or perhaps less, if the life was degrading) complex being. So maybe I think of souls sort of as files on a computer that are transferred from computer to computer (living organisms, in other words), being added on to with each use (life).
But over all I'm still pretty agnostic about all this. ^^
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Edit: SpacelemoN, Thu 26 Jul 12, 1:37PM
Post: #670084 , Thu 26 Jul 12, 1:22PM |
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:: Nokine
:: QA4 A spot of tea please, Alfred! | |
i really dont have a name for it.
I just believe that being nice to people will bring good, giving to the needy, respecting everyone, etc. But not just doing it cause you have to, doing it cause it's good for the world.
and i think the worst thing of all is stealing.
Stealing is the worst of all,
If you kill a man, you steal the right of a woman to have a husband, a boy to have a father.
If you lie, you steal a persons right to knowing the truth.
It all revolves around itself.. Stealing is the worst ever..
If i think religion is crap, but still believe in God, cause i don't think God would ever think of any sort of hatred towards anyone! Then i'd just believe that stealing is the worst, and i'll have myself feel Morally correct. Just as i've been living for the past 7 years of my life.. and i'm perfectly fine.
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Post: #670369 , Fri 27 Jul 12, 5:48AM |
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:: Inch
:: QA6 Livin' it up! | |
Firstly, I don't specifically believe in any higher power or pantheon.
However
I do believe that anything is possible. Anything at all. Even things most people shrug off as BS. Ghosts, unicorns, gods, time travel*, alternate universes, the concept that the universe is a complicated television show for an alien world, etc.
Now, let me clarify here. There is a vast difference between what I acknowledge and what I believe. I believe that those things are possible, but I only acknowledge things as reality when I see or experience them personally.
So, there could be a giant orange polka-dot unicorn in my room right now trying to eat my lava lamp, but that isn't something I can recognize. I can't see, hear, feel, smell, or taste(!?) a unicorn near my lava lamp, so if it is there, it isn't part of my personal reality.
Basically, I live by what I know.
I don't know that a god of some kind wrote (or made some humans write) any of the religious texts in the world, so I don't follow them. Why should I devote my life to something I can't personally recognize as fact?
Of course, for the people who do follow those books, it is part of their personal reality. They truly believe that some kind of god made a book to tell them how to live. And if that makes them happy, well, more power to 'em.
Souls and afterlives go by the same concept. I don't know what happens when I die. I've never died before. I don't know any ghosts or zombies that I can ask. so I just don't worry about it. If there is an afterlife, cool. If nothing happens after I die, that's okay, too.
As long as I live a fairly decent life, whatever happens afterwards seems pretty inconsequential
*For the record, I think time travel is a really, really bad idea, and time prolly doesn't wanna be messed around with. Just sayin'.
I will never be afraid again
I will keep on fighting 'till the end
I can walk on water
I can fly
I will keep on fighting 'till I die
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Edit: Inch, Fri 27 Jul 12, 6:13AM
Post: #670373 , Fri 27 Jul 12, 6:12AM |
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Atheist in belief set, and I will also list anti-theistic Humanist as a practice since many have decided to list practices/social philosophies instead of beliefs.
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Edit: atomuskus, Fri 27 Jul 12, 7:39AM
Post: #670382 , Fri 27 Jul 12, 7:38AM |
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