What's the one thing you'd like to see happening during your lifetime?

[aurynne]

Following on from a chat with a friend the other day, we were discussing climate change, and war, and politics, and trying to solve the World problems over a coffee. During the conversation, we also acknowledged how privileged and fortunately we both were, two women born and living in countries where we had choices, freedom, food and clean water.

Late in the convo, we talked about one thing each that we would really like to see happen before we die.

For me, it would be finding life in another planet. Nothing would make me happier and more fulfilled than the news of a life form found outside of Earth, even if it is just a microbe. Complex life would be astounding and awe-inspiring beyond belief. Knowing we are not alone, and that the Universe may be teeming with life, would fill me with joy, and perhaps reduce a bit the despair I feel about humans destroying this planet.

What would you like to see happen within your lifetime?

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll no, that was the "straw man" argument. Nobody can help being a certain colour, or atone for what previous generations did. However, what is within all of our power right now, is to stop perpetuating past injustices and persecuting people based on whether or not they believe in totally unproven supernatural theories based on books written by people several thousand years ago. Instead, we can recognise our common humanity and work together towards a stable, non-violent society that has no need for such archaic control mechanisms and is based on kindness.

"Lots of good and evil has been done by people claiming all faiths and none throughout history."

Athiests have obviously fought in wars. My point is that religious people have continually persecuted those who belong to other religions or are athiests, or fought wars thhat they attempted to justify based on religion, or committed genocides based on religion. Remind me when athiests have exterminated thousands or millions of religious people or declared war based on their beliefs? Yeah. Never. False equivalence,

Agree @SlayingDragons bigoted sectarianism in Northern Ireland must end.

No more violence and sexual abuse.

I see an earlier poster cited a ban on porn. I agree and also I would ban sexual abuse and violence from tv and film. It seems every show has a woman getting raped and a child being abused and men getting raped too- it's sick, unwatchable and in my opinion encourages sickos out there (who revel in watching that stuff) to perpetrate these crimes in real life (taking ideas from the shows in how to find victims/how to evade being caught/ how to get round loopholes in the police and the law).

Return to EU
Ending male violence.
All animals to have the right to not be abused/eaten/caged/shot/ tested on.

Really really want to return to the EU,so putting twice!

I would like to see the United States demoted (?) from being a world power so they stop fucking the world like they have been since the end of WW2. They are the single biggest threat to world peace. Also, I would like to see radical government legislation to tackle climate change (ie. Imposed restrictions on air travel, car use, water use) because the whole "if we all just do our bit the world can change" is actually damaging to the cause

A properly funded and access to all when needed NHS.
Proportional representation at the ballot box.
An end to the housing/homeless crisis.
An end to zero hour contracts, replaced by an actual living wage for everyone regardless of skill or status.
Cures for later stage cancers.

And less seriously :
Cadbury’s chocolate to go back to its original, ‘proper’ taste.
Piers Morgan, Katie Hopkins and Nigel Farrage to disappear into total obscurity never to be heard from again.

Oh and David Cameron to be slapped in the chops with a wet fish every day for the rest of his life for calling a non legally binding referendum with no clear terms on the repercussions or strategy for a leave vote.

In terms of how to improve things in the UK, this says it all:

@Starsabove1 you will like this.

I still cannot understand how he didn't win, standing against Mr Alexander de Pfeffel Johnson standing in Uxbridge? Cummings must have put something in the local reservoir.

m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=qjNKT-KcOGQ

My lovely dil to have her beautiful children restored to her where they will not be abused.

That’s it.

I don’t want it in my lifetime. I want it right this minute.
The whole unjust family court system needs putting under a microscope.
Loving and protective mothers are being classed as emotional abusers and it is so not true.
Too many good mothers have seen custody of their children given to an abusive parent.
It’s heartbreaking.
These children are now seriously damaged.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll no, that was the "straw man" argument. Nobody can help being a certain colour, or atone for what previous generations did. However, what is within all of our power right now, is to stop perpetuating past injustices and persecuting people based on whether or not they believe in totally unproven supernatural theories based on books written by people several thousand years ago. Instead, we can recognise our common humanity and work together towards a stable, non-violent society that has no need for such archaic control mechanisms and is based on kindness.

OK, point taken about the colour issue; but you do realise that the vast majority of people who claim a religious faith aren’t in the least interested in persecuting others, don’t you – unless you’re of the far-right ‘all Muslims are terrorists’ school of (categorically unevidenced) ‘thought’? Also, for many people, their religion is intrinsically linked in with their own personal and cultural identity – and is often the reason why they personally feel driven to doing very good things in their communities (food banks etc) and spearheading assistance in aid of international humanitarian causes. Do you think that the likes of Christian Aid and Islamic Relief are doing what they do in some kind of endeavour to persecute the very people to whom they’re providing essential supplies, compassion, refuge and practical assistance? Do many atheists help the poor and vulnerable in the same way? Yes, very much so. People do things for all kinds of motivations – who is anybody else to tell them that their motivation is wrong?

Would you be wanting to ban the Jewish faith, for example, or allow people to identify as culturally Jewish as long as they agreed not to tie that in with any religious beliefs or practices? Maybe just ban any use of the word Jewish and get rid of any associations with it. Have we seen anybody try that in relatively recent history?

Remind me when athiests have exterminated thousands or millions of religious people or declared war based on their beliefs? Yeah. Never. False equivalence

What about the Soviet regime – indeed apparently still the way of life in Russia now? Human rights in China? North Korea? I don’t think their governments are treating their citizens in the way they do in the name of any religion. Or doesn’t it count if it’s atheists killing/persecuting/perpetrating appalling human rights abuses against everybody including millions of other atheists?

As I said, I judge people on their actions and not on their beliefs. I certainly wouldn't presume to tell people how they're supposed/allowed to think and live their own lives - that's quite a dangerous pathway to go down. If your idea of utopia is to ban everybody from believing in things that are not accepted by the majority consensus/their own governments/you, then that certainly isn’t my idea of utopia.

Cure for cancer it’s affected so many of my family members.

@DramaLlamaMeditation hah! Brilliant! Binface woz robbed.
To the phantom zone with them all!!

And end to factory farming worldwide.

A peaceful agreed United Ireland

Trump jailed and my DD to recover fully from her eating disorder.