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 Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:07 pm
"Plants are slightly different though. Just as in your argument, it is bad to have designer babies but fine to have designer animals. I mean where do you draw the line." As he spoke he continued to write, this time from right to left in his own native scrawl. As odd as it sounded he found it hard to talk and write in english at the same time. "I mean, plants can be enhanced naturally for different climates and terrains. People have been doing it for centuries. Things are are made the way they are for a reason. Who are we to toy with things. Alla..." His eyes widened at what he was about to say and he looked down at the page again. "Ugh, I sound like such a hypocrit." He said with a smirk and a small snort of laughter. "Sorry."
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:17 pm
Obsidian continued to stare down as he started to speak again. When he suddenly broke off she glanced up at him. "I don't understand. How are you a hypocrit?" she asked with the hint of a smile on her lips. It seemed that this may be a hot topic between the two of them. She found she was enjoying the debate despite her nervousness at having to work with another student.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:26 pm
He looked up and gave a slight frown.
"Well, I mean I talk about these things. I think it's o.k to clone for medical research and purposes. But I dissagree about messing with things as a whole, creating perfection. It's a bit hypocritical." He crossed something he had written out and re wrote it. "I nearly brought religion into the argument. Which is just crazy. It's not something I even agree with." He shook his head again. "I don't know."
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:38 pm
Obsidian cleared her throat nervously. "You can't help that. It was the way you were raised. Belief systems are there to help create moral people. Draw the lines of appropriateness. Some people make them the core of their lives, others use them as a foundation and then build upon them themselves. Creating something in order to save a life in danger seems morally correct, but so many religions preach that life is to be dictated by a god and not human hands. That to pretend to be a god is morally corrupt. In the end you have to decide: is this life worth saving, or was it meant to be and nothing should change that? You're the only one who can put a value on life. Belief systems try to, but some people are just more caring than others," she said, folding her arms on the table and leaning forward slightly.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:53 pm
Ra nodded in agreement. Religion had always been at the centre of his life whether he liked it or not. Raised in the Islamic state by quite a traditional family. Yet he could not remember a time when he believed any of it.
"Do you believe in anything?" He asked boldly. "Like a higher power, or something that has such a control over what happens in the world?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:13 pm
A spark of interest flashed across her eyes. This was an interesting turn in the conversation.
"That depends," she said again with a soft smirk. "I was raised to believe there is. My parents are Catholic and they raised me to be one too. I can't turn my back on eighteen years of religious teachings and just say 'no... there is no God... i was just kidding.' But I don't think that there is a higher power that is in total control over us. Why then would the higher power give us the knowledge to save a life only for us to not use it and allow the life to die in vain? I think that God, or whoever he or she may be, is more of an idea that transcends through all religions. There's too many similarities otherwise. All the ridiculous little things like confession and eating pork and dancing are all self imposed aspects that truly don't matter in the end."
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:56 pm
Ra put his pen down on the table and folded his arms, listening carefully.
"I think you are right in one way. How can something supposedly benevolent create life only to destroy it again. 'Acts of God' as people call them, kill people, injure them almost beyond repair. Yet it isn't god who saves them it's other people." His expression grew distant, extremely distant. "I cannot believe in something so cruel and fickle. How can Allah who loves us, destroy innocent people. It makes no sense."
He bit his lip and looked down at the paper in front of him. "Sorry, The whole religious debate messes with my head. I have these views and feelings but I don't totally understand them. It's hard."
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:09 pm
Her interest was piqued as the warmth left his eyes and a cold distance settled into them instead. Maybe this conversation was going too far. It was endearing the way he bit his lip and looked so puzzled. She could tell he was struggling within himself. Obsidian withdrew her arms from the table and folded her hands down in her lap.
"Well," she started with an attempt at a charming smile, "I think that maybe we should start looking for the opinions of experts now. Otherwise we might just end up sitting here all day. I'll look for the first half of the list." With that she promptly rose to her feet and grabbed the book list out from under her notebook and walked off to the library computer catalog.
After wandering around the tall bookshelves for a few moments she returned to the table with several books cradled in her arms.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:56 pm
Ra didn't move. He just sat at the table in silence, staring at his paper. He couldn't believe he had just almost lost it in front of a total stranger. Whilst she dissapeared to look for books Ra rested his head on his arms and closed his eyes, trying in desperation to get his mind back on track. He should have known that the conversation would go down that route.
He sat up as she returned and tore the page of messy notes out of the folder.
"Wow." He said as she returend with the books, "Those look...interesting" He said dryly eyeing the pile."
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:06 pm
"They are actually. I've read a couple of them already," she replied sliding into her seat, eyeing his rather sullen attitude. "If you're not up to studying anymore we can call it a day. I don't mind. If you want we can even split it up and work on it separately until we're ready to put it together," she offered, trying to hide the hopefullness in her voice.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:14 pm
Ra mused over the suggestion and again looked at the huge pile of books.
"You know it might be easier." He began. "Split the pile in half study them separatly then meet back here again when we're done and discuss things. Does that sound Okay?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:20 pm
A wave a relief washed over her. She would get to return to her room and study on her own again. "That would be fine," she replied, lifting half of the books up off the stack and sliding them across the table to him. "Just tell me when you're ready to study next," she replied, reaching for her bag. She opened it and started to slip the books in a few at a time.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:33 pm
"Cool, o.k" He said putting his half of the books in his bag. "I'll let you know in class." He closed his folder and put away his dictionary that he didn't even need in the end. "See ya then." He said with a smile as her turned to leave.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:58 pm
Obsidian rose to her feet as he started to leave and glanced down at the table to make sure she had picked everything up. He had left the piece of paper with his odd notes scrawled across it. She glanced around and decided not to call out to him so she wouldn't disturb the other students. Quickly she slung her bag up over her head and onto her shoulder. She grabbed the paper and hurried after him. She caught up to him a little ways down the hall.
"Ra... did you need these?" she asked stopping and holding out the paper towards him. "You left them on the table." Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears and didn't understand why.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:13 pm
Ra almost didn't hear her come after him, he was halfway down the corridor when she said his name. Stopping he turned and looked down at the paper in her hands.
"Oh." He said taking them back. "Thanks. I doubt they would have been much use to you eh?" He smirked looking down at his untidy handwriting half in english, half in farsi. He was about to head off when he remembered something. "You're in archery club right?"
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