Thanks @delurkingdetective!
a. if you could get away with one murder in your lifetime without any legal, social, or emotional repercussions, would you kill someone?
Ooo, this is question is so good. Like what does it mean to have no emotional repercussions? No guilt? I would be honoured to help in an assisted death, and I can’t deny that my curiousity be so happy to the opportunity.
m. if you could have the ability to manipulate matter or energy, which would you choose?
hm. If by energy we are including tempurature and electromagnetic waves (hee light), I’d have to go with that. Spontaneous combustion would be awesome, and an alternate light source would be great when I am already in bed and don’t want to reach for the light switch. Also, OMG, controlling wifi. YES.
z. can you understand the mindset and logic used by the opposite spiritual opinion? an atheist understanding the belief in a higher power and vice versa.
I hope so, at least a little. I’ve done a lot of religious wandering, and have a lot of respect for the life views and self awareness that can be found in either extreme. However it’s easier for me to relate to positions informed by consciencous reflection and interrogation of common texts, whether philosophy of religion or humanism or whatever. Access to these legacies of thought is a major privilege, though, and I should have more patience for the majority of people who are confident in their beliefs without these foundations. Basically, respect I can manage, and understanding is reached on a case by case basis. (Although, to be honest, I’m not really interested in the metaphysical elements of religion/atheism/skepticism. These issues are kind of boring.)