Random Thoughts

[megladon8]

You know what? Never mind. I'm done.

I can't take these "discussions" at the best of times, let alone at 2am.

People are inherently good, but they do need some guidance, some form of established order. Libertianism would be the answer if everyone thought the same way, but they don't.

As it is, I'm happy to be in North America. It's far from perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than other places in the world.

[Barty]

If this was what Barty preached, I would be on his side and all for it.

I do preach that :lol: Except for once instance, where I take the logical step and advocate completely voluntary government, not just minimal government by force.

But I find the level of outright hatred that Barty often demonstrates towards politicians, government, and even government workers who are simply doing their job and have no say in policy, to be quite disturbing.

My hatred is really only been targeted to the most powerful and destructive. I don't typically hate on basic government workers, but for example, someone like a police officer who enforces drug laws deserves criticism because they are expressly hurting people who have committed to crime against someone else. It's irrelevant that they are simply "enforcing the law" and unjust law is still and unjust law, and they are voluntarily enforcing it. The problem with Libertarianism from an advocacy point of view, is it's both consistent on the macro level and micro level.

Nations and individuals are both held to the same standard. So someone who fights in a war isn't excused from killing or hurting innocents because they are apart of the military, where as most people give a pass to warfare as if it's somehow different then any type of killing in private sphere.

So when THIS was ordered:



Libertarians rightfully think Truman was a mass murderer, the same as if some crazy cult leader detonated a bomb in the middle of a mall. Just because he was elected and has the title of President doesn't excuse his actions as a human.

My father is a government worker. He has been for 35 years. He hates his job, does not enjoy a lot of what he does, nor does he agree with much of what he does. But his parents spent every penny they had sending him to school to get this job, and with the myriad medical problems his children and wife have faced over the last decade or so, he had no choice but to stick with it because he needed the admittedly fairly high salary to take care of us.

What does your Dad do?

I don't think he would find fair the disgust and hatred that Barty has for "his kind".

I don't believe I've ever critiqued your Dad. lol

It's the kind of hatred that I see as more detrimental to society, than prone to instigate any kind of positive change.

Well, I hate violence and aggression, so naturally I find the people who commit them not appealing.

[elixir]

For some reason I keep letting the trash in my trash can pile extremely high. I must curb this practice. I think it will be done.

[Barty]

How are drug possession and traffic violations victimless crimes?

How is anyone, besides potentially myself, implicitly hurt by me smoking a joint? They are not.

Just because someone who is going 100 in a 40 zone didn't kill someone, doesn't mean they wouldn't. Isn't it good that the police prevented a potential incident?

Just because you've never bombed an airport doesn't mean you wouldn't Meg. So is it okay if the police come and arrest you tomorrow and throw you in jail?

[[ETM]]

Just because you've never bombed an airport doesn't mean you wouldn't Meg. So is it okay if the police come and arrest you tomorrow and throw you in jail?

Not this again... using hyperbole when you have nothing of substance to say is getting old, Barty.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Just because you've never bombed an airport doesn't mean you wouldn't Meg. So is it okay if the police come and arrest you tomorrow and throw you in jail?

Agree with you on the joint thing, but this doesn't make any sense at all. In one example, you're performing an action that has serious potential to hurt someone else (driving 100 in a 40). In your example, you would be performing no action at all. None. Your lack of action is endangering no one. A better example would be you showing up at the airport with a bomb strapped to your chest, but not setting it off, so no one was hurt. And in that case, yes, you should be arrested.

[Mara]

All my emotional energy is being used to avoid fighting with my family today. (Tensions in fight #1 escalated significantly last night.) So, I'm going to politely decline to participate in or acknowledge any fighting online.

Almonds are quite possibly my favorite nut. They are versatile and tasty.

[Robby P]

Forget moving violations, you guys should ask Barty what he thinks about drunk driving laws. On second thought, no, you shouldn't.

[number8]

2. You would probably boil anything I say down to ultra-simplistic terms to serve your own purpose (you believe in a bearded sky wizard LOL). Like saying I believe what I do simply because of where I was born, and that's that.

Now you're being presumptuous, no? Someone said that the religious deities of two beliefs cannot be dismissed together, and I was just honestly asking why, since they seem the same to me. Robby P's answer made sense and I understand now, but then I provided a refutal.

Obviously I don't reject only bearded sky wizards. I also reject the idea of a pseudo-sentient, all-knowing energy in the universe that New Age hippies and Jedi Masters believe.

D, I have no interest in debating your beliefs with you again. We've been down this road before, and your positive attitude toward humanity seem to cloud you of the fact that you and your church in Seattle are anomalies in the Christian faith. You always turn to your personal anecdote, which I've time and time again expressed no objections to.

I wasn't even talking about people questioning their personal relationship to God. I was talking about the majority of people accepting something as monumental as who to worship, which is what we were initially talking about, more casually than what city they live in. Religion is cultural. I don't see how that can be argued. You don't enter a "select religion" menu screen before you start a life. It's why in some countries, they put your religion on your birth certificate/ID. You're just born into one according to one or both of your parents' religion, and regardless of whatever faith crisis one endures, the return and conviction will still most likely stay within the one that they know best, and what they know best, they know because it's the prevailing one in their community or family.

And the tragedy is that most of them are not like you, D, who believe that all roads lead to one path or whatever. Most of them start wars over this shit. I don't believe that theism is the root of all evil, but I do believe that it is a persuasive and incredibly convenient excuse to do evil in a world that doesn't require it to do good and be happy, and thus I'm not going to start spreading benefits of doubts when it comes to the religious.

[Dukefrukem]

Barty, what do you think about dunk driving laws?

[Ezee E]

Agree with you on the joint thing, but this doesn't make any sense at all. In one example, you're performing an action that has serious potential to hurt someone else (driving 100 in a 40). In your example, you would be performing no action at all. None. Your lack of action is endangering no one. A better example would be you showing up at the airport with a bomb strapped to your chest, but not setting it off, so no one was hurt. And in that case, yes, you should be arrested.

Yes. It's called being proactive instead of reactive.

Now there is a level to where it should be stopped. But pulling someone over for going over 100 to protect others on the road is a duh action to me.

[Dukefrukem]

for 8

[D_Davis]

I do think that number8 is right, though, D, about culture and place of birth making a large impact on most peoples' religious beliefs.

It's like a language. If you're born in America, there is a good chance that you will speak English, but it still takes brain power to learn the spelling and the grammar, and practice to make your use of the language better, and you are able to learn other languages and go to other countries to experience other cultures.

[D_Davis]

The one thing I really get tired of is how it seems to me that atheists believe that the atheist choice is the only intellectual choice to the "is there a God?" question, while the theistic choice must mean that the person who answers "yes" is a simple minded fool, at best, or delusional. They can both be intellectual choices, and they can both be simple-minded choices. I absolutely despise the terms "Brights" and "Free Thinkers" because they presume that those who aren't are dull or brain washed. And I am neither.

On the other side of the coin I'm sure atheists get tired of religious people questioning their ability to be moral or truly happy because they've chosen a life without God.

It would just be so much more beneficial if we looked at each other as real people.

Peace!

[D_Davis]

Can we go back to talking about female masturbation?

[Mara]

The one thing I really get tired of is how it seems to me that atheists believe that the atheist choice is the only intellectual choice to the "is there a God?" question, while the theistic choice must mean that the person who answers "yes" is a simple minded fool, at best, or delusional.

I call this the "I'm Right and You're Dumb" argument. All the name-calling ("sheeple", etc.) gets old fast.

On the other side of the coin I'm sure atheists get tired of religious people questioning their ability to be moral or truly happy because they've chosen a life without God.

Also very true.

Yeah, yeah, I know I wasn't going to get involved. Sorry. I'm a pacifist at heart. I believe what I believe and allow all mankind the same privilege. Religion or philosophy of any kind has never been a barrier to me respecting someone or being friends with someone. I try to be kind, I really do, even though I know I often fall short. I'm glad the world is full of people who are different from one another. I consider it one of the beauties of this world. I just wish it didn't lead to so much conflict.

[number8]

On the other side of the coin I'm sure atheists get tired of religious people questioning their ability to be moral or truly happy because they've chosen a life without God.

Shit like this mainly:



But also, on a less extreme scale:

[number8]

Can we go back to talking about female masturbation?

HEY, this is Random Thoughts. We have a Secret thread for that!

[D_Davis]

Shit like this mainly:

But also, on a less extreme scale:

I totally agree, 8. That shit is deplorable. It angers me to my core.

[D_Davis]

HEY, this is Random Thoughts. We have a Secret thread for that!

I think it's time to bring the topic into the open.

[Mara]

Shit like this mainly:

You're probably not going to like me replying to you with scripture, so you can just skip it. But this is the only thing I can think of when I see things like that.

[

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Matthew 7:21-23. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

]

[number8]

You're probably not going to like me replying to you with scripture, so you can just skip it. But this is the only thing I can think of when I see things like that.

[

Show Spoiler

Matthew 7:21-23. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

]

Well, allow me to reply in kind.

Timothy 2:12. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.

So, you know, shush.

[

Show Spoiler

I'm sorry. :P

]

[Mara]

So, you know, shush.

[

Show Spoiler

I'm sorry. :P

]

Ha ha. I promise I'm typing very quietly.

And my worth is far above rubies.

[D_Davis]

I call this the "I'm Right and You're Dumb" argument. All the name-calling ("sheeple", etc.) gets old fast.

The sheeple thing comes from the metaphor used in the bible, of Jesus being the shepherd. But what they don't realize is that the metaphor is not about the people being mindless sheep, it's about Jesus being a caring shepherd. Christians are called a "flock of Jesus" not to call out their brainless following, but to call out the attitude of Jesus - that metaphor shows that Jesus cares about the whole and the individual equally.

So using it as a derogatory term for Christians does make sense from an outsiders perspective. But I don't think Christians are ever told to be sheep and to mindlessly follow.

[number8]

I always thought it was an Ayn Rand thing.