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Re: don't ask don't tell [message #442453 is a reply to message #442451] Tue, 11 January 2011 11:09 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
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CarrierII wrote on Tue, 11 January 2011 10:38

Only right in your opinion, that your opinion maybe more justifiable is of little difference to those who care neither for your opinion nor the justification. (That's not me, incidentally, I'm merely pointing out that a lot of people who live in religious states like it. Sure, some people don't like it, and the humanitarian record isn't good either)

across the board.

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The hypothetical God in the scenario I created with that sentence isn't about holy books and proof. He's more about using lightning bolts on people he doesn't like. It was a joke, hence the ":d" smiley.

I see where the confusion came from (my lack of an editor) - Let me try again: In a hypothetical world with a powerful deity that certifiably exists - secularism may not be the best option in terms of long term survival (due to aforementioned lightning bolts).

i was hoping you'd say that. this is what religion always boils down to.

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Having a generally positive opinion about a species hardwired for selfishness (due to evolution, struggle to survive etc) is hard, thus it requires a belief people can act better than their worst - that is having "faith in humanity" - not having "faith in humanity" is feeling that all people will be selfish etc.

you're just using two completely different definitions of the word faith.

if you're basically saying that having a high opinion of humanity is a faith-based position because the evidence points to us acting selfishly, actually no it doesn't for the most part.

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Not from your perspective, doesn't make your perspective (IE, secularism) the best (or indeed, worst) option from someone else's perspective, though.

a secular democracy is the best option for everybody. religious countries are only good for a small minority of one particular religion, and bad for everybody else - including, usually, many people from that religion.



Not in the opinion of those who benefit from a non-secular arrangement.

uh yes, that's the minority i was talking about.

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If they do think so, I'm not too scared of what someone else thinks (or says, until their speech goes from a general threat to a specific one) - to be paranoid of what other people's thoughts are is a shortcut to madness, for you will never be able to tell what others are thinking. The good news is it doesn't matter, until their thoughts become actions, they can't touch you. This isn't "Inception" (which is a good movie).

that didn't really answer the question.

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See the word "forcibly" in italics? We're on the same page. (I don't find a written message at all scary, unless the threat is specific - I don't think we'll ever see billboards insisting that a "Mr J. Smith" of <some address> must convert or we'll attack him", not least because the paper trail will easily lead to the people who had it displayed)

and yet we live in a world where telling people they'll be tortured for not being the right religion (which of course varies) is a pretty common thing. the two main target demographics for this coercive threat are children and old/sick/dying people. and we're supposed to find this compassionate?

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Perhaps my fault for not being clear: when I said "... find a lack of hellfire scary", I meant the whole afterlife shebang that religions like to peddle - death scares a lot of people, with good reason, it's very damn scary.

Edit: Expanding upon this point: these people also can't see how a world could work without threats like eternal damnation to keep people from misbehaving.

which is incredibly short-sighted of them. what do they think police and prisons are for, i wonder?

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Faith that some people wanted me to be alive stopped me killing myself. I can't prove my worth to them, to myself, but it stopped me.

Did you have a good reason to think that? I'm not asking for lab results, I'm asking did you have a good reason to think "these people wanted me to be alive"; if not, why did you think it?


See reborn's post. I'm glad you display that much compassion towards your fellow man. One of the nice things about my Christian friends is the amount of compassion they have, which they assure me is related to their faith...

both you and reborn misunderstood the question. i was getting towards the fact you almost certainly had a good reason to think that this is what they thought about you killing yourself, in which case it isn't faith.


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