Life After Death

Off Topic
81

[quote]angry chicken wrote:

[quote]Ryancoburn wrote:
Nihlism leads to destructionism.

Faith leads to hope, understanding, knowledge, and peace.

Those with faith have no fears in life or death.

There is no absolute truth god exists there is no absolute truth he doesn’t. You put your faith where you see fit.[/quote]

The problem is, those with “faith” won’t leave it alone. They “Go forth and spread the word”. They simply won’t mind their own fucking business…

I don’t have a problem with the personal belief as I do with the organization in charge of promoting/codifying it.

They send people out to convert other people and to rake in more money for their organization. They encourage them (by threatening them with “sin” and excommunication) to not use birth control so that their followers breed MORE and MORE religious babies. They openly state that they want ALL people to believe in THEIR religion.

Historically, these organizations have started wars, committed torture, murder, slander and all kinds of acts promoting their own narrow view of the world. And people will say, “but that’s not what XYZ religion is about, that’s just PEOPLE”. Well guess what? PEOPLE are the ones committing crimes in the name of XYZ religion. And I’m not just picking on Christians here, or Muslims (although I’d say it’s a pretty fair statement that the Abrahamic religions have a metric shit ton of blood on their hands), I’m speaking of ALL religions including the Aztecs with their human sacrifices to the Jews with their practice of cutting the skin of little boys penises.

If you want people to be open to “faith”, why not try to fuck a few less little boys? Or if a member of your clergy DOES fuck little boys, how about you don’t just transfer the pedophile to another location so HE CAN FUCK MORE LITTLE BOYS?

That would be a great start.

What get’s me most is the ARROGANCE about how “right” you say you are in the absence of proof. Not a single religious person can offer PROOF that any of the bullshit he is preaching is actually true. Yet they have the balls to call me a sinner, tell me I’m going to hell, tell me I have to believe in Jesus, the bible, the ten commandments (or whatever), but they CANNOT PROVE SHIT.

Then they turn around and have the balls to come knocking on my door asking for a donation? LMAO[/quote]

Huh. I just say “sorry, no” and go about my day. When I think about science and progress I don’t get all twisted up about the atom bomb, thalidomide babies, or pests brought in to combat regional problems that then become even greater problems (nutria, for example).

Life is complex.

82

[quote]EmilyQ wrote:

[quote]Severiano wrote:

[quote]EmilyQ wrote:

[quote]Severiano wrote:
Nope.

Further, I believe that introducing children to such ideas also introduces existential fear that we all have to deal with as humans. Faith in the afterlife sets up people for a life of fear, as the nature of reason questions, and the nature of questions for humans lies in what happens to us when we die.

When we invest in the idea of an afterlife we subject ourselves to the push pull of fear within faith and reason… Rather than just dealing with and accepting the strong likelyhood that there is no afterlife, people buy into the idea and then have to convince themselves of such over and over out of fear of the contrary. This is the nature of faith in the afterlife, it leads to Existentialism in later life, and the holding onto of the intrinsic fear that there is no afterlife, rather than never buying into the idea at all in the first place.

I’ve gone so far as to call people who are educated and believe in the afterlife; cowards. But really we are wired to be horrified of death, and not everyone is strong enough to look at reality the same way I do. [/quote]

This all sounds very. . . fraught. What a delight you must be at parties, calling your friends cowards! I don’t know what your childhood as a kid who went to church was like, but I’ve observed a lot of church-y families and they haven’t seemed to exhibit this kind of struggle.

[/quote]

For some people being told there is a heaven and a God is good enough, and they don’t ask questions. For others of us, we are curious by nature, all stuff you already know given different personality types, education levels etc. It’s hard to see how people take death and loss, it’s not like I’m going to ask you to go to a funeral and ask for interviews about how people feel.

I’ve never been to a party where everyone sits and talks about religion btw, but if you do all the time then cool.
[/quote]

What are you saying now? You said that you call your friends cowards, I said “how delightful!” and then you wanted to know what kind of parties I go to?

I have seen death. My own loved ones and others’. I deal with death and bereavement at work, along with end-of-life decisions (e.g. sell home and go to assisted living?). My observation has been that people near death, whether through old age or illness, become tired and generally feel ready to give themselves over to death (though not always). Many hold on until they can settle emotional issues (say goodbye to child who’s traveled in, see a spouse settled and cared for).

Younger or previously healthy people dying have other issues to contend with. I am not afraid of death, regardless of afterlife, but I have a great deal to do between now and what I hope will be my old age. Urgency would be a much better word for what I feel than fear.

Fear seems to come easily to you. That is not everyone’s default.[/quote]

C’mon Emily. You brought up the topic of discussing life after death at a party, which would have to occur before I’d call someone a coward for having faith at said party… Really, you go to parties where people sit around and talk about the afterlife?

Really, my view was best summed up in an earlier post by Powerpuff. As much as I want to go out and call people who fit that criteria cowards, I also love a lot of people who have faith. One of the things I’ve dealt with recently is more up your ally though… I’ve recently had to deal with a family member who had a psychotic break, resulting from a demon that she allowed into her brain when she strayed from God. By staying away from God she, “stayed in the fear” / with the demon… But she’s with God now, and all is well… She literally was homeless and put me in a spot where I was talking with her at work so she would be off the street. After two months shes back on her feet, working and in an apartment. Everything out of her is God this and God that, so long as she’s not on the streets homeless I’m happy for her, but sad for her too. She lost her daughter as a result.

I don’t know if I’m inclined to fear anymore than other people, there are times I’ve seen other people lose their shit. I’ve seen grown ass men of higher rank than me curl up and cry, I’ve seen a guy get so stressed out he opened his head up on the floor with his head after banging it a few times, I’ve seen a guy attack his senior in with a 3/4 inch wrench and literally try to kill him with it. I’ve never felt inclined to do any of these things, but I sure can make sense of them, or at least attempt to!

I think a lot of people grapple with the fear I talk about as a result of being human. But, really it’s exacerbated by investing in the idea of an afterlife like I have explained plenty already.

83

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote]Severiano wrote:

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote]Severiano wrote:

The only real escape from Nihilism, without totally lying to yourself is by discovering meaning for yourself, not having it posited on you by a hegemony of lying.

[/quote]

You can’t “find meaning” if there is none. Furthermore, if you actually use logic and really look for meaning the answers you find may be so disturbing that you choose to reject them - hint: “social Darwinism”.
[/quote]

I’m pretty sure we can already do things like make sense of the why’s of our emotions. Why do you feel things like empathy and sympathy towards others, and aren’t most of us equipped with these emotions? We’ve already talked a lot about fear and how our lives can be guided by it.

We spent a lot of time talking about fear and faith. And what is faith other than empty trust that is based in fear and hope?

See how widespread faith is, why not spread awesome shit by helping people to understand the nature of empathy and sympathy?

Why is it we have these things, and what better things to base ethics and meaning in? We are rational animals that have evolved these emotions likely due to our being social and all. Those emotions seem to be adaptations we evolved so we can better look out for one another. They can at least inform us of how to treat one another as humans. It’s a good place to start.

And, what do most people base their lives on today anyhow? How many women you bedded? How much stuff you own? How good you look? How much weight you lift? We create it all, and most of the time it’s petty shit.

Look at the various heavens man has imagined post Judaism. Most of the rewards of heaven include lots of sex, and shit that seems to be attached to our desires as humans. Look at Islam and Mormonism, it’s all about fucking and having shit loads of kids. This makes a lot of sense to me, and makes the faiths that more transparent. Giving men rewards of the afterlife that probably wouldn’t matter, because religion is most likely a construct of man, and a simple horny man at that.

[/quote]

The problem is when you start examining empathy it turns out to be merely an evolutionary response that is not even universal:

As I said, when looking for “meaning” you probably won’t like what you find.

Religion can serve the purpose of holding yourself in check; providing an ethical grounding that social Darwinism does not provide. And besides, who says there is no truth in scripture?

“All that is in the world - folly and wisdom and riches and poverty and mirth and grief - is vanity and emptiness. Man dies and nothing is left of him.” - Ecclesiastes

[/quote]

Never said there was no truth in scripture, plenty of great allegories and plenty of ones we could argue are immoral, in all of the holy books to include the Bible and Koran.

Have you really done your research in empathy? How do you make sense of mirror neurons and other discoveries we have made through Neurology?

If we are in the process of breeding out our empathy, then we are also in the process of breeding out the thing that first allowed us to come together and form societies in the first place.

In nature there are packs of monkeys where the normal behavior is to give warning calls as a sort of adapted convention when predators are around. Well, some monkeys don’t give the warning calls, and some scientists argue it is an adaptation to eliminate competition. But, what happens in this monkey society when all that is left are the monkeys who give no warnings? Is it even a society anymore where there is a collective identity that brings everyone together when everyone is out for number 1?

84

[quote]Ryancoburn wrote:
Nihlism leads to destructionism.

Faith leads to hope, understanding, knowledge, and peace.

Those with faith have no fears in life or death.

There is no absolute truth god exists there is no absolute truth he doesn’t. You put your faith where you see fit.[/quote]

Had a small rant ready and then re-read your post and want to clarify.

“Faith leads to…”

Are you implying faith in a supreme being? Can faith be expressed in other ways that don’t involve the religious belief of an omniscient being?

85

[quote]Severiano wrote:

[quote]EmilyQ wrote:

[quote]Severiano wrote:

[quote]EmilyQ wrote:

[quote]Severiano wrote:
Nope.

Further, I believe that introducing children to such ideas also introduces existential fear that we all have to deal with as humans. Faith in the afterlife sets up people for a life of fear, as the nature of reason questions, and the nature of questions for humans lies in what happens to us when we die.

When we invest in the idea of an afterlife we subject ourselves to the push pull of fear within faith and reason… Rather than just dealing with and accepting the strong likelyhood that there is no afterlife, people buy into the idea and then have to convince themselves of such over and over out of fear of the contrary. This is the nature of faith in the afterlife, it leads to Existentialism in later life, and the holding onto of the intrinsic fear that there is no afterlife, rather than never buying into the idea at all in the first place.

I’ve gone so far as to call people who are educated and believe in the afterlife; cowards. But really we are wired to be horrified of death, and not everyone is strong enough to look at reality the same way I do. [/quote]

This all sounds very. . . fraught. What a delight you must be at parties, calling your friends cowards! I don’t know what your childhood as a kid who went to church was like, but I’ve observed a lot of church-y families and they haven’t seemed to exhibit this kind of struggle.

[/quote]

For some people being told there is a heaven and a God is good enough, and they don’t ask questions. For others of us, we are curious by nature, all stuff you already know given different personality types, education levels etc. It’s hard to see how people take death and loss, it’s not like I’m going to ask you to go to a funeral and ask for interviews about how people feel.

I’ve never been to a party where everyone sits and talks about religion btw, but if you do all the time then cool.
[/quote]

What are you saying now? You said that you call your friends cowards, I said “how delightful!” and then you wanted to know what kind of parties I go to?

I have seen death. My own loved ones and others’. I deal with death and bereavement at work, along with end-of-life decisions (e.g. sell home and go to assisted living?). My observation has been that people near death, whether through old age or illness, become tired and generally feel ready to give themselves over to death (though not always). Many hold on until they can settle emotional issues (say goodbye to child who’s traveled in, see a spouse settled and cared for).

Younger or previously healthy people dying have other issues to contend with. I am not afraid of death, regardless of afterlife, but I have a great deal to do between now and what I hope will be my old age. Urgency would be a much better word for what I feel than fear.

Fear seems to come easily to you. That is not everyone’s default.[/quote]

C’mon Emily. You brought up the topic of discussing life after death at a party, which would have to occur before I’d call someone a coward for having faith at said party… Really, you go to parties where people sit around and talk about the afterlife?

Really, my view was best summed up in an earlier post by Powerpuff. As much as I want to go out and call people who fit that criteria cowards, I also love a lot of people who have faith. One of the things I’ve dealt with recently is more up your ally though… I’ve recently had to deal with a family member who had a psychotic break, resulting from a demon that she allowed into her brain when she strayed from God. By staying away from God she, “stayed in the fear” / with the demon… But she’s with God now, and all is well… She literally was homeless and put me in a spot where I was talking with her at work so she would be off the street. After two months shes back on her feet, working and in an apartment. Everything out of her is God this and God that, so long as she’s not on the streets homeless I’m happy for her, but sad for her too. She lost her daughter as a result.

I don’t know if I’m inclined to fear anymore than other people, there are times I’ve seen other people lose their shit. I’ve seen grown ass men of higher rank than me curl up and cry, I’ve seen a guy get so stressed out he opened his head up on the floor with his head after banging it a few times, I’ve seen a guy attack his senior in with a 3/4 inch wrench and literally try to kill him with it. I’ve never felt inclined to do any of these things, but I sure can make sense of them, or at least attempt to!

I think a lot of people grapple with the fear I talk about as a result of being human. But, really it’s exacerbated by investing in the idea of an afterlife like I have explained plenty already. [/quote]

Do you ever read what you write? You:

[quote]Severiano wrote:
Nope.

Further, I believe that introducing children to such ideas also introduces existential fear that we all have to deal with as humans. Faith in the afterlife sets up people for a life of fear, as the nature of reason questions, and the nature of questions for humans lies in what happens to us when we die.

When we invest in the idea of an afterlife we subject ourselves to the push pull of fear within faith and reason… Rather than just dealing with and accepting the strong likelyhood that there is no afterlife, people buy into the idea and then have to convince themselves of such over and over out of fear of the contrary. This is the nature of faith in the afterlife, it leads to Existentialism in later life, and the holding onto of the intrinsic fear that there is no afterlife, rather than never buying into the idea at all in the first place.

I’ve gone so far as to call people who are educated and believe in the afterlife; cowards. But really we are wired to be horrified of death, and not everyone is strong enough to look at reality the same way I do. [/quote]

I see:

[quote]Severiano wrote:
Nope.

I believe that introducing children to such ideas also introduces existential fear that we all have to deal with as humans.

Faith in the afterlife sets up people for a life of fear

When we invest in the idea of an afterlife we subject ourselves to the push pull of fear

people buy into the idea and then have to convince themselves of such over and over out of fear of the contrary.

This is the nature of faith in the afterlife, it leads to Existentialism in later life, and the holding onto of the intrinsic fear that there is no afterlife

I’ve gone so far as to call people who are educated and believe in the afterlife; cowards.

But really we are wired to be horrified of death, and not everyone is strong enough to look at reality the same way I do. [/quote]

So you don’t have these confrontations at parties. Where, then? Work? On dates? Playing pool? Family bbqs? Grocery store lines? At any rate, that was not my point. My point was, you must be a lot of fun, with your multiple assumptions of the unending angst and terror of being human.

86

[quote]Sutebun wrote:

[quote]Ryancoburn wrote:
Nihlism leads to destructionism.

Faith leads to hope, understanding, knowledge, and peace.

Those with faith have no fears in life or death.

There is no absolute truth god exists there is no absolute truth he doesn’t. You put your faith where you see fit.[/quote]

Had a small rant ready and then re-read your post and want to clarify.

“Faith leads to…”

Are you implying faith in a supreme being? Can faith be expressed in other ways that don’t involve the religious belief of an omniscient being?

[/quote]

Personally I think faith in Humanism, science as a legacy, or other such beliefs, can bring about the same positive result.

87

[quote]Severiano wrote:

Never said there was no truth in scripture, plenty of great allegories and plenty of ones we could argue are immoral, in all of the holy books to include the Bible and Koran.

Have you really done your research in empathy? How do you make sense of mirror neurons and other discoveries we have made through Neurology?

[/quote]

Neuroscience is of some interest to me but it doesn’t really address the “why” - only really the “how.” For the “why” I look to philosophy and also social sciences. Although I would qualify that by saying I don’t approach the social sciences in the same way that most people do. As the critical theorists knew “disinterested scientific research [is] impossible in a society in which men [are] themselves not yet autonomous…the researcher [is] always part of the social object he [is] attempting to study.”

I didn’t say we’re in the process of breeding out our empathy. I’m saying if you look at what empathy actually is you are not likely to be comfortable with what you find.

The fact that they are “together” shows that it is advantageous for the species as a whole. What would be more interesting would be the disintegration of the group.

88

[quote] angrychicken wrote:

The problem is, those with “faith” won’t leave it alone. They “Go forth and spread the word”. They simply won’t mind their own fucking business…

[/quote]

The act of bell ringing is symbolic of all proselytizing religions. It implies the pointless interference with the quiet of other people.

Ezra Pound

89

[quote] angrychicken wrote:

What get’s me most is the ARROGANCE about how “right” you say you are in the absence of proof. Not a single religious person can offer PROOF that any of the bullshit he is preaching is actually true. Yet they have the balls to call me a sinner, tell me I’m going to hell, tell me I have to believe in Jesus, the bible, the ten commandments (or whatever), but they CANNOT PROVE SHIT.

[/quote]

Maybe you can understand how some people feel about certain secular ideologies being rammed down our throats and forced into the classrooms like “gender studies” and so on. And if we don’t believe in 142 different “gender identities” then we’re “haters” and “bigots” - ie, “sinners”. It’s really just secular theology isn’t it?

90

[quote]Powerpuff wrote:
I mean, being judgmental is a religious person’s domain isn’t it?

People who choose to live with faith are conversely weak, cowardly, full of fear, lacking in intellectual flexibility, unreasonable, quixotic, AND, doing damage to their children by introducing them to existential angst and a “life of fear.” People with faith have “bought into the idea” or drunk the Kool-aid, or are acting on blind faith because they haven’t really pondered and struggled intellectually with the big questions of existence and uncertainty, because they lack the courage or self awareness to do so. And they probably never took physics. For example, guys like Jewbacca and Cortes. What a couple of intellectually stunted, backward dumb asses.

[/quote]

I was about to give you a bunch of shit until I got to the end, lol.

91

[quote]EmilyQ wrote:

[quote]angry chicken wrote:

[quote]Ryancoburn wrote:
Nihlism leads to destructionism.

Faith leads to hope, understanding, knowledge, and peace.

Those with faith have no fears in life or death.

There is no absolute truth god exists there is no absolute truth he doesn’t. You put your faith where you see fit.[/quote]

The problem is, those with “faith” won’t leave it alone. They “Go forth and spread the word”. They simply won’t mind their own fucking business…

I don’t have a problem with the personal belief as I do with the organization in charge of promoting/codifying it.

They send people out to convert other people and to rake in more money for their organization. They encourage them (by threatening them with “sin” and excommunication) to not use birth control so that their followers breed MORE and MORE religious babies. They openly state that they want ALL people to believe in THEIR religion.

Historically, these organizations have started wars, committed torture, murder, slander and all kinds of acts promoting their own narrow view of the world. And people will say, “but that’s not what XYZ religion is about, that’s just PEOPLE”. Well guess what? PEOPLE are the ones committing crimes in the name of XYZ religion. And I’m not just picking on Christians here, or Muslims (although I’d say it’s a pretty fair statement that the Abrahamic religions have a metric shit ton of blood on their hands), I’m speaking of ALL religions including the Aztecs with their human sacrifices to the Jews with their practice of cutting the skin of little boys penises.

If you want people to be open to “faith”, why not try to fuck a few less little boys? Or if a member of your clergy DOES fuck little boys, how about you don’t just transfer the pedophile to another location so HE CAN FUCK MORE LITTLE BOYS?

That would be a great start.

What get’s me most is the ARROGANCE about how “right” you say you are in the absence of proof. Not a single religious person can offer PROOF that any of the bullshit he is preaching is actually true. Yet they have the balls to call me a sinner, tell me I’m going to hell, tell me I have to believe in Jesus, the bible, the ten commandments (or whatever), but they CANNOT PROVE SHIT.

Then they turn around and have the balls to come knocking on my door asking for a donation? LMAO[/quote]

Huh. I just say “sorry, no” and go about my day. When I think about science and progress I don’t get all twisted up about the atom bomb, thalidomide babies, or pests brought in to combat regional problems that then become even greater problems (nutria, for example).

Life is complex. [/quote]

If I’m busy, I just say “No”, but if I’m not busy, I usually invite them in and fuck with them a little bit. For the lulz.

92

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote] angrychicken wrote:

What get’s me most is the ARROGANCE about how “right” you say you are in the absence of proof. Not a single religious person can offer PROOF that any of the bullshit he is preaching is actually true. Yet they have the balls to call me a sinner, tell me I’m going to hell, tell me I have to believe in Jesus, the bible, the ten commandments (or whatever), but they CANNOT PROVE SHIT.

[/quote]

Maybe you can understand how some people feel about certain secular ideologies being rammed down our throats and forced into the classrooms like “gender studies” and so on. And if we don’t believe in 142 different “gender identities” then we’re “haters” and “bigots” - ie, “sinners”. It’s really just secular theology isn’t it?[/quote]

If you don’t want to be exposed to gender study classes, send your kid to Christian school. That is a parent’s prerogative.

Here’s a newsflash: if gay marriage were ACCEPTED, the fags wouldn’t feel the need to ram it down your throat.

If someone had a gender identity OTHER than what they are, they are mentally ill. Their brain is obviously NOT wired “normally”. That doesn’t mean they cannot function in society. Nor does it mean that they are mentally incompetent in any other way. Why do you hate them so much? Would you hate a diabetic person if it caused homosexual tendencies? Why are you (and other conservatives) so HUNG UP on what people do to get off?

Some people like midget strippers. Others like Amazon black women with tattoos. Some people like balls across their chin. How does it affect YOU? Why do you care what someone else does with THEIR LIFE? Who are YOU to regulate it and restrict another person’s freedom, as long as it doesn’t HURT anyone (against their will, assuming age of consent)?

Seriously, who made YOU (and people like you) so superior that YOU can dictate how other human beings “need” to behave in a society?

93

[quote]angry chicken wrote:

Seriously, who made YOU (and people like you) so superior that YOU can dictate how other human beings “need” to behave in a society?[/quote]

You mean like be openly religious and try and share it with others?

94

“God”?

LOL

95

[quote]angry chicken wrote:

[quote]Ryancoburn wrote:
Nihlism leads to destructionism.

Faith leads to hope, understanding, knowledge, and peace.

Those with faith have no fears in life or death.

There is no absolute truth god exists there is no absolute truth he doesn’t. You put your faith where you see fit.[/quote]

The problem is, those with “faith” won’t leave it alone. They “Go forth and spread the word”. They simply won’t mind their own fucking business…

I don’t have a problem with the personal belief as I do with the organization in charge of promoting/codifying it.

They send people out to convert other people and to rake in more money for their organization. They encourage them (by threatening them with “sin” and excommunication) to not use birth control so that their followers breed MORE and MORE religious babies. They openly state that they want ALL people to believe in THEIR religion.

Historically, these organizations have started wars, committed torture, murder, slander and all kinds of acts promoting their own narrow view of the world. And people will say, “but that’s not what XYZ religion is about, that’s just PEOPLE”. Well guess what? PEOPLE are the ones committing crimes in the name of XYZ religion. And I’m not just picking on Christians here, or Muslims (although I’d say it’s a pretty fair statement that the Abrahamic religions have a metric shit ton of blood on their hands), I’m speaking of ALL religions including the Aztecs with their human sacrifices to the Jews with their practice of cutting the skin of little boys penises.

If you want people to be open to “faith”, why not try to fuck a few less little boys? Or if a member of your clergy DOES fuck little boys, how about you don’t just transfer the pedophile to another location so HE CAN FUCK MORE LITTLE BOYS?

That would be a great start.

What get’s me most is the ARROGANCE about how “right” you say you are in the absence of proof. Not a single religious person can offer PROOF that any of the bullshit he is preaching is actually true. Yet they have the balls to call me a sinner, tell me I’m going to hell, tell me I have to believe in Jesus, the bible, the ten commandments (or whatever), but they CANNOT PROVE SHIT.

Then they turn around and have the balls to come knocking on my door asking for a donation? LMAO[/quote]

While I don’t disagree with what you’re saying, I’m trying to keep this from going in that direction.

I’m just talking about the existence of some sort of afterlife, not bagging on a particular religion. Organized religion - any religion - is foolish and does foolish things.

96

[quote]angry chicken wrote:

If you don’t want to be exposed to gender study classes, send your kid to Christian school. That is a parent’s prerogative.

[/quote]

Wait - do you have an understanding of gender study classes entail?

97

[quote]angry chicken wrote:

If you don’t want to be exposed to gender study classes, send your kid to Christian school. That is a parent’s prerogative.

[/quote]

I have to pay for the public school system with my taxes.

But “gay marriage” isn’t the only thing being pushed is it? They worm their way into schools under the pretext of “anti-bullying” to indoctrinate and sexualise children.

And we shouldn’t normalise abnormal pathologies should we? We shouldn’t humour mentally ill people and pretend their mental illness is sanity. And we certainly shouldn’t let them indoctrinate children with their sex fantasies and encourage young children to “explore” their “gender identities” should we?

Why do you think I do? I don’t hate schizophrenics. But if schizophrenics started going into schools and telling children to listen to the voices in their head then I have a problem with that.

Huh?

I’m not. I say “leave in the bedroom” - keep it out of the schools and the workplace. Why do I have to know what people do in their bedroom? They should keep it to themselves and not be teaching children about their cross dressing/gay fantasies.

[quote]

Some people like midget strippers. Others like Amazon black women with tattoos. Some people like balls across their chin. How does it affect YOU? Why do you care what someone else does with THEIR LIFE? Who are YOU to regulate it and restrict another person’s freedom, as long as it doesn’t HURT anyone (against their will, assuming age of consent)?

Seriously, who made YOU (and people like you) so superior that YOU can dictate how other human beings “need” to behave in a society?[/quote]

Lol! They’re the ones dictating. I don’t advocate sending moral instructors into schools and workplaces to teach people what I think it right or wrong. They ARE in schools and workplaces teaching people that I am wrong and a bigot and a hater and that their sexual theories are RIGHT and if you don’t accept them you’re targeted and ostracised and lose your job and get law suits filed against you by radical civil rights shysters.

98

[quote]cstratton2 wrote:
I experienced depersonalization twice in my life, once from trauma which blunted my emotions and psyche, the other from a bacterial infection of my brain that was chronic. When I was 10 I was run over by a car and had a NDE. My depersonalization was of the most severe nature a person could have. Believe when I say through personal experience that they were far from similar in nature. [/quote]

How did these experiences affect the way you look at the possibility of an afterlife, and the existence of a soul? If you don’t mind me asking, of course…

99

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:

[quote]angry chicken wrote:

[quote]Ryancoburn wrote:
Nihlism leads to destructionism.

Faith leads to hope, understanding, knowledge, and peace.

Those with faith have no fears in life or death.

There is no absolute truth god exists there is no absolute truth he doesn’t. You put your faith where you see fit.[/quote]

The problem is, those with “faith” won’t leave it alone. They “Go forth and spread the word”. They simply won’t mind their own fucking business…

I don’t have a problem with the personal belief as I do with the organization in charge of promoting/codifying it.

They send people out to convert other people and to rake in more money for their organization. They encourage them (by threatening them with “sin” and excommunication) to not use birth control so that their followers breed MORE and MORE religious babies. They openly state that they want ALL people to believe in THEIR religion.

Historically, these organizations have started wars, committed torture, murder, slander and all kinds of acts promoting their own narrow view of the world. And people will say, “but that’s not what XYZ religion is about, that’s just PEOPLE”. Well guess what? PEOPLE are the ones committing crimes in the name of XYZ religion. And I’m not just picking on Christians here, or Muslims (although I’d say it’s a pretty fair statement that the Abrahamic religions have a metric shit ton of blood on their hands), I’m speaking of ALL religions including the Aztecs with their human sacrifices to the Jews with their practice of cutting the skin of little boys penises.

If you want people to be open to “faith”, why not try to fuck a few less little boys? Or if a member of your clergy DOES fuck little boys, how about you don’t just transfer the pedophile to another location so HE CAN FUCK MORE LITTLE BOYS?

That would be a great start.

What get’s me most is the ARROGANCE about how “right” you say you are in the absence of proof. Not a single religious person can offer PROOF that any of the bullshit he is preaching is actually true. Yet they have the balls to call me a sinner, tell me I’m going to hell, tell me I have to believe in Jesus, the bible, the ten commandments (or whatever), but they CANNOT PROVE SHIT.

Then they turn around and have the balls to come knocking on my door asking for a donation? LMAO[/quote]

While I don’t disagree with what you’re saying, I’m trying to keep this from going in that direction.

I’m just talking about the existence of some sort of afterlife, not bagging on a particular religion. Organized religion - any religion - is foolish and does foolish things. [/quote]

Yeah, sorry dude. I really TRIED! My first post was pretty on topic about how I felt. But then they started talking about “faith” and I just couldn’t help myself. LOL I’ll do my best to hold back.

100

[quote]angry chicken wrote:

Seriously, who made YOU (and people like you) so superior that YOU can dictate how other human beings “need” to behave in a society?[/quote]

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[quote]angry chicken wrote:
My first post was pretty on topic about how I felt. But then they started talking about “faith” and I just couldn’t help myself. LOL I’ll do my best to hold back.[/quote]

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See it yet?