In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way. —Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them …
In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way. —Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." —H. L. Mencken
"I'll show you politics in America. Here it is, right here. "I think the puppet on the right shares my beliefs." "I think the puppet on the left is more to my liking." "Hey, wait a minute, there's one guy holding out both puppets!" "Shut up! Go back to bed, America. Your government is in control. Here's Love Connection. Watch this and get fat and stupid. By the way, keep drinking beer..." —Bill Hicks
The world is a stage. The show must go on. Carry on...
The better way rather than voting and hoping for a politician to save you: The solution is to get local, get self-dependent, get the common unity back in community by building webs of resilience with your neighbors, get control of your school boards and town councils, get to know your sheriff, get a garden in your lawn no matter how small, a single tomato plant is better than nothing, get a well (water is your most important resource hands down), get ready, get organized, get moving, get doing, and get God.
"Everyone's looking for a savior instead of looking in the mirror" —a lunatic
and stay out of debt. Debt makes a man a slave. Pay cash for as much as you possibly can. If you must take a loan, make it as small as possible and pay it off as fast as possible.
Live modestly. Nobody NEEDS a 7000 square foot home. Nobody NEEDS 5 Cadillac Escalades. Nobody NEEDS rooms full of different shoes or sport jackets. Live within your means. Learn to live on less.
Eat less. The majority of Americans are fat and obese and as such extremely unhealthy, dependent upon drugs and medications and doctors. Free yourself from this. Humans are designed to go periods without food. Fast once in a while. Have just two meals per day. Avoid processed foods, junk foods and fast foods. Get healthy.
Grow a garden. I grow my own potatoes. A human can survive on potatoes alone. Potatoes will keep for months if kept in a dark cool place.
Love your family and your children and teach them principles that will help them govern themselves independently. Teach them personal responsibility, consequences, God, and morality. Teach them to not idolize other men and women as men and women will always, inevitably, fail and let them down. Even their parents.
Tritorch is correct. No single man is going to save us. We must first correct ourselves inwardly. We must first correct our own homes. Then everything else will fall right in line.
It is not human nature. Most people are inherently non-ambitious, and it worsens with age. Most people want someone to make their decisions for them, to tell them what to do, to play nanny state. America is just the latest in a long history of states that have succumbed to the whims of the mob, become socialistic states and dissolved as the people have lost their identity. We are right in the middle of this process. Of all the people that you know, how many identify as Americans and are willing to fight for its Constitution?
As JHK harps over and over, what has happened to the American Common Culture? I would say it is encased in our memories.
OK then. Now expand upon it. What does that fact say about the viability of Democracy? Does it not indicate a strictly hierarchical society where the few control the many? Of course it does.
Control can be benign. We don't have to be ruled by sadistic demons. Pretending that everyone is equal always get you that.
Feudalism is the ultimate hierarchical society, where everyone has their place, period for a lifetime. Power is born into, the rest work the “fields”.
Now, the antithesis to the feudal structure is cities. The development of cities in the Middle Ages caused the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment. Today, if we spin back to feudalism, the cities will lose their function and become cesspools of humanity. Crime explodes, addiction increases, infrastructure crumbles, gangs proliferate, business moves away, the politics deteriorate, judicial systems become for sale, corruption spreads. Just like we are witnessing. Cities need a function, something to put their people to work to support their families. Otherwise, ??????
Exactly. Some creativity and social mobility is fine, in fact it's wise from the pov of the rulers. And JUST in a higher sense. But it must be controlled.
The United States allowed settlers to do whatever they wanted. So they were often starting trouble with the Indians that led to all out war. Canada didn't allow settlement until a given tribe was pacified. Settlement happened in both cases, one way was just far more rational and peaceful is all.
Of course the Indians started trouble too. And they were losing their lands in both cases.
Ha, look at you, spending hours taking pot shots at people of faith and other people you disagree with. Do you own a mirror, I think you might look in it.
You statement from Hitchens is bullshit, as it actually negates just about everything you say.
Read and weep my ignorant friend. New Zealand, has consistently been ranked as one of best country's in the world to live in in quality-of-life studies. That goddam socialism!
Frank Turek, the Christian apologists, claims "Morality comes from God" and naturally, he claims it's his "Biblical God"...the same God who committed genocide and ordered genocide. (Remember the Amalek).
An atheist says genocide is wrong and immoral. In fact, all but the Christian apologists say that. Only the Christian's say "Genocide is fine if my God does it or orders it."
Government despises independence. While I live as much as possible by what you suggest it is a constant battle as they throw more obstacles at us every day. Inexorably the Canadian government is encroaching on our rights to bear arms and thus make it much more difficult for people like me to feed ourselves. Study us carefully and learn from our mistakes or this creeping cancer will overwhelm you as well.
I hear you, but the dark triads are emotional vampires who thrive on the fear, angst, doubt, and dread their terrorism stir in us. They could kill us all at any second but they hold back because we're more valuable to them as an alive consumable drug than a dead thing with no emotions.
The only winning move is not to play their sick game. Your life is in their hands either way, so why feed them? Ignore them instead and focus on your own happiness and independence - this awareness and rising above their mind control matrix acts as garlic to a vampire.
Fear not. Live your life. Find your happiness. Turn your back on those who would gleefully turn it into misery. Win the game without playing theirs.
What do you do when over half your neighbors are hidebound DEMOCRATS with insane political views?
Californication is real problem they vote the worst sorts of things in until it becomes almost hopeless to live somewhere then they move and destroy the next town, city or state?
These idiot Democrats are trying to vote in a mileage tax on top of outrageous gas taxes and now five other taxes as well.
The problem is that we let them creep and creep and creep and surround us while we failed to follow the basic tenets of civics, and now we're waking up to a world racing toward hell on earth. The answer to this problem has been with us from the start:
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ―Plato
But of course, at least in America, political power has gutted civics because civics guts political power. As Bill Ives told Podesta in a wikileaks publication: "We've all been quite content to demean government, drop civics, and in general conspire to produce an unaware and compliant citizenry. Unawareness remains strong but compliance is fading rapidly. This problem demands some serious thinking..". Source: https://tritorch.com/degradation/!PodestaEmailWeveAllBeenContentToDemeanGovernmentDropCivicsToCreateAnUninformedCompliantCitizenry.png [image]
Now all we can do is get back in the game at the bottom of the ninth and start swinging for the fences at that local level, which is still where we, again at least in America, hold all of the cards:
Massive widespread civic participation is required to solve this problem. The corrupt tinpot dictators that infest our every branch of government thrive on both our apathy and absence, and so we must suffocate and constrain them by showing up and getting in their grill as often as we possibly can. Show them they are hopelessly outnumbered. Make clear to these parasites that we are hawkishly watching their every move (the scarce good ones will embrace these enforcement actions because they are actually there to serve the republic rather than themselves).
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." —Thomas Paine
Without this vigilance you will find that to the corporations and their puppet politicians, your ignorance and apathy are worth more than all the slaves in China. Because it is your indifference that enables these bottom feeding cockroaches to thrive in the dark and rob you of your wealth and liberty.
Immediately call out and publicly shame them on every wrong move they make. Train these swine with your merciless attention and corrective action the same way one would potty train a dog. They will shrivel under the scrutiny of our constant gaze and will swiftly arrive at the understanding that we don’t work for them—they work for us and if they make too many mistakes they will lose that privileged position of power they worked so hard to acquire.
Finally, as far as changing the mind of the democrats, here is a better solution:
How to Wake Up Your Friends & Family: They are victims of herd mentality. Rather than trying to change them, instead focus on improving yourself in order to change the herd consensus:
"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any Church that I know of. My own mind is my own Church. Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all."- Thomas Paine
Well first, "belief" is not a church, Jesus was totally against them because they eventually devolve into epicenters of manipulation and mind control. A belief system on the other hand, wouldn’t you know it: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is central to every single major one of them (barring satanism which is do what thou wilt):
Christianity:
In everything, do to others as you would have them to to you; for this is the law and the prophets. (Jesus, Matt: 7:12)
Sikhism:
I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all. (Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1299)
Islam:
Not One of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for your self. (Mohammad, Hadith)
Zorastrianism:
Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself. (Shayast-na-Sayast 13.29)
Hinduism:
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would case pain if done to you (Mahabharata 5:1517)
Buddhism:
Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. (Udana-Varga 5:18)
Judaism:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole of the Torah; all the rest is commentary. (Hillel, Talmud, Shabbat 31a)
Jainism:
One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated. (Mahavira, Sutrakritanga)
Taoism:
Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss. (T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien 213-218)
Every day "I do unto others as I would have them do unto me."
It's fuckin innate common sense!
I don't need some crazy ancient books to tell me that.
Christian's only have two choices: Obey God or burn in hell forever!"
There are other options, such as don't obey and don't burn in hell because it doesn't exist; and still do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Why do I need forgiveness from an invincible mass murderer?
My morality is derived from tribal utility borne of generations of human evolution. Good social behaviour is necessary to advance a species. “Morality” is behaviour that keeps you safe. Killing, raping, and stealing, are not conducive to remaining safe from reprisal. We behave, “morally” to minimize threat to our own safety. We learned through evolution that survival requires lowering risk to ourselves.
Good morality is how we reduce risk. Morality does not come from the Bible.
If you concede that only GOD stops you from doing bad things, then you are a bad person who is only kept in check by your own cowardice.
Sadly, what I do know: is that I too many times see the lack of morality in the actions of many professed religious people and movements.
Enough of your bullshit, TriTorch! Just present the evidence for the existence of the divine. Gods only exist in the minds of people who need him to give them answers to questions they want to hear.
We all need to stop wasting our time trying to please the supernatural and concentrate on improving the welfare of human beings.
"My morality is derived from tribal utility [...]."
So is the morality of the 0.01% currently engaged in a global cull-and-control agenda to create the global digital gulag of Agenda 21-2030. Good luck in your engagements with that 'morality'.
"they vote the worst sorts of things in until it becomes almost hopeless to live somewhere then they move and destroy the next town, city or state?"
Ditto New Englanders and New Yorkers. Why do you think the South isn't the South anymore? Moronic, self-loathing fucks fled New England and New York, moved south and decided that they would set about destroying the last decent places in this country.
"get ready, get organized, get moving, get doing, and get Gawd."
Which Gawd do you have in mind, my friend?
2,000+ years, many more if you count all the pagan religions before Jeebus, and still not a single convincing reason to believe in the existence of any god, gods, demigods, souls, spirits, magic, any form of afterlife or other divine or supernatural beings.
The debate about the supernatural should have been settled thousands of years ago. It’s unfalsifiable in reality, it doesn't exist and you can't prove a negative. But here we are still. Bogged down because of the influence of irrational religions.
“Did Jesus resurrect?” “Yep!” “Is he still alive?” “Yep!” “Cool, then can I see him?”
My favourite parts of the Bible are where Jesus is talking to God, himself, and no one else is around ~ and his conversation is quoted in the Bible. LOL
Why do Christian's expect a book written by unknown authors in a variety of languages, that was translated, rewritten, edited countless times is evidence for anything? It's just a book.
What Jesus is supposed to have commanded is no more than what some religious cultist made up a couple of centuries after "Jeebus" is supposed to have lived!
Every statement of "Jesus commanded" needs to start with "My old book says Jesus commanded"
"At what point does all of this stuff just break down and become just a lot of stupid shit that someone made up! They fucking made it up folks! It's make-believe!” – George Carlin
It's all good brother, i once believed as you do. I cannot imagine how, but who knows, maybe one day i'll go back to believing as you do. It's a faith thing, something I once mocked, and now I revere.
It's just a rollercoaster ride as Bill Hicks said. Whatever comes next, comes next. In the meantime, my belief helps bring out the best in me and gives me comfort. I hope your beliefs do the same for you. It's all good.
I have faith that farting pixies live in the bottom of my garden.
And I have as much evidence for my claim as you have that Jeebus was divine.
Faith is not a reliable pathway to Truth.
There is NOTHING one cannot believe based on faith.
Knowledge is not something you simply assert; knowledge is demonstrated.
If I get on an aeroplane and the pilot says he’s using faith to fly us; I’m getting off. Only in religion is faith considered knowledge.
Imagine doctors performing a surgery doing their operation based on faith.
Not even religious based hospitals have a faith healer on their staff.
All my knowledge is based on evidence and rational thinking.
You are lying if you say you don't do likewise. IE when crossing the road.
There is only one place you don't rely on evidence and rational thinking.
When it comes to the divine. Thats why you can believe all this bullshit.
Sorry, for me at this point pretending to respect people’s religious beliefs is an exercise in futility. I do not respect people who CHOOSE to be gullible and uneducated - and try to foist that nonsense onto me.
With all due respect, i think these apply here:
In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way. —Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." —H. L. Mencken
"I'll show you politics in America. Here it is, right here. "I think the puppet on the right shares my beliefs." "I think the puppet on the left is more to my liking." "Hey, wait a minute, there's one guy holding out both puppets!" "Shut up! Go back to bed, America. Your government is in control. Here's Love Connection. Watch this and get fat and stupid. By the way, keep drinking beer..." —Bill Hicks
The world is a stage. The show must go on. Carry on...
The better way rather than voting and hoping for a politician to save you: The solution is to get local, get self-dependent, get the common unity back in community by building webs of resilience with your neighbors, get control of your school boards and town councils, get to know your sheriff, get a garden in your lawn no matter how small, a single tomato plant is better than nothing, get a well (water is your most important resource hands down), get ready, get organized, get moving, get doing, and get God.
"Everyone's looking for a savior instead of looking in the mirror" —a lunatic
We are the ones we've been waiting for.
and stay out of debt. Debt makes a man a slave. Pay cash for as much as you possibly can. If you must take a loan, make it as small as possible and pay it off as fast as possible.
Live modestly. Nobody NEEDS a 7000 square foot home. Nobody NEEDS 5 Cadillac Escalades. Nobody NEEDS rooms full of different shoes or sport jackets. Live within your means. Learn to live on less.
Eat less. The majority of Americans are fat and obese and as such extremely unhealthy, dependent upon drugs and medications and doctors. Free yourself from this. Humans are designed to go periods without food. Fast once in a while. Have just two meals per day. Avoid processed foods, junk foods and fast foods. Get healthy.
Grow a garden. I grow my own potatoes. A human can survive on potatoes alone. Potatoes will keep for months if kept in a dark cool place.
Love your family and your children and teach them principles that will help them govern themselves independently. Teach them personal responsibility, consequences, God, and morality. Teach them to not idolize other men and women as men and women will always, inevitably, fail and let them down. Even their parents.
Tritorch is correct. No single man is going to save us. We must first correct ourselves inwardly. We must first correct our own homes. Then everything else will fall right in line.
I hate to caste shade on this great post.
It is not human nature. Most people are inherently non-ambitious, and it worsens with age. Most people want someone to make their decisions for them, to tell them what to do, to play nanny state. America is just the latest in a long history of states that have succumbed to the whims of the mob, become socialistic states and dissolved as the people have lost their identity. We are right in the middle of this process. Of all the people that you know, how many identify as Americans and are willing to fight for its Constitution?
As JHK harps over and over, what has happened to the American Common Culture? I would say it is encased in our memories.
OK then. Now expand upon it. What does that fact say about the viability of Democracy? Does it not indicate a strictly hierarchical society where the few control the many? Of course it does.
Control can be benign. We don't have to be ruled by sadistic demons. Pretending that everyone is equal always get you that.
Feudalism is the ultimate hierarchical society, where everyone has their place, period for a lifetime. Power is born into, the rest work the “fields”.
Now, the antithesis to the feudal structure is cities. The development of cities in the Middle Ages caused the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment. Today, if we spin back to feudalism, the cities will lose their function and become cesspools of humanity. Crime explodes, addiction increases, infrastructure crumbles, gangs proliferate, business moves away, the politics deteriorate, judicial systems become for sale, corruption spreads. Just like we are witnessing. Cities need a function, something to put their people to work to support their families. Otherwise, ??????
Exactly. Some creativity and social mobility is fine, in fact it's wise from the pov of the rulers. And JUST in a higher sense. But it must be controlled.
The United States allowed settlers to do whatever they wanted. So they were often starting trouble with the Indians that led to all out war. Canada didn't allow settlement until a given tribe was pacified. Settlement happened in both cases, one way was just far more rational and peaceful is all.
Of course the Indians started trouble too. And they were losing their lands in both cases.
You are so correct, JohnAZ. If evolution were real, why can't humans evolve past this?
"Most people are inherently non-ambitious, and it worsens with age."
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.” - Christopher Hitchens
Ha, look at you, spending hours taking pot shots at people of faith and other people you disagree with. Do you own a mirror, I think you might look in it.
You statement from Hitchens is bullshit, as it actually negates just about everything you say.
The big red, white and blue dick that is being jammed up your ass every day!
You nailed it, George Carlin!
Americans like you John know everything - but not enough to know that capitalism is fucking them up their ass!
Where did that US$485,000 of my wife and my life savings disappear to in 2008?
Merryl Lynch: "Dennis and Anne, you just have to trust the American system. The free market and we are the experts. Just relax."
Yeah right! Now bend over and pull down your pants!
https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp?title=2023
Read and weep my ignorant friend. New Zealand, has consistently been ranked as one of best country's in the world to live in in quality-of-life studies. That goddam socialism!
This is outstanding! Thank you Cankerpuss!
The Christian God and morality do not belong in the same sentence, Cankerpuss!
God's Hypocrisy: The Case Against Objective Morality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pdYmIwxYTE
Christopher Hitchens destroys the myth that morality comes from religion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG-JLmc4Krw&t=217s
They’re LYING About Morality Coming From GOD | Dr. Richard Carrier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px_dPORDFDQ
"Religion Makes Society Better"...Until We Start Listing Facts. LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSYY75DAsVk&t=10s
Frank Turek, the Christian apologists, claims "Morality comes from God" and naturally, he claims it's his "Biblical God"...the same God who committed genocide and ordered genocide. (Remember the Amalek).
An atheist says genocide is wrong and immoral. In fact, all but the Christian apologists say that. Only the Christian's say "Genocide is fine if my God does it or orders it."
Government despises independence. While I live as much as possible by what you suggest it is a constant battle as they throw more obstacles at us every day. Inexorably the Canadian government is encroaching on our rights to bear arms and thus make it much more difficult for people like me to feed ourselves. Study us carefully and learn from our mistakes or this creeping cancer will overwhelm you as well.
I hear you, but the dark triads are emotional vampires who thrive on the fear, angst, doubt, and dread their terrorism stir in us. They could kill us all at any second but they hold back because we're more valuable to them as an alive consumable drug than a dead thing with no emotions.
The only winning move is not to play their sick game. Your life is in their hands either way, so why feed them? Ignore them instead and focus on your own happiness and independence - this awareness and rising above their mind control matrix acts as garlic to a vampire.
Fear not. Live your life. Find your happiness. Turn your back on those who would gleefully turn it into misery. Win the game without playing theirs.
The great poet, Shelley, saw it so clearly when he said:
“He has awakened from the dream of life. ‘Tis we who, lost in stormy visions, keep with phantoms an unprofitable strife.”
That’s what the religious are doing, fighting self-created phantoms.
What do you do when over half your neighbors are hidebound DEMOCRATS with insane political views?
Californication is real problem they vote the worst sorts of things in until it becomes almost hopeless to live somewhere then they move and destroy the next town, city or state?
These idiot Democrats are trying to vote in a mileage tax on top of outrageous gas taxes and now five other taxes as well.
The problem is that we let them creep and creep and creep and surround us while we failed to follow the basic tenets of civics, and now we're waking up to a world racing toward hell on earth. The answer to this problem has been with us from the start:
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ―Plato
But of course, at least in America, political power has gutted civics because civics guts political power. As Bill Ives told Podesta in a wikileaks publication: "We've all been quite content to demean government, drop civics, and in general conspire to produce an unaware and compliant citizenry. Unawareness remains strong but compliance is fading rapidly. This problem demands some serious thinking..". Source: https://tritorch.com/degradation/!PodestaEmailWeveAllBeenContentToDemeanGovernmentDropCivicsToCreateAnUninformedCompliantCitizenry.png [image]
Now all we can do is get back in the game at the bottom of the ninth and start swinging for the fences at that local level, which is still where we, again at least in America, hold all of the cards:
Massive widespread civic participation is required to solve this problem. The corrupt tinpot dictators that infest our every branch of government thrive on both our apathy and absence, and so we must suffocate and constrain them by showing up and getting in their grill as often as we possibly can. Show them they are hopelessly outnumbered. Make clear to these parasites that we are hawkishly watching their every move (the scarce good ones will embrace these enforcement actions because they are actually there to serve the republic rather than themselves).
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." —Thomas Paine
Without this vigilance you will find that to the corporations and their puppet politicians, your ignorance and apathy are worth more than all the slaves in China. Because it is your indifference that enables these bottom feeding cockroaches to thrive in the dark and rob you of your wealth and liberty.
Immediately call out and publicly shame them on every wrong move they make. Train these swine with your merciless attention and corrective action the same way one would potty train a dog. They will shrivel under the scrutiny of our constant gaze and will swiftly arrive at the understanding that we don’t work for them—they work for us and if they make too many mistakes they will lose that privileged position of power they worked so hard to acquire.
More on this here: https://simulationcommander.substack.com/p/apathy-is-the-fire-in-which-we-burn
Finally, as far as changing the mind of the democrats, here is a better solution:
How to Wake Up Your Friends & Family: They are victims of herd mentality. Rather than trying to change them, instead focus on improving yourself in order to change the herd consensus:
https://substack.com/@tritorch/note/c-96634899 [3:08 mins]
"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any Church that I know of. My own mind is my own Church. Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all."- Thomas Paine
Well first, "belief" is not a church, Jesus was totally against them because they eventually devolve into epicenters of manipulation and mind control. A belief system on the other hand, wouldn’t you know it: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is central to every single major one of them (barring satanism which is do what thou wilt):
Christianity:
In everything, do to others as you would have them to to you; for this is the law and the prophets. (Jesus, Matt: 7:12)
Sikhism:
I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all. (Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1299)
Islam:
Not One of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for your self. (Mohammad, Hadith)
Zorastrianism:
Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself. (Shayast-na-Sayast 13.29)
Hinduism:
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would case pain if done to you (Mahabharata 5:1517)
Buddhism:
Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. (Udana-Varga 5:18)
Judaism:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole of the Torah; all the rest is commentary. (Hillel, Talmud, Shabbat 31a)
Jainism:
One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated. (Mahavira, Sutrakritanga)
Taoism:
Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss. (T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien 213-218)
Every day "I do unto others as I would have them do unto me."
It's fuckin innate common sense!
I don't need some crazy ancient books to tell me that.
Christian's only have two choices: Obey God or burn in hell forever!"
There are other options, such as don't obey and don't burn in hell because it doesn't exist; and still do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Why do I need forgiveness from an invincible mass murderer?
My morality is derived from tribal utility borne of generations of human evolution. Good social behaviour is necessary to advance a species. “Morality” is behaviour that keeps you safe. Killing, raping, and stealing, are not conducive to remaining safe from reprisal. We behave, “morally” to minimize threat to our own safety. We learned through evolution that survival requires lowering risk to ourselves.
Good morality is how we reduce risk. Morality does not come from the Bible.
If you concede that only GOD stops you from doing bad things, then you are a bad person who is only kept in check by your own cowardice.
Sadly, what I do know: is that I too many times see the lack of morality in the actions of many professed religious people and movements.
Enough of your bullshit, TriTorch! Just present the evidence for the existence of the divine. Gods only exist in the minds of people who need him to give them answers to questions they want to hear.
We all need to stop wasting our time trying to please the supernatural and concentrate on improving the welfare of human beings.
"My morality is derived from tribal utility [...]."
So is the morality of the 0.01% currently engaged in a global cull-and-control agenda to create the global digital gulag of Agenda 21-2030. Good luck in your engagements with that 'morality'.
WTF are you ranting about, Sheila?
Off your meds again I see.
Which bit did you not understand, Dennis?
Why do you limit yourself to ad homs to avoid dealing with actual issues?
"they vote the worst sorts of things in until it becomes almost hopeless to live somewhere then they move and destroy the next town, city or state?"
Ditto New Englanders and New Yorkers. Why do you think the South isn't the South anymore? Moronic, self-loathing fucks fled New England and New York, moved south and decided that they would set about destroying the last decent places in this country.
The dumbest, most vile and heinous Americans hail from New England. New England has been a scourge on this nation since the Founding.
Excellent!
"get ready, get organized, get moving, get doing, and get Gawd."
Which Gawd do you have in mind, my friend?
2,000+ years, many more if you count all the pagan religions before Jeebus, and still not a single convincing reason to believe in the existence of any god, gods, demigods, souls, spirits, magic, any form of afterlife or other divine or supernatural beings.
The debate about the supernatural should have been settled thousands of years ago. It’s unfalsifiable in reality, it doesn't exist and you can't prove a negative. But here we are still. Bogged down because of the influence of irrational religions.
“Did Jesus resurrect?” “Yep!” “Is he still alive?” “Yep!” “Cool, then can I see him?”
“We’ll, it’s complicated…”
Something tells me today will be no different.
Jesus commanded us to love one another and to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
That’s good enough for me.
Agree to disagree.
Nope! That’s NOT good enough for me.
We don't even know if "Jesus" even existed, TriTorch.
Jesus Never Existed - Kenneth Humphreys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muvNsWH2cmA&t=3547s
The Jesus Lie: The Greatest Deception Ever Crafted | Dr. Nicholas Peter Legh Allen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_kE4V5kQwI&t=532s
My favourite parts of the Bible are where Jesus is talking to God, himself, and no one else is around ~ and his conversation is quoted in the Bible. LOL
Why do Christian's expect a book written by unknown authors in a variety of languages, that was translated, rewritten, edited countless times is evidence for anything? It's just a book.
What Jesus is supposed to have commanded is no more than what some religious cultist made up a couple of centuries after "Jeebus" is supposed to have lived!
Every statement of "Jesus commanded" needs to start with "My old book says Jesus commanded"
"At what point does all of this stuff just break down and become just a lot of stupid shit that someone made up! They fucking made it up folks! It's make-believe!” – George Carlin
It's all good brother, i once believed as you do. I cannot imagine how, but who knows, maybe one day i'll go back to believing as you do. It's a faith thing, something I once mocked, and now I revere.
It's just a rollercoaster ride as Bill Hicks said. Whatever comes next, comes next. In the meantime, my belief helps bring out the best in me and gives me comfort. I hope your beliefs do the same for you. It's all good.
I have faith that farting pixies live in the bottom of my garden.
And I have as much evidence for my claim as you have that Jeebus was divine.
Faith is not a reliable pathway to Truth.
There is NOTHING one cannot believe based on faith.
Knowledge is not something you simply assert; knowledge is demonstrated.
If I get on an aeroplane and the pilot says he’s using faith to fly us; I’m getting off. Only in religion is faith considered knowledge.
Imagine doctors performing a surgery doing their operation based on faith.
Not even religious based hospitals have a faith healer on their staff.
All my knowledge is based on evidence and rational thinking.
You are lying if you say you don't do likewise. IE when crossing the road.
There is only one place you don't rely on evidence and rational thinking.
When it comes to the divine. Thats why you can believe all this bullshit.
Sorry, for me at this point pretending to respect people’s religious beliefs is an exercise in futility. I do not respect people who CHOOSE to be gullible and uneducated - and try to foist that nonsense onto me.