Lemming

I would not call myself a Christian,

Not even an Atheistic Christian,

Perhaps I would not even call myself an American.

But I 'was born to a Christian family,

Cherish them, cherish much in the Bible,

Heh, but I don't 'practice so much.

I was born in America,

Am fond of it, and certain interpretations of it's values.

. . .

'Defining, labeling.

. . .

If I don't see an afterlife,

Don't believe in people 'hearing God, but rather 'interpreting their ideas of logic, empathy, right, wrong, history, subjective values solidified a bit.

View miracles as happy coincidences, luck, or rewarded effort,

Even 'good,

This 'still removes the supernatural,

Though perhaps one doesn't 'need the supernatural, to be a believer, in a 'sense, still I view myself as not.

Though allegory exists,

Ah, but I 'follow not even a Jefferson Bible,

Don't 'practice what I admire,

Though one can admire opposites,

Or admire one, yet choose a hated another that sates.

. . .

Followers of Confucius, are still called Confucians,

Same with a number of other philosophers, I'd imagine.

Hm, but labels seem easier,

The less information had,

Less 'ways one can label.

Mmm, random thoughts.

. . .

Still I admire the Bible, many people, followers, and ideals of it's history and impact.

Prose and concepts.

. . . . . . .

People all have their,

Goals I suppose,

Even myself, I tend towards ends and expectations,

Might have it in the back of my mind to drive conversations certain directions,

Am 'I truly genuine then?

Hm, I think I am,

I don't usually try to distort or force conversation away from what the other person intends, wants for.

Though I might still disagree or state my disagreement, even try to convince them.

Random thoughts.

This isn't meant as sarcastic or dismissive,

But I can't tell what article in particular you're referring to, as that is a bing 'search,

I 'do see a lot of articles that argue she was a teenager,

Due to 'some but not all age of marriage practices.

But the Bible doesn't state her age as far as I'm aware.

I 'might take the number of articles that argue teenager as telling of Christian belief,

But Christians vary,

And the internet is not clear looking glass, but warped.

. . .

Does such mean that God had sex with Sarah?

I wouldn't say so myself.

Of Mary,

From my view, that's pretty vague,

Maybe there's more religious texts that talk more about it, but I'm not deeply learned.

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I'm not sure what 'Christians really think,

No polls popped up in my searches,

Though I'm sure different communities have had/have different beliefs.

. . .

God is a bit incoherent a concept for me,

Not that it's incoherent to other people.

Does God have DNA? Semen?

Are we not 'all children of God in the Bible?

Is not 'everything of God's creation, though roots and family trees grow, and many who argue of free will, say people take minds and paths of their own, down the line.

Bibles speaks of miracles,

'Actions by God,

Speaking, fire, salt,

Though eh, 'were I a Christian, I'd-

Nah, I can't be,

I don't comprehend the idea of an afterlife,

Or existence immaterial,

Heh, or objective morality. . .

Though I 'still can't account for consciousness, these feelings and ego,

Sure, way it is, material and evolution, handwaves some atheists,

Too dismissive, I find them,

Though I 'might think such conclusion the most likely,

It's not something we can 'handwave.

Unfortunately I find sincerity hard to detect at times online.

But it's an odd word in a way,

Certain points of view.

. . .

While a satirist might be sincere in their dislike of their target,

Might want to open people's eyes (From their view),

They often engage in deception, mockery, grotesque parody, that accentuates a 'side of an issue, revealing a truth (From their view),

But without honest admission of the good points of their target,

It just becomes a strawman,

And one suddenly doubts the satirist's objectivity, truth, or honesty.

One sees instead an individual with a compulsion, with a grudge, a hatred,

So close focused, that they can only see one side to an issue,

Become black and white, no gray, no color.

Seem unable to give and take in a conversation,

Only 'ever trying to manipulate it, towards their conclusion and goals, their hatred and narrow view.

. . .

Not that I'm not narrow viewed myself at times,

Not that I never mock people myself at times.

But I don't think it's positive,

And it's not something I try to do all the time.

Maybe many Christians don't think Mary was 13 when she conceived.

Maybe many Christians don't think God had 'sex with Mary.

'Are they bribes though?

People might think it profitable to sign a president to a book deal,

Or think they have something worth saying.

Maybe they hope to influence people by prestige of president public appearance speech.

Even paintings, presidents have fans, memorabilia.

Is that president 'salary,

Or stuff like book deals, paid appearances?

Jefferson died in heavy debt, from what I recall.

Though he had land and slaves I suppose.

What about Abraham Lincoln?

@#11

Haven't there been a lot of 'relatively poor presidents in American history?

I liked the customized weapons, in Fable 3.

What would you say is the 'game in the Fable series?

It's been a while since I played any of the three,

So they all merge a 'bit in my head,

Not 'completely,

But they were all third person, melee and ranged and magic,

Quests, meet NPCs,

Little details different,

Stylistic differences in art.

Fable 3 seemed to have longer loading screens though, to my memory.

Fable The Lost Chapters 'was pretty fun,

Though I like Jack of Blades voice in the original, more.

@NoOneInParticular

I do think there are function and heartstrings found in Best.Korea's suggested view,

But I also think there are function and heartstrings in property.

Eh, there's many ideas of what 'duty is.

Because I might value my child more,

Selective love,

I don't love everything equally.

As I might prioritize myself,

I might prioritize my child.

I fought the bear,

I made the risk,

The bear is mine.

My logic is fine,

People value many items and concepts,

Based on what they value they act, 'everyone does this.

I don't see why other people's suffering, necessitates my suffering.

I am not against a group organizing around mutual aid,

I 'am against the abolition of property.

Even with family,

I have my own property.

It's 'still my bear, else how could 'I share it?

Perhaps I think it is good to instill life lesson into son,

Those who don't work, don't eat.

Even a baby, it is my 'choice to share my bear,

Of course one feels obligation to helpless baby of one's own flesh,

'Still choice.

There's always suffering people needing help in the world,

Yet I keep adding 'My money, to 'My bank account, for 'My purposes.

Eh, maybe I think fancy college education is not necessary,

Maybe I can do better myself teaching child.

My child 'Would be more important to me than other children,

Though it would make sense to not let one's own child get swelled head, excessive sense of importance.

Important to understand other's also value themselves,

One might also have a sense of fairness to others,

'Still, might be I would choose to feed my own child first and only, if not enough bear to go around.

Even 'If enough bear to go around,

'My bear.

. . .

Might be other cavemen 'make items, such as flint arrows, or baskets,

They make 'Their flint arrows, 'Their baskets,

Maybe they trade 'Their property, and I trade 'My property.

@zedvictor4

Adulterous and thieving people get shunned,

And the bear is part of the outgroup, compared to the ingroup of cavemen and cavewomen.

Funny post though.

@Best.Korea

I might require my son to do chores, share in the work of living, before I 'choose to share.

Also depends if my son is adult or not.

'Still 'my bear, to my view.

. . .

I 'do think many people let the rich take advantage of them,

But I think there is a distinction between it and theft.

. .

Bad business, is more like.

. .

With internet and modern media,

Communication and cameras to let big business feel gaze of community to prevent brutality,

Strikes and Unions and Picketing should be more effective than ever, 'if communities use them.

Though 'maybe this assumption of mine is wrong.

Let's say I'm a caveman,

I risk my life and kill a bear with a spear,

While everyone else ran away,

I say I 'deserve that meat,

'Deserve the right to eat it, trade it, gift it, or keep it.

To me,

An Agnostic sounds closer to an Atheist, than a Theist,

As a Deist sounds closer to a Theist, than an Atheist.

While some definitions say Deists don't believe in 'any Godly intervention,

I don't find 'all the examples as such.

While I suppose one would expect a Deist to be less about ritual than a Theist,

I don't see why it would 'have to be so,

One could have ritual, and teachings, yet admit themselves doubtful of historical claims of what God/s 'truly are, or what actions they supposedly took.

. .

Though I suppose one might call such a person, for example, a Christian Atheist,

An Atheist would not believe in God at all, even if they followed the teachings,

A Deist would believe in God, though they might disagree on the 'certainty of religious claims.

. . . . . . .

Functionally, a Theist and an Atheist could be the same,

What one 'believes to be of 'one particular,

Doesn't mean all one's actions follow.

Theist or Atheist, one can commit crimes, or altruism,

Participate in ritual or not.

Might be I'm mistaken then,

But looking at past posts,

I'm still not inclined to engage with Stephen much.

Fair point that a strong economy doesn't 'necessarily mean the average citizen is doing well.

Though I assume when the average citizen isn't doing well, cracks often appear in countries.

Sorry Stephen, but I'm just not interested in debating the subject in depth with you,

Times I've done so in the past, have indicated to me that you're not interested in a good faith conversation, on the subject of religion.

Assuming you are also Willows and that one guy on DDO whose name I forget.

Maybe I'm mistaken about your stance on religion, or past identities,

But I don't think I am.

A big enough military,

And other nations are willing to make favorable trade deals, to be under the stronger nations protection or friendship.

Big enough military,

And other nations don't pillage your lands.

. . .

Giving money to one's own population, actually aids in military strength, at certain points.

If economy isn't healthy, not as much tax can be collected to pay for the military.

One 'can't increase the military if the country infrastructure is not strong,

Balancing act.

@#68

Though it is with close friends and family of the man,

That greatest empathy is felt, those who knew him, his good and bad times,

By knowing you, hearing of your loss, his fate, I feel pain myself, sympathy.

(Shrug)

The Bible says a lot of things.

The Bible 'is a lot of things.

I find value in it.

Humanity has the United Nations,

Though I still wouldn't call that a united world government,

Loose coalition.

The idea of removing all explosives is absurd,

The idea that tyrants would agree to such, is absurd.

Though of course 'some tyrants can be bribed or forced into being disarmed, there will exist those unwilling.

Take Germany in WW2 for example,

And the 'pacifists of France and England, who encouraged disarmament and the weakening of their militaries.

They wanted to have peace and were willing to sacrifice the Czechs, thinking Hitler will be reasonable.

I'm not inclined towards big government in general,

If one has the strength to defend their own values and people,

They ought not give up that strength.

. .

Better disunity, than one's own ideals and people be assimilated.

A wise nation would accept an apocalypse as inevitable,

Wise to safeguard by weapons, stock food ,dig bunkers,

'Try to avoid nuclear war,

But humans are aggressive and mad,

As more nations acquire power, world will be in greater danger.

Though chemical weapons may have been voted against, and America destroyed 'visible stockpiles,

I don't believe we got rid of 'all stockpiles or research,

I don't believe it of other nations either.

If there were not weapon alternatives equal in strength to chemicals, (Explosives)

Nations would not have removed chemicals from their armaments, is my view.

Much of the world has already agreed on limiting chemical weapons, I 'think.

I'm not sure if chemical weapons are 'better than explosive weapons though.

Chemical weapons are pretty nasty though, and indiscriminate,

Armies would get blowback on the wind sometimes when using them.

Course bombing can be pretty indiscriminate too.

If England heavily regulates guns, wouldn't other weapon use increase, 'regardless of Muslims?

I remember some piece of news on the TV once,

Talking about some criminals using dogs as weapons and intimidation.

. . .

Still, I imagine ebuc realizes killing would still exist,

They're just of the view that less killing would exist, without Explosive Armaments.

I admit I don't care for threats in the Bible,

Though arguably one 'could view them as warnings of natural consequences, than intentional consequences,

'Some of them maybe.

Whether one believes in God or not,

Suffering and loss,

How one 'handles said suffering and loss,

Are worthy themes.

One doesn't need to be a theist,

To suffer,

To curse good and die,

Or curse good and deal evil to others,

To turn from good ethics, instead focusing on the selfish ethics.

. .

One see's much 'often in people,

But, the suffering 'can be carried, endured, to an extent.

Though there is no guarantee of everything working out in the end,

Though perhaps believers in an after have more hope.

Good deeds are their own reward.

Though I suppose this passage also mentions reward, eh, it also mentions no reward.

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zedvictor4, I ask you, does reading of the Bible be only about proving God?

Are there no lessons we can take for it, simply reflective of human nature, human want, human experience?

I like the way my eldest brother just refereed to leaving a job,

I don't agree that philosophy should not address reality.

The question itself deals with reality,

The concern that such arms are harmful,

The want to make reality safer, less dangerous.

But it's excessively impractical.

. . .

Have all the countries in WW1 agree to peace 'far earlier,

Doesn't sound so impractical to me,

Though of course they didn't do it, even when a number of people suggested it.

But disarmament? No.

Not the world as it is now,

And even if the world were under one government, unwise then, is my view.

Still factions, still tyrants,

Better uneasy peace, than such idealism that cuts one's own throat.

Not all countries are Democracies,

Not all countries follow the same laws,

They are called separate countries for a reason,

Mankind is not united.

The values not in the 51%,

Will not acquiesce to the values in the 51%,

They will fight,

And without overpowering force, the 51% cannot force their ideals.

. . .

Not to mention how many different 'values there are,

Further fracturing humanity, in any sense of 'direction.

One cannot trust other countries to disarm.

Man 'or woman,

Seems better 'not to partner with a dysfunctional person,

Though maybe some people are happy with such.

An Atheist myself,

But I am fond of my Christian family, Christian heritage, my parents who raised me in it, and their parents to them. . . .

There's still wisdom in the Bible,

Though I am uncertain of original and later author's intents,

There's worth in one's own interpretation.

Bad things happen in life,

To me, the Book of Job is existentialist, it 'acknowledges these bad happenings, the paradox,

It comments on human interpretation,

Job's 'friends 'theories,

Despite his hardships, there is something comforting Job finds in his faith,

Some meaning,

I myself am a Materialist and a Nihilist, Yet there's something to existence I find meaningful despite my objective theories of it.

Ecclesiastes too, I find meaning in,

though I am unable or unwilling to believe in God, or an after.

Still, faith, faith is very human, atheist or theist, to my view.

They can,

Some cards are obscenely valuable,

Weird market,

Depending a lot on whether people 'attribute value to an item.

I had Pokémon cards as a kid,

Hm, before middle school I think,

Not sure what happened to my cards,

I think I'll just assign blame to my Dad for their disappearance.

Never got 'really into it,

Cards were fun looking though,

I liked having a Pikachu.

Having cool 'looking cards, or themed decks sounds fun,

Maybe I'd be about the meta, if I got into playing the card games though.

I think people often behave a lot more monstrously in games than in life,

'Because, it's a game,

'Lot of poor poor NPCs. . .

'Lot's of religions have an accounting after one dies,

Some versions of Buddhism for example, I've heard.

@IlDiavolo

I want to exist, most days.

Of your parallel world,

I think I'd feel partly annoyed,

As I don't 'remember accepting or agreeing to the mission.

Perhaps in such a world, I had a good reason,

But no, it's too vague,

It rings similar to God works in mysterious ways,

What matters is not why we are here,

For I am doubtful we can know.

Though,

Perhaps that's the angle of your question, and expectation of what people want out of continued existence, some meaning, purpose.

Not that I don't 'want purpose,

But 'mostly I want to 'exist.

. . .

I care more about myself than the rest of humanity I think, perhaps.

Whatever I would have thought in the theoretical world you offer, current me doesn't. Assumably.

@NoOneInParticular

Partly unsure if it would 'truly be me on the other side, can a dream be 'itself, or can it only be the dreamer?

Not particularly,

I've mentioned to my 'one In Real Life friend, that I like this one debate site,

But they didn't show much interest, so I didn't recommend it.

I suppose I like my family,

But I also don't care to discuss a number of my opinions with them.

Only 'online people I maybe ought call friends, but don't, I met on DDO,

Might make some more online acquaintances on DART, I maybe ought call friends, but probably won't call such.

Though I like a number of people I've met on DART, just hasn't seemed to gotten to a point I ought call anyone I've met on DART friends, though even if I maybe ought, I probably won't.

An Abacus and instructions,

Is an example of intelligence placed into an object, or derived from an object, maybe,

Whether a person uses said object for war or peace,

Intelligence either way, maybe.

An Abacus and instructions,

Like a stat boosting object,

As a sword makes a person deadlier,

Abacus adds to a person's intelligence, 'maybe.

I've thought about it before,

But whatever I thought about, I don't have stuck in my head firmly,

Forgotten.

I suppose I'd loosely define intelligence as knowledge.

. .

Hm, then there's 'applied knowledge, I suppose,

Example, he made an 'intelligent decision,

People have some idea of something that is good,

Person who recognizes what is defined as good is intelligent,

The decision becomes intelligent, when the good action is chosen.

. .

People disagree on what is good though.

I'm not sure that intelligence guarantees certain values though.

Most intelligent man on Earth could want to collect stamps all their life,

Or desire the end of all life on Earth,

Intelligence just a way to see more means to ends, maybe.

Ja, intelligent people 'see what 'is more, maybe,

And by what they see often change their values,

But life is heavy nature as well, not just the nurture of that nature.

For a fighting game, do you think it would be better to tie stances, how the character stands and such I mean, to certain styles, that have bonuses?

Some thing like the offhand behind the back and sword held tip far forward, giving a bonus to piercing attacks,

Or better to allow players to customize characters looks however they like, without worrying about gameplay bonuses?

There's climate change, and then there's climate change.

I'd imagine people have 'long long known of 'natural climate changes,

Whether because people believed in The Flood,

Or believed in The Ice Age.

How quick, how much, when?

Are questions people are uncertain about maybe.

. . .

'Manmade 'global climate change,

I don't know much about.

'Local manmade climate change, number of examples in history.

Carrots taste alright to me, corn's tasty.

Fruit 'is handy.

. .

A bit of a joke argument,

What about the 'human animal harmed in the acquiring of the fruit?

Low paid workers, people working because they 'have to as most humans need money.

I'd imagine farming kills many animals,

Pests such as rodents, insects, birds, get exterminated,

Or simply caught up killed in process of farming, such as mice in a thresher machine gathering wheat.

Still, there's something to say for trying,

And maybe animal deaths of farming are less than animal deaths by herding animals,

Perhaps less intentional,

Perhaps less 'advanced animals killed in farming, more often.

I think the media wants people to 'look at them,

More than change people's views in this instance,

Catchy headline, more watchers, more money.

I think that FLRW's right,

Vegan diet can be healthy enough,

Just sounds that Zhanna Samsonova took her diet to strange extremes.

@ADreamOfLiberty

I have a bicycle myself,

I like it more when there's less cars on the roads,

Whether due to time or place.

@Best.Korea

I thought about buying an electric bicycle, but I already had the regular bicycle,

And the laws seemed to vary a lot between cities, regarding electric bicycles, I forget how though.

Hm, or maybe 'harm, instead of pain.