OT: Today's Pot-Stirring Query

[Belly Bob]

53 minutes ago, ECHS05 said:

No matter how solid the foundation, eventually something will threaten to destroy it. What we do in the next few years will determine if we establish a dynasty that will last another 1,000 years... or if we collapse into nothing, like every other great civilization throughout history. 

I'm on board.

What do we do in the next few years?

[Belly Bob]

6 hours ago, DarterBlue said:

We need new parties with new ideas that put the American people first. Our system is rapidly being broken. Trump is but an acceleration of a trend many years in the making. 

I guess I don't disagree.

But American politicians aren't imported: they come from the American people. 

And the American people have deeply inconsistent desires.

They don't want to be overweight, but I can't drive past a MacDonald's without seeing a line of cars in the drive-through.

And they don't want to be in debt, but I can't drive past a Starbuck's without seeing a line of cars in the drive-through. 

It's pretty hard to satisfy the American people, and when you don't, they turn on you. 

[Belly Bob]

1 hour ago, ECHS05 said:

The problem is most people dont know how to properly represent Jesus. They are morons that dont know him themselves.

Jesus is Love. Plain & Simple. Anything else is just hellfire & brimstone nonsense.

Preach, brother!

[HawgGoneIt]

I think we have what we have as far as parties go. 

What we have to understand is that once the atmosphere is so toxic that the parties we do have can no longer work together on the most important issues, and then we as a people are supportive of that, our democracy is one no more. 

It seems like we are dangerously close to the edge on that, and politicians that care whether we fall over the edge are no where to be found evidentally. 

These politicians can work together on stuff like the Russian sanctions bill. Only 2 no votes in the senate and 3 or 4 no votes in the house. President has yet to sign that bipartisan bill though... one is left to wonder why, especially considering the current atmosphere regarding Russia. If I were him I'd have my picture all over every t.v. and front page in America like he did with all the E.O.'s. Cheesing with a fancy leather binder containing the bipartisan legislation complete with my signature. 

Now that said... Why can't enough come together to get something workable through on healthcare? Far more important to us economically for one thing. The best I can tell they all have their backs turned to each other on any compromise whatsoever.

 

[Belly Bob]

6 hours ago, Bones said:

The Jesus story works perfectly. He is whatever the believer wants him to be. Its how we get Westboro Baptist and MLK Jr.

 

6 hours ago, World Citizen said:

A little off topic but I had door to door Baptist come to my house the other day.  We talked for a while, nice guy's but OMG they are wrong.   I tried to help them but I had no success as they walked away in the same condition they came in.  They were telling me about a jealous God who is vengeful and will punish me if I don't believe that Jesus is my savior.  Anybody else have door to door Baptist come to their house? 

I've always found it difficult to square Jesus's message that, at bottom, we're supposed to love each other -- including the prostitutes and the tax-collecters, who were the kind of people who would use force to take even from the destitute -- with the message coming from the God-hates-fags crowd and their ilk.

And I don't know how to square the claim that God will send you to hell just because you don't believe that Jesus is Christ with the claim that God is a morally perfect being who made us in his image and who loves us so much that he sent his only son here to be tortured and killed so that we might have some means by which to atone for our sins.

That stuff is too wild even for me. 

[ECHS05]

48 minutes ago, Belly Bob said:

I guess I don't disagree.

But American politicians aren't imported: they come from the American people. 

And the American people have deeply inconsistent desires.

They don't want to be overweight, but I can't drive past a MacDonald's without seeing a line of cars in the drive-through.

And they don't want to be in debt, but I can't drive past a Starbuck's without seeing a line of cars in the drive-through. 

It's pretty hard to satisfy the American people, and when you don't, they turn on you. 

Thats because the American people want every other American person that isnt them to do something about it.

They think its ok for them to stop and have a Big Mac at the local McDonalds, but expect the guy behind them to resist. 

We expect everyone else to fix our problems.

[ECHS05]

35 minutes ago, HawgGoneIt said:

I think we have what we have as far as parties go. 

What we have to understand is that once the atmosphere is so toxic that the parties we do have can no longer work together on the most important issues, and then we as a people are supportive of that, our democracy is one no more. 

It seems like we are dangerously close to the edge on that, and politicians that care whether we fall over the edge are no where to be found evidentally. 

These politicians can work together on stuff like the Russian sanctions bill. Only 2 no votes in the senate and 3 or 4 no votes in the house. President has yet to sign that bipartisan bill though... one is left to wonder why, especially considering the current atmosphere regarding Russia. If I were him I'd have my picture all over every t.v. and front page in America like he did with all the E.O.'s. Cheesing with a fancy leather binder containing the bipartisan legislation complete with my signature. 

Now that said... Why can't enough come together to get something workable through on healthcare? Far more important to us economically for one thing. The best I can tell they all have their backs turned to each other on any compromise whatsoever.

 

 

Trump doesnt think like that though. He thinks if he just denies any wrong doing and ignores it, it'll go away. Probably because thats worked for him in the past.

 

The guys in bed with Russia in some way. Just not sure exactly how. 

 

Why even consider firing Mueller unless youre guilty as hell?

 

It blows my mind that some people either cant see, or dont care that Trump is the biggest lying hypocrite in America. 

[ECHS05]

27 minutes ago, Belly Bob said:

 

I've always found it difficult to square Jesus's message that, at bottom, we're supposed to love each other -- including the prostitutes and the tax-collecters, who were the kind of people who would use force to take even from the destitute -- with the message coming from the God-hates-fags crowd and their ilk.

And I don't know how to square the claim that God will send you to hell just because you don't believe that Jesus is Christ with the claim that God is a morally perfect being who made us in his image and who loves us so much that he sent his only son here to be tortured and killed so that we might have some means by which to atone for our sins.

That stuff is too wild even for me. 

Doesnt really make any sense does it.

God works in mysterious ways, if you could understand it all... I suppose youd be God.

 

[World Citizen]

6 hours ago, Bones said:

I wish. All I get is JW's now and they don't even come in to talk these days. They send a kid up with a flier as they wait back by the street. Such a cowardly act by the adults.

I noticed that as well.  Poor effort imo and in order for me to convert to anything, they must show effort.  😏

[Fred]

I think our political process has been hijacked by a relative few extremists on both sides.  I'd be willing to bet - and I'm not a betting guy - that most Americans are more centrist than extreme.  You may lean left or you may lean right but there are parts of both sides you support.  There are those very vocal few that drive the narrative because most of us aren't that vocal or out front with our opinions.  Like him or hate him, Trump changed the process and the narrative.  It was/is not longer business as usual.  I'm not trying to say what he is doing is right but it dang sure isn't the way it has been done for at least the past 15 years or more.  Change challenges people.  I had a boss that used to say people don't mind change they just don't like *being* changed.  Change was forced on the political system and the people.  Some like it, some don't.

[Belly Bob]

37 minutes ago, ECHS05 said:

Doesnt really make any sense does it.

God works in mysterious ways, if you could understand it all... I suppose youd be God.

It had better make sense. Otherwise, your belief is irrational. 

Where there are inconsistencies, I'd encourage you to pick.

Either God isn't morally perfect or else non-believers aren't going to hell just for being non-believers. 

[Rufus69]

The joke's on Putin.  We don't need 755 diplomats.

 

We got Trumpy the Clown !!!!!!

 

 

Rufus>>

[concha]

1 hour ago, Rufus69 said:

We got Trumpy the Clown !!!!!!

Rufus>>

 

[Rufus69]

1 hour ago, concha said:

 

Fake News !!!!!

 

 

Rufus>>

[World Citizen]

12 hours ago, Belly Bob said:

It had better make sense. Otherwise, your belief is irrational. 

Where there are inconsistencies, I'd encourage you to pick.

Either God isn't morally perfect or else non-believers aren't going to hell just for being non-believers. 

I don't think that is much of a choice.  That people do choose what is right and wrong is the problem, at least in regards to religion.  Imo believing that a thing is true doesn't mean that what others believe, if different, does not mean they are wrong.  They both can be true for each individual.  When one says I am right and you are wrong then game over.  Not much room to consider another view or room to grow and expand awareness.  

If I don't have to be right and make another wrong, it really takes the pressure off imho.  And I lose nothing by this strategy.  

Now when talking Cali football and DLS in particular, we Cali guy's are always right. 😁  and everyone else is wrong.  Ya hear me Ga?  😮

[concha]

[World Citizen]

2 hours ago, concha said:

 

That was obviously a situation where someone threw a grenade on the plane and Hilldog jumped on it to save the crew.  Surprised she didn't use this to her advantage during the campaign. 

😏

[World Citizen]

2 minutes ago, concha said:

This was right after the grenade incident and she needed a drink.  You really should just call Hilldog and tell her how much you care about her.  Stop this 'love affair' via memes.  

[concha]

Just now, World Citizen said:

That was obviously a situation where someone threw a grenade on the plane and Hilldog jumped on it to save the crew.  Surprised she didn't use this to her advantage during the campaign. 

😏

 

I thought she was hitting the deck due to sniper fire.

Like that time in Sarajevo.

[concha]

38 minutes ago, World Citizen said:

This was right after the grenade incident and she needed a drink.  You really should just call Hilldog and tell her how much you care about her.  Stop this 'love affair' via memes.  

She plays for the wrong team

[Belly Bob]

3 hours ago, World Citizen said:

I don't think that is much of a choice.  That people do choose what is right and wrong is the problem, at least in regards to religion.  Imo believing that a thing is true doesn't mean that what others believe, if different, does not mean they are wrong.  They both can be true for each individual.  When one says I am right and you are wrong then game over.  Not much room to consider another view or room to grow and expand awareness.  

I must beg to differ, sir. 

If I believe that God exists, and you believe that God doesn't exist, then as a matter of logic, one of us has to be wrong: p and not-p cannot possibly be true. Any claim of that form is a contradiction and therefore not just false but necessarily false. 

If you don't like the logical point, then consider the practical one.

Suppose that one's religion says that one ought to cut the heads off of infidels. It won't do to say, "Hey, it's true for them!" If we say that, then we'd have no rational grounds to disagree with them, since their belief would true; and they would have no reason to change their minds, since their belief would be true. 

So I think it's better to admit that one of us is wrong about God, but also admit that the topic is a difficult one, and smart, well-informed people disagree over it, so we should be open to hearing and taking seriously reasons that might count against our own view. 

That's the big idea behind tolerance, I think. It's not, "We're both right." Rather, "It's I'm right and your wrong, but I also recognize that you think that I'm wrong and that you're right; so let's hear each other out, and even we don't agree at the end of the day, let's try to find some common ground from which we can be neighborly to each other."

That's Smelly's two cents, anyways. 

[AztecPadre]

On 7/30/2017 at 10:20 AM, World Citizen said:

The attack on the media is thing that bothers me the most.   The fact that some of our fellow Americans are going along with it is truly disappointing. Imo.  

Why do you say a lot of people are moving alt-right?  I was thinking that they have a solid base but are not growing in popularity.  I would hate to be wrong on that one but wouldn't be surprised.  

That and the appointing of generals to all the positions of power in DC.  Really reminds me of something a dictator would do.  

[concha]

If the media were not simply an attack dog for the left, then there would be no issue.

.

[CCBlackhatter]

1 hour ago, AztecPadre said:

That and the appointing of generals to all the positions of power in DC.  Really reminds me of something a dictator would do.  

You act like Trump is the first to do this.

What about 20 out of the 33 Presidents having served before being elected? Is that facists as well?

You lefties are a different breed for sure.

[thc6795]

Funny as hell before the election people on this board were calling for a revolution and many of you libs mocked them. Now you are the ones calling for a revolution. Cant make this shit up. Woke up this morning and Trump was still President. Im sure when I wake up tomorrow  he will still be President. God bless America.