Anyone Watch the Latest Democrat Debate? Anyone care?

[_Some Schmo]

Talking to you and Doubting Thomas one might conclude that religion has never motivated anyone to live a more moral life.

One should conclude that. If someone is motivated to live a more moral life, is it the religion or their life circumstances prompting that desire? Why look to religion otherwise?

That's a warped and partisan view that's as far from any objective truth as you can get. It's also depressing. I feel sorry for you.

LOL... partisan, eh? Save your pity. I knew what religion was literally decades before I became interested in politics.

Your politics is a religion, not mine. I'm constantly changing my mind when confronted with new data. You've probably believed the same basic crap for years now, and only appear to update your thoughts when your cherished pundits suggest you should.

You're a member of TURD (Trump's Uniquely Ridiculous Dichotomy: either loyal to Trump or unpatriotic). American religions just keep getting worse. The TURDs make the LDS look slightly better than TURDs.

[_subgenius]

I'm constantly changing my mind when confronted with new data.

well, this is a surprising admission of idiocracy.

[_Chap]

I'm constantly changing my mind when confronted with new data.

well, this is a surprising admission of idiocracy.

Odd, When accused of changing his mind on some issue, the great economist John Maynard Keynes is said to have replied:

"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?". (He may well not have been the person who said that first. But it does sound a quite reasonable attitude.)

[_Res Ipsa]

Let’s assume it is. What do you think follows from that?

The world won't be a better place with more Christianity.

Wouldn't it depend on who the Christian is?

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Wouldn't it depend on who the Christian is?

I'm not only ok with Jersey Girl's version of Christianity (from what I've read), but supportive of it, too. It gives her a sense of peace, purpose, and design that's nice. I don't view her as using her religion as a political bludgeon, but rather as an internal mechanism that helps her feel placed in the universe.

In a way, I have a religion, too. I call myself an atheist, but I could very well see this reality as a simulation in an infinite recursion of simulations. It makes sense to me, helps me sort out one coincidence after another I notice, and it brings me a weird sort of comfort. Yet, at the end of the day I just go with the notion the universe is a physical one and that's the only one that we can know and work through if we're to have any sort of longevity as a species. I certainly wouldn't start evangelizing it and building a coalition of other 'simulationists' to influence government policy. That's the kind of religionist that needs to go the way of the dodo bird.

- Doc

[Guest]

I'm constantly changing my mind when confronted with new data.

well, this is a surprising admission of idiocracy.

No! The real idiocy is refusing to change your mind when new data clearly shows that previously held beliefs, however cherished, are seriously mistaken. That is backfire effect, and there is no virtue in that, and is one of the greatest (if not the greatest impediments to real justice and human progress. The religious often ridicule and even condemn science and scientists for their willingness to modify or even abandon previously held positions when confronted by newly available, more complete data, but that characteristic is science's greatest virtue and strength, and moves humankind inexorably in the direction of truth, despite fits and starts resulting from inevitable, occasional mistakes. The unwillingness of the religious, in general, to do likewise is their greatest weakness and flaw, and ultimately self-destructive.

[_ajax18]

I certainly wouldn't start evangelizing it and building a coalition of other 'simulationists' to influence government policy.

I think Christianity clearly had an influence upon the constitution. I think the 10 commandments has had a big influence on our laws and sense of right and wrong. I'm grateful for this but even if you don't think the 10 commandments should have influenced public policy how do you change that when it already has forever? One might as easily turn back the sun and reverse the rotation of the earth.

Do you Doc, still believe in things like, "Thou shalt not steal." If so, why? Where do you get this moral knowledge?

[Guest]

Wouldn't it depend on who the Christian is?

Yes, some are good people. Do you think Mormonism makes the world a better place?

[_DoubtingThomas]

Do you Doc, still believe in things like, "Thou shalt not steal." If so, why? Where do you get this moral knowledge?

Where can I find commandments like "Thou shall not be racist" Thou shall not have slaves" "Thou shall not have child brides" "Thou shall not rape" in the scriptures? Help me find the moral knowledge in the scriptures.

[_canpakes]

I'm constantly changing my mind when confronted with new data.

well, this is a surprising admission of idiocracy.

And yours apparently illustrates why you still believe in Santa Claus, that there were no rainbows before ‘The Flood’, and in the Clinton Kill List.