Hot Button Topics (religion, politics, sports)

[LeaflameSD]

@Pent: Yeah, hear hear.

Also Simon weed is an interesting subject.

[Chocofreak13]

Indeed. I can't stand people who have to get into fights about trivial things like favorite video game console; like on the G4 boards eons ago, where people would be giving each other death threats because sweet mother of Multics they have a different opinion.

Now, I do understand taking actual serious topics seriously; like gender issues, healthcare, education, and the like. Those are major issues compared to, say, who was the best captain on Star Trek.

Yes, because all know Spock was the best captain

AGREED, MASTER!

@simon: @guncontrol: controlling guns isn't going to stop violence. don't give them to kids or crazies. make background checks more stringent. gun shows should be for dealers only. yay guns! : D [/lol]
@pot: this is a bit of a double-edged sword for me, since while i support its usage for medical treatments, people who "just want to mellow out/have a good time" disgust me. also, if anyone smokes it around me or tries to get me to smoke it, they're liable to get dropped and curb-stomped by me. >>;

[NejinOniwa]

Drugs make you inefficient. Thus, taking them is inefficient, and should be avoided at all costs.

[/chamber]

Honestly though, drug use - no matter the kind - is to me much like the question of religion. Believing in a religious dogma that offers superficial explanations for unprovable things is like having a crutch. You can fall back on it if you're feeling weak in the legs and remain standing, but for someone who doesn't need the support to stay on his feet lugging it about all the time is horribly inefficient.
Much in the same way, having a stimulating substance to fall back on when your own mindset or senses aren't what you'd like them to be - be it alcohol to dull inhibitions, tobacco to reduce stress or amphetamine to increase awareness - may perhaps sound like a good idea, but when you regard the negative effects such substances have it becomes rather obvious that it's a foolish thing to do. Every beer you buy yourself, you pay not only in cash, but in brain cells. Every cigarette, you pay in time. Neither of those can be bought back.

It's a stupid waste of life to use drugs, no matter what type it is - and only if no other option is physically viable and available should one even consider it.

[LeaflameSD]

Snorting stuff up your nose seems puzzling to me.

[Simonorged]

@Nej: So church is tantamount to drug use is it, Christianity is if anything else one good way to live your life, if you cut out all the attachments and just live by the good principles, you can lead a rather successful life, and for those who have actually felt a response, well all we should do is encourage and let live and occasionally drop a few friendly invitations. Yes it helps when you're feeling down but its also an encouragement to do the right thing. As with anything there are rules that we are encouraged to follow, most of which everyone already follows.

Spoiler: ShowHide

My god has been good to me, that's all I can say.

@pot: considering the Evils of some of the other options and what some of them can do, IE prescription meds as well as illegal substances and legal ones like alcohol and cigarettes, weed has fewer if not any of the medical repercussions, at the same time I don't really want anything to do with it as it causes lethargy and drains money, I'm not really interested. Do I care what other people do? Nope.

[Chocofreak13]

let's not get on a religion rant, here, people. nobody wins that war. :\

[LeaflameSD]

Yes please, let's not start a shitstorm on topics like that.

[NejinOniwa]

@Simon: I know you're biased on this point, not being very secular and all. So stop yelling and think about what I said for a second.

Yes, I think religion is equal to recreational drug use in terms of how useful or harmful it can be. Binging on alcohol can make you addicted, ruin your social life, leave you with liver problems and get you intoxicated enough to do something really stupid or dangerous - like kill people or harm yourself. Being overly religious - well, that'd make you addicted in the first place - can leave you with psychological problems, ruin your social life, and get you zealous and/or gullible enough to do something really stupid or dangerous - like kill people or harm yourself. The difference is that you're doing it in the Name of God instead of Because I'm Drunk Like A Horse, and the newspapers will call you a fanatic instead of a drunkard, which is - in my opinion - worse PR.

I'm not saying drugs OR religion are entirely devoid of positives. The social amplifier that is alcohol is, when properly used, very helpful in establishing relationships and affirming friendships, cultural stamps aside, if only because it makes you a lot less reserved in talking to people. Cannabis has its own benefits, as does tobacco. Religion is a great tool for guiding uneducated people to following common sense without a lot of effort or understanding needed. "Don't do bad stuff and God won't do bad stuff to you". It's just that I don't think the cost is worth the gain in either of the cases.

Drugs cost money and health. Religion costs faith, logic and time - and money, be it through taxes, donations or membership fees or whatever. I think that with the level of civilization and understanding of our world that humanity has achieved, we could easily cast away the crutch that is religion. We don't need it anymore - all it is, in my opinion, is a culturally bootstrapped remnant of a lesson in morals, that long ago were codified into law. And if a man breaks the laws of man, what is to stop him from breaking the laws of god?

[Simonorged]

Okay, just saying, not gonna start a shit storm. >_>;
I was done as soon as I said it, yeah it can have detrimental affects but religion as well as weed can do good things too. Everything in moderation after all.

My intention was not to be yelling but even so, this is the thread for it.

[Chocofreak13]

religion gives me a sense of comfort that when i die something will happen, whether it be some form of afterlife or reincarnation. i'm already depressed. i don't need to think that when i die i'm just gonna become fertilizer. >>;

tbh though putting all your eggs in one basket (or in this sense, putting all your faith in one thing) is a surefire way to wind up with nothing. you gotta diversify. -w- (or, in the case of hanafuda, keep adjusting your strategy as things change.)

[Bella]

religion gives me a sense of comfort that when i die something will happen, whether it be some form of afterlife or reincarnation. i'm already depressed. i don't need to think that when i die i'm just gonna become fertilizer. >>;

tbh though putting all your eggs in one basket (or in this sense, putting all your faith in one thing) is a surefire way to wind up with nothing. you gotta diversify. -w- (or, in the case of hanafuda, keep adjusting your strategy as things change.)

Even though I'm currently functionally-atheist (I've considered getting more involved in religion or spirituality [mostly for social reasons] but it's sooo much woooooooOOOOrrrrrrk) I agree with Kari. The way I see it, spirituality is a valid way to explain things which are metaphysical - outside the realm of the physical universe and scientific reasoning (for instance, what, if any, meaning life has, whether we have an immortal soul/life force, if there's an afterlife, if somebody / something initiated the creation of the universe, etc). Whereas science is how we figure out the workings of the physical universe - it shouldn't be used - or expected - to answer any questions about metaphysical things. I get pissed off when people try to drag religion into science or vice-versa, but as long as religion is only used to answer metaphysical questions and science is only used to examine the physical universe I don't see any harm.

For what it's worth, I've known/known of plenty of ignorant, irrational and bigoted atheists. I've known plenty of intelligent, accepting and scientifically-minded religious people. And stupid religious people and smart atheists. Generally, the smart folks have been the ones who have approached their religion / non-religion with moderation and common sense while the dumbasses have been at the "extremist" ends of the spectrum.

[NejinOniwa]

Extremists = Zealots. Zealotry is stupid. That's all.

[Simonorged]

Now for a new topic, and this one could get some blood boiling so careful.

Gay Marriage now legal, Finally or fuck.

I was pretty much indifferent since the beginning but hey, now there are a lot of happy couples.
It just got easier for them to spend their lives together.

[Chocofreak13]

FIN
A
LLY.

that is all.

[Nichi]

Agreed. I think it's great that more places are becoming accepting of it; regardless of what some people in the town I currently live in have to say on it