Yeah, the wisdom of the wise is as a fool in the eyes of God or however the saying goes. I was raised that way. My parents are proud of my education but don't understand why I don't always agree with them. Such is life. I'm still conservative but not rabidly so like my folks. Probably one of the reasons I'm anti-social most of the time...
Americans for some reason want their politicians to be religious. Or parties want their candidates to be religious. Probably not a lot of hardcore scientists are religious and charismatic and extroverts interested in being in the public eye. There is probably a reason the Republican party is as antiscience as it is. Jjstraka had the results a few pages back that majority of Republicans were against higher education.
Pretty sure "religious" is just a checkbox for politicians to cross so they get votes. I'm more disturbed by the people who take this at face value when the politicians character is very blatantly not in line with what they claim.
Americans for some reason want their politicians to be religious. Or parties want their candidates to be religious. Probably not a lot of hardcore scientists are religious and charismatic and extroverts interested in being in the public eye. There is probably a reason the Republican party is as antiscience as it is. Jjstraka had the results a few pages back that majority of Republicans were against higher education.
Pretty sure "religious" is just a checkbox for politicians to cross so they get votes. I'm more disturbed by the people who take this at face value when the politicians character is very blatantly not in line with what they claim.
Take famed Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, whose church is in Houston. Earlier today, word and pictures started getting around on Twitter that the area around his massive complex had nearly no water near it whatsoever, but that he had not opened it up to house people in need. Because that might be something Jesus would have done. It took about 12 hours of public shaming on Twitter, and now they seem to have gone out and bought a shitload of air mattresses and are ready to take people in. Great. But nothing like self-proclaimed men of god having to be humiliated on social media to make them open their doors to flood victims.
These televangelists, even to this day, are pieces of work (as are any people who follow them or give them money). I know my Bible, and it very explicitly states that it would be easier for a "camel to pass through the eye of a needle" than for a rich man to enter Heaven. Translated: it's impossible. I'm pretty sure having multiple $20 million dollar homes and flying around the country on private jets counts as "rich". Jesus was a carpenter for Christ's sake (pun intended). Donovan in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" found this out the hard way.
Giving more military gear to police is about the stupidest thing we can do at the moment, and also the exact move an authoritarian would make, especially considering most cops are Trump supporters. If you want to play with military toys, join the military. We don't need tanks and grenade launchers and storm troopers on city streets except in the most absolute extreme circumstances.
Giving more military gear to police is about the stupidest thing we can do at the moment, and also the exact move an authoritarian would make, especially considering most cops are Trump supporters. If you want to play with military toys, join the military. We don't need tanks and grenade launchers and storm troopers on city streets except in the most absolute extreme circumstances.
Time to unleash the Apaches on the drug dealers. Hey, I know what they can do with those old A10 Warthogs too. Surgical strikes: what could possibly go wrong?
Giving more military gear to police is about the stupidest thing we can do at the moment, and also the exact move an authoritarian would make, especially considering most cops are Trump supporters. If you want to play with military toys, join the military. We don't need tanks and grenade launchers and storm troopers on city streets except in the most absolute extreme circumstances.
Time to unleash the Apaches on the drug dealers. Hey, I know what they can do with those old A10 Warthogs too. Surgical strikes: what could possibly go wrong?
The thing is, they use this stuff if it is given to them. There is more than one case of flash grenades being thrown into cribs during supposed drug raids. Does anyone think we really need tactical military gear to take out local pot dealers?? Whatever happened to first trying the "knock on the door and serve a warrant" approach. Hardly anything that happens in most American cities that can be considered a crime requires a SWAT team. If you give cops this gear, they start to feel like occupiers instead of civil servants. When you feel like an occupier, the average person becomes an enemy. And then you start treating them like the enemy. And then they start treating you like the enemy. I mean, you already get to carry a gun, a taser, a baton, and if recent history has proven anything, NO ONE will hold you accountable if you use them unjustly. That and a bulletproof vest should suffice in 98% of all situations. I don't see how this is anything more than yet another boondoggle for the defense contractor industry. I swear to god half this country now thinks law enforcement is a perpetual situation that resembles Rambo going toe to toe with Brian Dennehy's police force in 'First Blood".
The DHS has been giving police departments military hand-me-downs for *years*; we started discussing this topic in its latest thread back in 2013 over here but the trend has been on the upswing since 2002. The worst abuses are connected with "no knock" warrants where the SWAT team, in full tactical gear, literally knocks down the door--sometimes in the middle of the night--and sweeps the house. Sometimes, of course, they have the wrong address, which is when things really start to deteriorate. Oh, and I hope you didn't have a dog in your house when they knocked down the door because they won't think twice about shooting it...in front of your children.
You know what is really funny? The Department of Education has a SWAT team. Yes, it takes military training and hardware to go after illicit textbooks, corruption in a public school system, or to send jack-booted thugs to your house because you committed student loan fraud.
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Joel Osteen represents actual Christianity about as much as the Westboro Baptist Church does. I have never trusted megachurches--they are really just cults of personality--and "prosperity preachers" are the worst sort of charlatans you can imagine. I have seen TV ads for things like prayer cloths ("buy this prayer cloth for only $5 and your prayers will be answered more fully") and anointing oils.
As I understand it, the easy (ish) availability of military grade gear to organized crime is a big part of why cops want better gear. Heck, the legal firearms available in some states would be plenty for many military groups. I know we've had high profile shooters in Canada with pretty high powered illegal gear, and I've heard its worse in the US.
I can see the interest in armoured vehicles, body armour, assault rifles with stopping power and even grenade launchers to deliver non-lethal munitions, but Obama had I think a reasonable line on this by and large. Police don't need tanks or combat aircraft, and there is probably little use for the higher powered stuff, so I don't know why they'd get them. As noted, if they have gear there will be temptation to use said gear, including times when it excacerbstes situations as it already has.
Imho, its the old military-industrial complex trying to increase demand to up sales, though it could be seen as a sign of an encroaching police state; I should think most anti-government groups to be strongly against over-equipping the police, yet the paranoid wing of the right is awfully quiet about it.
So Trump claims to want law and order. Apparently that is another dog whistle code word which means racism since it is from Nixon's advisor who flat out said the point behind it was the racism. Anyway the best way for law and order is to reinstate giving the cops bazookas. Um kay.
If you are a bad guy and you know the cops have tanks and bazookas you'll probably just give up right and go to Church and be a good person. Yeah I don't think so, there's no thought behind this other than "arm the cops!" is there? Well no good thoughts the ulterior motives is probably the United Police States of Trump and don't you forget it. The countries that are doing better than us in the world in terms of societal problems and happiness, they've got all the local Police with tanks, bazookas, and armor piercing rounds right? Didn't Denmark and Switzerland just come out with the key to happiness is cops with Apache helipcopter transforming fire tanks?
Americans for some reason want their politicians to be religious. Or parties want their candidates to be religious. Probably not a lot of hardcore scientists are religious and charismatic and extroverts interested in being in the public eye. There is probably a reason the Republican party is as antiscience as it is. Jjstraka had the results a few pages back that majority of Republicans were against higher education.
Pretty sure "religious" is just a checkbox for politicians to cross so they get votes. I'm more disturbed by the people who take this at face value when the politicians character is very blatantly not in line with what they claim.
But in other countries, such as the UK, "religious" politicians are viewed with suspicion by a significant proportion of the electorate. Tony Blair, for example, tried to conceal his religious views whilst in power. Tim Farron was forced out of his position of leader of the Liberal Democrats for being too religious.
Americans for some reason want their politicians to be religious. Or parties want their candidates to be religious. Probably not a lot of hardcore scientists are religious and charismatic and extroverts interested in being in the public eye. There is probably a reason the Republican party is as antiscience as it is. Jjstraka had the results a few pages back that majority of Republicans were against higher education.
Pretty sure "religious" is just a checkbox for politicians to cross so they get votes. I'm more disturbed by the people who take this at face value when the politicians character is very blatantly not in line with what they claim.
But in other countries, such as the UK, "religious" politicians are viewed with suspicion by a significant proportion of the electorate. Tony Blair, for example, tried to conceal his religious views whilst in power. Tim Farron was forced out of his position of leader of the Liberal Democrats for being too religious.
That seems like it should be the default. It makes sense for politicians to promote their views based on provable accepted facts rather than unprovable stuff that you have to take on faith.
Their jobs are literally to deal with secular problems concerning people's lives in the physical material world.
It's fine to be religious. Plenty of people are but it shouldn't be the thing that is in the forefront especially since there are so many flavors of faith and as a politician you are supposed to represent the interests of people of those many different faiths not just one particular one.
North Korea, remember them? Just fired a missile over Japan. Good timing as Trump is distracted by a natural disaster.
Most countries would consider this to be a blatant and overt act of war. Fortunately, the missile went over Hokkaido. However, we must wonder what would have happened--or what would be happening right now--if the missile had landed on Hokkaido and killed some civilians. Things like that cause shooting wars and it is difficult to engage in diplomacy with someone who thinks that he is a living god.
The happiest most prosperous counties are not theocracies while the most war torn places in the world feature state religions. The United States has a concept known as "separation of church and state" for good reason. You can have freedom with out greyness or god.
Why separate church and state? The question of which flavor of religion is the right one is best left off of the governments agenda.
Suppose for example a leader pushed one thing, then the next guy was a reactionary who wanted to undo everything his predecessor did despite representing a smaller number of people. What kind of mess that no so far fetched scenario would be! Naturally, millions of people would be upset and marching in the streets. Imagine if that disagreement was about religion.
It is just not helpful to have the government endorse a particular religion or to pit factions against each other. If you do that then we could end up with a situation like Ireland with Protestant and Catholics persecuting and killing each other.
He's selling these USA hats (white and red variety) for $40 each proceeds going to hurricane relief-er no proceeds are going to his reelection campaign.
He is in Houston today for photo ops with that hat.
Organized religion is a form of community where people tend to share the same morals and ethics with one another.
When electing someone to repersent a community, people tend to side with a person who shares their ideals and morals hence why a religious belief is important to some voters.
Just think of the rhetoric JFK went through because he was Catholic.People believed he'd do the whims of the Pope in Rome because of his religion.
This tends to be a bigger deal in the United States than any other democracy, reasoning is beyond my speculation at the moment however.
My parents are convinced Trump's a 'born again' Christian. So far I'm not buying it. Actions speak louder than words imho. Of course I'm probably a heathen...
My parents are convinced Trump's a 'born again' Christian. So far I'm not buying it. Actions speak louder than words imho. Of course I'm probably a heathen...
The core of "born again" Chistianity is salvation by faith, not by works. So long as you believe in Jesus, there is no reason to do anything for anyone else. It's pretty much the most selvish, self-serving flavour of religion possible.
The happiest most prosperous counties are not theocracies while the most war torn places in the world feature state religions.
Let me put on my technically correct (the best kind of correct) hat for a moment. A number of European/Nordic countries do actually have state religions--the Anglican Church in ENgland is probably the easiest example, though a number of other countries (Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Italy) do officially recognize a state religion.
I'm not disputing your broader point that theocracy is generally a poor choice for government. I'd generalize it further and lump in pretty much anything autocratic.
My parents are convinced Trump's a 'born again' Christian. So far I'm not buying it. Actions speak louder than words imho. Of course I'm probably a heathen...
The core of "born again" Chistianity is salvation by faith, not by works. So long as you believe in Jesus, there is no reason to do anything for anyone else. It's pretty much the most selvish, self-serving flavour of religion possible.
So yeah, Trump.
Born again Christianity is like playing Monopoly where all taxes and fines go to the middle of the board, and whoever lands on free parking gets the money. Except the kicker with the born again crowd is that you get to choose how many spaces you can move, so you land on it automatically. Say what you will about Catholics, at least you have to repent and accept a punishment to be saved. It's a get out of jail free card from a faith perspective.
As for Trump, I again go back to his reference to "Two Corinthians", which is proof positive he hasn't attended even 3 church services in his life. And let me again explain WHY it's such a dead giveaway. Saint Paul's Letters to the Corinthians are, aside from the 4 Gospels, probably THE most used readings at church services, of nearly any denomination. It is impossible to be even vaguely acquainted with the Christian faith and believe they are called "One and Two Corinthians" instead of "First and Second Corinthians". The fact that he said the first was a sure sign of an imposter. But I don't blame Trump. No, no. I blame every Christian who HEARD him say that, knows in their head and heart he is certainly a fraud on the faith issue, and simply choose to pretend it didn't happen. They know. Trump is no more a Christian than Anton LeVay was. Liberals mock Christians?? Trump couldn't even correctly identify one of the major books of the New Testament. So I have to ask, what is evangelical/born again support for this obvious fraud REALLY about?? Two Corinthians. I don't even practice the faith anymore and I find it insulting he couldn't step his con-game up to get that correct.
You know that scene in "The Sandlot" where all the other kids realize Smalls doesn't know who Babe Ruth is?? That should have been the reaction of any Christian who actually cares about a President's faith when they heard him say that at Liberty University.
My parents are convinced Trump's a 'born again' Christian. So far I'm not buying it. Actions speak louder than words imho. Of course I'm probably a heathen...
The core of "born again" Chistianity is salvation by faith, not by works. So long as you believe in Jesus, there is no reason to do anything for anyone else. It's pretty much the most selvish, self-serving flavour of religion possible.
So yeah, Trump.
Actually not quite. Its salvation by faith because the idea is that a person is unable to achieve heaven on their own strength, hence the "not by works part". The idea is that faith in God and a true desire to repent shows itself through the person's actions. So a person who genuinely believes should act consistently with those beliefs. A common saying is to look at the fruit of their life. If the soil of their belief so to speak is true, it should bear like action. More and more churches preach the faith part without the emphasis that such faith would enact a change. As a consequence, more people see it as a get out of Hell free card and abuse self identicfication for all its worth. As I've said in the past, a person can call themselves a Christian all they want, but their actions will show their true colors.
The Democrats actually condemned left wing violence this week and called for arrests so credit where it is due, they aren't part of the problem anymore.
The happiest most prosperous counties are not theocracies while the most war torn places in the world feature state religions.
Let me put on my technically correct (the best kind of correct) hat for a moment. A number of European/Nordic countries do actually have state religions--the Anglican Church in ENgland is probably the easiest example, though a number of other countries (Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Italy) do officially recognize a state religion.
My parents lived in Denmark for a while. My mom thought it was funny that they got all the religious feast days off, but most of her friends didn't know what they were celebrating.
The happiest most prosperous counties are not theocracies while the most war torn places in the world feature state religions.
Let me put on my technically correct (the best kind of correct) hat for a moment. A number of European/Nordic countries do actually have state religions--the Anglican Church in ENgland is probably the easiest example, though a number of other countries (Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Italy) do officially recognize a state religion.
My parents lived in Denmark for a while. My mom thought it was funny that they got all the religious feast days off, but most of her friends didn't know what they were celebrating.
Apart from religious holidays, and even apart from his now deserved (and growing) reputation as someone who played a major part in a genocide, can someone explain to me that, of all the holidays in the year, that banks need to be closed on Columbus Day?? I am all for everyone getting more days off, but let's pick ANY other day that makes more sense. Halloween maybe. Anything can substitute for this one. If I had a job where we had Columbus Day off, I'd go into work anyway on general principle.
Comments
These televangelists, even to this day, are pieces of work (as are any people who follow them or give them money). I know my Bible, and it very explicitly states that it would be easier for a "camel to pass through the eye of a needle" than for a rich man to enter Heaven. Translated: it's impossible. I'm pretty sure having multiple $20 million dollar homes and flying around the country on private jets counts as "rich". Jesus was a carpenter for Christ's sake (pun intended). Donovan in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" found this out the hard way.
You know what is really funny? The Department of Education has a SWAT team. Yes, it takes military training and hardware to go after illicit textbooks, corruption in a public school system, or to send jack-booted thugs to your house because you committed student loan fraud.
*************
Joel Osteen represents actual Christianity about as much as the Westboro Baptist Church does. I have never trusted megachurches--they are really just cults of personality--and "prosperity preachers" are the worst sort of charlatans you can imagine. I have seen TV ads for things like prayer cloths ("buy this prayer cloth for only $5 and your prayers will be answered more fully") and anointing oils.
I can see the interest in armoured vehicles, body armour, assault rifles with stopping power and even grenade launchers to deliver non-lethal munitions, but Obama had I think a reasonable line on this by and large. Police don't need tanks or combat aircraft, and there is probably little use for the higher powered stuff, so I don't know why they'd get them. As noted, if they have gear there will be temptation to use said gear, including times when it excacerbstes situations as it already has.
Imho, its the old military-industrial complex trying to increase demand to up sales, though it could be seen as a sign of an encroaching police state; I should think most anti-government groups to be strongly against over-equipping the police, yet the paranoid wing of the right is awfully quiet about it.
If you are a bad guy and you know the cops have tanks and bazookas you'll probably just give up right and go to Church and be a good person. Yeah I don't think so, there's no thought behind this other than "arm the cops!" is there? Well no good thoughts the ulterior motives is probably the United Police States of Trump and don't you forget it. The countries that are doing better than us in the world in terms of societal problems and happiness, they've got all the local Police with tanks, bazookas, and armor piercing rounds right? Didn't Denmark and Switzerland just come out with the key to happiness is cops with Apache helipcopter transforming fire tanks?
Their jobs are literally to deal with secular problems concerning people's lives in the physical material world.
It's fine to be religious. Plenty of people are but it shouldn't be the thing that is in the forefront especially since there are so many flavors of faith and as a politician you are supposed to represent the interests of people of those many different faiths not just one particular one.
Gloomy, godless and grey. We need that.
Why separate church and state? The question of which flavor of religion is the right one is best left off of the governments agenda.
Suppose for example a leader pushed one thing, then the next guy was a reactionary who wanted to undo everything his predecessor did despite representing a smaller number of people. What kind of mess that no so far fetched scenario would be! Naturally, millions of people would be upset and marching in the streets. Imagine if that disagreement was about religion.
It is just not helpful to have the government endorse a particular religion or to pit factions against each other. If you do that then we could end up with a situation like Ireland with Protestant and Catholics persecuting and killing each other.
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/hurricane-hats/
He's selling these USA hats (white and red variety) for $40 each proceeds going to hurricane relief-er no proceeds are going to his reelection campaign.
He is in Houston today for photo ops with that hat.
Not even kidding.
When electing someone to repersent a community, people tend to side with a person who shares their ideals and morals hence why a religious belief is important to some voters.
Just think of the rhetoric JFK went through because he was Catholic.People believed he'd do the whims of the Pope in Rome because of his religion.
This tends to be a bigger deal in the United States than any other democracy, reasoning is beyond my speculation at the moment however.
So yeah, Trump.
I'm not disputing your broader point that theocracy is generally a poor choice for government. I'd generalize it further and lump in pretty much anything autocratic.
As for Trump, I again go back to his reference to "Two Corinthians", which is proof positive he hasn't attended even 3 church services in his life. And let me again explain WHY it's such a dead giveaway. Saint Paul's Letters to the Corinthians are, aside from the 4 Gospels, probably THE most used readings at church services, of nearly any denomination. It is impossible to be even vaguely acquainted with the Christian faith and believe they are called "One and Two Corinthians" instead of "First and Second Corinthians". The fact that he said the first was a sure sign of an imposter. But I don't blame Trump. No, no. I blame every Christian who HEARD him say that, knows in their head and heart he is certainly a fraud on the faith issue, and simply choose to pretend it didn't happen. They know. Trump is no more a Christian than Anton LeVay was. Liberals mock Christians?? Trump couldn't even correctly identify one of the major books of the New Testament. So I have to ask, what is evangelical/born again support for this obvious fraud REALLY about?? Two Corinthians. I don't even practice the faith anymore and I find it insulting he couldn't step his con-game up to get that correct.
You know that scene in "The Sandlot" where all the other kids realize Smalls doesn't know who Babe Ruth is?? That should have been the reaction of any Christian who actually cares about a President's faith when they heard him say that at Liberty University.