Dakryn's Batshit Theory of the Week

[Einherjar86]

Sure it is. One can completely change one's beliefs, but it's impossible to stop/start being gay. Also, what was the point you were trying to make with this statement?

I think "belief" seems much less serious to those who don't participate in it or share it with others. When people become imbued with a specific form of faith or belief and adopt its tenets and structure it becomes unimaginably difficult to completely shift worldviews. In my opinion, it's not much different than being gay. A person is ushered into the world and given a multitude of belief systems to choose from, including no belief system at all; when one presents itself that said person identifies with (based on his or her innate personal tendencies), that becomes his or her method of faith.

It's very similar to a human being coming into the world and being allowed to freely choose his or her sexual orientation (based on his or her own innate personal tendencies).

 

[King Richard]

What's more disturbing than the video really is the length our military and intelligence community are going to in order to keep everything that happens there under wraps. It's almost as if reporting war casualties in the mainstream news has become taboo.

But I guess really it's not much worse than all the environmental destruction whose corporate perpetrators are paying the media not to report on as well.

Why is that disturbing?

 

[zabu of nΩd]

Because they're suppressing the freedom of the press and bringing us closer and closer to an Orwellian police state. No one in the mainstream media asks serious questions about our wars or their justifications anymore. They don't even question the enormous and constantly expanding defense budget at a time when our national debt is spiraling out of control. Plus, the military is basically doing everything they can to have Wikileaks (the most important source of investigative journalism on the planet right now) shut down and its contributors arrested.

I would hope that a future where all our information is filtered through a power-hungry corporate and military elite, while said elite literally gets away with routine mass murder, is a disturbing prospect to anyone.

 

[Dak]

What happens in war to other countries isn't really part of a police state. It's when what in happens in war in other countries starts being done by the military/militarized police force to it's own citizens.

By the way, Cryptome is probably a better source. I have read several things stating Wikileaks is nothing but "controlled leaks".

 

[zabu of nΩd]

What happens in war to other countries isn't really part of a police state. It's when what in happens in war in other countries starts being done by the military/militarized police force to it's own citizens.

I was referring to the manipulation of public opinion about the wars as Orwellian, not the fact that we're in the wars. Also, I didn't say we currently are a police state, but that we're getting closer to being one because I consider control of public opinion as one aspect of that.

 

[Dak]

I was referring to the manipulation of public opinion about the wars as Orwellian, not the fact that we're in the wars. Also, I didn't say we currently are a police state, but that we're getting closer to being one because I consider control of public opinion as one aspect of that.

Point taken. IRAN BAD! PREPARE FOR HATE WEEK!

 

[Dak]

Obama to seek limiting of Nuclear Weapon use, even in defense

Looks like Obama and Medvedev see eye to eye .....oh wait,

Russia's new military doctrine to not rule out pre-emptive nuclear strikes

Clearly everything is moving along peacefully.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Second article is from October 09 dude.

 

[Dak]

Right, so knowing Russia's new doctrine, he decides that scaling back even defensive nuclear options is the best defense.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Do you really think he doesn't know what he's doing? Really?

 

[Dak]

No, I think he knows exactly what he is doing, whcih is an even bigger problem (just like Bush).

 

[repetitive electronic music]

Why bother to debate with a conspiracy nut? They've built up such an impenetrable fortress of delusion there's no way you can convince them their ideas are ridiculous. Just be thankful there aren't too many of them.

Hey Darkryn, seen any good chemtrails lately?

 

[Dak]

Except the things the average conspiracy nut has been harping on for the last 40+ years keep eventually coming to fruition, just that by the time they happen it's been accepted as a "natural course of events" as opposed to something that has been planned behind closed doors, so instead of denying that it will happen, it switches to denying it was planned.

 

[skeptik]

In my opinion, it's not much different than being gay. A person is ushered into the world and given a multitude of belief systems to choose from, including no belief system at all; when one presents itself that said person identifies with (based on his or her innate personal tendencies), that becomes his or her method of faith.

It's very similar to a human being coming into the world and being allowed to freely choose his or her sexual orientation (based on his or her own innate personal tendencies).

Wow, really?

By your analogy, your sexual orientation is not much different from...well, anything.

By the way, you do not "choose" your sexual orientation any more than you choose to be a male or a female, so no, it really is not like one's religious beliefs. You can choose to suppress your genetically predisposed sexual preference, but that is a separate matter. You don't choose to like dudes, you just like dudes. What it sounds like you're saying is that you don't choose what religion you follow; that your religion finds you, basically. That somehow each and every one of us is predisposed (genetically?) to be Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, or whathaveyou, and all we have to do to unlock this is to be exposed to that belief. I'm not sure how you intend to support this. Do you think that everything we take to is a result of our pre-birth dispositions that are hardwired into us? Like, was I predisposed to liking metal, football, and Victorian literature? Because that sounds like the logical extension of your argument to me.

In other words, what I'm saying is that I think you're completely off base in not only insinuating that one chooses his or her sexual preference, but that this process is akin to how one 'discovers' his or her faith or lack of faith.

 

[Dak]

Genetic pre-disposition does not bestow merit.

 

[skeptik]

And calling something a sin doesn't make something horrible and unnatural.

 

[Dak]

Is obesity horrible and unnatural?

 

[Dak]

Hey Darkryn, seen any good chemtrails lately?

Stratospheric Sulfate Aerosols

It's been going on without approval for a while, but it is currently trying to get approval through "global climate change" hysteria. I don't see why you would pick that out of all things.

 

[skeptik]

Is obesity horrible and unnatural?

No?

 

[cookiecutter]

Also, it is possible to stop/start being attracted to members of the opposite sex. Where did you get that idea? Maybe not in 100% of cases, but in many.

Ok. Stop being attracted to a woman for a day. Don't worry, you can switch back.

I got the idea that you couldn't from the fact that I can't and the fact that no one else ever seems to.

I think "belief" seems much less serious to those who don't participate in it or share it with others. When people become imbued with a specific form of faith or belief and adopt its tenets and structure it becomes unimaginably difficult to completely shift worldviews. In my opinion, it's not much different than being gay. A person is ushered into the world and given a multitude of belief systems to choose from, including no belief system at all; when one presents itself that said person identifies with (based on his or her innate personal tendencies), that becomes his or her method of faith.

It's very similar to a human being coming into the world and being allowed to freely choose his or her sexual orientation (based on his or her own innate personal tendencies).

Dodens already responded to this but I'll add my two cents.

I think you're completely wrong. I'm not going to argue with the point that beliefs can be extremely powerful and that not having them can seem completely incomprehensible. Obviously this is true when people are still religious or communist or believe in alien abductions despite these things being obviously false from scientific/skeptical worldview. However to compare that to sexual orientation is absurd. If suddenly a communist state turned out really great (not going to happen but for argument's sake) you might reconsider your position. I use communism as an example because historically it's been one of those beliefs that causes extreme devotion in it's followers and extreme antagonism in its detractors. If an alien ship was spotted by a reputable source you might start believing too.

Now imagine if it turned out that your family might shun you for liking girls (something that happens to gay people all the time). If you were to make a ration choice you would stop liking girls. There's plenty of dudes in the world to like and you love your family and don't want them to shun you. Could you do that? I know I couldn't no matter how much I wanted to.