Cool, the pope is a commie.

[Ben Kenobi]

Boston scores to tie it up and restore order to the universe.

[Sava]

Cardio is important.

My cardio is okay... it's just using muscles that I haven't used in a while. All the treadmill and elliptical machine work in the world doesn't prepare the body for skating.

[Sava]

Okay. Hockey time. I as no PC downstairs by the TV at this time... so this concludes my posting for the time being.

I SAID GOOD NIGHT

[Ben Kenobi]

**** you Sava!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Christianity is kind of like true communism. If people would stick to the morals of Christianity then it would probably work. Unfortunately people are people and will not do this.

How does this even begin to make sense considering the concept of Original Sin is essential to Christian theology? (basically, all Christian thought acknowledges that people cannot live up to the example of God the Son, Jesus Christ - and that is exactly why the grace of God is so utterly essential; and why Christianity is about striving to make the world a better place even though we know we will, at times, fail).

Conservative.



Conservative...?

As conservatism existed prior to capitalism (Capitalism being introduces by those called "liberal" after all), it is perfectly valid to be a conservative opposed to free market capitalism.

Conservative policies don't create jobs. At best, they lead to crappy McJobs that foster an unending cycle of poverty.

Which is exactly what the Pope stated.

[Aeson]

How does this even begin to make sense considering the concept of Original Sin is essential to Christian theology? (basically, all Christian thought acknowledges that people cannot live up to the example of God the Son, Jesus Christ - and that is exactly why the grace of God is so utterly essential; and why Christianity is about striving to make the world a better place even though we know we will, at times, fail).

People don't have to be perfect for a form of socialism to work. (I say "a form of" because Communism is deeply flawed in ways that have nothing to do with socialism.) There are examples of people who were "good" enough that they could remain productive even in a socialist society where they weren't able to profit more than others by doing so. So even if you accept Original Sin, the bar isn't set too high for it to be theoretically possible to be reached by humanity.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm not saying that it isn't possible, but to claim everyone has to live by Christian morality for Christianity to "work" is silly.

[Aeson]

I'm not saying that it isn't possible, but to claim everyone has to live by Christian morality for Christianity to "work" is silly.

I think Plato was saying that if everyone lived by Christian morality then a form of Communism could work. I don't think he was addressing whether Christianity works or not.

[giblets]

If everyone was a paragon of Christian virtues couldn't you just have capitalism where people consume what they need and give away the rest of their income to charity? Any potential benefits from socialism would be moot.

[regexcellent]

I wonder what kentonio thinks of Stephen Harper or John Key.

[Hauldren Collider]

I wonder what kentonio thinks of Stephen Harper or John Key.

Yeah. Neither of them are significantly left of say, Mitt Romney.

[regexcellent]

I don't know a whole lot about Key but I know that Harper is to the right of Obama. He's even pro-gun.

[Sava]

I'm not saying that it isn't possible, but to claim everyone has to live by Christian morality for Christianity to "work" is silly.

It depends what you mean by "work". For it to work literally, the laws of physics have to be just an illusion... what with the whole Jesus thing.

At some point, people of faith need to make a decision. Do they wish to believe in the world that exists? Or do they wish to believe in bronze age fairy tales?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Why do the laws of physics have to be an illusion? That's a silly statement.

Laws of physics, as part of the creation, are as real to the rest of creation (ie, us) as anything else. But the creation exists apart from those laws and does not have to conform to that which He created unless He wills it.

I think you simply don't understand people of faith.

[Sava]

I think you simply don't understand people of faith.

So I don't understand myself? Well, I can't say I disagree with that statement.

But no. I don't understand willful ignorance. Absurd claims need evidence, IMO. All the walking on water and water into wine BS... well, show me proof. Otherwise, it's just nonsense.

Also, I can't take any single thing a person says seriously if they believe in fairy tales.

Sure, faith can be extremely nuanced... ultimately rooted in an agnostic approach. That makes sense to me. The intelligent priests I've talked to... they all say the same thing. Faith is accepting that logically, you cannot know, but still praying because you feel there may be a God.

Blind faith isn't faith. These people that are certain God exists? That's not faith. Faith is about believing when you don't know. These people believe and know. They know for certain God exists. That's not faith. That's idiocy.

I maintain that only intelligent people can have faith. Also, idiots don't have souls. When they die, the world just ends. They aren't self aware.