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Why did Jesus die? in Religion · Mar 30, 2012

Anthony Perez9 said:Who exactly is this St. Fool, and could you provide a specific source for this claim you're making?

That’s Saint Thomas Aquinas (the Fool), basically the heavyweight champion of Christian theology. He spent his life (1225-1274) churning out this weird mix of high-society philosophy and just cherry-picking the Bible, all wrapped up in some pretty dark, sadistic vibes. He claims one of the "divine joys in paradise" is having a "perfectly clear view of the sufferings of the damned." (Phyllis, The Jesus Hoax: p.55 Knight, Honest to Man: p.51)

Thomas Aquinas (the Fool) writes the following:

1) that the saved will see the torments of the damned perfectly clearly, just so their own bliss feels even sweeter by comparison,
2) that they won't feel an ounce of pity for the souls in hell, even if it was their own mother, because feeling sorry for them would be an insult to God's justice,
3) that the souls in paradise will indirectly find joy in the suffering of the damned because it serves as a vivid demonstration of how righteous God is.

In his "famous" masterpiece, Summa Theologica, he wraps things up by saying: "a heretic deserves ecclesiastical excommunication and secular execution—death, just like any criminal."
(Aquinas: SMT SS Q[11] A[3] Body Para. 1/2)
Honestly, humans have always had a soft spot for sadism, and it looks like he just baked it right into his theology.

Why did Jesus die? in Religion · Mar 30, 2012

Neve031;38722171 said:
God gave humanity nothing but Goodness, yet people turned their backs on it to embrace Evil.

Black and white is still such a classic look.

The world we see today is the result of humans playing games with evil, not God playing games with us.

So now, suddenly, God isn't playing anymore???

Or we end up back at that same old question: why did God give us free will in the first place? Why didn't He just build robots? Why doesn't He just wave a magic wand and fix everything the moment someone messes up this perfect stage? Why give us the chance to actually earn something? Why not just make us like puppets who don't have to decide anything, where everything just happens in perfect harmony without us even having to lift a finger???

Always with the "why this" and "why that"...

Or, let's take it even further—why did God create anything or anyone at all? He really should have asked for our permission first! You know, like, "Hey, do you guys want to exist? What kind of beings do you want to be? What do you want to do with your lives?"

Who says He didn't ask you???

Why did Jesus die? in Religion · Mar 30, 2012

Drew Watson3 said:That might hold some water if he hadn't also gone and invented the concept we call Free Will

Honestly, I don't think free will even exists because there are just way too many outside forces acting on us. It feels like a theological joker pulled out of a sleeve just to explain where evil comes from—since God is good, He obviously couldn't create evil... so it's on us because we have "free will" to choose it.

Free will is basically the same concept as the dictatorship of the proletariat—it's just an ideological Band-Aid used to satisfy an ideological craving.

Why did Jesus die? in Religion · Mar 30, 2012

Drew Watson3 said:You’re describing the world as it exists today, rather than how it looked when the Creator first brought it into being... and I wonder, if you stop to think about it, who exactly is responsible for the way things have spiraled since then?

So, there's a "before" and an "after"...
I mean, honestly, where on earth are people even getting these conclusions from? 🤷

Why did Jesus die? in Religion · Mar 30, 2012

feralorca2 said:Look, if He’s truly all-powerful, then what is there even to prove to Lucifer? I mean, he's stuck way beneath Him anyway... so why even bother?

Just, "righteous" and "love"? Give me a break... He didn't design this world to be like that. Honestly, it feels more like He built this whole place as a playground full of little dolls just for His own twisted, kinky entertainment...

This is for us—specifically for those of us who actually have the potential to believe in it!

Where can I find, buy, or... "borrow" these? (Mega-thread) :D in Miscellaneous · Mar 20, 2012

Does anyone know where I can track down some tapes for my old Sony Digital 8 camcorder? Seriously, where does one even find these things anymore????

A Dangerous Method in Movies · Mar 14, 2012

Paul Parker2 said:Finally caught this one in theaters today and honestly? I’m floored. It was absolutely perfect—so gripping and just... intense. The cast is top-tier (seriously, can we talk about how much I live for anything involving Viggo & Cronenberg?), and Keira Knightley and the rest of the crew were nothing short of phenomenal. It hit every single mark for me, just like I knew it would. When you've got a lineup of actors I adore, a director who is easily one of my favorites, and a theme that actually makes you stop and think, you know you're in for something special. Highly recommend. 🙂
___________________
xoxo Sienna
http://fashion-sienna.blogspot.com/

Funny enough, I was just scrolling through this forum earlier and saw someone calling the movie desperate and boring. Well, hey, to each their own, right? People clearly have such different tastes when it comes to cinema!

Where did Marx get it wrong? in Close to Politics · Mar 10, 2012

I was just sitting here with my coffee, thinking about that conversation we had earlier, and I couldn't help but feel like I missed a beat! You know how I get—once a thought starts rolling, it’s hard to pull the brakes. Anyway, I wanted to circle back to what wearyowl29 mentioned. It really got my gears turning! It’s funny how those little observations can totally shift your perspective if you let them. I actually had a similar realization last week while I was waiting in line at Starbucks in downtown Chicago. Just one of those "aha!" moments, you know? So, yeah, I'm still chewing on it. Let's keep this thread moving! wearyowl29 says:
Of course, we really have to point out that the mastermind behind this whole criminal spree is actually considered a national hero here! I mean, the main square in our biggest city is even named after him, and there’s a massive monument standing right in the middle of it too!

And there’s a culprit behind all this too—syphilis!

The Iron Lady official US trailer in Movies · Mar 8, 2012

Megan Bishop41 said:The real issue with this movie is that it’s too light on flashbacks.

But honestly, Meryl Streep shouldn't have been up for the lead Oscar; she should have grabbed it for Best Supporting Actress instead...

If you're going to sit through it, I promise you won't make it to the end without using Fast Forward at some point...

I actually think the Oscar was well-deserved! The film just demands an audience with a bit more patience, because when they skip through time, you don't even need a single transition shot. From a writing standpoint, it's much tighter and better directed than, say, Eastman's "Edgar," where the acting is flat and—don't even get me started on the makeup—everyone looks like they crawled straight out of a horror flick.
Besides, the whole story centers on a former Prime Minister struggling with dementia, where her memories blur into the present, showing all those different mental states driven by her emotions as the illness takes hold.
Personally, I found this fictional version of Margaret much more endearing than the real thing... and the Oscar definitely went to the right person.

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Mar 7, 2012

Grace Booth2 said:God distributes knowledge according to an individual's capacity—it pours down upon the earth like rain, yet what use is it to someone who is nothing more than a tiny thimble? It is difficult, after all, to catch even a single drop when your vessel is so limited. Besides, God doesn't burden a person beyond what they can actually carry.
Knowledge, too, isn't granted to just anyone.

I mean, if you listen to some religious fairy tales, everything just falls from the sky. Nobody actually works for anything; people just sit around praising their God while He sends down wisdom via heavenly mail service.

If that were actually how things worked, why on earth didn't He just hand over the whole kit and caboodle right at the start? Why did we have to wait so long for
TV sets,
PCs,
induction cooktops,
washing machines,
calculators,
antibiotics
and escalators????😂

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Mar 7, 2012

Maria Robinson2 said:What about children suffering from various severe, incurable diseases—conditions they can't even begin to comprehend?
It isn't really a "blessing"—unless we're suggesting God also blesses every materialist who's too obsessed with their own physical world to see past the end of their nose?

Honestly, comparing physical disability or sickness to someone's greed for material wealth is just totally counterproductive.

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Mar 7, 2012

Arthur Grant8 said:They are truly blessed because they haven't been corrupted by twisted human ideologies!
They are eternal children, and that's why God loves them so much!

But wait, is being totally independent actually the blessing here?🤷

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Mar 7, 2012

Ronald Nelson2 said:A friend of my mother has a son on the spectrum. Honestly, I have so much respect for him. Why? Because he’s sharper than 90% of the people I know or have ever crossed paths with. I truly believe that if God withholds one thing, He provides something else in its place—you just have to be perceptive enough to see it.

The reality is that many folks on the spectrum struggle to navigate society on their own, and things usually work out fine as long as they have parents stepping up to look after them. As for being "smart," I don't think we should even get into a debate about it; they might struggle with daily independence, but they can possess incredible talents, just like anyone else.

When one big door slams shut, there's always a little vent left open for some air to get through...

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Mar 6, 2012

Richard Davis7 said:Technically speaking, we’re basically cousins—so it’s no surprise we share so many similarities. There's only about a 2% genetic difference separating us, after all. Of course, that gap isn't always obvious in everyone, which might be why it seems a bit confusing at times.

Oh, absolutely! But some people just refuse to face the music. It’s a terrifying thought for them, isn't it? Their pride won't let them admit they're actually a little closer to primates than their ego would ever allow.

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Mar 6, 2012

Arthur Grant8 said:We believers have both knowledge and the gift of faith, whereas you non-believers just have Reddit where you can pretend to be smart. I emphasize—*pretend*.😂🤣 😁
Reagan may be gone, but Ahmadinejad and Netanyahu are very much alive and kicking!☕

It’s pure arrogance to claim you possess true knowledge. Honestly, nobody can truly "have" knowledge because it's just too vast for our tiny minds to grasp, isn't it? It stretches far beyond the limits of what we can process... it belongs solely to the one you call God.

So, really, you’re just lying to yourself and everyone else on this forum while you play missionary and pose as an intellectual despite being totally clueless.
The way you act only gives believers a bad name, making them look stuck in their own ego. Honestly, believers should probably just give you the cold shoulder entirely; you're doing more harm than good at this point.

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Mar 6, 2012

hiddenbear3 said:Knowledge is scattered in tiny fragments, much like how the entire universe is dispersed across countless infinitesimal particles..
It’s honestly quite unrealistic to expect anyone to be presented with a complete, seamless package of all information at once.

Spot on.

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Mar 6, 2012

Arthur Grant8;38392219 said:
Of course God shares His knowledge!

But He hasn't seen fit to grant any to you or your little followers. You lot just have the gift of faith.

The world is teetering on the edge of nuclear war specifically because of how people misuse the knowledge they gain.

You’re still living in the Reagan era, my friend! Watch out, or the FBI might come knocking, and I'm pretty sure the CIA is breathing down your neck already.😂

Even if Bonnie & Clyde were putting on a concert in New York City...😁

A Dangerous Method in Movies · Mar 2, 2012

I finally sat down and watched it... and honestly, it lived up to the hype for me.
Visually, it’s absolutely stunning, but if you don't know anything about—or frankly, don't care about—how Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gave birth to psychoanalysis, you might find all that imagery pretty hollow and boring. The movie keeps certain things tucked away or just barely hints at them, so it really asks a lot of its audience. You actually have to put in some mental heavy lifting, which means it definitely won't click with everyone.
Keira Knightley looks so incredibly thin here—I swear she's barely 90 pounds based on that synopsis!—and there were moments where her acting felt a bit forced. As for Viggo Mortensen, I found him a little unconvincing, which made him kind of off-putting to watch at times.
If you're fascinated by the whole doctor-patient dynamic or the teacher-student relationship, then I'd say go for it.
Otherwise, for the rest of us, this might just feel like a tedious, soul-crushing slog.

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Feb 28, 2012

I think Morgan Brown5 was trying to say something there, but it just cut off! It’s like when you’re halfway through telling a great story at a backyard BBQ—you know that feeling?—and someone suddenly interrupts you before you can get to the punchline. Just a single letter hanging there in the void. I'm sitting here with my coffee, wondering if they hit "send" too early or if their internet decided to take a sudden vacation. Hopefully, they'll come back and finish that thought soon!

I’ve only ever heard about one all-encompassing Creator who is pure love, but as for a second one? Honestly, I haven't a clue!

Maybe...

I hear where you're coming from, I really do! But if I could just jump in for a second and add a little something to that thought—let’s look at this through the lens of how human civilization actually evolves, rather than just following the lead of some local preacher. When we receive help from the Creator, it comes from a divine source in a purely divine way. It isn't something our limited, fragile little minds can fully wrap themselves around, no matter how hard we try to interpret it. People have this deep-seated need to make sense of things, of course, but that often leads to them twisting the original wisdom. They take what those who truly understood the truth were trying to pass down and end up distorting it over time. It happens all the time! We try to force the infinite into these tiny, human-sized boxes, and that's where the message gets lost.

It’s just not possible for us to play any differently! We don't have the right tools, and honestly, we haven't even mastered all the rules of the game yet. It's like trying to walk onto a stage at Madison Square Garden without knowing a single note of the sheet music—you're just going to stumble!

People like that? They’re incredibly rare. Honestly, they’re almost one of a kind! It’s their specific calling, you know? I truly believe that real help is divine in nature. It’s all about the higher plane—focusing on those grander goals rather than our tiny little whims. I was thinking about this the other day while grabbing coffee, and it hit me: these beings actually know what we need much better than we know ourselves! Our own input doesn't really move the needle much. It either aligns with the cosmic blueprint, or the connection just doesn't happen at all. It’s all pre-ordained, really. These specific incarnations are already set in motion to handle these tasks, ensuring everything unfolds with absolute perfection. It's quite beautiful when you think about it!

When you have people like that running the show, they inevitably build an organization around themselves. And honestly? That’s where the real trouble starts. It turns into this self-serving loop where the system exists just to sustain itself, rather than actually doing what it was built to do. I saw this happen once at a local non-profit back in Chicago—once the bureaucracy took over, the actual mission just kind of evaporated. It becomes all about the structure, not the purpose!

Why doesn't God share His knowledge? in Religion · Feb 26, 2012

Varanasi;38267339 said:

Let’s say a person sets these absolutely wild goals—who else would? If they’re truly pushing the boundaries of what we consider possible, if they fly in the face of everything we think we know, and if there’s actual progress happening toward them, then it doesn't really matter if they claim a "higher power" is behind it all. Even if they don't make the claim, history is full of scientific breakthroughs that seemed totally impossible at the time. They happened!

It's just basic psychology: if you believe you can, you can!

But look, we are talking about goals here that are so insane they defy what most people call "common sense." And yet, they produce results. That suggests most people haven't a clue what they're talking about or how to draw a real conclusion because they simply don't understand the mechanics. So, I can take it on faith that there is indeed a "higher power" acting as the direct, unavoidable source behind these phenomena. Or better yet, if I can actually wrap my head around the principles of how this works, then it stops being a matter of faith altogether.

So basically, we're all in a bit of a mess because we're so desperate for answers that we'll jump at any story involving a higher power.

I’d argue that a person isn't actually the one driving these goals, nor are they the ultimate measure of things—even if they don't realize it. They aren't even directly responsible for the results. They act more like a medium; the results are undeniable and inevitable, even if it takes a while for us to figure out why they happened.

I think you missed the mark there. If you look at the heart of the matter, it always comes back to the individual. When something is received from a divine source, it's filtered through the recipient's own perception, not according to some perfect divine standard.

Can we really trust someone who sets these impossible goals and then claims they aren't the ones setting them, especially when the results show up steadily over many years?

What results are we even talking about here...?🤷

Well, that depends on which of the seventeen types of sound logic we decide to use.

Staring at the stars is often just a byproduct of being illogical. Our minds get hung up not just on what is true, but on what *should* be true, or things that contain a tiny sliver of truth but miss the whole picture entirely...