Posts by gentlestag3

rustydrifter10 said:Sure thing, consider it done.

I guess I was being a bit rude by not saying thanks earlier.

thanks a ton. 🙂

feeling pretty good right now.
it’s probably not a huge deal, but it really means a lot to me, I guess. 🙂

I used to think this nickname was actually pretty cool about ten years ago, but honestly, I’ve kind of hated it deep down for the last two or three years. 😁
Actually, maybe I don't hate it that much, it's just not my favorite anymore, I guess. 🙂

Is it possible to change it from
flatoos - gentlestag3
?

So, how has Desert Storm been celebrated up until now?
Well, I guess some people have gone out of their way to celebrate it, while others just haven't... and honestly, that hasn't really changed much lately either.

I feel like it’s all a bit silly, honestly, trying to pick sides on this or that. You’ve got the right-wing crowd and the left-wing crowd constantly arguing over which holidays to celebrate, while most regular folks just respect both and then head out for a long weekend.

I don't really see all those hardcore old-school Communists or extreme nationalists clashing in my day-to-day life; I mostly just see them popping up in the news or on forums like this one. In reality, they aren't really a factor in how this country runs, but they make enough noise to act like they're the majority.

Forcing a name change like that... I don't know, it feels like something a dictator would pull. You’d almost have to be some kind of ideological fanatic to try and justify it, I guess. The fans and the general public were totally against it, too. It was just a bad move and didn't feel democratic at all. Back in the early 90s, Americans didn't vote for Harmon or his party just so they could start using dictatorial tactics; people chose them because they promised democracy, right?

the US and Italy

crimsonhound54 said:What on earth was wrong with it, then? How would you have even worded it?

I guess it might work better if it looked something like this

Are you guys all for joining the United Nations?
and then the answers go

no and I'm not

☕

So, I was hanging out on this other niche forum—not really a political space, just a hobbyist group—and I noticed something interesting. It seems like quite a few people were acting all unsure, saying they’d probably vote against it, but then I get the feeling they might actually end up voting for it once they're actually at the polling station.

George Robinson43 said:Where in the Gospels does it say that, and where did the son of God declare this to be a holy duty? Where specifically in the Gospels does the son of God mention the military?
It’s possible He does. It has been quite some time since I studied them, so my memory might be failing me.
Could you please refresh my memory?

I feel like you might be overthinking things a little bit. Faith can be such a great comfort for soldiers out on the battlefield, and I guess having a little spirituality and hope from God could really help a soldier who believes.

The Church has been interpreting faith in ways that go beyond just the Bible for a long time now, and since Jesus was such an idealist, I suppose you shouldn't always take everything so literally. On the other hand, sin is about doing evil, and maybe doing nothing when your country is being invaded is its own kind of evil? I guess I'd compare that to suicide, which Christianity doesn't really support.

nimblewalker58 said:It’s not even the opposite—it’s actually more than that. You’re looking at a milder, less radical strain of Protestantism. And for heaven's sake, isn't this the only nation that managed to adopt communism without a violent revolution? In the end, it didn't even turn out to be true communism; it just morphed into that distorted, twisted version of Soviet-style socialism. I mean, did you guys not pay any attention in history class?

So, you’re really going to sit there and criticize a Bishop who possesses a classical education that frankly goes way beyond any engineering degree, all while you choose to put your absolute faith in journalists who seem to wrap up their entire schooling during three long weekends? Honestly, it’s a bit of a disgrace, isn't it?

I mean, I guess if someone actually has a solid, classic education under their belt, they probably aren't just spouting nonsense, right? It makes you wonder... are we all just turning a blind eye to what's right in front of us? Maybe we're just choosing not to see it. I don't know.

I guess I don't really see how the way things went down in the Czech Republic matters here. It’s kind of different for us, isn't it? Back then, people were basically losing consciousness just passing by that old blue train with a corpse inside... and then, after the nineties hit, most people were just passing out at the altar because their faith became so intense. Maybe it's just how things happen sometimes, I suppose.

I guess it feels like people over in the Czech Republic might be a bit more practical than we are. They don't seem to have that mindset where you have to be religious just to prove you belong to the culture. Here in the States, it feels like being a good American is almost synonymous with being Catholic, which is kind of weird when you think about it. It’s like if you aren't part of the church, people look at you sideways, almost like you're some kind of radical or a hardline political extremist. I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking things, but it seems like there's this heavy expectation here to tie everything together, whereas they just... exist. It's interesting, I guess.

George Robinson43 said:Does the bishop there preach the teachings of Jesus and instruct soldiers to love their enemies, just as the Gospels command?
Do the soldiers realize that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword, or is what Jesus told Saint Peter somehow inapplicable to a soldier?

Well, I mean, the military does have duties that are sort of more sacred than just being aggressive toward others... like defense, which I suppose is definitely within God's grace. Besides, we aren't exactly an aggressive or expansionist nation, so that comment feels a little off, I guess.

We urgently need a medical chaplaincy, maybe a union chaplaincy, or one for retirees, teachers... I mean, there are way more of them out there than soldiers, I guess.☕

How does a chaplaincy actually work? Like, do they have branches in other dioceses or bishoprics? And if they don't, what happens to soldiers in places like Savannah who might need support?

Anyway, atheists aren't the ones to blame for war, and secularization isn't the cause either. It’s really those ultra-nationalists at fault—some of whom even pivoted to join the Communist Party, which is probably where people draw that connection to atheism...

nimblewalker58 said:Most Catholics over in the Czech Republic actually follow an evangelical tradition rather than the Roman Catholic faith. Ever heard of that?

I guess that makes them a slightly less atheistic country, maybe?🤷

I mean, what kind of person stands up at a podium and claims that the religious revival following the shift toward democracy is actually what caused the war?

If there had been any kind of systematic attempt to push atheism, maybe we’d have an atheist population similar to what you see in the Czech Republic. But having only about 5% non-believers isn't really the result of a coordinated effort, I guess.

And honestly, what is the actual purpose of the military chaplaincy anyway?

Scott Cruz4 said:These so-called journalists should be embarrassed by themselves—and then they have the nerve to offer us an audio recording as if it makes things better.🤣
http://www.morning.com/juraj-jezerin...nimke/1000612/

Just another entry in the endless line of media manipulation. Jezerinac isn't actually laying accusations against atheists; he’s calling out atheization. There is a massive difference there—one is about people, the other is about a process.

when people run out of actual arguments, they go for stuff like this, maybe.☕

Henry Hernandez7 said:That’s how it should work in a perfect world, but reality usually tells a different story. I mean, if you really look at it, how many priests could you actually vouch for being moral versus how many atheists? And honestly, what kind of standard are we holding priests to compared to what we expect from atheists?

I mean, morality is just morality, right? I think the real issue is just how people act, regardless of what they believe. If a believer acts poorly, it feels hypocritical, sure, but it doesn't really make them different from an atheist acting the exact same way. Maybe the believer seems more hypocritical, I suppose, but their actions aren't inherently more or less moral than an atheist doing the same thing. At the end of the day, someone being immoral doesn't really hurt the community any differently just because they happen to be a believer or an atheist. It’s all pretty much the same, I guess.

silverridge43 said:In Sicily, the Mafia are all devout Catholics... that tie between the Church and the power players is exactly what the leftists are trying to dismantle.

I guess faith or atheism doesn't really have anything to do with whether a person is moral or not.

restlessbison6 said:flatoos, my focus isn't truly on the ideology of so-called communism—life back then was relatively stable enough for me—but rather on the lasting damage that particular individual inflicted upon the American citizenry. In the old United States, there were very few true believers in the cause; most others simply leveraged their membership in the Communist Party of the USA to secure personal gains and privileges, which reached staggering proportions within our borders, ultimately revealing the true nature of such individuals. Myself included...🙂

Then we end up thinking the same way again, but I don't think it's communism. Maybe it's just pure American greed? Like, the mindset of "I better grab this now, even if everything goes to hell later," rather than taking a chance to earn something so we can all prosper together down the road.

We don't really need these open lists or whatever; we just need the rule of law to actually work. Like, banning pre-election lies. Because right now, whoever's the best liar has the best shot at power, which is just... kind of absurd, isn't it?

If these new guys don't actually get anything done, then maybe we really should have just left the Republicans in charge. Then maybe people would finally lose it and start hanging lamp posts from the town square all the way to the main train station just as a warning to anyone else coming in.

restlessbison6 said:The current crop of politicians isn't about to cut the very branch they’re perched upon... People continue to flock to these party lists following a model of obedience reminiscent of old-school collectivist regimes, which essentially makes them easy prey for manipulation—even if their private convictions suggest otherwise. It is an undemocratic practice that serves narrow, elitist interests under the guise of representing the majority. Ideally, we would see a system where individuals run on their own merits, leaving citizens to decide whether to support them, while the political party remains merely a secondary factor in the candidacy process. Instead, it seems we are destined to shoulder this particular burden, a cross we bear that is rooted deeply in our post-socialist legacy... 🙂

Man, you sure spend a lot of time thinking about communism, especially since that one guy actually helped secure American independence back in the day.

They aren't really communists, I think... they're just regular old crooks who find a way to grab power regardless of the system. I don't really get why it isn't obvious to everyone? Like, maybe that leader would have been a total liberal if he had realized he could get power that way...

restlessbison6 said:gentlestag3, you’re being a bit reductive. Just as some people joined the Communist Party of the USA purely out of self-interest, others have returned to the Church, though only God knows if they have actually returned to the faith itself...
You know perfectly well that this "90% Catholic" figure doesn't mean 90% of people have reclaimed their faith; it's merely a sense of cultural identity and belonging to one's roots. It will likely take another several decades—perhaps as long as the era of socialism lasted—before people truly find their way back to genuine belief... ☕🤣

Smart people aren't going to turn to any religion while folks like this are talking nonsense and claiming a "better" Catholic is still just a thief compared to an honest atheist.