Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

brightpilot6 said:Any kind of political endorsement, especially when delivered from the pulpit, feels cheap and utterly beneath the office, doesn't it? It essentially exploits the perceived divine mission of a priest in a small town like Mrduša donji to force a specific viewpoint on people—people whom such figures often hold sway over—regarding our messy daily political landscape. And if these messages were actually aimed at the public good, perhaps it would be different, but they aren't; most of the time, they just serve to nudge voters toward the Republican Party, the ultimate undertaker of this nation, or one of its loyal satellites.

To me, it feels like a deception at the lowest possible level, the absolute gutter of populism.

In a private conversation, I have nothing against a priest saying whatever he pleases. I don't even mind them doing it from the pulpit, provided we are all honest about how we perceive them afterward.

Okay, so now you're saying *any* stance, but I’m not sure you’d put it quite like that if the sermons were just campaigning for the Democratic Party. That's just my take.

I don't know; I've honestly never heard anyone suggest who to vote for during Mass. Around here, people act like services are literal political rallies, which isn't true—but then again, the people who don't attend seem convinced that's what happens, while the 99% of people who actually go rarely experience it. It's a bit of a strange dynamic.

Of course, since I’m criticizing Bandić and the Republican Party, I must automatically be a supporter of the Democratic Party by default. 🙏

Goodness, won't someone please organize my thoughts into something simple and clear just so I can get a moment of peace?

How can you claim that 99% of people attending Mass haven't experienced this? Are you just pulling that number out of thin air? I have experienced it, as has my entire parish—and we are a large congregation. We likely make up that remaining 1% who actually have. I’ve seen it myself—not just during Mass, but at public rallies too, where things feel even more aggressive along our coast. The Church steps into the public eye and provides very specific instructions on who to vote for. But then again, you’ve never heard a word about it, have you?

The church is pushing people to vote, and they're doing it pretty hard. I know plenty of priests who aren't on board with it—they're not happy about it—but what can they really do? Not much, I guess.

Religious doctrine isn't supposed to dictate whether I lean toward the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. That's just not what faith is about.

I also don't get why everyone assumes any believer must be tied to the Republican Party, or that anyone without faith automatically sides with the Democratic Party.🤷

Look, I am a believer, but honestly, I’d vote for whoever had a legitimate plan to pull us out of this mess.

Yeah, I’d also add that the church seems to be drifting further from God, focusing more and more on other things instead.

It’s basically a state within a state.

Imagine if this whole "freedom of expression" logic actually applied to everything in life. You walk into a clinic for a checkup, and while the doctor is checking your vitals and blood pressure, they suddenly pivot to telling you why you absolutely have to vote for the Republican Party. You stop by a convenience store, and the cashier looks you dead in the eye and insists you should support Bandić. You hop on a bus, and the driver starts broadcasting their unsolicited political takes over the intercom. Or better yet, a cop pulls you over, asks for your ID, and then sighs, "Honestly, only Plenković can save us now."

But hey, people are just sharing their opinions, right?

brightpilot6 said:Of course, since I’m criticizing Bandić and the Republican Party, I must automatically be a supporter of the Democratic Party by default. 🙏

Goodness, won't someone please organize my thoughts into something simple and clear just so I can get a moment of peace?

How can you claim that 99% of people attending Mass haven't experienced this? Are you just pulling that number out of thin air? I have experienced it, as has my entire parish—and we are a large congregation. We likely make up that remaining 1% who actually have. I’ve seen it myself—not just during Mass, but at public rallies too, where things feel even more aggressive along our coast. The Church steps into the public eye and provides very specific instructions on who to vote for. But then again, you’ve never heard a word about it, have you?

urbanhawk17 said:Yeah, I’d also add that the church seems to be drifting further from God, focusing more and more on other things instead.

It’s basically a state within a state.

Typical Communist. ☕

ruggedjackal46 said:Imagine if this whole "freedom of expression" logic actually applied to everything in life. You walk into a clinic for a checkup, and while the doctor is checking your vitals and blood pressure, they suddenly pivot to telling you why you absolutely have to vote for the Republican Party. You stop by a convenience store, and the cashier looks you dead in the eye and insists you should support Bandić. You hop on a bus, and the driver starts broadcasting their unsolicited political takes over the intercom. Or better yet, a cop pulls you over, asks for your ID, and then sighs, "Honestly, only Plenković can save us now."

But hey, people are just sharing their opinions, right?

or, I don't know, if they told you "only a bus shelter can save us"🤷

urbanhawk17 said:or, I don't know, if they told you "only a bus shelter can save us"🤷

Infrastructure, my friend, infrastructure!

It’s honestly wild how we spend all our energy obsessing over some paramilitary monument or whatever else is trending on Reddit—not that I’ve been following closely, because frankly, I couldn't care less—while everyone gets worked up about emergency press conferences or laughing at what some politician did on a trip to New Zealand. We joke about local scandals and celebrity nonsense, yet meanwhile, our power goes out and nobody gives a damn. Just two quick news clips and then it's gone. The wolves really ate the sheep on this one.

It’s basically just a race to the bottom anyway

urbanhawk17 said:It’s honestly wild how we spend all our energy obsessing over some paramilitary monument or whatever else is trending on Reddit—not that I’ve been following closely, because frankly, I couldn't care less—while everyone gets worked up about emergency press conferences or laughing at what some politician did on a trip to New Zealand. We joke about local scandals and celebrity nonsense, yet meanwhile, our power goes out and nobody gives a damn. Just two quick news clips and then it's gone. The wolves really ate the sheep on this one.

The public is so caught up in statism that they've lost sight of the big picture; at this rate, we might as well start taxing the very air we breathe and the simple act of existing! ☕

Why all the whining about taxes when every single attempt to privatize industries or trim the fat from bloated government bureaucracies is met with such massive, coordinated outrage? 🤷

urbanhawk17 said:It’s honestly wild how we spend all our energy obsessing over some paramilitary monument or whatever else is trending on Reddit—not that I’ve been following closely, because frankly, I couldn't care less—while everyone gets worked up about emergency press conferences or laughing at what some politician did on a trip to New Zealand. We joke about local scandals and celebrity nonsense, yet meanwhile, our power goes out and nobody gives a damn. Just two quick news clips and then it's gone. The wolves really ate the sheep on this one.

I don't see the issue. This tax money will go toward good causes, for sure—hospitals, student aid, preschools, schools... hey, let 'em tax us, the more the better 👍 and if nothing else, it'll fund renewable energy initiatives. That's a win, right? Don't you love this country, man? 😲 🤣

Every time my paycheck hits and I see those deductions, I get this massive urge to just go buy an automatic weapon and hit the reset button on everything. But then I chill out. If it doesn't hurt anyone else, why should I stress about it? 😁

brightpilot6 said:Don't get worked up; if a person truly believes everything they’re preaching, they almost certainly lack genuine intelligence or a high level of education, regardless of how much money they have or what degrees are hanging on their wall. Or perhaps they were once brilliant, but now they're suffering from such profound self-deception that one has to start questioning their actual mental state.

And honestly, this isn't even about a clash of values—you seem to constantly spiral back to that argument. Someone can be a conservative or a liberal, economically left-wing or right-wing, a nationalist or not, a believer or an atheist; those value systems themselves have nothing to do with raw intelligence, and nobody here is claiming otherwise.

On the flip side, if someone consistently casts their vote for figures like Bandić or the Republican Party—political creatures who possess no moral compass beyond the contents of their own pockets—or if they short-sightedly support policies that benefit them today while ensuring their own children suffer tomorrow, then there's a problem. Alternatively, they might just be foolish enough to swallow that populism without gaining anything from it at all. In my view, both groups are equally dim-witted, though the second category lacks the inherent corruption found in the first—even if, for most Americans, that first group is simply seen as "successful" people who figured out how to "make it."

Look, there's no way for me to convince you of this—believe me or don't, it's up to you. Though, if you really need proof, I'm actually willing to introduce you to him.

Yeah, the guy is highly educated, sharp, and well-read. You’d probably get along famously with him—we’d be perfectly aligned on the Republican Party, the KC, Markić, and all that related nonsense.

He's actually quite a pleasure to talk to because he knows a little bit about everything—Germany and its upcoming elections, Nimčovič's defense, immigration issues, Perelman and Poincaré's economic cycles, Caravaggio's brushwork and his apples, history... He possesses an immense amount of knowledge (except for sports, as far as I can tell) and holds some incredibly smart positions. But the moment the conversation shifts toward the Democratic Party or Josip Broz Marshall, it’s like he switches to a completely different level of consciousness.

And because of that, I can't bring myself to write a single negative word about him. He has these core convictions that he clings to, refusing to let anyone drift away from them during a debate. I actually respect that.

brightpilot6 said:Of course, since I’m criticizing Bandić and the Republican Party, I must automatically be a supporter of the Democratic Party by default. 🙏

Goodness, won't someone please organize my thoughts into something simple and clear just so I can get a moment of peace?

How can you claim that 99% of people attending Mass haven't experienced this? Are you just pulling that number out of thin air? I have experienced it, as has my entire parish—and we are a large congregation. We likely make up that remaining 1% who actually have. I’ve seen it myself—not just during Mass, but at public rallies too, where things feel even more aggressive along our coast. The Church steps into the public eye and provides very specific instructions on who to vote for. But then again, you’ve never heard a word about it, have you?

Look, if we're going to argue, let's not be rude about it. I didn't actually say that—as you can see, I only mentioned that I have the impression the reaction would be different if the pressure were coming from the other side. That doesn't necessarily mean I wrote that you're for the Democratic Party, though I'm sure you know that perfectly well. It just seems like a convenient way for you to troll and do practically the exact same thing you're accusing me of.

brightpilot6 said:Of course, since I’m criticizing Bandić and the Republican Party, I must automatically be a supporter of the Democratic Party by default. 🙏

Goodness, won't someone please organize my thoughts into something simple and clear just so I can get a moment of peace?

How can you claim that 99% of people attending Mass haven't experienced this? Are you just pulling that number out of thin air? I have experienced it, as has my entire parish—and we are a large congregation. We likely make up that remaining 1% who actually have. I’ve seen it myself—not just during Mass, but at public rallies too, where things feel even more aggressive along our coast. The Church steps into the public eye and provides very specific instructions on who to vote for. But then again, you’ve never heard a word about it, have you?

I haven't—honestly, I've never heard anyone say they've experienced that, regardless of who I've talked to. I've just noticed that it's the most common theory among people who don't even attend Mass, so I end up reading it on the political posts of clumsy types or Eminem types who are full of religious propaganda (without ever stepping foot in a church), or on sites like Index. Of course, it's all without a single shred of evidence in 2017, when with all this technology, you could record anything literally with one tap on a smartphone screen.

Look, I believe you personally, I really do. I don't necessarily believe everyone else. I actually respect your stance that this is bottom-of-the-barrel behavior, I just don't agree with it. I would consider it a problem if a priest spent 55 out of 60 minutes of Mass lecturing about communists and how to vote for the Republican Party, but if in a full 60-minute service he spends maybe a minute or two expressing his opinion on who the right option is—I don't find that controversial.

Justin James10 said:The public is so caught up in statism that they've lost sight of the big picture; at this rate, we might as well start taxing the very air we breathe and the simple act of existing! ☕

Why all the whining about taxes when every single attempt to privatize industries or trim the fat from bloated government bureaucracies is met with such massive, coordinated outrage? 🤷

Idiots, sheep, honestly... they don't get it—even the slow ones. ☕

Paul Chase95 said:Look, there's no way for me to convince you of this—believe me or don't, it's up to you. Though, if you really need proof, I'm actually willing to introduce you to him.

Yeah, the guy is highly educated, sharp, and well-read. You’d probably get along famously with him—we’d be perfectly aligned on the Republican Party, the KC, Markić, and all that related nonsense.

He's actually quite a pleasure to talk to because he knows a little bit about everything—Germany and its upcoming elections, Nimčovič's defense, immigration issues, Perelman and Poincaré's economic cycles, Caravaggio's brushwork and his apples, history... He possesses an immense amount of knowledge (except for sports, as far as I can tell) and holds some incredibly smart positions. But the moment the conversation shifts toward the Democratic Party or Josip Broz Marshall, it’s like he switches to a completely different level of consciousness.

And because of that, I can't bring myself to write a single negative word about him. He has these core convictions that he clings to, refusing to let anyone drift away from them during a debate. I actually respect that.

So, you're the expert who gets to decide that he's knowledgeable in all those fields and holds such smart views? Well, good for you.

Nimčič's defense is totally overrated anyway

brightpilot6 said:So, you're the expert who gets to decide that he's knowledgeable in all those fields and holds such smart views? Well, good for you.

What can I even say to you at this point? You’ve always had this constant argumentative edge. And yeah, it’s me—who else would it be? I'm not exactly going to call my neighbor over to settle the debate. Look, honestly, I think a lot of your takes are actually pretty sharp and decent. Believe it or not, we probably only disagree on one or two specific things out of everything we’ve ever discussed on this forum—and since I love to mess with people (guilty as charged)—we end up bickering over those tiny slivers while ignoring the rest.

Take wine, for instance. I know absolutely nothing about it, so I have no way of judging if someone is well-read or an expert in that area. All I know is that there's red and there's white, and that's where my expertise ends.

Then there's the matter of that HOS monument. While I personally feel that having Zdeněk Zeman's name on it is totally inappropriate and should be removed, seeing you or Anthony Jackson2 comment on it might tempt me to troll a little and claim it's some old-school salute or whatever, just to be petty. 😁 In real life, though, I'd tell you straight: that greeting on the plaque is strictly there to provoke.

Just Scandinavian.

William Gomez5 said:Nimčič's defense is totally overrated anyway

Now that’s a brave statement. ☕

Is that you, Aloysius, or maybe Davorin? ☕

Actually, it's not Aloysius—he would never say something like that. ☕