The Philosophy Discussion Forum

puto wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2026 9:33 am Gary, you definitely had unsubstantiated opinions.

We all do. Get used to it.

Gary, no I do not have to get used to unsubstantiated opinions. You just quantified every person as being unsubstantiated opinions that was not a true proposition.

puto wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2026 12:26 pm Gary, no I do not have to get used to unsubstantiated opinions. You just quantified every person as being unsubstantiated opinions that was not a true proposition.

I did not "qualify every person as being unsubstantiated opinions". Did you perhaps mean to say I just qualified every person as HAVING unsubstantiated opinions? And if so, do you think you have no unsubstantiated opinions? All your opinions are substantiated such as your opinion that Vietnam was a "conflict" and not a "war"? And if so, what "substantiates" your opinion that Vietnam was a "conflict" and not a "war"?

the Vietnam conflict, exactly like these love taps delivered by Trump, was never declared a war by congress

-Imp

Impenitent wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2026 4:52 pm the Vietnam conflict, exactly like these love taps delivered by Trump, was never declared a war by congress

-Imp

So I guess as long as Congress doesn't declare "war", then no "war" exists and the President can pretty much attack any nation he wants for whatever reason he wants for at least 60 days. Good to know we live in a belligerent dictatorship. I guess I'll have to adjust my expectations accordingly. Apparently, Cuba may be next on Trump's radar.

first the Islamic terrorists
second the Marxist terrorists

pray he doesn't decide to get rid of all of the Marxist terrorists

oh I forgot, Marxists don't bother with the opiate of the masses

-Imp

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2026 6:26 pm

Walker wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2026 5:18 pm Gary, you take public dumps on Christianity.

What's wrong with that? Christianity is a farce of a religion. It's aderents are mostly either imbeciles or else the ones who take advantage of the imbeciles and lead the imbeciles around like donkeys.

But you're not like that, are you.

Question to AI:
What is the most persecuted religion?

Answer:
Christianity is widely reported as the most persecuted religion in the world, with nearly 400 million believers facing persecution or violence globally.

AI continued: Scope of Persecution
According to Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026, over 388 million Christians experience high levels of persecution and discrimination, with more than 315 million facing very high or extreme persecution in the top 50 countries alone opendoors.org. The Holy See reports that almost 5,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2025, averaging 13 deaths per day, alongside widespread violence, forced exile, property expropriation, and imprisonment www.vaticannews.va. These figures highlight that one in seven Christians worldwide is affected by persecution.

Walker wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2026 9:18 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2026 6:26 pm

Walker wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2026 5:18 pm Gary, you take public dumps on Christianity.

What's wrong with that? Christianity is a farce of a religion. It's aderents are mostly either imbeciles or else the ones who take advantage of the imbeciles and lead the imbeciles around like donkeys.

But you're not like that, are you.

Question to AI:
What is the most persecuted religion?

Answer:
Christianity is widely reported as the most persecuted religion in the world, with nearly 400 million believers facing persecution or violence globally.

AI continued: Scope of Persecution
According to Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026, over 388 million Christians experience high levels of persecution and discrimination, with more than 315 million facing very high or extreme persecution in the top 50 countries alone opendoors.org. The Holy See reports that almost 5,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2025, averaging 13 deaths per day, alongside widespread violence, forced exile, property expropriation, and imprisonment www.vaticannews.va. These figures highlight that one in seven Christians worldwide is affected by persecution.

Christians believe in a benevolent God, and yet they are the most persecuted people in the world. Apparently, Christians aren't a particularly bright set of people. But if they want to believe in a benevolent God, then, by all means, they can be as delusional as they want. Basically, it can suck to be almost anyone in this world, not just Christians. How many "persecuted" Christians in the US support Trump's unprovoked attacks on Iran? Seems like many Christians back a fair amount of violence against others themselves.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2026 11:01 pmChristians believe in a benevolent God, and yet they are the most persecuted people in the world. Apparently, Christians aren't a particularly bright set of people. But if they want to believe in a benevolent God, then, by all means, they can be as delusional as they want. Basically, it can suck to be almost anyone in this world, not just Christians. How many "persecuted" Christians in the US support Trump's unprovoked attacks on Iran? Seems like many Christians back a fair amount of violence against others themselves.

You're saying that people who persecute Christians are doing so upon God's command, and are puppets of God enacting God's will?

Interesting. You're not responsible for anything, are you.
I can understand. It's a form of being out of control.

Why do persecuted Christians in the US support Trump's response to Iranian provocation that has proceeded on the strategy of death by a thousand cuts to be followed by a nuke?

Why do you persecute Christians with your thoughts?

This is your corner, Gary. You must answer.
The property of your own corner has responsibilities.

Walker wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2026 12:21 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2026 11:01 pmChristians believe in a benevolent God, and yet they are the most persecuted people in the world. Apparently, Christians aren't a particularly bright set of people. But if they want to believe in a benevolent God, then, by all means, they can be as delusional as they want. Basically, it can suck to be almost anyone in this world, not just Christians. How many "persecuted" Christians in the US support Trump's unprovoked attacks on Iran? Seems like many Christians back a fair amount of violence against others themselves.

You're saying that people who persecute Christians are doing so upon God's command, and are puppets of God enacting God's will?

Interesting. You're not responsible for anything, are you.
I can understand. It's a form of being out of control.

Why do persecuted Christians in the US support Trump's response to Iranian provocation that has proceeded on the strategy of death by a thousand cuts to be followed by a nuke?

Why do you persecute Christians with your thoughts?

This is your corner, Gary. You must answer.
The property of your own corner has responsibilities.

If the only cure to Iran's threat is to bomb them BEFORE they bomb us, and a peaceful solution is not possible, doesn't that give you a sense of deep pessimism toward the hopes of peace in this world? Where is God in all this? God needs the US to bomb Iran for him? Assuming that Christians are brilliantly right and there is a benevolent God, why can't God send a clear message to the Imams to stop what they are doing? Or maybe God isn't doing anything because we're more paranoid about Iran getting a nuke than is realistic or warranted. Is that possible? Do we know the Iranians will use a nuke against us if they develop one? Don't you think maybe Iranians fear the same sort of thing from the US, which is motivating them to acquire nuclear weapons to keep us from bullying them?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2026 1:29 am

The Iranian govt. says, Death to the Great Satan. They say it as ... The Reason to Be.
You represent the Great Satan to the Iranian government, no matter your thoughts.
It’s as important to conceptually separate the Iranian govt. from the people under the boot, as it is to conceptually separate radical Leftists from the American people they affect.

It’s not a question of whether or not peace exists.
There has always been peace.
There always will be peace.
Peace is the pause in relationship conflict, however,

There has always been conflict, and there always will be.

The only question is, how long does the pause last?
This fact about human nature applies to thoughts, people relationships, and nation relationships.

This is why trade and capitalism is also part of human nature.
It's a way to suspend conflict for mutual benefit.
Trade is the future for Iran, when its leaders move out of the middle ages.

You can experience peace right now, for the duration of your pause from conflict.

*

Some Mother's Day Dada:

Question: Where does pause happen?
Answer: Way down yonder in the ...
Why: Because when paws pause ...

I have my disagreements with Noam Chomsky's politics. As much as I've read and listened to Chomsky's writings and lectures, I have always felt that he takes his criticisms too far to some degree and always ends up not just a neutral observer but actively on the side of the other team. But it's difficult to argue with him. He takes the side of the world's oppressed, and the oppressed always seem right to resist oppression. And the oppressors are always wrong to oppress. I mean, who can conscionably side with exploitation and totalitarianism? And there really are a lot of those things in the world. So I ultimately find myself unable to criticise Noam Chomsky. But there are times when I understand the frustration some people have with him.

If I were passionately interested in being a politician, I wonder how far I would get if I made it my campaign slogan that "Good people don't like me"?

I should give up. The world is hopeless for most of us living in it. I'm not as bad off as probably 90% of the people on Earth, but maybe instead of feeling shame over being "privileged", I should just be happy and mind my own business. I should stop posting complaints on the forum about injustices happening to others and just sit quietly and let people who don't want to hear my complaints enjoy the quiet time. No one wants me rattling their cage. Maybe I should tend to my own cage.

Socrates was put to death for seeking to know the truth about his society. Which is more important for me, to know the truth or to live? I fear death. I'm terrified of death. But I'm seeing the truth, and it's not pretty to me. It's horrible, ugly, and contorted. How can there be a God in this world? Why does God let all the suffering and destruction happen?

It is true that I must die at some point. Should I not, therefore, wish for as painless a death as possible? And which is more painful, being left in the world to play the lottery with medical afflictions and hope that I don't get some horrible, painful disease to suffer unto death, or should I just push for truth until my own society decides to kill the messenger and put me to death in some humane way? Or worse, what if society decides to torture me to death? That would be very painful and horrific also.