While We Wait: Boredom Strikes Back

[~Darkening~]

But maybe you're inventive enough to think me up? 'cause really, I get the feeling more often that I'm the one living in the mind, not you fool.

 

[Dachs]

Even if I were, why would I want to? I'm not the one who's having issues with his conception of reality.

 

[~Darkening~]

But maybe that's because you've dissociated yourself from reality, created me in your mind, and now you're projecting those same issues onto me as a means of coping.

 

[Ninja Dude]

Well, we'll never know until you die. If you do and we all blink out of existence, then you're imagining us. If you just die and nothing else happens, then it's obviously someone else in the forum imagining us. Rinse and repeat until we have our reality-warping man.

 

[Supermath]

If I am imagining everything, why can't I imagine a bunch of supermodels appearing in my room?

 

[Dachs]

You're doing it wrong.

 

[LittleBoots]

After three rounds, I declare Dachs the victor and award him 30 points. Next match: Thlayli vs. two updates.

 

[qoou]

@~Darkening~:

The thing is, what if this all really is in someone's imagination? Would anything about your life change if you knew?

I apply that same question to the question of whether or not God exists; can't help but laugh at people who get so involved in debates, trying to prove one side or another, when it the end it doesn't make the slightest difference if God is real or fictional.

 

[Oruc]

Real as in not a figment of someone's imagination.

What difference would it make?

 

[Communisto]

@~Darkening~:

The thing is, what if this all really is in someone's imagination? Would anything about your life change if you knew?

I apply that same question to the question of whether or not God exists; can't help but laugh at people who get so involved in debates, trying to prove one side or another, when it the end it doesn't make the slightest difference if God is real or fictional.

Some people base their whole lives and personalities around the former. When this belief is compromised it can throw their whole world upside down.

 

[skeptikalz!]

Some people base their whole lives and personalities around the former. When this belief is compromised it can throw their whole world upside down.

Agreed, views on morality, society, etc. would take a major hit.

-8 Stablity, in ABNW terms.

 

[qoou]

Some people base their whole lives and personalities around the former. When this belief is compromised it can throw their whole world upside down.

I don't see how you can base your life and personality around the existence or non-existence of a God. I just don't see how.

I mean, what can you base on God?

- Your morals? I like to think that people are more mature than to change such a significant aspect of themselves just because someone told them to, whether that someone is some random person off the street or God. I mean, if God decided to manifest himself to me (with burning pillars of fire and impressive *this-word-was-censored...-sigh-CFC-since-when-is-the-sh-word-a-bad-word?* in general), and told me that my morals needed to change, without giving me convincing evidence (which holy books tend not to do), I'd be damned if I'd change.

- The assurance of a nice after-life? Meh, I can understand this one, but really, it's a completely unnecessary motivator. If you need the assurance of an after-life to get through day by day, there's something wrong with you, or the way you're living. And if you absolutely cannot do without it, hell, just convince yourself of something like "If I act right I will go to heaven." or even "If I breath at least once every day I'm alive, I will go to heaven."

- ??? What else is there?

 

[skeptikalz!]

You have to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes for a while. You argue as if you are unable to do so; are you telling me that say, some peoples views on sex, and in turn on morality, are not influenced by religious belief/belief in higher powers? It's one of the more obvious examples. There's a real connection there, a substantial one.

 

[LittleBoots]

While internet arguments (and don't kid yourself, they always become either arguments or ignorant circle-jerks) about God are pretty much always enlightening, well-spoken affairs, participated in by the most knowledgeable, charitable, and educated people, we should try something random and not start one here. Its only tangential to the original question of whether ~Darkening~ is out his gorram mind (answer: yes), and the points made are already showing signs of ignorance.

EDIT: You can always take it to OT. Informative, well-reasoned religious debate abounds there...

 

[qoou]

You have to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes for a while. You argue as if you are unable to do so; are you telling me that say, some peoples views on sex, and in turn on morality, are not influenced by religious belief/belief in higher powers? It's one of the more obvious examples. There's a real connection there, a substantial one.

I'm arguing that it's silly and immature to do what someone (be that someone God or Hitler) tells you, just because they're telling you to do it (and not giving any reasoning why).

While internet arguments (and don't kid yourself, they always become either arguments or ignorant circle-jerks) about God are pretty much always enlightening, well-spoken affairs, participated in by the most knowledgeable, charitable, and educated people, we should try something random and not start one here. Its only tangential to the original question of whether ~Darkening~ is out his gorram mind (answer: yes), and the points made are already showing signs of ignorance.

But it's an argument about the necessity, not existence, of God . But ok... I'm done D:

 

[skeptikalz!]

Yeah, I'm done too. But I do agree with you qoou, on a certain level; there are just many, many factors to consider, ultimately.

And Darkening is having a trippy disconnect from the reality vibe.. I'll go out on a limb here but, did you smoke some good stuff last night?

 

[LittleBoots]

I'm arguing that it's silly and immature to do what someone (be that someone God or Hitler) tells you, just because they're telling you to do it (and not giving any reasoning why).

That would entirely depend on the character of the person telling and the situation in which they tell. It is neither silly nor immature for a child to refrain from touching a stove when his mother tells him not to, because he has reason to trust what his mother says and because of who his mother is (um, namely, his mother). Similarly, if a high school principal comes over the intercom and tells all students and teachers to file out of their rooms to a meeting point outside, there would be no reason not to listen to what the principal is saying. Or if a general orders a soldier to take a hill, or if a camp instructor orders a camper not to eat fruit found in the wilderness, etc, etc.

That said, I would be willing to take the discussion into PMs with you if you'd like.

But it's an argument about the necessity, not existence, of God . But ok... I'm done D:

I didn't say it was about existence, and my thoughts on it stand.

As for Darkening, clearly das thought all of us up.

 

[qoou]

@LittleBoots: /Do/ you want to continue this via PM? I'm somewhat indifferent.

And now for something completely different:

Have you NESers read Daniel Quinn's Ishmael? If so, what did you think of it? And do you know of anyone who has actually tried to act, tried to start fixing the problem Quinn talks about?

The reason I ask is that I was just talking to my sister, and by chance Ishmael came up. I expressed my opinion that it, unfortunately, was just not effective, since no one wants to try to change their lifestyle in such a major way. She then told me a handful of people she knows have decided to, something I'd previously not considered possible. (and she had to leave before she could further explain)

 

[Dachs]

There are some avowed neo-tribalists - not necessarily Ishmael fanboys, but part of the same ideological pastiche - on this very forum, in the OT section, many of whom are morally rather contemptible characters. Neo-tribalism is just another form of ridiculous historical romanticism, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[qoou]

There are some avowed neo-tribalists - not necessarily Ishmael fanboys, but part of the same ideological pastiche - on this very forum, in the OT section, many of whom are morally rather contemptible characters. Neo-tribalism is just another form of ridiculous historical romanticism, as far as I'm concerned.

Meh, I really don't think what Quinn's talking about has anything to do with neotribalism though. I really don't see the need for the concept of the "tribe". But yeah, unfortunately, many would disagree with me and go around being tribal and saying it's the only way to save the planet.

I also agree with the neo-tribalism just being silly romanticism.