Well said, species.

Quote: Original post by Promit

Quote: Original post by zedz
The god given right to bear arms

God given? How do people this stupid survive on a day to day basis, let alone code?

"Let my people go" said Moses, cocking his shotgun, pimp cane glittering in the sun.

Quote: Original post by MaulingMonkey

Quote: Original post by Promit

Quote: Original post by zedz
The god given right to bear arms

God given? How do people this stupid survive on a day to day basis, let alone code?

"Let my people go" said Moses, cocking his shotgun, pimp cane glittering in the sun.

Suppose the following:
pG is the probability that god exists.

pT is the average probability that god directly influences the contents of a given religious text;

nT is the number of such texts whereby the text states that god has given us the right to walk around with a uzi;

pGUNZ is the probability therefore that we have a god given right to walk around with an uzi.

pGUNZ = pG * pT * nT

Also, pD is the probability of a thread being derailed as soon as somebody mentions "the right to bear arms" and is around 0.95.

Quote: Original post by speciesUnknown
Suppose the following:
pG is the probability that god exists.

pT is the average probability that god directly influences the contents of a given religious text;

nT is the number of such texts whereby the text states that god has given us the right to walk around with a uzi;

pGUNZ is the probability therefore that we have a god given right to walk around with an uzi.

pGUNZ = pG * pT * nT

If you include the internet as "texts" then the probability is actually quite good that we have a god given right to walk around with an uzi...

Quote: Original post by Silvermyst
"Have you ever been a member of a communist party (No, but I think a truely free society is able to accept any beliefs) ...

They're still afraid of the communists?

Quote: Original post by Silvermyst
"Have you ever persecuted any person because of race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion?" (Not consciously, but I'm sure I have at times been guilty of it without even realizing it.)

Persecute is a strong word. It's not the same as unconscious prejudice. If you had ever persecuted someone, you would know it. Stuff you might have done as a child doesn't count.



I'm surprised how many people have responded by answering the question "under what conditions would you take up arms against the government" rather than the question asked in the op, "what item would the government have to ban in order for you to take up arms against the government".

On a bit more thought, I'm struck it's really only people in comfortable lives who have the time for these idle threats. In reality, we've seen time and time again that what really happens is people complain and talk big in private, then fold spinelessly when it's them individually who is being asked awkward questions or being given a beating.

You would not go to the street with your gun to parade your freedom as in Nazi Germany, North Korea, Iran, etc. You'd hide at home and bitch instead.

Quote: Original post by ukdeveloper

Quote: Original post by d000hgAlso, considering GD has such a global membership it always seems odd how American the discussions are.

Almost everything on the internet is automatically assumed to be American by default, and you invariably get meatheads who are so sure that the rest of the world is identical to the US because they're too stupid/lazy to know otherwise. Mostly found on low-grade forums with a collective IQ much lower than that of GDNet.

In a less abrasive way, that's kind of what I was getting at. Dysfunctional as we are, GD members are towards the high end of the educational and intelligence spectrums so it seems weird not that people like these debates, but that they are guilty of not looking outside the US. I always thought it was a stereotype applicable only to people called "Chuck" but it really seems even the educated are brainwashed to believe "America Best".

Quote: Original post by LessBread
Stuff you might have done as a child doesn't count.

Ahhh, phew! I can finally dig out of my backyards the 3 Albanians I beheaded when I was 6...the neighbours are starting to suspect something and I don't want them to get all pre-stardom Tom Hanks on me...

Quote: Original post by speciesUnknown
A country is a very complex thing; there is the physical land the country is on, there is the people within the country, there are the various cultures which exist there, there is the legally defined international entity. Which of these are you prepared to die for?

The government? Governments are often corrupt, and dont always represent their people very well, so are you prepared to die to prop up your current regime? What if a government you personally believe is better starts a coup? Will you defend your existing government, or the new one?

The land? Will you be prepared to die to defend a piece of land? What if you were offered another piece of land of equal value, somewhere else in the country?

The people? Will you die to defend people you barely know, just because they are associated with by country, the government, the land, their cultural similarity to yourself? If one of your countrymen and a foreign national were fighting to the death, would you step in and defend your countryman? What if it were your countryman and two foreign nationals?

The culture? Will you be prepared to die for the sake of some element of your culture? Suppose your government banned certain types of music? Or speaking in certain dialects?

People really need to start thinking about what they actually mean whey they say they would "Die for my country". Most people who say this are either lying, or are puppets for the current regime, or don't value their lives very much.

Everything you said is true. It is also true that immigrants who try to bypass all the things that aren't convenient for them and consume everything their own country cannot give to them are also what you drew in your last statement.

It's a complex thing indeed. At the very last, it's a personal choice.

Quote: Original post by MaulingMonkey

Quote: Original post by Promit

Quote: Original post by zedz
The god given right to bear arms

God given? How do people this stupid survive on a day to day basis, let alone code?

"Let my people go" said Moses, cocking his shotgun, pimp cane glittering in the sun.

I will admit that I haven't read the whole bible lately, but I'm fairly sure I would have remembered a line that went like "Thou shalt always carry a fully automatic firearm with armour piercing rounds, and none shall have right to take it from you."


Actually, thinking back on it, I can't recall all that much about carrying weapons in the New Testament, but I do recall many parts that go against actually using violence. I really should dig out a copy of the bible and read it cover to cover again. (And I'm betting it is something more actual Christians should do themselves.)