Any serious Christians left?

I visit a casino about two times, each year. Have yet to witness anybody being ugly to anybody else there.

Oh, cool off, already. We're just having a conversation. It isn't like I'm all up in your face, or anything.

Well, yeah. . . of course I require proof. I would have thought that you'd already found your proof before you made up your mind to exercise your legal right to restrict other people's freedoms. I mean, that's a pretty heavy thing to do without even having any kind of evidence, don't you think?

I promise I am not seeking to remove your rights, neither am I questioning your right to vote any way you so choose. I have no issue with that, whatsoever. I am simply calling into question the reasoning that you use to form your opinions, your wants. (This is just a friendly chat, we're not in a court.)

I agree. That is, ultimately, subjective. But objectivity should (I hope) still play a major role in determining how one decides to vote. It is supposedly a serious matter, after all.

JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE, DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOUR VOTE IS RIGHT. (I'm sure you will agree.)

Now. . . You said you could find me some proof??

I enjoy the poker tables, 3 or 4 times a year.

AM wrote:
Perhaps you should reconsider that statement CI? I said it does AFFECT me but I said that the effect is subjective to my life. You, and others, of course, do not agree that some of these things affect your life and that is perfectly fine, but you have absolutely no authority, right, etc., to tell me if and how something affects my life. Just because it may not affect your life, that certainly in no way means it doesn't affect mine and vice versa.


By all means, please tell us how your vote to restrict other people's pursuit of happiness affects you - subjectively? B]

Lash wrote:

Arella Mae wrote:

Lash wrote:

Wrong. A fact is a fact. Either it does affect your life or it doesn't.

FACT: It affects my life.

If it does, there would be no argument. So, prove how it does and end the bullshit.

It affects my life. MY life. I don't know if it affects yours or not. I don't tell you how to believe and I don't tell you how to vote and that you would be wrong for your vote whatever that vote would be. Since we have opposing views on this, I highly doubt anything I would tell you about how it affects my life would be accepted. I have tried to explain this before and well, I'm sure we all know how that went over. I ended up being called all kinds of names just because I view things differently than you and others. I don't care to beat that horse anymore. And, I'm done with this subject also. I've explained myself over and over and to the best of my ability. If it is not good enough for you or anyone else, oh well.......................

Another Crime Issue Associated with Gambling is Street Crime. U.S. News and World Report did a comparison of crime rates in cities with gambling versus those that do not. The crime rates were significantly higher in the places that allowed gambling.18 Industry researchers dispute the view that cities with gambling have higher crime rates and assert that the rates aren't higher when the tourist population is considered.19 The article failed to consider that these cities are vacation destinations and their population is swollen by the influx of tourists.

http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/97/03/Chapt11.html

Okay, everyone has the right to make judgements upon others and vote their opinion of how that life oughta be conducted. Does that still hold true when the judgement is being made upon ourselves and our own life?

Does that also give us rights to pass laws that force others to conform to that majority's opinion? Do they still have that right when we're in the minority?

Why must there always be exceptions made for different segments of society? What happened to "All wo/men are created equal?" Is it not so because it is not written as such as a god's law in the bible?

And, what about the golden rule? That is in the bible. Does this apply to all humans, not merely to fellow believers.

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12, King James Version.

"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31, King James Version.

The gist of it all comes down to how you answer this: Do beliefs require action? Do actions require belief?

We better figure out how both ends of the spectrum can live together. This country is in a heap of trouble if that is how we are going to govern ourselves. We'll be stuck in a circular loop, constantly bickering over popular opinion and the laws required to force the minority to conform with the majority's rule and then changing that rule every month when a new flavor fad rolls into town.

Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure. On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be? - Squealer of Animal Farm

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.

Short version:

"I'm a liar who thinks writing several boring bullshit lines of lame dodging will make it seem like I didn't just lie my ass off. I have no proof. I just base everything I do on third hand bullshit from some backwards homophobe with a bad comb over. He just loves my Sweet Potato Souffle.

And, there is only one way to say "Jesus!!" I've known that since second grade."

Arella,

In order for our system of government to best serve all the people, discussions of this sort are very necessary. We all gain from hearing each other out and learning about the reasons for each other's concerns and convictions. The more unsympathetic we are to the needs of our fellow citizens, the more our country will suffer for it.

I can't believe you feel as though your rights are threatened just because someone who holds a different view wants to better understand your own. That doesn't even make any sense! Why should you think your rights are threatened just by opening up and letting us have a look. Can they not withstand the light of day?

I am more than happy to share my thoughts on matters such as this with you, or anyone else on these forums. That's why I come here; to learn and maybe even teach some.

Of course, you have LEGAL RIGHTS. That is not the subject. How could it be? No one disputes your LEGAL RIGHTS, so why do you keep bringing it up? I am wondering about your reasoning, as I have made perfectly clear right from the start. Honestly, had I known that you were so bent on keeping your reasoning a secret, I never would have engaged you in this dialogue.

Well, at least I got the other part right.

echi wrote:

Arella,

In order for our system of government to best serve all the people, discussions of this sort are very necessary. We all gain from hearing each other out and learning about the reasons for each other's concerns and convictions. The more unsympathetic we are to the needs of our fellow citizens, the more our country will suffer for it.

I can't believe you feel as though your rights are threatened just because someone who holds a different view wants to better understand your own. That doesn't even make any sense! Why should you think your rights are threatened just by opening up and letting us have a look. Can they not withstand the light of day?

I am more than happy to share my thoughts on matters such as this with you, or anyone else on these forums. That's why I come here; to learn and maybe even teach some.

Of course, you have LEGAL RIGHTS. That is not the subject. How could it be? No one disputes your LEGAL RIGHTS, so why do you keep bringing it up? I am wondering about your reasoning, as I have made perfectly clear right from the start. Honestly, had I known that you were so bent on keeping your reasoning a secret, I never would have engaged you in this dialogue.

Echi, I completely understand what you are saying. I just felt like you kept telling me I was wrong for the way I exercise my rights. Now, if that is not what you were implying, then I apologize. But telling me I don't have the right to do it sure felt like that's what you were doing.

My reasoning is just as I have stated. I vote for the things that I think are right and I vote against the things I think are wrong. If I think they are wrong then I am wrong in voting for them. It's very simple for me but seemingly complicated to convey.