DonkeyCigars

I'm coming around on you.

I enjoyed the acre lot and the golf courses. What's so wrong with Kingwood? I liked it better than South Austin where I've also lived (assuming South Austin is a transformative place for you and informs your identity-- literally on this site, at least).

First of all, if you call anything that has happened in the last page attempts to "thoroughly educate" then our conceptions of what education means is completely different. I've definitely been given the stiff arm on anything outside of a pithy dismissal and one liners. Secondly, I change my mind about lots of things and feel it's healthy to continue to stress test ideas and beliefs. In this specific case, from what I know of you (which is pretty near universal derision of anything I've ever said without investment of any real substance, much like the "thorough education" you reference) I can't imagine you to be pro-Catholic or pro-any hierarchal religion or system of belief that would cook up a strategic go-to market in the vaults of their billions of dollars amassed by raiding civilization over the course of human history, and having these same patriarchal (quite literally) leaders tell women what to do with their bodies. So I'd like to hear your opinion on why someone who doesn't believe abortion is murder and would advocate and influence against that idea, why would they choose to self-identify as a Catholic despite having a myriad of options that are more progressive but still check the box with respect to Jesus and the teaching of his death for our sins?

Not intentionally, sorry for getting lost. Theology and Catholicism is not my area of expertise. Thanks for attempting to level with me at least in good faith, even if ultimately I wasn’t able to keep up.

Okay but how is this example of a decreed dogma from the leaders of the Catholic Church any more or less infallible than the one saying don’t participate or advocate in abortion because it’s akin to murder and it’s a grave and immoral sin? Either all the sacred cows are sacred or none are and once you start trying to season for the tastes and trends of the times, you have broken the mysticism and it feels all very political and gross, which is what all the anti-religion and atheists were saying. The beauty of things that are true is that truth is timeless.

1. I don't even know that becoming a Protestant is the right answer, but there are a multitude of progressive, Christ-based churches that will allow you to dabble in whatever cultural relativism will suit your fancy. 2. Do we have any evidence that Biden, as a Democrat, is personally against abortion but sees it as a bridge too far politically? If you think of abortion as the Catholic church wants you to think of it, as murder (e.g. would you hire a hitman? - Pope Francis), you can make some inferences based on behavior, I think. Regardless, you seem like you have spent a lot of time in study of theology or history of theology or whatever-- do you care to opine on why a Catholic would remain a Catholic instead of going to an alternative and more welcoming religion to their beliefs? Also, why can't a Roman Catholic just become a Protestant? The logic would seem to be self-sustaining and circular in that "I used to think I was a Christian and was a Catholic, boy is my face red-- I was duped and not a real Christian at all! Now I'm a Protestant and both get to have progressive cultural views and be a Christian, glad I saw the light!" I mean this is the same argument Brisket and other reformed Republicans have been giving in just the past few days on how they used to be Republicans but now see the light as non-Republicans.

I agree with your take, but the incongruence is the earnestness in which people were breathlessly lamenting about the "end of democracy as we know it" and "the treasonous insurrection" and "coup de force". The press and hysterical people gave a few hundred insane John McAfee types the power and efficacy of an organized military coup, which has always been extremely odd to me.

Come on Captainant, even you have to admit what Biden said is ripe for ridicule, whether or not you want to go all-in on the idea he was talking out of both sides of his mouth or not. I won't be the one to ridicule it because it's not my place, but it's funny when others do.

Two vocations and markets that are way above my pea-brained pay grade and of which I have little to no experience and exposure. Sorry for being an ignorant hillbilly who learned something new today.

Truer words may have never been spoken. Seriously.

It was a joke in reference to The Royal Tenenbaums. Obviously you're not a golfer.

But what this thread presupposes is that Biden doesn’t think it’s bad (e.g. immoral and wrong and a grave sin”, unlike “everyone” (as it pertains to Catholics).

Did you miss this part?

and and Am I missing where abortion used to be okay? Seems like the degrees of punishment were tweaked and levers were pulled and pushed, but the general decree that abortion is a grave sin and immoral rises above all the politics and noise.

Wait, is there something wrong with just being a simple, average guy? I don't understand the hate that being congenial gets around here. Maybe it's tied to the eponym of this site which dictates the culture that power and strength comes from putting an edge in your voice.

While I have owned a Tahoe in recent years, I hate to disappoint you. It's just me, ole DonkeyCigars. Friend to all, with never a mean word to say to anyone.

@Js1, y'all learned me something new today re: "astroturf" as a political play. Never heard of that until today.

And the mop line was actually really original (to me) and funny, to be fair.

I know lots of "pithy, dismissive one liners and faux-exasperation when someone on your team isn't getting the victimization points we feel is deserved and can't actually explain why" is the Surly CR standard operating procedure, but ContinentalDennison is doing a bang up job of it right now! Did I do that right?

Would you mind shooting some documentation or links my way? I ask not to be a jerk or calling you a liar, it's just I did some googling recently and found a pretty consistent messaging across popes and over the years stating abortions are not okay. And really to bring back the issue back to focus; as it pertains to a world leader and their flouting the beliefs of an organization, I would think there would be more responsibility and expectation to be an upstanding member due to the sheer visibility and influence, as opposed to an average Irish guy in Boston or whatever, to follow the rules and parrot the corporate message. So it makes complete sense that the Catholic machine would seek to protect their brand/image in this issue and either force Biden to kowtow or to leave the faith or whatever.

Was it just me or was prime day full of crap this year?

I found this to be an interesting article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/world/europe/pope-abortion-sick-fetus.html

I think we must be alike in that regard. Brother?

Did I? If so, I apologize-- I thought I was prescriptive about only one belief-- the one I named as you confirmed. Then are they Catholics, really? By self-identification? I guess that is the crux of my question and point-- why do these people want to be considered and identify as Catholics when a) they are in conflict with a big piece of the Catholic belief on human life (seems like a pretty important topic) and there are many, many other faith organizations to consider and identify with that would actually fit in with your actual beliefs. Do people just like to be a part of something with history and tradition? Does it make them feel validated? Is it the previously asked inertia and it being difficult to break away from what your family indoctrinated you with as a child with your pre-pubescent psychology and brain? Am I wrong in understanding the Catholic church as a centralized system of management? Are there franchises or otherwise federated and independent dues paying child systems out there that I don't know about? Or does all the dogma and doctrine roll down hill, cascading through the various layers of management where, for the big rocks of major belief positions, everyone is supposed to sing off the same sheet of music. Literally and figuratively (isn't there a book published from Vatican City that goes out to every church with the same message/songs to be sung by date, in a formula?). I'm not opposed to being wrong and would prefer to make a fool of myself in front of you guys and not in real life when I ask people these questions at the next event or party I go to, but judging from responses either everyone else is just as confused or it's too complicated and so it's easier just to dismiss and not think about it.

I'm under the impression that, with respect to major dogma and doctrine, absolutely. That's kind of the whole point of the top-down hierarchy with a monarch pope.