"He stands against modernity, rationality, science and, ultimately, the spontaneous creativity of open societies..."
George Will offers an exceptionally powerful column on the Pope's performance as a "useful idiot" of left-wing causes, especially those that share the deep anti-modernism of the Church of Rome
But Will is a very public figure whose income depends on a following. If he gets too harsh in his criticism, he might lose some readers. That's Trump's big advantage, he doesn't care who he pisses off, and it is refreshing to the populace.
Trump is at least for now popular for refreshingly standing up to the establishment, but is already tuning his approach for political effect while exploiting the image. If he gets into office with his pragmatism and "Let's make a deal" game without regard for principle we will all find it much less than "refreshing".
This is the frightening anti-intellectual vacuum that confronts us. Most are afraid to even look at the philosophical basis and content of a proponent of 1000 year old religious renunciation and its consequences in reality, uncritically and ostentatiously pandering to it while simultaneously putting a complete unprincipled pragmatist anything-goes deal maker into top popularity politically. Has there ever been a more complete evasion of the importance of ideas and their relation to practical life on earth?
Pope Francis might possibly propose? A slowing
of population growth?--Oh, that's right, the Church
forbids its members the use of contraceptives. (Ex-
cept abstinence, including in marriage). (See
"Humanae Vitae" by Pope Paul VI).
As a young man I read a book called The Bad Popes. These are extreme examples but I've come to think that a pope is just a man as fallible as others.
Having re-read the rules of this board (and I did need that refreshment), I'm not going to get into what I believe now.
Let's just say I'm no longer a Catholic, though I did once get into an online argument with a Catholic who claimed I'd forever be a Catholic for being baptized that way.
Dude made me think of Italians never being able to the freaking Mafia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bad...
"You have a right to your opinion... as stupid and as non-reality-based as it is..."
:)
I have a background many lack.
For 7 years during the 70s, I was a bush league newspaper reporter in a rough around the edges rural county who at times received threats.
After that, I was an Alabama corrections officer who worked at a maximum security prison for 21 years.
After that, I semi-retired off-and-on worked for 4 different security guard companies (one hired me twice) since 2003.
So guess what I am used to doing? Confrontations. Standing up to somebody.
I've been called every foul name in the book and more than once.
One exception! I've never been called a "dirty screw" like in the old prison movies.
I said as much to three inmates during the 90s. Think I was shaking down a cell or something.
I told them I wanted to hear someone call me a dirty screw. I even did so talking like James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson.
"Nyah! Ya dirty screw!"
But they just looked at me with glum faces and were too scared to do it.
How disappointing.
Waaa!
That bandit I keep picking up on my 6 o'clock, psst he's right below me here, could not make it with that kind of work.
He's wound too tight.
Not only did I outlast most corrections officer for years on the job, I've outlived quite a few.
Thanks, Miss Grundy... and if you were to have your way, probably 85% of the posts here would/should be removed...
Chill, STFU or just don't read the shit you don't approve of. Do YOU 'run this place'?
If so, delete everything that offends you. If not, see if the folks who DO 'run this place' agree with you enough to do your deleting for you.
Hugs! It sounds like you need some....
:)
And I'm not the only Christian on this board.
The Gulch is an odd conservative place where discussion of religion is against the rules--or maybe only in a certain way.
But what does the Gulch attract due to AS movies?
Generally conservatives or a Constitution-clinging libertarian like myself, who used to be a Republican.
And then we have these posts about such things as the pope and Kim Davis.
You can believe whatever you want to but this in not a place to promote religion. It is not an "odd conservative place", it is not conservative at all, it is a forum for Ayn Rand's philosophy of reason and egoism. Ayn Rand was, in politics, a "radical for capitalism", not Reform Republican or a "conservative" "clinging" to anything, and as a consequence of her philosophy of reason she rejected all forms of faith in the supernatural as destructive, and consequently religious conservatism.
Discussion of religion is not banned, but it has to be rational discussion, not promoting religion or professing faith. Religion is not the basis of discussion or a presumed criterion for moral and political evaluation. If you want religious acceptance there are other places you can go.
"But what does the Gulch attract due to AS movies? Generally conservatives or a Constitution-clinging libertarian like myself, who used to be a Republican."
Atlas Shrugged is not a political novel. Ayn Rand emphasized that she wrote it as a philosophical novel to present her view of the "ideal man" in all realms of life. Those who from whatever background are attracted to the sense of life portrayed in Atlas Shrugged but who don't know much about Ayn Rand and her ideas should be seeking the excitement of discovering the philosophy that made it possible. The political realm is only one consequence of that and is not all that is open to discussion here. Even topics here that are political often involve discussion of underlying principles of morality and political philosophy, and the proper approach to knowledge of them.
As Ayn Rand famously said of her own work: "I shall say that I am not primarily an advocate of capitalism, but of egoism; and I am not primarily an advocate of egoism, but of reason. If one recognizes the supremacy of reason and applies it consistently, all the rest follows."
"This -- the supremacy of reason -- was, is and will be the primary concern of my work, and the essence of Objectivism. (For a definition of reason, see Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology.) Reason in epistemology leads to egoism in ethics, which leads to capitalism in politics. The hierarchical structure cannot be reversed, nor can any of its levels hold without the fundamental one—as those who have tried are beginning to discover."
A recent discussion of sources for finding out about Ayn Rand's philosophy can be found in the recent thread with this link http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts...
Excuse me while I go beat on my tom-tom until I ooga-booga get Sasquatch to appear. Then I'll get back with ya on a ghost post.
By the way, I found reactions to that link you posted somewhat revealing, since I've long admitted to not being the brightest bulb in the Gulch.
People here do influence my thinking in other topics. freedomforall comes to mind.
He has obviously thrown in with the mystics of science--those who lay claim to a secret knowledge, or a secret understanding, that no person, not trained in the sciences, could ever hope to achieve. Then again, remember where Francis came from: the Jesuit order. As mystical an order as the RCC has--dedicated to mysticism in science.
--- or maybe he IS aware and is part OF a plan to Be IN Control.
Hm?
Great find. I find myself at odds occasionally with Mr. Will, but not this time.
Respectfully,
O.A.