The Rules
Copper- behave toward others to elicit treatment you would like (the manipulative rule)
Gold- treat others how you would like them to treat you (the self regard rule)
Platinum - treat others the way they would like to be treated (the PC rule)
In the future, the Berlin wall will be a mile high, and made of steel. You too will be made to crawl, to lick children's blood from jackboots. There will be no creativity, only productivity. Instead of love there will be fear and distrust, instead of surrender there will be submission. Contact will be replaced with isolation, and joy with shame. Hope will cease to exist as a concept. The Earth will be covered with steel and concrete. There will be an electronic policeman in every head. Your children will be born in chains, live only to serve, and die in anguish and ignorance.
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.
Actually, there are a number of religious commandments in the Bible that mandate (don't just suggest) a fixed gift to the poor. Generally there wasn't a government mediator, but it was definitely a specified amount set into the 'law'. It's not exactly a voluntary gift (though one was encouraged to make those as well) - rather, a specific amount of produce and such that was reserved for the disadvantaged of society.
The Rules
Copper- behave toward others to elicit treatment you would like (the manipulative rule)
Gold- treat others how you would like them to treat you (the self regard rule)
Platinum - treat others the way they would like to be treated (the PC rule)
In the future, the Berlin wall will be a mile high, and made of steel. You too will be made to crawl, to lick children's blood from jackboots. There will be no creativity, only productivity. Instead of love there will be fear and distrust, instead of surrender there will be submission. Contact will be replaced with isolation, and joy with shame. Hope will cease to exist as a concept. The Earth will be covered with steel and concrete. There will be an electronic policeman in every head. Your children will be born in chains, live only to serve, and die in anguish and ignorance.
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.
It's true. Most Christian denominations promote that, actually, though they almost always specify that you donate to THEM. But I was raised to donate 5% to charity. I still do that, though we skipped a bit there with the transplant and all, plus my wife's job was in jeopardy at the same time.
Because one can readily compare a tribal culture with a modern democracy of hundreds of millions of people....
Um, it's God's word, it is applicable for all time in His realm since He exists outside space-time. How could an omnipresent and omniscient being give rules and codes of conduct that wouldn't be valid for the duration before Harmageddon?![]()
In the future, the Berlin wall will be a mile high, and made of steel. You too will be made to crawl, to lick children's blood from jackboots. There will be no creativity, only productivity. Instead of love there will be fear and distrust, instead of surrender there will be submission. Contact will be replaced with isolation, and joy with shame. Hope will cease to exist as a concept. The Earth will be covered with steel and concrete. There will be an electronic policeman in every head. Your children will be born in chains, live only to serve, and die in anguish and ignorance.
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.
My understanding was that the distinction was being drawn between a voluntary contribution and an involuntary one. Does it matter if there is an intermediary in between if it is still involuntary?
*yawns* Not my problem, chum. But, for reference, look up: לקט שכחה ופאה. You can also have a look at מעשר עני.Originally Posted by EyeKhan
Other than your usual "I don't jockey for points in arguments, and if you bring up past history, I'll whine about trolling" thing. The only way you can honestly not see that as a "precipitation" is if your illness is also rotting out your brain, which, frankly seems less and less far fetched the longer and more zealously you cling to your delusional version of the past.
It's generally interpreted as God being uninterested in politics, as that's the interpretation that fits with everything else. And, like most things in the New Testament, its tone is more advisory than declaratory. "Rend unto Caesar," not because God commands you to, but because it's probably best for you not to have Caesar's soldiers come beating down your door to collect back taxes.
Uhuh. However, stretching "charity" to include forced contributions to enrich sociopaths and their politically connected friends makes the term so broad as to be useless. Like Wiggin pointed out, Biblical charity is to be directed at the poor and disenfranchised, not the rich and powerful who make their living by lying to and exploiting everyone else.
Read this. Better?![]()
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-- Thomas Jefferson: American Founding Father, clairvoyant and seditious traitor.
Unfounded ad hominems. In other words, trolling.
Sounds reasonable if you ignore the fact that these are vast, hysterical exaggerations or outright fabrications.Uhuh. However, stretching "charity" to include forced contributions to enrich sociopaths and their politically connected friends makes the term so broad as to be useless. Like Wiggin pointed out, Biblical charity is to be directed at the poor and disenfranchised, not the rich and powerful who make their living by lying to and exploiting everyone else.
Ah! Sou your argument is that they aren't being good enough Christians!
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-- Thomas Jefferson: American Founding Father, clairvoyant and seditious traitor.
Disingenuous.
No, I actually mean that. Sorry you find your past actions so distasteful and insulting, but if you actually didn't want them brought up over and over again, you'd stop making past history relevant. Clearly, however, that's not what you want, because it would deprive you of the opportunity to play the role you so love - the martyr.
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-- Thomas Jefferson: American Founding Father, clairvoyant and seditious traitor.
I don't, actually. Especially not the wildly imaginative versions you post.
Feeling lonely? Need some attention? Because you clearly care. A lot.
Thanks. You're multi-linguality is somewhat enviable.
You just did it too. No sources, no links, just a 'me too.' Where's the standards around here?
Beauracracies are very tribal. Government, corporate, institutional, etc...Because one can readily compare a tribal culture with a modern democracy of hundreds of millions of people....
The Rules
Copper- behave toward others to elicit treatment you would like (the manipulative rule)
Gold- treat others how you would like them to treat you (the self regard rule)
Platinum - treat others the way they would like to be treated (the PC rule)
I live near siblings who have had a very large number of children in the last 22 months. In vitro fertalization sometimes does that to you.
Besides my 10-12 hour workdays, most of my free-time that I don't spend with friends is spent babysitting. Today I *achem* "worked from home" to take one of my nieces to the Museum of Modern Art for three hours to get her off someone else's hand.
In short, most of the time I might volunteer, I volunteer for my family because it's needed. But I do help my neighbor with three kids when she's trying to get them out of the apartment and they are running all over the hallway acting crazy. I'm good with kids. There I bragged. Happy?
Well, next time you're off babysitting and what not, keep in mind - children are the future. So we need to strike now, while they're defenseless.
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-- Thomas Jefferson: American Founding Father, clairvoyant and seditious traitor.
As long as you understand that the "not enough money, not enough free time" and "keep it in the family" mindset is why the idea of voluntary charity for everything won't work
If you're serious about wanting to help your neighbor, donating your time would do wonders. I have no idea who you are, and what you do with yourself, but I'm sure you could find a few hours a week when you're at home alone, so she could run errands without the kids acting crazy.
No amount of voluntary charity of state-sponsored welfare will solve all the problems in the world.
Obivously, but it doesn't mean that what the government is trying to do is worse than what is being suggested here.
What? I've lost track of what people here are even saying the government should do.
Fat Texans are sure to remember the Ã* la mode.
Faith is Hope (see Loki's sig for details)
If hindsight is 20-20, why is it so often ignored?