claim
string | positive
string | negative
string | post_id
string | post_title
string | post_text
string | post_timestamp
int64 | post_author
string | positive_comment_id
string | negative_comment_id
string | positive_comment_score
int64 | negative_comment_score
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CMV: You shouldn’t expect children to take care of their parents when they are old
My argument is based on one belief or value. Having children should be expression of unconditional love. Children are not an investment or insurance for old age. If you want to have insurance, standard saving is much cheaper option. If you want your kids to take care of you that would mean that you taking care of them haven’t been unconditional.
Don’t get me wrong. If you want to take care of your parents or your children want to take care of you it is great. It means (hopefully) that you have raised your kids well and they love you unconditionally. But if you nag, pressure or use emotional blackmail to get your kids to take care of you then you are a bad person.
Then there are those situations where children are unwanted or unexpected. Here I cannot say that you should unconditionally love your kids. You still can but it is not requirement because having kids wasn’t your choice. But you have two options. Take care of them due sense of responsibility as a “penalty for the mistake” or give them up for adoption. I’m not judging anyone for doing this. But if you are one of these unfortunate people you know how much a burden it can be. You should know better not to put the same burden on the kids later on their lives by expecting them to take care of you.
To change my view show me how loving your wanted kid shouldn’t be unconditional or how putting a burden of care to unwanted recipient is a just option.
|
One of the reasons there I'd mass killings and kids that have trouble socializing is because grand parents are sent away and forgotten. If the relationship is toxic then I understand not wanting them around. It does to a village to rise a child and USA culture has lost sight of that.
|
Lol...not when Nigeria's Interest rate still pegs at 13.5% ...How will i survive if they dont take care of me if things get worst than how it is right now. Retirement Insurance is a shitty show in my country. I will rather invest in my kids so they can take care of me
|
e2ueq8
|
CMV: You shouldn’t expect children to take care of their parents when they are old
|
My argument is based on one belief or value. Having children should be expression of unconditional love. Children are not an investment or insurance for old age. If you want to have insurance, standard saving is much cheaper option. If you want your kids to take care of you that would mean that you taking care of them haven’t been unconditional.
Don’t get me wrong. If you want to take care of your parents or your children want to take care of you it is great. It means (hopefully) that you have raised your kids well and they love you unconditionally. But if you nag, pressure or use emotional blackmail to get your kids to take care of you then you are a bad person.
Then there are those situations where children are unwanted or unexpected. Here I cannot say that you should unconditionally love your kids. You still can but it is not requirement because having kids wasn’t your choice. But you have two options. Take care of them due sense of responsibility as a “penalty for the mistake” or give them up for adoption. I’m not judging anyone for doing this. But if you are one of these unfortunate people you know how much a burden it can be. You should know better not to put the same burden on the kids later on their lives by expecting them to take care of you.
To change my view show me how loving your wanted kid shouldn’t be unconditional or how putting a burden of care to unwanted recipient is a just option.
| 1,574,924,905
|
Z7-852
|
f8z1yak
|
f8ycbkz
| 2
| 1
|
CMV: the word "incel" is a baseless insult used by people to describe a certain political affiliation.
Incel means involuntary celibate which was coined by people to describe themselves and why they are not having sex and to point out that it is no fault of their own.
Incel is now thrown around to describe people on the right even when said people don't subscribe to said ideology, much like the word cuck is thrown around at people on the left.
Incel is not about a movement anymore but instead a disparaging remark to describe people of a certain political affiliation, when I see people called an incel 9 out of 10 it is someone describing a person who has right leaning views and is used to disregard their points to said discussion.
|
You've got it backwards. The right wing isn't associated with incels because of people using "incel" as an insult. Rather, the word "incel" itself [was appropriated by](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incel) right-wing people who self-identified as incels. Eventually, the term "incel" came to be understood to refer to this right-wing online subculture specifically, which supplanted its previous meaning (i.e. the meaning of the term as it was originally understood by Alana and others in her online community). Now "incel" refers primarily to an online right-wing community characterized by "resentment, misanthropy, self-pity, self-loathing, misogyny, racism, a sense of entitlement to sex, and the endorsement of violence against sexually active people." But that's not because of anyone trying to use "incel" as an insult: that's because of the way self-identified incels act.
|
I’ve heard the term incel be tossed Around. It seems to me to be a modern generic term for dweeb or nerd, with no political tone to it. Which sites are you on that exclusively use the term incel to describe right wing nut jobs?
|
a8pqhh
|
CMV: the word "incel" is a baseless insult used by people to describe a certain political affiliation.
|
Incel means involuntary celibate which was coined by people to describe themselves and why they are not having sex and to point out that it is no fault of their own.
Incel is now thrown around to describe people on the right even when said people don't subscribe to said ideology, much like the word cuck is thrown around at people on the left.
Incel is not about a movement anymore but instead a disparaging remark to describe people of a certain political affiliation, when I see people called an incel 9 out of 10 it is someone describing a person who has right leaning views and is used to disregard their points to said discussion.
| 1,545,521,883
|
themarksmann
|
eccnyzn
|
eccn9dc
| 27
| 0
|
CMV: Freedom of speech means the right to have and express an opinion, not to insult random people
I am not aware of how old days used to be. But what I do know that this world is not going in the right direction when it comes to freedom of speech and expression. The version of this 'freedom' that people are using essentially makes this world a worse place than it would have been.
Correct me if I'm wrong but freedom of speech means that you have the right to have and express an opinion without being silenced. It also kinda means that you have the right to spread and get information (unless it concerns the security of someone or a nation).
But in the modern world, this freedom has become an excuse to bully, abuse and insult people. Common people, offline or online, media, politicians, etc all use this freedom really really badly. Example from the world - Trump insulting and abusing people and journalists; Politicians insulting each other; Trevor Noah and other comedians insulting Trump, other politicians and people, PewDiePie insulting Indians in the name of T-Series, Indians insulting foreigners (calling Americans sluts, Chinese people Ching Chong, etc), people making offensive cartoons/memes/photoshopped pics of politicians (a guy made a pic of a politician marrying another politician); Eminem insulting presidents and other rappers; they insulting him back; racism, sexism and verbal abuse in online game servers, etc. (Let's not talk about the toxic debate between Liberals and Conservatives)
Tell me if I'm wrong but none of these are speeches or expression or opinion or criticism of any kind. They are cheap and uncivilised insults, abuses and, in many cases, outright bullying. They don't criticize anything or any action, they just insult people and call it 'freedom'.
Many people say 'right to offend and be offended'. Why? Why should we have the right to offend people? Why not criticize them? Why not protest them? Why just outright trolling, making offensive jokes about their personal lives.
Many people also say that I react too much and I should get a life and that if I have to stay in this world there will be lots like this. But why? Why shouldn't we fight for a better, civilized world? Why not a world of respecting people but just insulting people?
I know I sound like a total idealist, but why not strive for an ideal world?
|
Freedom works like this;
I have the right to swing my arm to and fro - But that right ends at your face - A right is not a right if exercising it causes damage to a person or a persons property
As it stands, words do not cause damage - No word uttered can break a leg or cut the skin, no phrase can smash your head in or stop your heart - There is no sentence I can say that would break the windows on your house or car.
The only place you do not have true freedom of speech is on places like Reddit, Facebook, YouTube - That's because these are private companies who have the full right to allow or disallow anyone they please for whatever reason they want - "No shirt, no shoes, no service" - Out in the public, in real life, from the comfort of your home or the exposed nature of the soap box - You should be allowed to say whatever you like.
I have a strong contention with one line you put in - "Why not a world of respecting people but just insulting people?" - Easy answer; Because humans are different and always will be different. You want a world where no one insults the other? You've either gotta outlaw insults (Fascist af) or somehow make everyone think the same way and how do you enforce state-sponsored thought? (Totalitarian af) - Both of these existences seem far more immoral to me than a world where some random dude is allowed to call me a cunt - Because I don't care when some dude calls me a cunt, but I probably would care if I could get sent to jail for saying the wrong thing or thinking the wrong way.
|
If you restrict Freedom of Speech in such a way, things get dangerous. Sure, you can say insults aren’t allowed. But then who decides what qualifies as an insult? The government? So what happens if a journalist writes a critical piece on a politician, and they call the politician out for some flaw, say they call him “authoritarian.” The president then could say “that’s an insult” and throw the journalist in jail, thereby suppressing legitimate criticism. Peaceful protestors could get persecuted by the government
That example has already happened in the past btw. President John Adams created a law banning criticism of the high office, and he used it as an excuse to throw his political rivals in jail. Adams obviously did not win re-election. Imagine how Trump could use this to suppress the media he doesn’t like
The ONLY form of free speech that should not be allowed is direct threats, say holding a gun and threatening to shoot people. And we already have a law for that, the inflammatory speech ban. But unless the speech is designed to incite immediate violence, can’t be over the phone btw, it is not prohibited
Free speech was made to protect us from government tyranny, and we should keep it
Edit: Let me add that the government already does try to __encourage__ not insulting people as you suggested. Schools have mandatory anti-bullying and anti bias seminars. They also show TV ads. It’s just that this stuff doesn’t really work that well, so the only way to get to your goal would be enforcement.
|
b4jt13
|
CMV: Freedom of speech means the right to have and express an opinion, not to insult random people
|
I am not aware of how old days used to be. But what I do know that this world is not going in the right direction when it comes to freedom of speech and expression. The version of this 'freedom' that people are using essentially makes this world a worse place than it would have been.
Correct me if I'm wrong but freedom of speech means that you have the right to have and express an opinion without being silenced. It also kinda means that you have the right to spread and get information (unless it concerns the security of someone or a nation).
But in the modern world, this freedom has become an excuse to bully, abuse and insult people. Common people, offline or online, media, politicians, etc all use this freedom really really badly. Example from the world - Trump insulting and abusing people and journalists; Politicians insulting each other; Trevor Noah and other comedians insulting Trump, other politicians and people, PewDiePie insulting Indians in the name of T-Series, Indians insulting foreigners (calling Americans sluts, Chinese people Ching Chong, etc), people making offensive cartoons/memes/photoshopped pics of politicians (a guy made a pic of a politician marrying another politician); Eminem insulting presidents and other rappers; they insulting him back; racism, sexism and verbal abuse in online game servers, etc. (Let's not talk about the toxic debate between Liberals and Conservatives)
Tell me if I'm wrong but none of these are speeches or expression or opinion or criticism of any kind. They are cheap and uncivilised insults, abuses and, in many cases, outright bullying. They don't criticize anything or any action, they just insult people and call it 'freedom'.
Many people say 'right to offend and be offended'. Why? Why should we have the right to offend people? Why not criticize them? Why not protest them? Why just outright trolling, making offensive jokes about their personal lives.
Many people also say that I react too much and I should get a life and that if I have to stay in this world there will be lots like this. But why? Why shouldn't we fight for a better, civilized world? Why not a world of respecting people but just insulting people?
I know I sound like a total idealist, but why not strive for an ideal world?
| 1,553,351,687
|
Suradoe
|
ej7615o
|
ej73p1d
| 6
| 3
|
CMV:Men have just as much right to "Abort" A child as the mother.
If they don't want to child but the mother does that is fine. However the mother going on to have the child even after the father says he does not want it should cause the father to have no legal obligation to pay for or care for the child. And while more controversial and i don't really know personally how this is, but if the mother wants to abort but the father wants to keep the child, assuming the mother is only aborting because they do not want to keep the child, she should be encouraged/required to give birth to the child. It is the fathers child just as much as it is the mothers though so he should have that right. (Issue with this is it induces physical pain and can have long term lasting effects so this if very gray area, however if the mother is fine with giving birth and just doesn't want the child the she should have to) I should have noted this is not the main topic, again gray area and I have no hard stance
|
Men aren't the ones that the child is growing in, so no, men have less skin in the game.
If men could have a 'financial abortion', it would result in men not having to care about birth control. If the woman gets pregnant, that's no longer his problem, so he just won't think about it. This would either result in more abortions, more children in the adoption system, or more children with single parents.
Also, if men can financially abort, and also women are forced to give birth if the man wants the child, this actively puts the interests of men over a women's health. That's awful.
|
Because he created him ?
If you create a bomb in your garden, and cops come and see it, you'll have to pay for what you've done, even if it is proven that you did not wanted to use it.
You know that putting a girl pregnant carry the risk of her keeping the kid and you paying for it, that's the law. If she abort, you're OK, if she don't you pay. That's exactly as creating bombs : you know that creating bombs carry the risk of being arrested, if you dismantle it before anybody see it, you're safe, else you are going to court.
You don't want a kid neither paying ? Use protection, do a vasectomy, oral sex, there are tons of possibilities.
|
9fiahr
|
CMV:Men have just as much right to "Abort" A child as the mother.
|
If they don't want to child but the mother does that is fine. However the mother going on to have the child even after the father says he does not want it should cause the father to have no legal obligation to pay for or care for the child. And while more controversial and i don't really know personally how this is, but if the mother wants to abort but the father wants to keep the child, assuming the mother is only aborting because they do not want to keep the child, she should be encouraged/required to give birth to the child. It is the fathers child just as much as it is the mothers though so he should have that right. (Issue with this is it induces physical pain and can have long term lasting effects so this if very gray area, however if the mother is fine with giving birth and just doesn't want the child the she should have to) I should have noted this is not the main topic, again gray area and I have no hard stance
| 1,536,847,701
|
Cowpancakes
|
e5wmhek
|
e5wmcm8
| 7
| 3
|
CMV: Freedom of speech means the right to have and express an opinion, not to insult random people
I am not aware of how old days used to be. But what I do know that this world is not going in the right direction when it comes to freedom of speech and expression. The version of this 'freedom' that people are using essentially makes this world a worse place than it would have been.
Correct me if I'm wrong but freedom of speech means that you have the right to have and express an opinion without being silenced. It also kinda means that you have the right to spread and get information (unless it concerns the security of someone or a nation).
But in the modern world, this freedom has become an excuse to bully, abuse and insult people. Common people, offline or online, media, politicians, etc all use this freedom really really badly. Example from the world - Trump insulting and abusing people and journalists; Politicians insulting each other; Trevor Noah and other comedians insulting Trump, other politicians and people, PewDiePie insulting Indians in the name of T-Series, Indians insulting foreigners (calling Americans sluts, Chinese people Ching Chong, etc), people making offensive cartoons/memes/photoshopped pics of politicians (a guy made a pic of a politician marrying another politician); Eminem insulting presidents and other rappers; they insulting him back; racism, sexism and verbal abuse in online game servers, etc. (Let's not talk about the toxic debate between Liberals and Conservatives)
Tell me if I'm wrong but none of these are speeches or expression or opinion or criticism of any kind. They are cheap and uncivilised insults, abuses and, in many cases, outright bullying. They don't criticize anything or any action, they just insult people and call it 'freedom'.
Many people say 'right to offend and be offended'. Why? Why should we have the right to offend people? Why not criticize them? Why not protest them? Why just outright trolling, making offensive jokes about their personal lives.
Many people also say that I react too much and I should get a life and that if I have to stay in this world there will be lots like this. But why? Why shouldn't we fight for a better, civilized world? Why not a world of respecting people but just insulting people?
I know I sound like a total idealist, but why not strive for an ideal world?
|
So, like you, I like civility. I don't want to see mean-spirited, petty attacks on people. I think a lot of the discourse on both sides of any issue is counter productive.
But the alternative is having someone decide WHICH speech is too mean. That's how government censors work. And that's how dictatorships work.
Look at North Korea. They claim that "for harmony" any criticism of the Supreme Leader is banned. That's not healthy if you believe that open discourse is the best way to run a government.
There is no system where you don't have someone arbitrarily deciding what is and isn't ok. And if it's the government making those decisions, then there is always incentive to silence one side over the other.
That's why "Freedom of Speech" applies only to the government silencing. Let others post what they want (subject to libel/slander laws) - but I don't want the government deciding what is offensive - because it can't be done fairly.
|
Who defines what fits the criteria?
|
b4jt13
|
CMV: Freedom of speech means the right to have and express an opinion, not to insult random people
|
I am not aware of how old days used to be. But what I do know that this world is not going in the right direction when it comes to freedom of speech and expression. The version of this 'freedom' that people are using essentially makes this world a worse place than it would have been.
Correct me if I'm wrong but freedom of speech means that you have the right to have and express an opinion without being silenced. It also kinda means that you have the right to spread and get information (unless it concerns the security of someone or a nation).
But in the modern world, this freedom has become an excuse to bully, abuse and insult people. Common people, offline or online, media, politicians, etc all use this freedom really really badly. Example from the world - Trump insulting and abusing people and journalists; Politicians insulting each other; Trevor Noah and other comedians insulting Trump, other politicians and people, PewDiePie insulting Indians in the name of T-Series, Indians insulting foreigners (calling Americans sluts, Chinese people Ching Chong, etc), people making offensive cartoons/memes/photoshopped pics of politicians (a guy made a pic of a politician marrying another politician); Eminem insulting presidents and other rappers; they insulting him back; racism, sexism and verbal abuse in online game servers, etc. (Let's not talk about the toxic debate between Liberals and Conservatives)
Tell me if I'm wrong but none of these are speeches or expression or opinion or criticism of any kind. They are cheap and uncivilised insults, abuses and, in many cases, outright bullying. They don't criticize anything or any action, they just insult people and call it 'freedom'.
Many people say 'right to offend and be offended'. Why? Why should we have the right to offend people? Why not criticize them? Why not protest them? Why just outright trolling, making offensive jokes about their personal lives.
Many people also say that I react too much and I should get a life and that if I have to stay in this world there will be lots like this. But why? Why shouldn't we fight for a better, civilized world? Why not a world of respecting people but just insulting people?
I know I sound like a total idealist, but why not strive for an ideal world?
| 1,553,351,687
|
Suradoe
|
ej73f6t
|
ej7362g
| 14
| 3
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
|
Yes, with our given physics, suffering is inevitable. But if god is omnipotent, he can create a universe with laws where no one has to die. Isn't that something the ultimate game player could do? Where conscious experience could still be a natural consequence of his laws, but no suffering ensues. From my understanding of physics and math, there's nothing preventing infinities, it's just not something we typically encounter or are aware of.
|
He is being a little shit don't listen to him
|
94k9lf
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
|
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
| 1,533,399,300
|
joshingkatie
|
e3lq9bg
|
e3lq18m
| 37
| 8
|
CMV: Derek Chauvin did not receive a fair trial.
Note: I AM NOT DEFENDING DEREK CHAUVIN!!! He is a murderer and I do believe the jury was right to convict him. However I don’t believe he had a fair trial.
In america everyone is entitled to a fair trial. Meaning that you get a day in court with a jury that decides your fate. This means an Impartial jury - One that isn’t influenced by outsider actions. I don’t believe that derek chauvin received that.
Even before the verdict, the judge in the case refused to sequester jurors from media coverage and outside influences during the trial, and that the pressure conveyed to them was beyond intense.
2nd point: Politicians/protestors influencing the case. Biden commented that he hoped the jury would come to the ‘right’ conclusion. Maxine waters and blm kind of forced a guilty verdict. She said blm needed to get 'more confrontational' and I know she didn't mean any harm but it could have tainted the jury. Also blm protestors were outside of the courthouse which could have pressured the jury.
Do you really think that none of those factors influenced the juries decision? I don’t. Chauvin is entitled to a re-trial.
|
How would a re-trial be any more fair? Any prospective juror likely knows the circumstances surrounding the case. And how would sequestering the jury for a couple of weeks kept them from the knowledge of everything that happened in the last year?
If you don’t think Chauvin got a fair trial because of those circumstances, I don’t think it’s possible for him to get one unless you manage to find a jury of people who were living alone in the woods for the last year.
|
>Biden commented that he hoped the jury would come to the ‘right’ conclusion.
the jury was sequestered when he made that comment. the jury didn't hear it.
|
mvtono
|
CMV: Derek Chauvin did not receive a fair trial.
|
Note: I AM NOT DEFENDING DEREK CHAUVIN!!! He is a murderer and I do believe the jury was right to convict him. However I don’t believe he had a fair trial.
In america everyone is entitled to a fair trial. Meaning that you get a day in court with a jury that decides your fate. This means an Impartial jury - One that isn’t influenced by outsider actions. I don’t believe that derek chauvin received that.
Even before the verdict, the judge in the case refused to sequester jurors from media coverage and outside influences during the trial, and that the pressure conveyed to them was beyond intense.
2nd point: Politicians/protestors influencing the case. Biden commented that he hoped the jury would come to the ‘right’ conclusion. Maxine waters and blm kind of forced a guilty verdict. She said blm needed to get 'more confrontational' and I know she didn't mean any harm but it could have tainted the jury. Also blm protestors were outside of the courthouse which could have pressured the jury.
Do you really think that none of those factors influenced the juries decision? I don’t. Chauvin is entitled to a re-trial.
| 1,619,052,520
|
Gensokyofartsniffer
|
gve4gt7
|
gve48vm
| 14
| 9
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
|
"To live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in the suffering."
-Friedrich Nietzsche, atheist philosopher
Life sucks. But from my perspective, you would never have happiness without suffering. This is why perfection is so nonsensical a concept to me. But remember that meaning is out there. It might not make you happy, but it will give you a reason to keep going.
|
Evolution isn’t about purpose, it’s more about the effect of accidents on successful reproduction. It’s reasonable to suggest that the collection of accidents that led to the existence of sadness created a situation that helped signal to the larger community that support was needed, thereby helping sad people recover and eventually increase their odds of reproducing. But that doesn’t imply that it’s a designed system that should work consistently.
|
94k9lf
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
|
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
| 1,533,399,300
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joshingkatie
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e3lqlwu
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e3lp1a9
| 126
| 59
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CMV: The movie Idiocracy promotes the idea of eugenics
When I first saw the movie Idiocracy I thought it was hilarious and I thought the premise at the beginning made enough logical sense that I didn't feel the need to question it.
This all changed when I learned about the Kallikak family. Basically a psychologist named Henry Goddard who believed that feeble mindedness is a trait that is inheritable. His "study" went that he studied a family tree all the way back to an American revolutionary war solider called Martin Kallikak who had children with two separate women - which is what causes the tree to split.
One side of the trees consists of respectable citizens and the other side of the tree consisted of disreputable and feeble minded persons. He used this to essentially promote eugenics as a solution to this feeble mindedness epidemic.
Henry Goddard and the promoters of eugenics essentially thought that if feebleminded people continue to have children, it will lead to the downfall of society. Remember this line because it is important comes up later.
Prominent members of science and academia become staunch supporters of eugenics. Eugenics became mainstream in the US, to the point where people (usually the poor) who were arbitrarily deemed to be feeble minded were forcibly sterilized in the US itself. In the US during the height of feeble mindedness hysteria, up to 50,000 Americans were forcibly sterilized. These ideas eventually spread to Germany which formed the basis of the holocaust of 6 million Jewish people.
Now back to the movie. There are two families at the beginning. One clearly well off and presented as "civilized" and the other clearly poor and presented as uncivilized. Then the movie essentially says that because the poor and uncivilized families of the world have more children than the rich and civilized, society will reach its downfall. Is that not the same message that Henry Goddard promoted when he pushed eugenics onto the world, which sadly resulted in the death and sterilization of millions?
Does this not mean the movie Idiocracy is essentially promoting eugenics?
Edit: Things that won't change my view include saying that it's just a movie, or just a comedy. I get that this movie won't convince the world to bring that eugenics, but my CMV isn't about the societal implications of this movie, but it's rather discussing the premise of the movie itself. Thanks!
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The movie doesnt promote eugenics for one simple reason. At The end of The movie, Then President Not Sure, makes a speech saying that people used to consume more intelligent Entertainment such as books and that they would Value Education and intelligence rather than riducule it. He also says that if society would have valued intelligence and people would do more things such as reading Then society wouldnt have become so dumb. Im paraphrasing a bit but that is The gist of his inaugeration speech. So The movie takes a very strong PRO nurture stance in the end and advocates for a more cognitively challeging culture and better Education system as The solution to that worlds problems. This is as anti eugenics as you can go.
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If you define eugenics broadly enough to mean anything that has the effect of improving the gene pool of the human race, and also think of it narrowly enough that you’re basically thinking of Nazis whenever it comes up, then you’re living directly on the slippery slope and you should relocate so that your property isn’t lost in a mudslide.
Planned Parenthood has been called eugenics. Hell, I found a thing that called the invention of the motorcar eugenics.
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94s3r1
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CMV: The movie Idiocracy promotes the idea of eugenics
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When I first saw the movie Idiocracy I thought it was hilarious and I thought the premise at the beginning made enough logical sense that I didn't feel the need to question it.
This all changed when I learned about the Kallikak family. Basically a psychologist named Henry Goddard who believed that feeble mindedness is a trait that is inheritable. His "study" went that he studied a family tree all the way back to an American revolutionary war solider called Martin Kallikak who had children with two separate women - which is what causes the tree to split.
One side of the trees consists of respectable citizens and the other side of the tree consisted of disreputable and feeble minded persons. He used this to essentially promote eugenics as a solution to this feeble mindedness epidemic.
Henry Goddard and the promoters of eugenics essentially thought that if feebleminded people continue to have children, it will lead to the downfall of society. Remember this line because it is important comes up later.
Prominent members of science and academia become staunch supporters of eugenics. Eugenics became mainstream in the US, to the point where people (usually the poor) who were arbitrarily deemed to be feeble minded were forcibly sterilized in the US itself. In the US during the height of feeble mindedness hysteria, up to 50,000 Americans were forcibly sterilized. These ideas eventually spread to Germany which formed the basis of the holocaust of 6 million Jewish people.
Now back to the movie. There are two families at the beginning. One clearly well off and presented as "civilized" and the other clearly poor and presented as uncivilized. Then the movie essentially says that because the poor and uncivilized families of the world have more children than the rich and civilized, society will reach its downfall. Is that not the same message that Henry Goddard promoted when he pushed eugenics onto the world, which sadly resulted in the death and sterilization of millions?
Does this not mean the movie Idiocracy is essentially promoting eugenics?
Edit: Things that won't change my view include saying that it's just a movie, or just a comedy. I get that this movie won't convince the world to bring that eugenics, but my CMV isn't about the societal implications of this movie, but it's rather discussing the premise of the movie itself. Thanks!
| 1,533,478,174
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[deleted]
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e3ndgpf
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e3nbtfx
| 26
| 2
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CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
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As a non religious individual I often consider the fact that a "god" may very well exist, but considering the scope of both power and persuasion an individual of a god calibre would employ, it would be reasonable to assume that such an entity would view us as interesting and important as you would a single celled organism.
While this god may very well know of our existence it would be largely uninterested and or completely ignorant of us as individual entities. It would be akin to you throwing away a moldy loaf of bread, you may well be away that there are billions of living organisms there, but youre more concerned with having to run to the market again. Sure, you could easily give that mold culture the means to survive indefinetly and even propser, does this make you a wicked god?
You can see this type of escalates behavior even among humans, those that rise to staggering levels of wealth usually can see and comprehend the plight of the poor, but tend to offer little or no compassion or understanding, something I'm sure in your situarion can attest to.
Its common of humanity to perceive ourselves as important despite the fact that in the grand scheme of things, we probably, as cynical as it may sound, just arent.
As far as the universe being indifferent to suffering, you're likely right, as a whole.
But even small acts of kindness on individual basis can profoundly change that. For what its worth, I took the few spare moments i had to up vote everything I could find of yours to get you the karma needed for your post. I too, among far to many others are in a situation similar to your own. I wish you well through all of the trials and tribulations you will endure, and hope to read about how you conquered them in a post in a few years time.
TLDR: god, gods(or God) may very well exist and we just aren't significant enough to matter.
edits: some grammar mistakes I made on phone.
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Have you ever played a computer game like *The Sims* or *Cities: Skylines*? Perhaps *X-COM* or some other strategy game where you play as an eye in the sky or, kind of a god? I'm asking because that's the closest we can become like a god. Otherwise I could compare it to being a teacher or a parent, or any role where there's responsibility for other people who are growing.
Humans don't like suffering. Animals don't like suffering. But some rules of existence can't be fathomed otherwise. Even if every sentient being just ate rocks, they'd still have to compete for rocks. Then we'd eat all the rocks on a planet over time and die, or shrivel the planet so much. This example is pretty ridiculous but that's all we really have, given what we know about life. And in the end, things still need to die.
Some suffering is tangibly worse than other suffering, but the human brain hasn't adapted to somehow understand the span of suffering. When someone rich can't afford a third BMW, if they've only known comfort, then their brain is going to fire off the same signals. It's not fair to everyone else and it really isn't fair to them that they have to internally struggle over something they have no control over in that sense. But the only way to be otherwise would to have everyone be omniscient in some sense. Then we'd just be a bunch of gods fighting, which is exactly what happens in mythology anyway. It's what happens to God in the Bible when he gets really upset and angry at people.
|
94k9lf
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
|
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
| 1,533,399,300
|
joshingkatie
|
e3lrxbr
|
e3lowxy
| 584
| 39
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
|
If there is no god than who am I talking to?
Here is the plan brother. Stop looking for people to help you, like you've noticed they're mostly living paycheck to paycheck. Look for people suffering in similar ways that you are. This is called a community of vulnerability and they can be quite powerful. Once you find enough people you can all contribute a little money to get a high-powered lawyer or maybe a congressman- I don't know it's your life and you're God so you can figure it out. Once you get the ball rolling your "Christian" "friends" might contribute with donations or volunteering. But your core support will be from the others in your situation. God is a social construct, so reconstruct her in your favor. Lead the holy crusade. I believe in you.
|
Sorry, u/kittyfox3 – your comment has been removed for breaking Rule 1:
> **Direct responses to a CMV post must challenge at least one aspect of OP’s stated view (however minor), or ask a clarifying question**. Arguments in favor of the view OP is willing to change must be restricted to replies to other comments. [See the wiki page for more information](http://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_1).
If you would like to appeal, [message the moderators by clicking this link](http://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fchangemyview&subject=Rule+1+Appeal+kittyfox3&message=kittyfox3+would+like+to+appeal+the+removal+of+[his/her+post](https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/94k9lf/-/e3ls3x4/\)+because...). Please note that multiple violations will lead to a ban, as explained in our [moderation standards](https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/wiki/modstandards).
|
94k9lf
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
|
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
| 1,533,399,300
|
joshingkatie
|
e3ltm68
|
e3ltgjz
| 3
| 1
|
CMV: The Struts/Kesha's song "Body Talks" is just as rapey as Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines"
Maybe this is an unpopular opinion but I love Kesha, so when a new song featuring her came on the radio I was excited. It's pretty upbeat and fun, but there are some parts that are *seriously* suspect, which really surprised me. The second half of the chorus says:
>"You can pretend you don't wanna know
>But I read the signs from your head to your toes
>Yeah, you don't need to say a word 'cause
>Ooh, ooh your body talks"
That just seems... really suspect to me. So s/he's supposed to be pretending they aren't into it? It just feels to me that's pushing into the "I know you want it" category that people got upset about a few years ago. Clearly the singers know better, because they can see the body language... I guess. There's also a part that is specifically sung by Kesha:
>"You can try to hide it but you know you can't deny it!"
which, again, seems super susp. I feel like the idea is supposed to be that this person is just shy/coy, and their body language shows they want to get with the singers too, but I think that was the idea behind Blurred Lines too, so I'm seeing the same thing here. They even both have lines that excuse the behavior, with Blurred Lines'
>"If you can't read from the same page
>Maybe I'm going deaf
>Maybe I'm going blind
>Maybe I'm out of my mind"
And Body Talks'
>"Your lips are a conversation
>That face is a song
>If it's my imagination
>Stop me if I'm wrong"
So to me there's two options. One, they're both songs with some pretty poor wording that are mostly about getting a person out of their shell to be with someone they obviously want to be with, or Two, Kesha, someone who has actually experienced sexual abuse, willingly took part in a song that has some super rapey vibes. If someone can change my mind I would gladly hear it.
|
I will admit they are both a bit rapey, but one far more than the other. For one, in body talks, the line "If it's my imagination stop me if I'm wrong" is implying that despite body language, she is still asking the other party to give consent before proceeding further. Conversely, there is no mention of consent in blurred lines. Also consider these lines:
> OK now he was close, tried to domesticate you
But you're an animal, baby, it's in your nature
Just let me liberate you
This could definitely be interpreted as something along the lines of the girl being molested and being told she deserves it and must accept it due to her nature. Even more troubling is this:
> Baby can you breathe? I got this from Jamaica
It always works for me, Dakota to Decatur, uh huh
In the context of the rest of the song, this seems like he is talking about giving a girl a date rape drug and being concerned that she is still alive afterwards.
The way I see it, Body Talks is a song about a singer being forward sexually with a fan who has given her signals through body language that he would like to reciprocate sexually, but with the caveat that she still asks for verbal consent.
Blurred lines seems to be a song about a date rapist who cannot see themselves in the wrong and would sooner believe that they are "deaf, blind, or crazy"
|
There are always more than two options. There are 4 people that have songwriting credits on the original version.
Some options:
* they wrote different parts and didn't notice it was all rapey
* they all worked together and didn't notice
* they were feeling rapey and wrote a rapey song
* they looked at what was popular on charts (rap) and made it similar, happened to be rapey
* they wrote it to be rapey on purpose to try and get attention and sales
Options for kesha's part
* someone paid her X thousand dollars and she just tracked the vocals real and didn't pay attention
* she didn't think it was provocative
* she saw it was provocative but acceptable
* she realized it was borderline but accepted it for the potential gain
* she recorded a rapey song on purpose disregarding her traumatic past (unlikely imo)
|
a8ofo6
|
CMV: The Struts/Kesha's song "Body Talks" is just as rapey as Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines"
|
Maybe this is an unpopular opinion but I love Kesha, so when a new song featuring her came on the radio I was excited. It's pretty upbeat and fun, but there are some parts that are *seriously* suspect, which really surprised me. The second half of the chorus says:
>"You can pretend you don't wanna know
>But I read the signs from your head to your toes
>Yeah, you don't need to say a word 'cause
>Ooh, ooh your body talks"
That just seems... really suspect to me. So s/he's supposed to be pretending they aren't into it? It just feels to me that's pushing into the "I know you want it" category that people got upset about a few years ago. Clearly the singers know better, because they can see the body language... I guess. There's also a part that is specifically sung by Kesha:
>"You can try to hide it but you know you can't deny it!"
which, again, seems super susp. I feel like the idea is supposed to be that this person is just shy/coy, and their body language shows they want to get with the singers too, but I think that was the idea behind Blurred Lines too, so I'm seeing the same thing here. They even both have lines that excuse the behavior, with Blurred Lines'
>"If you can't read from the same page
>Maybe I'm going deaf
>Maybe I'm going blind
>Maybe I'm out of my mind"
And Body Talks'
>"Your lips are a conversation
>That face is a song
>If it's my imagination
>Stop me if I'm wrong"
So to me there's two options. One, they're both songs with some pretty poor wording that are mostly about getting a person out of their shell to be with someone they obviously want to be with, or Two, Kesha, someone who has actually experienced sexual abuse, willingly took part in a song that has some super rapey vibes. If someone can change my mind I would gladly hear it.
| 1,545,512,486
|
TheSpaceCoresDad
|
ecchq9b
|
eccedbn
| 9
| 0
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
|
I’m a Christian, and my stance on this is that almost all negative things on this earth are products of free will. Whether it’s the pollution in the air causing cancer, earthquakes from fracking, or bad decisions we make with our diets.
As far as all the “it’s God’s plan” stuff Christians always say. I think it’s a phrase thrown around by people promoting the lie of “when you become a Christian, life gets better.” That’s absolutely not the case 100% of the time.
Like others have said, I’m not trying to convince you to believe in God. I think that’s between a person and God, and some people need an experience to believe.
Something I’ve always remembered was what my dad said when he had esophageal cancer:
“Don’t pray that I’m healed, pray that God can use me in a way that benefits others, even if it means using my death to help someone else.”
James 1:2-3 is one of my favorite verses when I’m facing tough times.
I hope things can improve for you.
|
Have you ever played a computer game like *The Sims* or *Cities: Skylines*? Perhaps *X-COM* or some other strategy game where you play as an eye in the sky or, kind of a god? I'm asking because that's the closest we can become like a god. Otherwise I could compare it to being a teacher or a parent, or any role where there's responsibility for other people who are growing.
Humans don't like suffering. Animals don't like suffering. But some rules of existence can't be fathomed otherwise. Even if every sentient being just ate rocks, they'd still have to compete for rocks. Then we'd eat all the rocks on a planet over time and die, or shrivel the planet so much. This example is pretty ridiculous but that's all we really have, given what we know about life. And in the end, things still need to die.
Some suffering is tangibly worse than other suffering, but the human brain hasn't adapted to somehow understand the span of suffering. When someone rich can't afford a third BMW, if they've only known comfort, then their brain is going to fire off the same signals. It's not fair to everyone else and it really isn't fair to them that they have to internally struggle over something they have no control over in that sense. But the only way to be otherwise would to have everyone be omniscient in some sense. Then we'd just be a bunch of gods fighting, which is exactly what happens in mythology anyway. It's what happens to God in the Bible when he gets really upset and angry at people.
|
94k9lf
|
CMV: The universe indifferent to suffering, god is not there
|
Please do not downvote me, even if you resent my views. I am trying to build up 300 Karma so I can ask for assistance on my family on /r/assistance. Even after a year, I am struggling to build even 200ish Karma up. People say Karma doesn't matter, but in our case it does. I am not asking for upvotes, merely that you do not harm this pursuit. I realize the view I hold may be considered unkind, but what me and my whole family need at this point is kindness.
I became physically disabled in 2008, total and permanent disability awarded through SSA. Years go by and my wife developed stage-IV lung cancer (despite never smoking) while pregnant at the age of 29. She is very likely to die and leave me with three kids (all under age 7) that I will struggle (putting it mildly) to support. I attempt to go back to work (because she couldn't anymore), after trying my absolute hardest it worsens my condition and I just got laid off due to lack of productivity. Since I earned significant income in my attempt, SSA revoked my disability, upon trying to have it re-instated SSA informed me my attempts to re-apply for benefits will fail. My family and social network in general has struggles of their own, at capacity in their willingness to help us. At the rate things are going, we are going to be homeless, my wife will be dead and my children will be taken away by social services. I cannot work at this point and I have no prospective income in the foreseeable future.
I get the impression that all people are struggling to some degree, otherwise they would help us more. Struggling is largely accepted, human biases naturally make people less inclined to help those in need. Like assuming others might help-like god maybe? I hear all the time from my friends that god has a plan. That god's trying to teach us something with this cancer battle. That everything will work out, trust in god. That maybe we're not right with god and have invited demons to oppress our household. When things go good for my friends, they praise god for favoring them and rewarding their faith. When things go wrong for us, they just pray for us, without any effect. When I walk into the halls of MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center (almost daily), the absence of god is glaringly obvious to me. Young mothers, little children- all dying, horribly maimed by cancer, they are horribly disfigured and horrific numbers of amputations of every variety. How can this be part of god's plan? What can these poor people learn? What omnipotent being comes up with suffering as a way of "soul-making" or any other theodicy I've heard people make for these atrocities, his apparent indifference?
The reality is there is no god. The universe is precisely what a scientist would expect to see if there were no intelligent creator behind it. It's a random ensemble of physical laws that just happened to give rise to conscious life, giving it the mere appearance of fine tuning. I would expect more from an omnipotent god. I would argue that an omnipotent being could make a world free of suffering, where free-will did not comprise a world where people's exercise of free will would anger him, provoking him into creating this painful existence. Conscious beings wouldn't have to kill and eat/pain other conscious beings for survival, the bible would be this perfect literary work and not rife with glaring contradictions and condoning morally questionable acts that were once acceptable for the time. In our case, we did not earn our misfortune, just some people by random chance have everything go wrong. As unlikely as it is (and indeed unlikely as our specific universe/laws are,) roll the dice enough and it happens. You'll find that a rare few people have extremely bad runs of 'luck' and conversely, a few with very good runs. The majority will fall in the middle of good and bad things happening to them, but nothing catastrophically bad or sensationally spectacular in their lifetimes. These people will attribute the random goings on as divine intervention, the will of god. They will interpret massive failure they see as the result of personal failings/judgement from god. They will interpret extreme success as brilliance with god's approval shining down.
Please change my view, I am in a horribly dark place devoid of all hope. I have no idea on a path forward, everything I try to do is not enough to save our family. I am trying to stave off a sense of learned helplessness at this point. So much pain and failure despite my very best efforts. Families silently die every day, but you just don't know- that's why it's a silent death. I am not the silent type, I will make a desperate scream in hopes it will be heard. My friends surround me saying god is there, I see the suffering around me (not just my own, or my family's) and it's pretty clear to me no one's home. I don't believe in god, but if there were a god, I would be extremely angry and appalled by his apparent indifference, his negligence.
<EDIT 2 PMish CST> Took a short break to go eat. All the support and counterpoints are really helping. I just realized I haven't eaten in a very long time. In fact, I lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half. I'm back to responding, slow going because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now.
<EDIT 3:58 PM CST> Wow I have been in a completely dark cloud. I have been holding together in some ways, but completely broken inside. I've just now come to the realization that my family is battle worn. We have been fighting for two whole years now with very little time to actually enjoy life. A very kind redditor (and really, you all have been extraordinarily kind) made a modest donation, which I am using a small portion to get the family out of the house for icecream- hopefully will boost morale around here. Will be back in a bit. I will be continuing to respond to everyone (here and PMs), even into the night. I hope you all know how grateful I am. I didn't have high hopes for today (or this post.) Thank you.
<EDIT 8:34 PM CST> Been recuperating from the outing. Being able to think more clearly, I think my emotional state took the worst nose dive around 7/11. My back completely failed me, which was terrifying given the state of things. Then on 7/12, I was notified I was officially being laid off. My wife's treatment last treatment failed around a month and a half before that, requiring a new one. Darkest place I've ever been guys, thanks for pulling me out of it. I'm back now and answering things. In the meantime, thanks everyone for enabling this:
[http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg](http://weirdscience.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/7CC35F6E-0EBE-42FF-902E-6776801966F6.jpg)
Given the state of things, I would have never imagined winding up there today. We had a nice break, really felt like there was a bit of normalcy. I am going to summarize everything I've learned from this, so this might one day help others feeling as I do. Truth be told, I do feel more open-minded about things, this subreddit is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
<EDIT 10:15ish PM CST> Holy moly, drinking philosophy through the fire hose at the moment. This whole thread has been amazingly educating. Brain a bit gooey, taking a break to watch Criminal Minds with my lady. It's our thing at the moment. Also just figured out there's this "Delta" thing I haven't been tending to. I will be going back and fixing that for all the people who contributed to changing my mind.
<EDIT 1 AMish CST> Been here for a while, just responding to some neglected PMs. Might take a quick doze and see if I can actually sleep tonight, tending to a few things on this thread during periods I can't sleep. Today has been simply incredible, I am so surprised how things have gone. I am deeply touched and inspired.
<EDIT 7:34 AM CST> Holy crap I actually slept the entire night! This hasn't happened in years! Back at it.
<EDIT 11:51 AM CST> Taking a break, noticed my wife's thinking is starting to spiral. She hasn't been here yet to benefit from all the support and perspective everyone is offering in this thread. I'm going to share the insights I derived here, just make her day a little better. Being in a far better place now, I can more clearly see she's been in the same bad place I've been these past few months, probably for far longer than I. Don't worry though, I am a person who values his commitments and I see everything I do to its conclusion. Will be back tonight (to tend to this amazing thread and all the wonderful PMs) after the family goes to sleep.
<EDIT 11:40 PM CST> Pssst. I'm back, everyone's asleep and I am back at it. Operation spirit lift was a success, my wife is feeling better- just in time for us to head to Houston to begin her new clinical trial. It's going to be a brutal week. Katie is getting a bone biopsy on Tuesday, it's really painful and scary. I have to stay behind until Tuesday night to go to a few doctor appointments to see what's up with my back. Been handing out those deltas, please let me know if I overlooked your comment, there's nearly 500 of them at this point and I'm only halfway through.
<EDIT 1:00 AM CST> Heading to bed for a bit. About 3/4 way through the comments. Really want to reiterate how amazing everyone has been. I really think a lot of good will come from this- not just me and my family, but everyone.
<EDIT 2:05 PM CST> Decided to brave the bounce house this morning, the kids haven't been in over a month. I was getting weird looks for having to lie down a lot, but the kids had an absolute blast. Their mom is now in Houston getting her MRI and other diagnostics. We will join her tomorrow night after all my doctors appointments for my back. To make sure my wife isn't alone through all of this, her dad took the next two days off to be with her. I really love that man, totally inspires me as a father. I'm back at home recuperating in bed while the kiddos are napping, might have to disappear suddenly. Until then, I'm back to responding.
<EDIT 3:27 PM CST> Kids are awake, will come back to this tonight.
<EDIT 2:17 AM CST> Yikes, totally wrecked from the day with the kiddos, just now getting back here after recuperating for a bit.
<EDIT 11:37 AM> Discharged as chronic pain patient, because "we don't work well together." Really he doesn't like when I challenge him by asking questions, or to do anything really (like paperwork.) He complained that I don't go in there for procedures and just get refills on meds. I'm an intractable pain patient, surgery, epidurals, PT, spinal stim, non-opioid meds all failed and he knows this. Every single appointment, I re-iterate that I am willing to try anything new treatment-wise (and they offer none)- I think it was just him doing CYA. Anyhow, just a small window into my world (and many others in intractable pain.) Due to the opioid crisis it will take a very long time to establish a new doctor, my current one says he won't write any further scripts so this could potentially screw me over really bad. I'm going to see if an other doctor in the practice will take me on. Back to this in a bit when I figure out my next move.
<EDIT 4:44 PM CST> Leaving for Houston a bit late. Waiting on house sitter. Answering PMs tonight, more of thread tomorrow.<EDIT 12:08 AM CST> In Houston, everyone's in bed. Answering PMs.
<EDIT 9:00 PM CST> Going to wrap up answering comments, almost there! Afterwards, will be contributing to ProjectWATT, perhaps also to the podcast. It would be a nice way to give back.
<EDIT 9:01 AM CST 8/11/18> This might be my final update to this comment, made my best effort to answer every comment in this thread. If I overlooked yours please do let me know, I will respond. I am now working on contributing to ProjectWATT as time permits.
My wife had a reaction to her infusion, she's completely debilitated from it, just laying in bed crying. I am extremely stressed, but still holding (thank you everyone!) For now, I will be fully tasked taking care of everyone. We could use help, if you feel like doing so please do so solidly in your means.
[paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac](https://paypal.me/homicidalbrainiac)
BTC: 16d7DwFTzhfSnrbznEnP4QB3XexwFnXcK1
Katie's best friend also established a gofundme a while back that was used to raise money for paying the full insurance deductible (ours is just over $5K) that MD Anderson requires up-front before allowing treatment every year. It's been inactive for a while up until recently, but still works.
[https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh](https://www.gofundme.com/z7pruh)
| 1,533,399,300
|
joshingkatie
|
e3lr6qu
|
e3lowxy
| 96
| 39
|
CMV: The Prophet Muhammad, claimed under Islam as the Most Moral of All Men, was a child rapist.
The hadiths make it clear that he took his wife Aisha for marriage when she was 6. Many Muhammad apologists try to say she was actually much older and the Hadiths in question can't be trusted since they aren't "the word of Allah".. even though many are first hand accounts of the girl herself. By following the logic that the hadiths can't be trusted then we would have little to no knowledge of Muhammad himself and also getting rid of the hadiths turns the Quran into mound of disconnected contextless writings. The Hadith's in question :
* Narrated 'Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for 'Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.) (Fateh-al-Bari page 143, Vol.13) Sahih Bukhari 8:73:151
* 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old. Sahih Muslim 8:3311
* A’ishah said : I used to play with dolls. Sometimes the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) entered upon me when the girls were with me. When he came in, they went out, and when he went out, they came in." Sunan Abu Dawud 4913 (Ahmad Hasan Ref)
* It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah married me when I was six, and consummated the marriage with me when I was nine, and I used to play with dolls." (Sahih) Sunan an-Nasa'i 4:26:3380
* It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "I used to play with dolls when I was with the Messenger of Allah, and he used to bring my friends to me to play with me." (Sahih) Sunan Ibn Majah 3:9:198
* Aisha said she was nine years old when the act of consummation took place and she had her dolls with her. Mishkat al-Masabih, Vol. 2, p 77
Many defenders also like to point to the context at the time being normal for child brides to take place. Agreed! It was! However again he is a prophet and he is the most moral of all men, there is no way to in todays day and age give him a pass and say its ok to that he only be held to the standards of the society around him at the time, He was founding an entire religion, he was a "holy man" so he should be rightly held to a higher standard, to which he has failed.
​
\*EDIT\* Please see my reply to u/[Subtleiaint](https://www.reddit.com/user/Subtleiaint/) for extensive additional sources
\*EDIT2\* Alright been replying for the better part of 4 hours, plenty of good discussions. Also I want to make it clear that while pointing out that Muhammad may have engaged in some very problematic practices, I'm not attempting to make a blanket commentary on modern day Islam or modern day Muslims, so for those of you that are trying, please stop turning it into that. That said I will have to come back later to continue the discussions and replies.
|
Many marriages during that time were married young. Any man with a conscious would wait until the girl could safely carry a child. I am not defending this practice in any way. But old used to be 40! So you cannot really judge people from that time on today's standards. Women were considered less important than their war horses.. Which is sad..
|
It is actually legal for an adult to marry a child in the US, and only in recent history did it become a crime for a husband to force himself on his wife. Given the pushback on rape laws in the US I think it's safe to say this isn't nearly as universally condemnable as you or OP seem to believe.
|
mvqyoq
|
CMV: The Prophet Muhammad, claimed under Islam as the Most Moral of All Men, was a child rapist.
|
The hadiths make it clear that he took his wife Aisha for marriage when she was 6. Many Muhammad apologists try to say she was actually much older and the Hadiths in question can't be trusted since they aren't "the word of Allah".. even though many are first hand accounts of the girl herself. By following the logic that the hadiths can't be trusted then we would have little to no knowledge of Muhammad himself and also getting rid of the hadiths turns the Quran into mound of disconnected contextless writings. The Hadith's in question :
* Narrated 'Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for 'Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.) (Fateh-al-Bari page 143, Vol.13) Sahih Bukhari 8:73:151
* 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old. Sahih Muslim 8:3311
* A’ishah said : I used to play with dolls. Sometimes the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) entered upon me when the girls were with me. When he came in, they went out, and when he went out, they came in." Sunan Abu Dawud 4913 (Ahmad Hasan Ref)
* It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah married me when I was six, and consummated the marriage with me when I was nine, and I used to play with dolls." (Sahih) Sunan an-Nasa'i 4:26:3380
* It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "I used to play with dolls when I was with the Messenger of Allah, and he used to bring my friends to me to play with me." (Sahih) Sunan Ibn Majah 3:9:198
* Aisha said she was nine years old when the act of consummation took place and she had her dolls with her. Mishkat al-Masabih, Vol. 2, p 77
Many defenders also like to point to the context at the time being normal for child brides to take place. Agreed! It was! However again he is a prophet and he is the most moral of all men, there is no way to in todays day and age give him a pass and say its ok to that he only be held to the standards of the society around him at the time, He was founding an entire religion, he was a "holy man" so he should be rightly held to a higher standard, to which he has failed.
​
\*EDIT\* Please see my reply to u/[Subtleiaint](https://www.reddit.com/user/Subtleiaint/) for extensive additional sources
\*EDIT2\* Alright been replying for the better part of 4 hours, plenty of good discussions. Also I want to make it clear that while pointing out that Muhammad may have engaged in some very problematic practices, I'm not attempting to make a blanket commentary on modern day Islam or modern day Muslims, so for those of you that are trying, please stop turning it into that. That said I will have to come back later to continue the discussions and replies.
| 1,619,043,608
|
Drewsef916
|
gvduw4n
|
gvduk8m
| 7
| -4
|
CMV: Derek Chauvin did not receive a fair trial.
Note: I AM NOT DEFENDING DEREK CHAUVIN!!! He is a murderer and I do believe the jury was right to convict him. However I don’t believe he had a fair trial.
In america everyone is entitled to a fair trial. Meaning that you get a day in court with a jury that decides your fate. This means an Impartial jury - One that isn’t influenced by outsider actions. I don’t believe that derek chauvin received that.
Even before the verdict, the judge in the case refused to sequester jurors from media coverage and outside influences during the trial, and that the pressure conveyed to them was beyond intense.
2nd point: Politicians/protestors influencing the case. Biden commented that he hoped the jury would come to the ‘right’ conclusion. Maxine waters and blm kind of forced a guilty verdict. She said blm needed to get 'more confrontational' and I know she didn't mean any harm but it could have tainted the jury. Also blm protestors were outside of the courthouse which could have pressured the jury.
Do you really think that none of those factors influenced the juries decision? I don’t. Chauvin is entitled to a re-trial.
|
>Even before the verdict, the judge in the case refused to sequester jurors from media coverage and outside influences during the trial, and that the pressure conveyed to them was beyond intense.
That's not accurate. The jury was partially sequestered meaning they were allowed to go home at night, but outside if that they're monitored. During the deliberation, they were fully sequestered.
And as Judge Cahill noted, "Media reports during trial are likely to report on the evidence already presented and unlikely to unduly prejudice the jury… so full sequestration is not necessary.”
He also gave direct instruction to the jury "Try to avoid as much news coverage as possible,. I think I’ve said don’t watch any news about this case but given its prevalence and unexpected events like what we’ve just experienced, it's best to avoid all media coverage.”
>2nd point: Politicians/protestors influencing the case. Biden commented that he hoped the jury would come to the ‘right’ conclusion. Maxine waters and blm kind of forced a guilty verdict. She said blm needed to get 'more confrontational' and I know she didn't mean any harm but it could have tainted the jury.
I would point out here that the jury, and any jury that would have heard Chauvin's case, would seen a year of protests and political commentary beforehand. The jury was then whittled down to people who were believed to be not strongly opinionated and could put preexisting perceptions aside for the trial.
Even if they did hear these comments, and that's complete speculation, on what basis do we believe that the kind of people eligible for this jury would convict a man of murder because Maxine Waters and Joe Biden said that's what should happen?
>Do you really think that none of those factors influenced the juries decision
Yeah I do. The jury was pretty quick in their decision-making. No indication of reluctance. If there was any indecision here, the verdict wpuld have taken at least a few days of deliberation.
And if they wanted to give Chaivin a lesser charge, they could. If they really didn't think he was guilty of second degree murder. The prosecution gave them three charges, and they approved of not one, not two, but three.
|
There was never going to be a trial of Derek Chauvin where the background of what happened after George Floyd died wasn't in the jury's mind. The trial started after the footage had been released and the protests took over the country. So sequestering wouldn't have made the jury less conscious of this wider political movement.
He'll make appeals for sure. Maybe they'll be successful? But I don't think Chauvin deserves a trial where people aren't prejudiced by BLM and police killings, becuase that is simply impossible.
|
mvtono
|
CMV: Derek Chauvin did not receive a fair trial.
|
Note: I AM NOT DEFENDING DEREK CHAUVIN!!! He is a murderer and I do believe the jury was right to convict him. However I don’t believe he had a fair trial.
In america everyone is entitled to a fair trial. Meaning that you get a day in court with a jury that decides your fate. This means an Impartial jury - One that isn’t influenced by outsider actions. I don’t believe that derek chauvin received that.
Even before the verdict, the judge in the case refused to sequester jurors from media coverage and outside influences during the trial, and that the pressure conveyed to them was beyond intense.
2nd point: Politicians/protestors influencing the case. Biden commented that he hoped the jury would come to the ‘right’ conclusion. Maxine waters and blm kind of forced a guilty verdict. She said blm needed to get 'more confrontational' and I know she didn't mean any harm but it could have tainted the jury. Also blm protestors were outside of the courthouse which could have pressured the jury.
Do you really think that none of those factors influenced the juries decision? I don’t. Chauvin is entitled to a re-trial.
| 1,619,052,520
|
Gensokyofartsniffer
|
gve5z39
|
gve4o82
| 30
| 15
|
CMV: the word "incel" is a baseless insult used by people to describe a certain political affiliation.
Incel means involuntary celibate which was coined by people to describe themselves and why they are not having sex and to point out that it is no fault of their own.
Incel is now thrown around to describe people on the right even when said people don't subscribe to said ideology, much like the word cuck is thrown around at people on the left.
Incel is not about a movement anymore but instead a disparaging remark to describe people of a certain political affiliation, when I see people called an incel 9 out of 10 it is someone describing a person who has right leaning views and is used to disregard their points to said discussion.
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/yourmomshousepodcast/comments/a7jcwo/your_moms_house_podcast_ep_479_w_nikki_glaser/ec4t1ka
https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/a8oye9/the_word_incel_is_the_far_left_equivalent_of_cuck/eccgnbe
Here is two examples of people being called incels and both people are left leaning spouting the incel term. If you can find anything with an incel feel in those posts please do tell.
|
Anytime someone tries to advocate for a male-friendly approach to a social or legal issue, the word incel magically appears.
|
a8pqhh
|
CMV: the word "incel" is a baseless insult used by people to describe a certain political affiliation.
|
Incel means involuntary celibate which was coined by people to describe themselves and why they are not having sex and to point out that it is no fault of their own.
Incel is now thrown around to describe people on the right even when said people don't subscribe to said ideology, much like the word cuck is thrown around at people on the left.
Incel is not about a movement anymore but instead a disparaging remark to describe people of a certain political affiliation, when I see people called an incel 9 out of 10 it is someone describing a person who has right leaning views and is used to disregard their points to said discussion.
| 1,545,521,883
|
themarksmann
|
eccps7x
|
eccpk95
| 0
| -3
|
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