Ciceronianus

I just love irony. But if they were Conservative values, I question whether Conservative values exist anymore here in God's Favorite Country.

It's possible to own whatever law says can be owned, in fact.

Well, December 25th is actually the birth of Sol Invictus. The early Christian bigwigs pretty much acknowledged that they had no idea when Jesus was b...

Well, I meant something like a quote from an atheist that indicated he/she rejected, e.g., the Golden Rule because of a rejection of Christianity or r...

I'm glad we agree about pantheism. I have a fondness for the Stoic version, which is said to have some similarities with that of Spinoza. But it seems...

Well, I wonder whether there are, as you claim, atheists who are unable to accept virtuous things that are associated with Christian philosophy. A pre...

Well, I guess I don't understand what your point is here. Christianity borrowed so much from the ancient pagan philosophers that it may be said to inc...

That's hardly a peculiarly Christian rule.

"Acosmist" is a word I didn't know. I like it. Thank you for using it.

Also Lucius Flavius Arrianus, student of Epictetus (to whom we owe the Enchiridion and the Dialogues), governor of Cappadocia who defended his provinc...

I think justification of the circumstances isn't possible. The situation is as it is now; Israel is there, this is what is happening, what's proper or...

One of the most famous statements made by Einstein on this topic is this: “I believe in Spinoza’s god, who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of th...

Jerusalem? It was Aelia Capitolina for centuries after Hadrian had a Roman city built on what was left by the legions of Titus after they annihilated ...

It strikes me that without the assumption that the disputed land is the Jewish homeland, though, much of the claim that Israel was rightly created, an...

It isn't clear to me that Christianity has ever been adopted as a guide to living by any significant number of people calling themselves Christians if...

God's teeth. What a horrible law, or I suppose I should say set of laws, since it appears more than half of the states in our Glorious Union have adop...

Which is quite something, though, isn't it? What if there was no "Jewish homeland" in Israel? That would seem to make quite a difference.

Egyptian pharaohs were considered living gods, i.e. they were gods when alive. That generally wasn't so with Roman emperors, who usually were deified ...

I thought they actually were the members of the philosophy department of the University of Wooloomooloo, Bruce.

I think it's caused by a combination of fear and self-love, if left unmastered.

That would be appropriate only if it's truly possible to die of laughter.

The growing need to lessen the intensity of our desire for violence due to rampant boorishness.

Thank you.

I confess I miss some of those who once posted with some frequency, e.g. Landru Guide Us and a young fellow who used the name schep or something like ...

I think one of the reasons why this conflict continues is the belief that Israel has a special right, or claim, to Palestine (by which I mean the geog...

If you don't think Jews should have children, then it would seem that you think only those Jews living deserve to survive, though, while others should...

My guess is that quite a few Israelis have created children, and that those Israelis participating in the violence taking place have done so as well, ...

Ok, but I was wondering on what basis you claimed it to be the "Jewish homeland." Perhaps this is why, but if not, let me know if you like.

Ah, so God it is, then. But if that's the case, God's been remarkably inclined to allow others to make the Jewish homeland their homes, wouldn't you s...

Is this God raising his (no doubt enormous) head, bellowing "homeland", and ordering Israel to destroy men, women, children and livestock as he used t...

A genuine though misguided Christian community. We Christians have done far worse to the Jews than that. It's interesting to consider what would be th...

Well, although I'm not a practicing Christian now, I was brought up Christian, as a member of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Christianity...

Indeed. And who has ever heard of Christians being compelled to fight? It's never been necessary to force them to do what they've always been so willi...

Irony, you see. I thought it clear they screwed up then and there also. Or were you being ironic as well? Goddam irony.

We see here the results of the machinations of Perfidious Albion. You must say the Brits learned from it, though, as shown by their adroitness leading...

No doubt that's true. But I think we should all be concerned whenever government acts, intentionally or disingenuously, because Deus Vult!

What's happening is disturbing generally, but (maybe it's just me) I find the role the "settlers" and "settlements" appear to play in the continuing c...

You may be right. But when claims are made that slavery as it existed in the U.S. (or in European colonies) was not different from slavery as it exist...

Slaves were obtained from all over the Empire, and slavery wasn't based on race; nor, I think, would it be correct to say it was based on culture in a...

Yes, but slavery in the ancient world in the West was different from slavery as practiced in the U.S. and by the nations of Europe during and even aft...

My guess is you know about the First and Second Amendments. You raise an interesting issue regarding the First Amendment. Unlike so many other instanc...

Thanks for the clarification. Jumping the gun is one of my flaws, too.

I think it's more a fear that children will be taught something inconsistent with what must be taught for them to believe that their parents, their pa...

I'm neither dreary nor timid, but am professional, in that I'm confident, skillful and assured. But I have my flaws. For example, when I think I've be...

My daemon, Marcus Tullius Cicero, or at least a version of the original, induced me to do a bit of checking on CRT and do a little blog post about it ...

Since your own amusement seems a concern of yours, I'm happy to contribute to it.

You must find yourself most entertaining. But aside from matters of taste, of which it's said there can be no dispute, I think that as a narrative or ...

It's not a very pertinent comment to make, but I'm struck by how the first sentence of the OP has reminded me, suddenly and forcefully, that I found w...

I'm curious which physiologists say the brain is "nonessential." And which of them claim the brain is "shut down." And which of them would treat any p...

So, it's a "problem" only when we make the assumptions required in order for the question, or problem, to be raised in the first place. In other words...