baker

Only under the proviso that such a "competent language user" holds certain other beliefs. Such as, "Whatever a person says is only their own opinion a...

And the problem doesn't go away when using other words instead of "is". Because the problem isn't in the verb "to be", but primarily in the use of the...

It's not clear what you mean, some words are missing in those sentences. Are you talking about the preservation of meat in climates where people eat m...

Insofar is the fear of a civil unrests a factor in the ineffectiveness of the actions so far taken against Trump? Do there exist any analyses on this?

Parallel to that, the refusal to believe that the consequences of one's actions will come back to haunt one is what makes people refuse to even consid...

@"obscurelaunting" What you're asking for cannot be done in the framework of secular culture and science. They'll just write you off as mentally ill, ...

Sure. But what are the metaphysical assumptions behind them?

You're forgetting you're talking to a woman. I've been hungry almost as much as the average hungry African. And for a good part of my life, I have eat...

To give up on one's self-confidence?? To give up on one's sense of entitlement?? No, better to die!

And when the power runs out, we'll just hum.

Really? Encouraging people to be senseless consumerist zombies destroying the planet? I'm supposed to believe that this is what grandfather fought for...

*sigh* The exact workings of the Sharia law are irrelevant in this. All we need to know is that 1. Sharia law foresees the death penalty for some offe...

How about instead of speculating, you ask the only people who can answer your question: the imams in the West? Eight days into the discussion, have yo...

Is there any real interest to do anything about Trump? Why the colossal failure of the US justice system and the American public in general?

Because metaphysical beliefs come first. One meets one's practical needs because one has certain metaphysical beliefs. There's no point in eating if y...

Because you believed in the _mitigating_ effects of your apology or efforts to make amends.

This social neglect is a possible consequence of not believing in karma at all, or of believing oneself to already be "above karma" (and thus not subj...

For example, by recognizong that acting out of hostility will bring along more hostility.

This whole thing has always been about Western secular supremacism.

If you've ever apologized for something wrong that you did, or ever tried to make amends, then you were in fact relying on the workings of karma.

Why should this be problematic? Doing something for "good in itself" gives one the pleasure of feeling proud about one's morality, so it still falls u...

Nonsense. Where do you get these ideas???

By comparing it to a bad meal, not to no meal. That's appreciation for people who have no value system.

And then they call the police on you and you're the one who gets into trouble. But with a simplistic approach like that, you condone the hostility wit...

Why are to telling me that?

You don't get to decide what other people consider harmful.

Why do you need them or their tradition to be different than they are? Because you're not in control of your feelings? No, I'm not under that impressi...

And if you internalized some other psychological theory, you'd speak differently.

Only if they are committed to secularism.

No, I want you to understand why disagreement on important topics makes peaceful coexistence impossible.

On the contrary. In order to be able to judge others from the moral high ground, one actually has to hold the moral high ground. If it can be pointed ...

Why should they coexist peacefully with an unjust secular tradition? Just listen to yourself. You expect justice and redress from the very people you ...

Again, a case of blaming others. And a repression of what exactly? Rushdie was at no time a citizen of an Islamic republic where he would be bound, by...

Why strange? Can you explain? So a "fanatic" is now a clearly definable and universally binding category? Should people have the right to act in bad f...

It's more relevant in how one interprets the discrepancy: Do they not stone people because they have mercy, or see them as "fellow humans who shouldn'...

People threatening others with death is quite a common occurence. Just look at this forum. Even moderators quite nonchalantly tell others to kill them...

But neither he, nor anyone else, is free to dictate what effect that choice should have on others and how others should respond to it. It's not fine. ...

This kind of trivializing really doesn't help.

Rushdie didn't do his part. He wants other people to respect him, to tolerate him at least, but he doesn't want to return the favor. I'm not arguing o...

What is wrong with you? Are you unable to see things from another's perspective??

Agreed. The consequences for a transgression need to be serious. What is considered serious depends on the particular religion's metaphysical system. ...

Only a veneer? See, that's the problem: setting one's expectations so low. Are you sure about that? People often like to blame our lizard brain, yet a...

Everyone does, or else they are left to the mercy of others. Really? You believe that other people are responsible for one particular person's existen...

Google does. I was once having an email conversation about religion with someone. When the discussion came to Islam, the emails came with delays, some...

I also remember the soul-crushing alienation I felt growing up as someone who was ostracized from the religious community by birth. What I'd give to b...

Of course. It would be comical if it wouldn't be so sad to see various authoritarians fighting among eachother. If only the planet wouldn't have to pa...

Do you dispute that Iran is a sovereign country? "Offending the Prophet" is how they apply what you call the "harm principle". Rushdie and those who d...

Rushdie invented a parallel history for the Prophet. In Islam this is considered unacceptable and punishable. There is reason to suspect that Rushdie ...

Then why condemn what happened to Rushdie?

Don't confuse an absence of action with an absence of motive. At this very forum, moderators get to tell people to kill themselves or express the desi...