| The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #325739] |
Wed, 09 April 2008 13:39  |
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Spoony
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just had the weirdest thought I've had in ages.
we all know the expression: 'the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist'.
Wouldn't it be a good trick for God to pull to convince the world he didn't exist? Because then, anybody's personal decisions on morality and philosophy would have to be made for their own sake, instead of following a centuries-old doctrine or done out of the promise (or fear) of the after-death consequences...
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Renedrama [ren-i-drah-muh]
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1. the inevitable criticism one receives after doing something awful
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| Re: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #325752 is a reply to message #325739] |
Wed, 09 April 2008 14:32  |
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nikki6ixx
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It would mean God would have a sense of humour. However, judging by plenty of his die-hard followers, I'd have to say he doesn't have one.
Renegade:
| Aircraftkiller wrote on Fri, 10 January 2014 16:56 |
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| Re: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #326059 is a reply to message #325739] |
Sat, 12 April 2008 23:07 |
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Chuck Norris
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| Spoony wrote on Wed, 09 April 2008 15:39 |
just had the weirdest thought I've had in ages.
we all know the expression: 'the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist'.
Wouldn't it be a good trick for God to pull to convince the world he didn't exist? Because then, anybody's personal decisions on morality and philosophy would have to be made for their own sake, instead of following a centuries-old doctrine or done out of the promise (or fear) of the after-death consequences...
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Not everyone who considers themselves to have good morals do so out of promise or fear relating to God. It's probably only a small percentage of people that do.
When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.
Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
[Updated on: Sat, 12 April 2008 23:07] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #326072 is a reply to message #326059] |
Sun, 13 April 2008 03:05 |
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Spoony
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| Chuck Norris wrote on Sun, 13 April 2008 01:07 |
Not everyone who considers themselves to have good morals do so out of promise or fear relating to God. It's probably only a small percentage of people that do.
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I didn't say they all did. I basically said you don't know.
Unleash the Renerageâ„¢
Renedrama [ren-i-drah-muh]
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1. the inevitable criticism one receives after doing something awful
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| Re: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #326149 is a reply to message #326140] |
Mon, 14 April 2008 00:53 |
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Spoony
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mmhmm.
you could very well argue that a good deed for selfish reasons doesn't change the goodness. e.g. if a person donates $1000 to charity that they spent months saving up, and if McDonalds donated $1000 to the same charity that they earned in like half a second and just wanted to get some good publicity, the money's still gonna do the same thing.
Unleash the Renerageâ„¢
Renedrama [ren-i-drah-muh]
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1. the inevitable criticism one receives after doing something awful
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| Re: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #326274 is a reply to message #326149] |
Tue, 15 April 2008 10:12 |
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cheesesoda
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| Spoony wrote on Mon, 14 April 2008 03:53 |
mmhmm.
you could very well argue that a good deed for selfish reasons doesn't change the goodness. e.g. if a person donates $1000 to charity that they spent months saving up, and if McDonalds donated $1000 to the same charity that they earned in like half a second and just wanted to get some good publicity, the money's still gonna do the same thing.
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Then you'd be arguing Consequentionalist ethics, and those are just utterly fail. The fact that an act does some good doesn't prove that the act, in itself is good.
I could lynch a black guy in order to stop a riot created by the raping of a white woman. It stops the riot because someone was punished for the act. It was an innocent man, and killing him made people rest easier and prevented the deaths of those that got swallowed up by the riot. It had a good result, overall, but the total lack of justice makes me scoff at the idea that this could be considered moral.
I'll take my Deontological ethics, where intent is what matters regarding morality.
whoa.
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| Re: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #326363 is a reply to message #326274] |
Wed, 16 April 2008 01:41 |
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Spoony
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| cheesesoda wrote on Tue, 15 April 2008 12:12 |
| Spoony wrote on Mon, 14 April 2008 03:53 |
mmhmm.
you could very well argue that a good deed for selfish reasons doesn't change the goodness. e.g. if a person donates $1000 to charity that they spent months saving up, and if McDonalds donated $1000 to the same charity that they earned in like half a second and just wanted to get some good publicity, the money's still gonna do the same thing.
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Then you'd be arguing Consequentionalist ethics, and those are just utterly fail. The fact that an act does some good doesn't prove that the act, in itself is good.
I could lynch a black guy in order to stop a riot created by the raping of a white woman. It stops the riot because someone was punished for the act. It was an innocent man, and killing him made people rest easier and prevented the deaths of those that got swallowed up by the riot. It had a good result, overall, but the total lack of justice makes me scoff at the idea that this could be considered moral.
I'll take my Deontological ethics, where intent is what matters regarding morality.
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tell that to the starving kids; take away their new clean well dug by the money McDonalds donated like the champion of morality you are.
Unleash the Renerageâ„¢
Renedrama [ren-i-drah-muh]
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1. the inevitable criticism one receives after doing something awful
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| Re: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #326424 is a reply to message #326389] |
Wed, 16 April 2008 11:05 |
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Starbuzz
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I see no difference between a person and McDonalds donating $1000.
I wonder what would happen if Bill Gates does all his charity work anonymously under the Microsoft name rather than the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Should Microsoft then deserve less respect because it is a money-making corporation? I don't think so.
Just because it's a corporation does not necessarily mean there is a lack of humanity. It is the difficulty of seeing the people behind the corporation that create this false illusion that a stand-alone person's donations are better.
[Updated on: Wed, 16 April 2008 11:24] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled... [message #326429 is a reply to message #325739] |
Wed, 16 April 2008 12:07 |
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nikki6ixx
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I donate to certain charities because of the write-off's, and not so much of my being a tender, caring soul.
The money still does the same thing. Sure, it makes me look like a cynical asshole, but it'll still help get people off the streets all the same.
Renegade:
| Aircraftkiller wrote on Fri, 10 January 2014 16:56 |
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