Dannyboy-the-Dane

Have you talked to a therapist or psychiatrist about it?

This apathy-like feeling of yours, is that related to your anxiety? Or does it have a separate cause?

The only thing I'm truly phobic about is spiders, though the thought of being buried alive also gives me claustrophobic feelings.

Not what I meant. Not all opinions are equally true, factual, logically consistent. Considering homosexuality unnatural or morally wrong is not a logically sound belief, just as believing the Earth was made by a creator 6,000 years ago isn't, either. But they might as well have meant me. Nobody in this thread has said people were not allowed to have whatever opinion they want; some of us have, however, argued that opinions shouldn't be free from criticism, especially when they do not make sense rationally, and that they should be challenged on that grounds. Is an opinion being challenged now equal to it being a thought crime? Because that's what it sounded like to me. For the record, I actually completely agree with you about freedom of thought and expression; nobody has the right to not be offended, and everyone has the right to have and express any opinion. But I maintain that no opinion has the right to not be criticised.

I hate people like you! :p I have to scrub and clean my mouth constantly to keep it in decent condition.

Freedom of opinion does not qualify all opinions as equally true or sound; it protects one's right to have an opinion, but it does not protect that opinion from criticism. I will respect anyone's right to have an opinion, but I will not necessarily respect the opinion itself. On the contrary, if I consider an opinion bad, illogical or outright wrong, you can be sure I will criticise it. But apparently that makes me a bigot who wants to silence people and get rid of freedom of thought.

They have the right to have those beliefs, yes, and I would never force them to change, but I will most certainly challenge those beliefs, because there is no logical grounds for them. As such, it does require some suspension of critical thinking to accept them. Regarding my comment, I don't know what else to say; I've reaffirmed that it was a rhetorical device - I don't actually consider everyone in the WBC incapable of reason. Very few if any people are completely devoid of reason, but how much reason people have varies a lot. I appreciate your high opinion of me, but I don't know if I try to be balanced - first and foremost I try to be rational, critical and sceptical.

What I tend to uphold? What do you mean? I stand by that it was simply that, an exaggeration - a rhetorical device; obviously few human beings literally lack any ability to reason - I wouldn't argue for the use of logic and debate if I thought they were beyond such things. My point was that believing the ideas of the WBC requires overriding a special level of critical thinking, and this is often facilitated by the fact that people in the WBC have been brought up there.

Looking great, man!

It was obviously an exaggerated statement. My point was that I don't think picketing the funeral is going to lead to any epiphanies; the hardcore crowd is too deep in the mindset to catch the irony, and I don't even think it'll do much in the way of convincing the doubters. It comes back to the fact that I don't consider picketing his funeral a strong message at all - quite the opposite: It comes across to me as petty and vengeful and not at all conducive to rational discourse. If we are to bring doubters to our side, what is needed above all, as my point has been, is debate and reason.

Happy birthday!

Metaphorical blunt force just isn't the way to enlightenment; at the very least people need to be open to reason before they're able to understand a statement such as that, and I don't think ayone with the ability to reason would still be in the WBC.

Ah, fair enough. I misunderstood your post, then.

And I can guarantee you that picketing his funeral won't do an iota of good, either. They're too far gone into their own world. Whatever happens they'll still be entirely convinced they're in the right. Revenge doesn't help anyone or make anything better, it only adds to the collective amount of suffering and solely serves to satisfy and fuel negative emotions.

She's voiced by Brad Bird himself. Anyway, I love The Incredibles. Yes. That film is phenomenal.

Your friend is Richard Dawkins?

Ooh, I've always really liked Dr Christian. This seems like a really interesting show, though at the same time I'm slightly appalled they even need to make it. "And do [the cures] ever actually work?" Well, of course they bloody don't! It's a disgrace that the question is even still being entertained.

I lost my first DS the same way, by forgetting a bag on a train station.

I thought this was a stab at my people.

Reminds me of the new Postman Pat movie as well. *shudder*

Wow. That is actually awesome in the original sense of the word.

There is literally nothing in that post I do not like.