Goddess

I think our culture can also be defined by what is NOT acceptable here.

Yes, it can really challenge your patience. Whenever I feel impatient with elderly people, I remember I have a Grama in Ontario who is the wisest, most kind person I have ever known and I hope people there are being patient with her. I promise if your Grama is in Alberta, I'm being patient with her, too.

Haha, I know....I meant that everyone thinks everyone else twists scriptures, not just "your" group. I think you make a good point here: "in the end, it all boils down to our own reason why we get into religion." My observation is that people choose a religion based on what THEY want. (I say "choose" a religion, although most people just stay in whatever religion they are born into.) A religion that stresses submission of women will attract men who like that idea. A religion that stresses charity work will attract people who find satisfaction in doing that. Some people can't function without someone telling them exactly what's right and wrong and so they like a religion that is very black/white on issues.

Yes, yes....everyone "twists" the scriptures except your group. LOL

It would be nice if more religions focused on compassion, rather than enforcing rules that are basically just designed to separate people into "us" vs. "them".

I think cognitive dissonance comes into play a lot, too. How else do you explain why seemingly intelligent people can completely reject evolution, a science supported by modern medicine, anatomy, genetics, chemistry, paleontology, geology, and much more, and truly believe it makes less sense than a millennia old fairytale about a talking snake, a dirt man, and a rib woman. I had a religious devotee argue at length that "the fact" that men have one less rib than women is proof of creation.

Unless the situation is extreme, putting people on Ignore just because you disagree with them with juvenile.

Yes. Sweden has been leading the world in bringing in Muslims. Yet they are also attacked? Now Sweden will have to react and then the extremists will say to all the Muslims, "Look! Sweden hates Muslims too!" and the vortex of terrorism will continue. I wish more Muslims would wake up and realize they are being just as betrayed, just as "used" by ISIS and all the other extremists as Westerners are. Until that happens, Muslims will become radicalized no matter where they are living.

Agreed. Putting Saudi Arabia on the UN Human Rights Council was just insane. https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/06/29/un-suspend-saudi-arabia-human-rights-council

Things have changed in Western countries in the last 2 generations. My grandparents both came from large families with 11 and 13 children. But they all worked on the family farms, it was a collective effort to maintain the family. And government handouts were few in those days. Today, few families run "family businesses". And if a family were to choose to have that many kids nowadays, it means one must stay home to look after the kids and many larger families find it extremely difficult to live on one income. I don't think having more children than you can look after - financially, emotionally and educationwise - does society any favours.

Some religions refuse to adapt or accomodate others, yet demand others adapt and accomodate them.

Thank you. I enjoyed reading the older thread. A couple of weeks ago, my boyfreind and I were traveling by plane to go on holiday - a 4 hour trip, then a short layover and followed by another 4 hour trip. One of those "Up at 3 am to be to the airport for some god-forsaken early hour flight in the morning." For the first 4 hour trip to Toronto, a couple of young ladies were sitting across from us with a young boy. He was not in diapers, so I'm guessing about 3 years old. They brought NOTHING to keep him occupied on the plane - no books, no crayons, nothing to eat. For the ENTIRE 4 hour trip, he was allowed to emit a high-pitched scream every 90 seconds or so. The women thought this was so cute and just kept smiling at all of us other passengers, like, "Isn't he just adorable ??" Nobody did anything about it, including the flight staff.

Yes! I think everybody who goes to one of his shows knows what to expect.

I saw him a couple years ago in Vegas. 88 years old and he was just zinging people in the audience!

I'm not a believer in "Children should be seen and not heard" but I do believe children need to be taught social behaviour. When I was growing up, (Oh dear, those words just came out of my mouth....am I old??) and my parents had friends over to play cards, all us kids knew that it was "Adult time". We played downstairs and we didn't bother them - that was a sure way to get sent to bed. LOL Nowadays, it seems any time we're invited over to someone's house with children, the children are the focus of the entire evening. They dominate the conversations and interrupt the adults. Last time I was with my boyfriend's family, we all had to listen to various stories, including a 20 minute story from a 9 year old about how another boy at school lost his orange that day. (He never found it, in case you were wondering if there was a point to the story - there was not.)

Maybe there's a Nobel Spend Prize?

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddrink/restaurantsandnews/mum-outraged-after-diner-gives-her-children-should-be-seen-not-heard-note-after-kids-play-and-baby-cries-in-restaurant/ar-BBzurN1?li=AAggsmr My views on this will likely be unpopular, but.....here goes. When I eat at a McDonald's I accept that it is a restaurant primarily focused on families and children. I expect there to be children running around, playing loudly. If I am at McD's, it is usually a quick "grabbing a bite to eat" thing and I don't spend a lot of time hanging around the place. A restaurant which is not primarily focused on children is different, IMO. Adults go there to dine, not just "grab a bite to eat". Adults go there to socialize and visit with freinds. If you want a place for your children to "play together", a restaurant is a poor choice. Find a playground. Pack a picnic lunch. Or go to McDonald's. I doubt the woman would have gotten so angry that she wrote that note, just because a baby woke up and cried a little. There was enough action going on with these 2 mothers and 3 children, that they filmed a video of their children playing. In a restaurant. I also think that children need to be taught how to behave and WHY they need to behave in certain situations. Yes, I took my children to restaurants when they were little. No, they were not allowed to run around the restaurant, playing, shouting or yelling. On a couple of occasions when my daughter was small and being uncooperative in a restaurant, hubby took her out to the car and talked to her until she calmed down and was able to sit nicely. We also realized that for those few short years when they are little, we could avoid the nicer adult restaurants or go without the children. The woman that left the note was rude. There were other ways of handling it - maybe speaking privately to the manager. The manager could have talked to the 2 mothers, stating the dangers of letting the children run around in the restaurant (they could run into someone, they could run into a table edge and lose an eye, etc.) Then the young mothers could decide if they wanted to stay and keep their children in tow, or leave and go somewhere else where the children could "play". This would let the young mothers know that the children's behaviour is unacceptable, while at the same time allowing everyone to keep their dignity.

Wow, really? Personally I think the idea of debating the death of all the Jews is more than just silly (Waaaaay more than just silly). But as I said, knock yourself out.

No. I'm putting forward the point that I refuse to debate that topic. I'm a Goddess. I can do whatever I want.

And how do you have an academic, scientific discussion with someone whose religious beliefs teach them that an entire race of people should die? I have no interest in even debating with you or Altai on that topic. If you want to agree with her that all Israeli children are future murders and criminals....knock yourself out.

Well, I did give her one when she said all Israeli children were future murderers and criminals......

So, ignore it.

Dude, the majority of the forum is on her/his/their Ignore List. He/She/They are not interested in discussing this, or any other topic with anyone but people who agree with her/him/them, such as yourself.

Short version: He viewed the American military presence in Saudi Arabia as an insult to Islam.