So, there's a thread in Gen Pop about an ethical dilemia relating to fantasy football. I won't get into it, but several people felt that the OP should behave in a certain way, because it would be "Bad Karma" to do otherwise. That by some how not playing his best fantasy football team, he would lose the next week, or get hit by a bus ( actually suggested) or some other nonsense. And, I can't tell you how much this whole My name is Earl version of Karma knaws on my tits. (first off, I'd like to apologize to Tim Wakefield and Souther Buddhist, I'm not really talking about your actual belief in Karma as part of your general, well thought out religious philosophy. While I do think your beliefs are also dumb and unprovable, it's not specifically what I'm bashing on here, it's more the watered down, generic idea of karma I'm mocking)


I think people believe in this watered down and dumbed down version of Karma, because they really really want to believ ethere is justice in this world. Many of these people are atheists or agnostics, or have "spirituality" but not religion or what ever garbage. So they have recognized that the Western Organized religions are absurd, but they are too big of pussies to face the truth, that reality is ultimately meaningless, there are no great scales or unseen power making everything fair, and that random isolated events have no impact on future random isolated events.

Listen, I accept the idea, that if you lead a good life, are a good and moral person, and treat others with kindness and compassion, that you are likely to have good things happen to you. But it's not some mysterious force or benevolent space god that 'cause the effect. The reason is simple and practical. When you are kind to others, they will remember it. When you help others, they will like you and tend to want to help you. That's it. And the very idea that if you don't play Peyton Manning on the last day of your fantasy football regular season, this will some home make a bus driver slam into you the next day, is just fcking stupid.

So, if you're one of these people, who just blandly believes in this vague idea of Karma, please explain it to me.Please explain how if I kick my dog, why I'm going to slip out ice later that day. Explain to me exactly how this justice works, and what is the mechanism of this justice, who is this invisible Santa, who makes sure I'm on the nice list, and if I'm naughty, I get a lump of coal. Offer one shred of evidence that karma exists, other than " I feel like it does" or " in my life, when I've been nice, that niceness comes back to me". I'm looking for proof, not testimonials.

Anyway, I made this thread to gripe about and mock non-christian superstitions that I find absurd and merit mocking. Feel free to add your own. I used to live in Olympia, Washington, which is pretty much ground central for stupid pagan hippy philosophy. It never seized to amaze me how people could mock christianity, then in the next moment they can bring up Gaia or Astrology.


Next up for mockery, astrology.

HA! I saw the topic title and immediately thought about the fantasy football thread. I will have to agree with you on this one...

I agree, the westernized idea of karma is pretty silly and meaningless. 'Bad things happen to bad people because it's fair and that's what karma is!!' No.

Also I don't necessarily believe in the Buddhist idea of karma either, as a literal force.

Whatever you call it, having a tranny in your sig in an attempt to trick people is probably bad juju.

"What's the matter, Yorke, does it make you uncomfortable and give you very weird trouble."

...no comment

My avatar should give them a hint, btw.

With Karma, perception is reality. It's just another fairy tale to convince people to be "good".

oh man, you're all gonna get it

The day after I mock Karma, my dad dies, so what the fuck do I know.

Are you serious? If so I'm incredibly sorry to hear that.

EDIT: Just saw your post in the sicky thread, my deepest condolences to you and your family.

Thanks Tim, I appreciate it.

Sorry to hear about your dad.... seriously.

I tried to send this via PM but you've got me blocked... understandably so... but my condolences are sincere.

Well, last month, when you thougth that my dad was already dead, you mocked his death and what you thought was our relationship, so forgive me if I I find it extremely hard to believe that you give a shit now. Stuff your condolences up your ass.

Over the last couple months I find myself liking you more and more and it's not a tranny thing.

Wait... what? You can block people from PM'ing you!? I'm off to make a list.

I'm also pretty sure I'm not blocking his pm's, he may have been blocking mine, I dunno, but I certainly don't remember doing it.

Yeah, sorry about that, I was drinking a lot then.

Really, really biting my tongue here.

Not usually one for restraint, regardless of the circumstances, so understand the heavy measure of respect involved in this act.

Condolences, truly.

you don't need to bite your tongue on my account, spade. A few lines of sharp wit from you would mean more to me than 1000 lines of empty condolences from the likes of Hollywood. But I do thank you for your condolences and the thoughts behind the restraint.

Im pretty freakin' curious as to what Spademan wanted to, but didnt, say.

Agreed. Please share.

I think that the Patriots losing the Superbowl is pretty much rock solid proof that Karma kicked flushgarden in the butthole.

Big D, I am really sorry to hear about your father. You have my deepest sympathies.

It's obvious I don't like you, you're always sticking up for black people, but seriously, on a poker forum where we occasionally bitch at each its hard to convey anything, but really, I really am sorry for your loss and wish you and your family the strength to deal with it.

To the topic:

This is the part I disagree with, wholeheartedly, "Because other superstitions besides Christianity need bashed"

Maybe I'm blind but I haven't really noticed you ranting about your hatred for Christians, although it seems pretty evident.

This karma thing may be stupid but all these people are doing is running around trying to do good deeds. I have no problem with this. My biggest problem is the "besides" word. These random happy hippies should not distract us from the pure evil that is organised religion. Let them bring back my phone when I leave it on a bus. Good for them.

They don't harm anyone so leave them be, the Christians and organised religion deserve our full attention until they realise we have and will evolve beyond needing religion.

These two words have nothing to do with each other.

Much as apple and fruit have nothing to do with each other.

Karma is Gods way of saying "I warned ya !"

More like in the spaghetti and blankets kind of way. True Christianity has nothing to do with the established 'church'. It's a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Most, if not all, of the things that people in these forums hate about Christianity... Jesus hates also.

Sooo... the haters are actually on the same side with Jesus.... ergo they are really Christians !





ZING !

It would be great if that was true. The problem is that many Christians disagree with you about a lot of issues regarding the religion. Of course you'll say that means they aren't real Christians, but then they would say the same about you. And it leaves us with no choice but to lump you all in together.

I don't think it's true that most Christians would say I'm wrong after me showing them the parts of the Bible that apply to whatever issue we are talking about. It's simply that most Christians don't read or care about what the Bible says enough to actually read it. I think that they are Christians from a religious standpoint, but they are not followers of Christ.

Also, I don't think it's necessarily wise to lump everyone together. I don't view you and Crow in even close to the same light.

I agree with the whole Karma discussion but the main thing I got from this thread is I seem to be attracted to the tranny in Bigs signature. Thanks for that Big. I know it's a bit late but I also give you my condolences Big, I can't even begin to imagine losing one of my parents.

Agree with the first statement but not the second.
I think many people, certainly in the States, claim to be a Christian out of ease and because it's the norm but they are no more Christian than Crow is. One must be a follower of Christ to be a Christian.

I think that you believe so strongly that you are right that you think it's impossible that many Christians could disagree with your interpretation of the bible, whether in terms of general ideas or specific passages. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that other people might think that you are. I dunno...maybe "most" was an exaggeration.



Oh, that's not really what I mean. I don't view you, Hollywood, and Lois in the same light. I just think that you're all Christians. I think it's perfectly fair for you to make the blanket statement that me and crow are atheists even though we don't necessarily agree everything (plus I'm agnostic, but I'm not sure who else around here is as well, so the atheist thing is an easier example).

I am as well. That is probably why I like the majority of your posts in this section of the forum. We are the proverbial fence sitters.

Count me in too. I always thought it, but kind of just was a default catholic, only 2 weeks ago I realised that I will never ever again tell someone I am catholic.

I just like telling everyone else that they don't know what they're talking about while never really saying anything myself.



I still say I'm jewish, but if it's a real conversation I follow it up with how I really feel.

Well I was baptized catholic, as pretty much every Irish person in America was 30 years ago. But I have never once attended mass.




Is there any other way?



Yeah, definitely depends on who I am talking to.

There's a few in here that do that.
It's funny when you do though....

For example, over the first few pages of this thread:

http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-foru...howtopic=131347

Well I live in Israel so I overuse the killed Jesus card a ridiculous amount. Asides from that I'm not catholic.

How's that working out for you?

Israelis are a great laugh. My friends just say "good riddance" or "you'll be next if you don't watch it". The average person is not so religious, my foreign friends I work with who made aliya are much more religious than tel aviv israelis, some zionists etc. On Yom Kippur I had a BBQ with all Israelis while all my foreign friends were fasting.

I highly recommend Tel Aviv, don't believe the hype.

Obviously I am also very sorry to hear about your loss BigD.

As far as the thread topic goes, here's another one to add to the list. People who just seem to make up their own religion, saying that Christianity has it all wrong and instead all they have to do is "be a good person" and they will get into "heaven." What's a good person? Some subjective assessment based on the person. It boggles my mind that people can criticize Christianity and then go ahead and actually hold such a belief.

So you think that Christianity is the only possible basis for ethics?

I hope he doesn't think that.

There are some who obviously aren't good people and are not ethical but I don't think it has anything to do with their disbelief in a God.
More likely just living a crappy life and hate people.

The only true atheist I know personally is a real good person... a very good friend of mine.

Well, first of all, at some point people "made up" Christianity. Also, the whole point of the atheism/agnosticism/karma/humanism/whatever has absolutely nothing to do with getting into heaven, or any version of heaven. The question of "what's a good person" is an issue for every religion (or non-religion) ever created, so that's not a knock on any one belief structure.

Not at all. On the contrary, I tend to be more critical of people who are religious from an ethical standpoint than those who aren't; I won't go into that though. But I also think it's pretty ridiculous to just say "If I'm a good person (subjectively decided upon), I go to this magical afterlife. I'm just more comfortable with that thought, so I treat it as true." I find that just as ridiculous as any particular religions.

All I merely meant to say was that I'm bothered by people who think Christianity (or other religions, but since I live in America I am mostly exposed to that particular religion) is stupid but then actually apparently think they can just make up their own rules of who gets into heaven. Hopefully that adaquately addresses all the points bought up above.

I agree completely with this. I used to live in the puget sound, rife with hippies, and so many people I meant were anti-christian, didn't think it held any validity, but they believed instead in all kinds of random pagan bullsht, like astrology, or earth mothers, or the celtic pantheon and what not. I would laugh at all of them.

There's LOTS of people who do that.

They don't like religions because that requires too much of them so they just make up their own beliefs.

It's easier that way.
lol

Yes indeed, there are a lot of people who do it. I don't at all mind that people have disagreements on ethical opinions. I DO very much find it ridiculous that people don't see the absurdity of saying such personal assessments on right and wrong are perfectly aligned with some deity in determining who gets into "heaven."