Religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated ‘for the sake of human progress’

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

And that's great. But it doesn't mean that everyone can do the same. Some people can and do overcome adversity, some people can't. Sometimes the hill is too high to climb.

We have two choices, either take care of those who can't make it on their own, or reintroduce large predators that can take out the weak, sick, and old.

barfo

I'm all for packs of wild dogs running the inner cities of America!

 

[Denny Crane]

And that's great. But it doesn't mean that everyone can do the same. Some people can and do overcome adversity, some people can't. Sometimes the hill is too high to climb.

We have two choices, either take care of those who can't make it on their own, or reintroduce large predators that can take out the weak, sick, and old.

barfo

We took care of people before the New Deal. In fact, the New Deal made peoples' lives miserable pretty much for all four of FDR's terms.

LBJ's Great Society programs haven't made a dent in the poverty rate.

The hill is too high to climb for very few. Even only a subset of those who suffer the loss of both legs at age 5.

It looks good on paper and sounds good to want to take over peoples' lives so they can't fail, but the reality is you spend vast sums of money and don't end up helping people as planned.

If you ever hear these words, you are in trouble: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you."

You give people far less credit for their ability to be resourceful than you should. I truly believe in people and their ability to thrive if left alone to do so.

Your binary choice is just terrible logic. Charity is one of many other answers.

 

[Paine Tablet]

My father and grandfather were dealt life altering and crippling blows and managed to make it.

You act like losing both legs at age 5 isn't a traumatic loss?



Maybe they made something of themselves because there was no government teet to suck on.

No, I will readily admit that the events in your father's and grandfather's life were significant and traumatic. But you act like they are necessarily equal in effect to the long list of traumas and constraints that my sister experienced. Have you ever pondered how your father might've overcome his difficulties had his own father passed away early or had his own father not been able to overcome his constraints? Do you think then that maybe your father wouldn't have been given expectations or a role model with which to find proper guidance and inspiration? You give him credit that he was given your grandfather's gift when you ought give it to destiny.

 

[Denny Crane]

No, I will readily admit that the events in your father's and grandfather's life were significant and traumatic. But you act like they are necessarily equal in effect to the long list of traumas and constraints that my sister experienced. Have you ever pondered how your father might've overcome his difficulties had his own father passed away early or had his own father not been able to overcome his constraints? Do you think then that maybe your father wouldn't have been given expectations or a role model with which to find proper guidance and inspiration? You give him credit that he was given your grandfather's gift when you ought give it to destiny.

My own father was stuck in the hardware store while my grandparents worked long hours. No daycare back then.

My father did not get along with his father. Some role model.

 

[MarAzul]

Wow! You guys know a lot of stuff about your fathers.
I know nothing of mine after he left in 1945, except missing, presumed killed in action.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

My dad suffered 3rd degree burns over most of the right side of his body when he wasn't quite two years old. He spent a large portion of the next 16 years in Shriners Hospital undergoing skin grafts. Shriners was one of the few resources available to struggling families back 80+ years ago. He went on to build a highly successful business, despite crippling (physically and socially) scarring. And despite dropping out of school early in his sophomore year of HS. He did it through hard physical work, determination, sacrifice and unbelievably long hours. But he will be the very first to tell you that he would never have made it without the charity of Shriners Hospital and his Catholic parish. It would be wonderful if society in general had true charitable instincts, but IMO, that bus has left the station. It doesn't seem to be our way anymore...if it ever was...to give consistently to those who, as Barfo said, can't do it on their own for whatever reason. And so the list of people who really do need assistance grows, as does the stresses on our society because those folks aren't getting help. In my experience, the only people who make regular/consistent charitable donations are those who have needed charity in their past, or those who are uncommonly grateful for what they have in life.

I get the sense that some of you are implying that throwing money at the problems doesn't work, so you should be able to keep your money. It's wash at best and not your problem at worst. Survival of the fittest. Those who have beat the odds without assistance have my genuine admiration. But Barfo is right. Some people just can't make it without some type of leg up. That doesn't make them weak, it makes them unfortunate. And I can't help but believe that those who think they aren't their brother's keeper are in fact the predators themselves.

 

[Denny Crane]

It isn't about keeping our money, as far as I'm concerned.

It's about people not donating time and money to worthy causes because they're paying so much to the government, "let the government do it."

And the government just doesn't do it well. It's built upside down - central power in D.C. vs. charities that raise funds locally and spend them locally.

 

[blue32]

No, I will readily admit that the events in your father's and grandfather's life were significant and traumatic. But you act like they are necessarily equal in effect to the long list of traumas and constraints that my sister experienced. Have you ever pondered how your father might've overcome his difficulties had his own father passed away early or had his own father not been able to overcome his constraints? Do you think then that maybe your father wouldn't have been given expectations or a role model with which to find proper guidance and inspiration? You give him credit that he was given your grandfather's gift when you ought give it to destiny.

Why are we comparing life experiences again on a rating that will never be the same? Of course you think your Sisters experiences are worse than anyone else's and of course others may think their life experiences were worse. Your Sister's experiences doesn't give you right to chastise someone else's life, and it doesn't give anyone excuses to sit around and play victim either.

Life is tough for (almost) everyone. Had we all grown up in North Korea or some other fucking place, it'd be 100x worse than it is now. People need to take responsibility for their life at some point and make something of themselves, regardless of their past.