Well met!
Se the OP: "I don't get to discuss these matters with generally intelligent people too often, and it seems in today's political landscape real issues don't get discussed, at least not rationally or reasonably all too often."
-
Welcome to the Heroscapers 2.0 site! We've still got some dust to clear and adjustments to make, including launching a new front page, but we hope you enjoy the improvements to the site. Please post your feedback and any issues you encounter in this thread.
Politics, Religion, and Morality
- Thread starter Ranior
- Start date
Well met!
Se the OP: "I don't get to discuss these matters with generally intelligent people too often, and it seems in today's political landscape real issues don't get discussed, at least not rationally or reasonably all too often."
Well met!
In Defense of Freedom at a Time of Crisis
1. On September 11, 2001 thousands of people lost their lives in a brutal assault on the American people and the American form of government. We mourn the loss of these innocent lives and insist that those who perpetrated these acts be held accountable.
2. This tragedy requires all Americans to examine carefully the steps our country may now take to reduce the risk of future terrorist attacks.
3. We need to consider proposals calmly and deliberately with a determination not to erode the liberties and freedoms that are at the core of the American way of life.
4. We need to ensure that actions by our government uphold the principles of a democratic society, accountable government and international law, and that all decisions are taken in a manner consistent with the Constitution.
5. We can, as we have in the past, in times of war and of peace, reconcile the requirements of security with the demands of liberty.
6. We should resist the temptation to enact proposals in the mistaken belief that anything that may be called anti-terrorist will necessarily provide greater security.
7. We should resist efforts to target people because of their race, religion, ethnic background or appearance, including immigrants in general, Arab Americans and Muslims.
8. We affirm the right of peaceful dissent, protected by the First Amendment, now, when it is most at risk.
9. We should applaud our political leaders in the days ahead who have the courage to say that our freedoms should not be limited.
10. We must have faith in our democratic system and our Constitution, and in our ability to protect at the same time both the freedom and the security of all Americans.
Well, here we are, late 2023, and the debt's never been higher!
(And the world is still waiting for your next post).
Howdy, everybody!
I'm not really back, I've just been burdened by everything that's been happening recently and never found a better group of people to share with than the Heroscapers crew.
In this country right now, there are a lot of people using the name of Jesus and the cause of Christianity as a weapon and I am horrified at what is being done and said. I never thought I would live to see the trappings of my faith twisted into the power fantasies of people pursuing nothing less than their own domination of others around them. To see it happening a mere dozen years after our respectful discussions in this thread turns my stomach.
My perspectives have broadened a lot since I moved from the Bay Area to the Nashville Area. Mostly in ways that have saddened me. I used to think that oppression of people who "aren't like us" was historical. I believed our country had solved those problems and moved past them. Being here has taught me that clannish rejection of the other is alive and well.
The church where I attend is led by a man who has his priorities straight and points the people who go there toward the way the Bible talks about being people of peace, and I appreciate that. Unfortunately, I also know that part of why he is constantly presenting that is because many of my fellow attenders are getting caught up in the hate and violence of the national rhetoric. I lead a class on Wednesday nights and am sometimes shocked by the actions and beliefs presented there. I always try to bring everyone in alignment to what the Bible says, but I find that people rather overwhelmingly want to continue to believe the things they are already convinced of.
Thank you again, all of you, for being so respectful of others and so very willing to listen and consider. If I could take this forum's ethic and spread it over this country like a blanket I would do it in a heartbeat. There has always been something special about this group and I am blessed for having been able to be a part of it.
~Aldin, with fully grown kids and new challenges in life
I'm not really back, I've just been burdened by everything that's been happening recently and never found a better group of people to share with than the Heroscapers crew.
In this country right now, there are a lot of people using the name of Jesus and the cause of Christianity as a weapon and I am horrified at what is being done and said. I never thought I would live to see the trappings of my faith twisted into the power fantasies of people pursuing nothing less than their own domination of others around them. To see it happening a mere dozen years after our respectful discussions in this thread turns my stomach.
My perspectives have broadened a lot since I moved from the Bay Area to the Nashville Area. Mostly in ways that have saddened me. I used to think that oppression of people who "aren't like us" was historical. I believed our country had solved those problems and moved past them. Being here has taught me that clannish rejection of the other is alive and well.
The church where I attend is led by a man who has his priorities straight and points the people who go there toward the way the Bible talks about being people of peace, and I appreciate that. Unfortunately, I also know that part of why he is constantly presenting that is because many of my fellow attenders are getting caught up in the hate and violence of the national rhetoric. I lead a class on Wednesday nights and am sometimes shocked by the actions and beliefs presented there. I always try to bring everyone in alignment to what the Bible says, but I find that people rather overwhelmingly want to continue to believe the things they are already convinced of.
Thank you again, all of you, for being so respectful of others and so very willing to listen and consider. If I could take this forum's ethic and spread it over this country like a blanket I would do it in a heartbeat. There has always been something special about this group and I am blessed for having been able to be a part of it.
~Aldin, with fully grown kids and new challenges in life
Tornado
Fan Fiction Prompt Master
God bless you Aldin. Your posts are missed!
Unfortunately religion has often been used to justify forcing one's beliefs on others even when those beliefs may not totally jive with the religion. In the USA, Christianity has always wielded a certain level of power that has eroded over time and folks want it back.
Unfortunately religion has often been used to justify forcing one's beliefs on others even when those beliefs may not totally jive with the religion. In the USA, Christianity has always wielded a certain level of power that has eroded over time and folks want it back.
Glad to see you post, Aldin. You and I likely have very different ideas about the existence of higher powers, but I have always been glad that you are one of those Christians who truly attempts to live according to the good parts of your faith, and not one of those Gandhi was referring to when he said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Sadly, Tornado is correct. As overall religiosity declines in the US, and as white Americans shift from being a majority to being a plurality, there has been an inevitable pushback, resulting in our current turmoil. An animal is at its most dangerous when it feels threatened and cornered.
Sadly, Tornado is correct. As overall religiosity declines in the US, and as white Americans shift from being a majority to being a plurality, there has been an inevitable pushback, resulting in our current turmoil. An animal is at its most dangerous when it feels threatened and cornered.
You have my sincerest apologies for the short thread-ruining message in July.
I've been pondering and ruminating over Aldin's well-thought-out post since then.
At the risk of stroking the ego of everyone long-time Heroscaper, I have a theory.
Heroscape as a game requires some baseline level of patience to play, or even set up. A game like Clue, Ticket-to-Ride, or even the similarly-hexed Catan takes no where near the time investment than it does to build a battlefield.
But the setup doesn't end there. You need to spend time to find someone else willing to actually play the game with you. While Heroscape's ruleset isn't as complex as some other miniatures games, the order marker system is rather unique in the space, and has some distinct quirks to it. So you're spending some time explaining the basics of how to play.
The first time I play with someone, I aim to use two relatively simple armies, and include at least one basic power synergy between them. But after that first game, the world is open to full army building or drafting, which is an additional layer of complexity to the system.
But that's assuming I even get the opportunity for a second game. Some find the entire experience tedious. Some find it amazing. A lot of it can come down to the way skulls and shields were rolled in the trial.
But no matter what, you had to negotiate with someone else to spend some time on a game that takes longer than usual to set up, and tabletop gaming generally, despite us being in its golden age, is still enjoyed by a distinct minority of the US Population.
Now, we're in an era 14 full years after the last release of new product (yes, there are new members thanks to Renegade), so most people here have continued to devote time and effort to this children's tabletop game.
To summarize:
From the start, Heroscape requires people with some baseline patience in order to do something as simple as getting a board set up.
Second, it requires some level of negotiation skills to convince another human that it is worth playing this children's game where ninjas fight dragons.
Third, to join Heroscapers generally means that you have those two above skills, and have a desire to (gasp) talk to other people about this game, and want to do so in a space directly dedicated to it instead of simply using your existing reddit or discord account where you can discuss absolutely anything.
And all of this results in a community of people where we have at least some shared experience, and starting from there it is much easier to have a good conversation without devolving into name-calling and fallacious arguments.
Now, who else is looking forward to tonight's debate?
I've been pondering and ruminating over Aldin's well-thought-out post since then.
At the risk of stroking the ego of everyone long-time Heroscaper, I have a theory.
Heroscape as a game requires some baseline level of patience to play, or even set up. A game like Clue, Ticket-to-Ride, or even the similarly-hexed Catan takes no where near the time investment than it does to build a battlefield.
But the setup doesn't end there. You need to spend time to find someone else willing to actually play the game with you. While Heroscape's ruleset isn't as complex as some other miniatures games, the order marker system is rather unique in the space, and has some distinct quirks to it. So you're spending some time explaining the basics of how to play.
The first time I play with someone, I aim to use two relatively simple armies, and include at least one basic power synergy between them. But after that first game, the world is open to full army building or drafting, which is an additional layer of complexity to the system.
But that's assuming I even get the opportunity for a second game. Some find the entire experience tedious. Some find it amazing. A lot of it can come down to the way skulls and shields were rolled in the trial.
But no matter what, you had to negotiate with someone else to spend some time on a game that takes longer than usual to set up, and tabletop gaming generally, despite us being in its golden age, is still enjoyed by a distinct minority of the US Population.
Now, we're in an era 14 full years after the last release of new product (yes, there are new members thanks to Renegade), so most people here have continued to devote time and effort to this children's tabletop game.
To summarize:
From the start, Heroscape requires people with some baseline patience in order to do something as simple as getting a board set up.
Second, it requires some level of negotiation skills to convince another human that it is worth playing this children's game where ninjas fight dragons.
Third, to join Heroscapers generally means that you have those two above skills, and have a desire to (gasp) talk to other people about this game, and want to do so in a space directly dedicated to it instead of simply using your existing reddit or discord account where you can discuss absolutely anything.
And all of this results in a community of people where we have at least some shared experience, and starting from there it is much easier to have a good conversation without devolving into name-calling and fallacious arguments.
Now, who else is looking forward to tonight's debate?
nate the dawg
Well-known member
The wife and I are eagerly awaiting it.
I'm curious to see of either candidate can actually answer a question, though I imagine one will be infinitely more likely to give a cogent response.
Sadly, I'm most looking forward to seeing different networks' coverage, as this will likely have far greater effect on the viewers than whatever comes out of the candidates' mouths. Not a 'changed my mind' effect - I don't know anyone who hasn't mage up their mind about Trump one way or the other - but rather the effect of networks editing and omitting in their coverage to reinforce existing bias.
So many people will be talking about this debate tomorrow, but the greatest part of them will have only learned about it through cable news and social media.
I'm curious to see of either candidate can actually answer a question, though I imagine one will be infinitely more likely to give a cogent response.
Sadly, I'm most looking forward to seeing different networks' coverage, as this will likely have far greater effect on the viewers than whatever comes out of the candidates' mouths. Not a 'changed my mind' effect - I don't know anyone who hasn't mage up their mind about Trump one way or the other - but rather the effect of networks editing and omitting in their coverage to reinforce existing bias.
So many people will be talking about this debate tomorrow, but the greatest part of them will have only learned about it through cable news and social media.
Respect & thanks, Aldin, for sharing your learned wisdom with us. This post reminds me of the type of post we'd see from mad_wookiee, back in the day. Despite the post's own melancholy, it does give me hope for a shared future.
It's good to see you post again. Cheers!