Charismatic Chaos

I suppose when the economy does go to shit, you and your ilk will blame the "socialists". You will completely exonerate donnie, the conservatives corporations and the wealthy. They will all be waiting for the handout they will be giving themselves.

Yes, *your* version, just like the US is *your* country. They're every bit as likely as your God. They're more evidenced than your God. We know that life exists. And mathematically, it's almost inevitable that some of it is more "advanced" than we are. The only part that's unexplained is how they could have got here. Now that is crazy. We're a social species. Mass hysteria exists. Wikipedia Why do you have that in your mind when I've told you so many times that it isn't true? I told you only yesterday that my father's beliefs were similar to yours. That's what I was taught.

Why is it that the nutball fundies always need to claim that nonbelievers are suppressing belief or are mad at their god?
Many non-believers have never had a belief in a god. How can we be suppressing something that never was. And why the hell would I be mad at some entity that does not exist. Then Phat will turn it all around and say he is being oppressed.All a bunch of freakin' nutballs.

I'd be mad at the leprechauns if they existed - keeping the price of gold artificially high, little bastards.

Not at all. In fact, I think that Donald should have been impeached or at the very least fully exposed. The Republicans disagreed and sought to move on. I saw that coming for a few weeks now. As I have said before (and try to represent) I am more of a moderate.In light of this topic, "Charismatic Chaos" I acknowledge the sociological tension between religion and secular goals.As for the economy, the reason that I focus on it so much is because if it does tank, it will bring out the worst--and the best of human nature, the survival of the fittest, and the so-called empathy that so many of us believe to be a necessary human trait.And at that point it won't do any good to blame anyone. In order to survive and come out of such an event, our division and bickering as a nation will have to cease or we will find ourselves drowning while having our hands around the neck of our adversaries and ideological opposites.

I have a friend that is a "ghost hunter"(don't get me started). I asked him how does he know the anomalies are ghosts and not leprechauns. With a straight face he answered "That's stupid, leprechauns don't exist."
I just walked away.

Hard to tell what will happen with Gold. Though a counter-cyclical investment for hard times, nobody would want to be the guy holding a lot of gold when guns are clearly outnumbering it bar for bar.Now...concerning "other gods(while we are on the topic of gold) See, this is why we will never agree. A God is "likely" only if that god is useful to you. Since you rely on "evidence" rather than need, then, of course, all of the gods are equally likely for you. Indeed it does. In bringing up a Economic Collapse I focus on such an event because it confronts my fears, validates the likelihood of an end-times scenario, and challenges all of humanity to love rather than hate. This will be no easy task and the love of many will grow cold, be they secular humanists or be they religious. If such a scenario occurred, there would be mass hysteria. As Tangle might say, the nutters will come out of the woodwork. IOf course, the day Trump got elected many of them already emerged. And you became a born again evidentialist...I get the picture. Apply your evidence to Climate Change+Economic Collapse Likelihood+Human Nature. What do you see in the next 100 years?

Perhaps I am just angry at no longer being favored.

Which is why Gods are all created by believers.

Many years ago (and many end-of-the-world scenarios ago) somebody said that in the future you would need a shotgun, a bicycle, canned sardines and gold coins. Nonsense. The likelihood of anything has nothing whatsoever to do with its usefulness, either real or imagined. What on earth has need got to do with it? There IS mass hysteria. There always HAS BEEN mass hysteria. It has nothing to do with your silly apocalyptic scenarios.I'm saying that your "experiences" of god, your whole religion, might well be a form of mass hysteria. No. You really don't. Economies collapse on a pretty regular basis. It's never the end of the world.Climate change won't be the end of the world either. Where I live will likely improve - but if we become a tropical paradise we'll have the damn tourists.And human nature is not what you portray.

There is that white privilege again.

What do you want me to do? Roll over and simply allow the entire lane of traffic to pass me by as I politely let them play catchup?Look, I'm well aware that my ancestors were very callous and exploitive of indigenous cultures. I am also aware that the Populists represent one of the attempts to maintain "White Privilege" in the interests of "Making America Great Again."I am aware that China is poised to shoot past the US Economy and that a global transfer of wealth will likely happen. The 1% are colorblind...all they see is green, and they will ride the wave up with the other emerging cultures.The majority of the aging middle-class population will slowly lose their status, money, and power. Critics say that they enjoyed an artificial construct for many decades and even centuries. But my question still stands. As an aging white male who only wants to retire in some degree of comfort, is it too much to ask that the traffic that is passing me give me a break and let me in line too?

Acknowledge it and quit blaming others for your financial woes. Minorities, immigrants, women and the handicapped are not responsible for your high taxes. They are not responsible for the fact your employer pays poor wages or benefits. Learn who is responsible for the huge economic inequity in this country. Become more aware. It sure is hell ain't brown people. Search the internet see if anyone has actually addressed the issue of how to combat your own white privilege. Oh gee here are some.7 Ways White People Can Combat Their PrivilegeWhite privilege, and what we’re supposed to do about it - Rage Against The Minivan

No you are not "aware" that, Phat, it's a big fat lle that you get from hanging around EvC too muich. If you're going to hang out here you need to at least be listening to the other side of it. MAGA has absolutely nothing to do with race. Trump has done more for ALL races than Obama ever did. This is not an administration committed to "white privilege" which is nothing but another Leftist smear. Your mind is going to be poisoned completely if you continue to listen to people here.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

Here is a basic example of your white privilege. Was your family ever not allowed to live in certain places? I don't mean because your parents could not afford to live there, but because no would rent to them or the banks would not give them a loan.
In the late 1950's and 1960's that happened to my parents. In Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, there were whole towns where they could not rent. All because we had a hispanic last name. Of course these towns had the good school districts. in 1966 we got lucky and a landlord rented to us in one of the better towns. We rented that house for 12 years and though my parents tried to buy a house in that town, no bank would give them a mortgage. Surprisingly, they could get a mortgage for a similar amount in a close by city(in a struggling school district).
That ever happen to you and your family. My father did not even look Puerto Rican. He was very light skinned. My mother was not Puerto Rican. Yet because of his name we were discriminated against repeatedly. We were the lucky ones. Many of my relatives that were darker skinned or black had to fight even harder to rise above the discrimination thrown at them, some never have.
If you really want to stop whining, educate yourself. Learn what white privilege is and what it is not. Only if we let the billionaire class make it happen. They are the ones to blame if it does happen.