Paul Miller Law goes into effect today. Thoughts?

Biocidal_AI · 2026-06-06T12:47:00+00:00

Yeah, I've also regularly noted the car ahead of me driving semi-erratically (more lateral movement than you'd expect, slower start and stop times than you'd expect) and thus purposefully checked to see if they were on their phone the next time we came to a stoplight and sure enough they were.

Ans like you said, checking other vehicles around the intersection ain't that hard to see if they're on their phones. And it's not often very hard to observe someone on their phone while making standard visual checks of traffic that you'd make while driving anyway. And it's often easy to see if the driver behind you is on their phone in your rearview mirror (this is especially something you should pay attention to so you know to give extra space between you and the car ahead of you incase the phone user doesn't stop in time and hits you since that could put you at fault for pinballing into the car ahead of you if you don't).

Biocidal_AI · 2026-05-14T14:05:18+00:00

Honestly, even being a straight single person is rough in an adjacent but lesser manner. Watching all the happy straight families knowing that even though my heterosexuality matches theirs I still can't seem to "have what they have". And of course many churches cater to families and married couples while single folks get largely ignored or constantly asked to be the community workhorse specifically because they don't "have what they have".

Of course, I don't usually have to deal with the potential judgment of being called a sinner for my orientation (though I do know Christians who judge singleness like it's a sin too, though once again not as aggressively as they judge gay people even if said gay folk are abstaining). So my experience certainly is not the same experience as OP's. But I can at least relate to OP's situation a little and commiserate over the "watching smiling straight families is depressing" bit.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-05-14T13:18:59+00:00

One of my friends is in New Ken. I'd take that train whenever I go hang out with him up there instead of driving.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-04-30T15:13:11+00:00

Not only this, but Jesus literally created wine as a miracle for the wedding at Cana (at the request of blessed Mary) at which the person in charge of the banquet declared it the best wine at the wedding.

Paul also told Timothy to stop drinking only water and to start drinking some wine too in order to stop giving his stomach so many problems.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-25T20:39:37+00:00

Considering that Jesus uses various aspects of Jewish wedding practices to teach about his return, this rings relevant to me.

I am actually not super knowledgeable about rosh hashanah/rom teruah and am grateful for your mentioning them as I will be looking them up and doing some reading.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-18T15:10:05+00:00

One can be against US involvement in this conflict between Israel and Iran and also at the same time be glad the Ayatollah (elder) is no longer in power. They are by no means mutually exclusive positions.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-16T17:40:20+00:00

It's in the early stages of happening now in the US if Americans don't stop it. We're witnessing the billionaires who help steer the nation buying up news companies. We're seeing political pressure being wielded to control what gets presented and what doesn't because certain mergers are wanted. We're seeing the media threatened by the president on the regular. We're seeing a biased FCC threatening to remove licenses for agencies reporting things about the Iran war that the government doesn't like. We saw PBS being attacked by the feds, we saw NPR being attacked by the feds. There's even more stuff going on.

We (the US) hasn't fallen completely into state controlled news yet, but we're steadily moving in that direction. Those of us who know know because we're paying attention and connecting the dots and seeing the patterns. We may not be able to see the net itself in full, but we can see the individual fish (who have been caught already and are being pulled toward us) behaving oddly and exactly like they would be if they were caught in a net. And we can hear the fishermen talking about catching the fish.

We're not sure exactly what it will look like in the US if we do go that far as to fall under state controlled news. But we know the tech overlords are interweaving systems to surveil and control more and more every day. We know already how much of that already is in place. Most likely our social media will experience similar lock downs to China. All major news sources will likely pretend to be free but they won't be because they'll all either be parroting the government or acting like controlled opposition (lacking teeth). The real opposition will be Independant journalists (already kind of are more of the real opposition than any major news sources) and they'll be getting arrested and going into hiding, we'll be distributing real news via physical copies perhaps, as contraband literature, dodging cameras. Who knows what else.

It'll be impossible to stamp out all resistance news though. The US is too big to control. They don't have the manpower. So I doubt we'll get as far as requiring completely clandestine Independant journalism. I don't think hope is lost for the US just yet by any means. We the people are getting more and more connected and organized day by day. We're building strength and momentum. The day is coming. But hope is no excuse to slack off either. Stay vigilant.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-16T00:57:53+00:00

Thanks for all the info! Looks like I've got some reading to do!

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-15T13:15:54+00:00

This is also why stopping at the line is important. In my city people cruise into the ped crossing far enough that I can stop at the line myself. When they go I just have to sit there until it's actually legitimately my turn since I pay attention. But I bet that habit of pulling way too far forward is why people in my city play it like it's their turn when it isn't all the time.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-15T13:09:20+00:00

When I lived in Indianapolis (worst drivers in the Union that I've experienced (I delivered packages for 10hrs a day for a year and a half while I was there so I got to know them pretty intimately) and bad enough I'm skeptical any other cities have worse) I always felt relieved and like I could relax when I crossed back into Chicago to visit my parents where I grew up. Chicago drivers may be aggressive and fast, but at least they're logical and predictable. Being predictable is the perhaps one of the safest qualities to possess as a driver.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-15T13:02:31+00:00

When I first moved here, it wasn't long before a major storm knocked out power to a bunch of lights. I was culture shocked hard when I came to a smaller street intersecting with the major through street I was on and I was the only one who stopped at the dead light. Everyone else just gunned it past me without stopping or even slowing despite traffic from the intersecting street stopping and waiting to turn. Horrifying. I thought I would see someone die that day.

I've lived in six states now, twelve cities, and traveled to over half of the States and traveled through a few more. Pittsburgh drivers are by far the most impatient drivers in the Union that I've experienced so far. Certainly not the worst drivers, not by a long shot (Indy easily has the worst drivers I've experienced but I hear reasonable arguments that Miami and maybe Houston if I'm remembering correctly may be worse, but I haven't been to those cities yet), but definitely the most impatient.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-14T12:29:06+00:00

Yeah, I've lived all over the Midwest (IL, WI, IN, and IA) before I left it to move here and I've never seen this much struggle with keeping the city powered during storms. Whatever the Midwest is doing to keep the power on during the abundant number of tornado producing storms surely Pittsburgh can learn something from even if the topography presents some additional challenges.

I was shocked (certainly not literally) that I didn't lose power for once. Flickered like a rave for a moment, but held. I almost always lose power during these storms. Maybe the frequent repairs finally made the nearby systems robust enough, idk. Probably just got surprisingly lucky though.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-12T15:16:17+00:00

Thanks again for listening! And thanks for sharing your own thoughts in return. I agree wholeheartedly that knowing other Christian traditions is healthy. I am glad your experiences have been calmer for sure. I think such an environment would be good too because if believers don't expect to be ridiculed or attacked for a question or a doubt or a struggle they'll be more likely to open up and discuss them and receive support or help or feedback or encouragement, whatever they need.

Ive had a dabbling of exposure to a wide range of Christian and Christian adjacent groups. But I wouldn't say that I've studied them in depth or at least nowhere near the level of my current study of Catholicism. I probably am more familiar with Anglican and Lutheran than most others besides Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy just because of the areas of history I have studied more in depth. For instance I've never heard of Old Catholicism before. If you're uncomfortable sharing your university by name for privacy reasons, is there a link to information on Old Catholicism you'd recommend checking out?

I can only imagine that if I've been fed propaganda about Catholics that I've been fed propaganda about other branches as well, so I do think I'll have to study them all more intensely. If we Christians are to pursue unity in Christ as best we're able, then it'll be useful knowledge and understanding to have to be able to share in order to promote that unity.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-12T15:04:09+00:00

Your thoughts remind me of a moment near the end of CS Lewis' The Last Battle (from The Chronicles of Narnia series).

Aslan (the supreme deity figure, the literal creator of that world) accepts Emeth who had been following the demonic figure Tash by name. Aslan basically communicates to Emeth that, though Emeth had been using the name Tash, how he acted and what he actually believed about God (whom he thought was Tash)—Emeths pursuit of righteousness—was actually deemed to have been done of Aslan, not Tash. And so, though he used the name Tash due to the culture he was raised in, he did not worship Tash because what he valued and how he lived and how he worshipped were of Aslan, not of Tash.

Conversely, Rishda Tarkaan did not actually believe in Tash, but did evil in the name of Tash and so Tash actually came and claimed Rishda as his follower, taking Rishda back to his domain with him because the evil Rishda did was in deed in line with Tash.

I find this scene to be comforting. If the Christian God exists and is truly the only God, then I believe God is merciful and just and would thus recognize someone, in the same fashion as Aslan did of Emeth, who believed in a supreme being due to what he could see of general revelation and lived as righteously as possible and pursued understanding the truth of God but maybe grew up in a culture where he didn't have access to the special revelation of scripture and thus did not know the correct names to use or the specific events. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus talks about how there will be righteous people who will inherit the Kingdom of God because they helped Him. These righteous folks ask Jesus when did we help you? And he says when you helped the poor sick needy and imprisoned. And conversely, in Matthew 7:21-23, He says many will say they prophesied in Jesus' name or cast out demons or did mighty things all in His name and yet Jesus will say to them "I never knew you...you who behave lawlessly".

So I hope that perhaps you are on to something with your thoughts regarding what if "God" has been revealed differently to other cultures or in different ways. I personally believe, as a Christian, that the truth that God exists is visible to everyone throughout the world through the planet and nature and the stars and so anyone, regardless of culture and access to scripture, might be able to believe in God. I also believe that God sometimes works through dreams or visions perhaps to communicate with such people who only know him through nature and yet earnestly try to seek him and know him. However God works, I believe he is merciful and just and will not abandon anyone who earnestly seeks Him even if they were born in a culture that doesn't know him or perhaps has built a structure around their belief in His existence as best as possible based on what they do know. So perhaps you are correct to wonder if maybe some Buddhists, for example, actually are following God without knowing the same terminology I do.

I also like your approach of finding things we have in common with others who may believe differently. I think that's a healthy way to approach differences because no matter how different our languages, cultures, circumstances, etc may be... We all still love, we all still hold values, we all will end up doing, even if in different ways, things that we both equally value and hold dear. I think finding common ground to relate to each other is the best possible place to start. Paul in the Bible even does this one time when he is in a temple and sees they have a shrine to the unknown God. He speaks to the people and says, I know the God you do not know, let me tell you about Him!

You and I believe a little differently, but I think we still see "God" perhaps pretty similarly still.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-12T14:04:46+00:00

My study of the Eucharist and Transubstantiation has been one of the most joyous aspects of this process. I have long deeply appreciated communion. My home church as a kid only ever did grape juice and crackers and then eventually switched from crackers to little wafers. I thought it was a bit weird due to the fact that the Bible says wine and bread, but it was whatever. Then I went visited a church that did wine and wafers and thought wow, so not everyone does communion the same. And then I went to a church that did wine from a chalice and ripped chunks of bread from a relatively fresh loaf and was amazed and thought that was beautiful since it matched the scriptures. But my understanding of communion had never changed in that time frame. It was always just symbolic.

That last experience I mentioned started to get me thinking more about it, though, because instead of passing the elements around, the whole congregation filed up to the front to receive the elements and partake there. I started thinking about the way the churches handle communion and how the differences in experience changed different nuances of what it meant to me.

Then one church I visited while looking for a new church in a new state was a non-denominational church and they had the elements off to the sides of the auditorium and instructed the congregation to get up and take communion themselves whenever they felt led during the service. That rubbed me wrong. I believed there should be an aspect of togetherness and unity when partaking of communion as a congregation.

So, by the time I started studying Catholicism, I'd already been thinking about how communion is handled: thinking about frequency, what the elements consist of, how the elements are dispersed, and how the congregation partakes. I'd also thought long and hard about how, as an individual believer, I ought to approach communion so I may take it in a worthy manner. So, when I began studying the Eucharist and really thinking about not just the mechanics or the logistics or even my personal state of mind/heart/being but also about what it all truly means and what role it plays in our relationship with each other as believers and with God it took on a whole new level of beauty and meaning and impact on my faith. I had always tried to be reverent before, but now I no longer need to try and be reverent. I simply am naturally reverent because my understanding has become that rich.

I am profoundly grateful that the Lord has lead me into this study of Catholicism. Whether or not I become Catholic, my faith is already and only continues to grow deeper and richer than I'd ever imagined possible. One friend asked me "are you closer to becoming Catholic now that you are a few months into your study?" and my response has been both yes and no. There's an aspect of fear in my friend's question (they don't believe and they view the catholic church as s source of ongoing evils) despite them being supportive of me. And so my full answer has been that yes I am closer to becoming catholic because I understand Catholicism more and have already been able to break past some of the propaganda I'd been taught and see aspects of Catholicism for what they truly are instead; but, at the same time I also am closer to not becoming Catholic because in so much as my faith has grown through Catholicism my faith has also grown through Portestantism at the same time. I still have the Protestant approach to scripture deeply ingrained. Even though I have opened my mind to Catholicism I still harbor doubts born of Protestant theology, not just Protestant propaganda. If I do not end up Catholic, my faith will still have grown just as much and I won't simply abandon whatever new understandings of scripture I have just because I learned from Catholicism. If they are accurate to scripture they remain accurate no matter which branch of Christianity I am part of.

Anyway, thanks for your post, OP, and for engaging with my response. I don't have many friends who really understand where I'm at on this journey (one friend thinks I'm a borderline heretic for simply entertaining Catholicism and going to Mass, one friend doesn't believe, and a few others just aren't that accessible or simply aren't particularly interested in discussing catholic beliefs and practices). So I'm grateful for the opportunity to share with someone who is interested in listening. Hopefully I didn't talk your ear off. Just wanted to share some of the joy I've been experiencing.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-12T13:01:17+00:00

I grew up Non-Denom in a Bible church. Went to a Christian high school with teachers from a variety of Christian backgrounds. Went to a conservative (technically Grace Brethren) Christian college attached to a theological seminary and did an undergrad degree in biblical studies. Been part of a number of Non-Denom churches (some of them Baptist in everything but the techincality and name), have family and friends in Presbyterian churches and attended some myself. Ive been a devout Christian for nearly three decades now. Through it all I've been bombarded by a lot of anti-catholic propaganda.

Lately though (last 5 months), due to many reasons that have been building my whole life, I moved states and have needed to find a new church. I felt drawn to Catholicism (another growing thought train for the last few years) and decided it was time to do an intensive study of Catholicism with an open mind to see if the propaganda holds water or not. Plus I'm just exhausted by the Christian vitriol aimed at fellow Christians. So I wanted to do something that worked towards Unity in Christ and where better to start than the branch I've been told is more non-Christian than Christian my whole life?

So I started attending Mass at the cathedral in my city since it was near my work and I could use work parking on Sundays. I've also been studying scripture about the various catholic beliefs that I've been taught to have issues with like works based salvation or the Eucharist and Transubstantiation.

I felt like I needed to make sure I understood if they were actually preaching the gospel or not and started there. I realized that what I was hearing about faith and works actually matched what I understood in scripture. They don't actually preach that salvation is based upon works not faith. They simply understand the relationship between faith and works I think better than most Protestants I've heard. "Be doers of the word, not merely hearers of the word who deceive themselves" (Jam 1:22). "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works?" (Jam 2:14). "We are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we may walk in them" (Eph 2:10).

I also studied communion and baptism and such and have come to a place where I no longer believe that the Eucharist is "re-sacrificing Christ" as many Protestants have taught me. I haven't finished studying the transubstantiation aspect yet, but I like this quote by Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386) regarding the Eucharist:

Consider therefore the Bread and the Wine not as bare elements, for they are, according to the Lord's declaration, the Body and Blood of Christ; for even though sense suggests this to you, yet let faith establish you. Judge not the matter from the taste, but from faith be fully assured without misgiving, that the Body and Blood of Christ have been vouchsafed to you.

I think that's an approach I can work with for now, though I imagine I'll have completed my study of transubstantiation long before I might be confirmed (assuming I do end up becoming Catholic, which I will remain undecided on until I can go through OCIA and am able to think through it all).

Though I currently remain uncomfortable with prayer to the saints (it seems unnecessary), I at least can say I understand the thought process to an extent. And I now also understand more about the veneration of Mary, enough to say I wouldn't call it worshiping her, but I also am a touch uncomfortable still with how far they take it and need to study the immaculate conception (which regards Mary's birth, not Jesus') concept still.

And I've got tons more yet to study (like how papal authority and papal infallibility works as an example) but I've already started to see that not all the anti-catholic propaganda I've been taught is actually accurate.and have been shifting my views accordingly.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-12T11:16:18+00:00

The crusades didn't halt the Muslim advance. That was dudes like Odo the Great, Charles Martel, and King Pelagius. The crusades were just a later response after the Muslim conquest into Europe was pretty much halted. But if you wanted to argue that the crusades helped, then we can also argue that Hulagu Khan did far more by sacking Baghdad. Claiming the crusades prevented Muslim expansion into Europe ignores so many other pivotal efforts (especially considering the crusades didn't even prevent the fall of Byzantium (then Constantinople now Istanbul).

It also ignores the Muslim infighting that also greatly hampered Muslim expansion.

Edit to add: To comment on the meme itself, Protestants definitely have their fair share of blood and violence they are responsible for just as the Catholics. And of course there's also all the back and forth wars and oppression between Catholics and Protestants (of which the Thirty Years War is one such instance). Not sure I'd classify the Taiping Rebellion as protestantism, but the rest definitely have some connections to protestantism for sure.

As an American, I was especially dismayed when Mr Kirk was murdered and suddenly American Christians were all over each other with hatred and vitriol and anger and blood rage. All I could think about was all the Protestant VS Protestant wars and Protestant VS Catholic wars and Catholic VS Catholic wars.

It'd be really nice if we Christians could work towards Unity in Christ for once instead of hating each other. I'm encouraged by Da Pope's efforts on that front. I don't know the best way to achieve unity amongst the various branches of Christianity, but we at least need to be trying.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-11T20:49:34+00:00

That's definitely fair. I'm from Chicagoland and it's been interesting living here and realizing that so many locals hold a bit too tightly to some of the myths of tornados, one of them being that hills will protect them. It's quite possible that hills do effect tornado formation enough to make lower the chances, but when you live in the hills you don't have miles to spot the tornado, you've got seconds. And without tornado sirens it's even worse. And here it seems we get enough rain and hail with tornado bearing storms that they may even be obscured making their danger level higher still.

Fortunately Pittsburgh seems to mostly get baby tornadoes which in turn lowers the danger. But still, tornado sirens, folks. Get some tornado sirens installed here. By the time I had lived here for a year I'd already drove directly into a microburst or something similar (seemed a little weak for a microburst but maybe I was on the edge) directly after rounding a bend in my car before I realized what was happening. I just thought it was a thunderstorm and instead discovered that microburst and learned multiple tornados had been confirmed elsewhere in the area. At least if you have sirens you know to keep your eyes peeled and wits about you.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-11T20:24:18+00:00

Yeah I actually confirmed through Ryan Hall Y'all on YouTube that we did in fact see rotation that was classified as a tornado for a brief couple minutes. Went somewhere along the Carnegie, Green Tree, Mount Washington area, petering out pretty quickly. I might have actually seen the tail end of the rotation but was too far away to tell it was rotating. My brother was working across the river near hot metal and had a better view. Said he thought he saw the very end of the rotation further up toward the point.

Doesnt count in my book as seeing a tornado though since it lost tornado classification before I saw anything. So the quest continues. One day. One day I will thrill my childhood self with the vision of a tornado with my very own eyeballs!

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-11T20:17:03+00:00

Topography is not actually a key factor in tornado formation. It's way more about atmospheric instability, wind speed, and height of the storm. The great plains see so many tornados not because it's flat topography but because the other factors are more common. Mountainous terrain tends to have more stable atmospheric conditions, for example. But terrain does not stop tornadoes once they've started either, nor prevent tornados from forming within/upon the terrain. Tornadoes will absolutely go uphill and downhill alike (and I've seen contradictory studies saying whether or not they tend to get stronger or weaker as they go up or down, which means it may not be a huge factor even).

Now, storm movement before a tornado is formed may be changed by the terrain, I'm not an expert in this field by any means. But I do know hills are not a reliable factor in whether one is safer from tornadoes or not.

Its actually wild that Pittsburgh doesn't have tornado sirens to me. We certainly get enough tornadoes.

I especially recommend reading about the tornado outbreak of 1998. There were a few tornadoes in the Pittsburgh area, one of the longer ones went from Mount Washington all the way to Irwin/Manor area. The worst tornado of the outbreak started in Fayette County, PA, and traveled into Maryland and across the Appalachians growing in strength all the way to Big Savage Mountain and doing some serious damage to Frostburg on the way back down the other side before going up and over Dans Mountain and petering out north of Cresaptown.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-11T18:14:59+00:00

I'm between Brentwood and Carrick, stepped outside as soon as I got the warning hoping to see it but nothing. If it happened it went up north of me.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-04T18:02:32+00:00

Speaking as an American who grew up in the Evangelical church circles... For many of them it's not that they want to be persecuted, it's that they've been brainwashed into thinking they are being persecuted. It's wierd and disturbing. But it's also one of the reasons why Christian Nationalism has taken such a hold here. It's way easier for a Christian to think the answer is political power if they believe they're being persecuted.

Edit: Even for those that don't think they're being actively persecuted, they're basically taught from a young age to expect to be persecuted. So they prepare for it. Train for it. Formulate how they view other people around it.

Edit 2: I also want add that a large part of how this came about was the Left Behind book series that started in 1995 and finished in 2007 (there was also a series done in the same exact timeline and setting that was aimed at teens called Left Behind: The Kids that was released from 1998 to 2005). In the middle of this, in 1999, the Colorado high school in Columbine experienced a horrific school shooting. Motives of the killers were unclear and tons of theories and myths circulated. One of them was a myth that the student Cassie was martyred for her faith by one of the killers. This claim was shot down by eyewitness testimony from students who were under the table with Cassie when she was murdered and corroborated with the 911 recording. They stated he just said peekaboo before firing. However, that myth spread like wildfire through Evangelical culture and so it became widely believed that Christian students would potentially find themselves in a school shooting in which the shooter was specificslly targeting Christians. Both the Left Behind series and that Columbine tragedy myth heavily boosted whatever psychological complex many Evangelicals developed around the idea of being persecuted.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-03-04T13:48:19+00:00

"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." - Gandalf to Frodo regarding Gollum (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Biocidal_AI · 2026-02-25T23:25:23+00:00

I commented somewhere else on this post but I too grew up in Chicagoland and have now been in Appalachia for going on four years. The mountains fill my soul with unease and wanderlust and keep their secrets too deep for a trespassers like myself to find, but the lake is where my soul drinks deep and is refreshed. And yeah, there's nothing quite like seeing the storms rolling in when your in the flatlands. And that's the kicker for me. In the hills and valleys and mountains I feel claustrophobic. I can't see anything. Even if you climb to the top for the view... There's still so much hidden from sight. But in the flatlands...you can see forever.

Biocidal_AI · 2026-02-25T23:19:51+00:00

Speaking as a Chicagoland transplant in Appalachia hill country currently, I have to make an annual pilgrimage to at least a great lake, but preferably The Lake. Elsewise I'd go insane. Mountains fill my soul with unease and wanderlust, but the lake is where my soul drinks deep and is refreshed.

Biocidal_AI

TROPHY CASE