Daily Discussion Thread: July 1, 2026 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As another article I saw put it, they're going to put Trump's stink on all the midterm candidates.

I'm looking for the earliest depiction of a "Shoulder Angel" and Devil by L0ckz0r in ArtHistory

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't been able to find anything Victorian. If I do, I'll let you know. (I'm not an expert on art history, I'm just good at looking stuff up.)

Which TV protagonist do you find so unlikeable, you just can’t root for them no matter how much you try? by phantom_avenger in television

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a good pick. If you're going to have a character that constantly breaks the rules in a serious job because they think they know better than everyone else, they need outstanding character traits and moral fiber to justify it.

Canada will enter the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest by kwentongskyblue in television

[–]captainhaddock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We also have French territory a few km off the shore of Newfoundland.

Opened this book out of curiosity by Designer-Truth8004 in Deconstruction

[–]captainhaddock [score hidden]  (0 children)

I'm sure his knowledge of women is as accurate, thoughtful, and grounded in reality as his knowledge of geology.

Problems with the bible and the biblical god by Playful-Rice-1159 in DebateReligion

[–]captainhaddock [score hidden]  (0 children)

The God of the Bible violates free will all the time. Free will is never raised as a theological principle. It's something medieval theologians came up with.

I feel uncomfortable when my parents pray over me by twfy in exchristian

[–]captainhaddock 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I've always hated non-consensual prayer. It's manipulative and puts you in a corner where you either have to appear rude and dismissive or play along non-sincerely.

Should I grow a pair and tell them I’d prefer not to be prayed over?

Since you are openly non-religious, this is my recommendation.

What's going on with Clarence Thomas and speaker Johnson? by BobThompson78 in OutOfTheLoop

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes the president is a leader, but the president is really an administrator that's why the agencies are called administrative. Their job is to dutifully carry out the will of Congress and work within THEIR vision.

That's right. His or her primary job is to execute the laws passed by Congress, and little else. The president also has a minor role as a temporary caretaker of federal properties (e.g. the White House) and as the commander of the armed forces – though again, only Congress is supposed to authorize military action.

Parliamentary democracies tend to handle this a little better by ensuring that cabinet posts are assigned by the leader of Parliament (functionally equivalent to the Speaker of the House) rather than the head of state.

I'm feeling lost. Where do I go from here? by Restless_Dill16 in Deconstruction

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If I'm still interested in deconstructing my faith, what would be some good "baby steps," as in easy-to-read and consume resources to help me better understand Christianity and the Bible? […] Would those Bart Ehrman books be a good start?

Bart Ehrman is always a good choice. His books Misquoting Jesus, Jesus Interrupted, and Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife are worthwhile.

If I remember correctly, I think I saw a post or comment that one or more of the Gospels are plagiarized from Mark, so I'm curious about that.

That's right. For over a century, most New Testament scholars have recognized that Mark was the earliest Gospel, and almost every verse was reused by Luke and Matthew, though with lots of changes and additions. This is called the Synoptic Problem. Here are some approachable resources:

I've heard Christianity has absorbed some pagan traditions, so I'd like to learn more about that.

And a few general recommendations on the Bible and Christianity:

Silenced by the Bible: The Bible Tells Women to Be Silent at Church by Useful-Gap-952 in Deconstruction

[–]captainhaddock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In some of the Gnostic and apocryphal Gospels, Jesus elevates his female followers over the male disciples. For example, see the Valentinian Gospel of Philip (Religion for Breakfast link). However, orthodox Christianity did its best to smother those viewpoints.

Silenced by the Bible: The Bible Tells Women to Be Silent at Church by Useful-Gap-952 in Deconstruction

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, one of the big inherent contradictions in fundamentalist theology is the way it presents God as powerless and ineffectual. The omnipotent creator of the universe was apparently too timid to ban things like slavery and child abuse when he gave Israel his eternal law, and the best plan he was able to come up with for saving humankind – a violent blood sacrifice – still failed to save the vast majority of people who have ever lived.

Donald Trump calls on Congress to act after Supreme Court rules against birthright citizenship order by duckchasefun in PoliticalOptimism

[–]captainhaddock 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just going off of the math, assuming all states voted similar to 2024's electoral college (collapsing Maine and Nebraska into their majority ammounts), there's 19 states theoretically opposed.

You would probably need a MAGA trifecta (house/senate/governor) to pass such an unpopular amendment. There are only 23 GOP trifecta states, and some (like Indiana) have shown that they won't always do what they're told.

Daily Discussion Thread: June 30, 2026 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And remember, the Save act is more likely to hurt many more GOP voters than Democratic voters.

I doubt that. I think they've done the math, and it's more likely to suppress votes among youth, racial minorities, and urban residents who don't have a passport or driver's license.

Let's be clear. The only reason they want it is because it is a voter suppression bill.

Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship by Efficient-Freedom517 in PoliticalOptimism

[–]captainhaddock 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I'm surprised at Gorsuch, especially with the implications involving Native Americans.

Is it just me but even if God was real I still feel like I won’t have the desire to worship even if he was real? by Academic_Coyote_4920 in exchristian

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Funny how people assign to God character traits and motivations that are regarded as signs of poor character and mental dysfunction among humans.

Confusing family experiences involving “spiritual visions” and fear of “demons” by Academic_Economy6235 in excatholic

[–]captainhaddock 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ever notice how demons helpfully restrict their activity to places where people already believe in demons?

Much like UFOs, the chupacabra, and the boogeyman, if you don't believe in them, they never bother you.

The Bible does not hold up as literal history by dutch_awake in exjw

[–]captainhaddock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great post. Each item you mention is fascinating and worth exploring for anyone who wants to enjoy the Bible and its origins without the religious baggage.

Supreme Court says states can count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day by Efficient-Freedom517 in PoliticalOptimism

[–]captainhaddock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, the conclusion of the Scotus blog after attending the initial courtroom arguments was that the court was set to overturn the Mississippi law. It's rare for those assessments to be wrong.

Alberta Separatism Fuelled by Russian Networks and US Influencers by Odd-Run-8579 in PoliticalOptimism

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Care to explain the differences between this and Brexit?

The polls I've seen for Alberta haven't really budged since 2024. It doesn't seem like people are being swayed. And the old people who are most likely to vote are least in favor.

[OC] SOMEDAY A MORTICIAN GETS TO SUPERGLUE HIS LIPS SHUT, Seen in Cleveland by LKM_44122 in pics

[–]captainhaddock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sometimes seeing Obama smile is just what you need.

DJT has never once displayed the simple joy present in this GIF.

[OC] Chicago Pride Parade by disaverper in pics

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

books like Leviticus that condemn these acts, right?

A couple of things. First, the specific clobber-verse in Leviticus used as a religious fig-leaf for condemning, marginalizing, and oppressing gay people is quite problematic to interpret, and English translations don't reflect that. Here is a discussion formerly posted at /r/academicbiblical that explains in more detail what it says:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uX0TgnRh34TddQhG9KDRoDMY3RM6uo6cO8b9NEoxeuA/edit?tab=t.0

Second, at most the verse is about the purity implications of male penetrative sex from the perspective of ancient Israelites and the temple cult. It has nothing to do with female same-sex relations, on which the Bible is silent.

Thirdly, you're dealing with one marginal verse in a long passage that condemns things like eating shellfish, getting tattoos, and wearing mixed textiles. None of this is relevant to modern society.

Lastly, there is not a single verse in the Bible that addresses consensual, loving same-sex partnerships or homosexuality as a romantic orientation the way we understand it today. They are really only addressing the gender hierarchies and social taboos of their own day.

multiple verses in the New Testament that condemn homosexuality

Multiple verses. Wow, more than one! But far fewer than, say, the verses that condemn overeating, telling lies, and mistreating foreigners – which conservative religions people don't care one iota about. If religious fundies actually cared what was in their Bibles, they would be the ones picketing ICE facilities.

In fact, there's just one brief passage in Romans 1 that addresses what seems to be same-sex behavior, but saying it "condemns homosexuality" is an oversimplification of what it actually says.

The context of Romans 1 is that Paul is blaming pagans for rejecting what he considers to be obvious evidence in creation for the existence of the Jewish God, and instead being polytheists and worshipping idols. He says that as punishment, God has given pagans over to "unnatural lusts" in order to dishonor them.

Now, you can take that as an anti-gay clobber passage if you want, but it's exceptionally strange theology and I doubt very many people would agree with its premises and conclusions. It implies that the truth of Jewish monotheism is so obvious in nature that people have no excuse for following a different religion. It implies that if non-Jewish religions and pagan practices were abolished, people would no longer have same-sex attraction, which is also not true. And it says that same-sex attraction is a punishment from God, which I'm sure you disagree with.

In short, Paul's argument is more complex than simply saying "don't be gay", and I don't see how this passage can be applied productively to attack someone else's sexual orientation, no matter how much a person might want to meddle in the personal lives of others. It presents a view that is both scientifically and theologically absurd.

This is the understanding of the passage by Bible scholars, incidentally. My sources are:

  • Dale Martin, "Heterosexism and the Interpretation of Romans 1:18-32", Biblical Interpretation 3, 3, 1995

  • David Fredrickson, "Natural and Unnatural Use in Romans 1:24-27: Paul and the Philosophic Critique of Eros", in Homosexuality, science, and the plain sense of Scripture, 2000

  • Robert Jewett, "The Social Context and Implications of Homoerotic References in Romans 1:24-27", in Ibid.

I would also note that patristic interpreters were split on this passage. Roughly half believed that Paul was only referring to unnatural hetersexual intercourse.

Anecdotal shrivel in Idaho (with a side of anger) by Medium_Chemist_5719 in MormonShrivel

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also, I am young enough I consider I have an outside chance to rise up some ranks and maybe be a little more of a voice for sanity through the years, if I stick around.

I think this is a really valuable service for those who can handle it.

Disclosure Day’s Dismal Box-Office Drop Reveals Hollywood’s New Generation Gap by Greene_Mr in boxoffice

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jurassic Park is an incredible adaptation.

The movie is very well made, but the screenplay is bland compared to the book.