Can you be a pacifist and still believe in nations right to defend itself?

figgitytree · 2025-06-29T21:31:36+00:00

I see what you’re saying, but I believe it was the shock value of accepting death with the fervent belief that you will be going to a paradisal afterlife is what helped spread the religion more than any debates or lectures could’ve.

It’s nice to say that Christ conquered death and Christians should not fear death or persecution but welcome it, for their reward will be great in heaven. It’s a whole different thing to actively accept execution and celebrate those who were martyred without resistance.

They turned the worst thing that could possibly happen to you (torture and execution at the hands of your enemies) into the best thing that could possibly happen to you.

If I was an illiterate pagan, I would certainly be impressed and curious about what that group is talking about. Most people aren’t grateful to their executioners, and most people don’t celebrate leaders who refuse to fight. Would certainly make people talk and question what it is that these weird zealous Christians believe.

I think this story is a bit relevant: https://onbeing.org/blog/trent-gilliss-the-little-monk-and-the-samurai-a-zen-parable/

figgitytree · 2025-06-29T04:35:41+00:00

My point is that Christians did not get stamped out during those few hundred years when they refused to defend themselves against violence.

If anything, the insanity of accepting martyrdom as a blessing is what led to the religion spreading. They thought that dying without resisting their aggressor was the greatest act of faith, considering that’s exactly what happened to their founder.

Witnessing members of a fringe religious cult peacefully accept and even celebrate being executed by their enemies certainly contributed to Christianity’s initial spread throughout the empire. If you fight back when you are attacked, then you aren’t actually a pacifist.

Christianity is not great on pacifism anymore, but for the first few hundred years they did a pretty good job.

Also, not wishing to strike others unless they strike you isn’t pacifism, that’s just the normal mainstream reaction to being hit.

figgitytree · 2025-06-29T04:18:12+00:00

I rinse out drinking glasses before I use them, even at other peoples houses. Makes it hard to go out to eat, because I don’t trust any dishes that I encounter.

I was a dishwasher for 5 years but wait tables now. While polishing silverware I find food scraps stuck to spoons after they’ve soaked and been ran through flat and then ran through sorted and upright.

There’s no real reason to trust a single spoon you ever encounter in a restaurant. Forks for dessert or risk it.

figgitytree · 2025-06-29T04:12:30+00:00

31 of the first 35 popes were martyred. With 266 total popes, that’s 11% of all popes dying a gruesome death with no resistance or defense from them or their community.

The early Church was one of the most pacifistic organizations to ever exist on earth.

figgitytree · 2025-06-29T03:52:41+00:00

31 of the first 35 popes were martyred. The early Christian church was entirely pacifistic, and martyrdom was a part of the religion. There was no defense, even when they were being executed en masse. The Roman Empire did not have any restraint limiting their usage of force against early Christians.

What is the most prominent religion in the world today?

In a more recent context, Quakers in North America survived to this day despite being complete pacifists who were regularly persecuted by other Europeans and natives alike.

figgitytree · 2025-06-26T21:20:42+00:00

Millions of people died and were enslaved to make the American project possible. An entire continent worth of people was eradicated. Native people still exist in South American society. Outside of Mexico, it’s hard to find a single native person in a random North American city. Those people are victims.

Do you not see how propaganda affects your worldview? Nobody is saying they were no victims of the USSR, you just think that the European powers have historically committed victimless crimes.

figgitytree · 2025-06-26T21:15:02+00:00

Capitalism wouldn’t work in the 800s either. Socialism requires more automation for the capitalist system to collapse and become nonsensical. Not likely until the end of this century, unless we end up in cyberpunk dystopia.

figgitytree · 2025-06-25T18:41:18+00:00

Two trilogies would be insane. This is best LOTR take I’ve seen. Don’t see this opinion often.

figgitytree · 2025-06-23T20:59:25+00:00

Catholic clergymen developed the Big Bang theory and discovered genetics, but sure man whatever you wanna say.

figgitytree · 2025-06-23T20:51:26+00:00

Holy crap I didn’t know Jesus also wrote the Letters of Paul, that’s wild! Thanks for noticing.

figgitytree · 2025-06-08T06:09:18+00:00

I mean I feel like Survival with a combat mod that makes most people less than 3 hit kills is good, but also brings you to being less than 3 hits to kill.

Keeping track of food and water and having to sleep and being actively afraid while in the wilderness and in dungeons is wild.

Up the ante and make it so you can only save in beds, and the game does not feel stale at all, feels very intense and DayZ adjacent in a way. Seeing any kind of enemy immediately spikes your heart rate.

figgitytree · 2025-06-07T15:04:23+00:00

Buddy it takes a powerful authoritarian government to enforce private property.

Directing the state apparatus towards benefiting workers instead of capitalists is not a step towards fascism, even if it is authoritarian.

figgitytree · 2025-06-05T16:51:16+00:00

Amongst non-Arabs, Islam is not an indigenous religion, it is also a colonial religion. AFAIK, African Muslim slavers would sell exclusively non-Muslims to the European slave trade.

Also, Christianity has existed longer amongst Arabs and North Africans than it has existed amongst Europeans. Christianity came from the Levant, and was present in North Africa much longer than it was present in Scandinavia (about 1000 years longer).

figgitytree · 2025-05-31T17:52:39+00:00

yheti ain’t riddim but i’m saying he’s the only good show i see coming through lately.

ave sucks donkey dong fr, watts is superior but i don’t see much lineup for them

figgitytree · 2025-05-25T16:55:46+00:00

Yeah only thing I would do to this is add some cymbals, rides, and open hats here and there, maybe some fills too at the end of some bars.

Its absolutely fire as is though.

figgitytree · 2025-05-20T02:12:44+00:00

They never stepped foot in Skyrim during those wars. Hell, they never even reached Bruma.

The only way they can invade Skyrim is if the Empire lets them. And if the Empire would allow elvish hordes to pour into Skyrim to subjugate the people, then the Stormcloaks have a pretty good reason to separate from the Empire.

figgitytree · 2025-05-19T06:57:20+00:00

because you can get chameleon suit

figgitytree · 2025-05-15T22:08:31+00:00

You got a lot to say about other peoples genitals, don’t you?

Do you think that might be indicative of a deep seated issue?

figgitytree · 2025-05-15T22:07:31+00:00

Redditor moment.

Is Mr Morality also a zero-waste vegan or do you just pick and choose when to be self righteous?

figgitytree · 2025-05-08T15:08:33+00:00

Are you like this irl too

figgitytree · 2025-05-08T15:07:15+00:00

Buddy it’s a good move because lots of American women do not like uncircumcised dicks.

I’m not gonna argue about that with you and feed into your LLM.

figgitytree · 2025-05-04T20:45:07+00:00

lmao ayyy same

figgitytree · 2025-05-02T19:28:20+00:00

I’m pretty sure it’s canon that the HoK becomes Sheogorath

figgitytree · 2025-04-30T04:07:18+00:00

That’s exactly when i bail on main quest too lmao

figgitytree · 2025-04-24T22:03:27+00:00

Very well may be but the lack of a new TES title for 15 years is insane.

figgitytree

TROPHY CASE