Russia - Gay Rights - Sochi Olympics Megathread

[Agymnum]

Exactly. You don't kill religion by stabbing it to death.

You bore it to death with statistics, empirical evidence, and other boring scientific things.

Or you could simply let religion grow and prosper, via education. I don't exactly see how helping the poor, providing free healthcare and opposing the death penalty is a bad thing, do you?

Your problem isn't religion. It's bigotry and ignorance. Most of those abusing religion to bash teh Gay, also think that Sodom and Gomorrah were married, at least that's the case in the US, according to Webpundit. Ya still think that religion's the problem?

Well that and the fact it promotes complacence without knowledge. Believing in a deity with no proof is the exact opposite of inquiry and curiosity and I cannot stand people or organizations who would promote such ignorance.

[The Carlisle]

Or you could simply let religion grow and prosper, via education. I don't exactly see how helping the poor, providing free healthcare and opposing the death penalty is a bad thing, do you?

Your problem isn't religion. It's bigotry and ignorance. Most of those abusing religion to bash teh Gay, also think that Sodom and Gomorrah were married, at least that's the case in the US, according to Webpundit. Ya still think that religion's the problem?

Well that and the fact it promotes complacence without knowledge. Believing in a deity with no proof is the exact opposite of inquiry and curiosity and I cannot stand people or organizations who would promote such ignorance.

^ This.

[Shofercia]

Or you could simply let religion grow and prosper, via education. I don't exactly see how helping the poor, providing free healthcare and opposing the death penalty is a bad thing, do you?

Your problem isn't religion. It's bigotry and ignorance. Most of those abusing religion to bash teh Gay, also think that Sodom and Gomorrah were married, at least that's the case in the US, according to Webpundit. Ya still think that religion's the problem?

Well that and the fact it promotes complacence without knowledge. Believing in a deity with no proof is the exact opposite of inquiry and curiosity and I cannot stand people or organizations who would promote such ignorance.

You can do the exact same thing without a Deity. Case in point: Scientology. Case in point: Stalin's Paranoia. I can give more examples if you'd like.

[Agymnum]

Well that and the fact it promotes complacence without knowledge. Believing in a deity with no proof is the exact opposite of inquiry and curiosity and I cannot stand people or organizations who would promote such ignorance.

You can do the exact same thing without a Deity. Case in point: Scientology. Case in point: Stalin's Paranoia. I can give more examples if you'd like.

Except that religion actively promotes complacence without knowledge under the guise of faith being a good thing.

Stalin promoted such ignorance as a cult of personality, which some might also call a religion.

Scientology is also a religion. Remember that cult and religion are objectively the same, just with different subjective meanings.

[Shofercia]

Then you guys can please explain me why some places like Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Croatia, Bulgaria, etc. etc. etc. and even Asian countries with no obligation to obey liberal democratic logic with regards to privacy, freedom of expression, etc. etc. aren't so batshit insane?

About the only one of those countries that actually stands out, is the Czech Republic, and that's because they developed their own system though education, and at least a century of learning. Crash courses don't usually work.

[Norstal]

Wow, no ice-skating jokes. You all disappoint me.

Then you guys can please explain me why some places like Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Croatia, Bulgaria, etc. etc. etc. and even Asian countries with no obligation to obey liberal democratic logic with regards to privacy, freedom of expression, etc. etc. aren't so batshit insane?

I don't get your argument. Those countries have a high number of religious people. If you think religion is the cause of anti-homosexuality, well, that's not entirely true.

[Greater Beggnig]

Last month, the leader of the church, Patriarch Kirill I, called the legalization of same-sex marriage a “very dangerous symptom of the apocalypse.”

Why would anyone listen to these people?

I know, but apparently Russians do. I guess I'll have to change my Slavic sympathies to the South Slavs. You used to be cool, Russia, but now you're a dick again.

[Agymnum]

Why would anyone listen to these people?

I know, but apparently Russians do. I guess I'll have to change my Slavic sympathies to the South Slavs. You used to be cool, Russia, but now you're a dick again.

Were they cool Pre-Soviet Union? Or were the cool during the Provisional Government?

You gotta be specific about this kind of stuff.

[L Ron Cupboard]

Britain needs it very own Putin

Too young to remember Clause 28?

[Shofercia]

You can do the exact same thing without a Deity. Case in point: Scientology. Case in point: Stalin's Paranoia. I can give more examples if you'd like.

Except that religion actively promotes complacence without knowledge under the guise of faith being a good thing.

Stalin promoted such ignorance as a cult of personality, which some might also call a religion.

Scientology is also a religion. Remember that cult and religion are objectively the same, just with different subjective meanings.

I've always felt that my Religion Enlightened me, because that's how I was taught. Again, your issue isn't with religion. It's with education. I'm a Russian, Orthodox, Christian. So according to your theory on religion, I should be hating gays. I just endorsed a gay, well lesbian, close enough, candidate on the Slavic RMB, for political reasons. I have no issues with LGBT, because I had a stellar education. All of the Orthodox Christians I know have no issues with LGBT, because they also had a stellar education. Religion isn't your problem. Ignorance is.

[Greater Beggnig]

I know, but apparently Russians do. I guess I'll have to change my Slavic sympathies to the South Slavs. You used to be cool, Russia, but now you're a dick again.

Were they cool Pre-Soviet Union? Or were the cool during the Provisional Government?

You gotta be specific about this kind of stuff.

The Provisional Government. It probably would have been better if they had lasted. Tsarist Russia sucked.

[Shofercia]

Were they cool Pre-Soviet Union? Or were the cool during the Provisional Government?

You gotta be specific about this kind of stuff.

The Provisional Government. It probably would have been better if they had lasted. Tsarist Russia sucked.

They were too damn incompetent.

[Agymnum]

I've always felt that my Religion Enlightened me, because that's how I was taught. Again, your issue isn't with religion. It's with education. I'm a Russian, Orthodox, Christian. So according to your theory on religion, I should be hating gays. I just endorsed a gay, well lesbian, close enough, candidate on the Slavic RMB, for political reasons. I have no issues with LGBT, because I had a stellar education. All of the Orthodox Christians I know have no issues with LGBT, because they also had a stellar education. Religion isn't your problem. Ignorance is.

Religion is a source of ignorance as it promotes the notion that there is a higher deity with no sort of evidence. This belief in turn leads to the mistaken notion that it's okay to believe things without evidence (alternative medicine, conspiracy theories, etc).

Religion is just as much my enemy as ignorance. I just don't fight religion quite as violently as I do ignorance. Religion must be allowed to die on its own, as people realize that they do not need a deity to survive, where ignorance must be actively combated.

In the case of anti-LGBT Russia, I believe protests and such during the Olympics are necessary. Active combat.

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Were they cool Pre-Soviet Union? Or were the cool during the Provisional Government?

You gotta be specific about this kind of stuff.

The Provisional Government. It probably would have been better if they had lasted. Tsarist Russia sucked.

Some of their rulers sucked. As 18th century monarchs went, Catherine II wasn't too bad. Hell, Elizabeth was pretty much a party empress. Nicholas II...not so much. Alexander III? Not really that great. I would say that Alex II and Nicky I were flawed, but far from incompetent. Alexander I...Well, he's the reason we're not speaking French right now

[Shofercia]

I've always felt that my Religion Enlightened me, because that's how I was taught. Again, your issue isn't with religion. It's with education. I'm a Russian, Orthodox, Christian. So according to your theory on religion, I should be hating gays. I just endorsed a gay, well lesbian, close enough, candidate on the Slavic RMB, for political reasons. I have no issues with LGBT, because I had a stellar education. All of the Orthodox Christians I know have no issues with LGBT, because they also had a stellar education. Religion isn't your problem. Ignorance is.

Religion is a source of ignorance as it promotes the notion that there is a higher deity with no sort of evidence. This belief in turn leads to the mistaken notion that it's okay to believe things without evidence (alternative medicine, conspiracy theories, etc).

Conspiracy theories are sometimes true. That's why they're popular. If we've never had a successful conspiracy theory, they'd die out. That ain't the case. Also, I believe that the Universe is Infinite, and that within an Infinite Universe, an All Powerful Being can exist. How's that unreasonable? Why do I have to accept the Theory of a Finite Universe, when we have a single vantage point, (Earth,) within a single Solar System, within a single Galaxy? That seems like a huge assumption to make.

In the case of anti-LGBT Russia, I believe protests and such during the Olympics are necessary. Active combat.

I'd go more with passive protests, but I agree that they're necessary.

[Menassa]

You can do the exact same thing without a Deity. Case in point: Scientology. Case in point: Stalin's Paranoia. I can give more examples if you'd like.

Except that religion actively promotes complacence without knowledge under the guise of faith being a good thing.

[...]

Not all religions.

[Hetalian Indie Rio de Janeiro]

Except that religion actively promotes complacence without knowledge under the guise of faith being a good thing.

[...]

Not all religions.

Everybody knows that only Christianity is religion, everything else is Mythology.

[Nationalist State of Knox]

Except that religion actively promotes complacence without knowledge under the guise of faith being a good thing.

[...]

Not all religions.

Especially not mine.

[Imperializt Russia]

The simple solution is to not talk about it while you're in Moscow.

Completely shameful, yes, but better than being fined and possibly arrested.

[Menassa]

Not all religions.

Especially not mine.

Especially not yours.

[Nationalist State of Knox]

Especially not mine.

Especially not yours.

My religion doesn't produce a single teaching on homosexuality as such.

[Menassa]

Especially not yours.

My religion doesn't produce a single teaching on homosexuality as such.

That's a shame that it doesn't have anything to say on such a hot button topic.

Sounds Archaic.

[Blasveck]

Especially not yours.

My religion doesn't produce a single teaching on homosexuality as such.

Wait, Knox, aren't you an atheist?

[Nationalist State of Knox]

My religion doesn't produce a single teaching on homosexuality as such.

That's a shame that it doesn't have anything to say on such a hot button topic.

Sounds Archaic.

It's actually quite progressive, because by not teaching about homosexuality, it actually endorses a person's freedom of choice.

How do you feel, being beaten by a religion that existed before the creation of the Universe (according to your book)?

[Menassa]

That's a shame that it doesn't have anything to say on such a hot button topic.

Sounds Archaic.

It's actually quite progressive, because by not teaching about homosexuality, it actually endorses a person's freedom of choice.

How do you feel, being beaten by a religion that existed before the creation of the Universe (according to your book)?

Or maybe it is teaching you not to be a homosexual as it feels it's so obvious it doesn't need to state it.

No religion existed before the creation of the universe according to my book, as there were no humans....

My religion doesn't produce a single teaching on homosexuality as such.

Wait, Knox, aren't you an atheist?

A what?