Talk:Essay:5 Questions to Ask an Anti-Conservative
Five answers from an "Anti-Conservative"
While I'm not sure I'm an "Anti-Conservative", I can't resist answering the questions.
| “ | 1. Which group is more likely to lie to you: one that believes in the Ten Commandments and tries to obey it, or one that rejects the Ten Commandments? | ” |
On the given information, clearly the group who believes in the ten commandments. Given appropriate conversational cues, they're almost 100% likely to lie. Examples of such lies might include that they know Jesus/YAWEH exists, or that they know I'm going to hell if I don't get myself saved. On the given information, the other group has no clear motivation to lie to me.
- At least you didn't claim that both groups have precisely the same likelihood of lying to you! That would be the most absurd answer of all.
- That said, obviously someone who believes that lying is wrong and tries not to do what is wrong is less likely to lie to you. Given even the slightest motivation or reason to an amoral or immoral person to lie, and he's likely to do so. $5 would be enough reason, for example, for someone who doesn't think lying is wrong.--Aschlafly 14:10, 28 May 2008 (EDT)
| “ | 2. Would you ever suggest a classroom prayer for a classmate having a sick parent, who you know would greatly appreciate it? | ” |
No. There is no evidence that intercessory prayer has any benefit, so all this would do is provide false hope for the child. Any "appreciation" or comfort supplied by the prayer would be greatly outweighed by the dismay caused if the prayer fails, and the child not only has to confront the grim realities of mortality but also that their God, should they exist, does not care enough about them to spare their feelings. If the teacher or classmates wish to pray for the parent, then they would be best served doing so silently or in the privacy of their own home
- Your concluding sentence is a non sequitur, reflecting the lack of logic in your answer. You have no reason to insist on silent prayer rather than vocal prayer, especially given the fact that your classmate would be comforted by a vocal prayer.--Aschlafly 14:10, 28 May 2008 (EDT)
| “ | 3. If you support gun control, do you also advocate "alcohol control" for adults to reduce the greater harm caused by alcohol? | ” |
Alcohol is already controlled. Only licensed premises my sell it, and only those over a given age my purchase it. Alcohol also has a much lower potential to cause harm to others through malicious action. I strongly support the current measures in place to control the supply of alcohol.
- Alcohol plainly harms more than guns do, yet you "strongly support" a right to alcohol that you probably do not support for guns. You're a walking contradiction.--Aschlafly 14:10, 28 May 2008 (EDT)
| “ | 4. Is it possible that teaching conservative values to teenagers is beneficial for them, and you? | ” |
Almost certainly not. The whole concept of "rugged individualism" is a local optimisation, and it extremely bad mechanism for global optimisation. It would be a really bad thing for society if this was a universal precept, and especially bad for children. School is already bad enough for children who are singled out as weak or unfit, whether due to their intelligence, physical differences or any handicaps they may have. If Conservative principles were applied, what possible recourse would these children have? Their bullies would be ultimately justified.
- I couldn't make sense out of your answer here. Many of the problems that afflict teenagers (addiction, sex-related problems, illegal behavior, etc.) are reduced by conservative values.
| “ | 5. Is it possible that conservative values helps reinforce and strengthen one's faith? | ” |
Faith in what?
- You would benefit from reading more here. Try starting with faith.--Aschlafly 14:10, 28 May 2008 (EDT)
Which group is more likely to lie to you: one that believes in the Ten Commandments and tries to obey them, or one that rejects the Ten Commandments?
- - Rejection of the 10 commandments doesn't mean that somebody has no morals... I can believe that lying, stealing, and killing are wrong without believing that using god's name in vain will send me to hell if I don't repent.
Would you ever suggest a classroom prayer for a classmate having a sick parent, who you know would greatly appreciate it?
- - No - I'd tell them I hope their parents get better.
If you support gun control, do you also advocate "alcohol control" for adults to reduce the greater harm caused by alcohol?
- - Yes. I think that the penalties for drunk driving, for example, should be significantly more severe - I've never really understood why people that are lucky enough to not have a person get in their way when they'd have trouble avoiding it get off so much easier than people who aren't so lucky. If you're caught driving drunk, there should be a major penalty for the danger that you put others around you in, even if nobody got hurt. In terms of the harm that you present to yourself by drinking, no, I don't think there should be more controls for that.
Is it possible that teaching conservative values to teenagers is beneficial for them, and you?
- - Generally, no. Most of the things that you'd probably try to throw back at me here are things that I'd consider common sense that you're calling conservative values.
Is it possible that conservative values helps reinforce and strengthen one's faith?
- - Very possibly. However, I think that faith is a very dangerous concept that can slow progress and encourage stupidity. When you hear about people staying behind in a hurricane because they have faith that god will pull them through, or they were meant to die, as sad as it is that they're doing that to themselves, and as much as I'd try to convince them not to if I were there, I think that's just natural selection in action. When you try to explain something as god's will, and something intangible that just can't be understood, I think that's just a lazy way out to avoid understanding how things work.
Mk 16:20, 18 September 2008 (EDT)