Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Religious people have on average significantly lower levels of education and lower levels of intelligence than agnostics/atheists. That's a fact. Draw your own opinions from that.
Bullshit.
A 2017 US study showed Jews, Unitarians, Episcopalian Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans and even Muslims had a significantly higher level of education than the average American and were significantly more likely to be graduates than atheists and agnostics.
So that is not a fact. Just your ill researched crap
It is just your OPINION that God exists. It is not a FACT.
It is for me as I have faith.
I do not care what your view is on it
No, it is your OPINION that he exists. It is NOT a FACT.
It is a fact as I have faith in it.
It is NOT a fact, it just your OPINION that he exists.
Rather telling remark about belief in something making it fact. Revealing.
It means everyone can have their own facts too.
It is an interesting way of defining faith and probably not how I would express it. For me, I have not a moments doubt that God exists but that is based on what I have seen and experienced over the past 10 years. To me those experiences are factual (I was there, I saw it) but to anyone else they would be considered opinion.
Which is surely the level of human humility necessary in such matters. To believe, sincerely and deeply and passionately, but not impose your will on others by insisting they accept your facts as universal.
It's just plain strange though for someone to protest some fringe beliefs, however sincere, cannot be claimed as facts but other beliefs can. I'd understand it if the point was just you have to take some things on faith, but not applying different standards. But then said person isnt about respect, they just wish to claim a 'win".
Is the i lying to us when it says UK has no early warning system for nuclear attack?
Why would you want an early warning system? You'd get all depressed for the last ten minutes of your life. Better not to know, surely.
That’s a good point. I don’t know. Maybe you’d want to make sure the cat was in and the gas is turned off? If you have been saving chocolate biscuits then you’d might as well eat them.
With a little wit, it's possible to attack Boris whilst still attacking Putin more.
It's somewhat worrying how many prefer to attack our PM without even a glancing blow at Putin.
Can they even pronounce unequivocal?
I understand what you mean. Clowns are cads not nearly the same league as evil **** ********. But is there an argument wether our government was inept clowns or not, it still falls upon us the, everyday people to keep the pressure in them for refugee help and sanctions Ukraine needs? It’s not Zelenskyy job to pressure our government but to say thank you good friend but we need more - it falls to us to pressure our own politicians to deliver the promised “leading the world” response, not just an impression of delivery with errors swept under carpet.
For example, there’s a wide misconception we have sanctioned Roman Abramovich, but with his best ally unsanctioned you need to convince me it’s not the cop out I’m sure it is. 😕
Is the i lying to us when it says UK has no early warning system for nuclear attack?
Does it make much difference? It has Trident to nuke the capital of any country which launches a nuclear attack on us
With a bit of luck you'll be one of the 144,000 from across history who will make into the Kingdom of Heaven in the event of nuclear holocaust.
(I do wonder: does that mean there's a last person in the door, and if that means everyone born after that chap or chapette is just plain out of luck?)
Garden’s points about masking are fair and reasonable… but there is one massive, obvious more prosaic flaw which is - even now - rarely mentioned. They make it much harder to hear what people are saying. Apart from the muffled vocals, I have realised over the past two years that we all lip-read to some extent.
Very true
My somewhat spectrumy older daughter insists on wearing a mask as much as she can, out of shyness, and I now understand about half of what she says, despite her not saying anything differently. The difference is: she wears a mask, and now I can no longer lip-read
My daughter wears a mask "to hide acne".
But the only acne she has is in the mask area... and so I can't help think that the mask is actually causing the acne.
I believe this is actually proven. Masks cause acne and eye diseases. We are not to meant to wear them. But for shy or insecure teens (ie, most teens) they are an unfortunate godsend
I pray we have not done permanent damage to an entire cohort of kids
It's quite hard to permanently damage kids. I know. I've tried.
Get her a blue led light mask to put on for 10 minutes after washing her face before bed. Will clear it up in no time. Can be quite debilitating for kids having bad skin.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Religious people have on average significantly lower levels of education and lower levels of intelligence than agnostics/atheists. That's a fact. Draw your own opinions from that.
Bullshit.
A 2017 US study showed Jews, Unitarians, Episcopalian Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans and even Muslims had a significantly higher level of education than the average American and were significantly more likely to be graduates than atheists and agnostics.
So that is not a fact. Just your ill researched crap
It is just your OPINION that God exists. It is not a FACT.
It is for me as I have faith.
I do not care what your view is on it
No, it is your OPINION that he exists. It is NOT a FACT.
It is a fact as I have faith in it.
It is NOT a fact, it just your OPINION that he exists.
Rather telling remark about belief in something making it fact. Revealing.
It means everyone can have their own facts too.
You cannot disprove God either
I can. No such thing. And that is a fact as I have faith in it
There is no faith in atheism, just a belief in nothing
Absence of belief is not belief of absence.
Yes it is, it is a belief in nothing.
We come from nothing, we go to nothing, no defining moral code, nothing.
Hence the vast majority of the global population like me are still believers in the divine
That isn’t atheism. At least, not as understood by those of us invested in modern physics. I was born. I will die. In between I was, am and will be; but I will always be an event. The only reason we think of the last bit of that as an “end” is our view of time. Morality is about treating others well because we want to, not because god says so.
Is the i lying to us when it says UK has no early warning system for nuclear attack?
Does it make much difference? It has Trident to nuke the capital of any country which launches a nuclear attack on us
With a bit of luck you'll be one of the 144,000 from across history who will make into the Kingdom of Heaven in the event of nuclear holocaust.
(I do wonder: does that mean there's a last person in the door, and if that means everyone born after that chap or chapette is just plain out of luck?)
See Blackadder. Hell is more fun - all the parties.
I decided to start yesterday's Wordle with the word "trads" expecting it to be rejected but it wasn't. Then went on to get the word in 2 goes for the first time.
Scoop: The Biden administration is considering providing Ukraine with U.S.-made killer drones — cutting edge guided missiles that could accurately target Russian tanks and artillery positions from miles away, two Congressional officials said.
Is Biden coming under pressure to do more over there C Shan Tee? 40 GOP senators signed a letter saying they would not have vetoed the migs and would work to get that wrong headed decision over turned, is Biden getting any increasing push back like that from Dems?
“ The Biden administration is considering providing Ukraine with U.S.-made killer drones — cutting edge guided missiles that could accurately target Russian tanks and artillery positions from miles away “ is this a sign he is being pressed to be bolder and feels he has to show more leg to Putin?
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Religious people have on average significantly lower levels of education and lower levels of intelligence than agnostics/atheists. That's a fact. Draw your own opinions from that.
Bullshit.
A 2017 US study showed Jews, Unitarians, Episcopalian Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans and even Muslims had a significantly higher level of education than the average American and were significantly more likely to be graduates than atheists and agnostics.
Is it any wonder hyufd is a christian....he states they obey the ten commandments. However the commandment is "thou shalt not kill" it doesn't have codicils such as unless you really want to because "they aren a christian", "are a witch in our opinion", "unless they are attacking you", "you are a saracen who happens to have a city full of gold", "your country is full of oil and we want it". Christians like hyufd are pretty much hypocritical arses who hides behind faith claiming morality when they have none whatsoever.
Note this is not all christians merely ones like him.
Something has just struck me about the information we are getting from the war in Ukraine: we are seeing lots of video released by the Ukrainian side but I can't remember seeing any video of combat from the Russians. Is that because of selection bias by me or (i.e. it is out there but I haven't found it yet) or is it because they haven't released anything like as much?
It’s because the Russians are simply conducting a peacekeeping operation in the Donbass. There is no war as far as they are concerned.
To anyone who thinks that the Russians will be able to march through Kiev, take a look at how many ordinary citizens have armed themselves and are training to defend their city.
To summarise, he will be asking for increased oil production, and will be asked for help with increased security in the Gulf region. UK is a key broker in the region, after a cooling in their relationship with the US in the past decade under Obama and Trump.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Religious people have on average significantly lower levels of education and lower levels of intelligence than agnostics/atheists. That's a fact. Draw your own opinions from that.
Bullshit.
A 2017 US study showed Jews, Unitarians, Episcopalian Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans and even Muslims had a significantly higher level of education than the average American and were significantly more likely to be graduates than atheists and agnostics.
According to a 2012 study by Gallup International "59% of the world said that they think of themselves as religious person, 23% think of themselves as not religious whereas 13% think of themselves as convinced atheists".
So a 36% majority for the religious over the non religious and a 46% majority for the religious over atheists.
As I have already pointed out by 2050 the non religious will decline as a share of the global population. That will further boost my side in the global culture war over yours
Incredible that you side with the "religious" however evil over the "non religious" however good in your stupid global war.
Thank god most of the people I know who consider themselves "religious" are nothing like you, and would never want to be on the same side as you.
Nothing to see here, we're doing our job, move on.
Why does her age matter?
Surely the story is that someone somewhere was searched by someone for some reason?
No, the story is that a child was strip searched in school by police, for no good reason.
The story is that a child was interrogated and strip searched by police without an appropriate adult present.
Which is a very serious criminal offence for which the officers concerned should be on trial with the threat of fourteen years’ imprisonment hanging over them.
Is it any wonder hyufd is a christian....he states they obey the ten commandments. However the commandment is "thou shalt not kill" it doesn't have codicils such as unless you really want to because "they aren a christian", "are a witch in our opinion", "unless they are attacking you", "you are a saracen who happens to have a city full of gold", "your country is full of oil and we want it". Christians like hyufd are pretty much hypocritical arses who hides behind faith claiming morality when they have none whatsoever.
Note this is not all christians merely ones like him.
In the original Hebrew it’s not ‘thou shalt not kill.’ It says instead ‘Do not commit murder.’ So actually two of your five exemptions are covered by it.
The bit about ‘not being a Christian’ didn’t arise at the time…
Nothing to see here, we're doing our job, move on.
Why does her age matter?
Surely the story is that someone somewhere was searched by someone for some reason?
No, the story is that a child was strip searched in school by police, for no good reason.
The story is that a child was interrogated and strip searched by police without an appropriate adult present.
Which is a very serious criminal offence for which the officers concerned should be on trial with the threat of fourteen years’ imprisonment hanging over them.
What about the teachers’ role? Child smells of doobies after break time. Response: CALL PLOD QUICK!!
What about a quiet word to go and see the the school councillor.
Nothing to see here, we're doing our job, move on.
Why does her age matter?
Surely the story is that someone somewhere was searched by someone for some reason?
No, the story is that a child was strip searched in school by police, for no good reason.
The story is that a child was interrogated and strip searched by police without an appropriate adult present.
Which is a very serious criminal offence for which the officers concerned should be on trial with the threat of fourteen years’ imprisonment hanging over them.
What about the teachers’ role? Child smells of doobies after break time. Response: CALL PLOD QUICK!!
What about a quiet word to go and see the the school councillor.
On the details as presented, actually they probably did act correctly in calling the police. That’s normal if you think somebody is carrying drugs.
Their failure to insist on calling the girl’s mother and making the police wait for her to arrive before beginning the investigation is a rather different and as you note much more serious matter. That could easily see them put on misconduct charges, conceivably banned from teaching.
However, even that is dwarfed in scale by an illegal strip search of an underage girl.
Is it any wonder hyufd is a christian....he states they obey the ten commandments. However the commandment is "thou shalt not kill" it doesn't have codicils such as unless you really want to because "they aren a christian", "are a witch in our opinion", "unless they are attacking you", "you are a saracen who happens to have a city full of gold", "your country is full of oil and we want it". Christians like hyufd are pretty much hypocritical arses who hides behind faith claiming morality when they have none whatsoever.
Note this is not all christians merely ones like him.
In the original Hebrew it’s not ‘thou shalt not kill.’ It says instead ‘Do not commit murder.’ So actually two of your five exemptions are covered by it.
The bit about ‘not being a Christian’ didn’t arise at the time…
Yes, the Old Testament is positively enthusiastic about killing, provided the victims are the baddies. You have to get to Jesus and the gospels to "turn the other cheek" "resist not evil" "those that take up the sword shall die by the sword" etc.
One of the most difficult things about being a follower of Jesus is his absolute pacifism, and any reading of his gospels that denies that pacifism is a willful misreading. This is quite an obvious difference to the Koran. One reason that all "the religious" will not be on the side of HYUFD in the culture war, is that we differ on quite fundamental things.
Is it any wonder hyufd is a christian....he states they obey the ten commandments. However the commandment is "thou shalt not kill" it doesn't have codicils such as unless you really want to because "they aren a christian", "are a witch in our opinion", "unless they are attacking you", "you are a saracen who happens to have a city full of gold", "your country is full of oil and we want it". Christians like hyufd are pretty much hypocritical arses who hides behind faith claiming morality when they have none whatsoever.
Note this is not all christians merely ones like him.
In the original Hebrew it’s not ‘thou shalt not kill.’ It says instead ‘Do not commit murder.’ So actually two of your five exemptions are covered by it.
The bit about ‘not being a Christian’ didn’t arise at the time…
Yes, the Old Testament is positively enthusiastic about killing, provided the victims are the baddies. You have to get to Jesus and the gospels to "turn the other cheek" "resist not evil" "those that take up the sword shall die by the sword" etc.
One of the most difficult things about being a follower of Jesus is his absolute pacifism, and any reading of his gospels that denies that pacifism is a willful misreading. This is quite an obvious difference to the Koran. One reason that all "the religious" will not be on the side of HYUFD in the culture war, is that we differ on quite fundamental things.
Matthew 10:34 indicates that pacifism wasn’t quite what Jesus himself thought his teachings would lead to.
Is it any wonder hyufd is a christian....he states they obey the ten commandments. However the commandment is "thou shalt not kill" it doesn't have codicils such as unless you really want to because "they aren a christian", "are a witch in our opinion", "unless they are attacking you", "you are a saracen who happens to have a city full of gold", "your country is full of oil and we want it". Christians like hyufd are pretty much hypocritical arses who hides behind faith claiming morality when they have none whatsoever.
Note this is not all christians merely ones like him.
In the original Hebrew it’s not ‘thou shalt not kill.’ It says instead ‘Do not commit murder.’ So actually two of your five exemptions are covered by it.
The bit about ‘not being a Christian’ didn’t arise at the time…
Yes, the Old Testament is positively enthusiastic about killing, provided the victims are the baddies. You have to get to Jesus and the gospels to "turn the other cheek" "resist not evil" "those that take up the sword shall die by the sword" etc.
One of the most difficult things about being a follower of Jesus is his absolute pacifism, and any reading of his gospels that denies that pacifism is a willful misreading. This is quite an obvious difference to the Koran. One reason that all "the religious" will not be on the side of HYUFD in the culture war, is that we differ on quite fundamental things.
Matthew 10:34 indicates that pacifism wasn’t quite what Jesus himself thought his teachings would lead to.
Yes, he realises that his teachings will bring a violent reaction from established authorities. He predicts war, but doesn't engage in it.
Comments
It's just plain strange though for someone to protest some fringe beliefs, however sincere, cannot be claimed as facts but other beliefs can. I'd understand it if the point was just you have to take some things on faith, but not applying different standards. But then said person isnt about respect, they just wish to claim a 'win".
Why?
It’s just Mastermind, a board game that fizzled out in the 1980s on account of being mundane trial and error.
Cryptic crosswords are far more satisfying, and we don’t have to endure every Tom, Dick and Harriet going on about them every day.
For example, there’s a wide misconception we have sanctioned Roman Abramovich, but with his best ally unsanctioned you need to convince me it’s not the cop out I’m sure it is. 😕
(I do wonder: does that mean there's a last person in the door, and if that means everyone born after that chap or chapette is just plain out of luck?)
North Korea appears to have fired projectile that could be a missile – nhk citing defence ministry.
https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/1503895825180672009
https://twitter.com/kendilaniannbc/status/1503905485115871233
“ The Biden administration is considering providing Ukraine with U.S.-made killer drones — cutting edge guided missiles that could accurately target Russian tanks and artillery positions from miles away “ is this a sign he is being pressed to be bolder and feels he has to show more leg to Putin?
Christians like hyufd are pretty much hypocritical arses who hides behind faith claiming morality when they have none whatsoever.
Note this is not all christians merely ones like him.
To anyone who thinks that the Russians will be able to march through Kiev, take a look at how many ordinary citizens have armed themselves and are training to defend their city.
This is how his visit is being reported locally. Second headline in the paper, after Ukraine.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2022/03/15/boris-johnson-visits-gulf-to-restore-security-and-increase-energy-supplies/
To summarise, he will be asking for increased oil production, and will be asked for help with increased security in the Gulf region. UK is a key broker in the region, after a cooling in their relationship with the US in the past decade under Obama and Trump.
Thank god most of the people I know who consider themselves "religious" are nothing like you, and would never want to be on the same side as you.
Which is a very serious criminal offence for which the officers concerned should be on trial with the threat of fourteen years’ imprisonment hanging over them.
The bit about ‘not being a Christian’ didn’t arise at the time…
What about a quiet word to go and see the the school councillor.
Their failure to insist on calling the girl’s mother and making the police wait for her to arrive before beginning the investigation is a rather different and as you note much more serious matter. That could easily see them put on misconduct charges, conceivably banned from teaching.
However, even that is dwarfed in scale by an illegal strip search of an underage girl.
One of the most difficult things about being a follower of Jesus is his absolute pacifism, and any reading of his gospels that denies that pacifism is a willful misreading. This is quite an obvious difference to the Koran. One reason that all "the religious" will not be on the side of HYUFD in the culture war, is that we differ on quite fundamental things.
worn out its tank tracks