Pope Francis' representative in the Holy Land said on Monday he was willing to exchange himself for Israeli children taken hostage by Hamas and held in Gaza.
I know we’re all cynics here, but good for him. Even if this is entirely a publicity stunt, the guy is still taking a huge risk that someone might offer to take him up on it. That’s a lot of nerve, and that’s a lot of faith, either in God or in the way Hamas values hostages.
Either way, to repeat the notion elsewhere in the thread: any of us offering? Maybe it’s a low risk–but it ain’t zero. It’s easy to dismiss these kinds of gestures from the same armchairs from which we solve geopolitics and warfare, but a public figure going on record for selflessness is something to be celebrated, even if the only noble trait is willingness to roll the dice on human nature in the hope of sharing an altruistic sentiment.
“Hurt me instead of her” is something we wish more people of faith would say everywhere.
I’ve used this argument unironically with creationists without realizing it was a thing. “If God is omnipotent, why couldn’t God create something that didn’t exist a moment ago but then comes into existence with billions of years of history.”
It’s just an attempt to at least get them to acknowledge science while still leaving room for faith, since carbon dating isn’t really up for debate and cosmology offers more than enough convincing evidence against a young universe, just to name two examples.
Anyway I thought I was being creative and original… guess not.
I’m an Adamsian Last Thursdayist of the Subgenius, which synthesizes The Hitchhiker’s Guide and the Church of the Subgenius into something resembling a theology.
If I’m going to believe in something made up, I’ll make up something fun.
I know we’re all cynics here, but good for him. Even if this is entirely a publicity stunt, the guy is still taking a huge risk that someone might offer to take him up on it. That’s a lot of nerve, and that’s a lot of faith, either in God or in the way Hamas values hostages.
Either way, to repeat the notion elsewhere in the thread: any of us offering? Maybe it’s a low risk–but it ain’t zero. It’s easy to dismiss these kinds of gestures from the same armchairs from which we solve geopolitics and warfare, but a public figure going on record for selflessness is something to be celebrated, even if the only noble trait is willingness to roll the dice on human nature in the hope of sharing an altruistic sentiment.
“Hurt me instead of her” is something we wish more people of faith would say everywhere.
That’s kind of the entire message of Jesus: He volunteered to be hurt instead of us.
Now, the whole notion of God hurting us or Jesus is kinda fucked and I’m a devout Last Thursdayist, but the sentiment is the same.
TIL: https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Last_Thursdayism
Neat.
Thanks, me too. Existential crisis incoming.
I think the core message of Last Thursdayism is that since we can’t know, we shouldn’t worry about it
You do you. I’m freaking out. It can’t be stopped now. Pray for me.
May Bob guide you to your slack
I’ve used this argument unironically with creationists without realizing it was a thing. “If God is omnipotent, why couldn’t God create something that didn’t exist a moment ago but then comes into existence with billions of years of history.”
It’s just an attempt to at least get them to acknowledge science while still leaving room for faith, since carbon dating isn’t really up for debate and cosmology offers more than enough convincing evidence against a young universe, just to name two examples.
Anyway I thought I was being creative and original… guess not.
I’m an Adamsian Last Thursdayist of the Subgenius, which synthesizes The Hitchhiker’s Guide and the Church of the Subgenius into something resembling a theology.
If I’m going to believe in something made up, I’ll make up something fun.
Praise Bob!
Yes good for him. And good for the world if we get some music festival kid back and lose a priest. Win-win.
Most of the hostages that have been released have been saying pretty good things publicly, so I guess now is as good a time as any lol
So go be one. How brainwashed do you have to be to believe hostages are being treated well by Hamas.