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Why does product design sometimes fail? It's complicated
Everywhere you look, products are getting too complicated, with more and more features aimed at attracting consumers. For designers, it's a constant and complex balance to get it just...
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Do you think we need to end prayer session say, when congress convenes? On the world stage it must look as silly as opposing football teams praying for guidance and victory. It changes nothing. There is no evidence that people swearing to tell the truth and the whole truth in court trials has any effect on whether they actually do tell the truth. We aren't a theocracy, so why have we engrained this nonsense into our procedures?
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Id say no more than any idealogies than the left holds.
There most certainly are conservative christian religious people who would never vote for a side that supports abortion or gay marriage and primarily point solely religion to do so.
This is certainly anecdotal but ive really only seen one conservative or this site (rickyd) who reacts this way. Most others never point to religious beliefs for support of an argument.
Many progressives on this site however cannot get past the blindness of viewing people in there collective hierarchy and any opposing view as some sort intent to oppress. Additionally the more oppressed you are in the collectivist structure the more valuable your argument.
Simple name calling and headline posting is all thats needed and in my view is part of the same coin.
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At the same time, a lot of these rituals involve phrasing that either assumes a particular ideology, or just does not make a lot of sense. On the wedding it is common to hear one or another variation of "forever together", even though objectively everybody knows that no marriage is guaranteed to be permanent, that people can change over time and start resenting each other and wanting to be apart.
I suppose I am okay with these rituals being there, but I do not think that participating in them should be mandatory. And when it involves specific religions/ideologies, there should be no place for it in the public space.
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Hi Michael.
You have a good point. I haven't seen arguments to the effect of the christian right on this site. I wonder if that'd be different had trump never was president? He appears to me anyway, to have taken the sails out of what used to be routine leftists arguments. To some degree some on the right as well.
I can't agree with just leaving the rituals in place however. In doing that we are by default holding one particular religion above the rest.
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Yeah I'm not conflicted on it for reasons you actually cite. What bible is used? What other religions are allowed to be represented in these rituals? No we do not need them. However I see your point about verbally swearing. Think that would have a similar effect if it just wasn't to a god?
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It probably would even have a stronger effect on those who do not believe in the Abrahamic god, for they would not have to lie in their oath - however, I can see how actual monotheists would take the oath more seriously for they would be making it not just before themselves and other people, but the supremely important and authoritative being.
I know that for myself, it does matter in front of whom I promise to do something. I can tell a random stranger, "You know, I am planning to learn guitar this year", without really meaning it. But if I tell a very close friend, "Hey, I am planning to learn guitar this year", then I feel that I have committed to something; that I should have something to show by the end of the year if my friend asks me, "So, how is your guitar learning going?" It might be highly irrational, but for whatever reason we tend to take promises given to ourselves much lighter than promises given to others.
In this context, giving a promise to god if one believes said god to be the ultimate omnipresent authority is not done lightly at all.
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What you're saying makes sense. I'll have to think on it some more. Generally, a con on the witness stand, or in the halls of justice wouldn't take such an oath seriously. But it is something to consider. Perhaps eventually we will evolve and advance enough to put all superstitions behind us?
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