Quote (ofthevoid @ May 3 2022 08:17pm)

I’m a Protestant so I don’t think I can care less for either of these religious leaders but it’s not really useful to Christianity to call the other leaders out like this. If Protestant preachers at high levels started calling out the Pope or the Catholic Church on their child molesting problem, is that useful or serve a purpose for Christianity? The world already does a good enough job to shame and judge these wrongs, we as Protestants don’t need to shit sling. Kingdom divided and all.

Quote (Goomshill @ May 3 2022 10:28pm)

I look to pragmatic political leaders to serve their people's self-interest and tend to material needs and win conflicts. I expect spiritual leaders to take the lead in thawing tensions, overcoming old grudges and putting aside disagreements. At least those who purport to follow that one hippy jesus guy who said turn the other cheek and render unto caesar. A politician could have a reason, even if its misguided, to antagonize Russia and its spiritual leaders and stoke the conflict. A pope should not. A pope should lead by example in being the first to bury the hatchet, not swing it into the patriarch's skull. When the geopolitical world is putting up a new iron curtain and cutting off communications and expelling diplomats and trying its hardest to enflame a proxy war, the pope should be the one trying to build a bridge over that divide. If he's going to pass moral judgment on the other side, label them aggressors, refuse to talk to them, call them out in a one-sided manner, well, that's not very christian of him

Quote (Goomshill @ 4 May 2022 10:28)

I look to pragmatic political leaders to serve their people's self-interest and tend to material needs and win conflicts. I expect spiritual leaders to take the lead in thawing tensions, overcoming old grudges and putting aside disagreements. At least those who purport to follow that one hippy jesus guy who said turn the other cheek and render unto caesar. A politician could have a reason, even if its misguided, to antagonize Russia and its spiritual leaders and stoke the conflict. A pope should not. A pope should lead by example in being the first to bury the hatchet, not swing it into the patriarch's skull. When the geopolitical world is putting up a new iron curtain and cutting off communications and expelling diplomats and trying its hardest to enflame a proxy war, the pope should be the one trying to build a bridge over that divide. If he's going to pass moral judgment on the other side, label them aggressors, refuse to talk to them, call them out in a one-sided manner, well, that's not very christian of him

Quote (Hamsterbaby @ May 3 2022 11:19pm)

Are you a fan of Realpolitik?

Quote (Goomshill @ 4 May 2022 12:32)

Think of realpolitik as act utilitarianism and idealism as rule utilitarianism. A more enlightened actor should straddle the two, acknowledging that ideals like rules themselves have value when followed, and too much cynical pragmatism in the name of better outcomes, actually leads to worse outcomes. You don't want statecraft led by dogmatic jingoist team america world police spreading freedom to every corner of the world by bombing the shit out of it. Nor do you want authoritarian regimes that rationalize stripping away civil liberties for security and appeasing an aggressor until they've got you backed into a corner. The middle way is to recognize that stirring the pot usually results in worse death and destruction than the old status quo, that free societies are more productive and that if you look in a mirror you might see the true aggressor.

Quote (Ironfister @ 4 May 2022 13:51)

Biden speech:
"Funds spent on bolstering Ukrainian security so far was a direct investment in defending freedom and democracy itself.
Because if you don’t stand up to dictators, history has shown us, they keep coming. Their appetite for power continues to grow.”

Quote (vladik125rus @ 25 Jan 2022 02:37)

That's all, American propaganda, there is no invasion and there won't be.

Quote (Hamsterbaby @ 4 May 2022 07:56)

Seriously mate. Stop being chopsticks No.2 -_-