spent some time explaining how a party with 28 seats out of 100+ wins an election

Well, here we keep needing explanations about how somebody can get more votes, but still lose the election in the USA, with the representatives system, so we can call it some sort of even in misunderstandings, I guess.

Also, it's been forever since I last posted with you - how are you doing?

I think matching pink Converse are just adorable! I had a pair of pink Chucks when I was in high school--uncomfortable shoes, but oh so cute.

Also, it's been forever since I last posted with you - how are you doing?

OK, I guess. Apartment hunting this weekend (have to move at the end of April), and still adjusting to entering my 40s. Good thing is that the weather here is wonderful for the time being (supposed to be near 70 soon), but it's already getting cloudy (lots of rain on the way for overnight). Been having fun reading your Tales of the TA stories from the late night shift!

Goatse iPod skin. Totally not gross. Just funny.

still adjusting to entering my 40s

You had a birthday recently? Congratulations! And good luck with the move.

Happy birthday, libkitty!!!

I love Lily's evil grin! Great pictures.

Thumb your nose at wine snobs.

Goatse iPod skin. Totally not gross. Just funny.

Wow.

ION, Lillian is unbelievable. That kid should be in pictures!

Goatse iPod skin. Totally not gross. Just funny.

That just made me laugh so hard that now my throat hurts.

It's not spaceships, but this could still be a useful link to keep handy: [link]

Ack, I had to leave last night, and now there's too much catching up.

You don't think, like BT posits, that morals can determine religious beliefs?

I saw billytea's point last night, and I'm glad you highlighted that bit ita, because I do largely agree with that assertion too, even though it's coming at the issue from the opposite direction. I think if a person suddenly found his overall world view in direct opposition to that part of his world view where his morals live, it might even be easier to ditch the world view, than change his opinion on what's right and wrong. Right and wrong can feel so gut-ty. At any rate, there'd have to be some harmonizing, or something.

My original point was that world views (which include some opinion on the supernatural, even if that opinion is "I can't know") and morals aren't two separate realms. One is part of the other. Rick's assertion on the conversion/asylum case would have come across as more sound to me if he'd said it illustrates the general problem of basing legal judgments (rather than 'moral') on beliefs about the supernatural.

We probably don't have to consciously check that our moral opinions are in agreement with what we think is the truth about the world at large, because moral issues often common sensical to us (as individuals), as do our respective world views. But, if we trace a moral judgment back through enough rounds of "and why/on what basis do you think that", we ought to find some harmony (at least in the mind of the person rendering the judgment) between a person's opinion on moral issue X, and his beliefs about the reality of life.

Example:

Q: Is rape right or wrong?
A: Wrong.
Q: Why?
A: Because it involves Person A forcing himself on Person B.
Q: So, why is that wrong?
A: Because Person B has the right to consent?
Q: Why?
A: Because Person A's right to freedom does not give him the right to impose on the will or freedom of others.
Q: Why is that wrong? Why is it okay to limit A's freedom to protect B? Why can't a person do whatever he wants?
A: Because [whatever]

The answer at this point may have to do with whatever the answerer thinks are human rights, and we might hear somewhere, a discussion about the general expectation and necessity of fair play in a successful society.

Soon, we'll start getting to world view. When we do, a religious person's 'whys' might differ from those of an areligious person, but both still have reasons and they're tied into their thoughts about the meaning, rights, and responsibilities of life, regardless of whether those thoughts are grounded in agnosticism, atheism, pantheism, dualism, or monotheism (or your ism of choice), which all include consideration of whether or not there is a supernatural realm, and if so what it's like, and the relative importance (or un-) concerning natural life on earth.

Probe a Jewish person's thought process and maybe he'd say something about the necessity of loving one's neighbor. A Christian might say that too, so dig some more, and he'd talk about doing to others as he'd like done to himself. Make them both go back further and you might hear something about God being absolute goodness, and sovereign, and along the lines of all life having value because it's God given, or that humans are made in God's image, etc.

Go far enough back in a Wiccan's thought process, and you might find a philosophy akin to the Rede that ties into the moral judgment at hand, and it might include something about the harmony of nature. In a Buddhist's thought process and maybe you'll find something about discipline, or being awake enough to reality that all you do is in service of ending the suffering in life. A Hindu might discuss karma and dharma.

In an atheist's reasoning for his moral judgment, perhaps we'd find something like: since this life is all there is, we need to value it, and valuing others is integral to that, and the only way to achieve a (continued...)