#freejame

I’m not taking any high road, I am following my own path. I’m also not sure how I have been sitting back, I’ve made many posts in this thread since it started and believe that I have done a fair job of explaining my beliefs as well as my understanding of the beliefs of others. As for your bolded questions, I will do my best to answer them with historical accuracy. However, it’s important to remember that Marcus Aurelius was, first and foremost, fallible and secondly, no prophet or messiah or savior, simply a man. He never intended for Mediations to be anything more than a personal reflection and the fact that the masses are now lucky enough to have it is nothing short of good fortunate. Now, while I have a familiarity with Roman history (shout out to Mary Beard and Dan Carlin), the history of Rome has little to do with the practice of Stoicism so take the following with a grain of salt. My understanding of the wars undertaken by MA is that these were not wars that he sought of but rather wars which came to him. Rome was experiencing invasion from the North and the East, and something had to be done to protect the empire. MA did not seek war for fame or glory, but fought because it was his responsibility to do so as emperor. Additionally, violence is not fully incompatible with Stoicism. We all have responsibilities to ourselves, and depending on which philosopher speaks most to you, others closely around us. While Seneca might say letting anyone outside of your own mind and body affect you is wrong, Marcus Aurelius took a more encompassing approach and understood he has duties to uphold as a person. It’s also important to note that he did not set out to be emperor. Had he not taken on this position, his responsibilities would have been far different and likely would never have been in any wars himself. As far as Christian persecution is concerned, I had not heard of this and did a simple google search. The results more or less indicate he played no role in the persecution of Christians, and while he could have done more to prevent Christian persecution, he acted numerous times in defense of the persecuted and did much to stop it. The singular source for MA and Christian persecution was written over 120 years after the alleged events and has very few who believe in its authenticity. Again, while stoicism has its foundation in Ancient Rome, Ancient Rome has little to do with the philosophy (which is part of the beauty of it all).

Because that’s not how stoicism works? I live my life adhering to the principles of stoicism, and as I stoic, I have no need to spread the word or worry about your actions at all. That’s kind of the whole idea, ya know. I can recite plenty out of any number of my heavily highlights and annotated texts, but again, stoicism is for the individual, not for the masses. If you think you’re being smart by asking this, you do not understand stoicism. But that’s not a concern of mine, because I don’t let the actions of others affect me.

The good news is you have people of all faiths (and “faithless”) defending and supporting you. When he attacks your beliefs, he attacks us all and I think that has so far been demonstrated. Deleting this thread will do nothing to change his beliefs. Not saying leaving it open will, but it has a greater chance than deleting it does.

Wikipedia is a perfectly fine source. Fifteen years ago? Sure, don’t trust it. It’s come a long way since then but unfortunately hasn’t quite been able to shed its reputation.

Watching this now. I’m a little disappointed overall, but maybe it’ll get better by the end. Chris Pratt’s character is incredibly frustrating. I’ve never been a fan of that trope. Looks great though and I’ll see it through.

Both of these are equally 100% believable. Your general tone against Islam is also not civil discourse. You are taking everything Christian under the light of absolute truth and everything Islam under the light of absolute falsehood. Your are also dismissing every fault of Christianity and “no true Scotsmen” whereas the same is not being applied to Islam. Christians have killed many, many times in the name of Christianity. Muslims have killed many, many times in the name of Islam. These are undeniable truths.

I never had issues reconciling loss and religion before that happened. It was just one of those things. I turned to God in a time of need and I felt like it was thrown in my face. If anything, it showed me that there was a higher power and it did not care what I believe and what I practiced. I have a very difficult time calling myself an atheist, I don’t think that’s what I am at all. But I don’t think I will ever believe in religion again. I think what’s going on is far different than anything that can be found in a text and I don’t believe that if there is a God, it would be petty enough to spite a good person just because they don’t believe in religion. I am still searching for what I believe to be at the center of things, I hope someday to figure it out.

His “had it, lost it” has to be among the most famous calls in hockey history, right?

The poker game with the grifter is one of my favorite episodes yet. So many shows have followed that format for an episode it’s unbelievable. It took me one season to realize its one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. I’m about halfway through season four now and while it’s slowed down, it’s still of exceptional quality.

I spent the majority of my life as a catholic. I was baptized, confirmed, the whole deal. My first deployment was particularly trying. We had lost a lot of men and I was going through a particularly difficult breakup. One particular Sunday, I decided to attend mass with our Chaplin. Throughout my service I had always found great comfort in attending mass, and while it had been probably a year since I last went, I thought this might be what I need to help with what had ailed me. There were only about five us of who attended. I’m not sure how that compared to a normal service, but I didn’t think it was too particular as the army isn’t exactly teeming with Catholics. I remember it was myself and a group of five special forces officers, all of whom were serving along side me in ops positions at the time. One of the officers, a captain, found himself called on to a team that Tuesday due to an injury. That Wednesday, he was shot in the head in a green on blue attack. From that day forward, I have never considered myself a follower in Christ. It just did not make any sense to me. I could not wrap my mind around the fact that here was a man, truly one of America’s finest warriors and leaders, who spent his Sunday morning attending mass, and was greeted with a bullet rather than a return home to his family. I found myself struggling even more so after this incident. I had several panic attacks and I had lost a certain sense of comfort and direction. I did not know how to reconcile this incident with my beliefs. I truly loved the Catholic Church and it’s teachings and traditions, but I struggled to believe in its teachings. After a second deployment, an honorable discharge, and several psychedelic experiences, I found myself turned on to the teaching of Marcus Aurelius and stoicism. I credit his book, Mediations, as well as several other stoic texts for changing my life. While stoicism certainly isn’t religion, I found that it’s practices and principles lead me to living a similar, or not greater, existence than that what was offer by the church. I have found great fulfillment in stoic texts and I feel like I am in a better place now than the church could ever offer me. I still struggle with my faith and it is near impossible for me to attend a church service without my mind wandering towards loss and unfairness and undo suffering. The last several I have attended I have walked out of if not in tears than with my eyes swelled. Part of me deeply misses the church, but the majority can only think of the deep unfairness that I feel I witnessed. Someday I hope to find a more solid footing in my beliefs, as I know that last thing the dead would have wished for is a loss of faith. As for now, I live my life based on the principles of Marcus Aurelius and am more deeply happy and satisfied than I ever have been. Yet there is a part of me that long for the Catholic Church and that is something that will someday need to be dealt with.

Gary Thorne will forever be my favorite announcer in all of sports. He’s one of the best hockey commentators of all time in his work for ESPN and his work for the Orioles is among the best in all of baseball.

Grigs is better than Strome?

Good luck. If you do send some my way please and thank you

I can’t believe I missed out on this show for the first 28 years of my life

Never let your work define who you are

Neil with Robie filling in on occasion until his car crash (?)

Stevie Y was wearing a C in the video was he not?

He should have retired when Jim Lorentz retired. Listening to those old broadcasts it’s JL who made them for me.

I think more people agree with you than you think. People aren’t speaking up because they’re being talked down to or treated like idiots. The people pro-lockdown are far louder than the other crowd because the other crowd is afraid to speak out due to ridicule. It’s tyranny of the minority. No different than politics. It’s our life now in the age of social media.

What kind of ants? Either way I would say just wash them off, they grow in the dirt anyway. But if they’re fire ants take extra precautions.

Is anyone able to get contract information for the old players? Enough that we would be able to see % of total team salary? Would be fun to see how cap compliant this team ended up.

I think if the Democratic Party has half a brain they will choose someone of the same ilk as Biden. I think is Democrats have half a brain they won’t complain and vote for that ticket regardless if it’s left enough. I’m much more certain of point A than point B. The progressive left does not seem to get the game.

I would love to see the bolded be challenged in court. However, it’s highly unlikely it will be as Major League Baseball will have the backing of Congress to start its season sometime next month (thank god) As they should. Has anyone disagreed with this because I have not seen it if that’s the case. However, the precedence has been set that this does not need to be the case. Corporate welfare for all! Hooray! Isn’t that what Joe Public pays outlandish taxes for?

Not to get to into it, just a friendly reminder to all involved that bailouts =/= free market capitalism and the fact that corporations (who are people by their very nature) have been bailed out in the past creates a belief in their mind that an internal safety net is not necessary when they have one in Uncle Sam.

Hey, thanks! Awfully considerate of you. All the best to you as well and I echo your sentiments above to others.