So, I'm a Buddhist now.

[Rip]

Shit I forgot we were also multiposting. Okay I'll dive in again one more time to point out a very important thing: I'm not disagreeing that your Buddhism has the potential to help some humans. I agree that it is currently helping some humans, including yourself. You'll note, though, that I've been saying this all along. I believe Christianity has the potential to help some humans. I have said multiple times that everyone, including SGI Buddhists, should be doing what has the potential to make them happy.

Our difference comes with the word "all". You adhere very tightly to the idea that since "some" people can be potentially helped by this, then "all" people can potentially be, because potential is infinite. If this is part of your new religious tenets, then it is yet another example of why I am not SGI Buddhist. To take the argument to my characteristic absurdity, you can say that, potentially, a chainsaw could help all humans. Must we dedicate our lives to finding out if this is so?

[Rip]

THREEE POOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Agent]

Rip can you watch that Star Trek episode and tell me if you think Captain Kirk did the right thing. The argument against it being right was that the people were happy and with happiness being the ultimate goal it would trump everything.

[Rip]

It is indeed an interesting episode, and I hadn't seen it yet. If the question is whether Kirk did the "right" thing, I'd have to say that for Kirk, he definitely did: he is captain of his ship, and his ship's crew are clearly being placed under outside influence. He had a responsibility to himself and them to save them, and he chose to do so, seeing benefit in having his crew there (I'm also sure he thought he was doing the right thing by saving them).

That's the crew, though. For the colony, obviously Kirk still acted the way he thought was most prudent, but were it me, I would have given the colonists their choice. The planet was not dangerous to them: the spores were keeping them safe and healthy, it simply removed their ambition to do aught but be content. Kirk's argument against this is on behalf of all humanity, that humans need conflict to thrive and progress, while contentment breeds stagnation (in this case). But suppose someone chooses ignorant bliss, why shouldn't they be allowed to do so? An individual should have the option, so long as they know full well the dangers when they give their consent. It's basically drugs....that also happen to regrow your appendix and keep you at the peak of health and safe from lethal radiation etc etc.

ALSO, side note, if there is a planet that can cure literally every ailment known to man while also making you feel completely content and all it takes to overcome the side effects is a little scream therapy after we beam you back aboard..? Why isn't this place a space tourism health clinic?

[Agent]

Yeah I think the main thing is the choice. No one chose to be under the spore's influence, and when removed from it I don't think any of them would have wanted to go back, but if they did I think that would be fine. The argument I was hearing before was mostly about whether being happy without struggling for it, like, "counts" as happiness. And the other side saying that nothing matters as long as you feel good, because that is the ultimate goal of every person, to get to a place where you are happy all the time, as opposed to achieving fleeting moments of happiness that you must then begin chasing again. I think both sides of that kind of missed the point.

[Samurai]

[Rip]

[dexeron]

[Despanan]

[dexeron]