ShatteredPelvis

[quote]I do not want to start an Isreal/Palestine debate here, but the reality is that palestinians do want an independant state at least. Do you think Sharon's being out of power will hinder the creation of a Palestinian state? Or was he an obstacle to begin with?[/quote] Do... do you read the news? Sharon's party [b][u]FAVOURS A PALESTINIAN STATE.[/u][/b] Sharon is the best thing to ever happen to Palestine, and now that he's out of commission you shoudl hope and pray Olmert doesn't succeed Sharon. Olmert is MUCH rougher and MUCH less forgiving than Sharon is. If Olmert suceeds, Palestinians will look fondly back on the good ol' days with Sharon. [quote]Do you think Sharon's ill health is a good thing or bad thing?[/quote] A terrible thing. With his illness comes much more instability to the Middle East.

[QUOTE]I lived in Hawaii, too. You would not believe some of the things I went through when I was there, that I experienced, and the things that I observed. I was there for a year and a half, maybe two years. I experienced alot, I observed alot. I didn't want to go to school anymore because my teacher in 2nd grade was Asian and native Hawaiian, and there were two white kids in the class, me and Kirk. Well, she treated me the worst. I would come home and cry everyday. I had no friends, I was threatened because I was...I can't spell it, but it's some hawaiian racial slur for a white person. I also experienced alot in Maryland. This girl didn't like me, and she always used to call me a cracker and a honkey. Well, one day, when the bus let us off at our bus stop, she started talking crap, and I told her to leave me alone. She started chasing after me. My dad was visiting me and mom, because he was still stationed in Hawaii, and he saw that, and he came and stopped her and told her to go on home unless she wanted him to go to her parents and tell them. Well, she started walking, and my grandmother saw the girl walking, and the girl just slapped herself really hard. Well, the police were called because she accused my dad of calling her a "stupid ni***r b****" and slapping her. Her friends eventually told the truth. Court case was dropped. My dad didn't do that, he was walking with me back to the house and asking me how the rest of my day had been. I've had various other problems all of my life, since I can remember, even in preschool. I've observed my parents' problems...my friends' problems. You think you know, but you know nothing. You have just...no idea.[/quote] Hi, 'sup. Those things are pretty rough. Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic. That's really sucky, and I'm sorry you were subjected to those happenings. It really does feel awful. I, like you, grew up in a place where white people were in the minority. I, like you, was teased for being white, had my hair pulled, was called cracker and honkey, bullied for being white, etc etc. Now I can look back at it and shake my head because their insults were really stupid. They accused me of drinking bleach to get my white skin and blonde hair (???). Kinda funny now that I'm older and out of that situation. I don't live in the States. I live in Canada, and I grew up on a Native reservation where we were one of five white families there. My parents were teachers and they were teaching at the reservation/village highschool. It hurt. The racism hurt, especially when they later claimed that only white people could be racist. Of course, that's complete crap--it doesn't matter what race you are, if you judge another person based on their descent, you're a retard. Period. I can tell you're super angry aboutit, and you have a right to be. You were treated unfaily. Still, I haven't let my experiences make me bitter about people who aren't white (the kids that teased me had their own problems) and I certainly don't let it blind me to the fact that since white people are the majority on this continent and it's only been roughly 50 years since non-white people achieved on-paper quality with us honkies that things still haven't evened up. Think of it like this: there's a soccer game and one side gets an advantage. They get more players and get to switch in and out players whenever they want, and nothing they do will be considered a foul. So, naturally, they start wiping the floor with the opposing team. Now the opposing team figures out that this isn't a very good way to play, so they complain and make motions for change and eventually the other side says "Well, yeah. We've been rough. Let's make the rules equal." The score is still 50 - 5. "Whites" still have an advantage in this society over non-white people, and numerous studies have confirmed it. If that upsets you (as it naturally would upset any fair minded person) then there's no need to go on the defensive. No one's accusing YOU of making the original rules of the game so lopsided towards the one team. All they're asking is for your co-operation in making things more even. The fact that some people were jerks to you really doesn't change that fact. Whites have an advantage and have for a long time on this continent. So get over it. Just because some kids treated you harshly doesn't change that fact. Take it from someone who knows what you've experienced, but hasn't let it make her into a bitter person.

[QUOTE]Am I going to "hell?" Do I just worship "satan" in disguise? Am I "evil?" Do you think that I should convert and believe in what you believe in?[/QUOTE] As a non-Christian who has investigated a number of religions, I don't think you're going to hell, are evil, or even worship Satan. I think a lot of Wiccanism is total garbage, though. Its theology is weak, there are no central tenets other than "Do as ye will, that ye harm no one." (ie, just don't hurt anyone,kk?) and doesn't take a lot of discipline to stick with it. The Christian tenet of "Do unto others as you have have them do unto you." is a lot more positive. It doesn't say "Don't hurt other people." it says "Do GOOD to other people." God knows the various Christian churches aren't perfect, but in my town alone there are five soup kitchens. The Sikhs also feed the less fortunate, and the Baha'is clean up the roads and plant gardens for the city's beautification free of charge. How many Wiccan-run charities or soup kitchens or homeless shelters are there in your town? Basically, my main beef with Wiccanism is that it tries to please everyone and so has become an all-accepting slop that doesn't say anything at all. Believe in one god, two gods, no gods or a million gods--it's all ok! Karma, no karma, reincarnation, no reincarnation--whatever! Take gods from other cultures pantheons without understanding or respecting the historical traditions that go along with it! Treat Vishnu and Amaratsu like Barbie dolls for you to collect and keep in your personal shrine! This isn't a diss against paganism. I have a great deal of respect for Hermeticism and the Rosucrutians, not to mention the Shintoists who do a lot of good and, of course, the Native American spiritualisties who also run charities and help the less fortunate. These are ancient traditions that have rock-solid theology that isn't built on "Do whatever you want. Just try not to hurt other people." Wiccanism is a 50 year old religion that tries its hardest to appear old and really has no idea what it's doing.

renayiiq, you have a cute face and the stick-skinny girls aren't the only ones that guys love. It's hard to believe now that not all dudes like the starvation-victims, but mens' tastes are huge and varied! Right now it's just fashionable to be skinny. But not all guys like girls that are full of bones and look like a bunch of coathangers in a plastic bag. When you exercise, it should be for YOURSELF for YOUR health and for YOUR well being, not to satisfy the cravings of a few other people. Once you've made your body the way YOU like it (within reason, of course!) then you'll have the natural self confidence that just oozes desirability. There are some women I know who are more attractive, more sexy, more desirable in a turtleneck and sweatpants than some of those empty-headed bimbos who think that dressing like it's 300 degrees outside will make them magically sexy. if you choose you want to model, good luck! I'm sure someone with a cute face like yours will go far. :D

Wait... you jumped from "bodies are beautiful" to "you should only display your body to your love". That doesn't make much sense. Bodies are not like chocolate bars. If I put a delicious chocolate bar out on display and people enjoy it, soon the chocolate is all gone. So obviously I would only want to share my wonderful chocolate with a few close friends or maybe no one at all! But if someone has a beautiful body and people admire it... the body isn't gone. Nothing has been taken. That person still has their beauty, and the admirers have gotten to enjoy something, too. It's precious, but that's no reason to hide it away. Now, I'm not advocating people walking around naked. There is a time and a place for nudity, and I agree taht toilet paper ads probably aren't the best time or place. But there's nothing wrong with showing off your body, especially since many cultures worldwide do it and they aren't sinful. Like Haru said up thre, in South East Asia women walk around with no shirts all the time. It's not for crazy giant orgies. It's for the heat. If you think that bodies are so precious that they can't be displayed, which parts of the body are you talking about? Would you consider a photo of a woman's eyes just as immoral as a photo pf her breasts? After all, they're both beautiful, so they should both be hidden away, right? :rolleyes:

Well, what's wrong with pornography in the first place? So what if Playboy arouses sexual feelings? Playboy has quality images, it's no shady business. It's tastefully and artfully done. There's a big spectrum of pornography, and the dark'n dirty side isn't comparable to the more quality side.

This is insane. This whole thread is polarizing into some Crazy-Land argument, where one side thinks that women voluntarily removing their clothes is a "moral atrocity", and the other side saying that porn is GREAT and EMPOWERING for women. Not all porn is empowering for women. Lots of it isn't. Lots of it is called things like [b]"Meat Bucket Guzzles Cum for Cash!!!!"[/b]. It's downright degrading to women as a whole. Now, does that woman have a choice whether or not she stars in that film? Of course! But what kind of social tone is it setting when the standard of sex is set by porn stars? Horrible ones! Real women don't wear platforms to bed, or have their makeup done all the time, have triple-E breasts and enough bleach in theri hair to kill Shamu and [b]nor should they[/b]. On the other hand, the idea that nakedness = pornography is too ridiculous to be taken seriously. If I see a one year old toddler running around without her clothes on, is that porn? No! Seeing another adult naked isn't necessarily about sex, either. The attitude that our only identity without our clothes on is some lust-ridden, animalistic, amoral beast is idiotic. Would you consider the statue of David to be pornography? Human bodies are beautiful. I admire a horse and say its body is beautiful, and I can admire another human being's body in the same way. Acknowledging that their body is beautiful is not a sexual thing and much art wishes to express that sentiment-- that human beings aren't sinful, aren't ugly. That we're beautiful. What could better say that than a beautiful woman who is comfortable in her own skin? Let's step out of 1920 here.