Agreed. Thanks.

In defense of Megyn Kelly's claim of both Santa & Jesus being white. Santa: Santa Claus IS based on the legend of a white guy. What color would you have him be? Different ethnic Santas bringing presents to only their own respective races? He is white. The fact that it is being made a problem is an offensive implication to anyone white, and, frankly, to anyone thinking person of any race who doesn't have a chip on his shoulder. Jesus: While it should be obvious to anyone who gives it any critical thought that a Jewish kid born in the Middle East is not a white guy, he HAS been a white guy since early on, when the Europeans took over Chistianity. That said, I believe most who hold that Jesus was white deduce that, if the early Christians have him as a white guy, and virtually ALL depictions of him are white, well, then, he must have been white. Claims otherwise are taken with the same insulting insinuation as the Santa claims, in their minds.

Throwing sinister terms like "racist" around are far too strong and harsh for the mentality involved for most of the "white Jesus" believers. I think it's tied more to the stubborn belief in all things traditionally taught to them against all logic, than it is to any intended racism. In the case of Jesus, it may very well have started that way - OR just that Christianity flourished in Europe and "God made man in his own image", and therefore, white, in their minds. This rush to judge malice is what causes the sometimes unjustified (sometimes justified) resistence in these things. No, race is NOT at the root of everything, despite the relentless barage of new claims about EVERYTHING.

For the great majority of politicians, I question how genuine their belief is. They all know that not only claiming Christianity as their religion is a prerequisite for getting past the level of dog catcher in their career, but they must be seen going to church, as well. Using Christian-speak and going to church are just incidental necessities on their resumes and only display the characteristics of ambition, not proof of belief. You'll have to wait, see and make up your mind about what legislation regarding religion is attempted, pushed and maybe only used as concession to push something else.

For nearly all Christians, there's a glaring blind spot with "freedom of religion". It doesn't even occur to them that freedom FROM religion is a very necessary part of that equation. Otherwise, it simply doesn't work. When things are pushed, like prayer in school, or the Pledge of Allegiance with "under god" (which was inserted well after it was written), the average Christian views any oppostion as a violation of their 1st Amendment rights. Again, the blind spot shows that they not only not consider that my right of "freedom from religion" would be violated, but they reject it immediately when it's bought to their attention. The privilege is so ingrained in our society, that arrogance rules any thought process regarding it.

I always thought it had more to do with not being allowed/worthy to speak His name, similar to not making eye contact with an emperor.

As for Kleenex, Q-Tips has the same privilege. I always buy the strore brand of cotton swabs, but, for facial tissue, I'm a Puffs man, myself. You do notice the difference in softness when you've blown your nose for the 50th time over the course of a few days.

Many angles on this, but here’s two

1)You’re so correct on the tribalism. Very many (possibly even the majority of each left & right) form their opinions & reactions on kneejerk reflexes, without much, if any, genuine thought. The 2016 election was probably the height of it. For WAY too many, you were either a Trump groupie under a Svengali-like trance, or you were irrationally and violently against him. Most didn’t know or care why. They just follow their respective pitchforks & torches. For those of us who don’t yell battle cries at the slightest issue after waiting for the tribe to decide their position on it, it isn’t tribalism that keeps us in line with the tribe on most issues. I’ve had this discussion with my brother, who’s moved left and lines up with the left most of the time. He will claim that each and every issue is decided independently. While that’s true in some abstract ideal, I make the argument that, if you have a line of thinking/reasoning and value system, it transcends any given issue and will decide where you land on most everything. That line of thinking doesn’t necessarily align me with the tribe with every event and/or issue, and it hasn’t. In other words, nobody goes into any issue with a formatted disc. We don’t go into each of these things starting from scratch, despite any delusions of unbias purity in the thought process.

2)Here’s another way to look at this. Watch or listen to JFK speeches. If he’d delivered them today, he’d be considered decidedly right of center, with some positions still on the left. Most of the 60’s hippy movement lined up pretty nicely with the Tea Party. My point is that the scale has moved and continues to move left. Where one generation ago, you may have been considered almost on the fringe, you’re overall just left of center now, by your own evaluation.

Yes, but making sure it's done correctly, brings the question back of "How commited to it are you. If you're serious and committed, I would think that straight up the roof of your mouth is not survivable, or countless other ways are sure things. If you're flinching that much or choosing questionable methods, then you don't have the nerve. Suicide, by definition is doing it yourself. Otherwise, it's homicide, and there's every reason for that to be illegal.

I agree that they've been lying to us and continue to lie to us. To have even the slightest hope that this wouldn't be politicized from the first case reported in the US. First off, it's a "crisis", and the expoitation, absurd hype & projections accompany them invariably, is quite a naive notion. Secondly, it's an election year, and if I'm the campaign manager of the side on the outside looking it (regardless of the year and party in power), I'm pushing this scare, ballooning the numbers, and predicting a potential massive wipeout of much of the human race just to make the case that the current administration is both incompetent and irreponsible. Lastly, it's a TRUMP election year, which has the normal election motives & passions at a fever pitch, and puts points 1&2 on steroids.

I contended from the very beginning of this that it's over-blown, and I've refused to participate in the "new normal. My daily habits have not changed one iota from what they were a year ago. I don't wear a mask, I wash my hands the same way I've always done, and at the same frequency, I touch my face countless times/day, and I've gone to the store whenever I've felt I need something which is usually about 5 times/week throughout this. I haven't gotten it. No familly members have gotten it, and I've visited then regularly. None of my friends whom I've had any contact with have gotten it. I know about 6 people who've gotten it, none of whom did I have any contact with when they contracted it. That kind of freakish luck, with my utter recklessness is practically Powerball-winning proportions. It's almost inconceivable, no?

Does anyone know of anyone whose gotten the garden variety flu? How about the common cold? Every year, I've known roughly the same amount (6 people) who get the flu, and I know very many more who get a cold. This year, poof, both gone. Doesn't their absence give any of you even a scintilla of pause, and at least ask the question whether either or both have fallen under the ever-publicized and vast COVID diagnosis umbrella?

Among the friends whom I do have contact and work with, they also have the same story about themselves and all the people they know, as well. What are the odds?

Suicide is more than just a religious objection. There are potential fraud motives attached to it. Having your family collect the life insurance, and not having to answer for a crime (yours or a witness to someone else's) are two that come to mind. That said, if you want to off yourself, aside from the destruction left behind from "the ultimate selfish act", knock yourself out. There'll be no consequences to you, because you'll be gone.

As far as "assisited suicide" goes, the moment another person becomes involved, it becomes homicide. The term used to be a tongue-n-cheek euphemism for a Mafia hit, wasn't it? If you dont have the nads to do it yourself, then how sure are you that you want it? Do it yourself, if you want to end your life. Besides the cowardice of soliciting help, it leaves questions about whether it was actually your decision, regardless of any oral or written statements made prior to it. And what if you change your mind at the last second? No, I'm not a proponent of it.

That's because all those things you mention are ridiculously overblown, and, deep down, except for the extreme zealots, they all know the rhetoric is crap. Self-righteous hypocracy, very unfortunately, is an undeniable part of human nature. We see it in religion, but it extends to every Chicken Little cause that's created, in part, to feed that ugly need.