This is meant to be more of a question on how we can move forward (or if we can't) and find common ground between Christians and non-Christians - specifically Christians that believe in original sin.

So recently, through conversations with my father, I've come to the realization that his belief in original sin puts him at direct odds with any belief system that doesn't believe in original sin.  We touched on politics, economics, social norms, and some other things, but where we kept getting hung up was the tension between his belief that everyone is flawed and imperfect (therefore the world is flawed and imperfect which I find a ludicrous assumption) and my belief that humanity has the capability to do good and evolve.  The reason this matters is because when issues arise he can just fall back upon the argument that "well no one is perfect and we're all sinners and so it doesn't really matter - the world is doomed anyway" as a way to explain away him not voting for so n so or not supporting such and such law.  

Honestly this and evangelicalism are my biggest and perhaps my only real problems with Christianity.  I'm currently at a loss, and I'm also scarcely awake, but maybe someone else has thought about this too and can offer some advice or thoughts on how it might be possible to reach a better understanding or accord?

Tom?

New doctor who and yeah it can be a tad preachy but WW is great.

[Spoiler ] text [\ spoiler ]

But remove all spaces between the brackets

Best movies of 2019:

1. Parasite

2. Jojo Rabbit

3. Doctor Sleep

4. Booksmart

5. The Lighthouse

Best tv of 2019:

1. Fleabag

1. Watchmen

3. The Expanse

The Complete List:

Books

Yeah nice!  I started tracking all my media as well in about June and this year I'm going to try and track everything: podcasts/hours, shows, movies, books, new artists, full albums listened, and video gsmes/hours.

Shall I post my list here as well?  Shall we compare?

I believe I've read Gardens through Hounds.  I had to take a break bc they are weighty.  I think I'll get back and finish the series this year.

Hands down one of my favorite series.  Erikson is a great author.

Habe you just started them, finished them, somewhere in between?

Pretty sure it was all in our heads anyway.

21 hours ago, Niniel said:

What did you think about it? 

On 12/10/2019 at 12:20 PM, Illian Tear said:

Recently watched the Knives Out movie and it was your typical Clue-like movie. Honestly liked Chris Evans as the a$$hole character.

I agree I thought it was quite good.

JoJo Rabbit is badass.  It won't be for everyone but it is funny and sweet and irreverent. One of my 3 favorite movies to come out this year.

37 minutes ago, LilyElizabeth said:

I learned to play Catan. I can't wait to play it again. Hopefully, we can play again today. 

Ahhhh you have the hunger.  

11 hours ago, Darthe said:

Eyy booboo

 

... Got any of that weed to share?

So what do we expect from this movie?  What plotlines do we want to see tied up?  Will we discover the actual identity of Snoke?  Rey's parents?

You could also try your local, genuine, library

I often forget how many cds and dvds are available at the library - it's pretty great.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2019/12/12/the-mandalorians-procedural-formula-is-starting-to-grow-stale/

Saying what I've been saying but with more love for the show

Word word

Just the fake war between the children of the College and the Gyptian children where they throw mud balls or something.

So far for me it's pretty good and I like the production value.  I'm enjoying it far more than The Mandalorian and far less than Watchmen (to name two current series).  I'm not in love with the Gyptians (John Faa looks kinda like a pimp which is weird) and I felt like they were pretty integral to the first book, but it's notba deal breaker.  I also don't remember adults (especially Ms. Coulter) treating their daemons with such callous disregard all the time.

But yeah, so far I'm still watching it.

1 hour ago, SinisterDeath said:

I'm a couple episodes behind right now. I left off just as they got the Bear.

So far, I'm still enjoying it.
It's slow moving, which, isn't a bad thing. They are introducing plot-lines chronologically instead of when they happen in the books, which works, albeit ruins some of the surprise at the end of book 1. But it does get other audiences hooked that there's more than just animal familiars that exist in this series.

 

Can't wait for Wil and the knife.

Yeah I just finished the same episode.

It's been too long since I've read the books to remember the exact order, but I remember that Lyra meets the Gyptians early on (I think that "war" scene could have been dope) and mayyybe they don't know about what the gobblers are doing in the arctic yet?

1 hour ago, SinisterDeath said:

Harder to merchandise Rated R. ?

The world doesn't need baby yoda.  The world needs a Sith Lord force-ripping someone's trachea Roadhouse-style.

@SinisterDeathany further thoughts?

The whole "save the ____" schtick was driven into the ground years ago.  I can likely list dozens of tv shows that have already done it.  Beyond the the boredom it induced in my imagination, I just don't understand how it benefitted the story. 

Again, I don't understand what this show is trying to become.  So far episodes 1 3 and 5 propel the story forward in a narrative arc clearly leading to a climax (and are generally good - although I wasn't crazy about 5), while episodes 2 and 4 are more episodic than narrative, and could be easily cut out of the overarching story.

Also I guess I'm just bitter bc I'm tired of Star Wars being PG.  I'm ready to see an R-rated show/movie looks like.

Lol Imlad and I are at odds again.  Episode 4 pretty much turned me off to the show.  Episodes 2 & 4 struck out big, Episode 3 was pretty good, and Episode 1 was fine.  

I don't think Jon Favreau has a firm grip on what he wants this show to be and I think we really saw that in Ep4.

Ahh I thought you were in on it.  I would have been pretty mad and I was gonna say one the other players could have broken it up, but he built it almost perfectly.

On 12/4/2019 at 6:17 PM, Quibby said:

 

Lol what a road!

Playing a little undiscovered islands with the seafarers expansion, eh?  Who ended up winning?

On 12/3/2019 at 6:33 PM, Quibby said:

If you want a challenge similar to a Dark Souls game, but with emphasis on a different mechanic and with laser swords, I strongly recommend this one.  I especially like the exploration aspect of this game.

Sold

11 hours ago, imlad said:

 

I got a few books in and just gave up. I wasn't enjoying it at all, found the YV to be annoying and uninteresting as antagonists and to me none of it felt like Star Wars at all. And then, of course, I was still pissed over the whole Chewie and the moon thing ?. Not sure I'll ever forgive that offense, even if it did give Han a whole lot of pathos going forward in those books, and the strained relationship it caused with his son.

 

The best books in what is now Legends, in my opinion, are probably all the stuff set during the Prequel Era. That really is my favorite era of Star Wars, even if the movies aren't the best. It is the time period itself, the age when the Republic was still around, the Jedi Order still existed, stagnant and failing though it was, thanks to its overconfident and too conservative in their ways leadership (QuiGon is probably my favorite Jedi Master and he didn't fall in line with the, as I see it, misguided Jedi Council). I'd love to read stuff set further back in time (for all I know there might be, but I haven't kept up with what's out there in a long time), say a few hundred years or more. I never played KOTOR, but I've read a synopsis of the story and it seemed pretty good. Basically, I just love the galaxy BEFORE Anakin became Vader and Sheev took control as the Emperor. That's the time period I wanted more of, and in the books I got plenty of that for a while. I actually really enjoyed Karen Traviss' Clone Trooper Commando books, before those got axed by the Clone Wars show, which at first angered me, until I watched the show and then I was converted (Ahsoka lives!).

 

I'm pretty sure (and I've reread my post several times now) that I kept everything to being specifically my own opinion, so I am unsure what was "presumptious" except perhaps the statement that we would have to "agree to disagree." Not looking to start an argument here (nor am I holding your opinion against you), just looking for a clarification. Like I said, to each their own when it comes to liking something or not; some people love Threepio, I find him annoying; most people revile Jar Jar, I usually find him amusing and have since I read the novelisation a few weeks before the release of The Phantom Menace (sure, I can see why people feel the way they do, but I'm often amused by the simple things in life LOL, but some of his antics do bug me and I can see why some misinterpret some of his behavior as being... shall we say "racially insensitive" -- although Ahmed Best would argue against that, and I believe he has numerous times).

 

So let me know what I said that was "presumptious" so I can keep that in mind for the future. Hope all is well, and if you live in the States I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving (and if you don't live here, I hope you had a Happy Thursday).

Yeah it took me a while to get over the whole moon thing but while it sucks, it eventually works.  There are books you could check out in the pre war time period - the Han Solo trilogy or the Adventures of Han Solo and Lando.  I read most of the Jedi Apprentice series when I was in middle school, the ones all about Qui Gon and Obi Wan.  They're pretty young though and I'm not very familiar with most of the books in that era.  At least not these days.  If you don't want to slog through the entirety of NJO (and trust me, there are some bad books), you could read Traitor and rely on the wiki for quick background context on any bits you're not familiar with.

As for the prequels, I've decided to go back through and rewatch all the movies, but I always quite liked tPM and while JJ Binkies is one of my least favorite characters, I don't have a problem with him.  

I just felt your comment "I'm not some young whippersnapper..." and maybe one other denigrated other fans younger than you while positioning yourself as an authority, but I was drunk and probably misunderstood.  Also oversold how bad tFA is due to said drunkenness and disappointment.  Indeed, I really dislike the new trilogy so far and think that they messed up in so many easily-fixed ways, but I don't poopoo on others who like it.

Also, KOTOR is awesome.

1 hour ago, imlad said:

 

We'll just have to agree to disagree on that, mate; the Disney-era SW is some of my favorite (sure tops RotJ and the Prequels IMO, and I actually kinda like the Prequels, problematic as the can admittedly be at times) and I've been suckling at the teat of Star Wars since '77, so I'm not some young whippersnapper recently come to the franchise; I've consumed this stuff almost constantly since then, with a decade or so off from the now-Legends books until LucasFilm was bought. I gave up on most of the books during the Yuuzang Vong [sp?] invasion, which was the most craptacular thing ever in the franchise if you ask me (even tPM was better), and only read the Prequel Era/Rise of the Empire Era books after that. Star Wars is like my jam, dude. 

Really?  I thought the New Jedi Order had flashes of brilliance and was overall very compelling.  Traitor is one of the best Star Wars books imo.  

And that's a pretty presumptuous thing for you to say btw.