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All the lonely people

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Re: All the lonely people

#211

Post by jokoon »

jokoon wrote: post #134

I'm so angry about that issue. Long post ahead. I remember an experience of mine. At 19, I wanted to flee my dad's home, which was in Paris's center-near suburb, because my mother in law was emotionally harassing me, she was very intolerant towards my presence at home and it was generating a great deal of anxiety in me. Before taking off, I called my dad, and he convinced me to rent AND PAY for a small apartment 20mi…

I'm reading that comment again, and by rent and pay I meant that he paid for it. (english is not my main language, sorry). I was actually not independent financially. I would have preferred being in a foster home or anything else than being spoon-fed by my family.

Re: All the lonely people

#212

Post by lozf »

gaius wrote: post #118
robryan wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Australia what I hate is when people stand outside supermarkets or on shopping strips and say anything to try and get you to stop so they can sell you on something. This might be okay if it was someone trying to tell you about a cause that they genuinely believe in but the majority of the time it is likely someone just working on a commission for whatever charity or group they are trying to sell you on.

They are called "chuggers" here, charity muggers. Ironically many are Australians on their gap years - you know the sort, white, dreadlocks, wearing sandals and various pseudo-Indian jewellery.

I've heard them called "chunts" before.

Re: All the lonely people

#213

Post by PhasmaFelis »

Noos wrote: post #197
PhasmaFelis wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's Unitarian Universalism, for the benefit of anyone trying to Google it. :) But yeah, UU seems like a really solid substitute for the traditional religious community. Shame it isn't more popular.

Not a substitute at all. It would be like getting rid of football, but still wanting people to go to stadiums for the sake of going to stadiums. Football was the reason they went. The religions bind mostly due to the doctrine of the religion, not the activities of it. UU has no real doctrines and no binding point. Without that doctrine motivating you to do the activities, people just stop or don't bother. This is why…

That hasn't been my experience in the Episcopal Church. We're pretty liberal and don't do a lot of telling people what to do. People may come for the doctrine, but they stay for the ceremony and the fellowship.

That's my perception of church-based community. The doctrine is really just an excuse to get together and form community bonds. By your analogy, I think it's more like switching to, say, track and field, not gathering in an empty football stadium--a very different sport, but still a reason to get together and cheer. I'm not sure how that can be translated to the secular world, but it seems like there should be a way.

(I think a lot of modern atheists don't realize that liberal Christians exist. The awful fundamentalists dominate the news cycle so much. Most of us are happy to mind our own business, do charity work in the community, etc., but none of that makes headlines.)

Re: All the lonely people

#214

Post by manufacturious »

Noos wrote: post #197
PhasmaFelis wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's Unitarian Universalism, for the benefit of anyone trying to Google it. :) But yeah, UU seems like a really solid substitute for the traditional religious community. Shame it isn't more popular.

Not a substitute at all. It would be like getting rid of football, but still wanting people to go to stadiums for the sake of going to stadiums. Football was the reason they went. The religions bind mostly due to the doctrine of the religion, not the activities of it. UU has no real doctrines and no binding point. Without that doctrine motivating you to do the activities, people just stop or don't bother. This is why…

My (quick) survey of a half dozen religious friends is that they value the community aspect much moreso than the doctrine/supernatural elements.

I posted this comment not to suggest either of us is 100% correct or incorrect, but to counteract the certainty with which you left your assertion.

Re: All the lonely people

#215

Post by dang »

cLeEOGPw wrote: post #152
protomyth wrote: post #4

One institution not mention (and given the publication, I find it a bit odd) is the local churches. It is one of the large connection points that have started to fade. The amount of social welfare the churches supported has not been replaced.

You see, churches are most likely to be visited by white people, who are priviliged by definition. That's why only mosques are mentioned - refugees are one of the groups that actually suffers from loneliness. Not some rich white males. Even if some white males sufer from loneliness, we still shouldn't help them, because on average white males still are better off than muslim refugees for example. That is also the rea…

Please stop posting inflammatory ideological comments to Hacker News. That is not what this site is for.

Re: All the lonely people

#216

Post by colanderman »

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #93
colanderman wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Universal Unitarianism is pretty close to this. It is non-creedal (you don't have to believe in anything) and very community-oriented.

That's Unitarian Universalism, for the benefit of anyone trying to Google it. :) But yeah, UU seems like a really solid substitute for the traditional religious community. Shame it isn't more popular.

Oops… dyslexia kicks in late at night :) Thank you.

Re: All the lonely people

#220

Post by therealdrag0 »

tluyben2 wrote: post #147

When I lived in different cities people would find it extremely weird when I talked to them or said hi on the street; guys would think I wanted something from them and girls would think I wanted them. With many people around me constantly, it was a very lonely experience; hard to get to know people (I have a weird/rare first name and one of the bar guys of our local (popular) cafe we went to every friday had the same…

That sounds nice. What town/mountains?
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