Controversy Corner - What do you believe?
Lately I found that some folks drift off topic and wanna argue their personal beliefs. Nothing wrong with that, I understand your frustrations.

Don't get me wrong, I think your personal opinions are beautiful, so I thought I would start this thread, with some of my own personal beliefs. Please share yours.

Any topic is on the table!

Time to vent your frustrations, get it off your chest!

Please feel free to argue, but please be polite, no personal insults OK?

So, to kick it off:

1, I do not think capital punishment (execution) is an accepitical way to punish rapists, pedophiles or murderers, it reduces us to their level and it's no mercifully way to punish these scumbags. I say leave them to rot in solitary confinement and ponder their sins for the rest of their miserable lives.

2. I'm agnostic, bordering on atheist, tried religion but just couldn't sincerely 100% believe.
Mark 9:24 states

"I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief "
This is ridiculous and a total contradiction

Further I would add a quote by Richard Dawkins that sums is up perfectly for me

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion

(notice he said "In all fiction" and for me that's what the bible is ... all fiction!)

And lastly

3. I don't think copyright in-figment law is fair especially when it comes to You Tube. Why should sites like Vevo be able to upload music videos to You Tube, yet so many AMV makers, like me, get constantly be taken down. I have personally made over 160 AMV's yet less than 1/3 remain.

Celebrating anime and the music I love, was my only intention and to promote their works, why don't these idiots get it?
eclimial said:
3. I don't think copyright in-figment law is fair especially when it comes to You Tube. Why should sites like Vevo be able to upload music videos to You Tube, yet so many AMV makers, like me, get constantly be taken down. I have personally made over 160 AMV's yet less than 1/3 remain.

Celebrating anime and the music I love, was my only intention and to promote their works, why don't these idiots get it?
omfg preach. I was thinking about copyright today since a video i liked got deleted. It's not making business harder for them. They just want an excuse to get money. Cuz honestly, I believe that the actual artists think it's super cute when their songs are used for little projects (Like I remember one artist, I think Sara Bareilles was all like "omg what a cute lyric video") It's just these labels that are so ugh.

And as for punishment on bad bad criminals, Idk. It's whatever for me, as long as they aren't on the loose. idk
I believe God is real. I very much believe that to be true. I believe in the Devil too.

eclimial said:
1, I do not think capital punishment (execution) is an accepitical way to punish rapists, pedophiles or murderers, it reduces us to their level and it's no mercifully way to punish these scumbags. I say leave them to rot in solitary confinement and ponder their sins for the rest of their miserable lives.
I would agree with you were it not for the fact that tax payers are the ones who have to pay to keep these people alive. We pay for their housing, their food.

It's not very economical. And, of course, eventually you'd run out of space to put people.
eclimial said:
“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
If what you consider morally righteous consists only of being nice and comfortable, that makes you little more than cattle.

edit: My beliefs summed up in one image
I think it's essential for people to understand that religion is hollow without punishment and suffering. There's no point if you're allowed to do whatever you want with no consequence.

God loves everyone, but what He hates is sin.
By the way, I despise Christianity for the same reason. There's no substance to "be good and you'll get nice things". Its doctrine is entirely materialistic and shaped by a society who's highest ideal is the gratification of the individual. It's a faith of the lowest common denominator.
It's not about "getting" anything, it's about not burning in Hell for all eternity. It's not like you're handed a chest full of jewels once you get in to heaven.

We're supposed to be obedient and not let ourselves be ruled by ego and self gratification. We're supposed to have self discipline and self control.

And another thing I personally like is that we're all on the same level. No one is better than anyone else.

And I think the thing you said about the "gratification of the individual" is misconstrued as well. We each serve as a part of the body, making one whole.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+12%3A12-27&version=NIRV
otaku_emmy said:
It's not about "getting" anything, it's about not burning in Hell for all eternity. It's not like you're handed a chest full of jewels once you get in to heaven.
With the binary option of sin or not sin, being punished for sinning by burning in hell and being rewarded for not sinning by going to heaven is just the change of what you consider to be the default case. "be good and you'll get nice things" is the same as 'don't be good and you'll burn in hell'.
You have to actually change. It'd be like apologizing to someone when you don't really mean it. "Being good" isn't necessarily good enough.

...It's just nice to believe in something. And I pray a lot and it seems to help me. I don't HATE people who aren't Christian or who mock Christians (or any religion) or who live their life in a progressive manner. Hell, a lot of the people in my family are gay, I'm bi, I love getting high, I think about dirty stuff a lot. I'm a big ol sinner too.

Everything's just so, so big. I feel like there's still a lot of...mysticism out there in the world.

I'unno. It's hard for me to explain it well. I'm not as articulate about this stuff as, say, Cade. I haven't really believed in anything most of my life. I used to mock Christians too.

Edit: I've always been a very spiritual person. I believe there's a deep, deep...connection we have to things we can't necessarily see. I can feel it. It's like when you dream about a place you've never been. Or when you dream of flying. I feel like...there's more to things than what we know for sure.
otaku_emmy said:
Edit: I've always been a very spiritual person. I believe there's a deep, deep...connection we have to things we can't necessarily see. I can feel it. It's like when you dream about a place you've never been. Or when you dream of flying. I feel like...there's more to things than what we know for sure.
I think so too. I used to not be this way.
It's really interesting that most of your comments have been about religion, it's such a divisive subject. But you have been polite, I thank you for that.

My next issue is with Donald Trump, how in the hell did this bumptious fool become president and leader of what used to called the free world?. I'm sorry, but the US is in decline, as well as the UK, what are these people thinking?

Trump stupidly, verbally attacks China, arguably the most powerful economy in the world, then Britain decides to exit the European economic community, WTF is going on? Are peoples brains turning into mush?

In all history it is proven that empires rise and fall, Britain is gone and the US is next. I predict that Asia and Europe will become the leaders of the world. Sadly the US is next to fall.

We who are not from the US used to look up to North America, but not any more! They have become a nation of celebratory idolizing suckers. We are fast loosing our trust!

As John F Kennedy said:

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.
And that's exactly what the US and UK are doing .... missing the future!

Trump is nothing more than a mindless celebratory who inherited a fortune and the US fell for him, hook, line and sinker!

(With the help of a few clever Russians)
eclimial said ^^^^
The US electoral process is set up to weed out anyone decent. Look at the system:
  • The race for president starts almost after the election. A candidate must:
    • Develop nationwide name recognition.
    • Start amassing a war chest of 10's of millions of $$$$.
    • Acquire the support of the plutocracy (those that control the DNC or RNC) - basically selling your soul.
      • The US has a two party system. No independent or third party candidate has a chance of winning the presidency.....not even a house or senate seat (Bernie Sanders is the only independent member of congress and from a very small rural state).
      • IF these unelected kingpins of the DNC or RNC don't support a candidate, that candidate is sabotaged either in the primary like Bernie was undermined or by incessant personal attacks as Trump now experiences which exert powerful control over his decisions.
  • The popular race begins about two years before the election.....No person, not independently wealthy or backed by such "investors" can afford to spend this much time politicking - you have not time to work. This alone is a very selective filter as to who will be potus.
    • Now that the mud slinging has begun in earnest, every friend, colleague, business associate and family member will be put under a microscope for dissection in search of incriminating information.
    • This search for dirt will continue for the winner until he leaves office.
    • If dirt is not found, innuendo and out right lies will be used by other candidates to defame each other.
So what kind of candidate does such an environment entice to run:
  • An egomaniac who will sacrifice family, friends, colleagues and business associates for power and fame.
  • A sociopath, without ethics or values, that cares not about anyone else and willing to promise whatever it takes to get support from the "deep state".
  • Only independently wealthy candidates that can fully commit themselves for 4 years to a political race, that can afford to travel continuously across the country gathering support.
Is there any wonder why the US gets candidates such as Clinton (Bill and Hillary) Bush W, Obama, Trump, McCain......Normal people simply can't afford to be a candidate and would never subject the people they care for around them to the costs of running for high political office in the US. Decent candidates (if there even were any) are weeded out early on. Democracy is and has been dead in the US for a long time. (Although the US was never technically a Democracy - A representative Republic.....but who those representatives represented has long since not been their constituents in the general public.)
Kiho said:
Is there any wonder why the US gets candidates such as Clinton (Bill and Hillary) Bush W, Trump, McCain......Normal people simply can't afford to be a candidate and would never subject the people they care for around them to the costs of running for high political office in the US. Decent candidates (if there even were any) are weeded out early on. Democracy is and has been dead in the US for a long time. (Although the US was never technically a Democracy - A representative Republic.....but who those representatives represented has long since not been their constituents in the general public.)
I totally agree Kiho

In fact there are very few US presidents I would trust. I would trust Dwight D. Eisenhower, who warned us against empowering private military organisations who rip off the economy with the sole interest of profit. Look at Iraq and Raytheon, who failed to provide US soldiers with fresh water, clean living conditions and security, yet they charged the US public billions

As Eisenhower said

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
Dwight D. Eisenhower,

Another president I would trust is Barrack Obama, he never strayed from the path and is a kind and honest gentleman. He really cares for the environment and uniquely did not come from a wealthy background.

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barrack Obama

Other than that, yes I would have trusted John F Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, but that's about as far as I would go.

Trust Trump? Not as far as I could throw him, which wouldn't be very far, to full of bullshiit, an overweight pissant with an ego the size of Mars, To heavy for me!
eclimial said:
It's really interesting that most of your comments have been about religion, it's such a divisive subject. But you have been polite, I thank you for that.
I typically don't argue with people on the internet. I do like to correct people when they're wrong about something or gently guide them towards answers to their questions. Like when they ask a dumb question about something, I politely give them the answer even though they should be able to figure it out themselves.

But, no, I never really talk about theology with anyone.

The most recent debate I got in to was with a guy saying black chicks shouldn't cosplay and that black women aren't attractive in general. But I never got mad at him, and I was mostly being a sarcastic dick (which no one picked up on anyway).

I ALSO don't like politics much. I know the opinions I have, but I don't belong to any particular party. I don't think I'll ever vote again either, since it doesn't really matter.
otaku_emmy said:
And another thing I personally like is that we're all on the same level. No one is better than anyone else.
But this is observably false in every aspect of life, human or otherwise a hierarchy exists physically, intellectually, and spiritually as everything temporal is a reflection of the higher realm. Only the elite of mankind can reach Olympus.

eclimial said:
You named this thread for controversy and have the most milquetoast, bourgeois opinions lmao
Just got finished with another internet argument. Some guy called anime trash and I told him not all anime was trash and that his opinion, however strong it may be, can not be considered factual (i.e. not every single anime that was ever made is "trash" and anime isn't "bad for" everyone). He finally resorted to calling me an "elitist" and a "weeb" merely for trying to explain to him that, by nature, his opinion on anime can not be a proven fact.

All because he couldn't wrap his head around Ranma 1/2.
Cade said:

You named this thread for controversy and have the most milquetoast, bourgeois opinions lmao
Milquetoast, yes perhaps, I do enjoy asserting my opinions, but without insulting people for expressing their own, but I'll take that as a compliment, thanks Cade.

Bourgeois, not really, I'm a working class divorced man, 65 years old and semi retired. I spent most of my life savings to visit Japan, but when I travel back to Australia it will be to the caravan and annex I own in a nice caravan village close to the sea. So, my opinions may come over bourgeois, but in reality I'm what is referred to in the US as trailer trash :)
Cade said:
Only the elite of mankind can reach Olympus.
That's true. Stagnant waters fester and breed disease and generate filth. But moving water can create things. It can also destroy. It can erode entire mountains or generate power for entire cities.

Our minds and bodies and spirits must be like that flowing water.

I apologize if that was cheesy and gross to read. :p
Pedophilia in anime

Just for the record I despise pedophilies, they are the scum of the earth!

Yet featured in some anime, and indeed on Konochan, there are many images depicting young naked underage girls in compromising situations.

I reiterate, I hate pedophiles and am not one ... So, Why do I find these images so alluring, I love them, It's just fantasy right?

Are we just sick or just love the art?

As a grandfather I would hate to see my granddaughters depicted in this way. I can NOT stand to look at real life porn featuring kids, it upsets me.

Why then, when I see the anime images of naked girls I'm so attracted to them, what is wrong with me?

Are anime and real life so different? I think so, for a start anime characters have such huge lovely eyes, and are obviously not real.

In Japan the government is beginning to crack down on this form of entertainment, should Konachan crack down also?
I hate all explicit loli art. As in something sexual being done to a clearly underage character. However, if it's just nudity presented in a non provocative manner then I think it's cute. I think that's because I'm female too, and I'm not so much "attracted" to the characters as I am protective of them. I get maternal instinct feelings for lolis.
All conspiracies are actually conspiracies. XD
otaku_emmy said:
I hate all explicit loli art. As in something sexual being done to a clearly underage character. However, if it's just nudity presented in a non provocative manner then I think it's cute. I think that's because I'm female too, and I'm not so much "attracted" to the characters as I am protective of them. I get maternal instinct feelings for lolis.
I appreciate that emmy and pretty much agree with you, there are lot's of images on the net depicting young anime girls being tortured and other horrible things, I hate that stuff. I commend Konachan for not presenting that type of content.

But it doesn't answer one of my questions. Particularly, the Japanese government are cracking down on art depicting naked lolis, should Konachan crack down also?.

When I see an image of a naked loli, I get excited, yet at the same time feel so guilty, should I be protected from that?

That's when the question of censorship comes in, who gets to decide the fine line between vulgar and safe, and are there really ANY safe images of naked underage girls?

loli-lumiere
Well...I know that recently people started really going after Shadman because he draws so much loli stuff (and generally weird things). People tend to believe that if someone draws that kind of stuff, then they support it or that it's their own real fetish.

One side argues that it's child porn, the other argues that it isn't real and so it couldn't be child porn. Some say it encourages pedophilic urges, others say it serves as an outlet for people who do like those kinds of things so that they don't mess with real kids.

I see valid points to both sides of the issue.

As far as censorship goes, I know that Japan does make and sell eroge and hentai and adult manga that features sexual relationships with children. Not smaller, lithe adult characters but literal child characters. It's completely legal. I hadn't heard about the Japanese cracking down on such content though. That's news to me.

iirc, Konachan's server is in a country that still allows loli content. It's not illegal to post even explicit loli, it's just something we don't allow HERE. We don't allow furry, guro, and yaoi either which many other boorus do.

I HAVE noticed that, on Danbooru for instance, some posts aren't properly tagged with "loli" even though the post features a loli character. Whether this is an oversight by the uploader or done on purpose I don't actually know.

tl;dr pedophilia is bad but loli art is in a super gray area, and Konachan will never completely ban lolis.

P.S. I do know that drawing explicit art of real underage people is considered a crime. I know of at least one artist who has gone to court over drawing sexual images of some kid actress.

As the art style becomes more realistic and less "anime", it becomes closer and closer to legit CP.
otaku_emmy said: I hadn't heard about the Japanese cracking down on such content though. That's news to me.
Your correct Emmy I'm afraid I got my facts wrong, I checked and i'ts actual real images of child porn that the Japanese are cracking down on, which I commend them for, however not hentai or anime in general, which are still legal. Apologies.

My mistake was overlooking the last paragraph of the following article;

https://www.smh.com.au/world/japan-cracks-down-on-child-porn-20080226-gds2n3.html
I think there is a line to draw some kind of distinction between a paedophile and a child sex abuser. Though the two are often conflated as in many cases, an offender is both.
That is not to say a paedophile could not go about their lives and not touch a child. Do they deserve to be castrated and or hanged over because they *like* children which *may* result in them doing something illegal?

People are not thrown into jail simply for being sexually attracted to children. They are, however, thrown in jail for abusing children. What constitutes abuse varies from country to country. In some, it is simply the act of physically abusing, in others facilitating it via distribution or even possession of abuse materials.

In many cases, legislation is well-intentioned but misses the point. The law should not be there to regulate morality or thoughts. Which is what paedophilia essential contravenes in today's society. It is a disagreed with thought, though in the past was acceptable.

A number of more sensible countries see it as some kind of mental illness (given it is not a common trait in humans it may well be a mental issue) and offer help, which in many cases is a more constructive method of dealing with the problem.

The laws were intended to protect a real child, and that is all they should do.
If there is no child involved, then someone should have the freedom to expression, however, that is.

This article may be interesting. It relates to a hit piece by a BBC reporter, Stacey Dooley, in which she interviewed the character designer for Girls und Panzer regarding "paedophilic media" in Japan.
http://goboiano.com/bbc-reporter-claims-anime-and-manga-promotes-pedophilia/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/57eaaf23-0cef-48c8-961f-41f2563b38aa
Those who can access BBC iPlayer (or who can find it elsewhere) may wish to actually watch the documentary. It raises very valid points, but the entire segment on anime and manga is clouded with hate.
Stealthbird97 said:
A number of more sensible countries see it as some kind of mental illness (given it is not a common trait in humans it may well be a mental issue) and offer help, which in many cases is a more constructive method of dealing with the problem.
That's exactly how I look at it. I don't think people who are attracted to children are necessarily bad. Some people can't help being attracted to certain things they know are taboo.

That's one reason I actually see a valid reason for having questionable or explicit "loli" content in other media, because it can serve as a safe outlet for these people.

Some people are turned on by violent content or by death or by animals. Any number of off-putting things. People have physical kinks that may be frowned upon or thought strange as well. The key is to process these urges in a safe and healthy manner.
Trump Vs The US Media

Even before Donald Trump was elected, he attacked the free press, claiming it was all "fake news"

Recently he wen't at it again saying:

“THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country … BUT WE ARE WINNING!”
Doesn't this damn fool get it? Sure some sleazy media outlets produce fake news, but we are talking here about honest and well established and respected journalists who truly represent the opinions of the people and only report the facts, such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, USA Today, to name only a few.

Keep in mind there are many despots and dictators who have made a point of censoring the press, a couple come to mind Kim Jong-il and Hitler. From my point of view Trump is attempting to join their ranks by trying to poison the minds of people into believing that the news is all fake. This is the first step towards censorship!

The New York Times, a frequent target of Mr Trump’s criticism, ran a seven-paragraph editorial under a giant headline with all capital letters that read: “A FREE PRESS NEEDS YOU.”

The Times wrote:
“Insisting that truths you don’t like are ‘fake news’ is dangerous to the lifeblood of democracy. And calling journalists the ‘enemy of the people’ is dangerous, period,”
The Albuquerque Journal wrote:

“For more than two centuries — since the birth of our nation — the press has served as a check on power, informing the American people about corruption and greed, triumphs and tragedies, grave mistakes and misdeeds and even ineptitude and dysfunction,”
And from The Boston Globe
“Today in the United States we have a president who has created a mantra that members of the media who do not blatantly support the policies of the current US administration are the ‘enemy of the people,"
I consider myself fortunate to be living in Australia, our leaders and politicians would never dare to dispute the freedom of the press, it would be fatal to their careers. Instead they are given the opportunity to put their points of view forward and respond to journalist tough questions but without questioning the integrity of the interviewer. They are given the space to argue their opinions as forcefully as they choose, even if the journalists questions are hard.

It's then up to the people to choose.

“I don’t think the press can just sit back and take it, they need to make their case when the most powerful man in the world tries to undercut the First Amendment,”
Ken Paulson, former editor-in-chief of USA Today

Nixon and Watergate would never have been exposed had it not been for the free press, where are we heading?

I digress, but am still making a point, one which will show this presidents delusional thought process

Let's face it, Trumps greatest pleasure comes from firing his management team, attorneys and aids who dare to speak out, he, after all had a reality show called The Apprentice and the smirk on his face every time dismissal time came was sickening. Firings of this magnitude are not the result of bad staff, it's the result of pathetic leadership

This is fact, Trump has fired more White House staffers than every other president in history

According to The Brookings Institute:

By his 365th day as president, 34 percent of Trump’s most senior staffers had quit, switched roles or were forced out, according to a study by the Brookings Institution’s Katie Dunn Tenpas that tracked staffers with the help of a list compiled by National Journal. That statistic has now climbed to 43 percent.

That’s more than double every of every other administration.
,,,, but Trump needs to understand, he can't fire the free press!!!.

I think Trump is trampling the US fist Amendment into the ground, and this is indeed dangerous territory and he is an exceedingly dangerous man!
eclimial, you are deluded. You wax nostalgically of the days of "Clark Kent and the Daily Planet" - that was a fiction.

There is no "free" press in the US, or most of Europe for that matter. The US news media is controlled by some 5 Corporate Conglomerates. These corporations don't give a shit about journalistic integrity, they don't work for the public, they work for their advertisers and stock holders. Rupert Murdoch (News Corp), he is one of yours, yes? Wall Street Journal, Fox News, 21st Century Fox, BskyB....over 800 media corporations in 50 countries. He's your "free press" along with a small cadre of other Media Oligarchs like him. These people decide what your political opinion 'should be', what is news worthy, what is not, who is in and who is to be crucified on the alter of the 'public interest'.

Seriously.....

The first amendment is dead, trampled, the dead horse kicked and boiled down for glue long ago.

And no, I am not a fan of Trump, his administration, or of Hillary Clinton, or of any Congressional leaders - these people are all sociopathic egomaniacs, imho.
Man, I never wanna label myself republican/Democrat. It feels like I’m giving away my soul for free. I got my opinions and that’s that. Don’t need no label on them, I can leave that job to the others.

(Off topic: ughhh…I’m so tired…wish i can get some beauty sleep without getting yelled at. *sighs divaishly*)
mattiasc02 said:
Man, I never wanna label myself republican/Democrat. It feels like I’m giving away my soul for free....
Worse than that actually, if you live in a voting district that is primarily Democrat, or primarily Republican and you don't register as such, you have NO vote since you will not be allowed to vote in the primary elections - that is where the victor is chosen, when one party dominates a voting district. Another sinister facet of the two party system with primary elections.
mattiasc02 said:
Man, I never wanna label myself republican/Democrat. It feels like I’m giving away my soul for free. I got my opinions and that’s that. Don’t need no label on them, I can leave that job to the others.

(Off topic: ughhh…I’m so tired…wish i can get some beauty sleep without getting yelled at. *sighs divaishly*)
That's exactly why I registered as "Independent".

However, that limits who you're allowed to vote for or whether you can vote at all.

...Oh, Kiho just said that. Sorry.

The only thing I ever feel felt passionate about voting for and about getting passed was to do with the liquor laws around here. We used to be a dry county. Now we can buy beer and wine and whatever without having to drive somewhere else.