Of course it doesn't help that 'normal' people have locked themselves indoors. In Peckham last night a few of us were just talking calmly and reasonably with looters, not telling them off exactly, just making the point that what they were doing is pointless and self-defeating. Of course, they had the jump on us so by the time we turned up one place had been torched and a few others broken into, but I reckon it could easily have got worse. Instead it just drifted away into nothing. The 'them and us' mentality has its part to play in the back story of the riots.
A professional musician I know had her flat burnt down the night before last, losing everything including two cats. I don't know her at all well but spent most of yesterday upset thinking about it.
We should put our faith in God instead.
Personally - I'd rather put my faith in the Easter Bunny than in God.
If we put our faith in God, if we give everything we have to him, we will be given the peace of Jesus Christ. This peace which enables us not to care about what happens on earth. This peace which makes us know that we have a place in heaven.
OH F U C K OFF!!!
Anyway, enough with the bible crap - let's get back to the subject at hand. The London riots, which is what this thread was originally about. Personally, since the whole thing started when the police shot an armed man - I think he only had himself to blame.
If we put our faith in God, if we give everything we have to him, we will be given the peace of Jesus Christ.
The great irony about this seems to me to be that Jesus was indeed a good person whose example, in many ways, we would all do well to follow - the only problem with him being that he was a bit religious. Why is the whole God thing necessary?
The only problem appears to be that evidence now suggests that the man shot dead by police was in fact unarmed.Best,Alistair
If we put our faith in God, if we give everything we have to him
You're going the right way about getting a warning here. I have no patience with what you're railing at either, but there's no need to respond to it with incivility
I answered it with the truth. I would like to convert people to christianity.
I don't want to turn this forum into a bed of religious unrest.
I am simply telling you what I know is true.
My first post was relevant to this topic. I spoke about the goverment and how we shouldn't trust mankind, only god, because man always fails us.
I would like to convert people to christianity.
I post helpful answers to the topic and, afterwards, tell you all some truths.
If God touches only one person through what I am saying then what I am doing is a success.
I will not try and challenge your statements as I think that will anger you even more. I am a pianist and I am preaching what I believe. Jesus was more than a "good person."
Now hopefully you can understand what I said, and why I said it.
Apparently most of the idiots who looted and pillaged got bugger all more than a slap on the wrist.
I submit that this is an over-simplified take on what has happened
I merely observed that thee were other more effective and less splenetic ways in which to say some of it.
Certain assumptions must be made if one wishes to be part of any society. Destroying the property of fellow members is not the way to build a society. If the rioters had a dispute with the government why didn't they attack the government? Why weren't they trying to storm the palace walls?
No one, except the rich, is pleased with the current social crisis. I do believe the young mobsters over there are feeling enormously disenfranchised and furious. Still, the violence is unacceptable.
Don't worry; I'm sure that you won't.No, you were telling us what you believe is true; nothing wrong with that, of course, as long as it is recognised as such, no more, no less.What does this have to do with the topic? Neither the British government nor God caused or encouraged the riots. If you're unwilling to "trust mankind" at all, one can only assume that you would have no trust in any man-made and man-run government; were such an attitude to be a majority one, what good would such utter and complete distrust do to and for anyone?Then why attempt to do so (if indeed that is what you're doing) on a forum devoted to musical matters in general and pianistic ones in particular, especially as you have not been invited to do this here?No, you give us samples of your beliefs, which is not the same thing.By why should He do so - or indeed expect to do so - when the topic here is this month's riots in London (and, by implication, elsewhere in England)? God is not a member here so does not post on topics.One does not have to respond to certain of your statements with anger merely because one happens to believe that their repetitions here are inappropriate in terms of contributing to thread topics; in fact, that would be a very bad idea. This forum is a place in which you can discuss issues from your standpoint as a pianist; other places exist where you can preach to your heart's content if so you wish. Jesus was a most remarkably good person and far more than that, as a number of Muslims that I know would be the first to agree; what He would think of some of the things that have been done and said in His name since his death, however, hardly bears thinking about. We can discuss J S Bach here - and perhaps also Thomas Mann - but the wisdom of maintaining as much distance as possible between "Bach" and "Mann" ought to be plainly obvious to us all.Best,Alistair
Hey Alistair,. I want to start off saying I have a great deal of respect for you and your musical knowledge.
But, while I don't want to enter an argument, your responses here are extremely condescending.
It's amazing how people say they respect others beliefs, but when someone suggests a certain way to handle a situation (akin to their beliefs, and thus an expression of them), the same people are offended and (almost) mortified. My take on it would be to just ignore any comments that Chopinpride posts, rather than trying to take a superior intellectual standpoint, because you cannot argue someone out of their religious beliefs. Instead, you present a rather intolerant attitude (though not as explicitly as earlier mentioned), despite expressing it in a more 'civil' manner than previous posts. I'm sorry if I sound arrogant or rude myself after all of this, it's amazing how you can talk yourself into things
I agree in principle with your first sentence, although this is not what I do in general terms and what I've written here does not do this in specific terms either.
My concern about chopinpride's contributions here is and has always been that the habitual inclusion of quotations from the Bible in the main body of posts is as unwelcome as it is unnecessary when they bear no contextual relevance to the topic under discussion and are addressed to all members who might want to follow that discussion but who may not be Christians or indeed believers in God
no useful purpose can be served by such inclusion and it does neither the poster nor those about whom he writes any favours.
Sorry, I did not mean to imply that you do this in general terms , just in that particular response. I thought there was an underlying intolerance, even though I agree that it certainly did not seem intentional or hateful.
Is the difference of where the poster decides to post his quotes worth a rather hateful argument though (I'm not implying you were in your post though) or worth any argument for that matter?
Perhaps his intention was to gain attention? Surely it is easy enough to just ignore it?
Unless he started posting irrelevant responses all together (in which the responses should be moderated)... He seems to think by including the quotes in his main post body it is simply a way to emphasise his signature, although I personally don't see how it really does that, that is, unless people keep pointing it out .
Okay I see what you're saying here, however, from the posters point of view, he believes he can convert people by posting the text beneath his posts, thus he believes there is a purpose behind its posting (his belief). So I disagree with the first point (although it obviously serves no useful purpose from your perspective which is understandable). However, I don't believe the poster does his cause any good by firing up people who are offended by continual posting of bible quotes. I certainly doubt that is going to convert anyone...Saying that you never know...
Topic: The London Riots, August 2011 