That’s super cool, I’ve wanted to do something similar like this but never have had the opportunity.

People who like talking and listening I suppose. Then just click the mute button on someone’s name if they’re being abusive.

Yeah, I definitely get that. Even so, sometimes I think it’d be nice to talk to people for more clarity. Maybe voice chats would require a moderator to start them and stay there to facilitate the conversation?

Hot take: All criteria used to classify ideas and objects into distinct categories can eventually break down. The only reason to pursue the creation of classification systems is to facilitate communication. If we get to a point where we start throwing chairs at each other I’d argue were no longer willing to communicate, and so arguing about whether something is “this” or “that” is no longer a priority. The priority should become attending to the mental and emotional wellbeing of the individuals in the absence of labels.

Pachycephalasaurus has always been on of my favorites.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachycephalosaurus

maybe I probably killed him

You didn’t kill him, the cancer did. You were there supporting him.

I was on morphine duty when my grandpa died two years ago and it was rough. I gained a massive respect for hospice workers and the mental fortitude they have in order to work in that environment.

My grandpa had ptsd nightmares from the Korean War his whole life and my biggest fear was that while he was dying he’d be trapped in one of those. I drove myself crazy trying to interpret his twitches and mumbles as some sort of actionable message he was sending.

I stepped outside for a bit and imagined what he would say if he were conscious, and I’m sure it would’ve been something like “Who cares if I’m having a nightmare? Even if I am it’s not your responsibility to fix it. I’ll just ride it out and it’ll be over.” And so I went back in and just sat there quietly, occasionally making remarks or observations, talking about what I might be doing in the next few weeks or months.

I’m really glad your mom got to have that moment. Whether or not he heard her and was responding, I hope the timing gave her some peace.

I have to imagine that when you die you get to experience what it feels like to let go of all your pain, and I bet that feels pretty great.

My dad believed in “god” and died of melanoma after it got into his lymphatic system, then to his brain, and finally his spinal fluid.

My step mom recalled a conversation she had with him in the hospital after a 2nd brain surgery where she said she was angry with God and couldn’t believe he would allow this to happen to my dad instead of a worse person. He said something like “it’s fine that this happening to me, I’m already saved. Other people still need more time.”

I’ve never been a big fan of modern christianity since it strays so far from the fundamental teachings of love, but I always admired my dad’s ability to act in a way that aligned with his beliefs about the goodness life.

I really don’t care if there’s an “afterlife” or not. I just hope people can find something in this life that gives them the courage to fight for life but also eventually accept death.

The world is a fucked up place, we’re lucky that we can still find a way to enjoy it in whatever capacity we can.

I will irrationally choose to believe that your dad will find exactly what he’s looking for when he passes.

If you ever want to talk about anything I’m here for you in whatever capacity an internet stranger can be.

Ah, your interpretation makes sense to me.

I think any religion that would claim to help people win the lottery is highly sus. Although most religions I’m familiar with are explicitly against personal financial gain as a terminal goal.

Yes, but once again I can tell that you’re making some assumptions that are preventing any sort of meaningful conversation.

What do you mean by “selfish person”? Everyone I’ve met is selfish to some degree.

If a person claims to follow a religion, but doesn’t follow that religion’s teachings, are they actually following the religion?

I think your question makes a lot of assumptions that prevent it from being answered in a meaningful way. Are you asking what a hypothetical person’s religion says that person should do if they’re not given the material help that they ask for?