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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   973 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for May 2, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Playstation 2 emulators have become brutal. I have been playing the 2005 God Of War - the game is even better. Played on massive resolution, with quick save and load. Splendid.

God of war and God of war 2 are quintessential Playstation 2 games. Heretical and blasphemous but I enjoyed both as a child.

Some other titles I remember from Playstation 2:

  • Smack down vs Raw 2009, 2010, 2011

  • Midnightclub 3 sub edition

  • gta san andreas

  • fifa 07, 08, 09

  • Tekken 5

  • bully

  • Mafia

We'd play a lot of pro wrestling games because they had a good multi-player co-op thing. Shooters don't work well with joysticks. Playstation 2 was peak gaming. I think it's still the highest selling console ever. May have forgotten quite a few titles.

How can you both be heretical and blasphemous? Kratos didn't touch any Hindu gods yet.

I respect people who worship their ancestors, Zeus isn't in the Hindu pantheon but I still feel a little icky seeing religious things in games. Had he been agaisnt Jesus or Moses, I'd have written the same.

I really did enjoy the games though, imo god of war games were quite fun till the third. Dmc was never popular here so gow was the most popular melee combat game.

Even the ancient greeks acknowledged that Zeus was something of a cunt, what with constantly cheating on his wife by raping women and all the other petty stuff greek gods got up to.

You're confusing how Greeks (or any polytheistic people) related to their gods in public and private worship with their tolerance of and actual belief in particular mythological story. The people who would disparage Zeus and emphasize the particular myths about him turning into an animal and raping this or that woman or boy were the atheists of their time. This was useful for others- Christians, semi- or flat out proselytizing Jews, and various mystery cultists. Guaranteed to be preserved, in the same way that if every computer is fried, and most libraries burn, 1000 years from now there might be a classic book by Obadiah the Amish Guy talking shit and owning the Atheists like Dawkins and Hitchens with cheap shots.

The actual practice of worship in much of the antique pagan west would focus on the particular city gods, heroes if Greek, lares and penates (household spirits and ancestors) if Roman, schedule and luck or misfortune based on who was worshipped how by whom last year.

I, as a Christian, have a particular stake in Jesus of Nazareth, Son of the Virgin Mary and raised by her and her husband Joseph, being crucified and dying for my sins and resurrecting Himself 3 days later, roughly 1993 years ago in the vicinity of Jerusalem. I take, and as a matter of church council all Christians take, a particular level of literalism in interpreting that the events in the New Testament happened as a matter of history.

He does not have particular obligations in belief as a generic Hindu beyond some system of karma and dharma, but might have more specific beliefs on personal particulars, but he isn't bound to believe every stupid myth some asshole made up last year about his own gods and those of his ancestors. Nor is he necessarily bound to particular interpretations or literalism. For many Hindus it's a buffet of belief choices, not hard and fixed catechisms.

As a Christian American I take the Resurrection on Easter as more factually reliable and real and important than whether the Continental Congress actually did anything on July 4, 1776.

Not trying to put words in his mouth, he could say the entire Mahabharata and associated composition traditions are historical fact and he certainly wouldn't be alone.

Not exactly how religiosity here works, but I do appreciate the effort you took to lay this out. My current religious beliefs, on a personal level, are based on the spiritual path I walk, Kashmir Shaivism famously disavows many Hindu Scriptures.

Still, I do agree largely with what you wrote as to how many think of religious concepts, which is why I do not like media that eggs on religious beliefs.

Hinduism is based on cannons and your guru is your cannon, so there is not singular book, the advait vedantins are different from Shaivs who are different from Smartas and various subsects of Vaishnavs.

He does not have particular obligations in belief as a generic Hindu beyond some system of karma and dharma, but might have more specific beliefs on personal particulars, but he isn't bound to believe every stupid myth some asshole made up last year about his own gods and those of his ancestors. Nor is he necessarily bound to particular interpretations or literalism. For many Hindus it's a buffet of belief choices, not hard and fixed catechisms.

Yep

Not trying to put words in his mouth, he could say the entire Mahabharata and associated composition traditions are historical fact and he certainly wouldn't be alone.

Oh yeah. Kashmir Shaivism clicked with me because its the most esoteric practice-based spiritual path that does not care much about evolution, history or any kind of science as religious experiences; therefore, it is nearly dead as every religion needs schelling points. Christians should and do defend their religious beliefs, which is the way. I may not believe them, but I don't want games to desecrate holy things. I enjoyed the games, but I cannot in good faith ever say that without mentioning that it has pointless edginess.

A petty correction re: "media that eggs on religious beliefs"

To "egg on" is to encourage a person to do something to their detriment. If I said "I think you could beat up that silverback gorilla, jump into the pit, thump your chest and smile to let him know you mean business" that would be me egging you on.

I think you've conflated this with the modern phenomenon of "egging", similar to "TPing"- in which obnoxious adolescents throw locally cheap (to them) material at a house or onto a tree as low effort vandalism.

Brain fade there, thanks for the correction.

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