site banner
PaperclipPerfector  11hr ago (text post)   307 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 8, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

What's the deal with Veggie Tales? Scott posted a link roundup which included a article about the relationship of its characters with Jesus.

I took a look and the cartoon looked like ass. Why would anything like it be something people know/care about? Was it the only cartoon children in fundy families were allowed to watch? Surely there are other options, I remember watching Superbook as a kid and it was not this offensive to my senses.

Turns out there's the new 3D Superbook, and it looks like an ad for a mobile game, that's the most flattering thing I can say about it. Are there no Christian animators left?

Veggietales is older than Toy Story and they mostly used the same models for the first run. They've got a niche in Sunday schools because they're good enough already owned, and don't need to be vetted like a new content would be.

I remember watching Veggietales in Religious Studies classes at school. We watched the episode where King David covets Bathsheba, even though he already had hundreds of other concubines rubber ducks.

Looking back at it now, I think it's pretty good given the limitations it sets itself (Old Testament stories, told in a child-friendly way, with 90s CGI).

I mean, it's no Recess, but it's pretty good.

It’s no Recess, and certainly no Chalk Zone

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats