site banner
PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   2911 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for September 13, 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.

2
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Suppose demons exist. What is the catholic or orthodox stand regarding legal/moral responsibility for actions done when possessed by a demon? (Of course I am asking because of the current very prominent case of a mother being commanded by a voice for 18 minutes to murder, but the question can be generalized)

I suggest you also look into voice-to-skull transmission, which 20 years ago pretty regularly appeared in Popular Mechanics and various military technology magazines as a promising new technology, until all mention of it suddenly and abruptly ceased.

I am not a priest, but my understanding is that demonic 'possession' is a gradual process with much consent involved. It's a long slope of choosing to conform to evil urges until one is remade in the shape of them and no longer seeks to resist.

Addiction is probably a handy parallel to consider. The people who are into gooning are excellent examples of what possession looks like. Surrendering their agency to things that want to hurt them until it's habitual and they will act even against their own interests, not even wanting to stop any more.

Once aware of this dynamic I expect that most of us can find examples in our own lives. Local minima that seem to be pulling us in and must be resisted.

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