Mathew Carter

Soldier 20+ years (opinions are my own) / philosopher / dedicated Wiccan since 2013 / libertarian.

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

Grok's profile summaries are pretty accurate!

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@PaganStoa Exactly my point. It is the cosmic order that all living things must reproduce. Thus, heterosexual relationships have primacy by their very nature (inherent capability by design).

Whereas homosexuality is neither cosmically orderd nor socially beneficial.

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@PaganStoa Humans are forced to comply with external ideals all of the time. This is what social contracts do.

Of the two principles required to live according to nature (cosmic order & social norms), which should have primacy?

[Dionysius Maurogaetulus @dionysiusmaurus]

Men who are not wantons or immoral are bound to consider sexual intercourse justified only when it occurs in marriage and is indulged in for the purpose of begetting children, since that is lawful, but unjust and unlawful when it is mere pleasure-seeking, even in marriage. But of all sexual relations those involving adultery are most unlawful, and no more tolerable are those of men with men, because it is a monstrous thing and contrary to nature. But, furthermore, leaving out of consideration adultery, all intercourse with women that is without lawful character is shameful and is practiced from lack of self-restraint.

Musonius Rufus - Discourse 12 on Sexual Indulgence

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@PaganStoa I would never force my philosophical beliefs on anyone but myself.

Are you implying that we are incapable of changing ourselves to align with principle?

How do you know that homosexuality isn't the cause of the internal discord (due to not being in accordance with nature)?

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@PaganStoa I agree that people unwilling/unable to have children can still contribute to eudaimonia, but that isn't the argument.

Are procreative relationships preferred according to nature? Yes.

Reason, harmony, and even society as a whole cannot continue to exist without procreation.

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@PaganStoa Assuming that sexuality is outside of our control to act upon (debatable), its value as a preferred indifferent is its correspondence to nature.

Homosexuality would be dispreferred because it detracts from human flourishing (procreation).

This is based in reason, not morality.

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@PaganStoa Temperance is preserved when lust does not overtake reason, which is precisely what happens with homosexuality.

You make it sound like philia with benefits instead of just eros.

Nuclear family models have proven to be the most stable households, especially for raising children.

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@PaganStoa Reason/fellowship should result in flourishing. If universally applied (e.g. if all humans were gay) then humanity as a whole would end.

The nature of male/female relationships is still procreative even if no offspring is produced. Sterility does not invalidate that fact.

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@PaganStoa Obviously! But replace the word "men" in your previous post with either "animals" or "children" and you will understand my point.

I'm not equating either of those things with homosexuality, but merely critiquing the overall logic of the statement.

[FFRF @FFRF]

The Salem Witch Trials are a pretty compelling example of why we shouldn’t let religious superstition override evidence and reason.

So perhaps we can understand why a pastor might not want students learning about them.

[PaganStoa @PaganStoa]

Do not be mistaken, I'm completely anti-Christian and anti-Muslim. It's rational to be against these forms of man-made religions.

Also on a side note Virtue is found not in submission to external creeds, but in the quiet mastery of one's own mind according to nature.

[Carl Jung Archive @QuoteJung]

"Loneliness does not come from having people around you.."

[PaganStoa @PaganStoa]

Oh you changed opinions, well certainly opinions are meant to be changed. If a notion turns out to be false or flawed, discarding it is basic maintenance for a rational mind.

Holding onto a wrong opinion just because you held it yesterday is a form of foolish vanity (oiesis).

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@The4thWayYT The map is not the territory.

[Mathew Carter @Mathew__Carter]

@paganpraxis @anthro_poet What do you mean by "believes in the gods"? Many Stoics spoke of the Greek gods in a pantheistic sense, as metaphorical archetypes instead of literal beings. They were naturalists that rejected the supernatural.

[Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius]

This is incredibly insulting to those of us who took this oath with actual meaning and consequences.

When Jamie Lee Curtis is willing to jump on a live grenade, call me.

[GhostRider @GhostRider4life]

😎😎😎😎😂😂 https://t.co/l20zBGTVIK

[Ramin Nasibov @RaminNasibov]

perfect signature