# Debated positions, large or small, which you're SURE you're right about **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086 "2010-05-28T16:51:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/41 "2010-06-01T01:38:20Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And you apparently don’t know what “Please, let’s not start debating these issues here…” means. Well, it is a position I’m SURE I’m _right_ about, so there 😛 ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/42 "2010-06-01T03:05:23Z")
Cilantro really \*\*\*is \*\*\* culinary evil. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/43 "2010-06-01T03:51:26Z")
That barring a public health threat (ie, someone with active tuberculosis running about untreated) and person’s decision to choose a certain form of treatment or to not to choose treatment at all is between them and their doctor, not between them and members of the general public who have no medical training and should butt out. (Sorry, but your life isn’t threatened if I take Effexor or get a cochlear implant.) ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/44 "2010-06-01T03:51:55Z")
**Humanity does not have the capacity to rid itself of its own evil. Anyone who claims that they have is lying** and **Everyone is delusional about something.** ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/45 "2010-06-01T09:49:47Z")
Religion is adult fairy tales for the weak-minded. Guns are expensive, evil toys. Anyone that drinks and drives should have their license revoked for two years from the very first offense. The US should be embarrased for trying to make gay marriage illegal. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/46 "2010-06-01T10:10:07Z")
The University Of Hard Knocks is the best teaching academy in the world. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/47 "2010-06-01T10:21:42Z")
Cultural relativism is misunderstood. Correctly interpreted, it doesn’t mean that there is no objective truth, it means that the passion and certainty with which person from culture A holds their beliefs is as strong as you from culture B hold them. You believe in your absolute truth/whatever is unshakeable, as is that of the person who holds a belief with which you disagree. That you can point to decades of research that back up your position, and they can’t, doesn’t matter where it comes to culture, as they can cite, say a holy book, which from their reference point has more validity than your research. Doesn’t mean they’re right - it means that they are as convinced that they’re right as you are. The situation is even more fraught where it comes to differing moralities, as they are generally quite arbitrary. \*Nor does it preclude the person who acknowledges others’ beliefs as being held with certainty, from having their own beliefs. \* Wilfully misinterpreting all the above, and particularly the sentence in italics, is a cheap shot, and does a disservice to something that is actually a very useful tool in understanding and dealing with other cultures and countries, and if it’s not wilfully misinterpreted, it boggles my mind that otherwise very intelligent people just don’t get it, as it’s not that hard to understand. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/48 "2010-06-01T13:34:18Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Gay Marriage also. > > Evolution happened - though it doesn’t get debated that much around here. > > None of the Earth’s religions are correct about God existing. I agree with all of these - I’m as close to positive on these positions as I think I can be. (I’ve edited your post, just by clipping off the last sentence, to mirror my position). ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/49 "2010-06-01T13:37:45Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > A plane on a treadmill will take off just fine. What? I can’t get this out of my head - does this mean what I think it means or is it a metaphor or something? I’m envisioning a 747 on level 5.0, with a slight incline… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/50 "2010-06-01T13:48:36Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > What? > > I can’t get this out of my head - does this mean what I think it means or is it a metaphor or something? > > I’m envisioning a 747 on level 5.0, with a slight incline… [Will a plane on a treadmill take off?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=348452). One of the all time great SDMB threads. Gay marriage is fine. Anyone who thinks both abortion and gay adoption should be illegal ahould also believe that single pregnant women should be forced to either get married or give birth and have their child given to a “real” couple, by force if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/51 "2010-06-01T14:49:42Z")
On every possible level, Target is a better place to shop than Wal-Mart. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/52 "2010-06-01T14:51:13Z")
Breastfeeding is best. Routine infant circumcision is wrong. Gay marriage should be legal. Ditto gay soldiers in the military. The series finale of Lost sucked. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/53 "2010-06-01T14:58:55Z")
Property is theft God does not exist Colonialism is responsible for the mess in Africa Pacifism is not an “easy way out” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/54 "2010-06-01T17:31:11Z")
Most people are doing their best with what they have. Animals feel emotions, including love. This one life is all we’ve got, so we need to make it worthwhile. My boyfriend is black. I am white. We are equals. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/55 "2010-06-01T17:45:53Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > JFK was a conspiracy. Between who? Joseph and Rose? ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/56 "2010-06-01T18:54:06Z")
Han shot first. Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/57 "2010-06-01T19:39:23Z")
Full on alternative medicine (homeopathy, reiki, etc…) is complete bunk and worthless. ALternative medicine that “toes the line” (chiropractic, herbalism) is, **at best** , still _slightly worse_ than it’s real medicine counterpart. Yeah, I could risk my back and go to a chriparactor for my neck pain, or get legitiamte physical therapy. Likewise, I could take some willow bark, boil it with some extract of whatever-the-fuck to _maybe_ get the right does and cure my headache, or I’ll take an aspirin. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/58 "2010-06-01T20:22:11Z")
\*\*People who make a commitment to an animal and then don’t live up to it are Bad People. \*\*Acquaintances of mine are moving to a new apartment that doesn’t allow pets and are trying to find a home for their nine-year old cat. Why even bother looking at apartments that don’t allow pets if you, in fact, have a pet? These people may cure cancer someday, but I will always know that they are, in fact, Bad People. \*\*Being optimistic and occasionally disappointed is always better than being pessimistic and occasionally surprised. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086/59 "2010-06-01T20:52:18Z")
I am SURE that Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong have used PED’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debated-positions-large-or-small-which-youre-sure-youre-right-about/541086.md?page=2)