• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Hamas vs. Israel, a thought experiment

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
Courtesy of the Sam Harris podcast:

We know Hamas uses Palestinian women and children as shields. Rightly knowing that Israelis will tend to hold back.

Now imagine the reverse. Imagine Israelis using their women and children as shields. Imagine Hamas's response.

Not all cultures are - in 2023 - equally moral.

 

We Never Know

No Slack
Courtesy of the Sam Harris podcast:

We know Hamas uses Palestinian women and children as shields. Rightly knowing that Israelis will tend to hold back.

Now imagine the reverse. Imagine Israelis using their women and children as shields. Imagine Hamas's response.

Not all cultures are - in 2023 - equally moral.


A little off topic(hope you don't mind) but I saw on some other threads where the rules of war were brought up.

What are the rules of war? And how do they apply to Israel's actions in Gaza?​


"The U.S. and other nations have repeatedly warned Israel to follow the "rules of war."

But what are they? And will they prevent civilians from being hurt?

Here's what to know about international humanitarian laws and how they might apply in the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza."

 

King Phenomenon

Well-Known Member
A little off topic(hope you don't mind) but I saw on some other threads where the rules of war were brought up.

What are the rules of war? And how do they apply to Israel's actions in Gaza?​


"The U.S. and other nations have repeatedly warned Israel to follow the "rules of war."

But what are they? And will they prevent civilians from being hurt?

Here's what to know about international humanitarian laws and how they might apply in the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza."

I think the rules of war are simple. No killing children and civilians
 

Orbit

I'm a planet

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Courtesy of the Sam Harris podcast:

We know Hamas uses Palestinian women and children as shields. Rightly knowing that Israelis will tend to hold back.

Now imagine the reverse. Imagine Israelis using their women and children as shields. Imagine Hamas's response.

Not all cultures are - in 2023 - equally moral.

If Hamas kills x Israelis as vengeance for Israeli oppression,
& Israel responds by killing 2x Palestinians as vengeance,
they certainly aren't equally moral.
Israel is a thug state that places low value on non-Jewish lives.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
I don't think we need to pretend either side is the good guys in this one. Heck it's been reported Israel is dropping white phosphorus. Evil and a little less evil sure, but I get tired of supporting "lesser evils."
 

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
If Hamas kills x Israelis as vengeance for Israeli oppression,
& Israel responds by killing 2x Palestinians as vengeance,
they certainly aren't equally moral.
Israel is a thug state that places low value on non-Jewish lives.

Oddly, I've usually been impressed with how restrained Israel responses are. I find your assertions to be, in a word, disgusting.
I don't think we need to pretend either side is the good guys in this one. Heck it's been reported Israel is dropping white phosphorus. Evil and a little less evil sure, but I get tired of supporting "lesser evils."
Isn't it amazing that less than a week after perhaps the most brutal and barbaric attack in modern history, far outside anything prescribed by the vaunted Geneva Conventions, that the victim in these attacks is already being portrayed as the bad guy, so, "Meh. No biggy."
It's like @Revoltingest and others are cheering Hamas on against the evil Israeli state. I also get the impression that many of you folks don't think the Palestinians or Hamas have anything to answer for and are completely justified in hacking the heads off babies.

@icehorse Sam has a pretty clear appraisal of the situation in the Middle East. His point that we cannot trust jihadi's is right on the money. These people are dangerous fanatics and they have, yet again, proven this for all to see. Hell, they are even glorifying their murderous rampage.
 
Last edited:

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Oddly, I've usually been impressed with how restrained Israel responses are. I find your assertions to be, in a word, disgusting.
Does this mean you find Israel's massive
death & destruction inflicted upon Palestinians
to be justified, ie, an eye for an eye version of
group punishment, including children?
Isn't it amazing that less than a week after perhaps the most brutal and barbaric attack in modern history, far outside anything prescribed by the vaunted Geneva Conventions, that the victim in these attacks is already being portrayed as the bad guy, so, "Meh. No biggy."
It's like @Revoltingest and others are cheering Hamas on against the evil Israeli state. '
"It's like...cheering Hamas on..."
Would the flip side of this be your "cheering on the killing of thousands of Palestinians"?
Nah.
You should be more cautious about airing
histrionic wrongful impressions of others'
statements.
I also get the impression that many of you folks don't think the Palestinians or Hamas have anything to answer for and are completely justified in hacking the heads off babies.
I'll spare you my impressions of
your views about human rights.
 
Last edited:

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
Does this mean you find Israel's massive
death & destruction inflicted upon Palestinians
to be justified, ie, an eye for an eye version of
group punishment, including children?

"It's like...cheering Hamas on..."
Would the flip side of this be your "cheering on the killing of thousands of Palestinians"?
Nah.
You should be more cautious about airing
histrionic wrongful impressions of others'
staements.

I'll spare you my impressions of
your views about human rights.
I have had enough of RF. You people disgust me.

@Quagmire and @Debater Slayer Gentlemen, please cancel my membership on RF. Thank you.
 

Little Dragon

Well-Known Member
Isn't it amazing that less than a week after perhaps the most brutal and barbaric attack in modern history, far outside anything prescribed by the vaunted Geneva Conventions, that the victim in these attacks is already being portrayed as the bad guy, so, "Meh. No biggy."
Exactly.
It's outrageous in fact. I've tried to remain civilized here on this horrible topic. Not easy.
Not easy at all.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
Oddly, I've usually been impressed with how restrained Israel responses are. I find your assertions to be, in a word, disgusting.

Isn't it amazing that less than a week after perhaps the most brutal and barbaric attack in modern history, far outside anything prescribed by the vaunted Geneva Conventions, that the victim in these attacks is already being portrayed as the bad guy, so, "Meh. No biggy."
It's like @Revoltingest and others are cheering Hamas on against the evil Israeli state. I also get the impression that many of you folks don't think the Palestinians or Hamas have anything to answer for and are completely justified in hacking the heads off babies.

@icehorse Sam has a pretty clear appraisal of the situation in the Middle East. His point that we cannot trust jihadi's is right on the money. These people are dangerous fanatics and they have, yet again, proven this for all to see. Hell, they are even glorifying their murderous rampage.
I didn't mean to support Hamas if it came across that way, they are clearly the greater evil.
 

sayak83

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Courtesy of the Sam Harris podcast:

We know Hamas uses Palestinian women and children as shields. Rightly knowing that Israelis will tend to hold back.

Now imagine the reverse. Imagine Israelis using their women and children as shields. Imagine Hamas's response.

Not all cultures are - in 2023 - equally moral.

I too can play this game...

A psychopath torture and kills 7 innocent women. The local police raids a building where the psychopath lives and shoots all 70 residents living in the house as they could not identify who that psychopath is.

Who is the greater evil here?
 
Top