cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/168902

I’ve had this idea over a few things, I think sometimes when people do sinful things, that maybe there is something healthy they could do instead

like if someone does drugs to feel good, they could instead maybe exercise and that can make people feel good hormonally and even give a “runner’s high” to people (this shouldn’t be abused or become an addiction in itself but I think sometimes it could be a beneficial alternative)

So perhaps in this thread we could discuss alternatives to certain things that people do, like sins people commit that could be given some alternative.

For example what do you think about tarot card alternatives? People play with the cards and try to tell people’s futures. Could they play a card game instead? I guess the tarot cards were originally used just for card games? Could they play some kind of card game that isn’t fortune telling? For some people, it might be best to stop certain activities entirely, so they’re not tempted to do the wrong thing.

So tarot alternative ideas?

Ideas of other sins and alternatives?

  • Owner_of_donky@donky.social
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    1 year ago

    Exercising is obviously better than drugs in any way shape or form. Except that the dopamine comes later and requires more hard work. You won’t be able to tell a crackhead to go exercise because he needs to invest time and energy into it while a line of coke, some crack or any other drugs is seconds away from the much anticipated dopamine rush.

    Tarot cards are used by a lot of my girl classmates to “predict the future”. I don’t actually think that they do it religiously though. I think it is more about “knowing the unknown” and being edgy. This goes the same for astrology. Yes, tarot cards have been used for playing games but now it is known only for the “ability to predict the future”.

    As far as video games go I don’t really have the right to talk since I spend my time playing them so you can skip this part. The thing I have to say is that I don’t like singleplayer story mode games. The only thing you get after spending hours is “congrats you’ve done it” and some achievement. I can’t say the same thing about multiplayer games and simulators though. In mp games you get competition. There will always be someone better than you and you have to play to become better than him. Be it your friend or your opponent. Simulator games if played right (that means no assistance from the computer and the right hardware) can teach you some stuff about the real life. Like beam.ng about driving cars and xplane 11 about flying planes

    My conclusion would be: things that are easy to do (drugs, games) and edgy stuff (tarot) would always be more attractive to teenagers no matter what religion they are unless their parents teach them what is bad and what is good while they are young.

  • Lovstuhagen@exploding-heads.comM
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    1 year ago

    I always tell people that chess is a good alternative to video games since it is about keeping the mind sharp and engaging in very thoguhtful, creative play. Yes, I am aware some video games can do that, but people sink thousands of hours into these things without real world application and… without any real skill development that doesn’t sharpen the brain.

    Yeah, sure, beating Dark Souls 2 is an accomplishment but it lacks the sociality and intellectual rigor of more classic games of the mind like chess.

    For example what do you think about tarot card alternatives? People play with the cards and try to tell people’s futures. Could they play a card game instead? I guess the tarot cards were originally used just for card games? Could they play some kind of card game that isn’t fortune telling? For some people, it might be best to stop certain activities entirely, so they’re not tempted to do the wrong thing.

    It’s kind of an interesting concept - if tarot cards were originally just used for card games, it would be acceptable to literally take them and do taht with them, and in a sense, if it is irritating to people who use the occult to do that… It is worth a lul.

      • Lovstuhagen@exploding-heads.comM
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        1 year ago

        I’m not a christian at all. Grew up going to church until 16 and noped out of there as soon as my parents let me make my own decision. Not sure what the obsession with other people sinning is? Let them make their own mistakes if that’s what you see them as.

        This would be a combination of things, though, right… Some people talk generally about sin, and others take it personal and thus view it as Chrisitan imposition on their way of life.

        At other times, Christians are making observations about the direction of society, and again, it is interpreted as a judgment of specific individuals.

        I think what we see mostly, though, is people self-conscious about how they are failing the standards that their parents and other people they respect put on them, and instead they reverse it: No, the problem isn’t my substance abuse/fornication, it’s the fact that it bothers you.