why won't slicing lists raise IndexError?

[Python]

On Wed, Dec 06, 2017 at 03:08:51PM -0800, Rick Johnson wrote:
> The following is Terry's original:
> 
>     if item:
>         process(item)
>     else:
>         do_without_item()
> 
> And here is the functioning equivalent, sans any fuzzy
> semantics:
> 
>     if item:
>         process(item)
>     else:
>         pass
> 

THIS IS FALSE.  CALLING A FUNCTION IS NOT FUNCTIONALLY EQUIVALENT TO
THE PASS STATEMENT.  Therefore your entire premise is false, and the
remainder of what you said is meaningless.