Cal Thomas: The Gospel of unbelief
jspa...@linuxquestions.net
---------------------------------------------------------------
It happens twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
The newsweeklies sometimes carry cover stories. The newspapers print
items calling the reason for these seasons into question.
This Easter is no exception, but the intensity level seems to have
increased.
This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local
officials decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall. They said it
might offend some non-Christians, as if the Easter Bunny has anything
to do with Easter's real significance. Apparently it escaped the notice
of the city council that the Easter Bunny might offend Christians,
because, like Santa Claus, it is a counterfeit. If they want to be
consistent, perhaps the council should change the name of the city from
St. Paul to, say, Paul Bunyan.
Newspapers also carried a story about a Florida State University
scientist who speculated that Jesus didn't really walk on water; he
walked on ice. The scientist theorized there must have been an unusual
cold snap 2,000 years ago that froze the Sea of Galilee. This begs the
question how Jesus was able to pull off such a stunt when Peter also
walked on water, before his lack of faith sank him.
The New York Times piled on by trumpeting the discovery of a fossil in
Arctic Canada as a "missing link," which it editorialized "puts the lie
to creationist beliefs."
Not exactly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Read it at
http://townhall.com/opinion/columns/calthomas/2006/04/11/193242.html
J. Spaceman
Bobby D. Bryant
>>From the article:
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> It happens twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
>
> The newsweeklies sometimes carry cover stories. The newspapers print
> items calling the reason for these seasons into question.
>
> This Easter is no exception, but the intensity level seems to have
> increased.
>
> This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local
> officials decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall. They said
> it might offend some non-Christians, as if the Easter Bunny has
> anything to do with Easter's real significance. Apparently it
> escaped the notice of the city council that the Easter Bunny might
> offend Christians, because, like Santa Claus, it is a
> counterfeit. If they want to be consistent, perhaps the council
> should change the name of the city from St. Paul to, say, Paul
> Bunyan.
Presumably the Ophites were jealous of the Lagomorphites, so the city
shut down their display to prevent an outbreak of sectarian violence.
> Newspapers also carried a story about a Florida State University
> scientist who speculated that Jesus didn't really walk on water; he
> walked on ice. The scientist theorized there must have been an
> unusual cold snap 2,000 years ago that froze the Sea of
> Galilee. This begs the question how Jesus was able to pull off such
> a stunt when Peter also walked on water, before his lack of faith
> sank him.
Ah, but it was a floating patch of ice...
He has also published claims about the Israelite crossing of the Red
Sea. Well, no one said oceanographers couldn't be morons. I guess
the obvious explanation isn't publishable.
> The New York Times piled on by trumpeting the discovery of a fossil in
> Arctic Canada as a "missing link," which it editorialized "puts the lie
> to creationist beliefs."
>
> Not exactly.
Right: the concept of "missing link" isn't valid. And you can hardly
"put the lie" to a mythology that was debunked in the nineteenth
century.
--
Bobby Bryant
Austin, Texas
Windy
> Apparently it escaped the notice
> of the city council that the Easter Bunny might offend Christians,
> because, like Santa Claus, it is a counterfeit.
What the heck is a "counterfeit" mythological creature anyway? Looks
like Cal Thomas was fumbling for a suitable phrase here... "imaginary"
was a bit too close to home, and doesn't sound negative enough.
How about "Easter Bunny and Santa Claus might offend Christians because
they don't threaten to send bad children to Hell"
-- w
Cary Kittrell
> On Tue, 11 Apr 2006, jspa...@linuxquestions.net wrote:
>
> >>From the article:
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> > It happens twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
> >
> > The newsweeklies sometimes carry cover stories. The newspapers print
> > items calling the reason for these seasons into question.
> >
> > This Easter is no exception, but the intensity level seems to have
> > increased.
> >
> > This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local
> > officials decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall. They said
> > it might offend some non-Christians, as if the Easter Bunny has
> > anything to do with Easter's real significance. Apparently it
> > escaped the notice of the city council that the Easter Bunny might
> > offend Christians, because, like Santa Claus, it is a
> > counterfeit. If they want to be consistent, perhaps the council
> > should change the name of the city from St. Paul to, say, Paul
> > Bunyan.
>
> Presumably the Ophites were jealous of the Lagomorphites, so the city
> shut down their display to prevent an outbreak of sectarian violence.
Heh!
-- cary
Inez
Well, as long as conservative Christians can feel like martyrs,
everyone is pleased.
9fingers
I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
they die, and would be pleading for mercy. But he would be kneeling at
Christ's feet, blah blah blah.
How can adults be so delusional? This is like still believing in Santa
Clause. I guess I just don't understand because I was not raised in a
religious family, so I was never brainwashed.
I was explaining evolution to my 9 year old daughter; she was writing a
current events paper on Tiktaalik. She had no problem with what I was
saying. We had discussed it before so she was beginning to understand;
I think discussing a concrete example (Tiktaalik) was helping to bring
it into focus. Later, I told her that some people believed that we
magically appeared about 6000 years ago. She looked at me like I was
crazy. She said what about dinosaurs? I said that they believed that
dinosaurs lived at the same time as us. Now she really thought I was
pulling her leg.
Elf M. Sternberg
> I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
> deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
> of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
> and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
> they die, and would be pleading for mercy.
Well, that's Christianity in a nutshell: Worship *my* cosmic
space monkey or he'll napalm your ass. Note that Cal admits to being
suicidal:
| What is responsible for this flood of skepticism, heresy and outright
| denial of the biblical record? Why is there not a similar cultural
| onslaught against other faiths? Only the suicidal would treat Islam in
| this way.
Elf
Bobby D. Bryant
--
Bobby Bryant
Austin, Texas
rupert....@gmail.com
Which school is your daughter at that requires current events papers
from 9 year olds?
Desertphile
> >From the article:
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> It happens twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
>
> The newsweeklies sometimes carry cover stories. The newspapers print
> items calling the reason for these seasons into question.
>
> This Easter is no exception, but the intensity level seems to have
> increased.
>
> This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local
> officials decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall. They said it
> might offend some non-Christians, as if the Easter Bunny has anything
> to do with Easter's real significance. Apparently it escaped the notice
> of the city council that the Easter Bunny might offend Christians,
> because, like Santa Claus, it is a counterfeit.
But the Jesus myth is the counterfeit--- the Easter Bunny is vastly
more accurate a symbol for reflecting the reason for the holiday.
I would write to the article's author stating that fact, but I've found
people seldom give a shit about accuracy.
Harlequin
news:1144795666....@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com:
[snip]
>> Read it at
>> http://townhall.com/opinion/columns/calthomas/2006/04/11/193242.html
>>
> I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
> deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
> of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
> and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
> they die, and would be pleading for mercy. But he would be kneeling at
> Christ's feet, blah blah blah.
>
> How can adults be so delusional? This is like still believing in Santa
> Clause. I guess I just don't understand because I was not raised in a
> religious family, so I was never brainwashed.
If Santa Clause did not have big prediction in the real world (presents
appearing) and everyone around one fully believed in Santa Clause
then it would not seem so strange. And it is not just religion.
Just think of all the things people believed in in the past: in the
distant past and in living memory.
> I was explaining evolution to my 9 year old daughter; she was writing
> a current events paper on Tiktaalik. She had no problem with what I
> was saying. We had discussed it before so she was beginning to
> understand; I think discussing a concrete example (Tiktaalik) was
> helping to bring it into focus. Later, I told her that some people
> believed that we magically appeared about 6000 years ago. She looked
> at me like I was crazy. She said what about dinosaurs? I said that
> they believed that dinosaurs lived at the same time as us. Now she
> really thought I was pulling her leg.
If you had not taught science to your 9 year old all her life
and put her in an enviroment which one would learn about the wonderful
world of science and instead taught her some version of YEC
fundamentalism and then told her that some people believe some
obvious science fact you might have gotten the same reaction.
Indeed the world is full of 9 year olds who would say
"9fingers" and her daughter believe what?
In the end my main message to Cal Thomas is that it will not
hurt you to hear about someone's unbelief, someone's belief
in some other religion, in some other political point of
view, some other philosophy, and indeed to hear some
real honest to goodness evolutionary biology. My message
to nonbelievers is much the same: it will not hurt you
to hear religion expressed in the public square. It
will not hurt you to be approached by someone wishing
to convert you. And so on.
(Of course there are caveats: the person in the public
square should not be pushing his belief or disbelief
while carrying out the duties of any public office
or trust. The person approaching someone to try
to convert them are bound by the same rules that
everyone else is supposed to comply with like
whether or not it is an appropriate time to chat
and going away if asked to.)
--
Anti-spam: replace "usenet@sdc." with "harlequin2@"
"Solipsism has always been a part of creationist ideas. The
whole 'were you there' and related retorts boils down to
solipsism."
- Ken Shaw
Steven J.
Windy wrote:
> > Apparently it escaped the notice
> > of the city council that the Easter Bunny might offend Christians,
> > because, like Santa Claus, it is a counterfeit.
>
> What the heck is a "counterfeit" mythological creature anyway? Looks
> like Cal Thomas was fumbling for a suitable phrase here... "imaginary"
> was a bit too close to home, and doesn't sound negative enough.
>
A character in Neil Gaiman's _American Gods_ (a culture hero of Native
American folklore, made real because people believed in him) complains
about Paul Bunyan because he took up "headspace" that could be devoted
to actual myths, but no one actually ever believed that Paul Bunyan
existed. By the same token, stories about the Easter bunny weren't
passed on because people actually believed in them, or even because
they were symbols for some deeper truth. They're just stories, made up
to combine various symbols attached to Easter. They are, in effect, a
counterfeit mythology, rather than a real one that people somewhere
sometime believed.
However, Cal Thomas presumably calls the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus
"counterfeits" because they are offered (whether or not they are
actually believed in) as what their respective holidays are actually
about, and stories about them take the place of stories about Christ,
in the same way that counterfeit currency takes the place of actual,
valuable currency. It is not their imaginary nature, but their
replacement of specifically Christian stories, that he objects to.
>
> How about "Easter Bunny and Santa Claus might offend Christians because
> they don't threaten to send bad children to Hell"
>
>
> -- w
-- Steven J.
Mike Dworetsky
news:1144808159.2...@z34g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
My guess: a good one.
Current events probably just means seeing things on TV news or in the papers
and bringing them to class for reading out and discussion. I can recall
something similar from that age (and a bit later).
--
Mike Dworetsky
(Remove "pants" spamblock to send e-mail)
NashtOn
Just wait till she morphs into a teenager without any morals, thinking
that we're all the product of randomness, chaos and are at par with even
the lowliest of G_d's creatures.
She won't be pulling your leg.
>
--
Nicolas
"The reason the theory of evolution is so controversial is that it is
the main scientific prop for scientific naturalism. Students first learn
that "evolution is a fact," and then they gradually learn more and more
about what that "fact" means. It means that all living things are the
product of mindless material forces such as chemical laws, natural
selection, and random variation. So God is totally out of the picture,
and humans (like everything else) are the accidental product of a
purposeless universe. Do you wonder why a lot of people suspect that
these claims go far beyond the available evidence?" Phillip E.Johnson,
The Church Of Darwin
NashtOn
>>From the article:
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> It happens twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
>
> The newsweeklies sometimes carry cover stories. The newspapers print
> items calling the reason for these seasons into question.
>
> This Easter is no exception, but the intensity level seems to have
> increased.
>
> This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local
> officials decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall. They said it
> might offend some non-Christians, as if the Easter Bunny has anything
> to do with Easter's real significance. Apparently it escaped the notice
> of the city council that the Easter Bunny might offend Christians,
> because, like Santa Claus, it is a counterfeit. If they want to be
> consistent, perhaps the council should change the name of the city from
> St. Paul to, say, Paul Bunyan.
>
> Newspapers also carried a story about a Florida State University
> scientist who speculated that Jesus didn't really walk on water; he
> walked on ice. The scientist theorized there must have been an unusual
> cold snap 2,000 years ago that froze the Sea of Galilee. This begs the
> question how Jesus was able to pull off such a stunt when Peter also
> walked on water, before his lack of faith sank him.
Quick, someone nominate this genius for the Nobel prize.
>
> The New York Times piled on by trumpeting the discovery of a fossil in
> Arctic Canada as a "missing link," which it editorialized "puts the lie
> to creationist beliefs."
>
> Not exactly.
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Read it at
> http://townhall.com/opinion/columns/calthomas/2006/04/11/193242.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> J. Spaceman
>
NashtOn
> "9fingers" <gd9fi...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>
>>I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
>>deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
>>of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
>>and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
>>they die, and would be pleading for mercy.
>
>
> Well, that's Christianity in a nutshell: Worship *my* cosmic
> space monkey or he'll napalm your ass. Note that Cal admits to being
> suicidal:
You lying little commie-pinko atheist.
When was the last time a Christian "napalmed" anybody in the name of Christ?
Do you have any idea how many people volunteer their time abroad and
domestically, give billions of dollars to charity, all in the name of
Christ?
I can understand that you it's your right to have no scruples, to
believe in nothing but what you can buy with your money, but to spread
these lies is a shame.
>
> | What is responsible for this flood of skepticism, heresy and outright
> | denial of the biblical record? Why is there not a similar cultural
> | onslaught against other faiths? Only the suicidal would treat Islam in
> | this way.
>
> Elf
>
NashtOn
He probably made it up.
He is, essentially, teaching his daughter to be intolerant of a
religious belief, instilling in her young mind the notion that a group
of people are "crazy" and "out of their minds" to believe that others
hold different views as to the origins of the cosmos. Talk about
teaching your offspring to hate.
She'll grow up like many others believing in the mighty buck, maxing her
credit card and divorcing many times because of lifestyle issues.
Great dad, huh.
NashtOn
>>Worship *my* cosmic space monkey or he'll napalm your ass.
>
>
Idiot.
Windy
NashtOn wrote:
> > Well, that's Christianity in a nutshell: Worship *my* cosmic
> > space monkey or he'll napalm your ass. Note that Cal admits to being
> > suicidal:
>
> You lying little commie-pinko atheist.
> When was the last time a Christian "napalmed" anybody in the name of Christ?
I don't think the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda uses napalm, per se,
but otherwise they seem like promising candidates:
"I will unleash my wrath upon you and you will suffer pain ... Your
children will be taken into captivity and will be burnt to death"
(Joseph Kony, LRA leader)
> Do you have any idea how many people volunteer their time abroad and
> domestically, give billions of dollars to charity, all in the name of
> Christ?
Like these kind people?
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/363359.html
-- w
neverbetter
NashtOn wrote:
> 9fingers wrote:
> > I was explaining evolution to my 9 year old daughter; she was writing a
> > current events paper on Tiktaalik. She had no problem with what I was
> > saying. We had discussed it before so she was beginning to understand;
> > I think discussing a concrete example (Tiktaalik) was helping to bring
> > it into focus. Later, I told her that some people believed that we
> > magically appeared about 6000 years ago. She looked at me like I was
> > crazy. She said what about dinosaurs? I said that they believed that
> > dinosaurs lived at the same time as us. Now she really thought I was
> > pulling her leg.
>
> Just wait till she morphs into a teenager without any morals, thinking
> that we're all the product of randomness, chaos and are at par with even
> the lowliest of G_d's creatures.
Are you familiar with the concept of "raising one's children"? It
means, among other things, teaching them about morals and showing a
good example. That way there is a chance they will actually turn out
quite nice and decent. The only problem is it actually requires some
parental effort instead of depending on divine threats to do the trick.
Wakboth
NashtOn kirjoitti:
> 9fingers wrote:
> >
> > I was explaining evolution to my 9 year old daughter; she was writing a
> > current events paper on Tiktaalik. She had no problem with what I was
> > saying. We had discussed it before so she was beginning to understand;
> > I think discussing a concrete example (Tiktaalik) was helping to bring
> > it into focus. Later, I told her that some people believed that we
> > magically appeared about 6000 years ago. She looked at me like I was
> > crazy. She said what about dinosaurs? I said that they believed that
> > dinosaurs lived at the same time as us. Now she really thought I was
> > pulling her leg.
>
> Just wait till she morphs into a teenager without any morals, thinking
> that we're all the product of randomness, chaos and are at par with even
> the lowliest of G_d's creatures.
If this were true, wouldn't the YEC:s be treating people like dirt,
since according to them we're just animated clay?
-- Wakboth
Robert J. Kolker
>
>
> You lying little commie-pinko atheist.
> When was the last time a Christian "napalmed" anybody in the name of Christ?
Fanatical Christians are rather well behaved, particularly in comparison
to Moslems. The closest we get to napalming in the Name of Christ is the
occasional bombing of abortion centers and assassination of
abortionists. That does not happen to often. Christians generally do not
hijack airplanes and crash them into tall buildings. But the fanatical
Christians are pains in the arse. In olden times this was not the case.
Christians marched thousands of miles eastward to plunder and rape the
Holy Land: the Crusades. Spain sent conquistadors to the New World in
the Name of Christ where they plundered, raped and even committed
genocide. The Spaniards killed off six million Aztecs, mostly by
accident. Small pox did the work. The Spaniards were a filthy disease
wracked lot and the populations of the New World did not have immunity
to filth and disease of the Spaniards.
>
> Do you have any idea how many people volunteer their time abroad and
> domestically, give billions of dollars to charity, all in the name of
> Christ?
And many given billions of their own money, not in the name of Christ.
Christianity has no monoply on generosity. There are people who are
inclined to give money and aid to the needy. I am happy to tell you that
I am not one of these. I prefer helping the bright and ambitious who
lack nothing but some money to get started on their way.
>
> I can understand that you it's your right to have no scruples, to
> believe in nothing but what you can buy with your money, but to spread
> these lies is a shame.
What lies. Have you never heard of the Crusades. There was a time when
Christianity was not humble and lovable.
Bob Kolker
Dan Luke
"NashtOn" wrote:
>
> She'll grow up like many others believing in the mighty buck, maxing her
> credit card and divorcing many times because of lifestyle issues.
What's the divorce rate among evangelical Christians in the U. S., Nashie?
> Great dad, huh.
Sounds like it.
--
Dan
Tiny Bulcher
NashtOn wrote:
>
> Just wait till she morphs into a teenager without any morals,
And if that happens to your daughter, who you gonna blame then? Oh, and
btw, what *is* your explanation for the origin and diversity of life?
Tiny
Mark K. Bilbo
<1144795666....@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com>...
> I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
> deranged,
My favorite stunt of his is when he has an absolute hissy fit over the
commercialization of Christmas. Which is merely the end result of
capitalism which commoditizes *everything. It's "leftist" thinking to
assert there are aspects of human life that have meaning outside the
marketplace and shouldn't be commoditized.
> although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One of
> his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion, and
> that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when they
> die, and would be pleading for mercy.
And Cal Thomas' god will sneer, say "no," then laugh himself silly.
> But he would be kneeling at Christ's
> feet, blah blah blah.
--
Mark K. Bilbo
--------------------------------------------------
"Corps chief admits to 'design failure'"
(Took them long enough)
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J3EF62DEC
"As hip as it is for outsiders to blame New Orleans
for everything bad that happened during and after
Hurricane Katrina, the truth is that the people
who lived here were much more prepared for a big
storm than the federal government that promised
us flood protection."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V180525DC
"Everything New Orleans"
http://www.nola.com
Mark K. Bilbo
<Yl4%f.58722$VV4.1...@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>...
To show that "god" is a source of morals (or for that matter anything at
all), you need to show hard evidence such a being exists in the first
place. Otherwise, we'll have to go on being moral in spite of your opinion
because it's a *human *behavior that has good evolutionary reasons to
exist.
Mark K. Bilbo
> He is, essentially, teaching his daughter to be intolerant of a religious
> belief, instilling in her young mind the notion that a group of people are
> "crazy" and "out of their minds" to believe that others hold different
> views as to the origins of the cosmos. Talk about teaching your offspring
> to hate.
And teaching that everybody but your particular sect is "doomed to hell"
is teaching someone to "love?"
Mark K. Bilbo
<4a45ggF...@individual.net>...
>>
>> You lying little commie-pinko atheist. When was the last time a
>> Christian "napalmed" anybody in the name of Christ?
>
> Fanatical Christians are rather well behaved, particularly in comparison
> to Moslems.
Only because at this point they believe they can accomplish their goals at
the ballot box.
Islamists started out with the same belief. They actually were vehemently
opposed to violence and believed in education and political reform. But
when they were frustrated in attaining their goals peacefully...
Mark K. Bilbo
> Elf M. Sternberg wrote:
>> "9fingers" <gd9fi...@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>
>>>I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
>>>deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One of
>>>his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion, and
>>>that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when they
>>>die, and would be pleading for mercy.
>>
>>
>> Well, that's Christianity in a nutshell: Worship *my* cosmic
>> space monkey or he'll napalm your ass. Note that Cal admits to being
>> suicidal:
>
> You lying little commie-pinko atheist. When was the last time a Christian
> "napalmed" anybody in the name of Christ?
Are you that dense?
Robert Carnegie
>
> But the Jesus myth is the counterfeit--- the Easter Bunny is vastly
> more accurate a symbol for reflecting the reason for the holiday.
>
> I would write to the article's author stating that fact, but I've found
> people seldom give a shit about accuracy.
I think that particular correction would be skeptically received, yes.
I don't know the details, but didn't Aztec rituals involve both human
sacrifice and chocolate, or am I confusing them with other people?
neverbetter
jspa...@linuxquestions.net wrote:
> Read it at
> http://townhall.com/opinion/columns/calthomas/2006/04/11/193242.html
There's a beautiful argument in the end
"The question inherent in all of these challenges to the original story
and original cast is this: How could anything like the resurrection be
true? The question is not asked with the intention of getting an
answer. It is rhetorical, hostile and unbelieving.
So, how does one know it is true? (snip)
The second reason is also logical. What kind of loving father would
direct his lost children through a bad neighborhood, if he wanted them
to get home safely? If no human father would be so cruel, why would
God, after giving up His Son to die for humanity, create a flawed road
map so they would get lost in their search for Him?
Christians who believe the Bible's account of Easter believe it because
they also believe God's spirit guarded human hands from making errors
in recording these events. Skeptics have no such guide. They should be
humbled that God is far wiser than the wisest man. (1 Corinthians
1:25-27)
Before accepting what heretics and unbelievers say, consideration
should be given to what is contained in the guidebook."
So, the story about the resurrection is true, because a loving father
who let his Son die for humanity would not have given us a book which
does not tell the truth.
Elf M. Sternberg
>>> Well, that's Christianity in a nutshell: Worship *my* cosmic
>>> space monkey or he'll napalm your ass. Note that Cal admits to being
>>> suicidal:
>> You lying little commie-pinko atheist. When was the last time a Christian
>> "napalmed" anybody in the name of Christ?
>
> Are you that dense?
Are you kidding, Mark? Nashton absorbs nutrinos. He's an
intellectual black hole: light goes in, but only a vague, chaotic heat
seems to emanate from him, a Christian-flavored Hawking radiation
without any real information we can use.
Elf
Elf M. Sternberg
> Elf M. Sternberg wrote:
>> "9fingers" <gd9fi...@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>
>>>I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
>>>deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
>>>of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
>>>and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
>>>they die, and would be pleading for mercy.
>>
>>
>> Well, that's Christianity in a nutshell: Worship *my* cosmic
>> space monkey or he'll napalm your ass. Note that Cal admits to being
>> suicidal:
>
> You lying little commie-pinko atheist.
> When was the last time a Christian "napalmed" anybody in the name of Christ?
I didn't say a *Christian* would do that. I said that *Christ*
would do that. That's what Cal Thomas said: if you don't worship Cal
Thomas's specific brand of cosmic space monkey then, when you die, said
space monkey will take you by the throat and fling flaming napalm poo at
you for the rest of eternity.
Elf
Mark K. Bilbo
<8764lep...@drizzle.com>...
Oh *that explains why the ng seems to be bending around him...
VoiceOfReason
NashtOn wrote:
> Bobby D. Bryant wrote:
> >>Worship *my* cosmic space monkey or he'll napalm your ass.
> >
> >
>
> Idiot.
Some content next time, perhaps?
VoiceOfReason
NashtOn wrote:
> Elf M. Sternberg wrote:
> > "9fingers" <gd9fi...@gmail.com> writes:
> >
> >
> >>I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
> >>deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
> >>of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
> >>and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
> >>they die, and would be pleading for mercy.
> >
> >
> > Well, that's Christianity in a nutshell: Worship *my* cosmic
> > space monkey or he'll napalm your ass. Note that Cal admits to being
> > suicidal:
>
> You lying little commie-pinko atheist.
Communism is dead. Do keep up.
<...>
Robert J. Kolker
>
> Islamists started out with the same belief. They actually were vehemently
> opposed to violence and believed in education and political reform. But
> when they were frustrated in attaining their goals peacefully...
Christians are not cursed with the Jihad Meme. Moslems are. Active
Martyrdom is not a Christian thing. For Christians the idea is to let
them crucify one. Strapping on the bomb is definitely not in the
Christian style.
Bob Kolker
Mark K. Bilbo
And yet we've had actual domestic, Christian terrorism in the US.
(Yes, we *have)
Serious Sam
Yes, it has EVOLVED into the DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
> <...>
9fingers
Harlequin wrote:
> "9fingers" <gd9fi...@gmail.com> wrote in
> news:1144795666....@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com:
>
> [snip]
> > deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
> > of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
> > and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
> > Christ's feet, blah blah blah.
> >
> > How can adults be so delusional? This is like still believing in Santa
> > Clause. I guess I just don't understand because I was not raised in a
> > religious family, so I was never brainwashed.
>
> appearing) and everyone around one fully believed in Santa Clause
> then it would not seem so strange. And it is not just religion.
> Just think of all the things people believed in in the past: in the
> distant past and in living memory.
>
> > I was explaining evolution to my 9 year old daughter; she was writing
> > a current events paper on Tiktaalik. She had no problem with what I
> > was saying. We had discussed it before so she was beginning to
> > understand; I think discussing a concrete example (Tiktaalik) was
> > helping to bring it into focus. Later, I told her that some people
> > believed that we magically appeared about 6000 years ago. She looked
> > at me like I was crazy. She said what about dinosaurs? I said that
> > they believed that dinosaurs lived at the same time as us. Now she
> > really thought I was pulling her leg.
>
> and put her in an enviroment which one would learn about the wonderful
> world of science and instead taught her some version of YEC
> fundamentalism and then told her that some people believe some
> obvious science fact you might have gotten the same reaction.
> Indeed the world is full of 9 year olds who would say
> "9fingers" and her daughter believe what?
>
> In the end my main message to Cal Thomas is that it will not
> hurt you to hear about someone's unbelief, someone's belief
> in some other religion, in some other political point of
> view, some other philosophy, and indeed to hear some
> real honest to goodness evolutionary biology. My message
> to nonbelievers is much the same: it will not hurt you
> to hear religion expressed in the public square. It
> will not hurt you to be approached by someone wishing
> to convert you. And so on.
>
> (Of course there are caveats: the person in the public
> square should not be pushing his belief or disbelief
> while carrying out the duties of any public office
> or trust. The person approaching someone to try
> to convert them are bound by the same rules that
> everyone else is supposed to comply with like
> whether or not it is an appropriate time to chat
> and going away if asked to.)
>
> --
> Anti-spam: replace "usenet@sdc." with "harlequin2@"
>
> "Solipsism has always been a part of creationist ideas. The
> whole 'were you there' and related retorts boils down to
> solipsism."
> - Ken Shaw
You are making my point. I haven't clouded her head up with fairy tale
mumbo jumbo. So she is able to think clearly about the real world.
Robert Weldon
"neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote in message
news:1144845449.4...@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
So how do you explain the mutually contradictory versions in the Bible then?
9fingers
> > > http://townhall.com/opinion/columns/calthomas/2006/04/11/193242.html
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
> > deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
> > of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
> > and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
> > they die, and would be pleading for mercy. But he would be kneeling at
> > Christ's feet, blah blah blah.
> >
> > How can adults be so delusional? This is like still believing in Santa
> > Clause. I guess I just don't understand because I was not raised in a
> > religious family, so I was never brainwashed.
> >
> > current events paper on Tiktaalik. She had no problem with what I was
> > saying. We had discussed it before so she was beginning to understand;
> > I think discussing a concrete example (Tiktaalik) was helping to bring
> > it into focus. Later, I told her that some people believed that we
> > magically appeared about 6000 years ago. She looked at me like I was
> > crazy. She said what about dinosaurs? I said that they believed that
> > dinosaurs lived at the same time as us. Now she really thought I was
> > pulling her leg.
>
> from 9 year olds?
We live in Farmington Hills, a suburb of Detroit. The school system was
a major factor in our decision to move there. The paper is just a half
page write-up. They provide us with links to news sites for kids. We
read the article, discuss it, and then she writes it out in her own
words. It only takes about half an hour (if she's behaving).
9fingers
>
> He is, essentially, teaching his daughter to be intolerant of a
> religious belief, instilling in her young mind the notion that a group
> of people are "crazy" and "out of their minds" to believe that others
> hold different views as to the origins of the cosmos. Talk about
> teaching your offspring to hate.
>
> credit card and divorcing many times because of lifestyle issues.
>
>
>
> --
> Nicolas
>
> "The reason the theory of evolution is so controversial is that it is
> the main scientific prop for scientific naturalism. Students first learn
> that "evolution is a fact," and then they gradually learn more and more
> about what that "fact" means. It means that all living things are the
> product of mindless material forces such as chemical laws, natural
> selection, and random variation. So God is totally out of the picture,
> and humans (like everything else) are the accidental product of a
> purposeless universe. Do you wonder why a lot of people suspect that
> these claims go far beyond the available evidence?" Phillip E.Johnson,
> The Church Of Darwin
What did I make up? My daughter? The assignment? Sorry, wrong.
What hate? I don't hate anybody, nor does she. Read for comprehension
next time. All I said was that some people believe that we magically
appeared about 6000 years ago. She was the one who reacted with
disbelief, and asked what about dinosaurs. I ddn't pass judgement, just
stated a fact. My point is that if you don't cram a kid's head with a
lot of supernatural nonsense, they can think pretty clearly, even at
age 9. I feel a bit sorry for people who were brainwashed at a young
age. I realize that it's probably a difficult thing to overcome.
neverbetter
The unbelievers are blind and cannot see. Faith shows that there is no
contradiction.
9fingers
Thanks. I try my best.
I was brought up as a secular Jew. My family (siblings and parents)
have a strong Jewish identity, but are not religious. Judaism is part
culture, part religion. I have a less strong Jewish identity; my wife
was brought up as a Catholic, but since we both have the religious
intensity of a turnip, we are quite compatible, moreso that I would be
with a religious Jew.
There are no divorces in my family (siblings, parents). We don't max
out our credit cards either. We try our best to be good people; we
have our faults like anyone else. I don't buy the idea that you have to
believe in supernatural beings in order to be a good person.
9fingers
And she chose the article, not me.
Ye Old One
There are so many contradictions in the bible it is worthless.
--
Bob.
9fingers
> >>http://townhall.com/opinion/columns/calthomas/2006/04/11/193242.html
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
> > deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
> > of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
> > and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
> > they die, and would be pleading for mercy. But he would be kneeling at
> > Christ's feet, blah blah blah.
> >
> > How can adults be so delusional? This is like still believing in Santa
> > Clause. I guess I just don't understand because I was not raised in a
> > religious family, so I was never brainwashed.
> >
> > I was explaining evolution to my 9 year old daughter; she was writing a
> > current events paper on Tiktaalik. She had no problem with what I was
> > saying. We had discussed it before so she was beginning to understand;
> > I think discussing a concrete example (Tiktaalik) was helping to bring
> > it into focus. Later, I told her that some people believed that we
> > magically appeared about 6000 years ago. She looked at me like I was
> > crazy. She said what about dinosaurs? I said that they believed that
> > dinosaurs lived at the same time as us. Now she really thought I was
> > pulling her leg.
>
> that we're all the product of randomness, chaos and are at par with even
> the lowliest of G_d's creatures.
>
>
> >
>
>
> --
> Nicolas
>
> "The reason the theory of evolution is so controversial is that it is
> the main scientific prop for scientific naturalism. Students first learn
> that "evolution is a fact," and then they gradually learn more and more
> about what that "fact" means. It means that all living things are the
> product of mindless material forces such as chemical laws, natural
> selection, and random variation. So God is totally out of the picture,
> and humans (like everything else) are the accidental product of a
> purposeless universe. Do you wonder why a lot of people suspect that
> these claims go far beyond the available evidence?" Phillip E.Johnson,
> The Church Of Darwin
Why do you have to believe in fairy tales to have good morals? We have
good morals, but not because we are threatened with punishment from
some cosmic being. We can have good, meaningful lives without the
supernatural stuff. Other animals do, why not us? Your argument is that
evolution could not have happened because it doesn't fit in your
ideology. Sorry, the world doesn't conform to your ideology.
We try to teach our children to be good, respect others, and we place a
high value on good education. They will do just fine.
Stile4aly
nmp wrote:
> NashtOn wrote:
>
>
> > Just wait till she morphs into a teenager without any morals, thinking
> > that we're all the product of randomness, chaos and are at par with even
> > the lowliest of G_d's creatures.
>
The C_t, obviously.
9fingers
Blah blah blah. It's just a book. A book. Written by men. Get it?
CreateThis
>>Just wait till she morphs into a teenager without any morals, thinking
>>that we're all the product of randomness, chaos and are at par with even
>>the lowliest of G_d's creatures.
She's probably not afflicted with creationists' chronic lack of personal
moral fiber (why do you guys brag about that?). I suspect you're
deficient in other kinds of fiber too.
CT
cactus
> Mark K. Bilbo wrote:
>
>> Islamists started out with the same belief. They actually were vehemently
>> opposed to violence and believed in education and political reform. But
>> when they were frustrated in attaining their goals peacefully...
>
> Christians are not cursed with the Jihad Meme. Moslems are. Active
> Martyrdom is not a Christian thing.
It used to be. Then they started martyring those who did not believe as
they did. Now they try to force their religion on everyone so that they
can resume the practice with impunity.
For Christians the idea is to let
> them crucify one. Strapping on the bomb is definitely not in the
> Christian style.
>
Not yet.
neverbetter
But it's true because God wouldn't let it be false.
neverbetter
It can't be worthless because God is good and loving and wouldn't give
us a worthless book. Didn't you read the article?
Robert J. Kolker
>
>
> And yet we've had actual domestic, Christian terrorism in the US.
Very little of that. A few incidents in a dozen years. Moslems do
horrendous things -every fucking day of the week-. Read the newspapers!
Christians are meek, mild and passive compared to Moslems. In a word,
they are wimps.
Bob Kolker
Robert J. Kolker
>
> There are no divorces in my family (siblings, parents). We don't max
> out our credit cards either. We try our best to be good people; we
> have our faults like anyone else. I don't buy the idea that you have to
> believe in supernatural beings in order to be a good person.
For grown up humans, Sky Daddies are unnecessary. Grown up humans know
the difference between right and wrong and they do not have to be
terrified into good behaviour by monstrous Boogey Gods.
Bob Kolker
>
Robert J. Kolker
>
>
> There are so many contradictions in the bible it is worthless.
Like the two geneologies of Jesus. Also the two creation stories
stitched together in Genesis. Not to say anything of the two different
versions of the Ten Commandments, one in Exodus the other in Deuteronomy.
Bob Kolker
Robert J. Kolker
> Robert J. Kolker wrote:
>
> For Christians the idea is to let
>
>>them crucify one. Strapping on the bomb is definitely not in the
>>Christian style.
>>
>
> Not yet.
Not ever. Christians are wimps. Real Christians that is. Turn the other
cheek and all that shit. Walk extra mile. Give away all that you have to
the poor and pray in private. Most of the people calling themselves
Christians are really followers of Paul, a Jewish subversive who
sabotaged Christianity.
Bob Kolker
Robert J. Kolker
>
>
> But it's true because God wouldn't let it be false.
What does God care about a man-made fairy tale.
Bob Kolker
>
Elf M. Sternberg
Which pretty much explains why I'm not a Democrat.
Elf
z...@z.com
Matthew 7:7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord's_Resistance_Army
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) , ), formed in 1987, is a rebel
paramilitary group operating mainly in northern Uganda. The group is
engaged in an armed rebellion against the Ugandan government in what
is now one of Africa's longest-running conflicts. It is led by Joseph
Kony, who proclaims himself a spirit medium, and apparently wishes to
establish a state based on his unique interpretation of Biblical
millenarianism. ... It is estimated that around 20,000 children have
been kidnapped by the group since 1987 for use as soldiers and sex
slaves ... Up to 12,000 people have been killed in the violence, with
many more dying from disease and malnutrition as a direct result of
the conflict. Nearly two million civilians have been forced to flee
their homes, living in internally displaced person (IDP) camps and
within the safety of larger settlements, sleeping on street corners
and in other public spaces.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3462901.stm
Twenty-thousand children have been abducted - often forced to kill
their own parents so they have no way back ...
Robibnikoff
>
> But it's true because God wouldn't let it be false.
Yeah, that's REAL convincing. Sheesh
--
Robyn
Resident Witchypoo
Atheist Bastard Extraordinaire
#1557
neverbetter
Robibnikoff wrote:
> "neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote in message
> snip
> >
> > But it's true because God wouldn't let it be false.
>
> Yeah, that's REAL convincing. Sheesh
The Bible tells us that many people will think it's foolishness, so
you're just providing more proof that it's true.
Mark K. Bilbo
<4a4uhnF...@individual.net>...
The Islamists started out the same way yet, here we are...
--
Mark K. Bilbo
--------------------------------------------------
"Corps chief admits to 'design failure'"
(Took them long enough)
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J3EF62DEC
"As hip as it is for outsiders to blame New Orleans
for everything bad that happened during and after
Hurricane Katrina, the truth is that the people
who lived here were much more prepared for a big
storm than the federal government that promised
us flood protection."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V180525DC
"Everything New Orleans"
http://www.nola.com
9fingers
Yeah, that old bit. If someone says otherwise, it's the devil speaking
through them, or something like that. I gotta admit that's pretty
airtight. All you have to do is preempt any other viewpoint. A very
good brainwashing technique for indoctrinating children.
Uh, what if it really is foolishness? You will never know, because you
completely stifle that idea before considering it.
Lee Oswald Ving
news:1144868618.7...@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
So if an habitual liar tells you that if you ask other people about him,
they'll say he's a liar, you'll be impressed by this "prediction?"
Nice. You talk to telemarketers a lot, I'll bet.
neverbetter
But that was the whole point of the quote. Surely a benevolent,
omnipotent God wouldn't write a book which is foolishness. Case closed.
Ye Old One
Read it, used it for a better purpose - just wish they had printed on
softer paper.
--
Bob.
neverbetter
Lee Oswald Ving wrote:
> "neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote in
> news:1144868618.7...@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
>
> >
> > Robibnikoff wrote:
> >> "neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote in message
> >> snip
> >> >
> >> > But it's true because God wouldn't let it be false.
> >>
> >> Yeah, that's REAL convincing. Sheesh
> >
> > The Bible tells us that many people will think it's foolishness, so
> > you're just providing more proof that it's true.
>
> So if an habitual liar tells you that if you ask other people about him,
> they'll say he's a liar, you'll be impressed by this "prediction?"
>
> Nice. You talk to telemarketers a lot, I'll bet.
The d_vil tempts us in d_vious ways. It's easy to go astray from the
true path.
Lee Oswald Ving
news:1144872816....@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
<sigh>
neverbetter
Lee Oswald Ving wrote:
> "neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote in
> news:1144872816....@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>
> >
> > Lee Oswald Ving wrote:
> >> "neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote in
> >> news:1144868618.7...@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
> >>
> >> >
> >> > Robibnikoff wrote:
> >> >> "neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote in message
> >> >> snip
> >> >> >
> >> >> > But it's true because God wouldn't let it be false.
> >> >>
> >> >> Yeah, that's REAL convincing. Sheesh
> >> >
> >> > The Bible tells us that many people will think it's foolishness, so
> >> > you're just providing more proof that it's true.
> >>
> >> So if an habitual liar tells you that if you ask other people about him,
> >> they'll say he's a liar, you'll be impressed by this "prediction?"
> >>
> >> Nice. You talk to telemarketers a lot, I'll bet.
> >
> > The d_vil tempts us in d_vious ways. It's easy to go astray from the
> > true path.
>
> <sigh>
Actually I quoted the section from the Cal Thomas article because I
thought that it was a funny little bit of bad logic.
wf3h
NashtOn wrote:
>>
> He is, essentially, teaching his daughter to be intolerant of a
> religious belief,
as you are of teaching your children to be intolerant of science...
>
> She'll grow up like many others believing in the mighty buck, maxing her
> credit card and divorcing many times because of lifestyle issues.
>
your children will persecute jews, blacks, and gays...
:-p
wf3h
NashtOn wrote:
>> Just wait till she morphs into a teenager without any morals, thinking
> that we're all the product of randomness, chaos and are at par with even
> the lowliest of G_d's creatures.
just wait 'til yours grow up thinking they're channeling god's
will...woe to those who disagree with them...
Robert J. Kolker
>
>
> The Islamists started out the same way yet, here we are...
You are ignorant of Moslem history. They were -never, ever- peaceful. As
soon as Mohammed the Goat Herder and Pederast consolidated his forces
after the Battle of the Ditch his armies went out on a mission of
conquest and conversion.
Bob Kolker
Frank J
Bobby D. Bryant wrote:
> On Tue, 11 Apr 2006, jspa...@linuxquestions.net wrote:
>
> >>From the article:
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> > It happens twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
> >
> > The newsweeklies sometimes carry cover stories. The newspapers print
> > items calling the reason for these seasons into question.
> >
> > This Easter is no exception, but the intensity level seems to have
> > increased.
> >
> > This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local
> > officials decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall. They said
> > it might offend some non-Christians, as if the Easter Bunny has
> > anything to do with Easter's real significance. Apparently it
> > escaped the notice of the city council that the Easter Bunny might
> > offend Christians, because, like Santa Claus, it is a
> > counterfeit. If they want to be consistent, perhaps the council
> > should change the name of the city from St. Paul to, say, Paul
> > Bunyan.
>
> Presumably the Ophites were jealous of the Lagomorphites, so the city
> shut down their display to prevent an outbreak of sectarian violence.
>
>
> > Newspapers also carried a story about a Florida State University
> > scientist who speculated that Jesus didn't really walk on water; he
> > walked on ice. The scientist theorized there must have been an
> > unusual cold snap 2,000 years ago that froze the Sea of
> > Galilee. This begs the question how Jesus was able to pull off such
> > a stunt when Peter also walked on water, before his lack of faith
> > sank him.
>
> Ah, but it was a floating patch of ice...
>
> He has also published claims about the Israelite crossing of the Red
> Sea. Well, no one said oceanographers couldn't be morons. I guess
> the obvious explanation isn't publishable.
>
>
> > The New York Times piled on by trumpeting the discovery of a fossil in
> > Arctic Canada as a "missing link," which it editorialized "puts the lie
> > to creationist beliefs."
> >
> > Not exactly.
>
> Right: the concept of "missing link" isn't valid. And you can hardly
> "put the lie" to a mythology that was debunked in the nineteenth
> century.
>
To put it in perspective, in 1999 Cal responded to my email, and his
argument against evolution was the one that renders all the others
unnecessary. Yup, the good old "were you there?" Apparently he *was*
there 2000 years ago.
> --
> Bobby Bryant
> Austin, Texas
9fingers
You are providing a circular argument that makes a lot of assumptions
that I don't buy, because you can offer no proof that these assumptions
are true.
First, you have to prove that there is a God. Then you have to prove
that God writes books. I always thought that people wrote books. And
don't tell me that I must have faith that there is a God. I don't take
anything on faith. Prove it.
Cheezits
>> There are so many contradictions in the bible it is worthless.
>
> It can't be worthless because God is good and loving and wouldn't give
> us a worthless book.
Why are there so many worthless books then?
Sue
--
"It's not smart or correct, but it's one of the things that
make us what we are." - Red Green
Mark K. Bilbo
Okay, so you're a bigot. Well, never mind then.
Though I'm still going to point out I know the history of the *Islamist
movement rather well. Well enough to know that their fundamentalists and
our fundamentalists are cut of the same cloth.
And they do things such as vilify the other with statements such as "They
were never, ever peaceful."
9fingers
I am not teaching my daughter to be intolerant of any religious belief.
I just told her that some people believe that we suddenly appeared on
Earth 6K years ago. That's all I said. I don't even think she knows
what religious beliefs are. We are not anti-religion; we are areligious
(if that's a word). It's a subject that never comes up in our house,
because we place no importance on it.
I'm sorry, but I just don't understand how anyone can take anything on
faith. To me, it's not rational behavior. But then, I was never
indoctrinated as a kid. My priority is to educate my children, and let
them think for themselves. If later on in life they have a need to be
religious, then that's fine. It's their decision.
Ye Old One
enriched this group when s/he wrote:
I taught my children, and am starting to do the same with my
grandchildren, that they should show sympathy for those who require
the crutch of religion to support their lives.
--
Bob.
Robert Carnegie
> Mark K. Bilbo wrote:
>
> > And yet we've had actual domestic, Christian terrorism in the US.
>
> Very little of that. A few incidents in a dozen years. Moslems do
> horrendous things -every fucking day of the week-. Read the newspapers!
> Christians are meek, mild and passive compared to Moslems. In a word,
> they are wimps.
Does anyone here not know that Bob Kolker has a thing about Muslims?
So anyway, pausing only to make sure that shooting someone
in the street for a political or religious reason usually counts as
terrorism, let's look elsewhere for more Christian terror.
Well, the former Yugoslavia has a bunch. Chechnya, both
sides - Yugoslavia too, of course. The Lord's Day Army.
Rwanda.
John Wilkins
> Dan Luke wrote:
>> "NashtOn" wrote:
>>> She'll grow up like many others believing in the mighty buck, maxing her
>>> credit card and divorcing many times because of lifestyle issues.
>>
>>> Great dad, huh.
>> Sounds like it.
>>
>> --
>> Dan
>
> Thanks. I try my best.
>
> I was brought up as a secular Jew. My family (siblings and parents)
> have a strong Jewish identity, but are not religious. Judaism is part
> culture, part religion. I have a less strong Jewish identity; my wife
> was brought up as a Catholic, but since we both have the religious
> intensity of a turnip, we are quite compatible, moreso that I would be
> with a religious Jew.
>
> There are no divorces in my family (siblings, parents). We don't max
> out our credit cards either. We try our best to be good people; we
> have our faults like anyone else. I don't buy the idea that you have to
> believe in supernatural beings in order to be a good person.
>
I am becoming more firm in the view that in order to live a decent life, you
positively need *not* to believe in supernatural beings. They are
unpredictable, supernatural beings, and they seem to tell a lot of people to
behave badly. I know some who believe in supernatural beings who are decent
people, but they tend to be the exceptions of their tribe, in more ways that one.
--
John S. Wilkins, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biohumanities Project
University of Queensland - Blog: evolvethought.blogspot.com
"He used... sarcasm. He knew all the tricks, dramatic irony, metaphor, bathos,
puns, parody, litotes and... satire. He was vicious."
John Wilkins
wf3h
9fingers wrote:
> wf3h wrote:
> > >
> > your children will persecute jews, blacks, and gays...
> > :-p
>
> I am not teaching my daughter to be intolerant of any religious belief.
> I just told her that some people believe that we suddenly appeared on
> Earth 6K years ago. That's all I said. I don't even think she knows
> what religious beliefs are. We are not anti-religion; we are areligious
> (if that's a word). It's a subject that never comes up in our house,
> because we place no importance on it.
>
to me it seems there are elements within the world's 2 major
evangelizing religions...xtianity and islam...that are become more
fundamentalist, more intractable, more opposed to reason.
islam is more dangerous. but xtian fundamentalism is running the risk
of killing the goose that's laying the golden egg...rational, logical
thought.
Robert J. Kolker
>
> Though I'm still going to point out I know the history of the *Islamist
> movement rather well. Well enough to know that their fundamentalists and
> our fundamentalists are cut of the same cloth.
No they are not. Jihadis and Wahabites are fucking homocidal lunatics.
Their religion makes them crazy. And Mohammed was both a goat herder and
a pederast. He married underage girls.
Bob Kolker
Robert J. Kolker
> Robert J. Kolker wrote:
>
> Does anyone here not know that Bob Kolker has a thing about Muslims?
I do indeed. Ever since 9/11. Prior to that I just thought they were a
nuisance. Now I know them to be a lethal threat. And these Jihadis did
try to topple the WTC tower A back in 1993. It so happens they failed,
but they sure as hell tried.
Bob Kolker
Dan Luke
"John Wilkins" <jo...@wilkins.id.au> wrote:
Indeed. Perfervid individuals such as Cal Thomas are examples that fuel my
deepest misgivings about my own tendencies towards theism.
What evidence is there that belief in God confers any reliable moral sense?
Certainly none in history, nor yet in current events.
--
Dan
"I tell myself something's coming
But it never does"
-Bob Dylan, "Lonesome Day Blues"
rich hammett
> Which school is your daughter at that requires current events papers
> from 9 year olds?
My little suburban school in Mississippi did, back in the day.
rich
--
-to reply, it's hot not warm
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
\ Rich Hammett http://home.hiwaay.net/~rhammett
/ The Bill Clinton of RSFC
Mark K. Bilbo
Blaming an entire group of people for the actions of a few radicals is
exactly what the Islamist radicals do.
In short, you just proved my point...
Stuart
NashtOn wrote:
> rupert....@gmail.com wrote:
> > 9fingers wrote:
> >
> >>jspa...@linuxquestions.net wrote:
> >>
> >>>>From the article:
> >>>---------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>It happens twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
> >>>
> >>>The newsweeklies sometimes carry cover stories. The newspapers print
> >>>items calling the reason for these seasons into question.
> >>>
> >>>This Easter is no exception, but the intensity level seems to have
> >>>increased.
> >>>
> >>>This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local
> >>>officials decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall. They said it
> >>>might offend some non-Christians, as if the Easter Bunny has anything
> >>>to do with Easter's real significance. Apparently it escaped the notice
> >>>of the city council that the Easter Bunny might offend Christians,
> >>>because, like Santa Claus, it is a counterfeit. If they want to be
> >>>consistent, perhaps the council should change the name of the city from
> >>>St. Paul to, say, Paul Bunyan.
> >>>
> >>>scientist who speculated that Jesus didn't really walk on water; he
> >>>walked on ice. The scientist theorized there must have been an unusual
> >>>cold snap 2,000 years ago that froze the Sea of Galilee. This begs the
> >>>question how Jesus was able to pull off such a stunt when Peter also
> >>>walked on water, before his lack of faith sank him.
> >>>
> >>>Arctic Canada as a "missing link," which it editorialized "puts the lie
> >>>to creationist beliefs."
> >>>
> >>>Not exactly.
> >>>
> >>>Read it at
> >>>http://townhall.com/opinion/columns/calthomas/2006/04/11/193242.html
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>I recommend reading the rest of the article. Cal Thomas is seriously
> >>deranged, although this is not the worst column I've read by him. One
> >>of his columns stated that Christianity was the only "true" religion,
> >>and that all other people, religious or not, would find that out when
> >>they die, and would be pleading for mercy. But he would be kneeling at
> >>Christ's feet, blah blah blah.
> >>
> >>How can adults be so delusional? This is like still believing in Santa
> >>Clause. I guess I just don't understand because I was not raised in a
> >>religious family, so I was never brainwashed.
> >>
> >>I was explaining evolution to my 9 year old daughter; she was writing a
> >>current events paper on Tiktaalik. She had no problem with what I was
> >>saying. We had discussed it before so she was beginning to understand;
> >>I think discussing a concrete example (Tiktaalik) was helping to bring
> >>it into focus. Later, I told her that some people believed that we
> >>magically appeared about 6000 years ago. She looked at me like I was
> >>crazy. She said what about dinosaurs? I said that they believed that
> >>dinosaurs lived at the same time as us. Now she really thought I was
> >>pulling her leg.
> >
> >
> > Which school is your daughter at that requires current events papers
> > from 9 year olds?
> >
>
>
> He is, essentially, teaching his daughter to be intolerant of a
> religious belief, instilling in her young mind the notion that a group
> of people are "crazy" and "out of their minds" to believe that others
> hold different views as to the origins of the cosmos.
Well you've certainly done nothing to dispell them as crazy.
Talk about
> teaching your offspring to hate.
No your parents taught you how to hate. Or do we need to repost your
remarks to ROn Okimoto.
Perhaps they should just be emailed to your church.
>
> She'll grow up like many others believing in the mighty buck, maxing her
> credit card and divorcing many times because of lifestyle issues.
Yawn.
What a pitiful mind.
Stuart
Mark K. Bilbo
If a radical group of Muslims means all Muslims are a threat, one
Christian bombing of an abortion clinic means all Christians should be
monitored by the FBI.
Robert J. Kolker
>
>
> If a radical group of Muslims means all Muslims are a threat, one
> Christian bombing of an abortion clinic means all Christians should be
> monitored by the FBI.
The Jihadis have a coherent plan to attack the Dar al Harb. It is not a
matter of individual idiosyncracy. The Wahabites run Maddressas in which
children are trained from the age of five to be killers.
Having an occasional Fundy bomb an abortion clinic is rare an unsual
even for Fundies who are obnoxious but not lethal. Funcies do not teach
their children that they have the right and the duty to kill unbelievers.
Bob Kolker
Robin Levett
> Mark K. Bilbo wrote:
>
>>
>> Though I'm still going to point out I know the history of the *Islamist
>> movement rather well. Well enough to know that their fundamentalists and
>> our fundamentalists are cut of the same cloth.
>
> No they are not. Jihadis and Wahabites are fucking homocidal lunatics.
And sugeesting bombing the Middle East into a sheet of glass is entirely
sane?
> Their religion makes them crazy. And Mohammed was both a goat herder and
> a pederast.
I do not think this means what you think it means...
> He married underage girls.
By whose standards?
--
Robin Levett
rle...@rlevett.ibmuklunix.net (unmunge by removing big blue - don't yahoo)
neverbetter
Cheezits wrote:
> "neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote:
> > Ye Old One wrote:
> [etc.]
> >> There are so many contradictions in the bible it is worthless.
> >
> > It can't be worthless because God is good and loving and wouldn't give
> > us a worthless book.
>
> Why are there so many worthless books then?
Why, sure, the devil can write too.
neverbetter
That was already explained, wasn't it? Because God is loving and
wouldn't lie to us. Otherwise he wouldn't be God.
neverbetter
Don't you? Take anything on faith, I mean? Just because some people
took my original post as an endorsement of an absurd argument I
intended to bring up because I thought it was amusing it now looks like
you are taking on faith that I support this position. And that's after
I explained already. :)
John Wilkins
> John Wilkins wrote:
>> neverbetter wrote:
>>> Robibnikoff wrote:
>>>> "neverbetter" <never...@wildmail.com> wrote in message
>>>> snip
>>>>> But it's true because God wouldn't let it be false.
>>>> Yeah, that's REAL convincing. Sheesh
>>> The Bible tells us that many people will think it's foolishness, so
>>> you're just providing more proof that it's true.
>>>
>> But why should we believe the Bible on that matter?
>
> wouldn't lie to us. Otherwise he wouldn't be God.
>