When Gary told me he had found Jesus, I thought, Ya-hoo! We're rich! But it turned out to be something different.
crabgrass
For how shall we fill people with blind faith in the correctness of a doctrine, if we ourselves spread uncertainty and doubt by constant changes in its outward structure? ...Here, too, we can learn by the example of the Catholic Church. Though its doctrinal edifice, and in part quite superfluously, comes into collision with exact science and research, it is none the less unwilling to sacrifice so much as one little syllable of its dogmas... it is only such dogmas which lend to the whole body the character of a faith.
Perhaps the most significant difference between them, though one rarely acknowledged by secularists, is the presence or absence of ultimate meaning in life. Most irreligious individuals, quite understandably, do not like to acknowledge the inevitable and logical consequence of their irreligiosity -- that life is ultimately purposeless.
I am irreligious, and my life has purpose. I fix things and I help people; it's not just my job, it's What I Do. During the workday I enable the smooth operation of a company that discovers and manufactures medicines which make a significant difference in the lives of people with grievous diseases.
I don't need a petulant sky-pixie to make me want to do good out of fear of eternal punishment; I do it because I want to make the world a better place.
During the workday I enable the smooth operation of a company that discovers and manufactures medicines which make a significant difference in the lives of people with grievous diseases.
Which does Christian Scientists no good whatsoever.
I am irreligious, and my life has purpose. I know you tell yourself that. But from my perspective you have none.Â
I don't need a petulant sky-pixie to make me want to do good out of fear of eternal punishment; Just a wee bit of intolerance or is it suppressed hatred?
The biggest barrier to my accepting any of the gods that mankind has invented is this: why does your typical omnipotent entity have the personality of a human three-year-old, needing constant attention and praise from his/her creations? It's not intolerance or hatred that got me there, it's a reasonable question, I think. If you're the most powerful force in the universe, wouldn't you have better things to do than listen to a bunch of whiny humans praying for material things, a fifth spade at the river or revenge on another being no more flawed than the supplicant?
You are free to believe whatever you wish to believe, jethro, but my tolerance ends when you try to make your belief system the one by which everyone must live, through the force of law.
You are free to believe whatever you wish to believe, jethro, but my tolerance ends when you try to make your belief system the one by which everyone must live, through the force of law.
hypocrite. that is exactly what your kind is attempting to do at all times.
You can live by your belief system, jethro, no one is stopping you; what your kind complain about is that your belief system isn't compulsory. Keeping you from cramming your beliefs down the public throat is not oppression or discrimination, it's religious freedom.
You can live by your belief system, jethro, no one is stopping you; what your kind complain about is that your belief system isn't compulsory. Keeping you from cramming your beliefs down the public throat is not oppression or discrimination, it's religious freedom
like I said you and your ilk are pushing your belief system, as wacked out as it is, on the rest of us. You just won't admit it. You and you kind are as dishonest as they come. I should you a break because you probably don't really know the consequences of what it is that you advocate.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jun 2, 2005 at 03:28pm.]
you and your ilk are pushing your belief system, as wacked out as it is, on the rest of us.
Get specific; just what do you mean? Nobody's forcing you to have abortions if you don't want them, nobody's forcing you to marry someone of the same sex, nobody's prohibiting you from worshiping whatever god or gods you believe in or forcing you to worship a god/gods that you don't believe in. Nobody's forcing you to have pre- or extra-marital sex or any sex at all for that matter. If you're so insecure in your beliefs that tolerance for different points of view feels oppressive to you, that's not society's problem, it's yours.
you and your filthy ilk are undermining all moral standards and the ability of society to impose them.
as a lawyer, surely you understand that this isn't anything close to being something "specific". I mean, if a judge asked you to be specific and you responded with a line that included "your filthy ilk", "all moral standards" and "of society to impose them", your client would be doing jail time for a parking ticket.
and the ability of society to impose them
I thought you were accusing liberals of imposing beliefs on you, but now it appears that you want it the other way around and are mad that we aren't letting you impose your beliefs on the rest of us.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by molegrass on Jun 4, 2005 at 02:50am.]
I will not force anyone to give up his religion or do anything that goes against his moral code, so long as he leaves everyone else free to believe as they please, provided those beliefs do not conflict with the laws of the state and nation, e.g. that stop signs are blasphemous and can be ignored by the faithful.
I do not think that leaves me anywhere close to jethro's desire to give his particular moral code the force of law.
"that stop signs are blasphemous and can be ignored by the faithful. "
You've cited a pretty extreme example. I imagine there are other, more commonplace ones where religious people feel their ability to worship is being undermined by a small vocal minority who are not merely indifferent to religion, but hostile.
I don't want to go back to your previous posts, peiter, but it seems to me, you meted out a fair amount of ridicule regarding religion, the purpose of which escapes me.
Christians believe in a book that says those who don't believe in it go to hell, and you ask about ridicule? What's a little ridicule compared to being threatened with an eternal lake of fire?
Rat Alley had an Act of God occur last night. Lightening downed a tree. It's layin' in the back yard on some power lines. And all of that's layin on the garden.
One of the old tapa guys has his own blog. He moves from fevered swamp to fevered swamp. He's got some choice words about the new pope. Whatta surprise.
His opinions are vulgar, angry and unrefined. What a pathetic little cipher.
Can't tell about the garden. The tree is laying on power lines. I'm not going in the backyard until the Excel people show up. With 100,000 people without power, they said they'll get to it when they get to it.
I heard it all last night, too, including a rumble that shook the whole house. Didn't put two and two together and conclude it was one of our trees. One of the few, and one less now.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jun 8, 2005 at 05:45am.]
you meted out a fair amount of ridicule regarding religion, the purpose of which escapes me.
A good amount of ridicule and abuse is meted out concerning political beliefs, economic theories, educational institutions attended (and not attended) and athletic-team affiliations on these boards. Why should religion be immune, especially when it enters the political arena?
<edit> Islam is a religion, and it gets no special consideration -- see Von's "free toilet paper" posts linking to sites that will send you a Q'uran just for asking. I've not seen too much of that about Judaism, but it wouldn't surprise me in certain threads, and if Hinduism came up there's be lots of snark, I'm sure. Better I should ask "why should Christianity alonebe immune?"
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jun 8, 2005 at 10:07am.]
and just what do you think you know of my world?
they were quotes of thoughts I completely disagree with.
so... does East Side disagree with them as well?
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by molegrass on May 17, 2005 at 11:05pm.]
Very bitter and negative, I bet food even tastes bad to you with all the bitterness that comes out of you.
so, you basically know nothing about my world.
internet personas don't eat food... you didn't actually thing they did, did you?
Dennis Rahkonen once said the characters on the Sunday night lineup of Fox cartoons seemed more real to him than the people who post here.
[Edited by on May 18, 2005 at 03:33pm.]
And we all know what world Dennis was in.
By the way...you are extremely bitter. It's so bad, it blinds your ability to see it.
get your own smack, you talentless red hack
Actually, I think Digger was talking about Crabs, and not Bill.
Bill just seemed to have assumed that when someone mentioned a bitter person they must have meant him.
Was I wrong?
So if I was incorrect, whose fault is it, mine or yours?
Why do you think I need one?
Perhaps the most significant difference between them, though one rarely acknowledged by secularists, is the presence or absence of ultimate meaning in life. Most irreligious individuals, quite understandably, do not like to acknowledge the inevitable and logical consequence of their irreligiosity -- that life is ultimately purposeless.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/dp20050524.shtml
and what, pray tell, is your purpose in life, bodine?
I am irreligious, and my life has purpose. I fix things and I help people; it's not just my job, it's What I Do. During the workday I enable the smooth operation of a company that discovers and manufactures medicines which make a significant difference in the lives of people with grievous diseases.
I don't need a petulant sky-pixie to make me want to do good out of fear of eternal punishment; I do it because I want to make the world a better place.
in other words, purpose comes from within.
Which does Christian Scientists no good whatsoever.
I am irreligious, and my life has purpose. I know you tell yourself that. But from my perspective you have none.Â
I don't need a petulant sky-pixie to make me want to do good out of fear of eternal punishment; Just a wee bit of intolerance or is it suppressed hatred?
The biggest barrier to my accepting any of the gods that mankind has invented is this: why does your typical omnipotent entity have the personality of a human three-year-old, needing constant attention and praise from his/her creations? It's not intolerance or hatred that got me there, it's a reasonable question, I think. If you're the most powerful force in the universe, wouldn't you have better things to do than listen to a bunch of whiny humans praying for material things, a fifth spade at the river or revenge on another being no more flawed than the supplicant?
You are free to believe whatever you wish to believe, jethro, but my tolerance ends when you try to make your belief system the one by which everyone must live, through the force of law.
[Edited by on May 27, 2005 at 11:58am.]
You are free to believe whatever you wish to believe, jethro, but my tolerance ends when you try to make your belief system the one by which everyone must live, through the force of law.
hypocrite. that is exactly what your kind is attempting to do at all times.
You can live by your belief system, jethro, no one is stopping you; what your kind complain about is that your belief system isn't compulsory. Keeping you from cramming your beliefs down the public throat is not oppression or discrimination, it's religious freedom.
The Rat may have found a new calling
"...government must recognize that those heart changers are an important part of changing society one soul at a time."
I'm going to be a George W. Bush Heart Changer! That's me! Look for me at your door.
I can DO THIS!!!! I'll go take the civil service test.
You can live by your belief system, jethro, no one is stopping you; what your kind complain about is that your belief system isn't compulsory. Keeping you from cramming your beliefs down the public throat is not oppression or discrimination, it's religious freedom
like I said you and your ilk are pushing your belief system, as wacked out as it is, on the rest of us. You just won't admit it. You and you kind are as dishonest as they come. I should you a break because you probably don't really know the consequences of what it is that you advocate.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jun 2, 2005 at 03:28pm.]
Get specific; just what do you mean? Nobody's forcing you to have abortions if you don't want them, nobody's forcing you to marry someone of the same sex, nobody's prohibiting you from worshiping whatever god or gods you believe in or forcing you to worship a god/gods that you don't believe in. Nobody's forcing you to have pre- or extra-marital sex or any sex at all for that matter. If you're so insecure in your beliefs that tolerance for different points of view feels oppressive to you, that's not society's problem, it's yours.
Change your heart, pieter b.
what exactly are you talking about?
what are the consequences of pushing a belief system on others?
I'm with pieter... get specific; just what do you mean?
Change your heart, Crabs.
Get specific; just what do you mean?
you and your filthy ilk are undermining all moral standards and the ability of society to impose them.
[Edited by on Jun 3, 2005 at 10:14am.]
Exactly what I said. You and your ilk will not be happy until all mankind is forced to live by what you believe in.
Next?
as a lawyer, surely you understand that this isn't anything close to being something "specific". I mean, if a judge asked you to be specific and you responded with a line that included "your filthy ilk", "all moral standards" and "of society to impose them", your client would be doing jail time for a parking ticket.
I thought you were accusing liberals of imposing beliefs on you, but now it appears that you want it the other way around and are mad that we aren't letting you impose your beliefs on the rest of us.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by molegrass on Jun 4, 2005 at 02:50am.]
Exactly what I said. You and your ilk will not be happy until all mankind is forced to live by what you believe in.
No that is what you want. And you and your ilk are willing to sacrifice democracy if it achieves it. You worthless lying piece of .................
[Edited by on Jun 6, 2005 at 10:37am.]
Could it be that you two have more in common than you thought?
Could it be that you two have more in common than you thought?
I mean that neither of you may be happy until people forced to live by what you believe in.
Consider that. When it comes to religion imposing the will of particular dieties is what it's about. Spreading the word, saviing people.
Imposing will is doing it right.
[Edited 3 times. Most recently by on Jun 6, 2005 at 03:41pm.]
I will not force anyone to give up his religion or do anything that goes against his moral code, so long as he leaves everyone else free to believe as they please, provided those beliefs do not conflict with the laws of the state and nation, e.g. that stop signs are blasphemous and can be ignored by the faithful.
I do not think that leaves me anywhere close to jethro's desire to give his particular moral code the force of law.
[Edited by on Jun 6, 2005 at 07:43pm.]
bodine thinks that preventing him from imposing his will on others qualifies as imposing someone's will on him.
he accuses others of imposing their will on him when they prevent him from imposing his will on others.
"that stop signs are blasphemous and can be ignored by the faithful. "
You've cited a pretty extreme example. I imagine there are other, more commonplace ones where religious people feel their ability to worship is being undermined by a small vocal minority who are not merely indifferent to religion, but hostile.
I don't want to go back to your previous posts, peiter, but it seems to me, you meted out a fair amount of ridicule regarding religion, the purpose of which escapes me.
[Edited by on Jun 7, 2005 at 05:23am.]
go to Hell ring a bell?
The purpose of which escapes me.
[Edited by on Jun 7, 2005 at 05:42am.]
Christians believe in a book that says those who don't believe in it go to hell, and you ask about ridicule? What's a little ridicule compared to being threatened with an eternal lake of fire?
"Christians believe in a book that says those who don't believe in it go to hell, and you ask about ridicule? "
That I do.
[Edited by on Jun 7, 2005 at 07:58am.]
Christians can all go to hell... there, is that better?
[Edited by molegrass on Jun 7, 2005 at 11:20pm.]
Rat Alley had an Act of God occur last night. Lightening downed a tree. It's layin' in the back yard on some power lines. And all of that's layin on the garden.
Quite a sight, first thing in the morning.
Crabs:
You outta catch this guy's act.
<http://fergusblog.blogspot.com/>
One of the old tapa guys has his own blog. He moves from fevered swamp to fevered swamp. He's got some choice words about the new pope. Whatta surprise.
His opinions are vulgar, angry and unrefined. What a pathetic little cipher.
That sucks, Rick. Did it ruin your garden?
Quite a storm last night. Even I woke up and nothing ever wakes me up.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jun 8, 2005 at 05:22am.]
Can't tell about the garden. The tree is laying on power lines. I'm not going in the backyard until the Excel people show up. With 100,000 people without power, they said they'll get to it when they get to it.
I heard it all last night, too, including a rumble that shook the whole house. Didn't put two and two together and conclude it was one of our trees. One of the few, and one less now.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jun 8, 2005 at 05:45am.]
A good amount of ridicule and abuse is meted out concerning political beliefs, economic theories, educational institutions attended (and not attended) and athletic-team affiliations on these boards. Why should religion be immune, especially when it enters the political arena?
<edit> Islam is a religion, and it gets no special consideration -- see Von's "free toilet paper" posts linking to sites that will send you a Q'uran just for asking. I've not seen too much of that about Judaism, but it wouldn't surprise me in certain threads, and if Hinduism came up there's be lots of snark, I'm sure. Better I should ask "why should Christianity alonebe immune?"
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jun 8, 2005 at 10:07am.]
OK. That's clear enough.