One gorgeous spring day in State College, when I was a senior and perhaps slightly buzzed sitting under a tree near the Wall on Old Main lawn, two Jesus freaks (remember when that's what they were called? ) came to save me. Harangue harangue harangue . . . until finally, "you're going to go to hell," said one. "I hope for your sake that I do," said I.<br><br>That shut them up pretty well.<br><br>&#63743; &#63743; &#63743; &#63743;

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!<br><br>(Irony absolutely intended... with the "OMG"s)<br><br>Pat Condell is my new hero. For his ideas, the pace of his writing, and for his unapologetic snarkiness.<br><br>Thanks for the new ally.<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by SparkCollector on 09/09/07 01:16 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

Dialog. His dialog is one-sided. I'll give him that he's a whole lot funnier about it than you are. Although, the business about the heels and the roof was pretty good. <br><br>Don't get me wrong, I wish there was such a thing as the Rapture. I would love to see every Fundie Loony on the planet just rise up and fly away for good. Allah ought to just swing open the doors on all those virgins and put out a sign that says "Free Pass – No Martyrdom Required." The world would be immensely improved on both accounts.<br><br>But, really, what's the difference between somebody who wants to shove God down my throat and somebody who wants to shove No God down my throat?<br><br>We must stand up to the wrongs in this world ~ including those brought about in the name of religion ~ but we don't have to insist that everybody does it from the same belief system. Or lack of belief system. I'm hedgin' my bets here. <br><br>I'm surprised nobody brought up the Crusades. Talk about carnage in the name of several Gods. <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>[color:blue]I always deserve it. Really.</font color=blue><br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>But, really, what's the difference between somebody who wants to shove God down my throat and somebody who wants to shove No God down my throat?<br><p><hr></blockquote><p> I big difference. A friggin' big pile of difference. Let me focus on only one really really big difference.<br><br>Proselytizing. The act of shoving God down my throat. Now granted, you can accuse me of proselytizing in this thread about atheism but you have to go pretty far and wide to hear an atheist proselytizing about atheism in the USA. Here I did it because Yoyo52 pointed out egregious acts cause by faith. So I pointed out how stupid faith was.<br><br>But from the President's father who thinks I should not be allowed to vote because I am atheist to the little kid across the street I get proselytized to death by religion.<br><br>It is the one thing I like about the Jews. They do not proselytize. They don't go door to door with their grandmother's in tow. In fact they really don't want you. They only want Jews. It's really hard to "become" a Jew. They make it that way and I gotta give them that one.<br><br>Now if all the other religions would take a page from the Jews and leave me and my family alone in are heathen thoughts you would not hear a peep from me again. I could pray to my Invisible Pink Unicorn (mhhnbs) in peace.<br><br>I'm not trying to shove atheism down anyone's throat. Just trying to keep little girls from being raped, little boys from being thrown out in the street, little altar boys from being buggered, that sort of stuff. Is that a bad thing? To be totally against little kids being lied to?<br><br>Condell's dialog is all one sided but please show me one scintilla of his dialog that is not the right side. I mean that with all sincerity. Where is he lying? Where is he making stuff up? Where is he relying on miracles or some other mumbo jumbo?<br><br>I ask for only one scintilla to balance against the tonnage of mumbo jumbo on the other side.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

The elimination of religion, organized, unorganized, cave dwelling, whatever ~ won't stop kids from being raped, thrown out and buggered. Human nature is partially made up of horrendous stuff. Some of our species really do eat their young. <br><br>Proselytizing. I rarely run into it, and if I see it coming, I excuse myself. If it won't go away, I smack it in the nose and slam the door. <br><br>I can't anymore show you that Condell's dialog is not on the "right" side than you can show me it is. That's not a judgement I'm making.<br><br>For the sake of all that's maybe or maybe not holy, the point I'm obviously not making is ~ we all need to be a hell of a lot more tolerant of each other's beliefs or lack of. And that includes laughing along very hard, loud and well with Condell's dialog. He is one funny mofo, for sure.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>[color:blue]I always deserve it. Really.</font color=blue><br><br>

Tolerance?<br><br>Have you ever considered that "The People Coming To Your Door"<br>that may or may not be on this forum, may be offended by the<br>crap that unthinking members make so light of because they're<br>fairly certain that there aren't any of that faith present to object?<br><br><br><br>[color:green]"...or am I a butterfly that's dreaming she's a woman?"</font color=green> [color:green]. . . _ _ _ . . .</font color=green><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>The elimination of religion, organized, unorganized, cave dwelling, whatever ~ won't stop kids from being raped, thrown out and buggered. Human nature is partially made up of horrendous stuff. Some of our species really do eat their young. <p><hr></blockquote><p>But why allow religions to have such brainwashing power over kids so they think they and their family is going to hell unless they submit to the religious leader? Why do we allow it? <br><br>Sure there will be buggering left in the world. I am not saying religions are the cause of all evil. Does that excuse the evil they do cause? Is there such a large pile of evil in the world that we have to ignore evil in are midsts? "At least our evil is not as bad as ..."<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p><br>Proselytizing. I rarely run into it, and if I see it coming, I excuse myself. If it won't go away, I smack it in the nose and slam the door. <p><hr></blockquote><p> I kick the old grandmother down the steps too. But this thread is about kids. What about the kids? My kids have had their shots so they will be unlikely to fall fro the magic and mumbo jumbo but kids are vulnerable. My son is in the first week of college. will he get the talking to by the born again on the floor as I did? Will I worry that he will not laugh in his face? No. Someone of college age can make up their own mind. <br><br>But those kids be tossed on the side of the road or their sister's being raped back home and thinking it will get them to heaven is sick. All the proselytizing in between is sick too.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>I can't anymore show you that Condell's dialog is not on the "right" side than you can show me it is.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Of course I can. He does not say one word that is not backed up by the laws of nature. That is he says nothing as an article of faith. No mumbo jumbo. No miracles.<br><br>He posits that God does not exist. Since there is not one scintilla of evidence to refute that claim he is, for the time being, correct. Until someone, you for instance, show a scintilla of evidence that he is wrong the statement remains correct. If you do not believe it is correct then you should start bowing down to the Invisible Pink Unicorn before she gets ticked. Because in a race for Gods and Goddesses who have no proof of their existence I will take the vengeful IPU over all. Her horn is razor sharp and she is angry.<br><br>[edit] Now she is mad at me for not putting mhhnbs after her name. Where's the pepperoni pizza?<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

Aye Carumba, here I dither on Sunday while I am missing Church of the Fenway with my favorite preacher Josh the Beckett throwing his holy heater. <br><br>If only the Royals could smite those heathens of the rotten apple down. <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

Since when does tolerance mean keeping your yap shut?<br><br>

<br>obviously, when it's your religion that's being slammed.<br><br><br><br>[color:green]"...or am I a butterfly that's dreaming she's a woman?"</font color=green> [color:green]. . . _ _ _ . . .</font color=green><br>