Good riddance

I find it insulting that apparently you have to have your own head up your ass in order to truly be following your religion. Firstly, what about religions that don't even have sacred texts? What about religions that don't require thick-headed stupidity, and in fact frown upon it? They don't count? Why? I don't understand what the anti-religion sentiment is all about. People say "Religion is the opposite of rationality," and then someone points out that they're religious but haven't abandoned rationality, and rather than accept that the definition for religion is very flexible, they'd rather claim that the so-called religious people in question aren't actually religious. What sense is there and that? And why is it that non-religious people are defining religion?

Anyway, I don't see how Jerry Falwell is considered to be so religious. I mean, whether or not he was a "Christian" aside, my big gripe is that I don't even think he was truly what he preached. He was a con artist and a huckster, a rabble rouser, an attention getter. How much can we really say that he was sincere about his beliefs, knowing that much of what he did he did for publicity? It at least makes you question his sincerity. And knowing that, how much can you blame religion? If he wasn't being truly honest, if he was just hamming it up for show, then religion's got nothing to do with it, he was just going with what sells. That's not being blinded by ignorance, that's marketing.

MottZilla wrote:Fixed. You're welcome.

I agree that religion and rationality are not necessarily disjoint, and moreover have no problem with the Bible interpreted as an amalgam of parable, moral guide, and window into Jewish and early Christian history, which fortunately is the point of view shared by most Christians today, especially in Europe.

What I *do* find troubling is the notion that the Bible informs or supercedes testable scientific fact. Every time religion has engaged in battle with science over some specific issue - location of heaven and hell, sun orbiting earth, formation of earth, early history of the universe, etc - science has won resoundingly. And yet overall, science can never disprove religion, but religion might disprove science, if, say, God were to manifest himself and set the record straight. This paradox - that science can never win the war, but has won every battle - is what I believe to be the most striking testament to science's credibility.

The scientific method rests on two fundamental assumptions:
1) that the universe can be modeled by consistent mathematical laws, and
2) that we can reliably measure the world around us.
Either of these assumptions can be refused, and doing so is not logically fallacious, but the scientific method has worked *so* well for us (you need only glance at the marvel of solid-state physics sitting before you, for instance) that I consider it socially irresponsible to undermine it due to religious claims.

LOL. Anyone else get negative rep from lightning-z from this thread? He must be upset about Falwell. This could explain a few things...

You know DarkDragon, it's weird, but I just had a dream that made your exact point. In my dream, there was a religious sect who believed that God and Jesus were always following us everywhere. According to their beliefs, their religion was obviously correct because it was obviously testable. All you had to do at any point was to look over your shoulder and there they'd be.

However, it never was tested, because if you ever did look over your shoulder, you would immediately lose any chance at getting into heaven. Since nobody wanted to miss out on heaven, nobody checked, and just assumed that surely at some point someone would've had a weak moment, and then they'd confirm for the rest whether or not the church was correct.

So, since their core dogma could theoretically easily be refuted, nobody questioned the beliefs, figuring that because it's so easily testable, no one in their right mind would claim that if they weren't 100% sure. And no, there wasn't anything about God and Jesus disappearing if you turned around, because it all rested on the idea that if you turned around you'd see them.

Finally, one day there was a person whose curiosity got the best at him, and he snuck a peek behind him. Well lo and behold, no God, no Jesus. So quickly, he found more people, convinced them to look around, and they were nonbelievers, too. The church was rapidly falling apart, except for the priest. The priest, having devoted his life to this church, couldn't give it up. He tried to claim that the guy was lying, that he had seen God and Jesus, and was just so upset that he had ruined his chances at heaven that he was determined to ruin it for everyone else. Eventually, though, with the backing of the entire congregation, the priest gave in, looked over his shoulder, and the religion died.

In the end, looking over his shoulder hadn't taken away his chance at getting into heaven, because it never existed in the first place.

The strange part about this whole dream was just that there seemed to be a coherent storyline, and more than that, it had a message. That never happens to me... Weird.

Did Lightning_Z's bad rep actually affect anyones rep?

I think all religion in general is a bit iffy. I mean, that doesn't mean that you can't learn great moral values and stuff from certain ones, but as a whole it's very contradictory.(Another reason I walk the middle)

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Good riddance 05-19-2007 12:17 am shadowboxer2007 your not a christian eather
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I wasn't sure how to copy all nice and pretty from the reputation spreadsheet... so I just copied what was said. I think shadowboxer2007 is someone akin to a "pot calling kettle black" syndrome.

Go away lightening-z...

And no it did NOT affect my reputation - the box was a gray color. <lol>

EDIT: It is not anyones place to pass judgement on anyone else for what their religion might or might not be. Seems to me I remember the Bible saying something like... "Judge not lest ye be judged... " - I don't remember exactly how it was worded but my jist is evident.

he sent me one too saying "you're going to hell, learn to forgive".

Mine said "he without sin cast the first stone". Well, I may not have never sinned, but I did a heck of a lot less damage than this guy.

My Lightningz neg-rep fortune cookie said, "you give christians a bad name also."

Loooooooooooolz. Mine said "your views are not the best!" It was gray also. (no mention of the avatar?)

I don't know what lesson this was meant to learn me, because I seem to recall saying:

Then again, I'm an agnostic, not an atheist; I'm not in the business of telling people what to do, only in expressing my own feelings and opinions (which are in no way inherently "right", and I stress that point). I don't think there is a "Truth" I can know for certain because there's just too many unproveable, unanswerable questions. I don't really KNOW anything for certain- to my viewpoint, I can't.

Pwned.

To return to the topic, incidentally, I don't know if what I said was part of what you were referring to, Rock Nog, but I would like to say I don't really think religion != reason insomuchas fanatacism is what seems really harmful, as well as utilizing religion as an excuse for political/personal control or having religion = law. I think a person can have religious beliefs and be quite reasonable, but the nature of those beliefs, how they practice them, might be quite far from reason. If that makes sense.

Ah man, you guys got rep from lightningz? Now I feel left out... 😞

Sorry Darthy I tried to give ya some rep and it said I had to spread some more around before I could give you anymore. I's sorry honey... <hug>

I have to agree wholeheartedly with Jennifer here. You hit it right on, I think.

It's great that Falwell is gone, but with Pat Robertson and the WBC on the loose, can American truely be safe?

We need to put more pressure on them. Their freedom of speech is taken too far. Somebody needs to stand up and authoritativly denounce them with ever fibre of their being. All we hear is people whine about how people like Falwell are jackasses, when nobody ever makes waves by openly accusing him of being a liar and a sellout. I understand things like slander are bad, but somebody needs to take down these EV giants. We need a champion, a saviour, a man with the balls to tell these guys to go fuck themselves.

Where's Chuck Norris when we need him?

Jigglysaint wrote:Where's Chuck Norris when we need him?

Unfortunately Chuck Norris is part of the religious right himself....

Prrkitty wrote:Sorry Darthy I tried to give ya some rep and it said I had to spread some more around before I could give you anymore. I's sorry honey... <hug>

Chuck Norris is indeed part of religion - he's a God amongst men. A false idol who draws attention and belief from the one, true Lord. He shall be struck down like the heathen he is!

...😃

Maybe we can get somebody else. Like MISTA T!

...oh, shit.

Maybe Noah can save us, he's pretty badass- nobody fucks with him, not even Chuck Norris.

...shit!

Darth Marsden wrote:I can't believe you had me fixed. I'm not a dog, dammit. Woof, woof woof!😉

What is it Darth? Did Timmy fall down the well? Couldn't resist.

Jennifer wrote:
Maybe Noah can save us,

ahahahah! lmao

You've got to love the Angry Video Game Nerd.

BTW, not advertising or anything, but you guys should come over to Screwattack to get all the latest Nerd info. I am also kinda a fan of Sidescrollers, and the new Retro Remix. In fact, that's why I haven't posted here that often.

I say, when the chips are down, Chuck Norris will be there. After all, he is almost of divine providence

Jigglysaint, quicktime hates Windows ME (the installer itself boasts that it can only be installed on Windows XP or Windows 2000). Thus, I cannot view most of ScrewAttack's Angry Video Game nerd videos so what I can see pretty much cuts off at 2006 (although I can view a few odd pieces, like the Duck Tales "vault" review).

I think Bill and Ted secretly won the ultimate showdown. I didn't see them go down, but Chuck Norris and Mr Rogers sure did.

...yes, I can view flash videos, but not install quicktime. (though I'd seen the ultimate showdown before)

I have the distinct feeling that if I found an old version of quicktime, I could install it with no problems...

Actually, All the AVGN reviews from Gametrailors has a Windows Media player version as well. It's just that the links from James' page are quicktime, since he's obviously a professional video editor, which would benefit most from a MAC. http://www.gametrailers.com/screwattack.php

The other stuff is either on Youtube, or hosted on somthing called Revver or somthing.

...yeah, now that you've pointed me there I apparently never went to screwattack, only the AVGN's site. whoops.

Yeah, very little of it is on Youtube, sadly, but hey, at least I can actually watch it! Thank you!

I just noticed your location. Did they drop the character limit? Oh god am I out of the loop or what?

Mr. Rogers went out on his own terms though. He wasted everyone and then took himself out. So he would probably be a bad enough dude to do whatever it is we're talking about.

Whatever you do, don't watch the Ultimate Orgy. It is sick, sick, sick!

MottZilla wrote:What is it Darth? Did Timmy fall down the well? Couldn't resist.

Screw Chuck Norris, Noah, and Mr. T. Here's the real badass:

How could we hope to oppose that?! Check out those (miniature?) dudes shooting crap at his arm, but he's unphased because he's freakin' omnipotent. Hitler cries like a small child at the sight of him. Jesus is... saved? What? He's already been nailed to the cross though.

As if that's not badass enough, God possesses the power to reshape North America as we know it. Check out how huge the great lakes are, the missing chunk of land that used to be Oregon/Washington/British Columbia, Florida facing west, and the huge underbelly of the US/tiny gulf of Mexico + tiny Mexico. God's had enough of those liberals (and job-stealin' mexicans) I guess, because most of their land mass is gone and the south is looking suspiciously big.