Yes ... Enough Is Enough!

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:45 pm

Hope6;1390207 wrote: It seems that Christians can be ridiculed and jokes made about our religion, and things said that if they were said about any other religion people would have a fit. It seems if someone is really serious about their religion they are thought to be some sort of kook. It should be the same for everybody, even if you don't agree with their religion, it should still be respected and not made fun of.Christianity is respected by the vast majority of people though many christians don't show much respect for other religions. The problem is that this argument being presented here and everywhere else I see it is that christians want to continue to creep further and further into the public square with their symbolism and rituals. Keep it private.

Also, if there is any group that takes a beating in the media, especially from the right, it's nonbelievers. But most of them don't stand around crying about it.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:49 pm

Ahso!;1390215 wrote: Christianity is respected by the vast majority of people though many christians them don't show much respect for other religions. The problem is that this argument being presented here and everywhere else I see it is that christians want to continue to creep further and further into the public square with their symbolism and rituals. Keep it private.

Also, if there is any group that takes a beating in the media, especially from the right, it's nonbelievers. But most of them don't stand around crying about it.

Must be a regional thing - I don't see the evidence of it here.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:51 pm

Hope6;1390210 wrote: Oh and as for keeping up with the times, our bibical teaching don't change, and although the world has changed, it is our teachings that we are not supposed to change from what we have been taught is right and wrong. :)We're all fully aware of this, we hear it frequently enough. Besides, a large number of nonbelievers were believers at one time. We simple grew tired being told how to think and behave, and what to think.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:54 pm

Bryn Mawr;1390217 wrote: Must be a regional thing - I don't see the evidence of it here.You don't see evidence of what, Bryn?

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:41 pm

Ahso!;1390219 wrote: You don't see evidence of what, Bryn?

I see it is that christians want to continue to creep further and further into the public square with their symbolism and rituals.

Also, if there is any group that takes a beating in the media, especially from the right, it's nonbelievers.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 3:08 pm

Everyone in U.S. politics panders to religion. You couldn't get elected if you don't have a religion. People here who dislike Muslims prefer Muslims to atheists. Nauseating.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 3:27 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390227 wrote: Everyone in U.S. politics panders to religion. You couldn't get elected if you don't have a religion. People here who dislike Muslims prefer Muslims to atheists. Nauseating.

I guess the nearest we've come to "pandering to religion" in our politics is Tony Blair waiting until he was out of office to convert to Catholicism.

Any politician who played the religion card would struggle - we like to keep the two separate here.

Post by **spot** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 3:44 pm

Bryn Mawr;1390237 wrote: Any politician who played the religion card would struggle - we like to keep the two separate here.
I refer the honourable member to EIPS - Main Page

Post by **LarsMac** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:22 pm

Bryn Mawr;1390237 wrote: I guess the nearest we've come to "pandering to religion" in our politics is Tony Blair waiting until he was out of office to convert to Catholicism.

Any politician who played the religion card would struggle - we like to keep the two separate here.

Actually, so far, in the States that is also true.

The politicians that make religion a primary theme of their campaign rarely get far in the national theatre.

Thank God.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:41 pm

Sanitarium has gone pretty far, surprisingly. And that fruitcake Palin still has a huge fan base.

Post by **LarsMac** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:13 pm

SnoozeAgain;1390260 wrote: Sanitarium has gone pretty far, surprisingly. And that fruitcake Palin still has a huge fan base.

Fortunately that still doesn't translate into enough votes.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:23 am

LarsMac;1390277 wrote: Fortunately that still doesn't translate into enough votes.Yeah, I'm surprised by the lack of what I thought was a fairly tight hold of the republican party by the religious right. Though I doubt it's still not safe to say they're smart either. I was going to say they didn't have much of a choice but that isn't true: Huntsman and Gary Johnson were decent choices. The gop prefers to offer up their menu of one business man and the goofy rest of the field instead of intelligent alternatives.

I still say Paul was the best of the crew on display but that isn't really saying much.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:32 am

LarsMac;1390248 wrote: Actually, so far, in the States that is also true.

The politicians that make religion a primary theme of their campaign rarely get far in the national theatre.

Thank God.
My point of pandering was not that a politician makes it a primary theme, but that any candidate must profess a religion, & if they don't, they're out. That goes for liberals as well as conservatives. When someone runs, they also must be seen as a member of some religion, any religion.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:36 am

I doubt any member of Islam could even make it into any primary in the US. Hell they might not make it our of their car on any given day.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:37 am

We do have 2 Muslim congresspeople.

Second Muslim elected to Congress

http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/03/ ... 5020080312

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:39 am

I was thinking presidential race.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:40 am

Ahso!;1390305 wrote: I was thinking presidential race.
Some other year perhaps. No matter, a religion must be professed or you are a no-good-nik.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:12 am

Since the right wants to insist that atheism is a religion (idiots) then an atheist might be a viable candidate.

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:49 am

It doesn't seem that way, neither for the Presidency nor for Congress. The number of professed atheists in the House last time I looked might have been one or two, everyone else oozed religious sincerity like a tent revival meeting. I suspect you'd need to stand in an extremely biased constituency to be able to throw away the voters who'd reject you if you didn't ooze.

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:05 am

Ahso!;1390303 wrote: I doubt any member of Islam could even make it into any primary in the US. Hell they might not make it our of their car on any given day.

AnneBoleyn;1390304 wrote: We do have 2 Muslim congresspeople.

Second Muslim elected to Congress

Second Muslim elected to Congress | Reuters

Ahso!;1390305 wrote: I was thinking presidential race.

According to my neighbor, we already have a Muslim in the White House. :-3

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:12 am

Forgot about that. That Obama is so smooth, he just makes you look past his evil. Though the man is a liar.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:18 am

It's done. Election is over. The rest is ceremony. Obama has 4 more years and McCain, sorry, Romney will fade back into the background.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:24 am

Accountable;1390317 wrote: It's done. Election is over. The rest is ceremony. Obama has 4 more years and McCain, sorry, Romney will fade back into the background.I thought the same thing a few months back but Romney has proven to be the nasty campaigner McCain wasn't and Romney has a humongous financial network behind him.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:35 am

Ahso!;1390318 wrote: I thought the same thing a few months back but Romney has proven to be the nasty campaigner McCain wasn't and Romney has a humongous financial network behind him.Romney was working against opponents with less financial backing as himself and a different message. Let's see how he fares against a billion-dollar war chest and debates of policy as nuanced as violet vs lavender.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:40 am

LarsMac;1390315 wrote: According to my neighbor, we already have a Muslim in the White House. :-3

Your neighbor is an ass.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:41 am

Accountable;1390317 wrote: It's done. Election is over. The rest is ceremony. Obama has 4 more years and McCain, sorry, Romney will fade back into the background.
I wish I were as sure as you.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:44 am

Ahso!;1390316 wrote: Forgot about that. That Obama is so smooth, he just makes you look past his evil. Though the man is a liar.
Evil? You are an ass, too.

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:03 am

Ahso!;1390316 wrote: Forgot about that. That Obama is so smooth, he just makes you look past his evil. Though the man is a liar.

Hello? Politician.

How do you tell when a politician is lying?

His lips are moving.

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:18 am

AnneBoleyn;1390320 wrote: Your neighbor is an ass.

Ah, you've met him.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:52 am

AnneBoleyn;1390322 wrote: Evil? You are an ass, too.i was being sarcastic. I've been noticing though that you're slowly falling into the habit of ad hominem posting. That's easy to do here because quite a few others do it so frequently. It is avoidable most of the time. We all slip.

The secret is to address the post and not the poster, though there are occasions when addressing a poster is warranted. Those are instances when it may be necessary to ask a specific question for clarification on something the member has written.

Example:

- This is asinine -

as opposed to

- You are an ass -

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:18 am

AnneBoleyn;1390321 wrote: I wish I were as sure as you.
Romney will never be President of the US. Never.

McCain would have a better chance of being elected. The gop is a mess and it's as much this country can hope for, well, if this country wishes to remain civil

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:07 am

I'd much rather have had that grotesque parody of a politician as the next President but apparently I can't. Newt Gingrich 2012. He'd have sorted the sheep from the goats, my word yes. He would have been, I believe, a divisive fellow.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:53 am

Ahso!

i was being sarcastic. I've been noticing though that you're slowly falling into the habit of ad hominem posting. That's easy to do here because quite a few others do it so frequently. It is avoidable most of the time. We all slip.

A recent thread concerning being tolerant to the intolerant makes me wonder how far we will go as a society to protect asinine speech, and give everyone equal time to promote their own stupid view of things. How was I to know you were being sarcastic? Where is the LOL to let your reader know what you are talking about? Because............anyone who thinks Obama is evil is an idiot; anyone swearing he's a Muslim is an idiot; anyone swearing he was born in Kenya is an idiot; almost anything Sarah Palin says is idiotic. Really, Ahso!, what next? What is the next politically correct thing you want me to endure? I'm at the end of my patience with some people. However, maybe I'll give this a try:

Example:

- This is asinine -

as opposed to

- You are an ass -

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:58 am

AnneBoleyn;1390354 wrote: Where is the LOL to let your reader know what you are talking about?
On a point of information, neither Shakepeare nor Milton LOLed and both employed more sarcasm than even I can muster.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:01 pm

Surely you are not comparing anything Ahso! writes to Shakespeare or Milton?

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:08 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390359 wrote: Surely you are not comparing anything Ahso! writes to Shakespeare or Milton?

Good lord - how very judgmental of you. How hypercritical. I'm not sure that assessing comparative literary merit falls within the competence of FG's membership, not unless we make a major recruiting drive through the world's Oxbridge Greats alumni. What we currently have isn't adequate to the task.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:21 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390354 wrote: What is the next politically correct thing you want me to endure?This has nothing to do with political correctness. I'm only pointing out that it's best to avoid addressing the poster. If you're unsure of what something means, simply ask. Good and evil is meaningless to me.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:24 pm

spot;1390362 wrote: Good lord - how very judgmental of you. How hypercritical. I'm not sure that assessing comparative literary merit falls within the competence of FG's membership, not unless we make a major recruiting drive through the world's Oxbridge Greats alumni. What we currently have isn't adequate to the task.

Judgmental? Hypercritical? Is that an LOL? :-1

Tough Audience. :-5

“It is a very hard undertaking to seek to please everybody”

-Publilius Syrus

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:26 pm

Ahso!;1390364 wrote: This has nothing to do with political correctness. I'm only pointing out that it's best to avoid addressing the poster. If your unsure of what something means, simply ask. Good and evil is meaningless to me.
How am I supposed to know what is meaningless to you? That's what LOL is for.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:31 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390367 wrote: How am I supposed to know what is meaningless to you? That's what LOL is for.Then perhaps it's best to leave it along instead of engaging in name calling. That's all I'm saying. Most of us here enjoy conversation and calling people names only alienates other members.

There are members who avoid posting because they're afraid of their communication skills. It's better to be tolerant and guide rather than insult.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:34 pm

It's better to be tolerant and guide rather than insult.
Ahso! you have such high expectations of me! Oh woe, I must not fail you!

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:39 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390369 wrote: Ahso! you have such high expectations of me!I do! You've proven yourself to be intelligent and educated, that's what I expect from you now.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:43 pm

On the other hand, you (Ahso) did say: "Then perhaps it's best to leave it along instead of engaging in name calling"

It's not best to leave it along (sic). Why should I let stand, with no comment, that Obama is evil? You believe everyone reads minds? I should let an idiotic view just go? That helps? Helps elect the Rethugs, maintaining such a foolish view. Phooey. :>(

Hope6 · Post by **Hope6** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:44 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390212 wrote: Hope:

What about people who ridicule & laugh at themselves? Like Jews, like blacks (anything from Chris Rock!)

I think it is great--shows spiritual maturity NOT to take offense. It shows strength in belief & strength of what you are. Look at societies that have no sense of humor, like any Muslim society. Yes, I think it's great to laugh, not be offended at humor. Let's lighten up. So they laugh, does that take away the truth of what you feel? Of what you know? Of course not.

I have no problem with good natured jokes, it's very common for some Baptist preachers to tell Baptists jokes while they are in the pulpit.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:44 pm

I let Ahso! down again. May become a habit.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:49 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390373 wrote: On the other hand, you (Ahso) did say: "Then perhaps it's best to leave it along instead of engaging in name calling"

It's not best to leave it along (sic). Why should I let stand, with no comment, that Obama is evil? You believe everyone reads minds? I should let an idiotic view just go? That helps? Helps elect the Rethugs, maintaining such a foolish view. Phooey. :>(Well, instead of reacting it might be best to see how the conversation continues to unfold and maybe if you wait a bit you might come up with alternative ideas such as asking.

You say you don't know me well enough to know good and evil are meaningless to me but yet you claim to know me well enough to call me an ass. That makes it even more insulting.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:51 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390376 wrote: I let Ahso! down again. May become a habit.That's okay! We're talking about it, aren't we.

Hope6 · Post by **Hope6** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:54 pm

LarsMac;1389983 wrote: I believe in both.

I have my religion. You are welcome to yours, and if Ahso! wants to reject both of them, it is certainly his prerogative.

And I no more want a Baptists teaching his particular brand of religion to my kids in public than I want a Muslim, a Mormon or Satanist doing so.

Keep religion where it belongs. At home and in your chosen house of worship.

I've been thinking about this post and about keeping religion to yourself. Thats the complete opposite of what our religion teaches us to do. When Jesus gave the disciples The Great Commision before he ascended into heaven, which was....go out and tell all the peoples of the world about me........If everyone who claimed to be Christians actually acted like Christians it would be a positive thing. We are supposed to live like Jesus......that means, loving everybody, even those who do you wrong. It means not being judgmental and looking down at people. But so many people are nothing but hypocrites.....they are always bragging about what good Christains they are, and being judgemental of everyone else. They give the rest of us a bad name.

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:54 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390367 wrote: That's what LOL is for.

On a point of information, the last time anyone heard me laugh was a couple of weeks before the untimely death of Eric Morecambe and it was a pretty rare event even before then. LOLing is not a developed aspect of my person or nature. LOLing would perturb me greatly were I to find myself engaged in it.

Hope6 · Post by **Hope6** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:58 pm

AnneBoleyn;1390369 wrote: Ahso! you have such high expectations of me! Oh woe, I must not fail you!

Don't worry about it. It's a dangerous thing taking part in these sorts of conversations no one can please everybody........whats that old saying about never talking about religion or politics?