You guys are amazing....seriously...its also very refreshing to see a bunch of ET members use logic, sense and mutual respect...excellent points by everybody and although i don't see any conversions coming anytime soon, I have had some what of a conversion in that i am going to try and use more restraint when talking with other ET members...Im serious...great thread thanks to Axe, Doubter ( or should it be NoDoubt?)Stu , Rock and Alfonso.
THAT may be the most intelligent, most accurate statement anyone on ET has ever made....I love you man....and in 7 minutes im leaving to get ready for FOOTBALL!!! J E T S JETS JETS JETS!!!!!!
The stained glass window post was a joke I found on a website. It did not create the joke (well deserving that it may be ) It points out the hypocrisy of certain religions. Should we NOT make fun of (ridicule) people like this? They deserve it. "...or your desire to identify yourself with the more intelligent" I suppose I should want to identify myself with people who are LESS intelligent??? Besides, I don't have a DESIRE to identify myself with the more intelligent, I simply try to think critically. You are the one asserting that i'm attempting to identify myself with the more intelligent. I really could care less. "Ridiculing others to make yourself look better is called pride in nearly all circles" Here is where you are wrong. I don't ridicule to make myself look better. Do you really think you can prove that the REASON I make light of child molesting priests is BECAUSE I want to make MYSELF look better? Come on. I guess all satirical comic artists do it to make themselves look better? Don't think so. They are making a statement. Would you NOT ridicule a follower of Hitler for example? Would this make you prideful? Your going to have a very difficult time proving that the reason I make fun of certain aspects of religion is so that I can make myself look better. It's simply not the case, and your not a mind reader, so your gonna have a difficult time backing up that assertion. I make fun of certain aspects of religion because I think it's well deserved. End of story. What other examples of ridicule are you referring to? peace axeman
Once again from a very biased religious doctor who has consistently produced FLAWED experiments, which have NOT been successfully replicated by unbiased third parties. I could freely admit that I am in a flood of personal pride, and it does not detract from the weight of my position a single gram. Even a compulsive liar can tell the truth sometimes. An argument must be challenged on it's merits alone. _________________________________________ For others a very high standard for axeman whatever?
"Once again from a very biased religious doctor who has consistently produced FLAWED experiments, which have NOT been successfully replicated by unbiased third parties." The plain truth. Is it ridiculing him to point out the fact that his experiments were flawed, and have failed to be successfully replicated?? No. "I could freely admit that I am in a flood of personal pride, and it does not detract from the weight of my position a single gram." This shows that this pride hang up you have is completely irrelevant to this discussion. It doesn't matter if I do, or don't have pride. Why are you quoting this at all? "Even a compulsive liar can tell the truth sometimes. An argument must be challenged on it's merits alone." This again shows why pride is not relevant, and that arguments must be challenged on merit alone, regardless of the source or reason. What are you trying to show here? "For others a very high standard for axeman whatever? " Exactly what standard am I not following? peace axeman
The stained glass window post was a joke I found on a website. It did not create the joke (well deserving that it may be ) It points out the hypocrisy of certain religions. Should we NOT make fun of (ridicule) people like this? They deserve it. axeman _________________________________ I assume it was your fingers that made the original post. I assume it was not an accident. I assume you had at least some motive for doing it. You are in the business of ridiculing faiths. This isn't mind reading or rocket science to connect the dots. Maybe you are insinuating that all people of that faith are so inclined, I hope not. Maybe the thing just popped in there out of random chance but you may have trouble convincing me of that.
This shows that this pride hang up you have is completely irrelevant to this discussion. It doesn't matter if I do, or don't have pride. Why are you quoting this at all? axeman _________________________________ You would like to make it irrelevant but it is not, your motivation and methodology are driven from this mindset. You don't have a very good perception of what the negative pride is and how it works and displays itself. It is revelant because of its' dominant position in the ahteist community and your display of it. You probably don't recognize it but others recognize quirks we all have that we can't see. Reading the actions of market participants and the thinking of the people on the other side of the trade is absolutely imperative to success. Live in the open marketplace for 40-50 years and if you can't read the signs you sure won't last that long. If you rely on your intellect alone some "street smart" sixth grader will clean you out.
Let's not quote me out of context. I stated earlier: "It points out the hypocrisy of certain religions." Obviously I never asserted that ALL people of faith are like this. This is a specific issue well known in the united states that has been making lots of headline news. I find it amusing since it points out the hypocrisy of the church. This is a case where ridicule is warranted. The churches bloody history is another. Notice how this whole thread has become about ME. Why is that? This is a common theme I come across. Theists wish no longer to debate their position, which is dismantled piece by piece, and instead wish to divert attention away from the subject, and instead attack ME and my "motives". Interesting. To really understand my motives, all you have to do is look at the title of this thread and what started this whole conversation. I posted that these things NEED to be challenged since the 10 commandments are a constitutional violation on government ground. This of course, spread out into a general debate on theism versus atheism. At which point I always defend my atheistic position. And here we are.... with you derailing the thread by attempting to discredit my position based on motives alone. I see no point in restating this, but maybe it will get through this time. Motives, pride, whatever are irrelevant in this discussion. Positions must be evaluated based on merit alone. You seem hell bent on poisoning the well... a fallacy. peace axeman
Again....you poison the well. Your entire line of reasoning is fallacious. In fact, it's such a well known fallacy, it has it's own name. "Poisoning the well". Look it up on google. I might was well claim that you won't admit i'm right simply because you are a biased theist!! Sorry... doesn't work that way. peace axeman