Things you don't understand

[Mario the Lothario]

I might be the smartest person on earth for all you know.

Why do you persist in promoting yourself as the complete opposite?

 

[Fender]

I mean, there's already a machine that cleans your anus.

Does your mother clean it with her fist?

 

[quickstraw]

^Yes, keep believing that of the millions, perhaps billions, of actively religious people in the world (in both 'first' and 'third' world countries), you are smarter than them all.

edit: not to mac mum

I don't ever recall saying that. Feel free to invent your own version of the truth.

 

[scooterb]

Does your mother clean it with her fist?

I guess there's always the possibility.

 

[quickstraw]

Why do you persist in promoting yourself as the complete opposite?

Feel free at any time to have a crack at me on the religious issue. Maybe you're too scared?

 

[quickstraw]

Hahaahaha

Not going to justify your s******?

 

[Mario the Lothario]

Okay, let's start with.............this:

The Bible is not only very dated,

"Very dated" as opposed to what?

it is full of flaws.

"Full of flaws"?

Care to tell me which bits are correct?

 

[Tormented Tiger]

I had this explained to me in a way that made perfect sense, if taken with a drop of bizarre logic. It was probably wrong, and now I don't really remember it.

The whip hand (or maybe sword hand?) on the right, therefore the custom was to drive the horse and carriage down the left.
The French didn't like anything the English did and therefore took to the opposite side of the road. OK, the French were involved, but used the other side for a reason ... some king was left-handed and therefore, despite never actually driving his own carriage, reversed things; or some such rubbish.

I've heard swords is the reason and it was the French who changed to stop assassins easily having a cheap swing with a sword as they passed on the road. The left hand was known as the devils hand so anybody using the left hand at an early age would be beaten or even had it chopped off if they could not resort to the right. I think I seen it on the Discovery Channel or similar. Catholic Schools as late as the 1950's were still belting anyone writing left handed and force them to write right.

 

[quickstraw]

Okay, let's start with.............this:



"Very dated" as opposed to what?

Society. Do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? The Bible does. What about Catholicism? They believe birth control is wrong. Out of line with 1st world western standards.

"Full of flaws"?

Care to tell me which bits are correct?

The Bible is alleged to be the word of God. Be all, end all. God has spoken, and this is it. Until the second testament came along. Apparently he changed his mind. If you are delusional and believe the Bible is actually the word of this higher being called "God", then how can you trust the 2nd testamment is correct? he's already admitted he got it wrong the first time.

But realistically, anyone of sane mind knows that the Bible (both testaments) were written by the Church and this alleged being called "God" had no input whatsoever. So why would you follow the teachings of some people who wrote a boook hundreds of years ago. We have laws, we have social ethics, and moral standards.

The Bible is for the people who fear.

 

[Mario the Lothario]

Society. Do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? The Bible does. What about Catholicism? They believe birth control is wrong. Out of line with 1st world western standards.

I wouldn't have known that had you not told me.

Thanks for your pearls of wisdom.

The Bible is alleged to be the word of God. Be all, end all. God has spoken, and this is it.

No, it isn't.

 

[Power King]

I don't ever recall saying that. Feel free to invent your own version of the truth.

You suggested that people who believe in religion are stupid (and furthermore stated you've never met one smarter than yourself, and also used as an argument that there is the possibility that you could be the smartest person in the world, the latter being a very strong argument I must say *sarcasm*), so unless you're saying that some of these people can still be on a level that is at least equal to your 'intelligence', that is exactly what you are saying.

It's called inference.

edit: you know what, just thinking about it, surely you are not this stupid. I reckon you just get off and have orgasms via people getting pissed off at your stupidity, biting your bait, which I am continually doing, and should really stop.

 

[quickstraw]

You suggested that people who believe in religion are stupid

For believing in religion. Alan Bond and Larry Adler were jailed for doing something stupid, does that mean they are stupid as human beings? Lang Hancock married Rose. He couldn't see she was a gold digger. Most of us think he is stupid for this. But that doesn't mean that on the whole he is stupid.

(and furthermore stated you've never met one smarter than yourself, and also used as an argument that there is the possibility that you could be the smartest person in the world,

Clearly this was to demonstrate to Otto (Yes, Funky looks like Otto from The Simpsons) that he actually has no idea of my IQ.

 

[quickstraw]

No, it isn't.

Care to elaborate?

 

[treeman]

I don't know if it is just an adelaide thing but on Adelaide trains they have ticket inspectors on them sometimes, when they do they have a key for the doors when the train is about to take off they put the key up the top of the door stand at the edge watching outside then step back after around 30 seconds as the train goes into full speed.

Is it that they just want to feel the breeze? Isn't it too dangerous though?
So weird.

-Ben

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

How do you know. I might be the smartest person on earth for all you know. I'm sure there's few out there, maybe Mr Costello and Mr Rudd, but I haven't met any.

Not true.

This actually backs up my stance - no shortage of dumb religious types in the US, partic the midwest. George Bush also is not the most intelligent man.

No cherry picking does not back it up. And if you want conceptualise the issue as 'the dumber you are, the more religious you are' then you are clearly not intellectually equipped why the very opposite has taken place in the US over the past 30 years. Many, many, many people are clocking off their very complex jobs and heading to prayer group. It might fit not your simplistic schema, but it is a penomenon.

But there is no question that the Bible is not the word of this being they call God.

Really? You have evidence the Bible is a load of crap? Can you post it please?

I clicked off when I did scripture in primary school because the teachers was telling me huge whoppers like the time they parted sea and the time Jesus got a loaf of bread and some fish and fed thousands. And yes, I am aware that there are reasonable, even probable theories as to how some of the legends started, but if someone has to have their thoughts governed by a book written hundreds of years ago they can't be too bright.

Now I'm not doubting the academic rigour of your primary school subject, but there are many people who completed post-tertiary qualifications on this cvery issue, and concluded that the Bible is a mixture of many different literary forms (myth, allegory, legend, fact, preaching etc). And Im not sure if you have caught up on the last 500 or so years of theological discussion, but the best informed religious people are able to discern these literary forms in the Bible.

So if you want to set up a straw man by saying 'Not everything in the Bible is fact as we conceive it therefore it is crap' then feel free do so. Those of us who see prfound meaning in the great book while acknowledging not everything as fact as we conceive it will fight through the cataclysm of you dismissing it.

And you might as well throw every other book out aswell. Nothing is purely factual, merely representations.

 

[betterthanu]

Religion is genius. Actually, the invention of the term 'faith' is genius. Believe what we say without logical question or you will not gain entrance into heaven. Our brain is nothing but electricity and chemical reactions. Once we die, we are dead. To think
anything else is delusional arrogance. I don't however think religious people are less intelligent that i am. I think they would rather not question how they were probably brought up at risk of facing the consequences of it not being true. Death is not a pleasant thought when not coupled with faith of an afterlife.

 

[quickstraw]

God is no more plausible than the Loch Ness Monster. There may in fact be a higher being or a creator, but religions don't just push this, they go a lot further. So far in fact that it is clear they are bullshitting.

We are taught from an early age that lying is wrong. And as children we tell lies. Huge whoppers in fact, because as children we are not yet intelligent enough to see that they are obvious lies. But then we send our kids to school and teach them ridiculous lies such as a man who can turn a loaf of bread and a couple of kippers into food for thousands.

And whilst a higher being may exist, there is no proof. No one has had direct contact with "it". So how do we know about heaven and hell, or the devil? Clearly they are fabricated.

When most God-fearing folk are challenged on the proof of "God" they resort to lines such as "well of course no one has seen him, but there IS proof he is here. I can feel him with me. He guides me" etc etc.

Can you believe that shit? Grown educated adults who have an imaginary friend. It's akin to walking around with a security blanket. I forgive 3rd world countries who are suppressed and don't have the freedom we do to think beyond our next meal, or beyond survival, and need a crutch to cling to because it's the only chance they have. But educated 1st world people who have an imaginary friend who is there with them urging them on, or guiding them, or being their shoulder to cry on? Eeediots.

 

[Mario the Lothario]

Care to elaborate?

I don't have any crayons handy.

 

[quickstraw]

Those of us who see prfound meaning in the great book while acknowledging not everything as fact as we conceive it will fight through the cataclysm of you dismissing it.

So how long have you been God-fearing for Matt? Is this a recent thing because I wouldn't have picked you for a god-fearing, imaginary friend socialising type.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

*finds gasoline tank*

In the late 90s, Amazon listed their top-10 Fiction and Non-Fiction books of all time. Outselling the #2 book by a factor of 10; the #1 selling book of all-time was the Bible.

...

It was #1 in the 'fiction' list.

 

[quickstraw]

Gold.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

So how long have you been God-fearing for Matt? Is this a recent thing because I wouldn't have picked you for a god-fearing, imaginary friend socialising type.

Well the older you get, the more you start to examine these things. I wouldnt say I was God-fearing yet, but I am searching for something more than this material existence.

I was saying that the Bible is a great book whether you are a devout Christian or atheist. It offers so many literary forms, historical events interpreted through narrative and myth, genealogy, allegory etc.

If you dont believe it has a truth, consider it first post-modern piece of literature

 

[quickstraw]

Well the older you get, the more you start to examine these things. I wouldnt say I was God-fearing yet, but I am searching for something more than this material existence.

And you think religion isn't material? Why do they have donation boxes? Why is the Catholic Church one of the richest organisations in the world?

Essentially you are not happy with how life works and are looking for an alternative. You are not happy that the world evolves around money and that you have to pay rent, and travel expenses, and parking, and food, and money for clothes. You seem to want to isolate these and block them out and religions claim to offer this.vYou are vulnerable and fertile for being exploited.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours.

Fortunately I am lucky and at ease with our material world. I don't necessarily agree with all of it but understand why it is so and don't try to fight it too much. I don't need something else out there, or reassurance from an imaginary being, or some sort of confirmation that I will go to a better place when I die (if I'm good and stop doing all the good things available to us humans).

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Essentially you are not happy with how life works and are looking for an alternative. You are not happy that the world evolves around money and that you have to pay rent, and travel expenses, and parking, and food, and money for clothes. You seem to want to isolate these and block them out and religions claim to offer this.vYou are vulnerable and fertile for being exploited.

It appears your understanding of psychology also failed to advance pass Primary school.

 

[quickstraw]

It appears your understanding of psychology also failed to advance pass Primary school.

Feel free to explain why you are looking for something different to the material world?