tvashtarkatena

I would recommend taking a logic 101 class. Your 'can't prove a negative' is exactly the argument Bone uses to support his various conspiracy theories. It's the logic used to support ALL conspiracy theories, in fact. Unfortunately, it violates one of the most basic tenets of logic. Hence, the Tooth Fairy comments. Anyway, this is getting repetitive, and I include myself in that. I think I'll go off and play doctor with my favorite local goddess.

I enjoy a good debate. I'm enjoying myself right now. If you grew up the way I did, this would be a healthy norm. Different styles make the world a more interesting place. Sure, I get tired of hearing the same old atheism=faith, blah blah arguments from folks who simply don't understand the philosophy. Believers can't imagine not believing, and I dont' blame them for that - it can be a roughy at first, so they extrude it through a template they're familiar with so they believe they've digested it. Its a human thing. The best argument I've ever seen for the existence of God was a scene from a Bollywood film where a beautiful Indian women is singing a love song to her god. The deep feeling she conveyed, the pure, uncut beauty, was transcendent. So different from the mean spirited Kristianity so popular today in our own culture, and so much more moving. I didn't run off and become a Hindu, but my life was a little better after having experienced that.

Obviously, I aint no rocket surgeon but I'm not hedging my bets. Rather, I am relying on a force that has already proven and manifested itself in my own personal experience. You can give me all the data points, chinese proverbs, etc, but it won't change my own personal experience. Again, if you can PROVE that God is not real and never touched any human life, then it would indeed be a lie. As for you, your supposed to continue being the almighty here on CC, condemning and belittling anyone that disagrees with your "facts". You can't be wrong, ever. That seems just as delusional as the nut jobs that believe God exists. I'd say this has a lot more to do with the inner workings of your personality and self esteem than my or anyone else's postings here, but hey, that's just a theory. No, after observing your words and deeds, I don't respect you too much, but I wouldn't generalize that to anyone else here. I presented some of my beliefs and thought experiments. Go nuts with them or not. Not really my issue. My only issue with Kristians is their attempt to force their beliefs on others through the rule of law, as I've clearly. My belief that their belief's are kooky is an opinion, something we're all entitled to.

1) I don't get definitions for words from the Bible. It get them from the dictionary. 2) Who says matter is eternal? Since man doesn't have a clue about the actual nature of time itself, it would be impossible to make that statement with any scientific credibility. 3) The word 'creation' need not have a religious meaning, simply because current translations of the Bible employ it. See #1. I just 'created' a huge steaming pile. Proof of the divine? 4) Most pseudoscience statements such yours this spring from a lack of basic knowledge about the actual science referenced. Yours is no exception.

Islam is the 'truest' God centric religion in the world. There is zero credible evidence that Christ existed, on the contrary, he's most likely a recycled Osiris-style myth - common as dirt for the time. Mojo is, at least, an actual historical figure. I don't know about the God part, but at least the Muslims have that to hang their headgear on. Philosophically, though, Islam is as bankrupt as any other 'chosen one' idea. Hinduism is way closer to the mark as far as how the universe actually works. You've got your builders, you've got your destroyers - the light, the dark, whatever. It's all really one thing.

Um...because it's a lie? What, I'm supposed to 'hedge my bets' by bullshitting myself? What a great way to make life more meaningless. Another Buddhist tenet it to seek truth. Not really an American thing in this land of maximized self-interest, I realize. One does not always profit by it.

Initiatives that are sponsored across both sides of the aisle have a much better chance of survival. Standard procedure if you can work it.

You just described the Buddhist tenet of letting go of desire. They punted God out of the equation to come up with it, however.

People often feel the need to respond for me, which I choose to take as a form of flattery. Re Dederek's posting, some thought experiments: The universe is defined as all there is, by definition. Therefore God must exist within the universe. Therefore God must have created the universe, which includes himself (being/gender used for brevity - no implication of the nature of God) This is no different than the paradox of how a Godless universe came to be. Conclusion: Leaving God out of it makes no difference whatsoever. Another one: All that happens in the universe must obey physical laws, even if they are, as yet, unknown to us, or unknowable to us if they are, for example, outside of our light horizon (which an increasing percentage of the universe is due to expansion) Do the workings of God obey physical laws? If not, then one believes in magic. That's cool, but it would be nice if people would just state that directly. Few do. If so, then God is just another undiscovered physical phenomenon. What makes him God, then? He's certainly not a God by any Earthly definition. Look, if you need SOMETHING to pray to, how about the sun? That's about as big and all powerful as it gets round here, and you can actually experience it every damn day. No arguments about whose right or wrong, no oppressive religious hierarchies, no made up bullshit. Nothing wrong with keeping it simple. Me: I'd go with an infinite number of Gods: big ones (the sun, earth, moon), and wee ones (tree frogs, flowers, ticks, viruses). But then, the universe would just be what it is now with some new nomenclature layered on top of it. Exactly.

I was born wrong the first time, but its what I got.

Taxes paying for schools run by non-profits? Sounds like an mile wide opening for taxes paying for religion (as it is in many other states with charter schools). And boy, has it been in other states. Have charter schools outperformed public? No credible evidence on that one. NO THANKS. If we've got a public school quality issue, fix that. Look at the endorsement list. Pretty short on the charter school side. Yes, I realize the public education system protects its own, but initiatives with practically no endorsements tend to get my NO vote - too narrow a special interest gene pool. It stinks.

Anyhoo, back to the OPs post; Mall Man was actually acting rationally in context. If youre a loon, would you rather stand on a strreet corner a scream about the coming alien apocalypse, or stand in a mall and scream about End Times and be applauded by millions of your fellows for getting The Truth out to the Unsaved? Drive thru crazy is a lot less work than home cooked, too. Mall Mans just doing things the American way.

Hmmm Where have i heard the cant prove a negative argument before?

Perhaps, but i save a lot of time by cutting and pasting from the previous 10 times ive beat this glue horse to death.

Figured as much. The tranny kept talking about 'safeguards'. Hmmm. Why would u need those? Also, pulling the plug on non-performing schools. Now theres a system that cant b rigged! Tranny never mentioned jebus. Now Im pissed. Nay it is, with feeling!

Theres a reason why kristians also believe the USA is the greatest nation on earth, the End is Nigh, and guns make us free. The fuckers just BELIEVE shit. They dont bother to check under the hood.

Raised catholic. Used to b a brand of christianity before the born agains staged a hostile takeover of the franchise. Now ebbybody gonna burn except d nutterz. Ive got home court advantage mfkrz. DOUBLE AGENT.

One doesn't have to know all that is out there to know what isn't. Atheism requires no faith whatsoever. Quite the opposite: all it requires is not giving a shit about the patently ridiculous. If I had a nickle for every Christian who tried to tell me what being an atheist is all about - but you don't get to do that unless you actually are one, no? This atheist can certainly tell you what Kristianity is all about, however. I was one for 20 years. Glad that lie is over. God is whatever the believer wants him to be. Autistics believe that God simply keeps molecules in stuff in their proper place. There are no people involved at all in their theology. Radical muslims believe that God is vengeful. Born agains believe the God hates fags. Universalists believe that God loves fags. Every God fearin' monkey believes that God is on their side, even when they're at war with other God fearin' monkeys. Hmmm. Wonder where the pattern is here. And yeah, I had a friend who flatlined on the gurney, too (haven't we all? They seem invariably to enter into this kind of discussion at some point). He didn't see jack. Of course, he's an atheist, so that follows, eh? During the movie "Touching the Void" the interviewer asks Joe Simpson if he thought about praying during his 5 day ordeal. "No". The guy in back of me got up and walked out. I wonder if he was offended by Mr. Simpson's lack of gratitude towards God for pulling his ass out of the eternal dumpster. I just saw a guy who pulled himself out using the power of human will, which never ceases to impress me. Sprinkling magical Goddy dust on such a feat to 'explain it' is as insulting as it is infantile. Finally, I believe the concept of the soul is our greatest conceit (not lack thereof). What, starts die, galaxies die, the universe dies, but we live forever? Bitch, pul-eaze. Ya die, ya rot - just like everything that ever was. Seems perfectly fair to me.

I basically hate people in general and kids especially, so I want the latter to suffer as much as possible prior to entering adulthood, which seems be about age 45 these days. The Basement Creature has only got 2 more years of public schooling so this thing won't affect him much. Charter schools - an Rfuck idea, no? Which of course means its got a hidden agenda about 400 layers deep, so I'm inclined to wipe my arse with it. Still, I know nothing of the issue other than that my eyes glazed over at a League of Women Voters debate (I was there to get the church ladies to schmoke legal bowls of high grade Washington State Weed). The two screeching harpies, one a dwarf educational blogger (against), the other a lanky tranny with a JD (for), as she helpfully reminded us about 9 times, seemed ready flay each other, so SOMEBODY must give a shite. The Rfucks say 40 states have them, which means fuck all since almost as many states have anti-gay marriage laws thanks to the Beelzeballsuckers. That's why I'm outsourcing my vote to you, Big Man. Yay or Nay? TIA

Someday she'll probably kill me in my sleep with one, but until then...paaaaarrrrtaaaaaayyyyy!

Count me my GF Colleen in with hand tools. Don't own power stuff.

What, DOEs don't need fences, too? MYSYGYNYST.

Grim... The Myth of Exceptionalism

I love...too much. Speaking of love, and The States role in same: DOMA's lost 7/7 federal court battles so far. Next stop: The Supremes. Absufuckinglutelyobviouslyunconstitutional law from the gitgo, as all of the GOP's attempts at religious tyranny are, so this should come as no surprise to anyone. The majority ruling explicitly differentiated between 'holy matrimony', which the State cares not a wit about, and 'civil marriage'. Why Kristians give a shit about controlling everyone elses civil marriage is utterly beyond this hairless monkey. More Saving America for God I expect. The State has no compelling interest in engaging this form of discrimination (duh). Still...what a nice surprise!