Why do you bother?

AtomicHorror

Dades wrote: »

Haha, I enjoyed that post Robin.

I also bowed out of the Creationist thread in 2005, with this post.

Occasionally I lurk in there to learn, but I know I'd be wasting my one-and-only life posting to debate with the resident ID stalwarts!

Well I'm not really interested in convincing J_C. If that happened I'd probably collapse in shock. There's plenty of open-minded Christian lurkers who are much easier to convince.

Scofflaw

Practice.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Scofflaw

AtomicHorror wrote: »

Well I'm not really interested in convincing J_C. If that happened I'd probably collapse in shock. There's plenty of open-minded Christian lurkers who are much easier to convince.

And you're doing a very fine job.


very cordially,
Scofflaw

An Fear Aniar

Debating anything on the internet is a profitless waste of time.
People just confirm each other's prejudices.

I just do a bit of trolling now and again... like if I see an animal lying by the side of the raod I have to poke it with a stick, just to see what it might do.


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AtomicHorror

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

Debating anything on the internet is a profitless waste of time.
People just confirm each other's prejudices.

I've seen many fruitful discussions on Internet forums- they have at least as much capacity to change minds and educate as do public debates. Trolling will almost certainly create unhelpful arguments, so your viewpoint is on shaky ground there.

Popinjay

robindch wrote: »

hmm... I threw in the 'serious' towel in that thread after firing off the last two paras of this post, almost three years ago -- hey, it's fun, of a voyeuristic kind

That post is one of the best I have read in the long months I spent reading almost every thread on this forum before I signed up. It should probably be stickied at the top of this forum, the skeptics forum and the humour forum.

An Fear Aniar

AtomicHorror wrote: »

Trolling will almost certainly create unhelpful arguments, so your viewpoint is on shaky ground there.

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you.:rolleyes:


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Scofflaw

robindch wrote:

your grasp of truth is sweaty and kak-handed

I love that. Posted back in the days when the Creationism thread was less than 6000 posts long.

cordially,
Scofflaw

AtomicHorror

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you.:rolleyes:


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I just did say that.

An Fear Aniar

AtomicHorror wrote: »

I just did say that.

Um.... yo mamma!


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robindch

Scofflaw wrote: »

Posted back in the days when the Creationism thread was less than 6000 posts long.

I'm sure if you used a Creationist Dating Method(tm), you'd find the thread was only four posts long.

AtomicHorror

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

Um.... yo mamma!


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It takes one to know one?

Am I doing it right?

Splendour

pH wrote: »

Why bother??????????????????

Well let's just see what the religious have been getting up to in the last few days:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/apr/04/tonyblair.religion
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3677129.ece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7276863.stm
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/harry_phibbs/2008/04/thy_will_be_done.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/01/usa.religion
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/apr/05/evolution.controversiesinscience

That's the last few days remember.

I could go on but when religious folks are happy to traipse to church, praise their God and keep the rest private then I'd agree, but religion is primarily about forcing others to bow down before your God, or at the very least obey his rules.

They want their religious laws forced on everyone through state laws, they want their dogma taught in schools, they want religious oversight in hospitals, they want their God praised in our constitution, they want the Irish taxpayers to bail out one of the richest organisations in the world (the Catholic church) because of their paedophile priests (who they protected for years). For years their sexual hangups oppressed us all with their petty obsessions about what is put on penises and where penises are stuck.

They would love nothing more that a return to subjugating women to child bearing machines with no access to family planning, in fact they'd rather the poor in Africa died of AIDS than had access to contraception. It was 1985 before the politicians had the balls to fight the Catholic church here and allow condoms be sold without a prescription.

Make no mistake there is nothing benign or charitable about religion. It is a self-serving system of oppression, run by small minded sex obsessed hypocrites, who given half the chance would drag us all back to Ireland of the 50's.

And you ask why bother?

You quote mainly from the Catholic church viewpoint here. I'm not Catholic and I agree with alot of what you say, but as a Christian, I would hate to think that I am seen as 'forcing' my beliefs on anyone. Apart from the fact that should I be able to force my beliefs on you, that would not make you a believer-only God has the power to do that.

Jesus has told us to 'give onto Caesar what is Caesars', so as Christians whilst in this world, have to obey the laws of that country.

pH

Splendour wrote: »

You quote mainly from the Catholic church viewpoint here. I'm not Catholic and I agree with alot of what you say, but as a Christian, I would hate to think that I am seen as 'forcing' my beliefs on anyone. Apart from the fact that should I be able to force my beliefs on you, that would not make you a believer-only God has the power to do that.

Jesus has told us to 'give onto Caesar what is Caesars', so as Christians whilst in this world, have to obey the laws of that country.

Fine then I've no argument with you, but many religious people (and the clergy that represent them) do seem to believe that I and others should obey their morals, and do not hesitate to pressure for their views to be made law.

The Catholic church still pretty much represent organised religion in Ireland, though we're now seeing them engage with other religions to try and get Christian ethics represented in law as they seem to feel now that a Christian consensus carries more weight.

Like I said, I've no problem with anyone who wants to worship their God in a community, undertake rituals and live their life by a set of morals they believe their God provided. I think you're wrong, I think you're wasting your time, precious time that could be spent on something worthwhile but I believe you have an absolute right to your religious beliefs and a right to worship.

Splendour

pH wrote: »

Fine then I've no argument with you, but many religious people (and the clergy that represent them) do seem to believe that I and others should obey their morals, and do not hesitate to pressure for their views to be made law.

The Catholic church still pretty much represent organised religion in Ireland, though we're now seeing them engage with other religions to try and get Christian ethics represented in law as they seem to feel now that a Christian consensus carries more weight.

Like I said, I've no problem with anyone who wants to worship their God in a community, undertake rituals and live their life by a set of morals they believe their God provided. I think you're wrong, I think you're wasting your time, precious time that could be spent on something worthwhile but I believe you have an absolute right to your religious beliefs and a right to worship.

My parents are Catholic and extremely 'religious' and they (my mother in particular) is constantly thinking that the 'Catholic church' way is the only way to go, and anyone who thinks outside that box is wrong...

You think I'm wrong (and probably a bit of a nutter...), but at least you respect? and believe I have right to think as I do.

As for the thinking that my 'ime could be spent on something worthwhile'-think of it this way; Christians are mulitaskers (yes yes, even the guys ;o)-we can believe, and pray, while we do, so no one is losing out...