Make a quotable quote here.

[Autumnlicious]

Does this seem like a useful discussion? Perhaps a critique of wordsmanship belongs in a thread devoted to ones own favorite quotes.

That or a hefty dose of meds.

[Brian37]

Yep because misspelling "gaweds dont exist" must mean they do. So lets be sure to focus on what is really important.

FYI I have knocked my computer back into the stone age so my spellcheck does not work. I never claimed to be perfect.

I'm not really a spelling nazi and am far from immune to making such mistakes, myself. Really my biggest complaint with your writing is the lack of focus. It kind of jumps around and goes off on tangents. You mentioned that my earlier post was ambiguously worded and that is a fault we can agree on. But, in the interest of giving sincere feedback, it is one that you frequently suffer from.

Does this seem like a useful discussion? Perhaps a critique of wordsmanship belongs in a thread devoted to ones own favorite quotes.

No what people don't like about me is that I AM FOCUSED, it simply does not seem that way because when you already know the checkmate move you skip all the claptrap from the opening move. I simply hate the dance, and if you make a claim to me, I am going to simply cut to the chase.

Have I derailed threads, that is a different story. In this one I did because when I hear something that bothers me I cant simply skip it, but that is not the same as having no focus.

So allow me to give away my tactic so everyone knows how I opperate.

No matter what the claim is, when it comes to all claims of the super natural or new age woo, all of those start with a naked assertion. And any claim that starts with a naked assertion can only follow up with crap no matter how elaborate that crap may be. So I do not feel any need or duty to dance through their mental mess. If they had something more than a naked assertion they wouldn't have to debate it, the could demonstrate it.

That is me, I don't like the dance. I see no need or value in dancing with absurd claims. Call them what they are. Simple and directly to the point.

[Rev. Rye]

Christianity doesn't make you a different person; it just makes you more of the same person you already were.

[Brian37]

Christianity doesn't make you a different person; it just makes you more of the same person you already were.

What a bunch of fluff.

See if you can spot the pattern.

"Islam doesn't make you a different peson, it just makes you more of the same peson you already were"

"Being a Jew doesn make you a different person, it just makes you more of the same person you already were"

"Being a Hindu doesn't make you a different person, it just makes you more of the same person you already were"

"Being a Buddhist doesn'tmake you a different person, it just makes you more of the same person you already were".
(end examples)

Now why is it you don't believe in those religions? I am quite sure you can find people in those that would make similar claims to your origional fluff statement.

And Christianity works so well that we don't have any prisons, oh wait, i guess the two million prisonors in our nations prisons are all lying when they say they are Cristians.

So how about a little logic here. If you can reject a moderate Muslims argument who might claim that Bin Ladin wasnt a "true Muslim" then you certainly can and should understand your false analogy that Christianity makes you a better person.

Religion doesn't determine if an individual will do good or bad, their actions do.

[Whateverist]

No what people don't like about me is that I AM FOCUSED, it simply does not seem that way because when you already know the checkmate move you skip all the claptrap from the opening move. I simply hate the dance, and if you make a claim to me, I am going to simply cut to the chase.

Brian, I don't dislike you. I have thought that you get too verbose at times and belabor points beyond need. And I only shared my criticism of your writing because you had done the same for me. I thought it was meant in a positive, critical way. My advice was meant in exactly the same spirit. Take it or leave it. If you're not interested in critiquing each others quotes I will won't do it again.

But I don't dislike you for it. If anything I am a big fan because of your very reasonable political positions. Obama baby!

[Brian37]

No what people don't like about me is that I AM FOCUSED, it simply does not seem that way because when you already know the checkmate move you skip all the claptrap from the opening move. I simply hate the dance, and if you make a claim to me, I am going to simply cut to the chase.

Brian, I don't dislike you. I have thought that you get too verbose at times and belabor points beyond need. And I only shared my criticism of your writing because you had done the same for me. I thought it was meant in a positive, critical way. My advice was meant in exactly the same spirit. Take it or leave it. If you're not interested in critiquing each others quotes I will won't do it again.

But I don't dislike you for it. If anything I am a big fan because of your very reasonable political positions. Obama baby!

Verbose, yep and absolutily. Belaboring a point. most certainly, but not so much for your benifit but for the theists that might read this. I do not think there are enough rational people who question what they believe and the more we have that in the world the better.

I think it was Dawkins who said something like "Atheism is the noise a rational person makes". Just like saying "no the moon is not made of cheese". Just because people get upset at you for telling the truth repeatedly doesn't mean you should stop.

If our species never questioned social norms our species never would have left the caves.

---

No what people don't like about me is that I AM FOCUSED, it simply does not seem that way because when you already know the checkmate move you skip all the claptrap from the opening move. I simply hate the dance, and if you make a claim to me, I am going to simply cut to the chase.

Brian, I don't dislike you. I have thought that you get too verbose at times and belabor points beyond need. And I only shared my criticism of your writing because you had done the same for me. I thought it was meant in a positive, critical way. My advice was meant in exactly the same spirit. Take it or leave it. If you're not interested in critiquing each others quotes I will won't do it again.

But I don't dislike you for it. If anything I am a big fan because of your very reasonable political positions. Obama baby!

Oh I did miss that part of critiquing each other's quotes, absolutely go ahead. But ultimately both of us will either take it or leave it when doing such.

[Rev. Rye]

Brian, you seem to be missing the important subtleties to my quote. Sure, "Islam doesn't make you a different peson, it just makes you more of the same peson you already were" is a corollary, but the sort of thing I was thinking about was like this:
* If you were a good person, Christianity might give you a reason to be good.
* If you were an intolerant jackass, Christianity will make you even more of an intolerant jackass.
* If you just want to live a mediocre life, Christianity will make you mediocre beyond your wildest dreams.
Now think about these three statements in relation to my quote.

[Brian37]

Brian, you seem to be missing the important subtleties to my quote. Sure, "Islam doesn't make you a different peson, it just makes you more of the same peson you already were" is a corollary, but the sort of thing I was thinking about was like this:
* If you were a good person, Christianity might give you a reason to be good.
* If you were an intolerant jackass, Christianity will make you even more of an intolerant jackass.
* If you just want to live a mediocre life, Christianity will make you mediocre beyond your wildest dreams.
Now think about these three statements in relation to my quote.

No I didn't miss that. I am saying merely stating it like you originally did is just ambiguous enough for someone to assume it will make them good. I think you leave that ambiguity in there to allow you an out when you get called on it.

But considering you are a Reverand I doubt you are in business to put your religion in a bad light.

My point is it doesn't matter, your label is still not required to do either good or bad. Not yours not any.

[Rev. Rye]

Yeah, you might want to do your research before just assuming I'm a Christian; Hell, in my "religious views" tab, I explicitly state that I'm a freethinker who just happens to be a minister in the Universal Life Church. Hell, I'm not the only atheist on here calling himself a reverend; look at "Reverendjeremiah."

[Brian37]

Yeah, you might want to do your research before just assuming I'm a Christian; Hell, in my "religious views" tab, I explicitly state that I'm a freethinker who just happens to be a minister in the Universal Life Church. Hell, I'm not the only atheist on here calling himself a reverend; look at "Reverendjeremiah."

Ok, still don't get why you like hanging out in a comic book club, and being its president. But I guess it is no different than being a secular Jew.

I know online some people take those labels as a sarcastic statement. But as much as I post here with it's thousands of members some stand out more than others so forgive me I am still relitivly knew and only have about 4 months under my belt.

I guess I don't get it. I do know that there ARE some secret atheists in the pulpit but don't flat out leave because that society they live in after comming to that realization would chase that person with clubs and torches.

I used to be a UU as an atheist and theists can be and are nice people, but not because they are theists, but because they are nice. So I outgrew that stuff and if other atheists feel the need to diliberatly hang out with theists in their club, certainly welcome to. But I simply see no point in it. I can socialize with those same people when I am at work or at out at a bar or movie that does not involve pretending to like it.

At best I can tollerate a wedding or a funeral, but I will not go out of my way to accept an invitation for a sunday service just because someone invited me. I would be lying to myself and to them.

So if you are not a pretender then that must mean the people in that church know. And if they know, then there is no point in calling it a church or you a reverand and you could have a social club outside a church in any case.

Otherwise you are merely redefining their insecurites for some nobel but backwards sense of fairness.

If not all claims are equal 50/50 by default, which they are not, then you are being unfair to them by coddling their falsehoods, and unfair to yourself by regurgitating what you clearly know is a lie.

BUT if this is merely an online farce, go for it. Landover Baptist Church is a great online spoof.