Just landed here

[Mister Agenda]

Welcome. I suggest you keep suggestions to avoid profanity to yourself, unless you want to hear more of it. The mistake a lot of people offended by 'bad words' make is to tell us not to use them. If you understand human nature, the result is predictable. Plus, it comes off as whining about the words used instead of addressing points made, which also undermines our respect for you.

Demonstrate toughness, don't be insulting (avoidance of 'bad words' while insulting someone is often seen as hypocritical rather than restrained), and respond substantively to posts and you'll earn respect quickly from most of us, and most of the rest of us swear at everyone indiscriminately anyway.

[pocaracas]

Welcome, hotel.

Good on you for ditching the crazy from your religion... Now you're only left with the delusional... That, we can live with! :p

Enjoy your time around here and don't mind the words... like George says "words are wind".

[Hotel Bravo]

Thank you everyone for your warm welcome and some great advices.

I generally don't have any issues with swearing or profanity as my 12 years of earlier Airforce career has amply prepared me on how to use them and how to develop thick skin against them. It was just that I felt that many good threads and discussions were merely derailed and lead no where because of it. Anyways lets move on.

Its month of Ramathan and thats reminds me that I will ask few questions from Allah about it..... What wrong did people of higher latitude do ? Do you really expect people of Iceland, Sweden or UK to fast for more than 20 hours everyday for whole month !!! What spiritual benefit are we really looking to gain from here by starving these millions of Muslims virtually for whole day? Or did you really thought that Islam will only restrict to desert where there's hardly any different in winter/summer daylight....

17 to 22 hours of fast is a torture and unhealthy by any standards. But many believers think that more torture you go thru , more blessings you collect . Muslims seriously need to address this issue and pass some ruling about it. But as most (so called) scholars are from Middle East and they are not effected by daylight issue so probably they are not even slightly bothered . Logic fails me here.

Rant over and out

http://img.astroawani.com/2014-07/614044...eesize.jpg

[Bibliofagus]

Hahaha! That really cracked me up :) Welcome!

[rexbeccarox]

Welcome! I suggest you go back and reread the threads you perceive to be "derailed". Sometimes there are side discussions going on, but rarely is a thread actually derailed because of profanity and insults.

[Brian37]

Nice to have you here. But please, the west really would like it if those in the east would stop getting violent over merely being offended.

[TheGamingAtheist]

Welcome. Enjoy your stay, or visit.

Also, I'd like to clarify that atheists arent extremists. If we were then we would be fighting to implement something related to the currency, or implementing the teachings of atheism in public schools. Atheists aren't extremists because we want equality with other religions. We feel that religion shouldn't be implemented within government/state. That's all. I just had to clarify this.

[pocaracas]

Thank you everyone for your warm welcome and some great advices.

I generally don't have any issues with swearing or profanity as my 12 years of earlier Airforce career has amply prepared me on how to use them and how to develop thick skin against them. It was just that I felt that many good threads and discussions were merely derailed and lead no where because of it. Anyways lets move on.

Its month of Ramathan and thats reminds me that I will ask few questions from Allah about it..... What wrong did people of higher latitude do ? Do you really expect people of Iceland, Sweden or UK to fast for more than 20 hours everyday for whole month !!! What spiritual benefit are we really looking to gain from here by starving these millions of Muslims virtually for whole day? Or did you really thought that Islam will only restrict to desert where there's hardly any different in winter/summer daylight....

17 to 22 hours of fast is a torture and unhealthy by any standards. But many believers think that more torture you go thru , more blessings you collect . Muslims seriously need to address this issue and pass some ruling about it. But as most (so called) scholars are from Middle East and they are not effected by daylight issue so probably they are not even slightly bothered . Logic fails me here.

Rant over and out

http://img.astroawani.com/2014-07/614044...eesize.jpg

Fasting, as many other... errr... rituals... from the muslim world (and other religions) are not really muslim original ideas, but rather something the muslims picked up and incorporated into their rule-book.

Not long ago, I quoted a fair bit of the wiki article on the niqab to somewhere on this forum and it turns out such a "veil" has been used since before the romans, typically, as a way to keep women in a submissive position.

Fasting... let's wiki!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting
Not much on the history itself, but it does show that fasting is practiced by several religions of the world.

On another site:

The early great philosophers, thinkers, and healers used fasting for health and as healing therapy. Hippocrates, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and Galen all praised the benefits of fasting. Paracelsus, one of the three fathers of Western medicine, is quoted as saying, "Fasting is the greatest remedy--the physician within." Early healing arts recognized the revitalizing and rejuvenating power fasting promoted.

Early religious and spiritual groups used fasting as a part of ceremonies and rites--most often during spring and fall equinoxes. Today, every major religion practices fasting for various spiritual benefit.

But I'm still not satisfied... sadly, the first few links on google seem related to religion or some supposed benefits from fasting... meh.

My guess (that's why I'm not satisfied) is that it begins with some shortage of food around a particular time of the year, on a particular location.

[LastPoet]

Intro thread and all, stranger. If you don't like the way people express themselves, you will probably get a good dose of reality.

We do not have our tongues seized by what one or a group says so or deems it unholy.

[Mystical]

I would be interested in having an example of where you've seen swearing derail a thread.
That said there are a few members who have heard it and seen it all and don't bother explaining their reasoning for their reactions. Just ask, and they'll tell you

Welcome to the forums, I'm happy you've gone from a watcher to an active member!