This Has to Stop

[Amarok]

And being a condescending little prick, too. You're a chip off the ol' Yahweh block, fuckstick. I knew you had it in you. Way to show us you don't have the moral high ground, little boy

Dear Rod 

Can you go one comment without going into a unhinged rant .

[KevinM1]

... Instead of lamenting that we're a bunch of idiots, maybe meet us halfway and engage us?

Maybe it's just part of apologist's training... that might explain its prevalence.

Yeah, it’s really funny that we get blamed for not being rational (lawl) because we tend to not take apologist 101 with good humor.

And, really, expecting someone on a random internet forum to be in the same caliber as Carl Freakin’ Sagan is ridiculous. Those people are teaching graduate level physics, working on reality defining/expanding experiments, or something else along those lines. Most of us here are just working stiffs who aren’t religious, doing it for the lulz.

[Thumpalumpacus]

People who believe in God usually believe He knows what we are thinking. Including myself.

See, that's not what I find so annoying. What bugs me is how they seem to think they know what their god is thinking ... but then turn around and appeal to "mysterious ways" or "God's plan", instead of simply saying, "You know what? I don't have a fucking clue" whenever confronted with the myriad conundrums their theologies cannot explain.

had started to form the opinion (incorrectly it now seems) that I would discover people of his intellectual caliber and rationality on this forum.Perhaps they are here somewhere, but I'm yet to find him.

Thanks for the tip on being polite.

Pity you didn't see fit to take it to heart. The passive-aggressive broad-brushing of a bunch of people you don't know doesn't strike me as very courteous.

I doubt you're going to find very many of his intellectual caliber on any forum, quite frankly, but there are plenty of rational people here.

[Losty]

CL, of course there is a double standard. Understandably.  We are Christians posting on a forum  tailored  mostly to atheists. Even still, people like Astonished...i cannot understand why he isn't universally condemned by theists and atheists alike.

I hope for the most part he is. I don't like him, I don't like how he presents his arguments, I don't like how he talks to people, and I especially don't want to be associated with his attitude. I think he represents a small group of atheists who are assholes, everybody has their group of assholes no matter whether they're atheists, theists, athletes, chefs etc etc etc.

[Losty]

You can link videos so the video actually shows up in the post rather than linking to it. Also it would be polite to at least describe what it is you're substituting for your own words.

Rules are rules (just ask Moses - seems we all need them and I was unaware of the link violation). It was a small clip by Carl Sagan on religion, science and the cosmos in general. It was not a substitution for my own words - Carl Sagan was far too articulate and clever for that. I had started to form the opinion (incorrectly it now seems) that I would discover people of his intellectual caliber and rationality on this forum.Perhaps they are here somewhere, but I'm yet to find him. Thanks for the tip on being polite.

If you want to find any intelligent discussion, step 1 would probably be to start in a thread that isn't by astonished. Most people don't even bother to read his threads, because all he does is spew hatred and bigotry. I only post in them occasionally in the hopes of spreading the message that we aren't all assholes and we don't all support his views.

[emjay]

Maybe it's just part of apologist's training... that might explain its prevalence.

Yeah, it’s really funny that we get blamed for not being rational (lawl) because we tend to not take apologist 101 with good humor.

And, really, expecting someone on a random internet forum to be in the same caliber as Carl Freakin’ Sagan is ridiculous.  Those people are teaching graduate level physics, working on reality defining/expanding experiments, or something else along those lines.  Most of us here are just working stiffs who aren’t religious, doing it for the lulz.

Nah, it doesn't bother me on that score; I take intellectual smugness from theists with a pinch of salt. Sure I may not be the sharpest tool in the box, and they may be more well read in all sorts of subjects, but none of those is common sense. So for people who basically prefer supernatural explanations for things that have perfectly reasonable physical and psychological explanations, I'm not going to feel intellectually inferior... where it counts... no matter how much they feel intellectually superior.

[beepete]

Rules are rules (just ask Moses - seems we all need them and I was unaware of the link violation). It was a small clip by Carl Sagan on religion, science and the cosmos in general. It was not a substitution for my own words - Carl Sagan was far too articulate and clever for that. I had started to form the opinion (incorrectly it now seems) that I would discover people of his intellectual caliber and rationality on this forum.Perhaps they are here somewhere, but I'm yet to find him. Thanks for the tip on being polite.

If you want to find any intelligent discussion, step 1 would probably be to start in a thread that isn't by astonished. Most people don't even bother to read his threads, because all he does is spew hatred and bigotry. I only post in them occasionally in the hopes of spreading the message that we aren't all assholes and we don't all support his views.

---

Thanks, Losty - sounds like a great idea. And yes, I'm sure there are many good people on this forum.

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People who believe in God usually believe He knows what we are thinking. Including myself.

See, that's not what I find so annoying. What bugs me is how they seem to think they know what their god is thinking ... but then turn around and appeal to "mysterious ways" or "God's plan", instead of simply saying, "You know what? I don't have a fucking clue" whenever confronted with the myriad conundrums their theologies cannot explain.

had started to form the opinion (incorrectly it now seems) that I would discover people of his intellectual caliber and rationality on this forum.Perhaps they are here somewhere, but I'm yet to find him.

Thanks for the tip on being polite.

Pity you didn't see fit to take it to heart. The passive-aggressive broad-brushing of a bunch of people you don't know doesn't strike me as very courteous.

I doubt you're going to find very many of his intellectual caliber on any forum, quite frankly, but there are plenty of rational people here.

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Fair comment.

[emjay]

I have the feeling I'm going to, or already have, lost a lot of friends from posting in this thread. Have I lost you too Losty?

[beepete]

People who believe in God usually believe He knows what we are thinking. Including myself.

See, that's not what I find so annoying. What bugs me is how they seem to think they know what their god is thinking ... but then turn around and appeal to "mysterious ways" or "God's plan", instead of simply saying, "You know what? I don't have a fucking clue" whenever confronted with the myriad conundrums their theologies cannot explain.

had started to form the opinion (incorrectly it now seems) that I would discover people of his intellectual caliber and rationality on this forum.Perhaps they are here somewhere, but I'm yet to find him.

Thanks for the tip on being polite.

Pity you didn't see fit to take it to heart. The passive-aggressive broad-brushing of a bunch of people you don't know doesn't strike me as very courteous.

I doubt you're going to find very many of his intellectual caliber on any forum, quite frankly, but there are plenty of rational people here.

---

That is a fair comment. I apologize.

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Rules are rules (just ask Moses - seems we all need them and I was unaware of the link violation). It was a small clip by Carl Sagan on religion, science and the cosmos in general. It was not a substitution for my own words - Carl Sagan was far too articulate and clever for that. I had started to form the opinion (incorrectly it now seems) that I would discover people of his intellectual caliber and rationality on this forum.Perhaps they are here somewhere, but I'm yet to find him. Thanks for the tip on being polite.

What do you want to discuss?  You mentioned your problems with hell, I mentioned my problems with hell, Steve opined on my problems with hell (which, while perhaps making sense to those in Christianity only really serve to highlight more problems with the mechanics behind the entire endeavor), and then you posted a video which was, apparently, unrelated.

Instead of lamenting that we're a bunch of idiots, maybe meet us halfway and engage us?

[Losty]

I have the feeling I'm going to, or already have, lost a lot of friends from posting in this thread. Have I lost you too Losty?

Emjay...I think you're the sweetest. That's why I named you Squishy. I don't think you've been an asshole in this thread (or any thread for that matter) at all. You know how to have a different opinion without wishing death on someone. I haven't thoroughly examined this thread, but what I've read from you I've agreed with.

In a more general way of looking at it, I agree with some of the things astonished thinks too (not all but some). What I disagree with is the way he treats people.

You haven't lost me as a friend. I love ya, Squishy <3