posted January 08, 2007 07:36 AM            

Let’s hear some more about these evil “fundamentalist”.

They’re probably the ones causing global warming and all drive SUVs.

If you can’t think of anything else to say, perhaps you can Google up some more bad names to call them.

You’re on a roll, dude.
Might as well let all your enlightened hate out.

posted January 08, 2007 08:51 AM            

I learned a lot today.
See; before I thought you had to be a retarded idiot and bigot to put groups of people, holding divers views, under one label and assume they all held the worst views of anyone in the group.

Now, thanks to your enlightened post, I’ve learned it’s OK as long as you use the magic word, “fundamentalist.”

It’s OK now to hate folks once you put the “fundamentalist” word on them.

This can come in handy. I might see someone I don’t like, but would feel bad about hating them.
Now, I’ll just put the word “fundamentalist” on them.
Thanks to you, I’ve learned it doesn’t matter what they really believe as long as you put the BIG word on them.

They used to have words like this before that made it OK to hate folks, “Jew, Zionist, etc…”

Please help me out by letting me know what the current politically correct hate labels are in case I need to use them some time.

posted January 08, 2007 09:40 AM            

BTW, Stan, was that about baiting?

Come to think of it - with a term like "bitch on" I am reminded of the phrase 'handbags at dawn'. I'll get some tickets run off.

posted January 08, 2007 09:54 AM            

Merry Ol' England, not surprised.

Over here it has a different meaning.
Someone who might find themselves rather used, in prison.
And also, whining and complaining.

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posted January 08, 2007 11:54 AM            

quote:

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At least you came out of the closet and quit pretending you were having a scientific discussion.
Now it is just a good old hate baiting bitch-fest. (which we knew it was all along)

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I simply pointed out the fact that claiming to own something unique which can not be proven, is potentially more dangerous than agreeing that there might be a couple of different but nonetheless equal views.

Calling that a "good old hate baiting bitch-fest" seems to prove my point somehow.

posted January 08, 2007 01:27 PM            

I DO however find your post rather offensive.

If you don't like my opinion, that's fine. But please don't resort to such cheap shots to express your displeasure.

posted January 08, 2007 01:53 PM            

quote:

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Are you that simple minded, Erik?
…
…
Erik, you behave like a “fundamentalist.”
…
…
Your purpose … its not this garbage you claim it to be
…
…
I am totally in favor of personal censoring
…
…
You’re starting to sound nutty, Erik.

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posted January 08, 2007 01:58 PM            

quote:

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Freedom of speech doesn't cover your need to spew hate.

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There are exceptions to the temper rule: Football (in the UK), politics and religion/God.

This does not have to be the case.

So, don't be so easily offended - perhaps go out a bit more - and try and use the brain that we do not sit on. Stan was good enough to suggest Zinc for Knuth although I'm not so sure about that but I can certainly recommend an increase in Vitamin B for those that automatically use the brain that they sit on when religion/God is mentioned.

I hope that you do not find this offensive John - it is not meant to be - but I suspect that it will be taken as such.

I must confess that I am having a hell of a job keeping a straight face and for that I apologise.

posted January 08, 2007 02:01 PM            

If one examines religion in general, even if one is not religious,
one must honestly admit that not all religious belief is good
and it all can't be right.

Why?

The many belief systems of man today simply contradict one another
and so it is not possible for all of them to be correct. How could
they all be considered "the truth", if they are often exact opposites
of each other?

Also an honest appraisal of religions will show that an awful lot
of bad things have been done in the name of religion.

This often turns people off to the idea of there being a God.

That said, does this mean that God does not exist?

Absolutely not!

Just like examining the paintings of an artist and knowing that
the artist not only definitely exists and that you can even tell
something about the artist from his/her paintings, so too one can
examine the "creation" and can tell that a creator definitely
exists and one can learn about him from it (Romans 1:20).

Isaac Newton (a great scientist) was one who was convinced that
a creator exists, because of the amazing universe (and solar system)
around us. The "facts" of the existance of such an ordered universe
demands respect and appreciation.

To say that all around us simply evolved, which basically means
that it all happened simply by the "roll of the dice" (or pure chance)
boggles the imagination, because things demonstrating design always
have a designer. A car, a phone, a watch, a house, even something
as simple a notebook (a pad of paper) have a designer or builder.

A young man once took issue with me on the existance of God and basically
told me I should be grateful only to science for such things as
even the food I eat. Now as a boy I worked on a farm and I know
where my food comes from, so I simply said to him:

Can science create an ear of corn (not simply mess with its genes
or hybrid it, but actual create one from scratch) ? How about a peach
on a tree ?

If mans science is so smart (and nature is so dumb), why can't man
create from scratch a tree, an apple, a cow or even another human
for that matter ? Look at modern medicine and how feeble it is
in trying to replace human parts that break. Man created the automobile
and is well equipped to make replacement parts. But who created
the human body ? Surely if man is so smart and is the highest form
of life, he should be able to make replacement parts for "anything"
which nature supposedly generated, not by design, but simply by
chance. To believe that all of the universe is the product of
pure chance is simply fanciful thinking.

Ok, let's say that God does exist.

If so, then why are all the religions so diverse?
Why do some of them do very bad things?

Well has anyone ever asked the question, "do the religions of
man in general truly represent God"?

Isn't it possible that, yes, man has created some religions at times
purely from their own personal views or desires. Religion often
reflects the "inner" motives and desires of people.

If a religion promotes violence and hatred, isn't it possible that
the people who follow it, prefer violence and hatred.

If a religion promotes an immoral lifestyle, isn't it possible
that the people who follow it , prefer an immoral lifestyle?

Then should one conclude that there is no such thing as truth in
religion?

Just like scientists have searched for scientific truth, so too
many people have searched for truth in religion.

Does the Bible have the answers?

Just because I believe it does, doesn't make it so. If you have
asked that question, you must research this out yourself.

But I can comment on what I have learned about the Bible, at least
in its defense.

The God of the "Old testiment" has often been portrayed as an
evil god, a vengeful god. This is the furthest thing from the
truth! Those who state this often know little about this God
or misrepresent what the Bible says about him. True there are
some aspects of this God that may "appear" offensive at first,
for those who don't know the whole picture, but one must take
all of what the Bible says about him within the context of the
entire Bible.

For example, lets look at a very strong judgement in the Bible.
The people of Noahs day. Yes the worldwide flood.

Sound pretty harsh doesn't it!

But lets look at it in context.
Note how the Bible describes that ancient world:

"And the earth came to be ruined in the sight of the [true] God
and the earth became filled with violence"

I find it interesting that of all the things that bothered God
about that world, he mentions the violence. Yes, there were bad
people. Yes, they likely practiced false religion. Surely all of
that bothered God. But, yet of all the things he mentions about
that world, he basically highlights the violence.

Now if one looks at the massive violence of the 20th century,
haven't many wished they could simply eliminate it all. Sure,
it would be nice if one could change peoples hearts and minds
first. That is preferable to getting rid of the violent people.
But sadly, some people don't want to change. Thats what it was
like in Noahs day.

Did God give them fair warning?

Yes, the Bible refers to Noah as a "preacher" of rightousness.
Before him, was Enoch who boldy told the people that their ways
were very bad. It took Noah nearly 40 or 50 years to build the ark
and this was also a witness to the people of Gods coming judgement.

Yet, they did not listen! They ignored warnings.

Does God enjoy the judgement of bad people?

Notice Gods pleading with his own named people (who also turned bad)
in the days of Ezekial thousands of years later:

“I take delight, not in the death of the wicked one, but in that
someone wicked turns back from his way and actually keeps living.
Turn back, turn back from YOUR bad ways, for why is it that
YOU should die" (Ezekial 33:10,11)

Does God ask too much from people?

No, for what is God asking back from us:

"but to exercise justice and to love kindness and to be
modest in walking with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

Even the law of Moses emphasized the need to love another:

From Leviticus chapter 19:

“YOU people must not do injustice in the judgment"
"You must not treat the lowly with partiality"
"You must not hate your brother in your heart"
"you must love your fellow as yourself"
"Before gray hair you should rise up, and you must
show consideration for the person of an old man"
"Honor your father and your mother"

So when people take issue with God's judgements of the past,
it is unfair to catagorize him as unloving, unjust, or cruel.

What is unjust, is when man ignores Gods laws and rather than
learning to love their neighbor, to treat people fairly, to
be peaceable, they prefer hatred, violence, greed, selfishness.

Just look at modern man today!

All the resources he has spent on weapons of war!
The 20th century was full of the blood of millions
because of such wars.

If people today would follow the simply commands laid out in the
Bible, such as:

"And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and
their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword
against nation, neither will they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4)

“for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52)

"Every man must be ... slow about wrath; for man’s wrath does not work
out God’s righteousness" (James 1:19)

If one reads the new testament, one will find that Jesus often
condemned those who professed to serve God, but in reality
set up their own rules which only caused harm to people.

Why is it, that people like Tax collectors (who were hated back then)
and harlots were drawn to Jesus?

If he were a man who only wanted to judge people and not help them,
such people would not have been drawn to him. People were willing
to make great changes in their lives (for the better) because of
the things he taught and the way he acted.

Isn't it interesting that a man who was so persecuted by his
enemies (Jesus), never picked up a sword to fight back. He was
truly a man of peace! Neither did his early disciples pick of
the sword in defense of their faith.

How many religious or non-religious people today could stand up
with such dignity despites opposition?

To catagorize the God of the Bible as one who is cruel and unloving,
when he produced a Son like Jesus who taught "happy are the peaceable"
and "happy are the merciful", is stretching the truth a bit.

There is no way in this one simple post I can answer all the valid
questions one may have about "why God did this or that" in the Bible,
but at least it shows that there is much more to the picture than
what others might say. None of us like to be judged unfairly.
Why should we judge God, when we haven't investigated all the facts.

posted January 08, 2007 02:42 PM            

quote:

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To say that all around us simply evolved, which basically means
that it all happened simply by the "roll of the dice" (or pure chance)
boggles the imagination, because things demonstrating design always
have a designer.

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posted January 08, 2007 03:01 PM            

quote:

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Is that really all you can come up with?
I think it is. When you have nothing substantial to add to the matter, you can always attack the person.

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Thanks Erik, I'm learning from you.

Based on your previous post, I guess your next instruction would be;

1: Label them a, "fundamentalist".
2: Then it's politically correct to call them any name in the book.

See, I'm catching on to the power of the hate-label.

A while back, in Germany, they had some real powerful hate-labels.
Once they put them on folks, it was OK to skin them alive.

Don't be discouraged, Erik.
Your intelligence seems to be growing in that direction.
Keep us posted on your progress.

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posted January 08, 2007 03:53 PM            

That is my concern.

posted January 08, 2007 04:01 PM            

PowerBASIC Forum rules specifically disallow disparaging remarks about anyone or anything.

This is our home. Please respect it.

Sincerely,
Steve Rossell
PowerBASIC Staff

posted January 08, 2007 04:20 PM            

quote:

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Conflicts between Catholics and Protestants played a major role in Northern Ireland

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