<p>Barrons - aboput their religious preference? Or about their political affiliations and beliefs? There’s a big difference.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I really love that phrase, but I like to pronounce it "Buuuuuuuuuurn in the Fiiiiiii-yers of Hellllllllllllllllll (!!!)</p>
<p>Once, long ago, I was copying a document in the office and happened to chat with a co-worker about a book I had just read - “Life After Life.” I was talking about the near-death experiences described and mentioned offhand “it sounds so attractive it makes you want to sign up for death right away.” She said “before you wish to die you better [code phrase alert] Know Where You’re Going! What master do you serve?” </p>
<p>I wanted to start singing “I know where I’m going, and I know who’s going with me, I know where there’s music…” because after all, I was hip to the scene and all. But instead I asked her what church she attended. She said “a small bible-oriented church with 40 memebers. We are strict fundamentalists.” I asked “Are you all saved? Guarenteed to go to heaven?” “Yes!” “And what about Baptists, are they saved?” “Most of them.” “And what about Methodists?” “Some of them.” “And what about Catholics?” “A few of them.” “So do all Buddhists go to hell?” “Yes, because they don’t believe in JC.” Naturally, the conversation ended with me saying that it seemed to me that a loving God wouldn’t send 5 billion people to hell because of their beliefs, and with her telling me that I was surely going to hell.</p>
<p>She is probably right, if hell is a virtual reality of the eternal judgement of the closed and no-longer-questioning mind. The problem, if you saw What the Bleep Do We Know? is that if all possibilities exist simultaneously, I am probably already burning, which reminds me in turn of the demon in Dogma - “No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater… than Central Air!”</p>
<p>One of my favorite Gary Larson cartoons shows a long line of people in overcoats and briefcases standing next to a wall in front of a big lecturn, behind which stands a devil and behind him a window into the dungeon of fire. The devil behind the lecturn asks “Would you like inferno or non-inferno? It’s all inferno of course, I just get a kick out of saying that.” (Why oh why doesn’t Gary Larson come back to us - Gary we need you).</p>
<p>Half of my biological relatives living in various states are fundamentalists - I was hounded, preached to, even cornered with a strident aunt yelling in my face “JC was either a fool, a madman, or the son of God! Which is it!” A lovely memory from my childhood. </p>
<p>Fundamentalist Christians in the US obviously have been much emboldened by the current adminstration, hence the increasingly intolerance and stridency of their rhetoric and legal/legislative moves to oppress the rest of the US by forcing their beliefs on everyone else. (Caveat - Not ALL fundamentalists, just a high % of them). How many steps are there between today’s climate and the Inquisition?</p>
<p>I will never, never understand how an individual who can, on the one hand, marvel over the Hubble Deep Space view of huge, gorgeous, extraordinary galaxies 13 billion years old, and on the other, can also believe that a second generation religion that evolved from a localized group of goat herders can be the one and only expression of TRUTH for the entire Billions and Billions. What possible reasoning could lead one to that conclusion? Is it important for the ETs that they believe that one must not hitch an ox and an ass to the plow together? Further, are all ETs going to hell because they didn’t happen to stop by this little orb in an outer arm of a really unimpressive galaxy to read the Bible? That would indeed be harsh! Another word for this capacity of over-the-top credulous belief is, I submit, “Doublethink” (nods to G.O.)</p>
<p>Ok I’ll stop already - had to get it off my chest before I move to Canada (percentage of Canadians who identify themselves as “very religious” = <5).</p>
<p>Last cartoon, joke’s on the New Agers this time - on top of a fluffy cloud, another lecturn, with a venerable bearded angel standing behind it, another long line of people. The angel says “Now - all of you who believe in reincarnation, move over into the Re-entry line.” </p>
<p>Last reference, Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven (Mark Twain) - “Could you hold my halo and harp for a few minutes?”</p>
<p><a href=“Yahoo News: Latest and Breaking News, Headlines, Live Updates, and More”>Yahoo News: Latest and Breaking News, Headlines, Live Updates, and More;
<p>NewsCenter 5’s Gail Huff reported that Staff Sgt. Christoper Piper, 43, served in both Afghanistan and Iraq and was awarded a bronze star for his combat service. The Green Beret died when his convoy was bombed June 3 in Afghanistan and a right-wing Protestant Christian church group from Topeka, Kansas is planning to demonstrate at Piper’s funeral services at the Old North Church. They claim U.S. soldiers like Piper are dying because the country is being punished for its tolerance of what they see as immoral behavior, such as homosexuality.</p>
<p>This is truly disgusting</p>
<p>I don’t like the war, but to protest someones funeral because we have gays in our country is just sick</p>
<p>Here’s another thing that you and I agree on. However, it is easy to stereotype all evangelical Christians as being as outragious as these people are reported to be. This makes no more sense than to say that the anti-war groups in Europe who are taking up a collection to support the terrorists in Iraq are representative of all anti-war people.</p>
<p>
Agreed!! What utterly disgusting and inappropriate behavior occurs in the “name” of religion is outrageous. What ever happened to the old golden rule… do unto others…?</p>
<p>The “Westboro Baptist Church,” and the psychotic family that founded it, are a well known, if peripheral hate group masquerading as a religious sect. They may believe that “God’s hatred is one of His holy attributes,” as they like to profess, but it would be a true act of bigotry to liken this 100-member malevolent group to fundamentalist Christians on the whole. </p>
<p><a href=“You are being redirected...”>You are being redirected...;
<a href=“http://rickross.org/reference/westboro/westboro31.html[/url]”>http://rickross.org/reference/westboro/westboro31.html</a></p>
<p>Driver, thanks for the links. This group is no more representative of evangelicals than was Jim Jones with his kool-aid.</p>
<p>It is as if saying that all secular/liberal organizations are represented by “The Socialist Workers Party of America” or the “Communist League of America”. Both are avowedly secular and dogmatically atheist. Would it be fair to say they are representative of all liberals, secularists and atheists?</p>
<p>It is as if saying that all secular/liberal organizations are represented by “The Socialist Workers Party of America” or the “Communist League of America”. Both are avowedly secular and dogmatically atheist. Would it be fair to say they are representative of all liberals, secularists and atheists?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.themilitant.com/index.shtml[/url]”>http://www.themilitant.com/index.shtml</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcommunistleague.htm[/url]”>http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcommunistleague.htm</a></p>
<p>That’s what I say about Al-Qaeda.</p>
<p>A large asteroid is going to strike Canada soon. (should deal with the growing problem of gay Baathist terrorists sneaking over our northern border. ;))</p>
<p>I don’t care if its Osama Bin Laden, it is just morally bankrupt in any context to protest at a funeral. When I went through basic training for the Air Force, on Sunday morning, if you didn’t go to Church services, you stayed back in the dorms and had to buff the floors. So basically everyone went to church, even the nonreligous. These “Evangelicals” or “born agains” (whatever they call themselves, if you love Jesus from the beginning, why do you need to be born again) are really starting to scare me with the power they seem to be holding over government. These groups include anything with ‘family’ or ‘moral values’ in the title. I am as conservative as the next white male, but what the hell should the government have anything to do with strip clubs, casinos, and medical marijuana?? Here in Ohio they are trying to pass a law saying that strippers have to stay 6 feet away from the customer, and strip clubs have to close by 11 pm. They are basically saying that they are closing all strip joints because noone goes there before midnight anyways and the six foot rule would ban lap dances, their biggest seller. These ‘born agains’ are also the reason why Ohio is the only state in the midwest not to have casino gaming. I have to drive 3 hours to either Windsor/Detroit, Niagara, or West Virginia if I want to play a slot machine!!! There has to be a balance somewhere between common sense and moral values. </p>
<p>To put it simply, if you don’t like these places (casinos, strip clubs, bars you can smoke in) don’t go there!!! No need to ban them for those of us who might want to enjoy the services of these establishments.</p>
<p>Agreed. No one religion should determine the moral values of everyone else. Unfortunately, far too many Christians believe otherwise.</p>
<p>We need to encourage responsible Republicans to take back their party. Many conservatives are disheartened by what is happening.</p>
<p>Here, Here A.S.A.P. - it’s been hi-jacked by a very scary segment of the population.</p>
<p>Where are Dwight Eisenhower, Clifford Case, George Romney, Jacob Javits, Margaret Chase Smith, and Bush pere for that matter, when the country and their party needs them?</p>
<p>At this point, I’d even welcome Richard Nixon.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Nixon was the last great civil rights president–Title IX and Section 504 were passed on his watch, and the his administrations, particularly under Cap Weinberger, developed affirmative action, and sheltered Federal contracts for African-Americans as part of their concept of Black Capitalism.</p>
<p>CGM - PM me if you would like a few anecdotes (backed up with newspaper articles if I can find them) about bullying by liberal students.</p>
<p>
One could make the same hijacking claim of the democratic party (where are the Scoop Jacksons and John Kennedys when you need them). But, I’m wondering what are the specifics as to what you think the Republican Party has become that is so scary? I don’t mean what some far right Christian conservative component may want to have happen, but what the “hijacked” Republican Party has actually implememented or tried to get implemented? I’m not saying that you are wrong, but I wonder what your evidence is.</p>
<p>John McCain and Mitt Romney are both moderate Republicans who would make fine Presidents. And Arnold, if we can pass a Constitutional Amendment to permit him to run, would also be a good President. Arnold means what he says and says what he means. The press is enjoying piling on him right now but he’ll end up doing what he said he would.</p>
<p>I can’t say that it is political- but Christian religion is much more prominent in public education than when I was in school
Local schools are handing out the “10 commandments for parents” which include going to church and sex ed is abstinence based and apparently doesn’t even need to include accurate information re: birth control, parents are also not allowed to sit in on the lecture.
I know that you know about intelligent design and creationism being taught side by side with evolution.
<a href=“http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/quiz/neoconQuiz.html[/url]”>http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/quiz/neoconQuiz.html</a></p>
<p>I guess I am a liberal what a surprise
</p>