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I want to also add that she has become an absolutely fantastic partner to have moderating the forums. The side of her City-Data presence that you folks don't see is just as great as what you do see. In her non-City-Data life, she's just as much of a gem as she is here.
And, no, she does not get upset when pictures of the WTC attacks are posted. She once said that one important life lesson to learn is to wear shoes suitable for running. Another is to know where the emergency exits are located.
Geez, you guys are killing me here. I'm going to have a hard time fitting my head through the door.
Fortunately, there are people on this forum who balance it all out with their dislike of me.
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Originally Posted by ImissThe90's
They can also choose not to, which is what they did. So what's your problem with it?
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Originally Posted by BaptistFundie
correction: a vocal minority bullied the majority.
Not if you count the Constitutional Convention, who put forth the proposed Constitution for ratification by the states. Not if you count the states, which duly ratified the proposal & thereby formally constituted the US of America, as we know it now. Not if you count all the military (& police & other first responders) who risked & gave their lives, defending the structured freedoms that we cherish.
So, in the big picture, it's not the people who advocate for separation of church & state who are in the minority.
That is the point exactly. Nobody is denying that the great majority of Muslims are peaceful people who just want to get on with their lives and to practice their religion in peace. However, whatever may be the reasons for it, Islam has become a real problem of late and if not caused by the religion itself, the problem is fuelled by the religion, not doused by it.
I think that is a fair statement, and is indicative of the way religions tend to work...in other words, the organization works to protect itself and tends to pull along it adherents with it. In this case, I think Bill Maher is right about a problem being that the moderate voices -- for the most part -- remain relatively silent about the abuses of the minority. The ability to self-police the religion is -- for the most part -- silent.
The odds are vanishingly small (0.10% Pacific Islander - same source as above) that there are any Polynesians in residence; it's a planned community, with median income per household of $80K+. But apparently English just didn't have the cultural heft required for a planned city.
There's a lot of city history & demographic info @ the URL above. It's interesting reading.
If atheists truly believe God is to blame because He is the source of all creation then they are hypocrites if they ever have children. After all, you brought this child into this world knowing full well that they will experience pain on some level. That person should never be brought into life even if all they experience is a stubbed toe.
So what's the alternative? God should never create anything unless it can never have a negative effect? Or force all creation to never have a negative effect? Then you can't have free will.
If I had the powers your god supposedly has you can bet your butt I would have made it so they didn't have to suffer
If atheists truly believe God is to blame because He is the source of all creation then they are hypocrites if they ever have children. After all, you brought this child into this world knowing full well that they will experience pain on some level. That person should never be brought into life even if all they experience is a stubbed toe.
So what's the alternative? God should never create anything unless it can never have a negative effect? Or force all creation to never have a negative effect? Then you can't have free will.
After all this time do you still suppose that atheists "believe" that a non existent Being is responsible for ANYTHING? At least try to understand that when non believers discuss the various aspects of God with you, it is simply in an effort to point out how self contradictory, inconsistent and illogical your beliefs are.
So let me spell it out plainly for you. Atheists do not blame God for ANYTHING! Because God does not now, and never has, existed. It is believers subscribing to make believe and their stubborn insistence on holding on to these long outdated ancient ignorant superstitious notions that is the root problem. Atheists do not place blame on your imaginary Beings for anything. It is the ongoing insistence that your imaginary Beings have expectations and demands that must be rigidly complied with because believers declare it to be so that is the source of the problem.
Religion is currently in the process of dying in the well educated countries of the world. It is doing so because the once unquestioned acceptance of the ancient claims and superstitious assumptions are finally actually being subjected to open scrutiny and detailed evaluation, in the light of modern knowledge. The old beliefs and assumptions concerning reality are in the process of being replaced with direct observation concerning the actual nature of physical reality. This is proving to be a painful experience for the faithful, who are determined to hold on to their ancient make believe until the day they die.
As they inevitably will. And as believers die out, their ancient make believe is in the process of dying out with them. What we are experiencing now are the agonizing death throes of centuries of institutionalized and well entrenched nonsense in the process of being supplanted. By the end of this century our descendants will look back in wonder that their recent ancestors could ever have subscribed to such childish ignorance. Much the way we today largely consider beliefs in witch doctors and voodoo to be childish ignorance.
If atheists truly believe God is to blame because He is the source of all creation then they are hypocrites if they ever have children. After all, you brought this child into this world knowing full well that they will experience pain on some level. That person should never be brought into life even if all they experience is a stubbed toe.
So what's the alternative? God should never create anything unless it can never have a negative effect? Or force all creation to never have a negative effect? Then you can't have free will.
As usual, you fail to grasp the point. If there really is an omnipotent God who created everything, why did He create sin, hell, Satan, disease, disasters, etc? Why did He create imperfect people then get pissed they aren't perfect? Your theology is deeply flawed.
As usual, you fail to grasp the point. If there really is an omnipotent God who created everything, why did He create sin, hell, Satan, disease, disasters, etc? Why did He create imperfect people then get pissed they aren't perfect? Your theology is deeply flawed.
You will grasp the point Petunia; When you are finally in God's Presence, the evil doesn't matter anymore, but being with God and wanting God to never leave you again, becomes all important.
Last edited by glenninindy; 07-30-2019 at 09:17 AM..
When has the government ever forced someone to pray or be a Christian? These atheists are fighting a war that doesn't exist. Rather, they are using separation of church and state (which isnt even in the Constitution) as a vehicle to eradicate Christianity completely from society. Please tell me how such a memorial is so harmful.
See the Puritans in the early UK colonies that became the US. See the persecution of witches (& anyone else who just didn't fit in) in New England. See the treatment of Jews, Roman Catholics, any wrong flavor of Protestant in the British colonies & the early US. People were exiled, flogged & ultimately put to death - if they didn't quietly go along with the established church - the civic government worked hand in glove with the established churches, for the most part, in the Americas.
The fight isn't against Christianity in society, it's against Christianity misappropriating public space for its exclusive use & display. Otherwise, in justice, any & all religions should have equal access to public space, to display their symbols & dogma. Since US government is secular, it has no business adjudicating purely dogmatic claims to truth. So it's either allow all religions to post their stuff, or none. Wisely (I think), the government has opted for none.
The memorial is so harmful because it's a foot in the door, an attempt to breach the separation of church & state, as Tega Cay's counsel likely warned the city fathers - after the fact, which is when the city finally asked counsel's opinion on the question. Foolish of them to plow ahead & hit a massive stone. They should check public opinion first, & then counsel, & then - if they get green lights - they could have acted in good faith. They got the planning process completely wrong, & now they look bad. It's a self-inflicted wound, & the city fathers may be out of a job, coming the next election cycle.
Geez, you guys are killing me here. I'm going to have a hard time fitting my head through the door.
Fortunately, there are people on this forum who balance it all out with their dislike of me.
I suppose that antagonizing people it is the nature of being a moderator. Yet I do not recall anyone indicating their dislike for you.
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Looking @ the wide screen
