1. Does Religion Make You Nice?

Comment #314659 by severalspeciesof on January 7, 2009 at 11:52 am

Can epeeist's prediction be revealed yet?...

I can't wait...

2. Does Religion Make You Nice?

Comment #313752 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 1:59 pm

2167. Comment #313718 by jusdefacts

Thin...very thin. Bending over that far backwards can only result in backache.

I'm channeling my pet Skylark in this case...

Cats have extremely flexible backs ;-)

3. Atheists launch bus ad campaign

Comment #313742 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 1:54 pm

75. Comment #313721 by dvophoto

Faith is not about trying to prove or disprove.

As many others have asked...

Why are you here then?...

4. Atheists launch bus ad campaign

Comment #313707 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 1:39 pm

10. Comment #313623 by dvophoto

...Another revenge campaign on the part of atheists that falls short of delivering a well thought out message.

How is this a revenge campaign'...

It's a response campaign...

But seeing that you think it's revenge says a lot...

5. Does Religion Make You Nice?

Comment #313680 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 1:20 pm

2150. Comment #313578 by jusdefacts

Told you so, people. Wasting your time with this one, never once was even remotely interested in learning anything.

I beg to differ...

Even if jg came here with the sole intention of testifying, one does this with some intention of gleaning at least the experience of some learning about how to testify...

*My New Years resolution is wearing on me...*

6. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions - 28th Dec 2008

Comment #313585 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 11:07 am

*Think, think, think...*

Okay, I think I've got it...

Letting 'unfit' parents have children puts the children at risk...
We KNOW that...

The 'unfit' parent has control over his/her children only (basically, run with me here)...

Letting the state have control over who is 'unfit' is also risky...

The state has control over everyone (I know, only if we let it... and there's the rub)...

Any guarantee that the state will be fit?...

If the state isn't fit, there's a whole lot more people who are affected...

I'm playing by the numbers...

7. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions - 28th Dec 2008

Comment #313576 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 10:51 am

845. Comment #313563 by jabber

is that an argument against taking risks?

That's a good question...

I wasn't thinking in that direction...

Actually, quite the opposite...

But I'm having a hard time yanking the 'emotion' out of any arguments in my mind...

I guess I'm saying that I'm with Diacanu on this...



But I'm doing it poorly...

8. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions - 28th Dec 2008

Comment #313558 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 10:23 am

I'm with the idea of informed consent, nothing else will work...

Without informed consent the goal posts can be changed by the state, goal posts that only actually take away personal individual responsibility, not give it...

That's all I've got to say...

[EDIT: shouldn't have said 'All I've got to say'...]

9. Does Religion Make You Nice?

Comment #313533 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 9:11 am

With all this prediction stuff, could I be the cataylst (unknowingly)?...

Or the monkey wrench in the machine?...

10. Does Religion Make You Nice?

Comment #313508 by severalspeciesof on January 6, 2009 at 8:10 am

jgirolamo

Thank you for answering most of my questions. I am not being sarcastic, though from other posts of mine that may be hard to prove.

Here are some of my reactions and questions to your responses. I have added my original questions to some of your anwers to provide clarity for others

You say you have a personal relationship with god… How does that work?

-It works when you believe

Why would god only engage with those who believe? If one of your children were at a point of becoming a danger to themselves (danger to the point of death), would you not take action to prevent that from happening even if that child didn’t believe the danger was imminent?...

_there are different ways to hear from God, hearing his voice is not the most common

I’m not sure how that works, does he write to you (other than the bible)?...

Is there a give and take with the relationship?...

-yes there is give and take

Is it fair though, that if you don’t give god what he wants (your belief) he takes your life? That’s not give and take in a good way…

Can you change god’s mind in this relationship?...

-than's a debated question, I lean toward ,..possibly

An honest answer that I can appreciate (Don’t worry, I’m NOT saying your other answers aren’t honest). So if you’re saying god can have his mind changed, he is not able to comprehend the future with any clarity (why else would he change his mind)?...

Is this relationship healthy? In other words, in this relationship, does it allow for your own personal time?...

-yes

Again, thanks for your honesty, but how does one have personal time away from god? Really, I’d like to know…

Would you define this relationship as parent /child, friend/friend, master/slave?..

-a combination

I guess it couldn’t be any other way to you. But to me, a relationship that UTIMATELY (pain of hell and all that) rests on a ‘do it or else’ mantra speaks only of a master/slave relationship…

-everyone can understand through the Holy spirit, that is how truth is illuminated. It's not a secret plan for some to know and some not , its a bit like explaining things to your children at appropriate time in their life, that they might understand. as it is with us when we are ready to receive God has this plan in place to open our eyes

I’m confused here. Are you saying that the truth can only be known through the holy spirit? If so why doesn’t god give the holy spirit to everyone at birth, so that when the time is right/appropriate we would already have it at our disposal?...

-Gods plan for salvation was through the blood of Christ. This is how he chose to deal with sin from the beginning through sacrifice. it was an atonement. Through the perfect sacrifice, our sins were already atoned for on the cross. you just have to repent and receive forgiveness. God gives us free will to come to him. When we repent we are washed clean

Ask god this question: Why blood? Why a sacrifice of life? Why the ‘scapegoating’? Since god has put a condition (belief) onto the sacrifice, it is not a ‘perfect sacrifice’. If it were perfect, it wouldn’t need to be conditional, since conditions applied onto a specific purpose implies that that purpose doesn’t always work… It’s imperfect…

-God did not created sin only the condition for it to happen by giving us free choice.
Here is a weak analogy: a free society a nation governed by the people and for the people has also the freedom to sin. there are not strict controls on private lives of individuals therefore people can choose the wrong thin. It is a side effect but a necessary one for freedom.

What exactly is free choice? Why didn’t god give us ‘perfect’ free choice? In other words, perfect/full knowledge of what will happen with all of our choices? Wouldn’t ‘perfect’ free choice be better than ‘imperfect’ free choice?...

-Jesus was fully human only to the point of temptation. the fact that he was also fully God prevented him from sinning.

Wouldn’t “prevented him from sinning” be the same as not giving himself free will?...

-Jesus is a part of God. There are only three parts Father son Holy Spirit.

I sincerely don’t get it, since you just stated above the “fact that he was also fully God”. How can one be both fully and part?...

Again,

Sincerely,

Severalspeciesof

11. Does Religion Make You Nice?

Comment #312785 by severalspeciesof on January 5, 2009 at 2:52 pm

All you dirty minds....

Cease and desist...

Skylark commands it...

12. Does Religion Make You Nice?

Comment #312677 by severalspeciesof on January 5, 2009 at 10:39 am

jgirolamo,

*Remember New Years Resolution to self…*

Some questions for you,

Hi jg…

You say you have a personal relationship with god…

How does that work? Do you hear, actually hear god’s voice?...

Is there a give and take with the relationship?...

Can you change god’s mind in this relationship?...

Is this relationship healthy? In other words, in this relationship, does it allow for your own personal time?...

Would you define this relationship as parent /child, friend/friend, master/slave?...


You say:

You can't know the scriptures without the Holy spirit.

Why the secrecy? Doesn’t that happen with many cults and spouse abusers (sorry, don’t mean to be facetious here)?...


You say

God does love unconditionally. He loves everyone. But again, because he is Holy there can be no sin in heaven , therefore you must be washed clean, without blemish.

So why can’t god just ‘wash’ the sin away, unconditionally? Why is belief in him the ONLY way to wash away the sin? (You say you know god and are in a relationship with him, so ask him that question and if the relationship is a healthy one he’ll give you an answer)...

And just where did sin come from? Doesn’t the bible say (I’ll admit to paraphrasing here) that sin entered ‘through’ Adam and Eve? The bible doesn’t say that Adam & Eve created sin…

If god is Holy, and he is the ultimate creator, was sin a side effect?...

If so, why?...



You say:

Jesus was fully human as well as fully God

Is that in the same way as a circle can be a square?...

If Jesus was fully human, he must have sinned, since that is what makes us wholly human since Adam and Eve (and god) made sure of that…

So, did Jesus sin?...


I suspect you agree with this statement: “Jesus is god’s only begotten son”…

Why is the term ‘only’ important here?...

Can’t god have other children?...

Or ‘become other children’?...

These are important questions, are they not?...

So be honest with yourself and answer them (even if only to yourself, though sharing with us might prove valuable to others)…

Thank you for your time,

Sincerely,

Severalspecieof (AKA Skylark)

13. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions - 28th Dec 2008

Comment #312561 by severalspeciesof on January 5, 2009 at 6:24 am

320. Comment #312536 by jabber

Looking back over the American posts, i have noticed that i have been unable to find a single reference to the idea of personal responsibility and an endless litany of 'rights' - as if the former simply wasn't an issue.

A good observation on your part...

Personal responsibility is one of the few mantra's that I agree with regarding the 'right wing' establishment here in the U.S. and I wish more of that position would be brought up by BOTH sides of the abortion issue. We need to realize that our actions (and inactions) have consequences on our rights...

14. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #310873 by severalspeciesof on January 2, 2009 at 10:16 am

I've noticed that many (but not all) theists here tend to eviscerate themselves...

Skylark just looks on in amazement...

and makes it look like he did the eviscerating whenever possible...

*Skylark scampers off to dwell on this resolution stuff...)*

15. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #310860 by severalspeciesof on January 2, 2009 at 9:49 am

epeeist,

LOL...

Though being nicer doesn't mean I can't beat someone 5-0 and not feel guilty...

In fact, being nicer could actually spell defeat for my opponent, as it could be disarming, causing him/her to drop the sword... ;-)

[EDIT: Oopps, misread your second point, obviously shame and guilt being of the same progeny., so drop the 'and not feel guilty' part for better clarity...]

16. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #310852 by severalspeciesof on January 2, 2009 at 9:06 am

I do hope skb hasn't given up on us, unlike his god...

My New Years resolution is/was to be nicer to the theists on this forum...

17. For Good Self-Control, Try Getting Religious About It

Comment #310842 by severalspeciesof on January 2, 2009 at 8:32 am

'Self Control'

Another slippery concept...

Much like good and evil...

and what Irate said ;-)

18. Atheists Sue to Get Prayer, God Out of Obama's Swearing-In

Comment #310824 by severalspeciesof on January 2, 2009 at 6:51 am

Reading all this DR channeling has given me a headache...

Should have gotten drunk on New years eve, at least then the headache would have been worth it...

Tis also VERY, VERY creepy...

*shudders*

19. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #309033 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 4:02 pm

Glad I made it to the library this evening...

Sorry that Skylark won't be able to effectively use his claws against skb (needs time to plan his attacks), but apparently no sharp claws needed as you are all having a grand time with the fundy...

*Cheerleading from the sideline*

20. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #308727 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 10:43 am

Thierry of Chartres' best effort was to say that 1x1 = 1, with the first and second ones being the father and the son, the act of multiplication being the holy spirit, and the one in the product the entirety of god.

Oooohh, I can have fun with that...

Let's see...

God created from ex nihilo...

So bring that into the equation and one could come up with...

(1x1=1)x0...

=0...

WHOA!...

I think I've just mathematically proved that god doesn't exist...

*'nuf fun for now, Skylark and I must scamper off for a while... Have a very good end of year, and a good start to the new year everyone...*

21. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #308721 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 10:21 am

Guys, you can't make this stuff up.

You mean it's all for REAL?....

Really?...

Really, Really?...

Ohhh, those quirky patron saints...

Brings a smirk/smile to my face every time...

22. For scholars, a combustible question: Was Christ real?

Comment #308718 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 10:12 am

It's strange that anyone believes that a omnipotent dude from space used a married virgin to teleport himself through her vagina into our world.

What's even stranger is the Catholic belief (I don't know if it's official dogma) that Mary's hymen remained intact...

23. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #308712 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 10:03 am

796. Comment #308711 by Oystein Elgaroy

But in the trinity 3 equals 1, which means that they are doing modular arithmetic modulo 2, where the only integers are 0,1, and 2.

But what about pi? Biblically speaking that equals 3... ;-)

*Just trying to squirm away from your superior intellect*

24. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #308710 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 9:55 am

793. Comment #308706 by epeeist

Isn't it obvious - they can only count up to two.

I'll have to politely disagree, many cretinists have their 'trinity'... ;-)

[EDIT: Grrrrr.... Damn it Decius, you beat me to it... :-)]

25. The New Atheism, a definition and a quiz

Comment #308705 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 9:29 am

94. Comment #308699 by Steve Zara

What is urgent is the legal and political battle for secularism, to make religion a private matter, to prevent public conflicts on matters of faith.

I agree with the sentiment expressed, but in my opinion, public conflicts on matters of faith, expressed and controlled in a secular (reasoned) state would, in the long run, be beneficial in that it should expose the faulty logic that is at the very core of many religions (god exists, so therefore I can control others)...

26. The New Atheism, a definition and a quiz

Comment #308702 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 9:16 am

91. Comment #308691 by xmd

But God is a tricky word.

Not only a tricky word, but a slimy, responsibility diverting anachronism which has a different meaning under every rock that is overturned...

27. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #308680 by severalspeciesof on December 30, 2008 at 8:02 am

*Always late to the fun part of the parties... (Damned)*

Steve,

your response was awesome, as everyone with half a brain clearly can see...

I'm with Baron on this...

I hope it will be answered by skb...

At least I hope so, so it can be torn to shreds...

Skylark is sharpening his claws...

28. God: Philosophers Weigh In

Comment #308043 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 10:36 am

re:356. Comment #308031 by Obecalp,

Just click on 'Other comments by Bernstein' and go to the comments posted in November (Religion of Peace Strikes Again thread) to get a feel for what this is about...

Good luck...

29. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #308035 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 10:26 am

Mordacious,

How do you ring a bell wearing a straight jacket?...

*Skylark must scamper off for now...*

30. God: Philosophers Weigh In

Comment #308021 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 9:51 am

347. Comment #308019 by Diacanu

Bernstein sees the world as a stream of ones and zeroes, good fucking luck changing a mind like that.

I'm in it for the remote possibility that I might succeed, which would then result in gobs of adulation towards my supreme intellect...

There's always hope... ;-)

31. God: Philosophers Weigh In

Comment #308017 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 9:37 am

344. Comment #308012 by Bernstein

Comment #308011 by severalspeciesof

My lines are amendable...

Then, I'm afraid, you're not being rational.

Some lines are drawn with permanent marker, like:

‘You’re not as yet equal to me. Equality is important, so I’ll try, if possible, to change: ‘You’re not as yet equal to me’…

A rational thought…



Other lines are drawn with a pencil, like:

‘You’re not as yet equal to me. Equality is important, but I’ll do nothing to change: ‘You’re not as yet equal to me’…

Irrational…



People here have been trying to get you to erase that latter line, since that is not rational…

32. God: Philosophers Weigh In

Comment #308011 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 9:06 am

My lines are amendable...

33. God: Philosophers Weigh In

Comment #308006 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 8:59 am

Looks like I've stumbled upon the Bernstein anti-comedy show, where if Bernstein's view of 'no action always equals no action' weren't so sad, it'd be hilarious...

But I must say, the supporting cast of Carto et. al. has done, what in my opinion has been Herculean attempts at improving the comedy, a great service for this jaded spectator... ;-)

{EDIT: Maybe it should read: 'unsupporting cast', for better meaning?]

34. Would you Adam and Eve it? Quarter of science teachers would teach creationism (Response by Dawkins and Jones)

Comment #308002 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 8:47 am

Thanks Diacanu...

I don't mind weasels... (I can be one)...

But I hate hateful and despicable ones...

35. Storm

Comment #307997 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 8:42 am

64. Comment #307966 by beeline

Thanks for posting the poem...

36. Would you Adam and Eve it? Quarter of science teachers would teach creationism (Response by Dawkins and Jones)

Comment #307964 by severalspeciesof on December 29, 2008 at 6:55 am

After reading some of the comments (about DR and what he has said in the past) posted after I made this comment:

Re DR:

Have a great Christ's Time - and a Happy New Year....

You too...

*Feelings of generosity waft throughout my head*

Have a good weekend...

( 413. Comment #306787)

I take it back...

way back...

And I apologize to anyone who may have read that knowing about DR, what I now know about DR...

I feel better now...

37. Would you Adam and Eve it? Quarter of science teachers would teach creationism (Response by Dawkins and Jones)

Comment #306787 by severalspeciesof on December 26, 2008 at 10:30 am

Re DR:

Have a great Christ's Time - and a Happy New Year....

You too...

*Feelings of generosity waft throughout my head*

Have a good weekend...

38. Dawkins Delusion (3rd article, Same Stupid Title)

Comment #306762 by severalspeciesof on December 26, 2008 at 9:35 am

659. Comment #306752 by Logicel

but that they believe they can control the uncontrollable by their inane dogma.

exactly why/how totalitarian regimes come to be...

religious or not...

39. What do atheists do at Christmas?

Comment #306705 by severalspeciesof on December 26, 2008 at 6:44 am

189. Comment #306692 by Cartomancer

Unfortunately you didn't wait long enough for an affirmative answer...

Years ago our mother told us about her father's antics...

Not too much different...

[Edit: on a brighter note, my brother did come to the family get-together sober, and left in the same condition... Two years in a row!!!...]

40. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #306703 by severalspeciesof on December 26, 2008 at 6:40 am

4111. Comment #306245 by Dianelos Georgoudis

...I notice that other posters here have come up with the conclusion that a perfect person would never change and would never want anything. I disagree with them, but it's not like one can't think about how a perfect person would be, for, obviously, they do so too.

The stuupid... it burrrrrns...

There's enough there to rival the output of the sun...

41. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #305614 by severalspeciesof on December 23, 2008 at 10:29 am

Breaking News...

http://forums.ebay.ca/thread.jspa?threadID=500038615&tstart=0&mod=1229916210656

Happy holidays...

42. Does Religion Make You Nice?

Comment #305611 by severalspeciesof on December 23, 2008 at 10:05 am

Comment #305586 by jgirolamo

Jesus is the only one who claimed to be God.

No, we don't have any writings from the man himself saying so, only secondhand sources making that claim, and even then not always in concert with each other...

Regarding the trinity, it is hard to wrap our minds around but we have one God in three persons.

I can wrap my mind around that idea...

The idea is false...

43. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #305598 by severalspeciesof on December 23, 2008 at 9:33 am

I'm beginning to think I'm ontologically challenged... :-)

Keep up the good posts (except DG- his are 'funny' posts)...

44. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #305544 by severalspeciesof on December 23, 2008 at 7:19 am

4033. Comment #305535 by irate_atheist

Must say myself, I 'm feeling that too...

*humming the theme song to 'Lost in Space'*

45. Is Yahweh a Moral Monster?

Comment #304796 by severalspeciesof on December 22, 2008 at 7:49 am

Maybe god is like Darth Vader, doing all those nasty things because, at first, it was to save someone he loved from dying...

46. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #304788 by severalspeciesof on December 22, 2008 at 7:06 am

3859. Comment #304772 by Mark Jones

So that's three strikes; you know that that means, don't you?

Careful there Mark, DG might be bowling, which might mean he's well into the possiblity of a perfect 300 game...

Which would prove his perfect god... ;-)

47. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #304118 by severalspeciesof on December 20, 2008 at 11:40 am

Gotta go again, damn snowplow just came through, blocking the driveway...

again...

And that reminds me of DG, just keeps plowing through, blocking everyone in his path...

48. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #304114 by severalspeciesof on December 20, 2008 at 11:31 am

Shoveling, and the pain involved, the 14 inches of snow we got yesterday pales in comparision to wading through the verbiage put forward by DG...

Oh the humanity...

and what decius just said...

Doh!!!

49. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #303198 by severalspeciesof on December 18, 2008 at 11:45 am

Look out everyone!!! I've just spotted the walking Statue of Liberty...

And SHE IS PISSED!!!!

(Maybe because she has to walk into the oncoming snowstorm... Watch out all!!)

50. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #303169 by severalspeciesof on December 18, 2008 at 10:05 am

epeeist,

Am I wrong with my statement above?...

Thanks in advance...