Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Interesting Stuff Thread

12223252728219

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 446 ✭✭sonicthebadger*


    liamw wrote: »
    Don't understand? Just call it God, it's easier

    Shoot. What a waste of four years of study! I should have stayed in mass. Doh! :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,141 ✭✭✭eoin5


    liamw wrote: »
    Don't understand? Just call it God, it's easier

    Its official then, God is the 4th dimension :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    eoin5 wrote: »
    Its official then, God is the 4th dimension :D

    God is time then. Some physicists believe Time to an illusion....


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    Malty_T wrote: »
    God is time then. Some physicists believe Time to an illusion....
    Lunchtime doubly so.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,314 ✭✭✭sink


    Why I am an optimistic atheist? Carl said it best.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    Art Inspired by Science (And apparently, a small bit of pseudo :). Though I'm no artist so I can't tell. ;).



  • Registered Users Posts: 35 Blank_


    A episode of "Louis Theroux's weird weekends" where he spends a few weeks with followers of the Westboro Baptist Church. Painful to watch!

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7735501683185935638#


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,553 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    ^^ Have watched all of that.

    Love Louis' style - teeth hurt from the ignorance of his subjects. :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭liamw


    Blank_ wrote: »
    A episode of "Louis Theroux's weird weekends" where he spends a few weeks with followers of the Westboro Baptist Church. Painful to watch!

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7735501683185935638#

    What scares me about the Westboro Baptist Church, is whether they are actually more Christian than the moderated secular majority? What I mean is that they take the Bible as the word of god, and are taking everything literally... so are they actually being more honest than those that tend to pick and choose?

    Of course their logic when it comes to troops etc. is ridiculous but doesn't the bible clearly condone homosexuality, sex before marriage etc?


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,386 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    liamw wrote: »
    What scares me about the Westboro Baptist Church, is whether they are actually more Christian than the moderated secular majority?
    That was Sam Harris's (AFAIR) point -- that the raving fundamentalists are at least following through on their belief that the bible is the word of god. The other christians just pick'n'mix to suit themselves.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 4,314 ✭✭✭sink


    ....the evolutionists nightmare :D:D;);):p:p:):):rolleyes::rolleyes:

    Earth younger than previously thought, say scientists

    ...70 million years younger so "We estimate that makes it about 4.467 billion years old - a mere youngster compared with the 4.537 billion-year-old planet we had previously imagined."


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,553 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    Read this earlier.

    First thing I thought was that it's never a good idea to put "earth" and "young" in the same headline.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    liamw wrote: »
    What scares me about the Westboro Baptist Church, is whether they are actually more Christian than the moderated secular majority? What I mean is that they take the Bible as the word of god, and are taking everything literally... so are they actually being more honest than those that tend to pick and choose?

    Of course their logic when it comes to troops etc. is ridiculous but doesn't the bible clearly condone homosexuality, sex before marriage etc?
    I don't recall the passage in the bible where Jesus pickets a funeral with hate-filled slogans.

    Just because some sects preach that the bible is all-important doesn't mean they're more Christian.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,386 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    mikhail wrote: »
    Just because some sects preach that the bible is all-important doesn't mean they're more Christian.
    In the long-standing absence of Jesus Christ to pronounce on the matter, it's irrelevant whether they're more or less christian than any other group.

    What's important is that they believe they're more christian. In this, they share a lot with most other christian groups.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭liamw


    mikhail wrote: »
    I don't recall the passage in the bible where Jesus pickets a funeral with hate-filled slogans.

    You should read my post again.. it's not very long: "Of course their logic when it comes to troops etc. is ridiculous"
    Just because some sects preach that the bible is all-important doesn't mean they're more Christian.

    Actually, they're reading the Christian holy book (the bible) and actually interpreting it literally, instead of interpreting it how they please (symbolically, metaphorically) so that it fits nicer with our modern secular society and ethics. So in that sense I would say they are more Christian.

    Isn't the Bible the holy grail of a Christian?


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    liamw wrote: »
    You should read my post again.. it's not very long: "Of course their logic when it comes to troops etc. is ridiculous"

    Actually, they're reading the Christian holy book (the bible) and actually interpreting it literally, instead of interpreting it how they please (symbolically, metaphorically) so that it fits nicer with our modern secular society and ethics. So in that sense I would say they are more Christian.

    Isn't the Bible the holy grail of a Christian?
    The fact that they interpret sections of the book literally instead of sections of it metaphorically doesn't really convince me. If anything, it makes them more cynical about it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    liamw wrote: »
    Isn't the Bible the holy grail of a Christian?

    Actually I think the holy grail is the holy grail of a Christian :p

    Although they do treat the bible as if it was gospel or something :rolleyes:


    Or at least they're supposed to. This is the first time I've seen (presumably) a christian try to downplay the importance of the bible


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    Sam Vimes wrote: »
    Or at least they're supposed to. This is the first time I've seen (presumably) a christian try to downplay the importance of the bible
    Wow, arguing that being more fanatical about their selective readings of the bible doesn't make the WBC "more Christian" than other sects makes me a "(presumably) Christian" now.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭liamw


    mikhail wrote: »
    The fact that they interpret sections of the book literally instead of sections of it metaphorically doesn't really convince me. If anything, it makes them more cynical about it.

    More cynical? I don't really understand your point here. The Bible is not favourable towards homosexuality; all I'm saying is that they are acting on that message, whereas a lot of christians overlook it or decide to reinterpret and juggle the words so they mean something else. Creationism.. same deal. I've seen Christians jump hoops to reinterpret the book of genesis to 'fit' with current scientific discovery.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    liamw wrote: »
    More cynical? I don't really understand your point here. The Bible is not favourable towards homosexuality; all I'm saying is that they are acting on that message, whereas a lot of christians overlook it or decide to reinterpret and juggle the words so they mean something else. Creationism.. same deal. I've seen Christians jump hoops to reinterpret the book of genesis to 'fit' with current scientific discovery.
    There are parts of the bible which condemn homosexuality. There are parts which suggest you love sinners and turn the other cheek (ahem!). I think that ignoring the latter and enthusiastically embracing the former requires more hypocrisy than suggesting that the evidence for evolution suggests that Genesis might bit less than the literal truth.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,082 ✭✭✭Pygmalion


    mikhail wrote: »
    I think that ignoring the latter and enthusiastically embracing the former requires more hypocrisy than suggesting that the evidence for evolution suggests that Genesis might bit less than the literal truth.

    So ignoring X and embracing Y requires more hypocrisy than ignoring Y and embracing X?
    Why? Because it's obvious to anyone who can think for themselves!

    Why not cut out the bible altogether and admit that you're basing this on common sense and not gospel?


  • Registered Users Posts: 30,746 ✭✭✭✭Galvasean


    robindch wrote: »
    In the long-standing absence of Jesus Christ to pronounce on the matter, it's irrelevant whether they're more or less christian than any other group.

    What's important is that they believe they're more christian. In this, they share a lot with most all other christian groups.

    FYP


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    Pygmalion wrote: »
    So ignoring X and embracing Y requires more hypocrisy than ignoring Y and embracing X?
    Why? Because it's obvious to anyone who can think for themselves!
    Do you think the WBC is "more Christian" than more mainstream sects? Because that's what I've been attacked here for arguing against.

    And yes, I think that basing and acting on a deep hatred of homosexuality on a selective reading of a particular text requires more hypocrisy than some wishy-washy notion of being nice to people does. I certainly don't think it displays any more devotion to the text - being rabidly for parts of it because they're in it and against others in spite of it is more hypocritical than the 'I haven't read it but I hear Jesus is nice' Christianity we all know so well.
    Why not cut out the bible altogether and admit that you're basing this on common sense and not gospel?
    There's a common sense notion of Christianity we should apply to this ridiculous argument?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭liamw


    mikhail wrote: »
    Do you think the WBC is "more Christian" than more mainstream sects? Because that's what I've been attacked here for arguing against.

    I said that the WBC is more Christian than the moderated secular majority of Christians, on issues like homosexuality.
    And yes, I think that basing and acting on a deep hatred of homosexuality on a selective reading of a particular text requires more hypocrisy than some wishy-washy notion of being nice to people does. I certainly don't think it displays any more devotion to the text - being rabidly for parts of it because they're in it and against others in spite of it is more hypocritical than the 'I haven't read it but I hear Jesus is nice' Christianity we all know so well.

    Indeed the 'I hear Jesus is nice' group could hardly quote you a paragraph from the Bible too. I guarantee the WBC know the Bible very well. The WBC probably have similar attitudes to that of most Christians in the 13th century.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    mikhail wrote: »
    Wow, arguing that being more fanatical about their selective readings of the bible doesn't make the WBC "more Christian" than other sects makes me a "(presumably) Christian" now.

    Are you a christian? Looking at your recent posts it would seem not


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    mikhail wrote: »
    There are parts of the bible which condemn homosexuality. There are parts which suggest you love sinners and turn the other cheek (ahem!). I think that ignoring the latter and enthusiastically embracing the former requires more hypocrisy than suggesting that the evidence for evolution suggests that Genesis might bit less than the literal truth.
    mikhail wrote: »
    Do you think the WBC is "more Christian" than more mainstream sects? Because that's what I've been attacked here for arguing against.

    And yes, I think that basing and acting on a deep hatred of homosexuality on a selective reading of a particular text requires more hypocrisy than some wishy-washy notion of being nice to people does. I certainly don't think it displays any more devotion to the text - being rabidly for parts of it because they're in it and against others in spite of it is more hypocritical than the 'I haven't read it but I hear Jesus is nice' Christianity we all know so well.


    There's a common sense notion of Christianity we should apply to this ridiculous argument?

    Turn the other cheek means that if someone harms you you should not retaliate. That's not what these people are doing. The bible unequivocally condemns homosexuality. In the Old Testament the punishment is death and in the New Testament the punishment is burning for eternity in a lake of fire. The bible teaches that you should love sinners, not that you should condone their actions and what these people are doing is warning homosexuals of their impending fate. Jesus was never shy about telling sinners that they were sinners.

    If anything it's less loving not to tell a homosexual that what they are doing is wrong because by doing so one is giving them the impression that what they are doing is ok and will not condemn them to hell which, if christianity is true, it will. It's as if there's someone walking on a train track oblivious to the train approaching behind them and you don't push them out of the way because you don't want to be rude.

    There is no part of the bible that condones homosexuality. There is no part of the bible that says you should refrain from warning sinners that their sin will doom them, in fact it says the exact opposite. From the point of view of the bible any hurt people feel from these protests is their sinful nature recoiling from the truth of the gospel.

    But you are right that we should take a common sense notion of christianity. I don't support the actions of the WBC at all but I don't claim that their actions are due to a selective and inconsistent reading of the bible because they're not. Their actions are in keeping with the teachings of christianity but not with what christianity has evolved into over the past 2000 years. What I would call common sense would be for people to realise that their morality is not informed by christianity, it's informed by their society which takes the bits it likes from christianity so that it can claim moral authority. And once people realise that they will realise that they don't need christianity to be moral and will able to outright condemn the actions of the WBC without looking like hypocrites.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭sponsoredwalk


    Sam Vimes wrote: »
    If anything it's less loving not to tell a homosexual that what they are doing is wrong because by doing so one is giving them the impression that what they are doing is ok and will not condemn them to hell which, if christianity is true, it will.

    I don't find hatred & rank stupidity like the above to be "interesting stuff"



  • Registered Users Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    I don't find hatred & rank stupidity like the above to be "interesting stuff"

    I think you missed my point, I don't hate homosexuals. I have absolutely no problem with homosexuality and I don't think they're doing anything wrong. My point was that christians who are being consistent in their beliefs should view homosexuality as immoral, should believe that homosexuals will go to hell if they don't repent and, if they care about them, should tell them so vocally and often to save them from the fate they have doomed themselves to. I don't believe any of those things but a Christian who is reading the bible as it is actually written should.

    Instead many Christians try to downplay the condemnation of homosexuality in the bible and make out that it's the WBC who are being selective in their interpretation when the opposite is true. I was pointing out the hypocrisy of modern Christians who get their morality from the same place as all normal people, their society, while cherry picking bits of the bible to convince themselves they're following christian morality.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,553 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    I'm not finding this discussion interesting either!

    Do I need to move these posts out, or is it likely to conclude anytime soon? :)


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭sponsoredwalk


    Lol, yeah I got what you were saying & I totally agree, I just don't find their inconsistent hate interesting ;)

    I may have already posted this video but if I did it shouldn't matter, it's so interesting it deserves to be seen again ;)



Advertisement