My problem is that I’ve plenty of imaginary enemies, but no imaginary friends. If there were someone I could sue over this horrible injustice, I would. But so far all lawyers do when I bring up the case is laugh in my face. Bastards.
Well, if you piss them off you can always conjure a team of imaginary serfs, some badass seraphs dressed as Roman senators and armed to the teeth with vicious-looking spoons to defend you. Hired help like that is priceless, I hear….
Taking a look at the past half a dozen titles on your blog, it would very much appear that you are the one imagining Christians and Christianity to be your own enemy, yet this is stranger if the whole thing is nothing but folklore and fantasy….(?)
Am I missing something? Are there Christians swarming your house right this very minute, pitchforks in hand, ready to haul you off to their church building, tie you to a pew, and force you to sing “Amazing Grace”…? 🙂
First up, how did this post mention Christianity? Apologies, but Christians aren’t special. Second, happen to see what unfurled in France last Sunday? How about what ISIS is doing across the Mid-East. Or what about America’s own Christian Taliban, embodied in the lunatic, violent ranting’s of Gary North and his brethren who want to see children stoned to death in American public squares?
You see, the Abrahamic faiths have to be shown for the nonsense they are. Pure, uncut, flamboyant nonsense. If that bothers you, then so be it. It just means you can’t successfully compete in the marketplace of ideas. 😉
I apologize, you’re correct, this specific post didn’t name Christianity outright. I do suppose the caricature of the red devil with horns could be indicative of the devil figure from any theistic religion, I suppose? Forgive me for drawing conclusions based on the repeated use of the word Christian in your other posts, and again, in the post you just now left a link for…. 🙂
But absolutely, let’s talk about Paris, or “ISIS”, or the “War on Terror” in general… Let’s roll up our sleeves and talk a good look at ol’ “9/11”, and the whole Western agenda of military and economic hegemony in the world overall…
For the record, I’ll say up front that I am quite familiar with “Christian Dominionism”, and have battled with many a deluded church goer in order to show that such ideas are completely opposite to what Jesus Himself and the Bible as a whole has to say. Dudes like Gary North are real, and obnoxious no doubt, but straw men when put forward as examples of Christianity and it’s alleged nefarious aims on the world…
Your reference to Islam and “Muslim extremists” itself is another confusing example, since acts of terrorism (presumably carried about by real Muslims, but that’s another can of worms…) being carried out against the United States, or Western countries, (being perceived as the “great Satan”…) is hardly descriptive of an “Abrahamic faith” which is fighting against a spiritual, non-human enemy, now is it…?
The Bible says, ” our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. You are of course free to think such a thing is as foolish as you like, but I would say that one is being intellectually dishonest to try and say that a true adherence to the belief stated in the verse is something that can harmonized with either “Christian dominionism” or terrorism in the name of Islamic extremism…
From the Quran:
2:120: “Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you till you follow their religion. Say: “Verily, Islâmic Guidance is the only Guidance. And if you were to follow their desires after what you have received of Knowledge, then you would have against Allâh neither any protector nor helper.”
From The Qur’an: 5:14: “And from those who call themselves Christians, We took their covenant, but they have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. So We planted amongst them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection, and Allâh will inform them of what they used to do.”
anyhow… The point re: Muslims wasn’t that “they aren’t real Christians”, since that should already, by definition, be self-evident. My point was that “Islamic jihad”, the attacking of physical targets, people, places, etc., is not an example of theists fighting an intangible, spiritual enemy, is it…?
If you are content to lump all kinds of people together, and disregard whatever verifiable distinctions might be brought to your attention, in order to maintain your broader indictment against your own “imaginary enemy”, then hey, more power to ya. Rant away.
From The Qur’an:
9:29: “Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allâh, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allâh and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not Islam as the religion of truth among the people of the Scripture, until they pay the Jizyah [religious tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”
Yes, the concept of an “intangible, spiritual enemy”, that is of course what you are mocking here. Unfortunately, everything you then turn and point as somehow being exemplary of this belief, is in fact just the opposite.
I guess it’s easier to put up cartoon pictures and have a chuckle, then it is to actually hear anyone out who might come along and actually take the time to articulate any new perspective. (But then again, I suppose that would require that you would actually think such was a possible, as it stands, you seem to maintain that there is nothing anyone could tell you that you don’t already fully understand….)
Let’s then get down to the basics. As I have already asked you (twice) over on Insanity’s blog:
Do you accept the Pentateuch (the Jewish origin tale) is geopolitical fiction? Do you agree with the overwhelming majority of Jewish rabbi’s, bible scholars and archaeologists?
Um, can we have an imaginary lover in this mix please? Or maybe an imaginary dog? Or an imaginary cleaner? Oh, and an imaginary shopper, I so want that.
Please let me know when you have fixed them all for me.
An imaginary cleaner would be great! Everyone here has the real kind, except us, it seems so wrong on so many levels to have a maid, but I could definitely handle an imaginary one. I’ll call him, Trevor 🙂
Just tried donating some imaginary money to a church. Pissed ’em off. I told ’em to just have faith my imaginary money was real, but that pissed ’em off even more. Kinda sucks that religions have the friggin’ market cornered on imaginary things that SO many people take as real. Ain’t fair.
If my enemies were as cool looking as this one, I may just become their ally. Unfortunately, all my enemies look like bible toting evangelicals. Sigh, I can only Imagine.
Imaginary enemy is much better than an imaginary friend: you can blame any of your problems on the imaginary enemy, who in reality can’t actually hurt you. It’s a win-win situation. Now an imaginary friend is always going to leave you disappointed.
A Notre Dame player I believe. Had a whole affair with her over the internet and she wasn’t real. In her defense, though, I must say, she never claimed to be a deity. That would have been going too far for her, I guess. But, since she wasn’t real, we’ll never truly know.
Not sure. I think the guy was drafted into the NFL, but not sure where or if he still plays. Odd story that was. Damned imaginary people! When, oh, when will they stop screwing up our lives!
She should keep especially it for you — it’s hosing down here right now and has been all night. Being a feminine (I assume triplicity, same as that other Guy?) type She may well be planning another Ark episode … I’m too old to bother rounding up two of everything (and lack motivation anyway).
Wow, that enemy has been doing some serious weight-lifting and probably taking protein pills as well. I guess at least we now know that there are fitness centers in hell.
Hehehe, that casts hell in an entirely new light. You will do thirty sets of ten reps, NOW! Hey, given the body-perfect males around here, it must mean that Brazil is a form of hell 😦
Somewhat stupidly, they only seem to burn the buses which service their own neighbourhoods. You really can’t cure some strains of dumb. Is immigration easy? Well, you can’t hold dual-citizenship here, so permanent residency is what you’re probably looking for. It takes a while, but it’s not difficult. Get yourself a despachante (a type of bureaucratic agent who does all the paperwork) and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches.
Mak, that reminds me of the show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. They could have had a “phone an imaginary friend” option. I wonder if some of the theists would have chosen that.
I’m smokin’ some badass imaginary weed I got on an imaginary trip I took to Jamaica yesterday. I also filled my wittle bitty heart with lots ‘n lots of imaginary Faith, and I feel just giddy ‘n superior all over my wittle ole self!
Jeff, after spending over two weeks reading all the superior (I’m the very elect of God) comments from Greg on Violet’s blog, your comments are timely. Great comic relief, too. Maybe we need to send him on an imaginary trip to hell. 😈
A-holes like that guy are the perfect fertilizer for minds like mine. Pompous, narcissistic, self-aggrandizing, righteous idiots who’ve a delusion they’re connected, personally, to an invisible shit-heel of a deity that does not exist. Yeah. I eat guys like that for dinner. Yummy. They offer nothing meaningful to mankind’s existence. They are a blight on the goodness of our collective hearts and need to be treated and spoken to like the destructive parasitic worms they are. I’ve no intention of ever showing them deference or respect because I do not feel those things for them. If “evil” exists in our world it can be found in the souls of the religious right. They reek of it.
The national news is loaded with imaginary enemies. Just yesterday I learned, via a very concerned news anchor, about the hidden dangers lurking in my refrigerator. I may never open it again….
Awesome! Fortunately there is no darkness in the world and our enemies are all imaginary. Evil does not exist and there is nothing but peace across the land.
But you are trying to put someone on the horns of a dilemma to justify your disbelief, and to cast your perpetual cloak of alleged superior mental prowess upon your own disciples.
I’ll put it here again as a reminder:
HOW OLD IS THE EARTH?
You have read the answer, and refused to reply; because it does not fit your expected absurdities.
From the post ‘In the beginning God…’
_________________________________________________________________
To hear some give ‘proof’ of the age of the earth is not laughable but unsettling. God asks a simple question to man: ‘Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.’
To a soft heart, the answer is ‘Lord, I have no understanding in this matter, for thou alone art God.’
Is not this the point of who God is and who man is not? Are not His ways higher than the heavens? Are not His thoughts not your thoughts? Indeed, and this same God has a way of silencing the mouth of man, for even Paul argued that before a holy God every mouth is stopped.
The age of ‘creation?’ In the time it would take you to empty the Atlantic with a tablespoon, you still will have no answer. Some say with a straight face: It’s 40 billion years old, others 10 million, others a hundred thousand, others 6 thousand, me? ‘I have no understanding in this matter.’
____________________________________________________________________
Was I asking you? What makes you think you can speak for Insanity? Is she in need of your assistance? Is she perhaps disabled or even useless in your mind, because she’s a woman, and therefore incapable of answering by herself? Is that the way you think?
Narrator: As the 21st century began, human evolution was at a turning point. Natural selection, the process by which the strongest, the smartest, the fastest, reproduced in greater numbers than the rest, a process which had once favored the noblest traits of man, now began to favor different traits. Most science fiction of the day predicted a future that was more civilized and more intelligent.
But as time went on, things seemed to be heading in the opposite direction. A dumbing down. How did this happen? Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most, and left the intelligent to become an endangered species. ~ Idiocracy
Yup, atrocious education systems, albeit coupled to backward fundamentalism. No such structural excuses in the US. To be a Young Earth Creationist is to exercise capricious, perverse, and willful ignorance.
The only thing you can hope for is that such people have no contact with children.
Wow, Victoria! I’m a huge fan too. The blu-ray collection of the last season of Next Gen comes out next Tuesday. I’m salivating waiting for it. Never knew that about you. Cool.
“Gene Roddenberry didn’t just conceive of a television show back in 1964. To millions of fans around the world, he gave voice to hope for the future and a philosophy of peace on Earth, acceptance of those not like ourselves, and exploration of the universe.”
Now, Jesus, on the other hand, is going to call the birds from the sky to eat the flesh off the dead bodies of unbelievers who didn’t bow down and worship his narcissistic, psychopathic daddy, Yahweh.
Yes. Roddenberry was a great humanist. He viewed the future as a place where mankind had wiped out hunger, poverty, and war. His vision of the future is lovely. Created some hardships for the writers of TNG because he insisted on scripts free of human conflict. The conflict was from “Where No One Has Gone Before” because humans in the future were free of it amongst themselves. Great guy.
Those kids must leave home and look around at the real world with the same dazed confusion as a North Korean defector stepping off the bus in Seoul for the first time.
I worked with a gal who was home schooled by her fundie parents. She escaped it. Somehow. But she said it was an abusive hell to grow up like that. Her parents of course disowned her because she rejected their neanderthal way of looking at reality.
My comment is nested how? It APPEARS it stands on its own.
This answer does not fit your template; so you play the ‘shift card?’ I’m thinking the only one offended is you because you have no sound answer to the content.
So you weren’t stepping in for Insanity? You just decided to answer a question regarding the age of the earth completely out of the blue… which just so happened to be directly under the thread with Insanity. Interesting. Are you willing to swear to your god on that, Colorstorm? 😉
I’ve heard your answer, it fits no template, and as I just described to Neuro, to hold such a position is to exercise capricious, perverse, and willful ignorance. And as I said to you somewhere else, your stated position requires of me to treat you as a child. I simply have no other option. Apologies, but i have no patience for indulgent ignoramuses, and can only hope, truly hope, you have no contact with children.
You’re welcome, but I’m not insulting you. You on the other hand, to put it bluntly, are insulting yourself, and every person who has ever striven to advance the human condition. You simply have no excuse for your ignorance. None. Your Creationist position represents a retardation of our species, a disease of choice, and that is why I am adamant in hoping you have no contact whatsoever with children.
John, I’m all for pointing out that creationism is, if the person is well informed, a denial of evidence and reason and that that perverts and retards human progress (because all of human progress is based on the open market of ideas and free exchange, and by denying reason they exclude themselves from such a conversation). I’m even for you concluding that individuals are ignoramuses, but saying someone “represents a retardation of our species, a disease of choice, and that is why I am adamant in hoping you have no contact whatsoever with children” is a little harsh.
A creationist can sit at the kids table and thanks giving, surely?
Sure, but only if that kids table is furnished with blunted plastic cutlery so they can’t physically harm themselves, or others, while playing Old Testament Genocide & Sacrifice games 🙂
Colorstorm says, “The age of ‘creation?’ In the time it would take you to empty the Atlantic with a tablespoon, you still will have no answer. Some say with a straight face: It’s 40 billion years old, others 10 million, others a hundred thousand, others 6 thousand, me? ‘I have no understanding in this matter.’”
Answers in Genesis says, “The age of the earth debate ultimately comes down to this foundational question: Are we trusting man’s imperfect and changing ideas and assumptions about the past? Or are we trusting God’s perfectly accurate eyewitness account of the past, including the creation of the world, Noah’s global flood, and the age of the earth?”
Since “God’s perfectly accurate eyewitness account from the past” has been past down from the same “imperfect man” , I can see why you have no understanding in this matter, Colorstorm.
I am trusting what Answers in Genesis says, ” man’s imperfect and changing ideas and assumptions about the past.” This is what Science is all about.
A new customer!
I understood the obvious ‘passed,’ but that’s fine.-
Bur since “I lack understanding, and since the A-team likes to ask questions to assert an intellectual advantage, here are a few for you to cogitate and ruminate upon:
-In your illustrious understanding of ‘how things that are, and how they came to be,’ which was first light or life?
-which was first fish or beasts of the earth?:
-which was first- man or fish?
-which was first, man or beast?
-breath for man or eyesight?
-whale or man?
-dolphins or galaxies?
-the sun or the bumblebee?
-the stars or the camel?
-the oak or the cedar tree?
-water or the moon?
-the stars or the dove?
-and oh, do explain how the common honey bee is the only insect that provides food to man- ala honey (no, not the locust or chocolate ant)
And in your great understanding of the ‘billions of years,’ do tell the affairs of life as you know it on ‘the first day.’ Surely there was a first day, right, since there was no creation.
Some of these are obviously ‘dumb’ questions with obvious answers; but your mission, is to figure out what questions are not so dumb…………….
You will need more that popcorn-
and u may need the help of somebody with a billion year brain–cause one needs to be precise about such important things, we certainly wouldn’t to be off a day or two now in our understanding would we?
Colorstorm says, “-In your illustrious understanding of ‘how things that are, and how they came to be,’ which was first light or life?”
Colorstorm says, “To hear some give ‘proof’ of the age of the earth is not laughable but unsettling. God asks a simple question to man: ‘Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.’”
To hear someone who believes their God can even ask man a simple question is also unsettling . I am reminded of something I read yesterday from the book, “The Religion War” which follows, ““Most people are trained from childhood to favor their irrational impulses when it comes to the most important questions in life. For example, you know how many religions there are in the world and therefore how unlikely it is for any one person, such as yourself, to have chosen the correct one. Yet you choose to ignore the odds. “
Until “Any God” , let alone “The Correct One” answers the questions YOU have posed in your comments for ALL the World to see collectively, man in his imperfection will continue to formulate answers based on his knowledge and understanding and will continue to change or fine tune these answers as his knowledge and understanding grows.
If God felt it important enough to reveal himself to a small tribe of people using a burning bush , all the more reason he could write on a “sticky note” and place it on everyone’s forehead today.
Until then, I would think “a God” would expect us to shed that which is irrational and continue to pursue answers and fine tune these answers as our knowledge and understanding grows.
I disagree with you on two counts; one that God cannot ask a simple question, and two, that he has not answered for ‘all’ the world to see.
‘Adam where are you,?’ Is the very first question in the existence of man. You may disagree, but what do your sources suggest as the the first question on the page of history? Surely academia has pondered ‘what’ question was asked first?
A relatively easy question, but not so easy of an answer, for the same is asked to you, today. ‘Chief where are you?’ Well, I’m shedding the irrational………………I’m changing or fine tuning these answers…….
Truth need not be changed, and if it is true, then it is absolutely true, kind of like the law of arithmetic. The science of math points to a creator..
He is also not threatened by science, since He created the mechanisms whereby all things are sustained..
Would you be kind enough to say that my questions are worthy of thought, or complete rubbish?
“I disagree with you on two counts; one that God cannot ask a simple question, and two, that he has not answered for ‘all’ the world to see.”
Why would “A God” ask anything ? If God answered for all the world to see, why are there currently over 7 billion answers ? Every human has a different one.
Again, I stand by my statement that if “A God” wanted humanity to have an answer to anything, all he would have to do is write “The Same Answer” on a sticky note and paste it on “Everyone’s” forehead.
You say, “The science of math points to a creator..” In other words, you believe everything had a beginning. Then tell me where your God came from ?
” Would you be kind enough to say that my questions are worthy of thought, or complete rubbish?”
Your questions are worthy of research or until we ALL find that sticky note posted to our foreheads. 🙂
You are missing something far greater than God asking the question..
It is WHY He had to ask…………………. and now you are getting closer to ‘the sticky note on every man’s forehead.’ 😉
So thank you then, you have just told me (and others) these questions are worthy. Appreciate that.
To re-focus:
Which was first, man or beast? and such questions SHOULD be asked by any person of mettle.
_______________________________________________________________-
You (I) say, “The science of math points to a creator..” In other words, you believe everything had a beginning. Then tell me where your God came from ?
I believe everything had a beginning? I suppose most people yes believe that; and the rest? Simple denial.
How do you know what God is ? The answer is, “you don’t” It’s quite OK to state what you believe God is. It’s not OK to state your belief as fact. This is why millions have died for their beliefs or lack thereof .
you said:
‘It’s not OK to state your belief as fact.’
Are you saying that they who promote so and so many thousands, or billions of years , as to the age of the universe are guilty of perpetuating fraud as fact?
Colorstorm says, “Are you saying that they who promote so and so many
thousands, or billions of years , as to the age of the universe are guilty of perpetuating fraud as fact?”
Where is the fraud ? They are providing best guesses based on scientific evidence. You believe it is a fraud but where is your evidence ? I hope you don’t receive it from Ken Ham or are you Ken Ham ? 🙂
You say, ” Truth need not be changed, and if it is true, then it is absolutely true, kind of like the law of arithmetic”
Where do you receive your truth ? Are you receiving sticky notes the rest of us are not receiving ? 🙂 This has been an age old problem. The Crusades, The Inquisition, Hitler, Jim Jones, David Koresh, and the list goes on.
Colorstorm says, “C’mon Chief- Try to be fair’
I was simply referring you to your own logic: You said: ‘It’s not OK to state your belief as fact………………’ but its OK for you to state your belief as fact? ……………..you don’t see the disconnect?”
Colorstorm, I just read all of the previous statements I have made to you and I’m having a difficult time seeing where I stated any of my beliefs as fact. Perhaps you could point them out to me . It has never been my mission to perpetrate any of my beliefs as fact. I blog because I like to challenge and be challenged. I wasn’t allowed to do this in Churches which I attended most of my life so I now thank WordPress for the opportunity.
If I inadvertently did present a belief as fact , then by all means challenge me. There is a difference in believing in a fact vs perpetrating a belief as fact. 🙂
Colorstorm says, “Hitler, Crusades , Inquisition?? Really, that has WHAT to do with
man or beast?”
Nothing ! It has everything to do with where you receive your “truth” Hitler had belt buckles made for every German soldier which read, “Got mitt uns” which means God with Us. He told every soldier God was with them. This was his truth.
To answer your question again, it really does have something to do with man or beast. Hitler certainly was more beast than man……………….
You would be surprised however Neuro at the superior brains of Some of those men…………..heck, the imagination it took to name the elephant for example, still an elephant today how may ages later. he he he .
Then there is the magnificent architectural skills of hmm, lets see, how many edifices can we think of that surpass ALL modern crafts, and oh yea, without transits, power tools, gps etc etc.
Bob Vila is jealous
I’m liken Bronxe thks for the comp.
But try to stay on point- there is ONE question tucked in there for your immediate attention.
Thanks for calling, Victoria. Sounds like an infidel on the the other line. Ugh. Infidels. Wadda we gonna do with ’em. let’s repeat the only truth there is ONE MORE TIME! There IS NO GOD but, Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet!
“the imagination it took to name the elephant for example, still an elephant today”
Elephants were official first known as “Those Big Ass Grey Things That Stomp Around.” They weren’t officially known as elephants until one fell off the Ark. When Noah asked the Zoo keeper on the ark where one of “Those Big Ass Grey Things That Stomp Around” went, the Zoo keeper said, ” ‘Ell-if-I-know.” And thus, the name “elephyknow” became the thing’s name. Later, when an “elephyknow” stepped on some ants, the name was changed to “elephant-da-dant-da-dant-da-dant-da-dant!” We now use the shorter form of that word. It evolved over time. Like life does. Oh, Noah also tossed the Zoo keeper over the side for losing the beast. ‘Ell of a temper Noah had. ‘Ell of a temper.
Remember the golden rule that all infidels NEVER seem to remember: There is NO God but Allah, and Mohammad is His prophet. Infidels. When oh when, will the fear of the hell you’re going to burn in be enough for you to stop your blaspheming ways and accept the one true God, Allah. I kin smell the flesh cookin’ off yer infidel bones now. Ouch. That’s gonna STING! And for eternity too. Ugh.
That icon guy looks exactly like I did before Allah stuck this damn lightening bolt to my hand permanently for doubting his greatness one Tuesday morn. There IS no God BUT Allah, and Mohammad IS His prophet.
Jeff, I’d like to see you take that lightening bold to zap our friend Colorstorm. Maybe the electric shock will reactivate his neural circuitry in the frontal lobes that have to do with judgement and critical thinking.
You can’t re-activate something that’s never been there to begin with. Color needs to call Charlies Angels to come help him out by giving him a nice warm bottle of milk, burping him, and placing his little bitty head on nice satin pillow so he drift off into a nice deluded dream. Poor little fella. He’s be cute if not for the PJ’s his nanny puts ’em in every night. Tattered old things. Shameful really, when you think about it. And remember the only answer that exists to every question an infidel like this asks you: There is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is His prophet. To think there is another answer is to ask Satan himself to seer your flesh from your bones for all eternity.
*The above message was brought to you by your friends at Muslims For Christ, an equal opportunity employer. $Amen$
Very nice. Mature. I notice all your kindergarten chatter and no sound answers. A common tactic to malign and avoid. Then again, all one needs do is to read the comments above.
This is the fruit of the brightest minds?
As show host, I have to tell you frankly, you do not qualify to make it to the next round. But tkx for playing. You get a 15 cent coupon to be redeemed……no, skip it, you may get the wrong impression if I used the word redemption.
Qualify? Please tell us, Colorstorm, what qualifies you to think you worship the “right” god? You do know that there are many environmental, biological and neurological causes for people experiencing (delusions) a god, right?
You do understand that there have been greedy men throughout history who conjured up gods to convince others to own women, rape girls from other tribes and turn them into domestic slaves and breeders after these godly men, under the commandment of your god, murdered these girls mothers, fathers and brothers, ripped off their property, and split the plunder between them.
Yes, I’m talking about one of those thousands of gods, Yahweh, Jesus’ daddy, the one you worship.
Oh dear this one is so keen and ready witted… the problem of evilness maybe… I ll definitely be back to add further inisghts on this topic. Hugs… Aquileana 😀
The argument from evil attempts to show that the co-existence of evil and such a deity is unlikely or impossible if placed in absolute terms.
The originator of the logical problem of evil has been cited as the Greek philosopher Epicurus,and may be schematized as follows:
►If an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent god exists, then evil does not.
►There is evil in the world. Evil exists (logical contradiction).
►Therefore, an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God does not exist.
Yes, I understand, probably a Good God is the biggest issue…
The weather is already warm over here… I hope you have already gone to the beach, John…
All the best to you!. Sending hugs Aquileana 😀
I’m half-afraid of getting involved in this, but…
Looking at the discussion taking place in these comments, I see a lot of begging the question and ad hominem attacks and not a lot of actual listening. Being open-minded means just that: acknowledging that others have different beliefs than we do and, nine times out of ten, a reason for believing them.
Please, everyone, there is a reason civility is a valued trait in our society. Let’s calm down, take a deep breath, and approach the discussion without condescension but honest interest. No one is capable of knowing everything.
Peace.
Hi Louis, thanks for the meaningful comment, and I certainly appreciate the sentiment. I’m assuming you’re specifically talking about interactions with (and by) Insanity and Colorstorm, and I have to say there’s a larger context at play here. Unfortunately they were the only apologists who jumped in on this post, and all hope of genuine discussion with them specifically flew the coop long, long ago… across multiple posts on their blogs, and other people’s blogs. There’s nothing hateful going on, just banter, but with no hope whatsoever of intellectual (or spiritual) headway being made because they have both chosen to exist in a state of extreme ignorance. This fact has been established beyond a shadow of a doubt, and regretfully, the willfully ignorant, like Insanity and Colorstorm, have separated themselves from all chance of engaging in a halfway meaningful dialogue; their screeds delivered only to make noise, not advance the human condition.
Apologies for the delay in replying. This has been an utterly crazy weekend.
With all due respect sir, you seem rather irate at them yourself. To clarify, are you saying they are willfully ignorant because they are Christians? If it is indeed banter, that’s good, I suppose… I just hope Colorstorm and IB know that too. 😉 Personally I find IB’s posts quite insightful.
Peace.
I assure you, I’m far from irate, yet I will admit to having no patience for young earth creationists. That, in as few words as possible, is practicing unforgivable willful ignorance. If a person chooses to believe such nonsense despite all the evidence, then fine, that’s their choice, but they must also accept then that they have excused themselves from the adults table… and I would go as far to say that they should not have any contact whatsoever with real children.
nope one more try and then if this doesn’t work you will have to remove them both John. Sorry about all the extra work. 10550920_10206236253971378_5942938269846314170_n.jpg
Yup and then why would you want to tell a child spiderman is mere figment of imagination. He’ll eventually find out and also about god yet they remain blockbuster.
Yeah, we’ve both been banished LOL! I think he truly, truly, truly regretted telling his readers to investigate our posts… That kinda’ backfired, big time 🙂
Hey, i sent you an email this morning, did you get it?
Hi John, this will be a shallow comment from me (sorry), but I wouldn’t mind an imaginary friend or enemy having a body like that depicted devil. On a serious note, I have often wondered why Hell exists in Christian religion. If the devil thrives on hate and evil, why would Hell be a place of punishment? Does anyone know?
The dastardly debil is ripped, no doubt! And true, he’s not going to torture the wicked, but rather buy them drinks, say “Well done!,” and point them to the lounge 🙂
Yes, he certainly is and more ripped than the painting I did of the devil; based upon the statue of Lucifer which is Madrid. Well, I hope so John as I can’t envisage myself going to Heaven – so I certainly want to be wherever the party is at!! 🙂
Damn! I was gonna ask permission to use something from here, got caught up and by the time I’d blitzed all the good stuff had completely forgotten wotever it was I wanted.
On the plus side, I’ll retailor that cheery chap with the ‘Uncle Sam wants YOU’ type pointy finger and use it where seemly …
thesuperstitiousnakedape.wordpress.com 
My problem is that I’ve plenty of imaginary enemies, but no imaginary friends. If there were someone I could sue over this horrible injustice, I would. But so far all lawyers do when I bring up the case is laugh in my face. Bastards.
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Solution: Sack the imaginary enemies, and restore balance to the universe 🙂
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Will do. Just hope sackin’ ’em doesn’t piss ’em off. Great post Btw.
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Well, if you piss them off you can always conjure a team of imaginary serfs, some badass seraphs dressed as Roman senators and armed to the teeth with vicious-looking spoons to defend you. Hired help like that is priceless, I hear….
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This post itself is swimming in it’s own irony….
Taking a look at the past half a dozen titles on your blog, it would very much appear that you are the one imagining Christians and Christianity to be your own enemy, yet this is stranger if the whole thing is nothing but folklore and fantasy….(?)
Am I missing something? Are there Christians swarming your house right this very minute, pitchforks in hand, ready to haul you off to their church building, tie you to a pew, and force you to sing “Amazing Grace”…? 🙂
Imaginary enemies indeed….
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First up, how did this post mention Christianity? Apologies, but Christians aren’t special. Second, happen to see what unfurled in France last Sunday? How about what ISIS is doing across the Mid-East. Or what about America’s own Christian Taliban, embodied in the lunatic, violent ranting’s of Gary North and his brethren who want to see children stoned to death in American public squares?
You see, the Abrahamic faiths have to be shown for the nonsense they are. Pure, uncut, flamboyant nonsense. If that bothers you, then so be it. It just means you can’t successfully compete in the marketplace of ideas. 😉
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I apologize, you’re correct, this specific post didn’t name Christianity outright. I do suppose the caricature of the red devil with horns could be indicative of the devil figure from any theistic religion, I suppose? Forgive me for drawing conclusions based on the repeated use of the word Christian in your other posts, and again, in the post you just now left a link for…. 🙂
But absolutely, let’s talk about Paris, or “ISIS”, or the “War on Terror” in general… Let’s roll up our sleeves and talk a good look at ol’ “9/11”, and the whole Western agenda of military and economic hegemony in the world overall…
For the record, I’ll say up front that I am quite familiar with “Christian Dominionism”, and have battled with many a deluded church goer in order to show that such ideas are completely opposite to what Jesus Himself and the Bible as a whole has to say. Dudes like Gary North are real, and obnoxious no doubt, but straw men when put forward as examples of Christianity and it’s alleged nefarious aims on the world…
Your reference to Islam and “Muslim extremists” itself is another confusing example, since acts of terrorism (presumably carried about by real Muslims, but that’s another can of worms…) being carried out against the United States, or Western countries, (being perceived as the “great Satan”…) is hardly descriptive of an “Abrahamic faith” which is fighting against a spiritual, non-human enemy, now is it…?
The Bible says, ” our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. You are of course free to think such a thing is as foolish as you like, but I would say that one is being intellectually dishonest to try and say that a true adherence to the belief stated in the verse is something that can harmonized with either “Christian dominionism” or terrorism in the name of Islamic extremism…
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Ah, the oft touted “But they’re not True Christians,” or “They’re not True Muslims.”
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From the Quran:
2:120: “Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you till you follow their religion. Say: “Verily, Islâmic Guidance is the only Guidance. And if you were to follow their desires after what you have received of Knowledge, then you would have against Allâh neither any protector nor helper.”
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“oft-touted”, yet you sidestep it…
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From The Qur’an: 5:14: “And from those who call themselves Christians, We took their covenant, but they have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. So We planted amongst them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection, and Allâh will inform them of what they used to do.”
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anyhow… The point re: Muslims wasn’t that “they aren’t real Christians”, since that should already, by definition, be self-evident. My point was that “Islamic jihad”, the attacking of physical targets, people, places, etc., is not an example of theists fighting an intangible, spiritual enemy, is it…?
If you are content to lump all kinds of people together, and disregard whatever verifiable distinctions might be brought to your attention, in order to maintain your broader indictment against your own “imaginary enemy”, then hey, more power to ya. Rant away.
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fighting an intangible, spiritual enemy
Yes, I think that sums up the accuracy of this meme quite beautifully. Thanks.
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From The Qur’an:
9:29: “Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allâh, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allâh and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not Islam as the religion of truth among the people of the Scripture, until they pay the Jizyah [religious tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”
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Yes, the concept of an “intangible, spiritual enemy”, that is of course what you are mocking here. Unfortunately, everything you then turn and point as somehow being exemplary of this belief, is in fact just the opposite.
I guess it’s easier to put up cartoon pictures and have a chuckle, then it is to actually hear anyone out who might come along and actually take the time to articulate any new perspective. (But then again, I suppose that would require that you would actually think such was a possible, as it stands, you seem to maintain that there is nothing anyone could tell you that you don’t already fully understand….)
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Let’s then get down to the basics. As I have already asked you (twice) over on Insanity’s blog:
Do you accept the Pentateuch (the Jewish origin tale) is geopolitical fiction? Do you agree with the overwhelming majority of Jewish rabbi’s, bible scholars and archaeologists?
Yes, or no…
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Love it! Good one 🙂
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Cheers Wendy! I’ve been frightfully slack at posting so figured I had to drop something out there.
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Yes, thought I hadn’t seen you for a while… 🙂
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Terribly slaaack 🙂
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Brilliant!
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Not as good as your The Church is Empty!
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Thank you.
But you’re picture is great as well – and funny too!
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You gotta love it!
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That’s certainly one option 😉
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imaginary friends and enemies sounds like a Pink Floyd album…….
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You just made Roger Waters cry. Now he’s going lament never naming an album that for the rest of his natural life.
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I have my moments…..LOL
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Hilarious! And so true… 🙂
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Well, Beelzebub is the product of misplaced imaginations, but I’m sure Gog and Magog are real 😉
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At least Beelzebub inspires amazing heavy metal music. The Lord inspires Stryper!
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B’wahahahaaaa!
Nothing, and I mean nothing can possibly be worse than this:
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… an imaginary fiend?
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For a second there I thought i’d misspelled it!
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Um, can we have an imaginary lover in this mix please? Or maybe an imaginary dog? Or an imaginary cleaner? Oh, and an imaginary shopper, I so want that.
Please let me know when you have fixed them all for me.
Many thanks.
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An imaginary cleaner would be great! Everyone here has the real kind, except us, it seems so wrong on so many levels to have a maid, but I could definitely handle an imaginary one. I’ll call him, Trevor 🙂
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A couple years ago in the news, there was an American football player who had an imaginary girlfriend.
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Just tried donating some imaginary money to a church. Pissed ’em off. I told ’em to just have faith my imaginary money was real, but that pissed ’em off even more. Kinda sucks that religions have the friggin’ market cornered on imaginary things that SO many people take as real. Ain’t fair.
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Credit where credit is due… Dreaming up an imaginary disease, then selling an imaginary cure is the work of evil genius!
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Indeed. I’ll conjure up those imagery Roman soldiers you suggested to hopefully knock some sense into people.
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Late to the party here. How did i miss this? But i did recently try to donate to Joel Osteen’s church. Told them to put it on my masturbation card.
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I’ll just imagine the Stay-Puft-Marshmallow man instead. Now where did I put that proton-pack?
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Whatever you do, don’t cross the beams!
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There’s definitely a very slim chance we’ll survive.
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If my enemies were as cool looking as this one, I may just become their ally. Unfortunately, all my enemies look like bible toting evangelicals. Sigh, I can only Imagine.
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You’re just a sucker for red horns and thin tails, aren’t you 😉
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Ah, but the imaginary enemy actually belongs to the imaginary friend – without the one the other would not even be imagined.
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Oooh, great call! A Dream within a dream.
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Imaginary foes keep us on our toes what have imaginary friends ever done for us?
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Well, they’re always good for chatting to on the bus 🙂
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I thought those ones were real…
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On Tuesdays, sure they are.
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Not Sundays…?
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Of course not! Someone has to go fill the pews in the local churches 🙂
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🙂
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Have you heard Ben Howard’s album, ‘Time is Dancing’? You’ll really like it. 🙂
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I haven’t, but just having a quick listen and can say he has a fantastic voice. Great find!
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I thought you’d enjoy. 🙂
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Keep ’em scared keep ’em loyal.
Great meme my friend.
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“Scared” is the optimal word there…. scared of everything, including taking responsibility.
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Agreed. Scared of education, too. To embrace the fact that they were emotionally manipulated by theological thug$ is just too much for most, it seems.
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If the world was a logical place, men would ride horses side-saddle.
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Yes! And planes in level flight over a round planet should eventually fly off into space 🙂
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Please apply that one to bikes too—I was in a helluva hurry once and the chain broke …
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I would have thought riding bikes was less your thing than chasing them…
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That’s a young guy’s sport … these days the best I can do is say “Go get ’em, Tiger!” and sigh wistfully.
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Alas, I’ve been living with the condition you describe for many years now and it shows no sign of improving.
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Imaginary enemy is much better than an imaginary friend: you can blame any of your problems on the imaginary enemy, who in reality can’t actually hurt you. It’s a win-win situation. Now an imaginary friend is always going to leave you disappointed.
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A Notre Dame player I believe. Had a whole affair with her over the internet and she wasn’t real. In her defense, though, I must say, she never claimed to be a deity. That would have been going too far for her, I guess. But, since she wasn’t real, we’ll never truly know.
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Whatever happened with that story? I heard snippets, and it just sounded so utterly strange
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Not sure. I think the guy was drafted into the NFL, but not sure where or if he still plays. Odd story that was. Damned imaginary people! When, oh, when will they stop screwing up our lives!
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There is a deep and pervasive truth in this, X.
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Has Veles seen this post yet? (She may be a bit peeved that you’ve outed her …)
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Veles sees all, but being the Great Lord of mischief, musicians and trickery she is pleased, and even made it rain to show her appreciation.
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She should keep especially it for you — it’s hosing down here right now and has been all night. Being a feminine (I assume triplicity, same as that other Guy?) type She may well be planning another Ark episode … I’m too old to bother rounding up two of everything (and lack motivation anyway).
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Well, NZ is emerald green for a reason, Dog. Still, a drought in Brazeeel is just odd.
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I have enough real enemies without having to make up any more. 😦
I do check under the bed and in the closet before going to bed. 🙂
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Haha
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Closet ghouls are real.
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It probably won’t get out of the closet as it is under tons of junk. 🙂
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Containment, good thinking!
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I think I have both, though not nearly as bleak as the Christians seem to favor.
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An equal opportunity employer, you’re a good man, Chris 🙂
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Applause
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🙂
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Wow, that enemy has been doing some serious weight-lifting and probably taking protein pills as well. I guess at least we now know that there are fitness centers in hell.
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Hehehe, that casts hell in an entirely new light. You will do thirty sets of ten reps, NOW! Hey, given the body-perfect males around here, it must mean that Brazil is a form of hell 😦
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Is immigration easy, John? Although I would be a little put off by the criminal gangs dousing the local busses with gasoline and setting them ablaze!
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Somewhat stupidly, they only seem to burn the buses which service their own neighbourhoods. You really can’t cure some strains of dumb. Is immigration easy? Well, you can’t hold dual-citizenship here, so permanent residency is what you’re probably looking for. It takes a while, but it’s not difficult. Get yourself a despachante (a type of bureaucratic agent who does all the paperwork) and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches.
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Brilliant. I do need some imaginary friends to call on occasion when I have a lot of work and need help finishing
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I’d buy an imaginary building from you. I can decorate it in imaginary art collections and antique navigation devices 🙂
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Now that we are talking about buildings, you will not pay me in imaginary dollars hopefully?
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Why not? Everyone on Wall Street does! 🙂
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You may have to wait a little longer for your building, art deco and furniture
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Right then! I’m going to take my account to the construction pixies down at the bottom of the park!
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Fair enough, pixies could actually build quicker
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Mak, that reminds me of the show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. They could have had a “phone an imaginary friend” option. I wonder if some of the theists would have chosen that.
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That there is a brilliant idea, call an imaginary friend
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I prefer it when they call me. Rarely happens, but when it does, well, let’s just say it’s very memorable, albeit not real.
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Hahaha
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Btw, Mak, I’m sending you some imaginary money via carrier pigeon today just cause I like you. Isn’t that nice of me?
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That’s one last prophet to another. Now, can I also say imaginary thank yous
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And I send you a big imaginary you’re welcome.
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hahaha. I will ask my imaginary friend to punch you, that is if they will find you
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I’m easy to find. Just tell ’em to use his imagination. 😀
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LMAO
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Haha. That there is a problem. An imaginary friend to use his imagination
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Oh, he’ll do it. It might cost you A LOT of imaginary money to get him to do it, but he will. You just have to BELIEVE! Brother. Just BELIEVE!!!!!
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Ha, I don’t have lots of imaginary money at the moment.
And I still need faith so I can believe
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Faith comes to those who say they have it. Try some. It’ll make ya feel all superior ‘n shit. 😀
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It’ll make ya feel all superior ‘n shit.
Jeff, I don’t know what strain you’re smokin’ today but I sure wished you’d pass the pipe.
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The Veganic Girl Scout Cookies look devastating!
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I can’t even fathom 28.35. Bruce Banner #3 looks devastating, too. No doubt they all are.
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A+ for the name alone
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Indeed.
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I’m smokin’ some badass imaginary weed I got on an imaginary trip I took to Jamaica yesterday. I also filled my wittle bitty heart with lots ‘n lots of imaginary Faith, and I feel just giddy ‘n superior all over my wittle ole self!
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Jeff, after spending over two weeks reading all the superior (I’m the very elect of God) comments from Greg on Violet’s blog, your comments are timely. Great comic relief, too. Maybe we need to send him on an imaginary trip to hell. 😈
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A-holes like that guy are the perfect fertilizer for minds like mine. Pompous, narcissistic, self-aggrandizing, righteous idiots who’ve a delusion they’re connected, personally, to an invisible shit-heel of a deity that does not exist. Yeah. I eat guys like that for dinner. Yummy. They offer nothing meaningful to mankind’s existence. They are a blight on the goodness of our collective hearts and need to be treated and spoken to like the destructive parasitic worms they are. I’ve no intention of ever showing them deference or respect because I do not feel those things for them. If “evil” exists in our world it can be found in the souls of the religious right. They reek of it.
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I will try and let you know if I succeed
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You can’t fail if you just imagine you can’t fail.
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Send me some too, purdy please.
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Didn’t you already get mine? i sent it, like, three weeks ago!
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You did, John? I’ll have to check my illusionary mailbox. Thank you! You’re the best. 😉
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I got it instead and spent it on imaginary pants. Sorry, Victoria.
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It’s on the way via carrier sparrow. I’m fresh outta pigeons.
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Howie, just for you
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The national news is loaded with imaginary enemies. Just yesterday I learned, via a very concerned news anchor, about the hidden dangers lurking in my refrigerator. I may never open it again….
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Good point. Whenever I make the mistake to turn on CNN while Wolf “BREAKING NEWS” Blitzer is on I learn about all sorts of imaginary terrors!
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But in all fairness, John, after 30 mins of trying to scare you shitless, they do close the program with an awfully cute cat video.
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You mean Blitzer’s cat:
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“Great comic relief, too.” Glad I made ya smile, Victoria. That’s why I’m here. 😀
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Awesome! Fortunately there is no darkness in the world and our enemies are all imaginary. Evil does not exist and there is nothing but peace across the land.
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How old is the earth, Insanity? 😉
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Who cares! You’ve managed to demolish evil, achieve intellectual superiority, and you now reign supreme.
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I care. How old is the earth, Inanity? 😉
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Your question was answered several times JohnZ-
But you are trying to put someone on the horns of a dilemma to justify your disbelief, and to cast your perpetual cloak of alleged superior mental prowess upon your own disciples.
I’ll put it here again as a reminder:
HOW OLD IS THE EARTH?
You have read the answer, and refused to reply; because it does not fit your expected absurdities.
From the post ‘In the beginning God…’
_________________________________________________________________
To hear some give ‘proof’ of the age of the earth is not laughable but unsettling. God asks a simple question to man: ‘Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.’
To a soft heart, the answer is ‘Lord, I have no understanding in this matter, for thou alone art God.’
Is not this the point of who God is and who man is not? Are not His ways higher than the heavens? Are not His thoughts not your thoughts? Indeed, and this same God has a way of silencing the mouth of man, for even Paul argued that before a holy God every mouth is stopped.
The age of ‘creation?’ In the time it would take you to empty the Atlantic with a tablespoon, you still will have no answer. Some say with a straight face: It’s 40 billion years old, others 10 million, others a hundred thousand, others 6 thousand, me? ‘I have no understanding in this matter.’
____________________________________________________________________
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Hi Colorstorm
Was I asking you? What makes you think you can speak for Insanity? Is she in need of your assistance? Is she perhaps disabled or even useless in your mind, because she’s a woman, and therefore incapable of answering by herself? Is that the way you think?
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Narrator: As the 21st century began, human evolution was at a turning point. Natural selection, the process by which the strongest, the smartest, the fastest, reproduced in greater numbers than the rest, a process which had once favored the noblest traits of man, now began to favor different traits. Most science fiction of the day predicted a future that was more civilized and more intelligent.
But as time went on, things seemed to be heading in the opposite direction. A dumbing down. How did this happen? Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most, and left the intelligent to become an endangered species. ~ Idiocracy
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That does seem to sum up certain pockets of the United States, and the Middle East, of course… yet they, at the very least, have a valid excuse 🙂
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Sums up a big pocket in the U.S known as the Federal Government. We’re moving backward into a theistic stone age rapidly.
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It’s sometimes difficult to differentiate hyper-religiousity and willful ignorance. If it’s the former than they do indeed have a valid excuse.
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Yup, atrocious education systems, albeit coupled to backward fundamentalism. No such structural excuses in the US. To be a Young Earth Creationist is to exercise capricious, perverse, and willful ignorance.
The only thing you can hope for is that such people have no contact with children.
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“The only thing you can hope for is that such people have no contact with children.”
I couldn’t agree more. Unfortunately they are usually the ones who tend to discourage sex education and multiply like tribbles.
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LOL! I never took you as a Star Trek fan 🙂
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I have seen every episode at least 9+ times. I can recite, in my sleep, their mission. 😀
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Wow, Victoria! I’m a huge fan too. The blu-ray collection of the last season of Next Gen comes out next Tuesday. I’m salivating waiting for it. Never knew that about you. Cool.
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Fascinating. lol I’m psyched for you. 😀
Here’s why I’m a Trekkie:
“Gene Roddenberry didn’t just conceive of a television show back in 1964. To millions of fans around the world, he gave voice to hope for the future and a philosophy of peace on Earth, acceptance of those not like ourselves, and exploration of the universe.”
Now, Jesus, on the other hand, is going to call the birds from the sky to eat the flesh off the dead bodies of unbelievers who didn’t bow down and worship his narcissistic, psychopathic daddy, Yahweh.
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Yes. Roddenberry was a great humanist. He viewed the future as a place where mankind had wiped out hunger, poverty, and war. His vision of the future is lovely. Created some hardships for the writers of TNG because he insisted on scripts free of human conflict. The conflict was from “Where No One Has Gone Before” because humans in the future were free of it amongst themselves. Great guy.
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🙂
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Unfortunately they do, far too much in many cases. Home schooling is big with them. Scary stuff.
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Those kids must leave home and look around at the real world with the same dazed confusion as a North Korean defector stepping off the bus in Seoul for the first time.
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I worked with a gal who was home schooled by her fundie parents. She escaped it. Somehow. But she said it was an abusive hell to grow up like that. Her parents of course disowned her because she rejected their neanderthal way of looking at reality.
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Hmmm jZ-
My comment is nested how? It APPEARS it stands on its own.
This answer does not fit your template; so you play the ‘shift card?’ I’m thinking the only one offended is you because you have no sound answer to the content.
Do I need to apologize to you for being truthful?
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So you weren’t stepping in for Insanity? You just decided to answer a question regarding the age of the earth completely out of the blue… which just so happened to be directly under the thread with Insanity. Interesting. Are you willing to swear to your god on that, Colorstorm? 😉
I’ve heard your answer, it fits no template, and as I just described to Neuro, to hold such a position is to exercise capricious, perverse, and willful ignorance. And as I said to you somewhere else, your stated position requires of me to treat you as a child. I simply have no other option. Apologies, but i have no patience for indulgent ignoramuses, and can only hope, truly hope, you have no contact with children.
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jZ
You deserve at least half an answer.
A little defensive are we?
Your question to IB inspired me.
And thank you for your continued insults.
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You’re welcome, but I’m not insulting you. You on the other hand, to put it bluntly, are insulting yourself, and every person who has ever striven to advance the human condition. You simply have no excuse for your ignorance. None. Your Creationist position represents a retardation of our species, a disease of choice, and that is why I am adamant in hoping you have no contact whatsoever with children.
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John, I’m all for pointing out that creationism is, if the person is well informed, a denial of evidence and reason and that that perverts and retards human progress (because all of human progress is based on the open market of ideas and free exchange, and by denying reason they exclude themselves from such a conversation). I’m even for you concluding that individuals are ignoramuses, but saying someone “represents a retardation of our species, a disease of choice, and that is why I am adamant in hoping you have no contact whatsoever with children” is a little harsh.
A creationist can sit at the kids table and thanks giving, surely?
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Sure, but only if that kids table is furnished with blunted plastic cutlery so they can’t physically harm themselves, or others, while playing Old Testament Genocide & Sacrifice games 🙂
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Colorstorm says, “The age of ‘creation?’ In the time it would take you to empty the Atlantic with a tablespoon, you still will have no answer. Some say with a straight face: It’s 40 billion years old, others 10 million, others a hundred thousand, others 6 thousand, me? ‘I have no understanding in this matter.’”
Answers in Genesis says, “The age of the earth debate ultimately comes down to this foundational question: Are we trusting man’s imperfect and changing ideas and assumptions about the past? Or are we trusting God’s perfectly accurate eyewitness account of the past, including the creation of the world, Noah’s global flood, and the age of the earth?”
Since “God’s perfectly accurate eyewitness account from the past” has been past down from the same “imperfect man” , I can see why you have no understanding in this matter, Colorstorm.
I am trusting what Answers in Genesis says, ” man’s imperfect and changing ideas and assumptions about the past.” This is what Science is all about.
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Sorry, I meant “passed down” Sometimes my fingers go faster than my brain 🙂
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hey chief-
A new customer!
I understood the obvious ‘passed,’ but that’s fine.-
Bur since “I lack understanding, and since the A-team likes to ask questions to assert an intellectual advantage, here are a few for you to cogitate and ruminate upon:
-In your illustrious understanding of ‘how things that are, and how they came to be,’ which was first light or life?
-which was first fish or beasts of the earth?:
-which was first- man or fish?
-which was first, man or beast?
-breath for man or eyesight?
-whale or man?
-dolphins or galaxies?
-the sun or the bumblebee?
-the stars or the camel?
-the oak or the cedar tree?
-water or the moon?
-the stars or the dove?
-and oh, do explain how the common honey bee is the only insect that provides food to man- ala honey (no, not the locust or chocolate ant)
And in your great understanding of the ‘billions of years,’ do tell the affairs of life as you know it on ‘the first day.’ Surely there was a first day, right, since there was no creation.
Do enjoy the full compliments of the A-team
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And oh,
Some of these are obviously ‘dumb’ questions with obvious answers; but your mission, is to figure out what questions are not so dumb…………….
You will need more that popcorn-
and u may need the help of somebody with a billion year brain–cause one needs to be precise about such important things, we certainly wouldn’t to be off a day or two now in our understanding would we?
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Colorstorm says, “-In your illustrious understanding of ‘how things that are, and how they came to be,’ which was first light or life?”
Colorstorm says, “To hear some give ‘proof’ of the age of the earth is not laughable but unsettling. God asks a simple question to man: ‘Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.’”
To hear someone who believes their God can even ask man a simple question is also unsettling . I am reminded of something I read yesterday from the book, “The Religion War” which follows, ““Most people are trained from childhood to favor their irrational impulses when it comes to the most important questions in life. For example, you know how many religions there are in the world and therefore how unlikely it is for any one person, such as yourself, to have chosen the correct one. Yet you choose to ignore the odds. “
Until “Any God” , let alone “The Correct One” answers the questions YOU have posed in your comments for ALL the World to see collectively, man in his imperfection will continue to formulate answers based on his knowledge and understanding and will continue to change or fine tune these answers as his knowledge and understanding grows.
If God felt it important enough to reveal himself to a small tribe of people using a burning bush , all the more reason he could write on a “sticky note” and place it on everyone’s forehead today.
Until then, I would think “a God” would expect us to shed that which is irrational and continue to pursue answers and fine tune these answers as our knowledge and understanding grows.
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Well chief-
I disagree with you on two counts; one that God cannot ask a simple question, and two, that he has not answered for ‘all’ the world to see.
‘Adam where are you,?’ Is the very first question in the existence of man. You may disagree, but what do your sources suggest as the the first question on the page of history? Surely academia has pondered ‘what’ question was asked first?
A relatively easy question, but not so easy of an answer, for the same is asked to you, today. ‘Chief where are you?’ Well, I’m shedding the irrational………………I’m changing or fine tuning these answers…….
Truth need not be changed, and if it is true, then it is absolutely true, kind of like the law of arithmetic. The science of math points to a creator..
He is also not threatened by science, since He created the mechanisms whereby all things are sustained..
Would you be kind enough to say that my questions are worthy of thought, or complete rubbish?
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“I disagree with you on two counts; one that God cannot ask a simple question, and two, that he has not answered for ‘all’ the world to see.”
Why would “A God” ask anything ? If God answered for all the world to see, why are there currently over 7 billion answers ? Every human has a different one.
Again, I stand by my statement that if “A God” wanted humanity to have an answer to anything, all he would have to do is write “The Same Answer” on a sticky note and paste it on “Everyone’s” forehead.
You say, “The science of math points to a creator..” In other words, you believe everything had a beginning. Then tell me where your God came from ?
” Would you be kind enough to say that my questions are worthy of thought, or complete rubbish?”
Your questions are worthy of research or until we ALL find that sticky note posted to our foreheads. 🙂
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Ah but Chief-
You are missing something far greater than God asking the question..
It is WHY He had to ask…………………. and now you are getting closer to ‘the sticky note on every man’s forehead.’ 😉
So thank you then, you have just told me (and others) these questions are worthy. Appreciate that.
To re-focus:
Which was first, man or beast? and such questions SHOULD be asked by any person of mettle.
_______________________________________________________________-
You (I) say, “The science of math points to a creator..” In other words, you believe everything had a beginning. Then tell me where your God came from ?
I believe everything had a beginning? I suppose most people yes believe that; and the rest? Simple denial.
(God is not a ‘thing,’ btw)
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Colorstorm says, “(God is not a ‘thing,’ btw)”
How do you know what God is ? The answer is, “you don’t” It’s quite OK to state what you believe God is. It’s not OK to state your belief as fact. This is why millions have died for their beliefs or lack thereof .
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Chief-
you said:
‘It’s not OK to state your belief as fact.’
Are you saying that they who promote so and so many thousands, or billions of years , as to the age of the universe are guilty of perpetuating fraud as fact?
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Colorstorm says, “Are you saying that they who promote so and so many
thousands, or billions of years , as to the age of the universe are guilty of perpetuating fraud as fact?”
Where is the fraud ? They are providing best guesses based on scientific evidence. You believe it is a fraud but where is your evidence ? I hope you don’t receive it from Ken Ham or are you Ken Ham ? 🙂
You say, ” Truth need not be changed, and if it is true, then it is absolutely true, kind of like the law of arithmetic”
Where do you receive your truth ? Are you receiving sticky notes the rest of us are not receiving ? 🙂 This has been an age old problem. The Crusades, The Inquisition, Hitler, Jim Jones, David Koresh, and the list goes on.
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C’mon Chief-
Try to be fair’
I was simply referring you to your own logic: You said:
‘It’s not OK to state your belief as fact………………’
but its OK for you to state your belief as fact? ……………..you don’t see the disconnect?
Hitler, Crusades , Inquisition?? Really, that has WHAT to do with
man or beast?
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Colorstorm says, “C’mon Chief- Try to be fair’
I was simply referring you to your own logic: You said: ‘It’s not OK to state your belief as fact………………’ but its OK for you to state your belief as fact? ……………..you don’t see the disconnect?”
Colorstorm, I just read all of the previous statements I have made to you and I’m having a difficult time seeing where I stated any of my beliefs as fact. Perhaps you could point them out to me . It has never been my mission to perpetrate any of my beliefs as fact. I blog because I like to challenge and be challenged. I wasn’t allowed to do this in Churches which I attended most of my life so I now thank WordPress for the opportunity.
If I inadvertently did present a belief as fact , then by all means challenge me. There is a difference in believing in a fact vs perpetrating a belief as fact. 🙂
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Colorstorm says, “Hitler, Crusades , Inquisition?? Really, that has WHAT to do with
man or beast?”
Nothing ! It has everything to do with where you receive your “truth” Hitler had belt buckles made for every German soldier which read, “Got mitt uns” which means God with Us. He told every soldier God was with them. This was his truth.
To answer your question again, it really does have something to do with man or beast. Hitler certainly was more beast than man……………….
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Tkx anyway Chief-
You at least tried, and were civil to the nines.
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Colorstorm, I am human with many errors. Civility is not always my virtue but it is a target I continually aim for. 🙂
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Sure u can join the side show-
Just to save u some time and energy, feel free to address the most salient question-
What question is that?? Ah, answer that, and the rest are easy, but no more clues from here.
Be careful though, indictments abound at every wrong move. Proceed with caution
😉
Enjoy the show.
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Reading your posts is no different than reading writings of someone from the Bronze Age. 😉
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I get that quite often as you could image.
You would be surprised however Neuro at the superior brains of Some of those men…………..heck, the imagination it took to name the elephant for example, still an elephant today how may ages later. he he he .
Then there is the magnificent architectural skills of hmm, lets see, how many edifices can we think of that surpass ALL modern crafts, and oh yea, without transits, power tools, gps etc etc.
Bob Vila is jealous
I’m liken Bronxe thks for the comp.
But try to stay on point- there is ONE question tucked in there for your immediate attention.
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Sometimes I suspect you are a Poe, but then again…I don’t think you are that clever.
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Stop it with the compliments, and focus on the task at hand.
C.mon Neuro u can do it- Answer the questions that make you so great. You can get help from the A-team.
Many others have fallen at far lesser questions. Here’s an easier one for ya to get started:
which was first cold or hot? 😉
careful here
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Which came first man or god? 😉
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Sorry, I am the game show host-
You have questions to answer, and again, feel free to phone- a- friend- and your calls can be limitless.
That’s how confident the host of this show is.
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Whooosh……
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Thanks for calling, Victoria. Sounds like an infidel on the the other line. Ugh. Infidels. Wadda we gonna do with ’em. let’s repeat the only truth there is ONE MORE TIME! There IS NO GOD but, Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet!
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“the imagination it took to name the elephant for example, still an elephant today”
Elephants were official first known as “Those Big Ass Grey Things That Stomp Around.” They weren’t officially known as elephants until one fell off the Ark. When Noah asked the Zoo keeper on the ark where one of “Those Big Ass Grey Things That Stomp Around” went, the Zoo keeper said, ” ‘Ell-if-I-know.” And thus, the name “elephyknow” became the thing’s name. Later, when an “elephyknow” stepped on some ants, the name was changed to “elephant-da-dant-da-dant-da-dant-da-dant!” We now use the shorter form of that word. It evolved over time. Like life does. Oh, Noah also tossed the Zoo keeper over the side for losing the beast. ‘Ell of a temper Noah had. ‘Ell of a temper.
Remember the golden rule that all infidels NEVER seem to remember: There is NO God but Allah, and Mohammad is His prophet. Infidels. When oh when, will the fear of the hell you’re going to burn in be enough for you to stop your blaspheming ways and accept the one true God, Allah. I kin smell the flesh cookin’ off yer infidel bones now. Ouch. That’s gonna STING! And for eternity too. Ugh.
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That icon guy looks exactly like I did before Allah stuck this damn lightening bolt to my hand permanently for doubting his greatness one Tuesday morn. There IS no God BUT Allah, and Mohammad IS His prophet.
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Jeff, I’d like to see you take that lightening bold to zap our friend Colorstorm. Maybe the electric shock will reactivate his neural circuitry in the frontal lobes that have to do with judgement and critical thinking.
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You can’t re-activate something that’s never been there to begin with. Color needs to call Charlies Angels to come help him out by giving him a nice warm bottle of milk, burping him, and placing his little bitty head on nice satin pillow so he drift off into a nice deluded dream. Poor little fella. He’s be cute if not for the PJ’s his nanny puts ’em in every night. Tattered old things. Shameful really, when you think about it. And remember the only answer that exists to every question an infidel like this asks you: There is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is His prophet. To think there is another answer is to ask Satan himself to seer your flesh from your bones for all eternity.
*The above message was brought to you by your friends at Muslims For Christ, an equal opportunity employer. $Amen$
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“There is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is His prophet.”
You know what’s really disconcerting Jeff? Colorstorm will most likely not get your point.
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I’m quite certain you are right. Praise be to Allah!
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😉
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Very nice. Mature. I notice all your kindergarten chatter and no sound answers. A common tactic to malign and avoid. Then again, all one needs do is to read the comments above.
This is the fruit of the brightest minds?
As show host, I have to tell you frankly, you do not qualify to make it to the next round. But tkx for playing. You get a 15 cent coupon to be redeemed……no, skip it, you may get the wrong impression if I used the word redemption.
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Qualify? Please tell us, Colorstorm, what qualifies you to think you worship the “right” god? You do know that there are many environmental, biological and neurological causes for people experiencing (delusions) a god, right?
You do understand that there have been greedy men throughout history who conjured up gods to convince others to own women, rape girls from other tribes and turn them into domestic slaves and breeders after these godly men, under the commandment of your god, murdered these girls mothers, fathers and brothers, ripped off their property, and split the plunder between them.
Yes, I’m talking about one of those thousands of gods, Yahweh, Jesus’ daddy, the one you worship.
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Trying to red___em that coupon………………….?
Where do you see the word even mentioned: worship?? Hmmmmmmmm?
As was noted earlier: ‘malign and avoid, malign and avoid.’
.
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As noted earlier, believes he has access to “the” god God who condones murder, raping of girls. Yes, your god is a awesome god.
Sick!
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…and plunder. Gives me the warm fuzzies.
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Oh dear this one is so keen and ready witted… the problem of evilness maybe… I ll definitely be back to add further inisghts on this topic. Hugs… Aquileana 😀
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The argument from evil attempts to show that the co-existence of evil and such a deity is unlikely or impossible if placed in absolute terms.
The originator of the logical problem of evil has been cited as the Greek philosopher Epicurus,and may be schematized as follows:
►If an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent god exists, then evil does not.
►There is evil in the world. Evil exists (logical contradiction).
►Therefore, an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God does not exist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil
Therefore if there is evilness, God does not exist … or another assumption, God is evilness…
Interesting indeed, dear John… Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀
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Cheers my friend! Hope you’re enjoying the change in weather.
Yes, the Problem of Evil is a real “problem” for apologists, yet the more interesting argument I think is the Problem of Good.
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Yes, I understand, probably a Good God is the biggest issue…
The weather is already warm over here… I hope you have already gone to the beach, John…
All the best to you!. Sending hugs Aquileana 😀
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I’m half-afraid of getting involved in this, but…
Looking at the discussion taking place in these comments, I see a lot of begging the question and ad hominem attacks and not a lot of actual listening. Being open-minded means just that: acknowledging that others have different beliefs than we do and, nine times out of ten, a reason for believing them.
Please, everyone, there is a reason civility is a valued trait in our society. Let’s calm down, take a deep breath, and approach the discussion without condescension but honest interest. No one is capable of knowing everything.
Peace.
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Hi Louis, thanks for the meaningful comment, and I certainly appreciate the sentiment. I’m assuming you’re specifically talking about interactions with (and by) Insanity and Colorstorm, and I have to say there’s a larger context at play here. Unfortunately they were the only apologists who jumped in on this post, and all hope of genuine discussion with them specifically flew the coop long, long ago… across multiple posts on their blogs, and other people’s blogs. There’s nothing hateful going on, just banter, but with no hope whatsoever of intellectual (or spiritual) headway being made because they have both chosen to exist in a state of extreme ignorance. This fact has been established beyond a shadow of a doubt, and regretfully, the willfully ignorant, like Insanity and Colorstorm, have separated themselves from all chance of engaging in a halfway meaningful dialogue; their screeds delivered only to make noise, not advance the human condition.
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Apologies for the delay in replying. This has been an utterly crazy weekend.
With all due respect sir, you seem rather irate at them yourself. To clarify, are you saying they are willfully ignorant because they are Christians? If it is indeed banter, that’s good, I suppose… I just hope Colorstorm and IB know that too. 😉 Personally I find IB’s posts quite insightful.
Peace.
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Hi Louis, peace to you, too.
I assure you, I’m far from irate, yet I will admit to having no patience for young earth creationists. That, in as few words as possible, is practicing unforgivable willful ignorance. If a person chooses to believe such nonsense despite all the evidence, then fine, that’s their choice, but they must also accept then that they have excused themselves from the adults table… and I would go as far to say that they should not have any contact whatsoever with real children.
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trying to post this picture which fits here I think.
file:///C:/Users/Larry/Downloads/10550920_10206236253971378_5942938269846314170_n.jpg
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nope one more try and then if this doesn’t work you will have to remove them both John. Sorry about all the extra work. 10550920_10206236253971378_5942938269846314170_n.jpg
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what the hell.
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LOL! Whatever it was, i’m sure it was great, Larry! 🙂
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This one hit me on my face. I do and in conversation 24/7. I got no defence John.
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Well, if he/she is actually talking to you, then you don’t have a problem 🙂
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talks back. You make it potent with time and absence of human involvement, time to bring home a pet I reckon….
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Well, if they start talking to you then you are in trouble 😉
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There’s no return when you’re convinced people are boring and forever scheming, enticing you to indulge in their universe of absurdity.
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True. Personal, privately generated absurdity is fine, delightful even, but someone else’s absurdity cannot be tolerated! 🙂
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Yup and then why would you want to tell a child spiderman is mere figment of imagination. He’ll eventually find out and also about god yet they remain blockbuster.
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Hey John, I am going to need to peruse the archives this weekend. I am in need of your brand of the atheist slant in my life. Hope all is well friend.
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Indeed well, my friend. Hard not to enjoy life during Carnaval week 🙂
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Oh my, and how! One day I will have to visit.
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It’s fun
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Ha ha ! You got banned too! Frakking hilarious! I am hosing myself with laughter down here.
You naughty heathen … its the Spam Queue for you, young man. Uncle Tom says Bad Johnny!
This deserves a post …
Please do one to mirror his blog.
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Yeah, we’ve both been banished LOL! I think he truly, truly, truly regretted telling his readers to investigate our posts… That kinda’ backfired, big time 🙂
Hey, i sent you an email this morning, did you get it?
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Er … no. Didn’t get on til late this afternoon. Let me check.
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Sent you a reply to your email, just now.
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I use the terms “God” and “Satan” as metaphors.
http://agalltyr.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/rational-translations-of-superstitious-concepts/
Although, that TV show “Ancient Aliens” has got me thinking they might be the leaders of two warring alien races.
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Giorgio Tsoukalos is a modern day prophet, no doubt about it.
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Hi John, this will be a shallow comment from me (sorry), but I wouldn’t mind an imaginary friend or enemy having a body like that depicted devil. On a serious note, I have often wondered why Hell exists in Christian religion. If the devil thrives on hate and evil, why would Hell be a place of punishment? Does anyone know?
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The dastardly debil is ripped, no doubt! And true, he’s not going to torture the wicked, but rather buy them drinks, say “Well done!,” and point them to the lounge 🙂
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Yes, he certainly is and more ripped than the painting I did of the devil; based upon the statue of Lucifer which is Madrid. Well, I hope so John as I can’t envisage myself going to Heaven – so I certainly want to be wherever the party is at!! 🙂
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Damn! I was gonna ask permission to use something from here, got caught up and by the time I’d blitzed all the good stuff had completely forgotten wotever it was I wanted.
On the plus side, I’ll retailor that cheery chap with the ‘Uncle Sam wants YOU’ type pointy finger and use it where seemly …
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Use whatever you like, whenever you like. No problem, Dog.
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Thank, and I shall. One wee tweak … boom boom!
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