Religion & Morality

[Michigan Girl]

I'd like to add that there are folks/Christians, w/very little/nothing, who have lost
children, loved ones, experienced unfathomable tragedy, who still consider themselves
blessed. I suppose if I thought God were a genie in a bottle,
there to fulfill all of my desires ...I'd be disappointed, as well!!

I'm enjoying this thread ... enlightening

If a belief that someone greater is in control, has reasons for allowing tragedy that are beyond our human understanding, and has something even better in store gives people comfort in tough times, hey... whatever it takes. My best advice to Christians from my own experience is, go ahead and pray if you believe in it, but don't hesitate too long waiting for answers and "signs" -- get up and make things happen in your life. You are much more in control of your destiny than you think.

Absolutely!! Gotta get in that boat, dumb Christian VVVVVVV ...

There was an old man sitting on his porch watching the rain fall.
Pretty soon the water was coming over the porch and into the house.

The old man was still sitting there when a rescue boat came
and the people on board said, "You can't stay here you have to come with us."

The old man replied, "No, God will save me." So the boat left.
A little while later the water was up to the second floor,
and another rescue boat came, and again told the old man he had to come with them.

The old man again replied, "God will save me." So the boat left him again.

An hour later the water was up to the roof and a third rescue
boat approached the old man, and tried to get him to come with them.

Again the old man refused to leave stating that, "God will save him."
So the boat left him again.

Soon after, the man drowns and goes to heaven, and when he sees
God he asks him, "Why didn't you save me?"

God replied, "You dummy! I tried. I sent three boats after you!!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[verslibre]

Go look at that Obama thread. People calling each other "idiot" and "dickhead" and everything in-between. People who would normally be palsy-walsy when it comes to music. A real Jekyll-Hyde drama playing itself out over there.

Which message board are you talking about, cuz it surely ain't this one!

Not anymore, anyway!

[Duncan]

My problem is not with someone having one thought or another on the subject. What I have a disagreement with is the lack of respect to others who hold a differing opinion. If your into tearing others down to build yourself or your thoughts up, that says little for your own personality. The internet is a fine thing, but I find people hide behind a computer and say things they would never say to people to their face. It gives them a cowards way of treating others badly.

You don't have to be nasty to give your point of view. But if you do, your true nature shows through.

It's pretty hard to respect someone who is a member of a religion that dictates that I am going to burn in hell forever for simply not being a member of that religion. As you're a Christian you presumably subscribe to that view. You think I'm going to burn in hell and you ask me to respect you?

Here's the kicker to that line of thinking. You're offended by the thoughts of Christians who believe that those who do not follow Christ will burn in Hell. Yet, if you believe that it's all hogwash, then why would you be offended by something that in your mind does not exist?

I would have thought it was self evident. Whether I believe in something or not, for someone to hold believes about me based on nothing other than a cobbled together book is insulting.

[Uno_up]

Wowzers...

Every once in a while, say like every 2-3 months, I have a night where I get hammered...the frequency of which is lessening as I get older. What astounds me is how directly linked the "how much I drank" is with the weirdness of my taste in porn is, which I check the next day when I click on my Mozilla history. Seriously, if I was to take up hard drugs, I believe I might be watching 'midget-babysitter-girl next door-squirting-high heels-stepsister-biker-porn. I mean, when I'm not alone and sober (which is the vast majority of the time) I watch zero porn. A little tipsy, well I'll dial up a little soccer mom porn. One or two vids though and that's it. But the all-nighter shit gets a tad out there. Today i was actually taken aback by some search decisions I made last night. I mean, really? Wtf? In the cold light of day I do not really want a nanny/seduces boss/huge natural tits/ potty-mouth/sister of the bride/takes it anal...

[Deb]

Wowzers...

Every once in a while, say like every 2-3 months, I have a night where I get hammered...the frequency of which is lessening as I get older. What astounds me is how directly linked the "how much I drank" is with the weirdness of my taste in porn is, which I check the next day when I click on my Mozilla history. Seriously, if I was to take up hard drugs, I believe I might be watching 'midget-babysitter-girl next door-squirting-high heels-stepsister-biker-porn. I mean, when I'm not alone and sober (which is the vast majority of the time) I watch zero porn. A little tipsy, well I'll dial up a little soccer mom porn. One or two vids though and that's it. But the all-nighter shit gets a tad out there. Today i was actually taken aback by some search decisions I made last night. I mean, really? Wtf? In the cold light of day I do not really want a nanny/seduces boss/huge natural tits/ potty-mouth/sister of the bride/takes it anal...

LMAO! Thanks for the random share there Uno.

[Michigan Girl]

I cry every time he posts ...absolutely look forward to reading him!!

My only question, which is always the same ...Uno, how do you select
the thread in which you will post ...just whatever's on top?!?

[Uno_up]

I cry every time he posts ...absolutely look forward to reading him!!

My only question, which is always the same ...Uno, how do you select
the thread in which you will post ...just whatever's on top?!?

Isn't porn a morality issue, MG?

...duh!

[Rip Rokken]

I cry every time he posts ...absolutely look forward to reading him!!

My only question, which is always the same ...Uno, how do you select
the thread in which you will post ...just whatever's on top?!?

Could be his same criteria for selecting porn.



Uno, anything special coming up for your 1,000th post?

[Rip Rokken]

I cry every time he posts ...absolutely look forward to reading him!!

My only question, which is always the same ...Uno, how do you select
the thread in which you will post ...just whatever's on top?!?

Isn't porn a morality issue, MG?

...duh!

Oops, I was too slow! I guess it could be a morality issue, and there are some ex-porn stars/hookers for Christ ministries out there. Oz Fox married one of these chicks, and the first thought that came to my mind is, how convenient! Rock stars can still marry hot strippers as long as it's in the name of Jesus.

[AR]

I cry every time he posts ...absolutely look forward to reading him!!

My only question, which is always the same ...Uno, how do you select
the thread in which you will post ...just whatever's on top?!?

Isn't porn a morality issue, MG?

...duh!

I still prefer classic 80's porn. The girls today have too many tattoos and piercings.

Anyone want a link to "2 Girls 1 Cup"?

[Michigan Girl]

I cry every time he posts ...absolutely look forward to reading him!!

My only question, which is always the same ...Uno, how do you select
the thread in which you will post ...just whatever's on top?!?

Isn't porn a morality issue, MG?

...duh!

You are absolutely correct, my son ...Apostles Creed, Our Father,
3 Hail Marys ...go in peace!!

[Michigan Girl]

I cry every time he posts ...absolutely look forward to reading him!!

My only question, which is always the same ...Uno, how do you select
the thread in which you will post ...just whatever's on top?!?

Isn't porn a morality issue, MG?

...duh!

Oops, I was too slow! I guess it could be a morality issue, and there are some ex-porn stars/hookers for Christ ministries out there. Oz Fox married one of these chicks, and the first thought that came to my mind is, how convenient! Rock stars can still marry hot strippers as long as it's in the name of Jesus.

[S2M]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

[Uno_up]

I cry every time he posts ...absolutely look forward to reading him!!

My only question, which is always the same ...Uno, how do you select
the thread in which you will post ...just whatever's on top?!?

Could be his same criteria for selecting porn.



Uno, anything special coming up for your 1,000th post?

I've been thinking about posting an ode to Night Ranger. For twenty something years I absolutely hated them (with the exception of a fond memory of banging a chick with a hot face but serious back-fat to "Don't tell me you love me" in the back of a chevrolet)...probably something to do with Sister Christian oh-the-time-has-come crap. Last summer they came to a county fair in my rural area of upstate NY. Maybe 1,500 total in attendance...Entry was free with the price of fair admission unless you wanted to smack down an extra $10 when you walked in and grab a folding chair to sit near the stage, which maybe only 100 people did. Holy crap! What show! Whoa!...Those old-fucks were non-stop running around the stage!...They treated this po-dunk audience like they were playing in front of 50,000. It's going to be a disappointment seeing them play a quick set when they open for Journey in September.
After reading in this forum about how good their latest effort was, I laid down the $10+ at WalMart for it. Incredible stuff! "Time of Our Lives" would have easily be a top-10 hit in the mid-80's. "Bye Bye Baby" and "Say it with Love" probably as well, with really good hooks. Thank you.

[AR]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Don't think of it as "derailed" but merely evolving.

I did have a slight moral dilemna recently when my wife approached me about sending our daughter (just turned 5) to a Catholic school. I grew up Catholic, but do not care to practice organized religion. There public schools in my area are pretty good, and I was looking forward to not having the outrageous daycare bill to pay anymore.

My wife wasn't against sending her to the public school, but requested a chance to visit it before deciding and the principal acted like she couldn't be bothered while the Catholic school invited them both to come in during a school day and were highly accomodating.

I gave in and gave the ok to the Catholic school. It's actually still going to be cheaper than the daycare was, and my daughter really loved it during the visit. I see no harm in her being exposed to religion in her education, and it's for her to decide when she gets older if it's something she wants to follow or not.

[Don]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Morality is nothing more than our basic survival instinct elevated to a higher level.

[Duncan]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Don't think of it as "derailed" but merely evolving.

I did have a slight moral dilemna recently when my wife approached me about sending our daughter (just turned 5) to a Catholic school. I grew up Catholic, but do not care to practice organized religion. There public schools in my area are pretty good, and I was looking forward to not having the outrageous daycare bill to pay anymore.

My wife wasn't against sending her to the public school, but requested a chance to visit it before deciding and the principal acted like she couldn't be bothered while the Catholic school invited them both to come in during a school day and were highly accomodating.

I gave in and gave the ok to the Catholic school. It's actually still going to be cheaper than the daycare was, and my daughter really loved it during the visit. I see no harm in her being exposed to religion in her education, and it's for her to decide when she gets older if it's something she wants to follow or not.

Unfortately many of the kids become so brainswashed that they are unable to make an objective decision when they are older. That's why religous groups have schools in the first place. It should be illegal. Like government and religion, education and religion should be separate.

[AR]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Don't think of it as "derailed" but merely evolving.

I did have a slight moral dilemna recently when my wife approached me about sending our daughter (just turned 5) to a Catholic school. I grew up Catholic, but do not care to practice organized religion. There public schools in my area are pretty good, and I was looking forward to not having the outrageous daycare bill to pay anymore.

My wife wasn't against sending her to the public school, but requested a chance to visit it before deciding and the principal acted like she couldn't be bothered while the Catholic school invited them both to come in during a school day and were highly accomodating.

I gave in and gave the ok to the Catholic school. It's actually still going to be cheaper than the daycare was, and my daughter really loved it during the visit. I see no harm in her being exposed to religion in her education, and it's for her to decide when she gets older if it's something she wants to follow or not.

Unfortately many of the kids become so brainswashed that they are unable to make an objective decision when they are older. That's why religous groups have schools in the first place. It should be illegal. Like government and religion, education and religion should be separate.

Maybe in certain instances. I went through Catholic school myself from K - 12 and got a great education. I had discounted organized religion by high school for the most part, but most of what they were teaching was common sense, be good people stuff anyway. The rituals of mass once in awhile (Zzzzzz) and the 1 religion class you had to take a semester weren't a big deal.

I think the only thing they truly brainwashed me with was handing those "Highlights Magazines" out that told everyone we should tell our parents to vote for Jimmy Carter back in grade school in 1976.

[Duncan]

Sure, the influences outside of school are equally if not more so important. Neverthess religion are fully aware of the maxim "give me the child for the first seven years and I'll give you the man"

[Don]

I worked at A Catholic Girls High School in the Pasadena Suburbs a few years back. Probably 30 percent of the students were from overseas(Japan, Mexico, Korea, Indonesia, etc.). The school was an old converted hotel from 1930s so half of the students lived there on site. Besides Mass, I didn't really feel or see where there was any push trying to force Catholicism down anyone's throat.
I actually played football for a Catholic school back in Junior High. I wasn't a student there, the only requirement to be on the team was to attend Mass, where we all were put in the back pew and that was about the extent of our participation in any thing remotely religious.

I've found from my experiences that the Non- Catholic Parochial schools and Christian Academies are more likely to engage in Polytheism to a higher degree.
Also, the Catholic Schools do seem to offer an outstanding education where as some of these other Religious educational institutions give me much pause concerning the accreditation of many of their faculty.

Now, the money matter is something else. I did some contract work for the L.A. Archdiocese about 15 years ago and the cash inflow from their Education department is beyond staggering. We are talking HUGE bucks. Even with that though, I think the parent should always be free to give their child the best education possible, and if they've got the financial ability, then by all means go for it.

[Michigan Girl]

Then our children are brainwashed from the moment they take their first
breath ...as they are being taught!!
I'm Catholic and even I don't agree with, or like, everything about this religion.
e.g. I hate confession. As a child I was terrified to tears of the little closet with the
soft voice and the grilled face. I did not lie to this voice, but I didn't tell him
everything ...geez!! I had my own little chats with the holy spirit while
performing my penance. I always felt very guilty about not being completely
honest with him, so one Saturday, (I was probably 16 or so) I decided
I was going to tell him that I do not, and never have shared everything with him,
in case he wanted to throw in a little something extra for that sin as well!!

As an adult, I do not attend confession and the voices have stopped!!

[Deb]

Then our children are brainwashed from the moment they take their first
breath ...as they are being taught!!
I'm Catholic and even I don't agree with, or like, everything about this religion.
e.g. I hate confession. As a child I was terrified to tears of the little closet with the
soft voice and the grilled face. I did not lie to this voice, but I didn't tell him
everything ...geez!! I had my own little chats with the holy spirit while
performing my penance. I always felt very guilty about not being completely
honest with him, so one Saturday, (I was probably 16 or so) I decided
I was going to tell him that I do not, and never have shared everything with him,
in case he wanted to throw in a little something extra for that sin as well!!

As an adult, I do not attend confession and the voices have stopped!! :shock:

[artist4perry]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Actually this thread could use some derailing, so people don't take it too seriously. Me included.

[artist4perry]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Don't think of it as "derailed" but merely evolving.

I did have a slight moral dilemna recently when my wife approached me about sending our daughter (just turned 5) to a Catholic school. I grew up Catholic, but do not care to practice organized religion. There public schools in my area are pretty good, and I was looking forward to not having the outrageous daycare bill to pay anymore.

My wife wasn't against sending her to the public school, but requested a chance to visit it before deciding and the principal acted like she couldn't be bothered while the Catholic school invited them both to come in during a school day and were highly accomodating.

I gave in and gave the ok to the Catholic school. It's actually still going to be cheaper than the daycare was, and my daughter really loved it during the visit. I see no harm in her being exposed to religion in her education, and it's for her to decide when she gets older if it's something she wants to follow or not.

Unfortately many of the kids become so brainswashed that they are unable to make an objective decision when they are older. That's why religous groups have schools in the first place. It should be illegal. Like government and religion, education and religion should be separate.

By the way Duncan, did you know separation of church and state does not exist on the law books?

[S2M]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Don't think of it as "derailed" but merely evolving.

I did have a slight moral dilemna recently when my wife approached me about sending our daughter (just turned 5) to a Catholic school. I grew up Catholic, but do not care to practice organized religion. There public schools in my area are pretty good, and I was looking forward to not having the outrageous daycare bill to pay anymore.

My wife wasn't against sending her to the public school, but requested a chance to visit it before deciding and the principal acted like she couldn't be bothered while the Catholic school invited them both to come in during a school day and were highly accomodating.

I gave in and gave the ok to the Catholic school. It's actually still going to be cheaper than the daycare was, and my daughter really loved it during the visit. I see no harm in her being exposed to religion in her education, and it's for her to decide when she gets older if it's something she wants to follow or not.

Unfortately many of the kids become so brainswashed that they are unable to make an objective decision when they are older. That's why religous groups have schools in the first place. It should be illegal. Like government and religion, education and religion should be separate.

By the way Duncan, did you know separation of church and state does not exist on the law books?

Who cares?! Seriously. Do you want to go back to the days of the Tudors, where the people were forced to be whatever religion the monarch was? Jesus Fucking Christ!

Separation of church and state is common sense....something I think is actually lacking among the devout.

[parfait]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Don't think of it as "derailed" but merely evolving.

I did have a slight moral dilemna recently when my wife approached me about sending our daughter (just turned 5) to a Catholic school. I grew up Catholic, but do not care to practice organized religion. There public schools in my area are pretty good, and I was looking forward to not having the outrageous daycare bill to pay anymore.

My wife wasn't against sending her to the public school, but requested a chance to visit it before deciding and the principal acted like she couldn't be bothered while the Catholic school invited them both to come in during a school day and were highly accomodating.

I gave in and gave the ok to the Catholic school. It's actually still going to be cheaper than the daycare was, and my daughter really loved it during the visit. I see no harm in her being exposed to religion in her education, and it's for her to decide when she gets older if it's something she wants to follow or not.

Unfortately many of the kids become so brainswashed that they are unable to make an objective decision when they are older. That's why religous groups have schools in the first place. It should be illegal. Like government and religion, education and religion should be separate.

By the way Duncan, did you know separation of church and state does not exist on the law books?

What are you talking about? The United States Constitution serves as the law of the land for America and indicates the intent of your Founding Fathers. The Constitution forms a secular document, and nowhere does it appeal to God, Christianity, Jesus, or any supreme being. Madison (a Christian) had also written that "Strongly guarded. . . is the separation between religion and government in the Constitution of the United States." Most of the founding Fathers, although they respected the rights of other religionists, held to deism and Freemasonry tenets rather than to Christianity. They were secularists above all else. John Adams further wrote in the Treaty of Tripoli:

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

The US was founded on the beautiful ideas of the enlightenment, based upon the works of Spinoza, Locke, Montesquieu and Voltaire.

[S2M]

Do not derail my thread...all you morality ninjas.

Actually this thread could use some derailing, so people don't take it too seriously. Me included.

Actually, it IS a serious topic....

[S2M]

Thomas Paine, from his Age of Reason

"I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.

But, lest it should be supposed that I believe in many other things in addition to these, I shall, in the progress of this work, declare the things I do not believe, and my reasons for not believing them.

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.

All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit."

another quote:

"Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is none more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory in itself, than this thing called Christianity."

Ethan Allen's, The Oracle of Man:


"An unjust composition never fails to contain error and falsehood. Therefore an unjust connection of ideas is not derived from nature, but from the imperfect composition of man. Misconnection of ideas is the same as misjudging, and has no positive existence, being merely a creature of the imagination; but nature and truth are real and uniform; and the rational mind by reasoning, discerns the uniformity, and is thereby enabled to make a just composition of ideas, which will stand the test of truth. But the fantastical illuminations of the credulous and superstitious part of mankind, proceed from weakness, and as far as they take place in the world subvert the religion of REASON, NATURE and TRUTH."

[S2M]

Besides the danger of a direct mixture of religion and civil government, there is an evil which ought to be guarded against in the indefinite accumulation of property from the capacity of holding it in perpetuity by ecclesiastical corporations.
The establishment of the chaplainship in Congress is a palpable violation of equal rights as well as of Constitutional principles.
The danger of silent accumulations and encroachments by ecclesiastical bodies has not sufficiently engaged attention in the U.S.
- James Madison, being outvoted in the bill to establish the office of Congressional Chaplain

"The separation of Church and State is not meant to hinder religion, or to deny the role of religion in society or in our history. Many of the founders were Christians, even James Madison was a Christian, but what they established was a government that was non-religious - a secular government. That does not mean that they rejected religion; their purpose was to establish a government whose sole function was to administer earthy matters, while matters of religion were left purely to ecclesiastical institutions. The founders, by and large, were very much supportive of the role of religion in society, but they separated the ideas of society and government, leaving religion to play a role in society, not government."

[verslibre]

The thing that confuses me more than anything is the emotion attached to

Who cares?! Seriously. Do you want to go back to the days of the Tudors, where the people were forced to be whatever religion the monarch was? J**** F****** C*****!

You must have been talking about yourself, boy.