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   From: jgaylord1@dslextreme.com   
      
   On 3/17/2018 10:44 PM, Checkmate wrote:   
   > Warning! Always wear ANSI approved safety goggles when reading posts by   
   > Checkmate!  In article , jgaylord1   
   > @dslextreme.com says...   
   >   
   >   
   >>   
   >> On 3/17/2018 6:50 PM, Checkmate wrote:   
   >>> Warning! Always wear ANSI approved safety goggles when reading posts by   
   >>> Checkmate!  In article <6opqadpjh39143sv0q97iqvvgav8mkvhoi@4ax.com>,   
   >>> greghall@yacht_maester.fake says...   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> On Fri, 16 Mar 2018, Checkmate  blathered...   
   >>>>> In article , g   
   eghall@yacht_maester.fake says...   
   >>>>>> On Fri, 16 Mar 2018, Skeeter  knuckled-dragged   
   thusly...   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> is like calling someone who takes communion an alcoholic.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> Boy, are you ever clueless. Taking communion nowadays   
   >>>>>> consists only of consuming the *host* which is a little   
   >>>>>> wafer of unleavened bread. Perhaps on Easter Sunday   
   >>>>>> in some Catholic churches a jigger of watered-down   
   >>>>>> wine is also offered.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> Surely, consuming such a miniscule amount of alcohol   
   >>>>>> per annum in a house of worship cannot seriously be   
   >>>>>> compared to rolling and smoking numerous fat doobies   
   >>>>>> per diem in a trailer park trash, single-wide house of   
   >>>>>> filth, you big Dope Head!   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> That whole communion thing is just part of the dog and pony show.   
   >>>>> Humans are easily manipulated by the simplest of things.  Ceremonies,   
   >>>>> medals, ribbons... it's a tried and true method of assigning some   
   >>>>> valueless trinket or ritual to an ideology, and using that to control   
   >>>>> the way people think and behave.  Did you feel "cleansed" of all your   
   >>>>> sins when you ate the magic cracker?   
   >>>>   
   >>>> You atheists seem proud of your abject ignorance which   
   >>>> you unabashedly espouse thus presenting yourselves as   
   >>>> boorish, crass and decrepit.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> FYI, the tools of Holy Communion are the host and wine.   
   >>>> The host symbolizes the body of Christ while the wine   
   >>>> symbolizes the blood of Christ. Ingesting the two is   
   >>>> symbolic of accepting and embracing the fact that Jesus   
   >>>> Christ sacrificed his body and blood so that humans may   
   >>>> have their sins forgiven.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> I fail to see why atheists readily accept symbolism of all   
   >>>> sorts elsewhere yet balk when symbolism is used as a religious   
   >>>> tool. It's illogical and it demonstrates confusion and lack of   
   >>>> consistency. It's yet another display of atheistic ignorance   
   >>>> and hypocrisy, the root cause of which is arrogance and pride.   
   >>>> These are prominent among the sinful human behaviors for   
   >>>> which Christ died on the cross so that they may be forgiven.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> One would think a little appreciation is in order. But, NOOOO!   
   >>>> Some would rather engage in Satanic behavior.   
   >>>   
   >>> We all pick and choose the symbols that comfort us, but we need to   
   >>> recognize them for what they are:  Tools of manipulation that are used   
   >>> to instill a sense of legitimacy beyond what logical scrutiny affords.   
   >>>   
   >>> Caveat emptor...   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >> Some of the most annoying evangelists I have known have been atheists.   
   >> I don't understand why atheists have such a need to try to convert   
   >> people who aren't trying to convert them.   
   >   
   > Anyone who uses religion to scam people has got to be a prima facie   
   > atheist, or the fear of incurring god's wrath would surely be enough to   
   > prevent them from doing so.   
   >   
      
   That is probably true.  However, I was referring to atheists who have to   
   keep forcing their atheism on people who disagree with them.   
      
   One evening I was with a group of people and one man was going on and   
   on, in a belligerent tone, about how there is no life after death.  He   
   just wouldn't shut up, no matter what anybody said.   
      
   I finally said, "Well, I believe there is life after death, which makes   
   me better off than you are."   
      
   He stormed over, leaned practically in my face and said, "Why?!"   
      
   I said, "Because if I'm wrong, I'll never know it, but if you're wrong,   
   you could be in for one hell of a surprise."   
      
   That shut him up.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)