XPost: alt.checkmate, alt.fan.cyberchicken, alt.fiftyplus   
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   From: jgaylord1@dslextreme.com   
      
   On 3/18/2018 12:47 PM, % wrote:   
   > On 2018-03-18 12:30 PM, joy wrote:   
   >> On 3/18/2018 3:47 AM, Checkmate wrote:   
   >>> Warning! Always wear ANSI approved safety goggles when reading posts by   
   >>> Checkmate!  In article , jgaylord1   
   >>> @dslextreme.com says...   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> 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 ,   
   >>>>>>>>> greghall@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.   
   >>>   
   >>> Generally, arguing religion or politics with anyone is an exercise in   
   >>> futility.  Have you ever heard anyone say "Oh, shit... you're right.  I   
   >>> had that ALL fucked up!"  Why should I worry about someone who thinks   
   >>> he's going to go to heaven?  As you said, if there's no afterlife,   
   >>> he'll never know the difference.   
   >>>   
   >>> I may sound like an atheist, but I'm actually more of an agnostic.   
   >>> It's not that I don't believe there "could" be a Creator, I just don't   
   >>> believe anyone who claims to know "the" Creator.  It's way more likely   
   >>> that Man created God, than the other way around.  The notion that one   
   >>> can force himself to believe in a designated god in order to avoid an   
   >>> alleged hell is patently absurd, and falsely claiming such a belief in   
   >>> order to escape their god's wrath is assuming that this superior being   
   >>> isn't smart enough to know the true intentions of the professed   
   >>> believer.   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >> You make some good points.  I have agnostic leanings myself.  I simply   
   >> find it harder to believe that live, the universe and everything just   
   >> happened than to believe in a Creator.  What the characteristics of that   
   >> Creator are, I can't say.  However, I'm willing to respect the beliefs   
   >> or disbelief of others, as long as they do me the same courtesy.   
   >   
   >   
   > i believe in me and that's under negotiations   
      
   -)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)