From: somewhere@around.com   
      
   "That Guy" <7@f.com> wrote in message   
   news:6Y2dnYYqw40VNrvbnZ2dnUVZ_t2tnZ2d@giganews.com...   
   >   
   > "Pink Freud"  wrote in message   
   > news:XaCdnTjy4_6vo7jbnZ2dnUVZ8sKlnZ2d@bt.com...   
   >>   
   >> "That Guy" <7@f.com> wrote in message   
   >> news:peydnbLrp7wSO77bnZ2dnUVZ_oernZ2d@giganews.com...   
   >>>   
   >>> "Pink Freud"  wrote in message   
   >>> news:yM6dnUQxMvjwF4PbnZ2dnUVZ8q-rnZ2d@bt.com...   
   >>>>   
   >>>> "That Guy" <7@f.com> wrote in message   
   >>>> news:MZedndzs9aM89IPbnZ2dnUVZ_uqvnZ2d@giganews.com...   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> "Pink Freud"  wrote in message   
   >>>>> news:6Z6dnWjb4NCQRIDbnZ2dnUVZ8qSnnZ2d@bt.com...   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> "That Guy" <7@f.com> wrote in message   
   >>>>>> news:qdadnae614LZ_YDbnZ2dnUVZ_rKvnZ2d@giganews.com...   
   >>>>>>> Pink Freud wrote:   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> Really? then consider this: there are literally thousands of gods   
   >>>>>>>>>> and you just believe in one more than atheists. Enjoy your   
   >>>>>>>>>> schizophrenia.   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> You don't know what I believe, you moron.  If you want to define   
   >>>>>>>>> "gods" as beings who resemble Yahweh, sure, there are thousands if   
   >>>>>>>>> not millions.  But they aren't deities.  There is also a   
   >>>>>>>>> collective   
   >>>>>>>>> deity, but it is not a being - more like a network.   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> --   
   >>>>>>>>> Joel Crump   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the   
   >>>>>>>>> nations, I will be exalted in the earth. - Psalm 46:10, NIV   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> LOL.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> As an atheist, I was going to join in this discussion at the "The   
   >>>>>>>> atheism story is the silliest of all." point. Now I'm so glad I   
   >>>>>>>> didn't. Let people enjoy their imaginary friends, that's my new   
   >>>>>>>> motto.   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> Excellent.  Witnessing people argue about religion is like standing   
   >>>>>>> on the rim of a pit filled with shit, watching people swimming in   
   >>>>>>> the shit. You laugh at them, but they can't hear you laughing, so   
   >>>>>>> you jump into the shit with them so they can hear you laughing at   
   >>>>>>> them. IMO that's what participating in a god debate is like.   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> Nah. As an atheist I dwell in one of those nice balcony-boxes just   
   >>>>>> over the shit. And I have a plunger with a 6-ft handle.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> The other people see themselves in the exact same position: sitting in   
   >>>>> the balcony while all the others swim in shit.  From a   
   >>>>> non-participating observer's viewpoint, you're no different.  If   
   >>>>> you're like other atheists, you believe there is no God or Gods, which   
   >>>>> is just another belief. Arguing about beliefs is like swimming in   
   >>>>> shit.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> er... in the strictest sense, humans argue about beliefs almost every   
   >>>> time they speak.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> I'm not sure why religion should be such a taboo area in the sphere of   
   >>>> beliefs. Beliefs and religions can change, and if noone ever discussed   
   >>>> these things (or yes, even argued about them) then we would probably   
   >>>> still be in the dark ages.   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>> You seem to be using the words "discuss" and "argue" interchangeably,   
   >>> which means we have a communication gap.   
   >>   
   >> They're synonyms, so you can relax. Communication's fine.   
   >   
   > How odd that you would make the assumption that there isn't a   
   > communication problem.  I am using the word discussion to mean a polite   
   > conversation, and by "polite" I mean no obvious disrespect being shown for   
   > any of the conversants.  I am using "argument" to mean a conversation   
   > which includes obvious disrespect being shown by one or more of the   
   > participants.   
   >   
   > Before you posted in this thread, one poster referred to another's beliefs   
   > as "schizophrenia" and another (or possibly the same one, I don't know)   
   > called someone else a moron.   
   >   
   > Since my use of "argument" and "discussion" is incorrect, I revise my   
   > statement "Arguing about beliefs is like swimming in shit" to "Joining a   
   > discussion about religion in which at least some of the participants have   
   > abandoned even the pretense of respect for others in the discussion is   
   > like swimming in shit."   
   >   
   > Of course, that's just my opinion.  Some people enjoy heated arguments.   
   > Nothing wrong with that.   
   >   
   >   
      
   Thank you. I will now continue poking the fundamentalist with a pointy   
   stick, if that's cool.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)