Obama says Pastor Wrong and Divisive

Citizen »

Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:34 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

HAWK49: I see you are preaching the gospel of Sean Hannity and Brit Hume. They lied about the "black value system" being purged from the website (you can find a link to it on the front page http://www.tucc.org/home.htm). Nor can you learn anything of value about Black Liberation Theology from them.

Apologetics Group to Examine Evidence for Jesus' Resurrection

Citizen »

Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:09 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

chicago24: Taking "speed of spread" as your criterion for truth is sloppy thinking. Islam spread fast, too, but I don't see you converting to Islam.

Where is your citation for this idea that women weren't credible witnesses in 1st Century Judea?

Lutherans Issue Human Sexuality Statement for Review

Citizen »

Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:03 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 7

Well, let's try this again:

I have a prediction for all of you: within 25 years, the majority of anti-gay amendments to state constitutions will be repealed, and same-sex marriage will be legal in a majority of states. Mainline, liberal, and non-Christian religious organizations will perform same-sex marriages without a problem. When the next generation learns the history of this issue, they will wonder what the big deal was, and why it took so long to recognize that discriminating on the basis of the gender of one's spouse is just as wrong as discriminating on the basis of the race of one's spouse.

Calif. Shows What Liberals Will do with Unlimited Power

Citizen »

Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:16 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

1man: you mean the epic conservative failure known as "NCLB?" I agree: that was a serious educational failure, and parents should do everything they can to see it repealed. Or perhaps you're referring to all the money wasted pushing creationism/ID or trying to get various books banned? Another "triumph" for the reactionary right. Imagine if that money was put into buying the highest quality talent for teaching from other fields? Learning begins when teachers inspire children to learn, and they can't do that when parents are demanding religious dogma taught in science class, or the Bush administration is forcing the teachers to teach to the test, rather than actually imparting knowledge.

Calif. Shows What Liberals Will do with Unlimited Power

Citizen »

Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:16 pm Agree: 5   Disagree: 0

anniefourjesus: I agree with you that people ought not to be allowed to do "whatever they want," and to me, that includes not allowing parents to teach or not teach whatever they want in lieu of setting basic knowledge minimums at public or private schools, or with a credentialed tutor. Parents have a responsibility to ensure that their child is educated responsibly, and if they fail in that responsibility, there will rightly be consequences. That is what this court case was all about.

Calif. Shows What Liberals Will do with Unlimited Power

Citizen »

Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:04 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

anniefourjesus: I didn't get it from the media...I got it from the court opinion:

"A Welfare and Institutions Code section 300 petition was filed on behalf of three
minor children after the eldest of them reported physical and emotional mistreatment by
4
the children’s father. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family
Services investigated the situation and discovered, among other things, that all eight of
the children in the family had been home schooled by the mother rather than educated in
a public or private school.1"

Here is the opinion, if you want to read it: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B192878.PDF

Green Southern Baptists Avoid Divisive Talk

Citizen »

Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:11 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

jessephillips: Increased droughts caused by global warming would have a disproportionate impact on the poorest regions of the world.

Calif. Shows What Liberals Will do with Unlimited Power

Citizen »

Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:57 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 3

"Most Californians defy the Leftist label by living out lives that exhibit a love for God, family, and country."

Nothing says "listen to what I have to say and thoughtfully consider it" like a reckless, hateful smear of one's political opponents right off the bat.

"The days of Ronald Reagan are long gone and California is firmly in the hands of the Left wing of the Democrat party. Taxes are soaring, illegal immigrants, who are pouring over the border are being welcomed with open arms even as their collective weight on the welfare system threatens to further bankrupt the state."

The Republican party lost power in California because Californians turned on the party for its immigrant scare-mongering. The Democratic party should send Dr. Beam a thank-you note for his attempt to bring that the very same strategy to the rest of the country.

"Senator Alan Lowenthal from California’s 27th District has introduced a bill (SB 1322) that, if passed, would actually allow the promotion of communism in public schools...Granted, this bill hasn’t passed…yet. But can you imagine it seeing the light of day if it was brought up anywhere else in the country?

Yeah, he'd probably be arrested, and then everyone would laugh at those stupid Californians for enacting that silly First Amendment...oh, wait...

"But of course it’s no big deal when liberals lose at the ballet box because they simply turn to their allies in activist’s liberal courts where they can count on the will of the people to be trampled by the moral superiority of liberal judges."

The California legislature (elected at the ballot box) already tried to enact marriage equality, and the Republican governor (elected at the ballot box) said that he wouldn't sign it because it was a matter for the courts. Therefore, you can stop pretending that your objection is based on any principle other than an arrogant sense of heterosexual entitlement.

"Apparently the “educrates” in California are tired of being embarrassed by the superior test scores of homeschooled students and they are frustrated that their well-designed and newly implemented social engineering plans are being bypassed by parents who teach their children at home."

The children in the case were in danger of abuse, and ruling that the state constitution does not prevent requiring personnel trained to detect child abuse to be involved in education seems justified as a sensible safety measure, looking at the case from a pragmatic perspective, wouldn't you agree?

"Let’s hope there is still time for the right to right itself and make a stand. Otherwise it’s “California here we come.”

If this article is any indication of the prospective quality of that "stand," you probably ought to learn to surf.

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:22 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

kunokiko: It's amazing how many evangelical/fundamentalist Christians forget that marriage is already enjoyed by many people who said Christians believe are "hell-bound sinners" acting contrary to "God's WIll", yet not a peep until a group whom they can visually identify (and causes their brains to immediately jump to thinking about sex practices that make them nervous for some odd reason) wants marriage as well. For these reasons, the opposition to marriage equality comes from heterosexual entitlement and a knee-jerk tribalist mentality, both of which are wholly inappropriate as a basis for public policy. It is not in any way principled.

Transforming Culture: Christian Truth Confronts Post-Christian America

Citizen »

Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:44 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Especially one who is attacking current scientific knowledge not because he has evidence supporting a better explanation, but because he doesn't like what he thinks are the social consequences?

Transforming Culture: Christian Truth Confronts Post-Christian America

Citizen »

Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:40 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

HAWK49: Like I told seedplanter, I know that you know how to lie about Humanists, you don't have to keep demonstrating. But perhaps you can explain to me why a quote from an IDer who isn't even a biologist is supposed to have any credibility on the subject of evolution?

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:01 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

ender: If I were a troll, I'd be pretending to be Christian. I've always been up-front about my position here. In fact, I've only had two posts legitimately flagged (someone was going on a flagging rampage and I got caught in it. that doesn't count). If you all want to get rid of me, you know what you can do: change the rules to ban criticism of Christianity. Until then, I will follow the rules of the website, and continue to post my opinions.

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:07 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

seedplanter: I know that you know how to lie about atheists, you don't have to keep demonstrating.

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:20 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

dgnymn: I'm sorry you find the thought of freedom of conscience for women and the freedom to marry for same-sex couples so threatening.

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:13 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

Seedplanter: I'm not mythologizing it...it has always been mythology. Like I told kpercy07, I don't think Trekkies would consider their books and TV shows neutered because they are mythology. If you want something closer to home, many Christians are already comfortable with deriving their identity from admitted myths. You mentioned the Jesus Seminar, and they would certainly be one example. Perhaps it is you who should be joining them.

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:07 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

seedplanter: People who lie about atheists don't have a leg to stand on when they are called on it.

RBB: Hardly.

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:26 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

kpercy07: If you choose to be insulted by my characterization of the bible, that is also none of my concern. There is nothing wrong, in my view, with ancient Middle Eastern mythology, or ancient Greek mythology, or any other mythology for that matter. Therefore, it is not an insult, nor is it intended as such.

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:58 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 2

kpercy07: if you don't like it when people point out that your core beliefs are based on ancient Middle Eastern mythology....you probably shouldn't attach your identity to ancient Middle Eastern mythology, or else accept that you've done so. Follow the example of the Trekkies: they find their meaning in myth, too, but they don't require it to be factually true, or ask anyone else to base their life on it to avoid being assimilated by the Borg. And yet, their enjoyment and inspiration is not impaired.

Obama Uses Jesus' Sermon to Bolster Gay Civil Unions

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:34 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 9

This is why filtering your moral views through a 2000 year old text of middle eastern myths is a bad idea. It causes you to have to do all sorts of contortions to get with the text, when simply treating the book as myth on par with The Illiad, Gilgamesh, and the Eddas, far from being moral relativism, would put morality on much more defensible ground.

In truth, making morality "whatever god says" is subjective morality at its worst. Where is the objective standard when an all-powerful being like a god could change its mind at any time, for no reason at all, just because it can?

Transforming Culture: Christian Truth Confronts Post-Christian America

Citizen »

Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:49 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

It's hilariously ironic that this article denounces post-modernism while including the words "Christian truth" in the title. Since when is truth Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Wiccan, or whatever? The truth is the truth. The hypocrisy of Christians moaning about a supposed lack of objective truth is sickening when you realize that under an objective standard, Christianity has no evidence for its central truth claims. Christians only want objective truth if it comports with what they already believe, and if it doesn't, all you hear is a chorus of "but you can't prove it isn't true" and "I believe the bible because the bible says so!"

This kind of sneering at non-Christians for behavior Christians exhibit in spades is called projection. Or more directly, self-serving dishonest hypocrisy.