posted 09-22-2001 08:13            

I do NOT believe in god. I am irritated by this focus on prayer as well. In my opinion, we would be better off having Bush et al trying to focus our attention on being Americans. Land of the brave, home of the free, and all that jazz. We need nationalistic fervor. We need to feel united as a country and we need to feel that our leaders are doing the right thing. Personally, I think Bush is a raging ijit, but I actually get a little warm in my heart whenever I see an American flag. Crosses still piss me off, but the old red, white and blue really speaks to me. We are every different race and creed in this country, but except for a few legal and illegal aliens, we're ALL Americans.

So lets light candles, and hang flags on our houses and wear red, white and blue crossed ribbons on our lapels. Let's have a live telecast of patriotic songs and leave religion out of it.

Religion causes more wars than anything else and ought to be one of those private things you do in your own home, like sex. If you need it great, if you don't, also great. But don't make me watch.

posted 09-22-2001 16:39            

I particularly like Sam Clemens' characteristically dry observation: "Mr. Clemens was once asked whether he feared death. He said that he did not, in view of the fact that he had been dead for billions and billions of years before he was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it."

posted 09-22-2001 16:46           

quote:

---

Originally posted by DJ Machine:
Ok, tony, so you're saying if someone emailed you saying "Praise satan for this great day, and let him smash the fuck out of osama bin ladin blah blah" you wouldn't get upset?

---

posted 09-22-2001 17:58            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Tony:
The tone of your whine makes it sound like someone put a gun to your head and made you read the E-Mail.

---

posted 09-22-2001 19:19         

I once met a girl who was a Wiccan. She went to a public school. They had mandatory prayer in school, and she was forced to pray to the Christian god. She protested. They laughed at her, punished her, and forced her to pray to the Christian god.

Sound interesting?

posted 09-23-2001 07:15           

HOWEVER:

There is nothing "Christ"-ian about that passage. There was a God (not Jesus) bless us in there, but that was in the origional Grinch story. I think that the intention of the passage (however ill concieved) is to say that the attack only brought us closer together. I am sure the crime rate has gone down.

As far as everone praying and singing God bless America, it does not bother me in the least. I do not believe in God, or a supreme being, it does not bother me that 90% of americans do. I actualy have fun when one tries to persuade me (although I respect what the believe they are doing).

In the beginning, MAN created GOD in his own image, to bring civility via laws, and hope via heaven.

It is a shame that ignorance has caused such hate between cultures that have different ideas on who god is and what the rules should be.

I was happy to see (even if it was politically motivated) the prayer meeting in Washington included (Methodist, Baptist, Jew, Muslim, Catholic, Lutherin...) Yes most of these are Christian but most of the country is Christian. Politicians have a right to go to church, and the media has the right to cover it.

I don't remember any laws being created during this service.

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It doesn't make me angry that people are singing and praying (I think my neighbor's leaf blower bothers me more). I am not afraid that my children might hear about god in school. I am not afraid that they might see religious symbols in public places. I will not be angry if they decide to believe in god. Will I be mad if they decide to worship Satan. I do not believe in Satan but I do think (I could be wrong) that those who do, believe evil should triumph over good. I am not sure If I believe in Good and Evil but I know when something appears good or evil.

I am sure that it is not intention of the first amendment is to eliminate religion from society. I think it was intended to protect us from "forced religion" as in Europe during the crusades, or the Taliban in Afghanistan.

As for the HR representitivw that circulated the e-mail, YES he/she made a mistake. I am sure they had no ill intentions and I am sure they were not tring to convert you to Christianity.

If the praying and singing on TV bothers you, go fishing instead.

posted 09-23-2001 08:38            

if someone is religious then just tolerate it and SHUT UP
dont fuckin bitch because someone said a prayer on the whitehouse steps

hey whatever helps them deal with this, let them do it if it helps

i am not christian nor do i believe in "god" but i believe in a god of a different name, but its the same basic idea

so fuck all you kkk skinhead wannabe's who get pissed off because someone did something religious that is not your religion

posted 09-23-2001 08:59            

quote:

---

Originally posted by moronomutt:
or put on their headphones and listen to Hitler's speaches.

---

Ah, the old "Atheism = Hitler" chestnut again. Don't you people ever read? Hitler was all kinds of Christian, in fact had no tolerance for Atheism, and maintained an accord with the Catholic church during his entire reign.

If you're going to make snide political jabs, then equate us with Stalin; Hitler was one of yours.

quote:

---

Then moronomutt said:
As far as the email you received...get over it. Don't be so intolerant. It is nothing more than First Amendment protected speech.

---

You people seem to keep missing the point that it was addressed to an entire company, by the HR Director, on internal email. Had it been some random missive arriving in my personal email at home, there wouldn't have been a post - I'd have simply gagged and deleted it. But it WASN'T, and that's the whole point.

quote:

---

And then the illustrious Nuentoter spake:
so fuck all you kkk skinhead wannabe's who get pissed off because someone did something religious that is not your religion

---

posted 09-23-2001 11:52            

But... The females deposit the eggs into the males "pouch" and HE gives birth!

The whole giving birth thing is rather interesting to, if you can ever catch a seahorse special on TV.

Then of course there's this:

quote:

---

Chinese and other asian cultures have been using seahorses in medicine for 400 to 500 years. The seahorse is believed to cure impotency and asthma, lower cholesterol, and prevent arteriosclerosis. A delicacy in cooking, the seahorse is also thought to enhance virility.

---

Is there any form of sea life that they DONT think can cure impotency? (haven't they heard of viagra yet?)

Has anyone ever seen a seahorse that was over a foot long?

The starfish is rather scary though... anything that can lose a finger and have the finger grow into another starfish is just to much like the "sorcerers apprentice" to me.

-Chris

posted 09-23-2001 19:29            

quote:

---

Originally posted by InThrees:
Ok, let me just blurt out what most of you missed from Jim's post.

All this talk about Christian this and prayer that and Jeebus this coming from my elected officials is alienating me. I am not a Christian. I am not anything, except an angry American who longs for radical-Islamic blood in the streets of whatever shantytown they temporarily call home.

While I do respect an individual's right to pray, or not pray, as they see fit, I don't want my government selling it on prime time tv. That makes me nervous. Think back to one of the prime reasons people emigrated to the colonies. Religious persecution.

Half the people in my locale already equate patriotism with faith, the day will come when 'unbelievers' are accused of being anti-american.

(Ok, that's alarmist, sure, but it bothers me.)

-3

---

Damn straight.

I almost said that as InFours, but I decided to let that die.

posted 09-23-2001 19:37            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jimbo:
... or like a forum thread.

doom-te-doom-te-doom, do-do-do-doom-te-doom-te-doom...

---

posted 09-23-2001 21:06           

This was at a required assembly. Before he delivered it, he ask us all to bow our heads! (Like hell I was gonna do that, I looked straight at the guy for his entire prayer.)

If you complained about that email you got, I cringe to think of what you would have posted had your company delivered a *very* christian prayer to over 500 people in a required gathering. As my friend said, this seems to have brought out the christian in everyone.

posted 09-24-2001 06:28           

"You know, the problem is the JEWS," he said. "They take over Muslim land, and fight people throwing stones and sticks with mortar shells and bombs."

"Yes," I said, "but the Palastinians use nail bombs in Falaffel joints, on buses and in public places, and other terrorist tactics when they don't agree with 'peace settlements' between Arafat and the Israeli Govt."
He waived all that away with his hand, as if inconsequential.
"Look," he said, "do you think it was fair for the American Govt. to kill all the Indians, and then take their land?"
"No"
"Should they give the Indians their land back?"
"Yes."
"But they won't. And it's the same with the Palastinians. The Jews took their land. There have been 90 resolutions passed by the U.N. against Israel, and the U.S. has vetoed every one of them."
"The American Christians believe, as it's written in the Bible, that Israel was given to Abraham, and that that land belongs to the Jews. A lot of those people support the Jews occupation of that land. After the holocaust in Europe, where should the Jews go?" (I wanted to add, the United States conspired with the Germans in not granting Visas to Jews trying to flee Europe).

Religious conversation followed, then a big beer-bellied American man stepped to the counter to buy more beer, and said,
"We should bomb all those Muslims in Afghanistan, and wherever else the terrorists are."

I think there's too much testosterone connected with religion in the first place.