[Tom030]

[quote name='Rap' timestamp='1418259630' post='164381']I'm just concerned with some of these changes with Flash. First the 911 and then Christmas. I hope this doesn't mean a mid life cris or something! Of course a 911 isn't such a terrible solution. Flash didn't get sat on Santa's lap, he didn't get the Hot Wheels car he wanted. This is what set him on his life long love of cars and all things mechanical. To our great benefit I might add!



I say Merry Christmas to people and it's remarkable how many smile and say Merry Christmas back. Some even say it after they have said Happy Holidays. I'm tired of pc so I work on being politically incorrect. Some people look guiltily around and shush me. I remind them that we still live in the United States.



Jay is right spending time with friends and family is what it's all about.[/quote]



What he said.

~tom

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[lbpesq]

Ah yes, Xmas - the time of year I'm most thankful to be a Jew. (Though it hasn't been much help since I married my lovely Italian wife 13 years ago - lol).



Bill

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[ds968]

[quote name='lbpesq' timestamp='1418490487' post='164455']Ah yes, Xmas - the time of year I'm most thankful to be a Jew. (Though it hasn't been much help since I married my lovely Italian wife 13 years ago - lol).

Bill[/quote]



So I presume when you drive your 968 this is what the interior of your car looks like ?!

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[ishigakisensei]

Maher and the New Atheist movement have a fatal flaw in their argument against religion - they confuse cause and effect. Religion does not make good people bad. Bad people seek out other like-minded individuals who then create bad religion. To say that religion makes people bad is no different in substance than Western religious people blaming bad acts on the devil.



"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,

But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

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[968Syncro]

"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."



Look it up.



Thank you for writing ishigakisensei. The problem is that too many people are not strong enough to interrogate or resist the ideas that other people give to them. And cannot understand how to break themselves free of the hold that various con-men and charlatans put on them. And yes, I know many don't want to hear it, but in fact the Abrahamic religious leaders (Jews, Christians, Muslims) all qualify.



Remember that the principle weapons of religions are guilt and fear -- for example "feel guilty if you don't help others under our name". Another example, "unless you join our religion you will not go to the afterlife". I love this one: "You are all sinners and only I can help you" -- what a crock of s***. All of this is so that the members will give to the leaders (often men clothed in elaborated dresses) their money. It is a pretty good con game. And then these leaders build power by controlling the "congregation", limiting information, using all kinds of cult techniques.



Please everyone, do your research on cult techniques -- you'll see an amazing alignment to many religions. And then the "followers" are hooked. They are no longer allowed to ask questions or challenge those in positions of authority (the con men). And like many have experienced, if you speak against "your religion", you may be ousted, you are gone, your family and best friends will leave you. And these are "supposedly" honorable people with "the grace of god". No, obviously they are shameful, fearful, guilty people -- just like the leaders want it.



On the other hand there are "ways of life", or principles of life, and or structured ways of living which may be useful and enlightening. We should avoid calling them religions. Some of the eastern ways of life are among them.



That has been my argument with Christianity. Of course there are good things in Christianity., but why do we have to drag along the bad stuff. People who are really Christians should fight to rewrite the bible, create "new testament number 2". I never understood why that isn't possible other than it makes liars of the existing men in dresses or the sheep are too much under cult control.

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[968Syncro]

Oh, I forgot to add one really important thing. It is possible to believe in "the God", or "many gods" without being a member of a religion. That is really important for people to understand. And people can become good and learn and grow without committing themselves to a single religion. (However the cult leaders will never tell you these things).

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[Bulti]

A big "amen" to that!

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[ds968]

Hey, don't knock " you're all sinners and only I can help you.. " ; when I was single I used that line quite successfully with many women :-):-).



+ 1 on Roland's posts. And yes, organized religion is a cult. Any and all of them. It's that simple.

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[Rap]

perhaps any organized belief system is a cult. Look at soccer lovers for example. do you swallow kool aid before you watch it? lol

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[ishigakisensei]

[quote name='Rap' timestamp='1418653480' post='164467']

perhaps any organized belief system is a cult. Look at soccer lovers for example. do you swallow kool aid before you watch it? lol

[/quote]





And, just look at the Harley faithful. Most humans have been stupid and always will be. As a species, we are wired to be herd like and will follow [color="#282828"]because following is easier.[/color]

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[ds968]

[quote name='Rap' timestamp='1418653480' post='164467']perhaps any organized belief system is a cult. Look at soccer lovers for example. do you swallow kool aid before you watch it? lol[/quote]



Whoever told you soccer was an " organized " belief, or organized anything for that matter was woefully misinformed, and it clearly rubbed off on you , lol. Although in fairness, there is this entity called FIFA whose officials definitely have a God complex, and are also about as power hungry as the Vatican is , but with a difference : almost no one in the general public gives them any credence and in fact they are universally ridiculed. So sorry to disappoint you but no kool-aid involved there, that's all getting used up by people who go to churches, or temples, or mosques, or wailing walls, or a pet rock or whatever other place of worship of choice, where they listen to snake salesmen tell them what they should believe in :-) .

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[ds968]

[quote name='ishigakisensei' timestamp='1418694001' post='164479']

As a species, we are wired to be herd like and will follow [color="#282828"]because following is easier.[/color][/quote]



Indeed, that does seem to be true . Humans, and most animals, take great comfort in numbers and in uniformity ..gives one a sense of belonging and safety .

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[Rap]

You're sentence can be used to describe religion. No kool aid huh. Hmm, do the soccer hooligans then have a crowd belief in violence? Surely you've seen or at least heard about all the soccer leagues youngsters belong to which surely is an organized something. Perhaps an organized parental carpool or transportation system! By the way I played soccer in high school so I'm not anti soccer just never got it!

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[ds968]

Maybe we should continue the soccer discussion and the debates about soccer moms and hooligans, or hooligan moms, lol , on the other thread dedicated to that subject ; soccer deals with reality, this thread is about imaginary stuff so best to keep the two topics separate.

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[968Syncro]

Muslim cleric takes hostages and kills innocents in Australia?



The Taliban religious insanity kills -- what? 132 children and 9 adults in Pakistan?



I am horrified by these actions. Although we know that almost all politicians use religions to their advantage, often with the acceptance, admiration, and compliance of religious leaders. These atrocities did not occur for political or nationalistic reasons, these actions were taken in the name of religion.



Before too long I'll have to get back to my "expose religion" activities beyond this forum, since this thread may become less useful.



But please, whatever you believe, please pray for these people and their families, please don't deny or combat any discussions about the devastating flaws in religions, or those who speak up against those religions. Please think about how we can change for the better, speak up and be outraged about the horrible beliefs and actions and the way that religious leaders corrupt what is inherently human nature. Share your disgust with your friends and family, stop supporting any groups that take advantage of you, set aside the magical thinking and become a critical thinker, don't put up with baloney. You are free and there are no requirements to join or stay with any group. When it comes to religions most likely you can see that the leaders are simply power grabbing, and promote their dysfunctional "scriptures" simply to retain an audience. And now over the last couple of days we see the result. ..... please.

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[Rap]

Mans inhumanity against man has occurred since the beginning of time whether under religious or nationalistic pretence. The firebombing of Dresden and annihilation of Japenese cities made for compliant and productive societies. Now granted the infrastructure these countries had in terms of intellect and say industry does not exist in a Yeman or Afganistan but the results might well be the same. Outrageous? Yes perhaps yet so is the worlds tolerance for murder with no consequence!

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[ds968]

The newly atheist-written ( and rather sensible IMO ) ten commandments :

http://www.inquisitr.com/1692212/atheist...-commands/



p.s. Here's the clip with Mel Brooks' version of the commandments :

https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/pla...b-901&tt=b



And then there's this : ( a bit longer clip but one of my other favorites ..). :



https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Agw...+wise+men+

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[ds968]

Watching the news today I was amused to learn that Egypt banned the new movie Exodus, Gods and Kings from playing there because of what they called an " inaccurate, and Zionist-biased portrayal of historical events " . Really, 'ya think.. ?! Folks, it's a friggin' movie, and it's fiction for a good reason ! Besides, it's a Hollywood production and everyone knows there is no Jewish influence anywhere in that industry. :-) But seriously Egypt, get over it, after all you're not North Korea . Among other objections to the movie's depiction of what and how things happened, it was mentioned that the myth associated with the parting of the sea was " most likely due to an earthquake" and not Moses using the power of God to accomplish that. Shucks, poor Charlton Heston must be turning in his grave. :-) But as a tie-in, according to Michele Bachmann earthquakes ( hurricanes also ) are all events created by God with the purpose of delivering a message and warning to us,, and to her politician peers. So no doubt that's what happened way back then also ; it was God reaching out to the Ramses. As for Mrs Bachmann , she is sadly beyond help; she not only talks to God, but get this: God speaks to her ! So one question : how is it possible that in this day and age we not only fail to put a person like that immediately into a straight jacket and take them to an insane asylum where they can spend some much needed rehab time, but actually vote them into political office and then allow them to function there as if they're perfectly normal ? I, for one, am at a loss for words.

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[Rap]

You must admit she's a real milf!

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[ds968]

[quote name='Rap' timestamp='1419733046' post='164738']You must admit she's a real milf![/quote]



Yes, perhaps she does fit ( marginally ) the ranks of a milf, but in terms of crazy-as-a-loon milf republicans out there I would say it's pretty tough for anyone to beat Sarah Palin. Actually I am convinced the only reason anyone watches Fox News is to see stories about her, especially when reported by either Megyn Kelly or Terry Keenan .

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