I'll throw a coal into this fire

[rppa]

Ah... er... couldn't you have just not posted anymore?

That's what lurking means to me. Do you have another meaning for the word "lurk"?

Yes, I stopped posting because I seemed to be contributing to a thread derail that was a topic of interest to nobody, including me. So I'm trying to lay low and see if it finds it's way back to interesting discussion.

 

[Sloe_Bohemian]

*blah, blah, snip*...this is a good topic (all that bible stuff) why can't we just continue with that, or, take it to the appropriate thread?

Actually, the topic was Gekko's coming-out party. The biblical discussion only arose because it's part of his life and that was safer/easier to defend/more interesting than the lucid dreams, auras and other implied things that came with it.

let's get to what I want to talk about. So many things I'd like to talk about. My amazing experiences with God and lucid dreams. Oh...the list could go on. But I'm going to talk about auras.

But don't let me stop anyone... it's interesting, I just thought I'd correct the misstatement about this thread's topic.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

There there, it is going to be OK.

Perhaps it didn't fit exactly. I just thought since I had said something to rppa if I didn't make a similar gesture to turtle it would have looked like I had taken a side.

Oh the burden of being PC.

 

[Lithrael]

Ok.. this thread seems to have mostly died anyway, so now I can stick my nose where it doesn't belong without runing any fun discussion.

Turtle, wow, I started out liking you ok, what happened? I'm afraid it does feel like you were misinterpreting rppa, not just having trouble nailing his ideas down.

I have a question for you: if everyone follows JC and/or the Bible the way it's all supposed to be, why oh why are there so many denominations?

Since I don't agree with your premise, I can't figure out how I'm supposed to answer.

You "don't agree with my premise? It's not a "premise." It's a question.

...It is too a premise. In the question "if everyone follows JC and/or the Bible the way it's all supposed to be, then why are there so many denominations?" the premise of the question is "everyone follows JC and/or the Bible the way it's all supposed to be." Clearly for *this* question you dont mean to suggest it's a correct premise, since we all know it's not. But in a non-sarcastic question, that would be the premise we'd be accepting to base the question on.

Do you deny that there are numerous Christian denominations? yes or no?

Ok, now that's a question. And it's a different one from the 'why are there so many denominations' one up there. And I don't see the reason for your snarky tone in asking such a rhetorical question, "do you deny that sunshine feels warm? Yes or no?" style.

Out of curiosity, why if Sylvester Stallone is the greatest actor of our time, didn't he win a lifetime Oscar this year? I'm curious what your answer to this is.

You've proved my point! It may be your opinion that he is the greatest actor of all time. Certainly not mine.

I have a hard time believing you didn't see the point of this question. Compare "if everyone follows JC and/or the Bible the way it's all supposed to be, why oh why are there so many denominations?" to "if Sylvester Stallone is the greatest actor of our time, why didn't he win a lifetime Oscar this year?"

He was making a comment about asking questions using premises that are not necessarily true. You answered his by dimissing the premise, exactly like he answered yours.

You said he proved your point - what did you mean?

And this:

I'm asking you questions, answer them please.

Still can't figure out what question you're looking for an answer on.

Well, keep trying.

Just knock that off and restate your question - you asked a ton, he answered a ton, and I honestly don't see (or not see) anything that makes me think he's being evasive.

No I don't think JC is God and God is JC.

Then you're not a Christian.

I hope you can admit that's a pretty brutish thing to say, given that there is no hard and fast rule I've ever heard of that says JC has to be God , or that his followers have to believe that, for his followers to be called Christians. If you wanted to be less inflammatory, you could say you wouldn't call him one, or that groups X and Y wouldn't call him one...

At any rate I don't have a Bible at hand.

Go get one then. You're the one making the arguments here, all I'm doing is asking you to support your assertions. You can probably look it up on the net, even.

By the way, what kind of Christian are you? I'm not a Christian, but I have a Bible in my library.

I don't know. You're making up my viewpoint, you tell me.

OK, how's this? I'm the kind who is doing his best to muddle through all the extraneous stuff added over the centuries and figure out what the ideal of human behavior intended by Christ might have been. I'm the kind who won't drop down dead if Christ turns out never to have existed, since the ideal is the important thing.

I am not "making up" your "viewpoint." I am trying to understand what you are saying, and trying to get you to be clear. Do not evade the question.

The question he answered right there, you mean? The one you clearly read cause in the same post you then responded to his answer with,

Cool.

Why do you scold him for evading a question you know he answered? Especially when the question was phrased more like an insult than a question?

By the way, I'm poking the hornet nest about this on this thread, since it has nothing to do with the debate and I don't want to mess up any actual ongoing discussions in R&P.

Just hoping to see whether turtle is interested in streamlining her debate style.

 

[turtle]

Ok.. this thread seems to have mostly died anyway, so now I can stick my nose where it doesn't belong without runing any fun discussion.

Turtle, wow, I started out liking you ok, what happened? I'm afraid it does feel like you were misinterpreting rppa, not just having trouble nailing his ideas down.

I thought this had all gone away. Why bring it all up now again just to reflame/restart stuff?

All I can say is, honestly, I was never intentionally "misrepresenting" rppa. Misunderstanding, maybe. But not trying to cause trouble.


<snip>

I have a hard time believing you didn't see the point of this question.

Okay. All I can say is, shrug, um, well -- I mean, see above.

Look, believe it or not, I really don't want to start anything, never intended to start anything, and don't want to start anything now, either.

Compare "if everyone follows JC and/or the Bible the way it's all supposed to be, why oh why are there so many denominations?" to "if Sylvester Stallone is the greatest actor of our time, why didn't he win a lifetime Oscar this year?"

He was making a comment about asking questions using premises that are not necessarily true. You answered his by dimissing the premise, exactly like he answered yours.

I didn't see the comparison, and I answered the question. I'm sorry if you're confused about my responses but I really don't know what to say here, except to repeat myself (see above...)

<snip>

Just knock that off and restate your question
- you asked a ton, he answered a ton, and I honestly don't see (or not see) anything that makes me think he's being evasive.

I can't help but think you're trying to start something here. (I mean, "just knock that off?") Maybe you're not. Okay, so you don't think he was being evasive. Fine. I did. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. Is this worth it to you, dredging up stuff?

I hope you can admit that's a pretty brutish thing to say, given that there is no hard and fast rule I've ever heard of that says JC has to be God , or that his followers have to believe that, for his followers to be called Christians. If you wanted to be less inflammatory, you could say you wouldn't call him one, or that groups X and Y wouldn't call him one...

I don't think it was "brutish" in the least. (by the way, are you going to post to other members here as well with your editorials on what they had to say, how they said it, and to whom? Fair is fair after all.) It was my honest response to this idea. But, while I still have philosophical questions about this whole thing, I learned a lot over on another thread (in the Religion and Philosophy forum here) and it cleared up a lot of questions about this for me. So, I have no problem. Okay?

The question he answered right there, you mean? The one you clearly read cause in the same post you then responded to his answer with,

Because I finally understood what he was talking about.

Why do you scold him for evading a question you know he answered? Especially when the question was phrased more like an insult than a question?

By the way, I'm poking the hornet nest about this on this thread, since it has nothing to do with the debate and I don't want to mess up any actual ongoing discussions in R&P.

Oh, is that why? I wondered. Look, I'll say it one last time: I have no intention of starting anything, I am fine, (although as I tell people here all the time I will not, and refuse to, accept quietly any s*** flung at me) and I thought this was all over with. Why are you "poking the hornet nest" on purpose?

I have no problem right now with anyone. So please take my words for what they are; well meant and intentioned, and know that I'm not up to anything here. Thanks.

Just hoping to see whether turtle is interested in streamlining her debate style.

I'll end with this: if you're sincere about merely "interested" in my debate style, why don't you wait and read my posts for awhile, instead of, as you put it, "poking the hornet nest?"

 

[rppa]

Ok.. this thread seems to have mostly died anyway, so now I can stick my nose where it doesn't belong without runing any fun discussion.

Best to leave it be. But thanks for confirming to me that I was speaking English.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Too late to edit, just clarifying my post. I was just replying to ES, not the post above.

OK, extremely off topic... but what is the smilie guy supposed to be doing there? Phrenology exam? blatant flirt? Inquiring minds want to know....

There there, it is going to be OK.

Perhaps it didn't fit exactly. I just thought since I had said something to rppa if I didn't make a similar gesture to turtle it would have looked like I had taken a side.

Oh the burden of being PC.

Sigh....guess I'll just stay out of the r-t exchange. It isn't any of my business anyway.

Except to add a general point here:

quote:Originally posted by rppa
At any rate I don't have a Bible at hand.


quote:Originally posted by turtle
Go get one then.

There are complete Bible texts on line.

http://www.biblegateway.com/
for the believers

and

http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/
for the skeptics