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Is Randi a Closet Druid?

Beady

Philosopher
Beady
Joined
Dec 14, 2003
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It strikes me that Randi has had nothing, or comparatively little, that's negative to say about Halloween, yet I'd be willing to bet he'll do more grousing about Christmas in another couple of months. Isn't it a little inconsistent to complain about a holiday whose nominal intent is to celebrate the putative birthday of a man who is popularly believed to have wanted us to get along together, but to not complain about a holiday founded upon greed, fear and superstition?

There must be a reason for this apparent inconsistency. Halloween is rapidly becoming the second-most popular holiday on the calendar, so it seems unlikely to have avoided Randi's radar. Therefore, he is well aware of it, yet allows it to go unremarked. What could be the reason?
 
I can´t recall him saying anything about Christmas last year. Can somebody refresh my memory?
 
Beady said:
It strikes me that Randi has had nothing, or comparatively little, that's negative to say about Halloween, yet I'd be willing to bet he'll do more grousing about Christmas in another couple of months. Isn't it a little inconsistent to complain about a holiday whose nominal intent is to celebrate the putative birthday of a man who is popularly believed to have wanted us to get along together, but to not complain about a holiday founded upon greed, fear and superstition?

There must be a reason for this apparent inconsistency. Halloween is rapidly becoming the second-most popular holiday on the calendar, so it seems unlikely to have avoided Randi's radar. Therefore, he is well aware of it, yet allows it to go unremarked. What could be the reason?
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What do people believe about Christmas? What do people believe about Halloween? I do not understand your comparison.
 
The original poster is pointing out that even though Randi likes to play the ''freethinking scientific intelluctual who views Christianity the same as other religions and mythologies'' guy, he really has an emotional connection to Christianity, Jesus, God and The Bible that makes him single out Christmas.

James Randi is inconsistent because he plays the ''freethinking scientific intelluctual who views Christianity the same as other religions and mythologies'' guy but his act is exposed when he bashes Christmas and not other religious holidays that are not Christian. Like for instance halloween, a satanic holiday.

Good job to the original poster at exposing Randi on this. :D
 
Chaos said:
I can´t recall him saying anything about Christmas last year. Can somebody refresh my memory?
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Sure. December 19, 2003:

"Happy Newton's Birthday! Just 361 years ago this next Thursday, Sir Isaac Newton was born, a man we know existed, someone who contributed hugely to his and to our world, and a chap we can and should commemorate by means of observance of his birthday. Instead, most of the world chooses to believe that another guy was born on this day, a notion for which there's no proof at all."

And:

"Enjoy the holidays, folks. Be good to one another, feed someone who's hungry, comfort a stranger, smile at a little child. Do what we should all be doing, every day. Without needing a holiday to remind us� "

By the way, *of course* the world believes another guy was born on December 25th. *Lots* of people are born every December 25th, and if Randi doesn't believe me, I'll meet him at the city hall of his choice and prove it.
 
1inChrist said:
...when he bashes Christmas and not other religious holidays that are not Christian. Like for instance halloween, a satanic holiday.
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Well, first of all, All Hallow's (Saint's) Day *is* a Christian holiday, dating from the 8th century, intended to honor those who have gone to heaven. All Hallow's Eve is also celebrated in the Protestant (specifically Lutheran) church as the anniversary of the day in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittemburg, sparking the Protestant Reformation.

Second, All Hallow's Day is one of those holidays coopted by the Christian church in an attempt to deny calendar time to other, older, religions. As Christmas replaced the Saturnalia (whose major feature, contrary to Christian myth, was the role-reversal of Roman masters and household slaves for a day), All Hallow's Day attempts to replace the Celtic/Druidic feast of Samaine (Beltaine? I always get those two mixed up), which marks the approximate halfway point between the equinox and the solstice. In neither case, Christmas and Halloween, did the original pre-Christian holiday have anything to do with Satan, since Satan as an archenemy of God is/was a Christian concept. In fact, it could be argued that "Satanism" is a Christian sect.

Third, in both the cases of Christmas and Halloween, the secular meaning is rapidly taking over, both holidays becoming marketing ploys with less of a spiritual and emotional significance than Mother's Day. It is perhaps significant that it is (arguably) largely practicing Christians who are responsible for this secularization.

Fourth, if there really is a Satan, he is a creation of an all-powerful Creator, and is therefore perfect and powerful in his own right, although his perfection is evil in nature. I suggest you think about that before invoking his name so freely; one of these times you're going to get his attention. When that happens, don't say I didn't warn you.
 
1inChrist said:
The original poster is pointing out that even though Randi likes to play the ''freethinking scientific intelluctual who views Christianity the same as other religions and mythologies'' guy, he really has an emotional connection to Christianity, Jesus, God and The Bible that makes him single out Christmas.

James Randi is inconsistent because he plays the ''freethinking scientific intelluctual who views Christianity the same as other religions and mythologies'' guy but his act is exposed when he bashes Christmas and not other religious holidays that are not Christian. Like for instance halloween, a satanic holiday.

Good job to the original poster at exposing Randi on this. :D
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Hey, tinChrist - I thought Bin Laden was going to be captured on the 29th.
What happened?
I guess the little voices in your head are not really infallible, after all.
 
1inChrist said:
The original poster is pointing out that even though Randi likes to play the ''freethinking scientific intelluctual who views Christianity the same as other religions and mythologies'' guy, he really has an emotional connection to Christianity, Jesus, God and The Bible that makes him single out Christmas.

James Randi is inconsistent because he plays the ''freethinking scientific intelluctual who views Christianity the same as other religions and mythologies'' guy but his act is exposed when he bashes Christmas and not other religious holidays that are not Christian. Like for instance halloween, a satanic holiday.

Good job to the original poster at exposing Randi on this. :D
Click to expand...
Yeah, he pretends to be a sceptic, but he only debunks stuff that people believes in. What a charlatan. He ought to be out there exposing the Tooth Fairy, Frankenstein's Monster, and Barney The Purple Dinosaur. The hypocrite.

Incidentally, 1inChrist, how does it feel to realise that you're a delusional religious nut, rather than a Prophet Of God? Would you care to talk?
 
On Halloween, parents typically tell their children that they will get candy from their neighbors if they dress in amusing or "scary" costumes.

On Christmas, parents typically tell their children that an omniscient being capable of flying to every house in the world in one night will give them toys, but only if they've been good.

Hmm. I dunno, which seems more fantastic to you?
 
If it's any consolation, 1inC, Halloween is NOT celebrated here. It's not a holiday, never has been. However, to be different, this year we decided to call it "Sunday night"...because it was Sunday...and it was night time. We had a nice home-cooked dinner, and watched Australian Idol then a DVD movie. This was SO different from other Sunday nights, when we have a nice home-cooked dinner, and watch Australian Idol then a DVD movie.

Hoping you are the same.
 
It strikes me that Randi has had nothing, or comparatively little, that's negative to say about Halloween, yet I'd be willing to bet he'll do more grousing about Christmas in another couple of months.
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Can't you find something to complain about that actually has happened rather than creating an argument about something that hasn't happened?

Or is this a prediction?
 
Beady said:
My apologies. I am rather new here. Can you direct me to a list of approved conversational topics?
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OK, point missed.

I was just a bit taken aback by your stance. Usually someone says "Hell, I've just seen water flow backwards up a hill using nothing but mindpower" Then many people will attempt to debunk, abuse, nag etc until the person who made the statement gives proof or goes away.

Saying "I bet Randi will say something" before he actually does, and then arguing the case against something that hasn't happened is just a little too confusing for me.
 
Beady, I'm rather unclear what sort of "resonse" to the holliday you seem to have been expecting. Has anyone been claiming anything in particular about Halloween lately? Halloween related superstitions are hardly news to anybody -- What is there that's relevent to topical discusion?

As for "grousing" about hollidays, I haven't seen him do much of that sort of thing at all.
 
Beady said:
May I suggest you pay a little more attention to your own sig line? ;)
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Ohhh, I get it. OK, it's obvious your original post was far too cryptic, so I'll back away....carefully to the door....

By the way, what do you think about that Kerry chap slagging off Bush?!! I mean, he hasn't, but I bet he will....politicians, you just can't trust 'em.
 
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