More Rapture Ready Fun

[Upchurch]

Funny how Upchurch doesn't have any problems in terms of his status at RR.

I try to remember I'm a guest over there and in the vast minority. (stress on "try") It's their board and their rules.

 

[frisian]

I try to remember I'm a guest over there and in the vast minority. (stress on "try") It's their board and their rules.

I would attribute that to your ability to debate/discuss without merely being an a$$hole.

 

[MLynn]

I try to remember I'm a guest over there and in the vast minority. (stress on "try") It's their board and their rules.

Does RR know you are here in this Forum as well? I've been thinking of registering at RR just to put my thoughts into their mix, but know I would probably be banned too (even though I'm a Xian - I'm too feisty and questioning)

 

[frisian]

Does RR know you are here in this Forum as well? I've been thinking of registering at RR just to put my thoughts into their mix, but know I would probably be banned too (even though I'm a Xian - I'm too feisty and questioning)

Indeed they do, as Upchurch has put a link to this board in one thread, if I recall correctly.

Well I am a Christian as well, and "feisty" and questioning myself. I have had no problems.

 

[jaderook01]

MLynn,

Hey, I'm new here but I've been a registered lurker for some time. At RR you'll be put into the "Liberal" Christian category and most will probably ignore your posts. They ignore most of mine anyway. Perhaps I have nothing of value to say? People must not know how to respond to me, I suppose.

SkepticPete,

I've pm'd you.

 

[MLynn]

MLynn,

Hey, I'm new here but I've been a registered lurker for some time. At RR you'll be put into the "Liberal" Christian category and most will probably ignore your posts. They ignore most of mine anyway. Perhaps I have nothing of value to say? People must not know how to respond to me, I suppose.

Hey, welcome - glad you've started to post. I've made some friends here and you will too. The moderators here are very reasonable and know when to kick butt when they have to. The people here are very intelligent and funny - you'll laugh a lot!
edited to add: I'm actually quite moderate and not "liberal." Man, I hate labels...

 

[Hexxenhammer]

The people here, especially Hexxenhammer, are very intelligent and funny - you'll laugh a lot!

Why thank you, MLynn!

BTW, Satan isn't returning my calls. I think I p*ssed him off. So you're off the hook.

 

[MLynn]

Why thank you, MLynn!

BTW, Satan isn't returning my calls. I think I p*ssed him off. So you're off the hook.

Way to go, Hex - what did you do to p*ss off Satan? Maybe he's just pre-occupied with Gellar...or Sylvia...
edited to correct spelling.

 

[frisian]

Way to go, Hex - what did you do to p*ss off Satan? Maybe he's just pre-occupied with Gellar...or Sylvia...
edited to correct spelling.

I talked to him just the other day, he seemed rather melancholy. Perhaps some flowers should be sent?

 

[Hexxenhammer]

Way to go, Hex - what did you do to p*ss off Satan? Maybe he's just pre-occupied with Gellar...or Sylvia...
edited to correct spelling.

I was making fun of him for only ever showing up in clouds of smoke on earth. Jesus and Mary at least have some variety. You know, windows, tortillas, band-aids, shower stains (oh wait, that's Lenin), fences, vegetables, etc, etc. Even Allah writes his name on sheep!

Perhaps some flowers should be sent?

He likes posies. The address is:

The Archdevil Lucifer, Satan, King of Lies
666 Flayed Sinner Ave.
City of Dis, Netherhell USA 90210

Back on topic, I once got mad at one of Mrs. Hex's friends (many years ago, back in college) when after a long conversation about my agnosticism (which is now straight up atheism), she said she would pray for me to find god. I told her she would basically be praying for me to change everything about myself. So much so that I would be unrecognizable as myself to everyone that knew me. She didn't understand why it would offend me. Go figure.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

One of the more humorous comments I ever heard in regards to praying for someone was after one of my weekly games. Our groups is actually pretty diverse religiously, having pagans, Christians, and atheists, at various times.

One former member of our group was a musician and she was really hoping to get a particular gig. So after the game she told the Christian in our group and said "Pray for me", turned to the pagan and said "ask the universe for me" (or something like that, I don't remember exactly, but I do remember it involved the universe) then turns to me with an utterly baffled look, thinks for a minute and says "do....whatever it is you do....for me"

I think in situations like that being an atheist confuses the heck out of people, even worse thatn when you sneeze and they don't know if they should say "bless you" or not.

 

[AtheistArchon]

I try to remember I'm a guest over there and in the vast minority. (stress on "try") It's their board and their rules.

- Mmm, true enough, but that doesn't change the fact that the great majority of the posters there are outright kooks.

- Once, back in the day, back when I wasn't quite as cynical as I've now become, I tried to deal with these people on their own terms and communicate with them; it just doesn't work. Communication breaks down when one side has this large wall of unreality surrounding them. It reminds me of a man running frantically around a field flapping his arms, screaming "I'M FLYING, I'M REALLY FLYING" over and over again no matter how many times you trip him. The more he falls, the louder he screams. And in the end, he hates you for it because his knees are scraped and his voice is hoarse. Why would I bother?

- I believe most of those people have genuine borderline mental deficiencies. Some there is just no question, they're living in a 24x7 dream world. Communication? Maybe with the 'rational fringe' of the RR population, and even then it's mostly those who like to put on the airs of intellectualism; they have no real interest in anything besides their fantasies.

- Not all Christian boards are like this of course... Theologyweb.com has an outstanding group of thinking theists (with the occasional fundie thrown in for flavor).

 

[frisian]

Maybe with the 'rational fringe' of the RR population, and even then it's mostly those who like to put on the airs of intellectualism; they have no real interest in anything besides their fantasies.

That is an odd assertion.

 

[AtheistArchon]

That is an odd assertion.

- It has been my experience. Perhaps yours has been different, but then again, we have opposing viewpoints.

- The majority of the posts at RR consist, IIRC, of some terrible and/or inhumane news item ("Bistro chef cooks and eats 2-year old daughter") followed immediately by seven or eight pages of weepy-face icons, "COME LORD JESUS!!!!!1", "Truly, evidence of the fact that the end times are upon us" and so on. Coming in a close second are posts condemning alternate denominations of Christianity, like Catholicism, Mormonism, and so on with more vitriol than I've encountered as an atheist.

- Hardly the stuff of intellectualism. Intellectualism requires a degree of critical thinking, and the majority of these people possess no such quality. Whose fault that is is debateable, but it can be shown to be a fact. There are good Christian apologetics forums out there... RR has never been one of them.

 

[MLynn]

I was making fun of him for only ever showing up in clouds of smoke on earth. Jesus and Mary at least have some variety. You know, windows, tortillas, band-aids, shower stains (oh wait, that's Lenin), fences, vegetables, etc, etc. Even Allah writes his name on sheep! He likes posies. The address is:

The Archdevil Lucifer, Satan, King of Lies
666 Flayed Sinner Ave.
City of Dis, Netherhell USA 90210

Back on topic, I once got mad at one of Mrs. Hex's friends (many years ago, back in college) when after a long conversation about my agnosticism (which is now straight up atheism), she said she would pray for me to find god. I told her she would basically be praying for me to change everything about myself. So much so that I would be unrecognizable as myself to everyone that knew me. She didn't understand why it would offend me. Go figure.

On behalf of you and Frisian I'll send Old Scratch a cactus (the zip code is in my neck of the hills, Beverly that is) - it might make him feel better.

 

[MLynn]

On the subject of prayer and atheists:
I have a very dear friend who is an atheist. She's been having a very hard time getting her business in shape so she can retire and have a life instead of working 11 hrs a day. We've had wonderful conversations and although I have offered to pray for her, I told her my faith was here on Earth and that if she needed anything, even just someone to talk to I'd be here for her. In my thinking it can be more important to be available to listen and be with someone than say, "I'll pray for you." That phrase can seem so cold and impersonal as to make one cry.

 

[frisian]

- It has been my experience. Perhaps yours has been different, but then again, we have opposing viewpoints.

- The majority of the posts at RR consist, IIRC, of some terrible and/or inhumane news item ("Bistro chef cooks and eats 2-year old daughter") followed immediately by seven or eight pages of weepy-face icons, "COME LORD JESUS!!!!!1", "Truly, evidence of the fact that the end times are upon us" and so on. Coming in a close second are posts condemning alternate denominations of Christianity, like Catholicism, Mormonism, and so on with more vitriol than I've encountered as an atheist.

- Hardly the stuff of intellectualism. Intellectualism requires a degree of critical thinking, and the majority of these people possess no such quality. Whose fault that is is debateable, but it can be shown to be a fact. There are good Christian apologetics forums out there... RR has never been one of them.

Indeed much of what you assert HERE, I agree with.

I suppose I didn't understand the airs of intellectualism assertion.

 

[frisian]

On the subject of prayer and atheists:
I have a very dear friend who is an atheist. She's been having a very hard time getting her business in shape so she can retire and have a life instead of working 11 hrs a day. We've had wonderful conversations and although I have offered to pray for her, I told her my faith was here on Earth and that if she needed anything, even just someone to talk to I'd be here for her. In my thinking it can be more important to be available to listen and be with someone than say, "I'll pray for you." That phrase can seem so cold and impersonal as to make one cry.

I would say it certainly has less meaning depending on your paradigm. Even from one Christian to another, it can be a cop out inferring I don't have the time to listen to you and your concerns.

 

[MLynn]

I would say it certainly has less meaning depending on your paradigm. Even from one Christian to another, it can be a cop out inferring I don't have the time to listen to you and your concerns.

Yes, I fully agree.

 

[Hexxenhammer]

On the subject of prayer and atheists:
I have a very dear friend who is an atheist. She's been having a very hard time getting her business in shape so she can retire and have a life instead of working 11 hrs a day. We've had wonderful conversations and although I have offered to pray for her, I told her my faith was here on Earth and that if she needed anything, even just someone to talk to I'd be here for her. In my thinking it can be more important to be available to listen and be with someone than say, "I'll pray for you." That phrase can seem so cold and impersonal as to make one cry.

Lynn, you continue to impress me with your humanity. None of the traits that my cynical, bitter mind has come to associate with christians active in their faith are present in you. Thanks for making me less cynical.