My experience at RaptureReady

[Flaherty]

I have been participating in several threads on the Rapture Ready BB this week and I have compiled some observations to share. Under the name Fleetwood the three main threads in which I have contributed are two on church/state issues,

http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=123972
http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=123984

and one on the Mars face and other Martian stufff:

http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=123679

Now my observations.

1. They are not as ban-happy as others here have reported. My signature is the Jefferson quotation, "Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must approve the homage of reason rather than of blind-folded fear."

2. Both groups exhibit some paranoia. They are paranoid about secularists taking away their religious freedom and we are paranoid of an anti-science theocracy. RR is also paranoid about Satanic plots around every corner.

3. They are highly superstitous. For example, unless as a nation we do what their invisible sky god demands, terrible things will happen to us.

A good example of #2 and #3 combined is the Mars face. Many believe this is probably something real, but is not an ancient Martian civilization. Instead, it is a Satanic deception with connections to end-times events. They also believe NASA and the government conspire to conceal this information from the public.

4. Some of the RR posters are closet fascists. They actually desire a Christian theocracy. They do not see the inherent unfairness of allowing Christian symbols on public property but denying other religious groups the same right. My impression is that they view non-Christians as second-class citizens.

 

[sparklecat]

Ah, was that you? Nice job on the Mars thread btw.

 

[El Greco]

2. Both groups exhibit some paranoia. They are paranoid about secularists taking away their religious freedom and we are paranoid of an anti-science theocracy.

I don't think that people here are paranoid about theocracy. Speaking for myself, I just don't want my tax money going to orthodox priests' salaries and I also demand a state with real religious tolerance. Does this make me paranoid ?

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Re: Re: My experience at RaptureReady

I don't think that people here are paranoid about theocracy. Speaking for myself, I just don't want my tax money going to orthodox priests' salaries and I also demand a state with real religious tolerance. Does this make me paranoid ?

I'll admit it, I am paranoid about a theocracy. Not in the sense that I think anyone in my government is actively trying to create one, at least not at this time. But I am paranoid in the sense that I see it a real possibility in the future if those of us who are not religious maintain a certain mount of vigilance against it. It's a sort of 'preventive paranoia' if you will.

 

[Keneke]

Are you sure it is wise to reveal your RR name here? Is has been said that perhaps they lurk on these boards.

 

[Keziah Mason]

Good job Flaherty. I like your comments about the silliness of the claim that NASA is faking the photos. Finding something like that for real would instantly solve all budget woes!

Something to add to the list of observations about RR:

What is up with their signatures? Do they have a Longest Signature competition or something? And all those animated gifs hurt my head.

 

[c4ts]

Billiefan frequents these boards, but I don't think they ban you just for being a JREF member. After all, they haven't banned him.

 

[Ralph]

That is a very strange place over there...................You did well...............it can't be easy debating things with people who's answer to anything & everything can be found by quoting "the scriptures"...............

Does anybody else see the humor in someone named "Dorko".............claiming " Einstein was wrong".............

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

I'm currently deeply involved in ChristianForums.com.

Some of it reminds me of my bad old days trolling Yahoo clubs.

 

[El Greco]

I'm currently deeply involved in ChristianForums.com.

Why ? I mean, really, why ? Is it any fun ? Is there any chance of planting the seeds of doubt ? Don't you get tired of it ?

 

[Flaherty]

More RR Observations

It is interesting to compare the level of credulity at different message boards. I participate on 3 message boards: the JREF, RR, and The Bucket*.

The JREF and RR occupy the extremes of the credulity scale, while the Bucket is somewhere in the middle. Consider the following issues discussed on each board over the last year: the moon landing hoax, Bible Codes, creationism, the recent Hampton Ghost, spoon bending, and the Full Moon hypothesis of human behavior. None of these ideas have any good evidence to support them. As expected, almost no one at the JREF board buys them, few people buy them at the Bucket (most don't give a rip -- just like most Americans), and almost everyone buys them at RR.** I guess we should not be surprised that the same mindset that accepts a deeply religious fundamentalist worldview also will accept claptrap.

Also interesting is the things that are not believed. Each board discusses from time to time topics such as evolution, relativity, and quantum mechanics. All of these have an abundance of good evidence to support them. Almost everyone at the JFEF accepts them, most at the Bucket do (again, most don't give a rip -- just like most Americans), and almost no one at RR buys them.** Their rejection of evolution is not surprising. However, I'm a little surprised they also generally don't accept relativity or QM since they have no obvious implications for a Biblical fundamentalist worldview. My guess is that RR participants probably do not trust anything science has to offer since it offers them evolution, which they clearly must reject. "If scientists are so dumb or immoral as to think evolution is true, then we can't trust them on anything," RR folks might reason.

I should have been a psychiatrist; the human mind fascinates me more and more. Religious extremists clearly switch off their critical thinking skills for religion, but why do they also do so for everything else? Also, why do the moderately religious not switch off those skills for non-religious ideas?


* The Bucket is a satellite to a board devoted to Florida State University athletics. The Bucket itself is dedicated to non-sports topics and has a good cross-section of views on almost everything.

** To be fair, there are some RR believer-participants who were quick to dismiss the moon hoax theory and to defend relativity.

 

[Flaherty]

Why ? I mean, really, why ? Is it any fun ? Is there any chance of planting the seeds of doubt ? Don't you get tired of it ?

It's like staring at a car wreck.

 

[sparklecat]

Re: More RR Observations

...Bible Codes... almost everyone buys them at RR.

Not that one at least

 

[Bjorn]

Bible codes

How can you manage to continue the discussion with some of those guys?

After pointing out that the same kind of codes, 'predicting' just as famous events, seem to be found in Moby Dick (and with no one claiming this to be false) one of them still comments:

Nevertheless, folks are not "gullible" for wanting to learn more about this phenomenon of scripture.

... or this phenomenon of Moby Dick?

Stamina must be what you're eating for breakfast ...

 

[Ralph]

"Fleetwood's" taking some serious heat over there for equating God with gravy.

I don't think they liked the idea of you doubting the claim that God has been protecting us from terrorist attacks since 9/11.

If that's the case----why the hell did he let that happen in the first place. Were we not deserving of his protection prior to 9/11?
Did something happen post 9/11 that made us more worthy of protection he refused to give us before?

I'm dying to see how they answer that question...........

 

[Joshua's Gen]

Are you sure it is wise to reveal your RR name here? Is has been said that perhaps they lurk on these boards.

Boo

 

[Christian]

I was under the impression that atheists (skeptics) got the same kind of treatment in those boards as I did here.

I don't see that at all. Why is it that people in this board are most intolerant and dogmatic here? Anything that goes against their paradigms of reality is struck down as ignorance and stupidity. (I'm sorry for the generalization but I do agree with this. And it has been my experience here:

Posted by hal bidlack

Folks,

I again ask that we try to be more civil. Recently I have noticed a trend toward more aggressive postings, with more edge and bite. I wonder if this is helpful?

Specifically, I am bothered by the response to several recent new members, for whom paranormal beliefs seem reasonable. When they posted initial cautious posts, they were slapped down fairly hard, and called quite a few names.

My question is: If the community here believe their are closer to the truth and have a superior understanding of reality, why the nastiness, why the hate?

It has been my experience that the most wise and enlightened people are the most generous to those less fortunate.

 

[Ralph]

I was under the impression that atheists (skeptics) got the same kind of treatment in those boards as I did here.

I don't see that at all. Why is it that people in this board are most intolerant and dogmatic here? Anything that goes against their paradigms of reality is struck down as ignorance and stupidity. (I'm sorry for the generalization but I do agree with this. And it has been my experience here:



My question is: If the community here believe their are closer to the truth and have a superior understanding of reality, why the nastiness, why the hate?

It has been my experience that the most wise and enlightened people are the most generous to those less fortunate.

I can't speak for others but I'll comment on my own post which I admit was sarcastic.

I've never been very religious but I find as I get older---I tend to believe less in the existence of God. I wouldn't claim to be 100% certain of this----but 99% is about right.

I consider myself open minded and if were to see evidence of Gods existance----I'm sure I'd change my feeling very fast. As of yet though----I've never seen that evidence.

I know my comment was sarcastic but that's exactly the kind of thing that makes me doubt the existence of God. This concept of a God who allows innocents to suffer because of some lack of what amounts to nothing but mumbo-jumbo for example. At the same time though---he'll help out "believers" with minor,trivial matters.

There was a column in my local newspaper the other day. A woman claiming devine intervention exists because after a recent snowstorm, some stranger helped her shovel out her car.

Now I'll admit--shoveling a car out of a snow bank is not fun-----but I'm sure during that same time period---somewhere else in the world some pretty horrible things were happening. A cell in come childs body was mutating into a malignant neoplasm.. A family is burned to death in a fire------thousands get buried in an earthquake.

Don't even get me started on athletes who claim "God was on my side today"........

I guess I think things like this are pretty ridiculous--along with a lot of other things that organized religions teach. I suppose I'll use things like sarcasm to express my disbelief in those things.
I'm sorry but if you read the "fundies say the darndest things" post".......you can't fault someone for finding humor in things like that.

There's no hate intended though. If people find a belief in God helps them get thru life---I have no problem with that as long as they don't inflict their values on me.

Most people were reasonably polite to the skeptic over there-----but a few certainly seemed to be directing a little of that hate & nastiness you mentioned at him .....

 

[espritch]

I don't see that at all. Why is it that people in this board are most intolerant and dogmatic here?

The definition of intolerance and dogmatism are often a matter of opinion. I find that a lot of Christians and other believers tend to interpret disagreement with their views as a personal attack since they tend to invest themselves emotionally in their beliefs. Skeptics are also sometimes guilty of this. However, I suspect that the number of truly dogmatic or intolerant posters here is small compared to the total number of posters.

That being said, skeptics like to argue and challenge claims and statements (it’s kind of what we do). People here are not shy about voicing their opinion or their disagreement with other poster’s opinions. Disagreement is not the same thing as intolerance. You can express pretty much any opinion you like here without fear of being banned (within reason). However, if you post here, you should be prepared to defend your views.

 

[Some Friggin Guy]

I was under the impression that atheists (skeptics) got the same kind of treatment in those boards as I did here.

I don't see that at all. Why is it that people in this board are most intolerant and dogmatic here? Anything that goes against their paradigms of reality is struck down as ignorance and stupidity. (I'm sorry for the generalization but I do agree with this. And it has been my experience here:



My question is: If the community here believe their are closer to the truth and have a superior understanding of reality, why the nastiness, why the hate?

It has been my experience that the most wise and enlightened people are the most generous to those less fortunate.

I don't go to the christian boards, myself, so I can't tell you what kind of experience I would have had there. I can say this, as far as my apparent hatred towards christian:

First, I don't hate them. I do hate fundamentalists, but not christians. I hate fundamentalists because of the way these "enlightened and wise people" treat others.

For example:

Bush senior once remarked that he didn't think atheists could be considered American citizens because it's "one nation under god".

Homosexuals have to fight tooth and nail to get equal (not special...

EQUAL) rights because it says homosexuality is an abomination in the bible.

Two words: Fred Phelps (I've met more people who believe everything the man says than I would care to admit)


Essentially, it boils down to this: If you are a christian and adhere to the faith thereof; great. It doesn't bother me, as long as you understand it is you business, not mine or anyone else's. If, however, you ry to force your faith on me, or anyone else, then you and I have a problem.

As for my questioning the religion of christianity, well, I question all religions and all beliefs in anything. I do this because I am genuinely interested in the answers, not to try and convert anyone.