Comments on: A Skeptic Christmas http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/ The official blog of the Skeptologists Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:38:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shahar Lubin http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-2154 Shahar Lubin Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:25:37 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-2154 Brock, if the government make a connection with religion it establishes one. Meaning it support it and shows it to be the official one. Yeah, you can say, call him allah/jehovah/jesus or just god it's all the same thing, but what about wicas/voodoos/hindus and even satan worshippers and pirate costumed FSMs. What connections are you thinking on? Putting holiday markers on public buildings, what about my holidays(hannukah is mostly a response to jewish kids in america wanting gifts, it's a very minor festival on the jewish calendar). Financially supporting churches, which religions/denominations/sects count. And so forth. Freedom of religion means the government doesn't get their hand into it. Your right to worship your choice deity is my right not to not worship any. Brock,

if the government make a connection with religion it establishes one. Meaning it support it and shows it to be the official one. Yeah, you can say, call him allah/jehovah/jesus or just god it’s all the same thing, but what about wicas/voodoos/hindus and even satan worshippers and pirate costumed FSMs.
What connections are you thinking on? Putting holiday markers on public buildings, what about my holidays(hannukah is mostly a response to jewish kids in america wanting gifts, it’s a very minor festival on the jewish calendar). Financially supporting churches, which religions/denominations/sects count. And so forth.
Freedom of religion means the government doesn’t get their hand into it. Your right to worship your choice deity is my right not to not worship any.

]]> By: Jim Brock http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-2150 Jim Brock Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:15:12 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-2150 Well...I have two comments. 1. We would all be better off to simply respect the views of others without making it a point of argument. I was reared as a RC and found a lot of solace and encouragement to live a good life. As an educated person (retired lawyer) I find it not rational to believe the Bible is the literal (or even actual) word of God. The Deists may have believed in a Creator, and from their standpoint it made sense to include freedom of religion in the Constitution. The beginning can be called creation by God or the big bang or whatever; pick your own name for the beginning (if there was one; as I understand the current thinking of cosmologists it is possible that there is a continuing input of energy into the universe, thus the accelarating rate of expansion). So...let people believe what gives them comfort so long as they give me the same right. And do not hit me with a fatwah every whip-stich. 2. The Supreme Court has, indeed, "interpreted" the first amendment to forbid any connection of the government with religion. It may be good policy, but the legal analysis stinks. What the first amendment actually prohibits is "an establishment of religion." Nuff said. Well…I have two comments.
1. We would all be better off to simply respect the views of others without making it a point of argument. I was reared as a RC and found a lot of solace and encouragement to live a good life. As an educated person (retired lawyer) I find it not rational to believe the Bible is the literal (or even actual) word of God. The Deists may have believed in a Creator, and from their standpoint it made sense to include freedom of religion in the Constitution. The beginning can be called creation by God or the big bang or whatever; pick your own name for the beginning (if there was one; as I understand the current thinking of cosmologists it is possible that there is a continuing input of energy into the universe, thus the accelarating rate of expansion). So…let people believe what gives them comfort so long as they give me the same right. And do not hit me with a fatwah every whip-stich.

2. The Supreme Court has, indeed, “interpreted” the first amendment to forbid any connection of the government with religion. It may be good policy, but the legal analysis stinks. What the first amendment actually prohibits is “an establishment of religion.” Nuff said.

]]> By: Shahar Lubin http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-2105 Shahar Lubin Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:40:21 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-2105 OK. I counted seventeen logical fallacies in the first three sentences. OK. I counted seventeen logical fallacies in the first three sentences.

]]> By: Devil's Advocate http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-2102 Devil's Advocate Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:52:41 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-2102 One wonders which flavor Kool-Ade defender eagles prefer.... One wonders which flavor Kool-Ade defender eagles prefer….

]]> By: Defendereagle http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-2096 Defendereagle Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:38:54 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-2096 Christianity is not a belief and adherence to a set of rules and beliefs - it is a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God's Word - the Bible - is the most well documented book ever written. Its prophecies have been 100% accurate, geological digs have always found evidences which have proven the accuracy of Scripture, secular historians in biblical times have reported history the same way as found in scriptures, and on and on. People have labored to disprove the Bible for over 2,000 years with no success. The Bible referred to the circle of the earth 400 years before man realized the earth was not flat. Where Christianity has been dominate as a religion, freedom has always followed. Our Declaration of Independence, our U.S. Constitution, the English common law that we inherited as a nation were ALL steeped in and flowed from Biblical principles and law. The enduring principles found in scripture, i.e., do not murder, do not steal, do not covet your neighbors property, do not bear false witness, etc. are all fixed standards that have had their roots in scripture for thousands of years. Atheism and secular humanism on the other hand, is rooted in accidents that have happened over billions of years, survival of the fittest, natural selection, etc. There is no basis for freedom here only dominance by the most powerful. Corruption is no factor when there are no absolutes, no rights or wrongs, you simply do it if it feels good to you and to hell with the weak or someone else's property. That is the foundation of atheism which rests on Darwinism - which is rapidly crumbling under the weight of new scientific findings in micro-biology, dating methods, and the need for directed energy and intelligence in order to assemble complex structures like the single cell. The Christian religion has had more positive influence on civilizations than anything else - and that is a fact! Christianity is not a belief and adherence to a set of rules and beliefs – it is a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
God’s Word – the Bible – is the most well documented book ever written. Its prophecies have been 100% accurate, geological digs have always found evidences which have proven the accuracy of Scripture, secular historians in biblical times have reported history the same way as found in scriptures, and on and on. People have labored to disprove the Bible for over 2,000 years with no success. The Bible referred to the circle of the earth 400 years before man realized the earth was not flat.
Where Christianity has been dominate as a religion, freedom has always followed. Our Declaration of Independence, our U.S. Constitution, the English common law that we inherited as a nation were ALL steeped in and flowed from Biblical principles and law.
The enduring principles found in scripture, i.e., do not murder, do not steal, do not covet your neighbors property, do not bear false witness, etc. are all fixed standards that have had their roots in scripture for thousands of years.
Atheism and secular humanism on the other hand, is rooted in accidents that have happened over billions of years, survival of the fittest, natural selection, etc. There is no basis for freedom here only dominance by the most powerful. Corruption is no factor when there are no absolutes, no rights or wrongs, you simply do it if it feels good to you and to hell with the weak or someone else’s property. That is the foundation of atheism which rests on Darwinism – which is rapidly crumbling under the weight of new scientific findings in micro-biology, dating methods, and the need for directed energy and intelligence in order to assemble complex structures like the single cell.
The Christian religion has had more positive influence on civilizations than anything else – and that is a fact!

]]> By: Devil's Advocate http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-2052 Devil's Advocate Mon, 29 Dec 2008 02:59:48 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-2052 John, just thought the FSM analogy/parody ought to be taken to the next step - sectarian conflict! John, just thought the FSM analogy/parody ought to be taken to the next step – sectarian conflict!

]]> By: John Draeger http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-2050 John Draeger Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:07:53 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-2050 Cambias: Doesn't help to use to use offensive language against offensive language. Try something more civilized like Equus asinus vents next time. Devil's Advocate: I like the way you're thinking! Check out the latest holiday photos of FSM lights, cookies, etc. at http://www.venganza.org/ Caution: Meatball sect is heavily represented. Cambias: Doesn’t help to use to use offensive language against offensive language. Try something more civilized like Equus asinus vents next time.

Devil’s Advocate: I like the way you’re thinking! Check out the latest holiday photos of FSM lights, cookies, etc. at http://www.venganza.org/
Caution: Meatball sect is heavily represented.

]]> By: Cambias http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-2033 Cambias Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:20:36 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-2033 Putting up an offensively anti-religious statement next to a Nativity scene at Christmas time is not the work of atheists, agnostics, or deists. The word for those people is "assholes." Putting up an offensively anti-religious statement next to a Nativity scene at Christmas time is not the work of atheists, agnostics, or deists. The word for those people is “assholes.”

]]> By: LUFTRITTER http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-1980 LUFTRITTER Fri, 26 Dec 2008 02:39:59 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-1980 Well as an atheist I don't have any trouble with the celebration of a pagan holiday taken by cristianity wich originally was in honour of an astronomical event (you know I mean the solstice). There is enough holiday for everyone. Merry Newtonmas! Well as an atheist I don’t have any trouble with the celebration of a pagan holiday taken by cristianity wich originally was in honour of an astronomical event (you know I mean the solstice). There is enough holiday for everyone.

Merry Newtonmas!

]]> By: Andres http://www.skepticblog.org/2008/12/23/a-skeptic-christmas/#comment-1973 Andres Thu, 25 Dec 2008 23:45:49 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=746#comment-1973 He has meatballs. (-_-) He has meatballs. (-_-)

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