Letters to the Editor
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Emphasis on "moron"
"As a skeptical Christian (is that a paradox?)....."
-- AJCalhoun
No, it's an oxymoron. Meaning: impossible.
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The responsibility for Osama..
Oh yes and invading Afghanistan in 1979 -- another dumb f*cking thing we can blame on atheists -- one that we get to pay for over and over and over again as the consequences of that oppressive and idiotic decision continue to play out on the world stage.
It was the CIA which recruited, trained and armed Osama bin Laden and the Mujahideen, the spiritual forebears of the Taliban.
Those "terrorist training camps" in Afghanistan you keep hearing about? Built by the CIA, many of them, that's why we know where they are.
No, what set ObL and company off against the USA is the way we abandoned the Mujahideen and Afghanistan as casually as you would dispose of a used sanitary napkin as soon as they had won our proxy war for us.
The muj used the same tactics against the Soviets as they are against the Americans now. Only then they were called "freedom fighters" and now they are called "terrorists".
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christianjb
You're correct, but as boring as David Sugarman and S.H.A.M. Please stop responding to every letter. No need to worry about those who believe in god. They'll eventually die and become worm food, just like the rest of us. No need to waste your short time on earth correcting them. Besides, every click just puts more ad money in salon's pocket.
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Bumper sticker mentality..
In addition I think what's happened is many Christians appear to believe that what they are taught is that they can do pretty much anything they want in mortal perpetuity in this world, and that all they have to do to pay for the transgression is to utter Jesus's name. And they'll continue to do that.
A popular bumper sticker where I live:
"Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven"
Nice get out of jail free card, eh?
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All religion is bunk
Expert #1 says that Judas was a doo-doo head. But Expert #2 says that Expert #1 misunderstands Judas, who was really only a poopie butt.
Like it makes a difference!
"God" is what we use to explain that which cannot be explained because our eyes and ears and mind do not see, hear, and understand far enough and deep enough. That is all.
We want to think we can connect with the mysteries of life by constructing a complex mythology that binds us together as social animals and makes us feel a sense of order and meaning that we wouldn't otherwise be able to feel. That is all.
But the reality is that we are all poopie-butt doo-doo heads and we should just deal with that instead of playing peek-a-boo.
We are such children.
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Atheists have an image problem..
Pointing out that there is no evidence whatsoever for a God is not 'lashing out'.
It's not so much what you say as the way you say it.
Always try to keep in mind that there is a fellow human being on the other end of your keyboard, a person with feelings and beliefs.
When you are blunt, direct and forceful you come across as a fundie to most Christians. You know how rude fundies can be to others, why emulate their worst characteristic?
A better and more politic way to put things is something like this:
I've never personally seen anything that I would consider evidence for the existence of a supreme being, can you provide any?
The person will either reply with what they consider evidence or not. If they do, then you calmly, politely and logically try to show why that evidence is unsatisfying to you.
We are trying to win hearts and minds but, just like in Iraq, whacking people over the head doesn't do that but in fact does just the opposite.
Just sayin'
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A skeptical Christian..
No, it's an oxymoron. Meaning: impossible.
Any atheist who started out as a Christian, such as myself, has at one point or another been a "skeptical Christian". The deconversion process is rarely an instantaneous one, instead it happens gradually with niggling doubts at first, followed by even more and stronger doubts and questions and so on and so on.
Personal insults do nothing to further your cause and in fact make you look childish and petulant.
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"The greatest service was Judas's betrayal"
From www.LordMeher.org, by Bhau Kalchuri, p. 3817
*****
Filis and Adele had been allowed to spend the week at the Center with Baba and "the girls," the term of endearment for the women mandali. They would be with Baba at the Guest House in the evenings, before he left at 6 P.M. On the evening of May 14th, Baba asked them to tell him a story. Adele, feeling very nervous, stumbled her way through a story of Saint Peter.
At one point, Baba bent his head and stated, "Peter loved me the most – but even he denied me."
Delia asked, "Was that a conscious act or did he do it unconsciously?"
"None [of the apostles] loved Jesus as Peter did," Baba stated. "It had to be. It was God's will. He was conscious. Afterwards he realized me."
Delia said, "I always understood that Judas was unconscious when he betrayed Christ."
Baba explained to her, "The greatest service was Judas's betrayal. When he kissed Christ on the cheek, he did nothing. God did all. He behaved under a veil. He had the most difficult task to do for the Master of all the disciples." Baba then indicated that Judas, too, had been given Realization.
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Yes, but why did Jesus command Judas to betray him?
From Steve Paulson's interview with Elaine Pagels:
[Paulson:] It's shocking to suggest that Judas wasn't just one of the disciples but was actually the favorite disciple of Jesus.
[Pagels:] That's right. And also the idea that he handed over Jesus to be arrested at the orders of Jesus himself. This wasn't a betrayal at all. In fact, it was obedience to a command or request that Jesus had made.
[later]
Jesus not only knew what was going to happen but initiated the action.
[even later]
Why are we saying that God requires his son to die for the sins of the world?
I am disappointed that Steve Paulson failed to follow up immediately or later in the obvious manner and ask "Why did Jesus command or request Judas to "betray" him?"
Does Elaine Pagels believe on her own (or does the Gospel of Judas say) that Jesus wanted to martyr himself as a way to provide salvation to future believers? If not, why did Jesus command or request Judas to "betray" him?