The Religion Thread

[O Really]

From my standpoint, if I'm the business owner, I'm going to do everything I can to make any customer who comes through the door with money feel comfortable, well-served, and satisfied with whatever I'm selling. That would be especially important for something as competitive as food. You really can't afford to intentionally alienate part of your market. I'd even serve Republicans.

[neoplacebo]

From my standpoint, if I'm the business owner, I'm going to do everything I can to make any customer who comes through the door with money feel comfortable, well-served, and satisfied with whatever I'm selling. That would be especially important for something as competitive as food. You really can't afford to intentionally alienate part of your market. I'd even serve Republicans.

Me, too. Hell, I'd even furnish prayer rugs and shoe cubby holes to any Muslims who happened to stop in. If I'm selling food, I don't care what religion you are.

[JTA]

From my standpoint, if I'm the business owner, I'm going to do everything I can to make any customer who comes through the door with money feel comfortable, well-served, and satisfied with whatever I'm selling. That would be especially important for something as competitive as food. You really can't afford to intentionally alienate part of your market. I'd even serve Republicans.

Me, too. Hell, I'd even furnish prayer rugs and shoe cubby holes to any Muslims who happened to stop in. If I'm selling food, I don't care what religion you are.

Middle Eastern food is the best.

[O Really]

Are you taking Vrede lessons; or is it his obtuseness is rubbing off on you; your posts are beginning to sound similar.

Personally, I thought you were better than that.

Was that supposed to be an insult? I can only aspire to be as quick of wit and tongue as Vrede. My problem is I don't have the patience of Vrede to suffer fools gladly.

[neoplacebo]

Are you taking Vrede lessons; or is it his obtuseness is rubbing off on you; your posts are beginning to sound similar.

Personally, I thought you were better than that.

Was that supposed to be an insult? I can only aspire to be as quick of wit and tongue as Vrede. My problem is I don't have the patience of Vrede to suffer fools gladly.

Yeah, I feel the same way; I don't have the motivation or tenacity Vrede typically exhibits on numerous contemporary and historical issues. I tend to follow issues that matter to me personally and will comment here with regard to them now and then, but I must admit I admire the fact that Vrede is rarely proven factually wrong, and invariably admits the error. As for suffering fools gladly, take another look at Banni's "religious discussion" clip. That could easily have been me, except I'm white.

[k9nanny]

Guys, it's not about religion, it's all about the money. The discount for devotion is nothing more than a marketing scheme. Sports bars offer, say, a half-price bucket of beer to patrons who show their ticket stub after the game. Strip clubs try to ramp up the slow nights by giving a freebie or discount to customers who work in the hospitality sector. On our last cruise, we got a hefty resident discount; does that mean passengers not from NC were discriminated against?

Like MrB, I find publicly praying for a discount rather tasteless.

One Sunday, the in-laws wanted to do lunch at Bay Breeze. The MIL saw the sign, 10% off if you show your church bulletin. She went off the deep end over that. In her seriously irritating, manic Minnie Mouse voice, she told everyone from the manager to the dishwasher that she had indeed attended church, and she shouldn't be denied her 10%. She shouldn't have to prove she attended church. She and the FIL ordered the cheapest whitefish platter and shared it.

Note: the hubs and I had not attended church. She neglected to share that tidbit while throwing her church-going-good-Christian hissy fit. I thought about confessing. The bill for the four of us was under $20, and I figured a squirming conscience over that dollar Bay Breeze didn't get was better than an escalated hissy fit.

Anyway, Bay Breeze simply looks to increase their Sunday custom. They don't really give a rat's ass whether or not anybody went to church. How come nobody's howled about church bulletin discounts?

Oh, yeh. We're happy with Ingle's. They have yummy NC shrimp. So does Fresh Market, but we don't get 15 cents off on gas, nor do we get a free turkey and coconut cake every year.

Marketing 101. Smell the money.

[Mr.B]

"Like MrB, I find publicly praying for a discount rather tasteless."

Thank you. It sure is strange that nobody else could pick up on that.

And another thing you're right about....it's strange how 'devout Christians' can get their step-ins in a wad over little things like that church bulletin thingy.

The whole idea of making it a point that everyone sees you pray or making a scene such as you described brings to mind the scripture about making it a point that you are seen being 'religious' in public.

My wife and I pray before our meal (in public). It's not to put on a show, but to give thanks. I wouldn't dream of calling a wait-person to watch us pray in order to get a discount. We ain't praying to the wait-person or the owner.

Matthew 6:5

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:
for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men."

[Mr.B]

"Are you taking Vrede lessons; or is it his obtuseness is rubbing off on you; your posts are beginning to sound similar."
Personally, I thought you were better than that."

"Was that supposed to be an insult"?
Put on your thinking cap....

"I can only aspire to be as quick of wit and tongue as Vrede."
Tongue...yes. Wit?....ha!

"My problem is I don't have the patience of Vrede to suffer fools gladly."
You're a lawyer, aren't you?

[neoplacebo]

I believe publicly praying for a discount is stupid; why don't you pray for a free meal? Pray big or pray home it looks like.

[Mr.B]

"I believe publicly praying for a discount is stupid; why don't you pray for a free meal? Pray big or pray home it looks like."

Ditto!

[Mr.B]

"She now faces charges of offending religious feeling and desecration of a church."
"Offending religious feeling"? Our jails in the U.S. would sho'nuff be overpopulated if that was a law here!

"After some debate, it was decided that the church would not have to be reconsecrated."

Just a wet mop and some Clorox should do the trick.

You sure have weird tastes in selected reading material.

[Mr.B]

I've always wondered where the Catholics get that so-called "holy water"..... :-0?> From a holy faucet, maybe?

There's a TV "preacher" Peter Popoff <ha!>, that advertises that if you'll send in an 'X' amount of dollars, they'll send you a vial of 'Miracle Spring Water' from Russia.....<pffft!>

FREE!

FTR, I do not watch that program; I do view the "show" occasionally just to ponder the ridiculousness of his antics. He's a con-artist show-boat, as evidenced by the many links on the website that do not work...

ABC News-Selling Salvation?

It's idiots like him who mock God that put any form of religion to ridicule.

[JTA]

Black Jesus:

http://video.adultswim.com/black-jesus/

I watched this show by accident last week, looking forward to watching it again tonight. Has a good message, but seems to have pissed off a lot of people. It didn't seem overly offensive, but maybe I'm just not easily offended.

[neoplacebo]

I'm not offended by that. I think it's funny in a religious / racial sort of way. It speaks to truth or fantasy depending on what your outlook is.

[bannination]

Meh, I've had Christians get offended at the suggestion that he looked like a Muslim instead of the perfect white man.

If there was a god it'd be a great prank to meet people at the gates as a muslim woman. That'd really confuse the guests.

[Mr.B]

"Meh, I've had Christians get offended at the suggestion that he looked like a Muslim instead of the perfect white man."
Inasmuch as He was a Jew, he could have very well looked like an other Middle-Easterner....btw, Muslim is not a race.

"If there was a god it'd be a great prank to meet people at the gates as a muslim woman. That'd really confuse the guests."
Depends on which god was picked; any of this world's 'gods' could be a Muslim woman. For sure though, but not judging, I don't think you'll have the privilege of being a "guest".

[bannination]

"Meh, I've had Christians get offended at the suggestion that he looked like a Muslim instead of the perfect white man."
Inasmuch as He was a Jew, he could have very well looked like an other Middle-Easterner....btw, Muslim is not a race.

"If there was a god it'd be a great prank to meet people at the gates as a muslim woman. That'd really confuse the guests."
Depends on which god was picked; any of this world's 'gods' could be a Muslim woman. For sure though, but not judging, I don't think you'll have the privilege of being a "guest".

Yeah that's a shame, but it sounds like you'll be stuck with a lot of very evil people. At least I'll be stuck with the smart nice people who decided to be good on their own account rather than out of fear of some crazy god out for revenge against the people he created.

BTW, if I say middle-easterner to Christians around here I get that look like a deer caught in headlights. If you say Muslim, they have a much better idea of the looks of the person.

[Mr.B]

"For sure though, but not judging, I don't think you'll have the privilege of being a "guest".
(meaning of course, you'll not get to see the looks of surprise on their faces! )

"Yeah that's a shame, but it sounds like you'll be stuck with a lot of very evil people. At least I'll be stuck with the smart nice people who decided to be good on their own account rather than out of fear of some crazy god out for revenge against the people he created."
Seriously...? We're already "stuck with a lot of very evil people", including a whole bunch of them who 'call themselves Christians' or followers of any other religion....and where do you find these so-called "smart nice people"? Do these "smart nice people" really believe the Creator is nothing more than "some crazy god out for revenge against the people he created"? If so, they don't know the God I know, but then again, if there is any element of revenge, it's because these "smart nice people" decided long ago that they didn't need God in their lives; look around, read the news, these "smart nice people" make headlines every day. "Smart nice people" aren't any different from "very evil people"

"BTW, if I say middle-easterner to Christians around here I get that look like a deer caught in headlights. If you say Muslim, they have a much better idea of the looks of the person."
Seriously...? So you're saying that only Christians think Muslims are Middle Easterners?

[bannination]

"For sure though, but not judging, I don't think you'll have the privilege of being a "guest".
(meaning of course, you'll not get to see the looks of surprise on their faces! )

"Yeah that's a shame, but it sounds like you'll be stuck with a lot of very evil people. At least I'll be stuck with the smart nice people who decided to be good on their own account rather than out of fear of some crazy god out for revenge against the people he created."
Seriously...? We're already "stuck with a lot of very evil people", including a whole bunch of them who 'call themselves Christians' or followers of any other religion....and where do you find these so-called "smart nice people"? Do these "smart nice people" really believe the Creator is nothing more than "some crazy god out for revenge against the people he created"? If so, they don't know the God I know, but then again, if there is any element of revenge, it's because these "smart nice people" decided long ago that they didn't need God in their lives; look around, read the news, these "smart nice people" make headlines every day. "Smart nice people" aren't any different from "very evil people"

"BTW, if I say middle-easterner to Christians around here I get that look like a deer caught in headlights. If you say Muslim, they have a much better idea of the looks of the person."
Seriously...? So you're saying that only Christians think Muslims are Middle Easterners?

Well, I'm just saying that in your view and in your religion, there won't be very many truly nice people in heaven. They'll be a bunch of fakers that did it only because they were scared of hell.

Those that don't believe in a god and yet still maintained their niceness are the truly great people.... and of course, they'll be in hell. All a god or gods need to do to change this unfortunate circumstance is just leave the slightest bit of evidence. However, even if there were evidence a god or gods existed and are truly as bigoted as you think while also requiring you to bigoted as well to be accepted in the club, well... that's not a god worth worship.

What if that's the real test Mr. B? Would you follow a god regardless of what you knew was right? At least I can justify my decisions, can you?

[k9nanny]

Speaking of religion, this is as good a place as any to vent about my nut job nephew and is super nut job wife. They adopted a toddler from China because God told them to. They begged $36,000 for the adoption. I didn't give them a single penny. That's a whole 'nuther rant.

From Facebook.

"For Leah's 8th Birthday
Love Manor in Chongqing, China is the orphanage Jack lived in for half of his life before us. This picture was taken at Love Manor the day we visited there. Seeing the faces of those children made a big impact on Leah.

Love Manor is in need of therapy equipment. Leah has decided that for her birthday this year, she wants to raise $200 to buy this equipment! Our adoption agency, Lifeline, is sending a medical team to Love Manor in early September so they can actually take the equipment directly to them.

We love this chance for Leah to see God provide. She decided (we are not forcing her!) to ask her friends to donate towards this cause instead of bringing gifts to her birthday party.

We did the math. If 40 people give $5 each, then Leah would have the $200 to buy the therapy equipment. Some of these 40 people will be her own friends (6-9 year old girls!), but if you would also like to be one of her 40 people, you can give $5 to her (or Matt or I) in person or use the paypal button below by August 30th (Leah's birthday).


Thank you, sweet friends! If Leah does raise the $200, we'll post a picture of the therapy equipment that we are able to purchase to send over."

OK, it's bad enough that they're begging on their daughter's behalf. Maybe Leah decided on her own to receive donations instead of gifts, but the very specific nature of the recipient makes me suspicious that she was manipulated. Worse, are the comments. The adult friends are gushing about Leah's generosity and sweetness. It really burns my biscuit that the wacko niece responded to those comments thusly:

"Just wanting to keep it real here - when Leah does things sweet like this, it's just God at work. On her own, she's a mess (we all are). Just wanting God to get the glory here, not Leah. Also, the paypal button on the website wasn't working earlier, but it is working now. So thankful to get to watch God at work through this!!"

So, the poor kid doesn't get any kudos. She's nothing but a shell.
There should be a CPS for kids of religious nut jobs that abuse their children in the name of god. They will be so bewildered when this little girl grows up to be stripper because she thinks she's worthless. Oh, the stories I could tell.