The Religion Thread

[neoplacebo]

".....I would ask you all to remember what George Carlin says: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that half of them are stupider than that."

He must've met Vrede.

I've met Vrede; he's got a wealth of life experience and is better informed on contemporary and historical issues than probably 90% of the general population. George would place him on the far upper end of the scale of average. The guy who works at a convenience store and votes GOP is at the other end of that scale, but doesn't know it. Those are the ones George is referring to, I believe.

[neoplacebo]

Just "90%"?

It's less often what you know than what you know that you don't know. If Mr.B had pulled me out of his ass (how Freudian of him) he would have looked it up before claiming to know the only correct ways to write it.

Well, I suppose one could reasonably state that the apostrophe in ID'ed could be interpreted as a shortened form of the word "identified" ...

I thought about that before responding, but no more than ID is already a shortened form of the word "identify" or "identity".

Ok, I'll give you 95 and an apostrophe.

[Mr.B]

"I've met Vrede; he's got a wealth of life experience and is better informed on contemporary and historical issues than probably 90% of the general population. George would place him on the far upper end of the scale of average. The guy who works at a convenience store and votes GOP is at the other end of that scale, but doesn't know it. Those are the ones George is referring to, I believe."

So what's wrong with the guy "who works at a convenience store"?

I hate to agree with you, but I have to agree with your assessment of Vrede. He is a very intelligent individual, well-traveled, and as you say, has a wealth of life experiences. He works a job in health care that takes patience, caring, dedication, and commitment....things I know none of us here could do; I know I couldn't.

With all these attributes, Vrede has a dark side; that being a superiority complex. I have had some training in HR, and I have seen this before. Vrede's job requires intense ability to absorb the pressure and patience required in dealing with sick/elderly people. Also, he cannot talk down to or belittle those he works with....so his frustrations are vented at the keyboard in this forum. This is evident in the descriptive names and adjectives and silly accusations that he has a long list of.

As long as you are in agreement with Vrede and his opinions, ideologies, or personal passions in life, everything's fine. Cross that fine line, and you'll see a change in his attitude in a hurry.....this too I have seen when Vrede replied to some who were "on his side"; who, btw, are no longer posting in this forum.

I don't 'hate' Vrede, I have a high disliking for his very nature and condescending attitude. Outside of his work, he obviously has no people skills and the only way he knows to communicate with others is within his bounds of frustration and superiority which he freely vents.

I was going to send this to you in a PM, but since this is an open forum, I figured it would be good enough to share with everyone. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

[JTA]

"I've met Vrede; he's got a wealth of life experience and is better informed on contemporary and historical issues than probably 90% of the general population. George would place him on the far upper end of the scale of average. The guy who works at a convenience store and votes GOP is at the other end of that scale, but doesn't know it. Those are the ones George is referring to, I believe."

So what's wrong with the guy "who works at a convenience store"?

I hate to agree with you, but I have to agree with your assessment of Vrede. He is a very intelligent individual, well-traveled, and as you say, has a wealth of life experiences. He works a job in health care that takes patience, caring, dedication, and commitment....things I know none of us here could do; I know I couldn't.

With all these attributes, Vrede has a dark side; that being a superiority complex. I have had some training in HR, and I have seen this before. Vrede's job requires intense ability to absorb the pressure and patience required in dealing with sick/elderly people. Also, he cannot talk down to or belittle those he works with....so his frustrations are vented at the keyboard in this forum. This is evident in the descriptive names and adjectives and silly accusations that he has a long list of.

As long as you are in agreement with Vrede and his opinions, ideologies, or personal passions in life, everything's fine. Cross that fine line, and you'll see a change in his attitude in a hurry.....this too I have seen when Vrede replied to some who were "on his side"; who, btw, are no longer posting in this forum.

I don't 'hate' Vrede, I have a high disliking for his very nature and condescending attitude. Outside of his work, he obviously has no people skills and the only way he knows to communicate with others is within his bounds of frustration and superiority which he freely vents.

I was going to send this to you in a PM, but since this is an open forum, I figured it would be good enough to share with everyone. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

I just avoid talking politics and religion with anybody and everybody in real life. Seems like when I do this I get along with everyone. Actually, there are very few people I don't get along with in real life even when I do talk politics and religion. I tried to debate this religious guy once at Bel-Chere in Asheville once even though I'm terrible at debating and don't normally do that kind of thing and ended up making a friend. Sounds like a victory to me!

[Mr.B]

I call a psychologist to repair my appliances, too.
I've not always been an appliance technician.
Doesn't take a Philadelphia psychologist to see through you and your silly game.

If s/he turns out to be a whiny bigot, liar or wimp, I'm also "condescending".
That's just it....anyone who disagrees with you is a whiny bigot, liar or wimp....that's why you're so "condescending". Own it.

[Mr.B]

"I just avoid talking politics and religion with anybody and everybody in real life!"

Same here, as well as insurance and taxes.

[bannination]

Bigot: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance.

Own it Mr. B.

[neoplacebo]

"I've met Vrede; he's got a wealth of life experience and is better informed on contemporary and historical issues than probably 90% of the general population. George would place him on the far upper end of the scale of average. The guy who works at a convenience store and votes GOP is at the other end of that scale, but doesn't know it. Those are the ones George is referring to, I believe."

So what's wrong with the guy "who works at a convenience store"?

There's nothing "wrong" with the guy who works at the convenience store; I'm just saying that he's probably not politically or economically astute enough to realize that when he votes for what passes as Republican politicians these days, he's voting against his own best interests and does not realize that. I call that stupid; or at least willfully ignorant. The office I worked in for over fifteen years was almost exclusively right wing wingnut, but I never expressed my own views because I was outnumbered. I just would laugh at them without them knowing it; some of the younger guys I would sometimes engage in political conversation with, but when I would point out something (I once asked one of them to look at his 401k account at the end of 2008 and compare it to what it is now) and he had no reply. He could not understand what had transpired during the intervening years. I call that ignorance, Most of them could not get past the fact that the president is black. More stupid.

[neoplacebo]

It would seem that more than a few wingnut donors must have had a problem with this. Hilarious; instead of fostering unity, they favor polarization. Money talks, religion walks; unless it's the moneyed religion.

[Mr.B]

Bigot: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance.
Own it Mr. B.

Own it Mr.B Vrede.

[rstrong]

Bigot: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance.
Own it Mr. B.

Own it Mr.B Vrede.

Are you selling it to him, or giving it away?

[Mr.B]

"Are you selling it to him, or giving it away?"

How much are you offering?

[rstrong]

Meanwhile in ISIS controlled territory, someone opened a company selling landmines that look like prayer mats.

Prophets are going through the roof.

[neoplacebo]

Ayatollah you so.

[billy.pilgrim]

Islam the door on any more puns

[neoplacebo]

Saw a story today about a teenage kid who was in a coma for two months after being in an auto accident; he miraculously came out of his coma after that amount of time and the kid said he'd gone to heaven. He and his dad wrote a book about the experience, which was published by a Christian book publisher. Turns out the kid recanted his entire story and the publisher is pulling the book. Here's the funny part; the kid's last name is Malarkey.

[neoplacebo]

None of us need worry. Mike Huckabee is going to save us all. His plan, and his book, is "God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy" and I think three of those four are also his health care plan as well. Or perhaps all four of them if he decides to keep the death panels running.

[Mr.B]

I wondered if you were going to correct that posting snafu...

Don'tcha hate when that happens...

[Mr.B]

Are you speaking to me? If so, I corrected your "posting snafu" back on page 131. I'm just adding more info. to the tangent - that right-wing political violence is more prevalent here and that the media under reports on it here and internationally.

Yeah...I was referring to the url snafu.

So sweet of you to correct my "posting snafu" as well. Don't know what we'd do without you to keep us straight.

[Mr.B]

Pffft, I proofread, the url was fixed within seconds.
I know that. I was typin' whilst you were correctin'. That's why I said "Don'tcha hate when that happens..."

No interest in the topic?
Nope.

... that right-wing political violence is more prevalent here and that the media under reports on it here and internationally.

You were interested until you got confused by it.
I didn't get confused...I lost interest. Violence is violence, regardless of political persuasions.