You're so smart, shiny... Ooh, wait! I can play too!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Faith

lol... blind leading the blind... /rolls eyes

>> ^shinyblurry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_blind_leading_the_blind
>> ^SpaceGirlSpiff:
One need not raise a glass of alcohol to toast one of the greatest minds of many generations.
For speaking so very eloquently and with undeniable reason and logic against the idiocy, bigotry, zealotry and flat out ignorance of people like shinyblurry...
For renewing my vigor to speak my mind when confronted with that same idiocy, bigotry, zealotry and flat out ignorance as much as I can...
Here's to you Hitchens. We need more of you, not less.

Wow... a religious zealot attempting to call someone else on "rationalization"...

I've now been witness to a new level of hypocrisy.

>> ^shinyblurry:

http://www.egetgoing.com/drug_addiction/rationalization.asp
>> ^hpqp:
"I always knew there was a risk in the bohemian lifestyle... I decided to take it because it helped my concentration, it stopped me being bored – it stopped other people being boring. It would make me want to prolong the conversation and enhance the moment. If you ask: would I do it again? I would probably say yes. But I would have quit earlier hoping to get away with the whole thing. I decided all of life is a wager and I'm going to wager on this bit... In a strange way I don't regret it. It's just impossible for me to picture life without wine, and other things, fueling the company, keeping me reading, energising me. It worked for me. It really did." - Christopher Hitchens

One need not raise a glass of alcohol to toast one of the greatest minds of many generations.

For speaking so very eloquently and with undeniable reason and logic against the idiocy, bigotry, zealotry and flat out ignorance of people like shinyblurry...

For renewing my vigor to speak my mind when confronted with that same idiocy, bigotry, zealotry and flat out ignorance as much as I can...

Here's to you Hitchens. We need more of you, not less.

We're still here because we like it here and see what this country could be. Besides, we don't want to leave it in the hands of people like you. We're here to push back when idiocy and ignorance tries to wrest control... struggling through we may be to do that with the widespread ignorance in this country from the conservatives, religious and the gullible.

Sounds like you'd prefer somewhere where everyone believes the same thing (or else). I invite you to leave and go to North Korea where they embrace (read: have no choice but to) dictatorship and limited to almost non-existent civil rights.

Oh, and may some illness which your medical coverage doesn't cover be visited upon you. Sure, not the most mature thing to end with, but I think I would be entertained by seeing how long it took before you b*tched and moaned about your insurance company doing nothing.

>> ^quantumushroom:

You don't even see Paul get to answer the question.
As for our hypothetical sick man, a "caring" society that hangs the millstone around Taxpayer's neck for everything else--including Juan Illegal's sex-change op--won't let it happen.
So, why do you Americans lefties STAY here? There are whole socialist progressive countries out there with "free" everything for their citizens, why struggle here in America? You're free to leave or stay; were I you I'd take the path of least resistance and move to Norway.

::roll eyes::

Silly religious bigot, you cannot preach your hillybilly dogma to the informed. Why don't you try preaching the misogynistic parts of your silly religion? You know the parts you can't get away with anymore because we have evolved better morality than that which was dictated by your "perfect god".

If only he was correct that we don't elect bigots to office. Some day.

::looks off in the distance wistfully::

Yup, you're wasting your time. You will propose rational arguments and reason... Shiny will respond with religious dogma. Rinse, repeat, bang head on desk.

You cannot reason with blind faith.

But as you are blind, Shiny, others will continue to look and poke in those dark places you claim your god exists. The light of our inquiry and skepticism will illuminate that which is hidden in your god's domain. We will take it from your god and convert it to science. You will be painted ever further into the corner of your own ignorance until such a point that you have no ground upon which to stand. While you remain rigid in your unquestioning belief, we will seek understanding and truth and know them by their ability to stand up to scientific inquiry.

No god can hide from science. And someday we will place those that are left, like toys long outgrown, on a shelf... along with those gods from the past which you yourself do not believe in.

In all seriousness though, if you've heard or are hearing the voice(s) of your god, you might want to look into the possibility that you have schizophrenia, Shiny. This is not a jab or an attempt to imply that you are mentally unstable, but actual concern. The reality is that there are numerous sufferers of schizophrenia who hear auditory hallucinations, some of these take the form of "God". Something to consider.

>> ^EMPIRE:

Guys... seriously? You're still responding to Shiny Blurry?. You're wasting your time trying to stuff some knowledge into a black hole of ignorance.

It is an entirely worthless endeavor to debate someone who cannot be reasoned with. Shiny is blind to all but dogma and any attempts to use logic or rational arguments will not succeed in penetrating to the point of consideration on his part. Much like that of an animal (I'm not calling him names, but rather making a comparison to another lifeform which does not use reason or critical thought to evaluate ideas.) he goes about as he is wired. Indeed religion (not merely Christianity, but most) teachs their flock (the reference to sheep not being without irony, in my opinion) that their god exists outside logic and reason, and to dismiss any doubts stemming from such attempts to question using either methods. He has demonstrated no capacity to challenge or logically consider of that which was apparently ingrained in him through his upbringing and will likely, and regrettably, repeat the same for the duration of his lifespan.

A better example might even be to liken it to debating a computer program which will only respond from the parameters of its code. What is programmed is all it "knows" and attempts to inquire or have it respond in a manner which exceeds the parameters of its coding will yield no results.

I expect no response from Shiny in regards to the above statements, nor would I feel compelled to respond further as I would find no value in what I expect will be yet another of the same dogmatic responses as has been supplied in his posts above.

To those of you who continue to engage him, I wish you much patience. May the Hitchens be with you. ; )

>> ^hpqp:

@shinyblurry
Lather, rinse, repeat... ad infinitum.
Someone points out the worthlessness of your arguments (strawman, argument from personal experience, etc) and in response you do it all again. And then you wonder why people "run away" from "discussions" with you? You sound like a godbot on repeat (no offense @siftbot, we <3 you )
About the HS: so anyone who grew up christian (and thus "received the HS") gets a free pass, no matter what? Sweet! goes off to eat some freshly born babies
God on child rape (=sex with children under the age of consent): there are several passages in the OT in which it is ordered that all men, women and boys (even livestock sometimes) be killed, and only virgin girls/women be taken as slaves/wives. Are you suggesting not a single one of these were under the age of consent?

Bravo my friend... you are indeed a magnificent troll.

Surely you will claim otherwise, but can you, with any certainty prove to me that it is not "Satan" whose bidding you do? You only have one book (one heavily edited and revised, conflicting, mistranslated, how could this possibly be the true word of a "perfect being" after all the aforementioned issues book) which you assume to be given to you by your god. Show me how you know (not believe, I mean to find out how you KNOW) that you are not following the wrong deity (and yes, your Satan qualifies as a deity based on the "powers" you attribute to it.). Your god commands the slaughter of innocents in its name and condemns them to torture unless they bow before it. Your god commits genocide on its own and inflicts abject misery upon those who are most loyal to prove a point. Sounds evil to me.

Or tell me this... how this is any different than if you were to live in a dictatorship under the rule of a corrupt person who provided all of those in their country with a book which proclaimed them as a god, and prevented any communication with the outside world? You would have no outside means by which to refute this, no alternative book which claimed otherwise. Only through critical thought, reason and logic can you test the validity of the dogma you've been fed, and remove the blinders from your eyes. Otherwise, you are merely a parrot who as been trained to spout off what he has been told.

On a final note... the whole "God works in mysterious ways" BS response? Just say what you mean, "I... DON'T... KNOW.". Because you don't.

Not sure whether Shiny is scary or funny. Both maybe?

P. S.: The Celestial Teapot says "Hi"
P. S. S.: Dionysus says "Hi"
P. S. S. S.: Osiris says "Hi"
P. S. S. S. S. : Attis says "Hi"
P. S. S. S. S. S.: Mithras says "Hi"
P. S. S. S. S. S. S.: The Flying Spaghetti Monster extends his noodley appendage in a manner which means, "Hi."

^ It's well known that one of the commandments on the 3rd tablet which was lost when it slipped out of Moses' hand, but still practiced widely today is, "Thou shalt lack a sense of humor."

I thought it was hilarious, but then, as an anti-thiest I rather enjoy when people expose the idiocy, bigotry and insanity of the bible. Only ignorant believers would overlook the morally-bankrupt content contained within, or pretend it's not actually in there since a significant number have no doubt never read the damned thing.

Looks interesting... although I could swear I already saw this before when it was called "Repo: The Genetic Opera"? This must be the non-campy action version... which I will probably also see. =)

Yepper it's a parody. She does different vids with "makeup tips" and other assorted schtuff.

Like this one for example.

>> ^honkeytonk73:
well.. magic is real, flying people with bird wings are real, and red horned cloven-hoofed red dudes underground are real. So there.


Don't forget creatures with noodley appendages and teapots of celestial origin. They are so totally real.

I actually find her appearance quite attractive as well. And intelligence on top of that is so very hot. Except for the smoking thing... if she still smokes that is. Apart from that, very attractive. =)