The Religion Thread

[Boatrocker]

"He who represents himself has a fool for a client - and an idiot for a lawyer."

These guys make the old joke about "you might be a redneck if you go to family reunions looking for dates" not so funny. To carry on in that same vein, however, it appears their "family tree does not fork."
Probably Trump supporters, too.

Rural, backwater, under-educated, fundicongelical, low-info folks supported the trumphole by a large margin, and have historically been lock-step RWers. Those places where they live are isolated and way off the highway- which is fine, if you like that sort of life. But they are also the areas most in need of some fresh genetic material.
The whole damned area where I come from in Lower Alabamistan has been economically depressed since before the Great Depression, and suffering from low, no or negative population growth for decades. My HS class graduated 99 kids in '75; at my 30th reunion in '05 they graduated about 42. Folks leave, especially kids; few come back. New folks come in on occasion, bur few stay, and their kids GTF out. Jobs are few, all low-paying. You're miles from competent, well-equipped heathcare and overall quality of health is inferior, due to smoking and bad diets on top of poor health care. Housing market is almost non-existent, so you build if you can or, yes, move into a trailer, or a house that is older than you are and in ill repair. Roads are crumbling- literally. Coffee County, AL is the third world, in virtually every sense. I truly think the gene pool in these places is in serious danger of toxicity.
It would explain so much.

[Vrede too]

... My HS class graduated 99 kids in '75; at my 30th reunion in '05 they graduated about 42....

It took 30% of your class that long?

[Mr.B]

"The whole damned area where I come from in Lower Alabamistan has been economically depressed since before the Great Depression, and suffering from low, no or negative population growth for decades......I truly think the gene pool in these places is in serious danger of toxicity....It would explain so much."

Damn Boat*rocker, you should have told us this before now; now I feel sorry for you...now we know the rest of the story.

[JTA]

"He who represents himself has a fool for a client - and an idiot for a lawyer."

These guys make the old joke about "you might be a redneck if you go to family reunions looking for dates" not so funny. To carry on in that same vein, however, it appears their "family tree does not fork."
Probably Trump supporters, too.

Rural, backwater, under-educated, fundicongelical, low-info folks supported the trumphole by a large margin, and have historically been lock-step RWers. Those places where they live are isolated and way off the highway- which is fine, if you like that sort of life. But they are also the areas most in need of some fresh genetic material.
The whole damned area where I come from in Lower Alabamistan has been economically depressed since before the Great Depression, and suffering from low, no or negative population growth for decades. My HS class graduated 99 kids in '75; at my 30th reunion in '05 they graduated about 42. Folks leave, especially kids; few come back. New folks come in on occasion, bur few stay, and their kids GTF out. Jobs are few, all low-paying. You're miles from competent, well-equipped heathcare and overall quality of health is inferior, due to smoking and bad diets on top of poor health care. Housing market is almost non-existent, so you build if you can or, yes, move into a trailer, or a house that is older than you are and in ill repair. Roads are crumbling- literally. Coffee County, AL is the third world, in virtually every sense. I truly think the gene pool in these places is in serious danger of toxicity.
It would explain so much.

Dude that's how my hometown is. I come from the poorest l, most rural county in my home state. It's probably not nearly as bad as down in Alabamistan, but your description sounds very similar to my town - economy is non existent, bunch of pill heads and junkies, towns are decaying, etc.

We don't have as much obese people as down south though, and it's a little different than the rural south but our classless Hicks are just as annoying.

[O Really]

I'll bet you guys have some compelling and inspiring stories. How did you escape and what differs you from the many who don't?

[JTA]

We've got a bunch of Italian American rednecks sporting rebel flags. Yeah man I shit you not. Explain that one to me.

[O Really]

We've got a bunch of Italian American rednecks sporting rebel flags. Yeah man I shit you not. Explain that one to me.

I'm sure they're just respecting their heritage and all the brave Italians who died in defense of plantation owners.

[Mr.B]

"The whole damned area where I come from in Lower Alabamistan..."

"Dude that's how my hometown is. I come from the poorest l, most rural county in my home state. It's probably not nearly as bad as down in Alabamistan, but your description sounds very similar to my town - economy is non existent, bunch of pill heads and junkies, towns are decaying, etc."

"We don't have as much obese people as down south though, and it's a little different than the rural south but our classless Hicks are just as annoying."

"I'll bet you guys have some compelling and inspiring stories. How did you escape and what differs you from the many who don't?"

I know you didn't ask for my two cents worth, but I felt compelled to add it in....
I thought I had it rough growing up! There were five of us kids being raised by our grandparents who still had 3 of their own at home. We lived in a rural area of Henderson County on a dirt road, with no electricity or plumbed-in water; we had a wood heater and cook stove. We lived on my Dad's Navy monthly allotment check, and I remember when it got increased to $156.90 a month..! We thought we were rich!

We always heard of "dope-fiends", but we knew no one that was into drugs, (we did sneak a bit of home-brew or smoke some rabbit tobacco occasionally; we didn't go to church, and we wore the same clothes to school for a week at a time. Wash day was every other Saturday when we boiled our clothes clean in a galvanized wash tub over an open fire in the wood yard, regardless of the weather!

In reading the two of yours short bios, I would have to say that despite what we didn't have, we were right well off..!

Of those eight kids, I was the only one to graduate high school, and make a good nest egg from my career.
I credit that to placing my faith in the Lord.

[rstrong]

We've got a bunch of Italian American rednecks sporting rebel flags. Yeah man I shit you not. Explain that one to me.

Heritage. Christopher Columbus, an Italian, was the first to enslave people in the Americas. He started the transatlantic slave trade. And he initiated the complete genocide of the local brown people in Haiti. All of which he justified in the light of spreading the Christian religion.

[Boatrocker]

"The whole damned area where I come from in Lower Alabamistan has been economically depressed since before the Great Depression, and suffering from low, no or negative population growth for decades......I truly think the gene pool in these places is in serious danger of toxicity....It would explain so much."

Damn Boat*rocker, you should have told us this before now; now I feel sorry for you...now we know the rest of the story.

No worries- I was not born in Lower Alabamistan. And neither were my kids or- most importantly- my grandkids. They are the one who'll have to deal with the mess YOU have made.

[Boatrocker]

I'll bet you guys have some compelling and inspiring stories. How did you escape and what differs you from the many who don't?

I wasn't borned-n-raised-up there; I graduated HS in '75, joined the Navy and GTF out. Went back long enough to marry a local girl, who was also ready to GTF out. Haven't lived there since.

[Boatrocker]

We've got a bunch of Italian American rednecks sporting rebel flags. Yeah man I shit you not. Explain that one to me.

I bet they go about spreading that "You lost- git over it!" bullshit.

[Mr.B]

"No worries- I was not born in Lower Alabamistan. And neither were my kids or- most importantly- my grandkids. They are the one who'll have to deal with the mess YOU have made."

As opposed to the mess YOU might have made? Got it.





Whew! Glad this didn't happen!!

[Vrede too]

Police: Florida pastor caught with man’s wife, flees naked

What, no video? Darn.

[Mr.B]

Police: Florida pastor caught with man’s wife, flees naked

"What, no video? Darn."

Guess you just have your fantasies, huh?

[JTA]

"No worries- I was not born in Lower Alabamistan. And neither were my kids or- most importantly- my grandkids. They are the one who'll have to deal with the mess YOU have made."

As opposed to the mess YOU might have made? Got it.





Whew! Glad this didn't happen!!

President Bannon and First Lady Donald Trump

[Mr.B]

"Your personal interpretation does that. Entire major branches of Christianity disagree."
It's there in black and white, has been for centuries, and "entire major branches of Christianity" do not agree. I've heard some of the greatest preachers preach the same message with no wavering or backing down because someone got "offended". "Interpretation" is the same as opinions; you can believe the written Word; if you believe it at all, or you can attempt to coddle and water down The Word to suit the weak-minded and bolster your popularity. God will not be mocked.

"You've made it clear that you casually ignore much of what the Bible says, cherry-picking just the bits that match your personal phobias and bigotries."
I don't ignore it; you just spew what your tiny little mind wants the world to hear and accuse others of being biased or unlearned.
In my Book, the fruit (cherries) is on the tree for me to pick. I didn't plant the tree, but it's free for me to partake. Because you find the fruit bitter to your taste; you condemn the tree, and it's fruit, and want everyone else to do so. My "personal phobias and bigotries" are Biblical; if you don't like them, that's just tough; deal with it. You will have to anyway sooner or later.

"You're a sad little man who can't accept that women - and other races and religions - don't see you as the Lord and Master."
And you're a sad little lost soul of a weak-minded man who can't accept that the earth revolves around the sun; not you.
No one to my knowledge has ever viewed me (or you for that matter) as Lord and Master. You might claim to be, but not me.
The fact that you embrace depraved living and demand that others do likewise, is testimony to your personal depravity.
Deal with it; you will have to anyway sooner or later.

Your lying explanations of what YOU think the Bible means holds no weight or water.

"My opinion is as valid as yours."
What I said about opinions. You got yours. I got mine. Mine come from long held teachings from centuries; yours come from your personal worldliness and hatred toward God and those who believe in God, and those who believe that God views homosexuality as depraved an an abomination.

"We've simply cherry-picked differently, as have entire major branches of Christianity that disagree with your bigotry."
What I said about my "bigotry"... "Major branches of Christianity" can disagree all they like; they're entitled to their "opinions" as well...the Word is still here, and will be here long after they go down in eternal flames. Believe it or not; I don't care whether you do or not.

"And while I'm no religious scholar, frankly I seem to know a whole lot more about the history of the religion than you do."
An oxymoron; especially since you've repeatedly quoted all your vast knowledge in previous posts.
My lot in life is not to pick the Bible apart to seem wise and knowledgeable ("Professing themselves wise, they became fools") or to impress others.
I'm happy with my station and salvation in life and I can sit back and laugh at your foolishness of screeching day after day over what the Bible says or what it's scripture really means...you're simply a poor pitiful, lost soul.

"BTW, if you use the King James version of the Bible, know that the branch of Christianity that created it is among those that supports and performs same-sex marriages. I'll take their interpretation of it over yours."
I'm aware of that...but what you fail to want to acknowledge is that condemnation of homosexuality and filthy living was NOT OMITTED in the creation of the KJV....nor was the part about God "turning man over to his own depravity". Any "branch of Christianity" that chooses to accept SSM or homosexual living as "Christian living", then they too, have fell into that pit of depravity.....

Bottom line; neither of us is 100% right nor is either of us 100% wrong; but I'm betting that I'm more right than you are.
So...now what?

[Vrede too]

Truth Is Elastic To Trump, But The Religious Right Loves Him Anyway

Sound familiar?




http://p2a.co/A4eVD3F

[Mr.B]

http://p2a.co/A4eVD3F

FAKE !
(I'm no longer a Trump supporter, but I call b.s. where I see it.)

From Vrede's link ... (link not dated)
"This week a draft executive order was leaked from the White House that is shocking in scope. It authorizes religion to be used as a reason to discriminate in hiring, public services and benefits, healthcare, adoption and foster care services, education and more. The order targets LGBTQ people and women, but it would also affect those of minority faiths, nontheists and almost anyone else."


TRUTH:

"There were rumors on January 30 that President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that would have an impact on the LGBTQ community. A White House spokesperson told NBC News that one is not in the works at this point. Trump also issued a statement, confirming plans to keep a 2014 Obama executive order to protect LGBT workers in place.

However, the rumors were enough to cause the Human Rights Organization to grow concerned. The group called the rumors “deeply troubling.”

It’s also been rumored that the President plans on signing a “religious freedom”-type executive order that would also impact the LGBTQ community. However, a White House official has told BuzzFeed News that they do not have plans to do so “at this time.”

[bannination]

Bottom line; neither of us is 100% right nor is either of us 100% wrong; but I'm betting that I'm more right than you are.
So...now what?

Isn't betting a sin? Pretty sure it is. Probably another one of those things you ignore.