Since I posted this thread, I have heard the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm glad things worked out, buttons. As I said before, the road to a good match is paved with unsavory individuals and unpleasant experiences. I guess the miscreant I almost connected with will make me appreciate the good one I hope to meet somewhere down the road.

Unfortunately, I'm in a position where on line is the only option I have for meeting people....which creates a whole plethora of problems in and of itself.

No it's not a perfect example of Christian behaver. It's a perfect example of a true fact, sometimes people let the anger get the best of them and say things they either didn't mean or weren't suppose to say in the first place. Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek, this can be used literal as it's ment or metaphorically as in someone saying bad things about you and you just not reply and or reply with a gentle response.

Oh, and by the way Mr. "Literate Atheist" if you were as literate as you claim, wouldn't you know that "a lot" is spelled "a lot" and not alot as you typed it? Hmmmm put that in your oh so smart thinking cap! You see, I have a degree! Perhaps you do as well. If so, I would say you majored in a$$holism, right? You seem to be really good at that!

You're just pissed because your arguments don't have a leg to stand on. And if you were so "literate" as you call it, you would have read and understand the Bible. No big deal to me though, hey, at least I won't have to worry about you spreading your lies and bullcrap around Heaven. You'll be comfortably warm elsewhere!

Look A$$wipe, I can spell and type just like you. I tend to use internet language, you jerkoff. So why don't you take Jethro and ram him up your rear, since he's apparently on your mind a lot!

but those arent really racial difference, those were individual differences between your roommate and yourself

there are dark caucasians and there are very fair 'black' people

Are you sure? I mean, I can see that maybe this is true. But it also seems quit possible to me that people had been lying about being discriminated against before the term came into usage.



I agree that this also happens.



Its a fact that some people lie about being discriminated against. Its also a fact that sometimes people imagine racism where there is none.

I don't want to diminish the importance of racism, nor the harmful effects of racism, and I don't want to support those who try to undermine the valid claims of racism by trumpeting this idea.

I think what we have to do is look at the facts on a case by case basis, and not necessarily believe that racism played a role just because it was claimed, nor discount that racism played a role just because someone said 'race card'.






LOL, seriously? Do you think that if a person "feels profiled", they are a greater authority on whether they were profiled than an outside party looking at evidence?

Thats a great philosophical position for a self-fulfilling assertion. Its akin to circular logic.

Do I really need to provide a counter example? And how many counter examples will I need to provide?

You used the word 'prove'.... we can 'prove' very little in this world - thats not the point. You don't require the person who lies about being a victim of racism to 'prove' that they are, but you want to require 'proof' from someone who can reasonably conclude that racism did not play a role?

Here's an example:

There is a store that I dropped in on at least 15 times a week (some weeks) for about 3 years (especially before, during, and/or after work...). Its managed and staffed by a family of some ethnicity I never knew - but I'm pretty sure they were some variety of middle-easterners. Their clients are about 1/2 african-descended, 1/4 mexican-american, 1/4 european-descended.

The very first time I entered that store, I walked in fairly quickly, right past the counter, and they all started yelling at me: "Take off your backpack! Put it behind the counter!" They were quite aggressive and rude, and I think they were stressed by the large number of people in the store and the large line. I took off my backpack and put it behind the counter, though its a bad neighborhood and the store is frequented by crack heads and alcoholics and I didn't feel my laptop was secure.

During the following 3 years, I entered that store quite possibly 10,000 times. (It was a very convenient place to grab a super cheap, healthy-ish snack, and my work burned a lot of calories).

During many of those visits, at least one person would enter the store who (as a transient) had never been there before, or (as a mentally disabled, or simply absent minded) had completely forgotten that they needed to leave their bags behind the counter.

Being very slightly offended at the way they yelled at me, I paid attention to see if they truly expected everyone who came in the store to leave their bag. They did. Every single person.


Of course there were dozens of times where people claimed/complained/whined/mumbled/yelled etc that the only reason they were being asked to leave their bag is because they were black and these [insert racist slur] shopkeepers were obviously racist.

I don't know if the shopkeepers were racist against blacks. I never saw any evidence, I saw them being amazingly patient, kind, considerate, and generous with some very difficult homeless people (including blacks) who came in the store.

But that doesn't matter...the bag policy enforcement was absolutely not enforced with any degree of racial selectiveness.

Now, are you looking for a way to rationalize away the basic fact that those dozens of people were simply wrong when they claimed to be victims of racism?

I sure hope so, since some racial differences are real.

Okay, I'm sorry for misrepresenting your meaning. Its just that I'm a bit worn thin from talking to people (not you) who think the answer to racism is to deny that we each have a genome. I agree, the ideal would be for us all to realize how unimportant race is, and I agree that ain't happening soon.

Even when I am masturbating? Oh no!

Oh, so you were trying to insult me.

I see.

Please forgive me for thinking better of you.

My mistake.

What gives you the idea that I was disappointed???

On the contrary, it was rather humorous that only a fews posts earlier you tried insulting Arcamedees with this: "However, in your case, that almost always comes as just a little spurt, doesn't it? "


So, 2 little spurts in row now.... Too funny!

You? A martyr? Crucified?

Ab...YOU have spent your time away from "the cloth"
to put CHRIST to an open shame.
YOU crucify CHRIST afresh.

Hebrews 6:4-6

4, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

5, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6,If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."


John 3:14-18

14, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15, That WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18, He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but...

he that believeth NOT is condemned already,
because he hath not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

[This is the WORD of God, Ab.
Trust Him.
Your repentance and His acceptance
may be negotiable.
You can try.]

We all perceive life differently. What you see as "ranting" I see as "Exquisite Elaboration".

I mean, let's face it, what is Christianity itself? An elaboration of a an old gossip tale. Or a 2000 year old "rant".

In fact, if you read the New Testament all those guys were doing was ranting on and on about a bunch of rumors. So the entire biblical cannon is nothing but a book of rumor rants.

Evangelists are nothing but ranting gossipers who go around repeating the original rants from their original gossip book.

The whole biblical mythology is nothing but a rant.

However, I'm sure that the Christians see it as "Exquisite Elaboration".

Besides,... I love to type in long posts because people actually read them. Thus they get the same idea presented to their mind from various different perspectives.

There can be no question that a lot of people read my posts in their entirety because lot of people respond to just about everything I say.

That's the way the human mind works.

Once it starts reading something it wants to suck up the whole thing in its entirety. Especially in the case of writings as interesting and captivating as mine. Once people start reading my words they become totally mesmerized with the awesome intellectual brilliance of the content. It's just hard to put down a good book once you get started reading it. :bigsimle:

So I write these short-story posts to give people ecstatic pleasure. I enjoy pleasing people and they seem to have become addicted to my writings as well. I have quite a large following. If I published a book it would probably become an instant best-seller simply because it was written by me. The actual content would be moot.

Hello?

Are you still reading this Exquisite Elaboration, or have you run off to masturbate in the sea of ecstasy that has come over you from having read my prose?

Life is grand, ain't it. I mean, just look at what symbols on a screen can do for you. I'm sure that these words have caused thoughts to run through you mind that would have not otherwise become manifest. I'm also sure that emotions have begun to undulate throughout your body. You are forming opinions about what you are reading and your are about to erupt in an opinionated response yourself.

However, in your case, that almost always comes as just a little spurt, doesn't it?

There's something to be said for power released by the cosmic loquacious ejaculation of verbiage that I spew into each post that I manifest into creation through such linguistically artistic ramblings. In fact, that single sentence is longer than most of your posts.

Agree or disagree, it makes no difference because either way you have already participated in the sensual ecstasy of cerebral exchange.

I try to stick to dating local people, rather than someone far away. I'd rather be able to meet them fairly quickly, than spend tons of time online chatting. However, my frustration lately is how many people aren't looking for anything, really, other than just a little fun here and there.

I'd like to try that. So far, the only crazy I've run into is "overbearing" and "manipulative."

Rants?

I point out the fact that the biblical religion is a self-proclaimed sad situation and you call it a 'rant'?

That's rather silly isn't it?

The biblical myth itself has Jesus himself saying that only few will make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.

So to believe otherwise you either need to question the truth of these myths, or the value of the words that have been attributed to Jesus.

The religion demands that most people are indeed doomed to condemnation. Wailing and gnashing of teeth were supposedly the words that Jesus himself used to describe this fate.

If that's not a sad situation I don't know what is.

It's a sad religion that demands by its own proclamation that only a FEW people will make it into the kingdom of God. That can only leave the vast majority to suffer wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I'm supposed to "rejoice" in the teachings of such GREAT NEWS?

Doesn't sound like such great news to me.

You just don't like the fact that I point out the TRUTH of what these fables are actually demanding. You'd rather pretend that I'm just "ranting". But I've posted the very words that came from these fables.

They point to a very dismal outcome for the vast majority of humans.

That's just a fact. Like it or not. I mean, if you're going to believe in these stories at least recognize that they paint a truly SAD situation.

It a very SAD religion. No question about it.

4 those who dont believe, no proof will ever B enuff

I can explain #4.

God is seen & heard in the heart and thru your soul, thru the presence of the Holy spirit & the Bible.

He is to Holy to see in his Godly appaerance by us. He is not heard audible anymore as in old testamenta days


Thx CowboyGH! finly some real answers!

I did, take note! its called the TRUTH!