Christian America?
Apr 9th 2008, 9:13 pm
#92
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Re: Christian America?
is your wife first or second baptist? i ask you this hoping you can answer a question for me....
in our close we have two neighbours, one is a judge who's second baptist and the other is a lawyer who's first baptist and they despise each other...they think i know what the difference is between second and first but i'm with the Woolwich and haven't a clue
in our close we have two neighbours, one is a judge who's second baptist and the other is a lawyer who's first baptist and they despise each other...they think i know what the difference is between second and first but i'm with the Woolwich and haven't a clue
Apr 9th 2008, 9:24 pm
#94
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Re: Christian America?
hmmm now where have i heard that word used before
Apr 9th 2008, 9:51 pm
#95
WTF?
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Re: Christian America?
There is probably little difference in their beliefs .... it generally has to do with some old feud over control within a church (between different personalities - not necessarily theologies) that caused a split. Then, either a new church is formed or a different Baptist church in town steals a bunch of the congregation. Next thing you know it's a full blown war. 
I love church fights.
I love church fights.
Apr 9th 2008, 10:02 pm
#96
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Re: Christian America?
There is probably little difference in their beliefs .... it generally has to do with some old feud over control within a church (between different personalities - not necessarily theologies) that caused a split. Then, either a new church is formed or a different Baptist church in town steals a bunch of the congregation. Next thing you know it's a full blown war. I love church fights.
I love church fights.i've only been to a couple of the neighbourhood xmas cookie things out of politness basically and the two of them first and second just stared each other down whenever they had the chance. i've heard raised words from them both if someone has blocked their driveways ...keeps me occupied
i asked the lawyer one day if she'd met the judge in any court cases as that would be a real showdown
Apr 9th 2008, 11:02 pm
#97
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Apr 9th 2008, 11:08 pm
#98
WTF?
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Re: Christian America?
when we moved in the judge came to say hello and pointed to the other house and said who lived there and followed quickly by saying BUT they are first baptist and my husband glanced over at me coz he knew i hadn't a clue what the judge was on about
i've only been to a couple of the neighbourhood xmas cookie things out of politness basically and the two of them first and second just stared each other down whenever they had the chance. i've heard raised words from them both if someone has blocked their driveways ...keeps me occupied
i asked the lawyer one day if she'd met the judge in any court cases as that would be a real showdown
i've only been to a couple of the neighbourhood xmas cookie things out of politness basically and the two of them first and second just stared each other down whenever they had the chance. i've heard raised words from them both if someone has blocked their driveways ...keeps me occupied
i asked the lawyer one day if she'd met the judge in any court cases as that would be a real showdown
If it gets bad enough - whichever side you pick determines where you'll end up going to church later. 
Years later - the two churches still hate each other's guts and half of the people in the congregation don't even know why - because they weren't even around when it all went down. 
Apr 9th 2008, 11:12 pm
#99
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Re: Christian America?
I've seen churches (all in Texas mind you) split up over the stupidest things. It usually has to do with "who's in charge of what" power struggle over things like music, event scheduling, what to spend church money on, etc. Sometimes it's personal like so and so's son broke so and so's daughters heart ..... next thing you know they're claiming the other one is a bad Baptist. If it gets bad enough - whichever side you pick determines where you'll end up going to church later. Years later - the two churches still hate each other's guts and half of the people in the congregation don't even know why - because they weren't even around when it all went down.
If it gets bad enough - whichever side you pick determines where you'll end up going to church later. Years later - the two churches still hate each other's guts and half of the people in the congregation don't even know why - because they weren't even around when it all went down.
Apr 9th 2008, 11:23 pm
#100
WTF?
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Posts: 79,386
Re: Christian America?
Childish and petty ...... sometimes very destructive too. Assholes. Mind, not all church goers get involved in the politics. It's generally the ones that are so deeply involved in their churches that it is the center of their universe. But the fact that they've gone out of their way to tell you about it (like you said - you didn't even know wtf they were talking about) tells me they might be some of those church obsessed types - and yes, I would keep my distance.
Apr 10th 2008, 12:19 am
#101
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Joined: Dec 2006
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Posts: 16,162
Re: Christian America?
Just a few examples:
-Stem cell research
-Anti-abortion laws
-Prayer in schools
-Creationism in schools (now New and Improved with Pseudo Scientific Jargon!)
-Blue laws
-Anti-gay rights (although I am straight and even a tad homophobic myself, I take offense to any group that tries to stomp on the rights of others)
The root problem here is the same problem you find with militant Islam -- an unapologetic, unrestrained brand of ethical monotheism.
The true believers are committed to proselytizing and propagating their faith, as the Bible instructs them to, so they have no qualms about shoving their belief systems down our throats.
Because they believe in the One True God, the rest of us are just wrong and need to be fixed. Being absolutely right, in the face of the rest of us who are wrong, gives them license to use all the wrenches and screwdrivers they like, with no concern for the rest of us.
I'd no sooner want these sanctimonious bastards having dominion over me as I would want sharia law in my neighborhood. It would be nice if we could deport them to Atlantis and be done with it, let them get their own snorkels.
-Stem cell research
-Anti-abortion laws
-Prayer in schools
-Creationism in schools (now New and Improved with Pseudo Scientific Jargon!)
-Blue laws
-Anti-gay rights (although I am straight and even a tad homophobic myself, I take offense to any group that tries to stomp on the rights of others)
The root problem here is the same problem you find with militant Islam -- an unapologetic, unrestrained brand of ethical monotheism.
The true believers are committed to proselytizing and propagating their faith, as the Bible instructs them to, so they have no qualms about shoving their belief systems down our throats.
Because they believe in the One True God, the rest of us are just wrong and need to be fixed. Being absolutely right, in the face of the rest of us who are wrong, gives them license to use all the wrenches and screwdrivers they like, with no concern for the rest of us.
I'd no sooner want these sanctimonious bastards having dominion over me as I would want sharia law in my neighborhood. It would be nice if we could deport them to Atlantis and be done with it, let them get their own snorkels.
Anti abortion laws... As far as I'm aware, and again, it's not a subject I study, I thought abortion was legal?
Prayer in Schools... When has the administration forced kids in a public school to pray wether they wanted to or not? I just don't think that would fly, besides isn't that a State or local district issue?
I did hear creationism was being taught, but in addition to evolution theory, and I'm pretty sure it's not very widespread.
Blue laws still exist in some areas I'm sure, but they haven't been around where I live since I was a kid. I'd class that as getting less stringent, not moreso, and again, very localized and not a federal mandate.
Anti Gay rights? A proposed amendment to the Constitution essentially banning gay marriage was defeated, there are hate crime laws, anti discrimination laws, there are a few million gay themed shows on TV, and Clinton was the one who enacted "Don't ask, don't tell, not Bush.
I think some people who claim atheism are really just violently anti-Christian. You seldom hear an atheist (here anyway) railing against other denominations. The non-religious or atheists refer to the believers as superstitious, barely sentient idiots and the believers think they are the only ones going to heaven.
Being a fence straddling agnostic theist myself, I'd giggle if it wasn't so painful to watch.
Apr 10th 2008, 12:25 am
#102
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Christian America?
Stem cell research I'l give you with the caveat that I really don't know that much about it. Nothing at all really.
Anti abortion laws... As far as I'm aware, and again, it's not a subject I study, I thought abortion was legal?
Prayer in Schools... When has the administration forced kids in a public school to pray wether they wanted to or not? I just don't think that would fly, besides isn't that a State or local district issue?
I did hear creationism was being taught, but in addition to evolution theory, and I'm pretty sure it's not very widespread.
Blue laws still exist in some areas I'm sure, but they haven't been around where I live since I was a kid. I'd class that as getting less stringent, not moreso, and again, very localized and not a federal mandate.
Anti Gay rights? A proposed amendment to the Constitution essentially banning gay marriage was defeated, there are hate crime laws, anti discrimination laws, there are a few million gay themed shows on TV, and Clinton was the one who enacted "Don't ask, don't tell, not Bush.
I think some people who claim atheism are really just violently anti-Christian. You seldom hear an atheist (here anyway) railing against other denominations. The non-religious or atheists refer to the believers as superstitious, barely sentient idiots and the believers think they are the only ones going to heaven.
Being a fence straddling agnostic theist myself, I'd giggle if it wasn't so painful to watch.
Anti abortion laws... As far as I'm aware, and again, it's not a subject I study, I thought abortion was legal?
Prayer in Schools... When has the administration forced kids in a public school to pray wether they wanted to or not? I just don't think that would fly, besides isn't that a State or local district issue?
I did hear creationism was being taught, but in addition to evolution theory, and I'm pretty sure it's not very widespread.
Blue laws still exist in some areas I'm sure, but they haven't been around where I live since I was a kid. I'd class that as getting less stringent, not moreso, and again, very localized and not a federal mandate.
Anti Gay rights? A proposed amendment to the Constitution essentially banning gay marriage was defeated, there are hate crime laws, anti discrimination laws, there are a few million gay themed shows on TV, and Clinton was the one who enacted "Don't ask, don't tell, not Bush.
I think some people who claim atheism are really just violently anti-Christian. You seldom hear an atheist (here anyway) railing against other denominations. The non-religious or atheists refer to the believers as superstitious, barely sentient idiots and the believers think they are the only ones going to heaven.
Being a fence straddling agnostic theist myself, I'd giggle if it wasn't so painful to watch.
Apr 10th 2008, 12:36 am
#103
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,059
Re: Christian America?
Abortion is legal in the US.
Children are not required to pray in public schools in the US.
Apr 10th 2008, 12:40 am
#104
WTF?
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Homeostasis
Posts: 79,386
Re: Christian America?
Stem cell research is legal in the US. The restriction is that federal funds can't be spent on human, embryonic stem cells. I think that's a bad decision, and ought to be reversed, but it doesn't mean stem cell research has been banned.
Abortion is legal in the US.
Children are not required to pray in public schools in the US.
Abortion is legal in the US.
Children are not required to pray in public schools in the US.
Apr 10th 2008, 12:40 am
#105
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Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Christian America?
Stem cell research I'l give you with the caveat that I really don't know that much about it. Nothing at all really. It is going to become extremely important in years to come. The decoding of the Genome has opened up all kinds of avenues for treating genetic disorders.
Anti abortion laws... As far as I'm aware, and again, it's not a subject I study, I thought abortion was legal? It is - sort of. But there are many places where it is impossible to get an abortion. And Roe vs Wade is likely to be repealed if Bush gets his way.
Prayer in Schools... When has the administration forced kids in a public school to pray wether they wanted to or not? I just don't think that would fly, besides isn't that a State or local district issue? Prayer in schools is a non-issue - it is the insidiousness of religion becoming all pervasive in US thinking that's the problem. If memory serves me right, most people were opposed to the 10 Commandments being removed from outside the State Capitol in Alabama (or wherever it was) - and that is just one example.
I did hear creationism was being taught, but in addition to evolution theory, and I'm pretty sure it's not very widespread. The problem is that, where Creationism *is* taught, it is often taught as Science, rather than as a belief system.
Blue laws still exist in some areas I'm sure, but they haven't been around where I live since I was a kid. I'd class that as getting less stringent, not moreso, and again, very localized and not a federal mandate. Blue laws? Okay, I'm gonna have to look this up...
Anti Gay rights? A proposed amendment to the Constitution essentially banning gay marriage was defeated, there are hate crime laws, anti discrimination laws, there are a few million gay themed shows on TV, and Clinton was the one who enacted "Don't ask, don't tell, not Bush. Gay marriage is not recognised, so how can they be considered to have equality...
I think some people who claim atheism are really just violently anti-Christian. You seldom hear an atheist (here anyway) railing against other denominations. The non-religious or atheists refer to the believers as superstitious, barely sentient idiots and the believers think they are the only ones going to heaven. I guess some do. But until it is possible to be an atheist (or Muslim) in the USA and be elected to office, I'll remain deeply worried.
Being a fence straddling agnostic theist myself, I'd giggle if it wasn't so painful to watch.
Anti abortion laws... As far as I'm aware, and again, it's not a subject I study, I thought abortion was legal? It is - sort of. But there are many places where it is impossible to get an abortion. And Roe vs Wade is likely to be repealed if Bush gets his way.
Prayer in Schools... When has the administration forced kids in a public school to pray wether they wanted to or not? I just don't think that would fly, besides isn't that a State or local district issue? Prayer in schools is a non-issue - it is the insidiousness of religion becoming all pervasive in US thinking that's the problem. If memory serves me right, most people were opposed to the 10 Commandments being removed from outside the State Capitol in Alabama (or wherever it was) - and that is just one example.
I did hear creationism was being taught, but in addition to evolution theory, and I'm pretty sure it's not very widespread. The problem is that, where Creationism *is* taught, it is often taught as Science, rather than as a belief system.
Blue laws still exist in some areas I'm sure, but they haven't been around where I live since I was a kid. I'd class that as getting less stringent, not moreso, and again, very localized and not a federal mandate. Blue laws? Okay, I'm gonna have to look this up...
Anti Gay rights? A proposed amendment to the Constitution essentially banning gay marriage was defeated, there are hate crime laws, anti discrimination laws, there are a few million gay themed shows on TV, and Clinton was the one who enacted "Don't ask, don't tell, not Bush. Gay marriage is not recognised, so how can they be considered to have equality...
I think some people who claim atheism are really just violently anti-Christian. You seldom hear an atheist (here anyway) railing against other denominations. The non-religious or atheists refer to the believers as superstitious, barely sentient idiots and the believers think they are the only ones going to heaven. I guess some do. But until it is possible to be an atheist (or Muslim) in the USA and be elected to office, I'll remain deeply worried.
Being a fence straddling agnostic theist myself, I'd giggle if it wasn't so painful to watch.