Quote: wannabuyamonkey said: So, Sammich, you ever gonna back up your claim that Calvinists are offended by menorahs?
Did you read my above post or what? And try and spell my screen name correctly, as you spelled everything else in your post correctly. Unless you're doing it on purpose like klinton does, in which case do your thing. It was a joke, it wasn't for you, we moved on.
Quote: wannabuyamonkey said: So, Sammich, you ever gonna back up your claim that Calvinists are offended by menorahs?
Did you read my above post or what? And try and spell my screen name correctly, as you spelled everything else in your post correctly. Unless you're doing it on purpose like klinton does, in which case do your thing. It was a joke, it wasn't for you, we moved on.
No, acctually, I some how missed your response, wich is odd since I made a point to look for it, oh, well. I didn't realise you were just being a r3x since you've made misstatements about what Calvinists believe before you knew there were any Calvinists in the room. I assumed you were just parroting the typical missunderstanding of covenant theology inherant in Calvinism that implies an opposition to jewish traditions or even being anti-semetic.
As far as the spelling of your name, I didn't acctually realise wich way you spelled it. You may or may not have noticed that spelling is not one of my strong suits, so don't take it personally.
Putting the "fun" back in Fundamentalist Christian Dogma.
" I know God exists because WBAM told me so. " - theory9
JLA brand RACK points = 514k
Quote: Captain Sammitch said: I think they should've added the menorah. It wouldn't have offended me at all. I'm sure somebodycalvinist in some denomination might protest, but there really is no viable reason to exclude Judaism from a nominally Christian holiday. Jesus was Jewish. Almost all the first Christians were Jews. Put up the menorah already!
I know this is just asking for another "I went to seminary so I know everything there is about Calvinism so my understanding of Calvinism is absolute" but what the hell does this have anything to do with Calvinism?
Actually, I didn't go to seminary, but I had to take a chunk of courses normally found in many seminaries as general education requirements. I specifically put that in there to troll you out and make you angry, since it's so difficult to do that most of the time. There was absolutely zero chance I added that as a humorous aside for anyone else who might know what I was referring to.
OK, maybe I shouldn;t post late at night, when I'm sleepy, but it seems the first time I missed the sarcasm. When i first read this I thought you WERE saying you were trolling me out, but now on rereading it, it seems like you were just being sarcastic as though the only reason i would challenge your assertion was because I thought it was directed at me persoanlly. If I'm reading this correctly (and I may not be because I should be sleeping) you seem to be saying that it's a joke, but you still DO hold that the statement is acurate. So, you're not really denying that's what you believe, but at the same time ducking the possibility of defending your charge against someone who may acctually know a tad more about what Calvinists believe than yourself. Again, that's if I'm reading you correctly.
Putting the "fun" back in Fundamentalist Christian Dogma.
" I know God exists because WBAM told me so. " - theory9
JLA brand RACK points = 514k
Quote: Captain Sammitch said: I think they should've added the menorah. It wouldn't have offended me at all. I'm sure somebodycalvinist in some denomination might protest, but there really is no viable reason to exclude Judaism from a nominally Christian holiday. Jesus was Jewish. Almost all the first Christians were Jews. Put up the menorah already!
I know this is just asking for another "I went to seminary so I know everything there is about Calvinism so my understanding of Calvinism is absolute" but what the hell does this have anything to do with Calvinism?
Actually, I didn't go to seminary, but I had to take a chunk of courses normally found in many seminaries as general education requirements. I specifically put that in there to troll you out and make you angry, since it's so difficult to do that most of the time. There was absolutely zero chance I added that as a humorous aside for anyone else who might know what I was referring to.
OK, maybe I shouldn;t post late at night, when I'm sleepy, but it seems the first time I missed the sarcasm. When i first read this I thought you WERE saying you were trolling me out, but now on rereading it, it seems like you were just being sarcastic as though the only reason i would challenge your assertion was because I thought it was directed at me persoanlly. If I'm reading this correctly (and I may not be because I should be sleeping) you seem to be saying that it's a joke, but you still DO hold that the statement is acurate. So, you're not really denying that's what you believe, but at the same time ducking the possibility of defending your charge against someone who may acctually know a tad more about what Calvinists believe than yourself. Again, that's if I'm reading you correctly.
Heh. I know enough. And I don't really have a problem with many of the theological assertions Calvinism makes, though I don't agree with all of them. I'm just a bit disappointed with what some Calvinists have added to their theology. The theological construct as a whole is statistically on the way out, but the unfortunate reality is that a small but visible number of adherents to it have been behind a number of the recent incidents that have given the rest of Calvinism's adherents (not to mention the rest of Protestantism) a bad name. See, I'm not a total bastard with people who believe differently from me. I just tend to be hard on people who claim to know better than what they do.
Quote: unfortunate reality is that a small but visible number of adherents to it have been behind a number of the recent incidents that have given the rest of Calvinism's adherents (not to mention the rest of Protestantism) a bad name.
Who exactly are you reffering to?
Putting the "fun" back in Fundamentalist Christian Dogma.
" I know God exists because WBAM told me so. " - theory9
JLA brand RACK points = 514k
Do you really want me to consult the list? Granted, they're mostly Southern Baptist Convention so you're probably as ashamed of them as I am, but I'm just saying.
Well, I have issue with a majority of Southern Baptists who self itentify as "Calvinist". Although now I have a better idea what you mean when you say "Calvinist" and what your problem with them may be, but I'd ask that you not paint Calvinists with the brush of those folks who self identify but add thier personal issues.
Putting the "fun" back in Fundamentalist Christian Dogma.
" I know God exists because WBAM told me so. " - theory9
JLA brand RACK points = 514k
Quote: wannabuyamonkey said: Well, I have issue with a majority of Southern Baptists who self itentify as "Calvinist". Although now I have a better idea what you mean when you say "Calvinist" and what your problem with them may be, but I'd ask that you not paint Calvinists with the brush of those folks who self identify but add thier personal issues.
Well, that'd be a nice thing to ask for Christianity in general. Ultimately, Arminians insist they're not like the Calvinists; a level above that, Protestants insist they're not like the Catholics; a level above that, just about anyone who claims to be a Christian would not much like to be identified with the small minority of people who give the rest a bad name.
Quote: Captain Sammitch said: Do you really want me to consult the list? Granted, they're mostly Southern Baptist Convention so you're probably as ashamed of them as I am, but I'm just saying.
Most Southern Baptists are ashamed of the Southern Baptist Convention.
whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules. It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness. This is true both in politics and on the internet."
Quote: wannabuyamonkey said: True and I would in no way say that Calvinists are better represented than arminians or Catholics or Christians in general.
Oh, nobody's represented quite like those Catholics...
A man used flammable liquid to light himself on fire, apparently to protest a San Joaquin Valley school district's decision to change the names of winter and spring breaks to Christmas and Easter vacation.
The man, who was not immediately identified, on Friday also set fire to a Christmas tree, an American flag and a revolutionary flag replica, said Fire Captain Garth Milam.
Kern County Sheriff's Deputy John Leyendecker said the man had a sign that read: "(expletive) the religious establishment and KHSD."
On Thursday, the Kern High School Board of Trustees voted to use the names Christmas and Easter instead of winter and spring breaks.
Old men, fear me! You will shatter under my ruthless apathetic assault!
Uschi - 2 Old Men - 0
"I am convinced that this world is of no importance, and that the only people who care about dates are imbeciles and Spanish teachers." -- Jean Arp, 1921
"If Jesus came back and saw what people are doing in his name, he would never never stop throwing up." - Max von Sydow, "Hannah and Her Sisters"
Crazy people make me feel good about myself. That's why I read the tabloids on Britney Spears.
Old men, fear me! You will shatter under my ruthless apathetic assault!
Uschi - 2 Old Men - 0
"I am convinced that this world is of no importance, and that the only people who care about dates are imbeciles and Spanish teachers." -- Jean Arp, 1921
"If Jesus came back and saw what people are doing in his name, he would never never stop throwing up." - Max von Sydow, "Hannah and Her Sisters"
The Associated Press is reporting that "a man walked into a church [in Richmond CA], doused a nativity scene with a flammable liquid and set it ablaze in front of a practicing choir."
The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided not to review a New York City policy that bans public school displays of nativity scenes but allows Santa Claus, reindeers, Christmas trees and symbols of Jewish and Islamic holidays.
The nation's highest court chose not to re-examine an appeals court decision against the claim filed by Andrea Skoros, a Roman Catholic mother of two sons who attended public schools. She first filed the case in 2002 in Brooklyn federal court.
Skoros had claimed that the city's policy promoted and endorsed the religions of Judaism and Islam and conveyed a message of disapproval toward Christianity.
The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals concluded the actual and perceived purpose of the holiday display policy was to use holiday celebrations to encourage respect for the city's diverse cultural traditions.
(Because rex demanded it, the return of the "War on Christmas" thread.)
War on belly laughs: Staffing firm in Australia suggests that Santa's trademark 'ho, ho, ho' might be offensive to women
Santas across Sydney, Australia, are rebelling against attempts to ban their traditional greeting of "ho, ho, ho" in favor of "ha, ha, ha."
Recruitment firm Westaff — which supplies hundreds of Santas across the country — has told its trainees that the "ho ho ho" phrase could frighten children and could even be derogatory to women.
Two Santa hopefuls reportedly quit the course because of the hullabaloo of the ho, ho, ho.
One would-be Santa has told The Daily Telegraph he was taught not to use "ho, ho, ho" because it was too close to the American slang for prostitute. He also quit.
"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs a campaign against sexualizing children called Kids Free 2B Kids. "We are talking about little kids who do not understand that 'ho, ho, ho' has any other connotation, and nor should they."
"Leave Santa alone," she added.
Australian Childhood Foundation chief executive officer Dr. Joe Tucci said it was the latest example of political correctness gone mad.
that sounds more like a result of the general dumbing down of society. like when they guy was fired for saying "niggardly" and people didn't know what the word was so assumed he was being racist.
Christmas sucks. That and Halloween. Gaudy costumes, fake cheer, a constant state of running around, buying gifts...it's all fucking horseshit.
Now Thanksgiving is a cool holiday. Don't have to be gleeful, don't have to buy presents, don't have to run around, hell you don't even have to be thankful all you gotta do is eat!
Maria Luisa, the UNLV student who asked Hillary Clinton whether she preferred "diamonds or pearls" at last night's debate wrote on her MySpace page this morning that CNN forced her to ask the frilly question instead of a pre-approved query about the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.
"Every single question asked during the debate by the audience had to be approved by CNN," Luisa writes. "I was asked to submit questions including "lighthearted/fun" questions. I submitted more than five questions on issues important to me. I did a policy memo on Yucca Mountain a year ago and was the finalist for the Truman Scholarship. For sure, I thought I would get to ask the Yucca question that was APPROVED by CNN days in advance."
Now, Luisa is getting "swamped" with critical e-mails.
So what happened?
Writes Luisa:
Quote:
"CNN ran out of time and used me to "close" the debate with the pearls/diamonds question. Seconds later this girl comes up to me and says, "you gave our school a bad reputation.' Well, I had to explain to her that every question from the audience was pre-planned and censored. That's what the media does. See, the media chose what they wanted, not what the people or audience really wanted. That's politics; that's reality. So, if you want to read about real issues important to America--and the whole world, I suggest you pick up a copy of the Economist or the New York Times or some other independent source. If you want me to explain to you how the media works, I am more than happy to do so. But do not judge me or my integrity based on that question."
Rivals to Clinton believe that the debate audience had a pro-Clinton tilt. UNLV was responsible for distributing most of the tickets.
In a separate post, Luisa provides the question she wanted to ask:
Quote:
Yucca Mountain, NV is the proposed site for the country's nuclear waste repository. Despite scientific evidence that it is a vulnerable site, the federal government continues to push for the plan to move forward. The evidence relied on is unsound and the risks involved in transporting high-level radioactive waste across the country are high. What will you [Sen. Clinton] do to ensure that the best site/s is/are chosen for the storage of spent nuclear reactor fuel?
Sam Feist, the executive producer of the debate, said that the student was asked to choose another question because the candidates had already spent about ten minutes discussing Yucca Mountain.
"When her Yucca mountain question was asked, she was given the opportunity to ask another question, and my understanding is that the [diamond v. pearls] questions was her other question," Feist said. "She probably was disappointed, but we spent a lot of time with a bunch of different candidates on Yucca Mountain, and we were at the end of the debate."
Greg Sargent of TPM Election Central has a CNN spokesperson giving a slightly different story...
As ever, it’s really striking to observe the difference between the audience-generated questions and the journalist-generated questions. Wolf Blitzer’s main interest is in asking questions designed to put Democrats on the wrong side of public opinion, even if those questions are about things like driver’s licenses or “merit pay” for teachers that aren’t really under federal purview. Efforts to reframe those questions by putting those topics in the larger context of immigration policy more generally or education more generally are derided as cowardly dodges. The point, after all, is to force a choice — piss off an interest group, or say something that could be used in a GOP attack ad.
The real people, by contrast, ask about problems in their lives. The mother of an individual ready reserve member wants to know about Iran policy. The mother of an active duty soldier wants to know about military pay versus pay for military contractors. An Arab-American wants to know about racial profiling. Then the candidates explain what they think about these issues.
The voters are curious and want to learn where the candidates stand. Blitzer doesn’t care about informing the public about the issues — he actually objects when candidates try to explain their views on broad immigration policy issues — he’s just interested in trying to embarrass the candidates.
Other than reax editing the original thread title to remove the reference to Christmas, what does the Presidential debate have to do with the thread subject?
A GANG of drunk Santas wreaked havoc in a New Zealand cinema this weekend, pushing families out of the way, ripping down posters and shouting "ho, f*****g ho".
The crowd, thought to be students, ran into the Hoyts cinema in the CBD of the South Island city of Christchurch on Saturday afternoon, the Press newspaper reported.
Kate Gorman, 35, was waiting to see "Enchanted" with her two young children.
"At least 50 drunk idiots dressed up like Santa came in through the main door," she said. "They were kicking things over, ripping down posters and smashing everything in sight."
"They were all dressed as Santa and shouting 'ho f*****g ho'," she told the paper.
Her children, Gabriella, 6, and Jackson, 7, had been confused by the incident, she said.
"They asked me, 'are they Santa's helpers gone crazy?' and I said `no, they are just idiots'.
The cinema was evacuated for 30 minutes while the gang was dealt with. Police said there had been no arrests.
Santa's helpers are mad as hell and not going to take it any more?
