yeah, Brilliant if you are a complete idiot, and know nothing. 
ooh...that was a good one. Let's go for two sentences now. They're called paragraphs...or did they kill english in your school along with science?
The capital letter goes at the start of the sentence, not after the comma.
What a moron.
The Jewish men and women "who walk around in clothes from 18th century Russia" are not Orthodox, they are Chasidic/Hasidic (Ultra-Orthodox) and they are very opposed to Zionism.
They denounce the state of Israel because for them the true Jewish state will only be formed agian when the messiah or anointed one comes.
Israel is a man made state, and so it does not have the approval of G-d.
Just ignore him and he'll go away. Or watch as he hangs himself with his own rope. :)
He already has in my book. His piece has more mis-information in it than Flinstones has vitamins.
What do you expect from a site that bares the name of the financial backer of anti-S.U.V. commercials?
You mean the one that reminded us that 9-11 was financed by oil money?
The one who travels in private jets to fund-raisers for the Sierra Club and other events but doesn't 'feel' Americans should own SUV's. 
Yup. She arrived at the position because she recognizes the vulnerability that oil dependence instills in America, economically and otherwise.
And that's why she flies in private jets? 
She does that cuz she's rich. :) In any case, yes, it is hypocritical of her, but she's still right. Our current level of oil dependence makes us vulnerable on a number of levels, strategically, environmentally, etc., and needs to end ASAP. We'll always use oil, but burning it in our cars is stupid.
Hypocrites lose all credibility with me. You just can't preach environmentalism and be a Gulfstream eco-hypocrite. it just doesn't jive.
Oh isn't she the one who voted against Proposition 187, but publicly argued for it?
The woman is a loon!
Well, you can't throw a rock without hitting a hypocrite. Best to listen to arguments and consider them regardless of the source.
"you can't throw a rock without hitting a hypocrite"
is that a common phrase or did you make it up. I like it. I'm going to write it into my handy dandy notebook.
N8 you find some crazy stuff, what's your take on this article?
I think it may be kind of extreme, and as lil peeper pointed out, a few things might have been interpreted wrong (I don't know much about judaism), but I agree generally with what it's saying.
What is your take on it?
[Comment was edited by natethegreatest on October 30, 2005 at 06:41:55 PM]
Yet in all his informed rational glory, the suther left out all the non-abrahamic religions.
And the Hindus don't really care for the Muslims do they...like to the tune of thousands of deaths on either side. Oh, and a little thing call Kashmir.
He's a bigot.
I feel dumber for having read this. You would think the author would at least learn a little about Christianity before making an idiot of himself.
The author is a schmuck. Do you know what a schmuck is?
It is amusing when someone who complains that religious people "think they are right about everything" thinks he is right about everything.
Well, atheism is as much a religion as Christianity, so don't expect any better arguments. Agnosticism is the only smart position.
I think it more likely that hubris is a natural part of human nature. When we don't know what we are talking about, we make shit up, and other people believe that shit, fooling us into thinking that we DO know what we are talking about.
Atheism is in no way a religion. It's not a believe system, and it's not a faith. It is just a lack of belief in God.
Oxford dictionary definition (theistic): "1 the belief in a superhuman controlling power, esp. in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship. 2 the expression of this in worship. 3 a particular system of faith and worship." Non-Theistic definition: "The word religion has many definitions, all of which can embrace sacred lore and wisdom and knowledge of God or gods, souls and spirits. Religion deals with the spirit in relation to itself, the universe and other life. Essentially, religion is belief in spiritual beings. As it relates to the world, religion is a system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggles with the ultimate problems of human life."
And what about you and your politics? You think you are right just as much as cmass thinks he is right. It's human nature. It seems only the agnostics are safe here.
On a side note, I'm glad you and cmass are finally agreeing on something... unless he's being sarcastic. 
[Comment was edited by natethegreatest on October 30, 2005 at 05:52:27 PM]
Atheism is still dogma. The fact of the matter is that the existence of a god is untestable scientifically.
No it isn't. I don't believe in invisible pink unicorns or fire breathing dragons either, even though they have never been tested scientifically (remember, you can't test something that doesn't exist). Do these lack of beliefs constitute a dogma as well? How about the lack of belief that a giant flesh eating rabbit it sitting outside my window practicing karate? Dogma?
True. Our assumption that a supreme being is in any way like us is just arrogance. We like to ascribe human strengths and faults to something that is so far beyond us that it is very unlikely to have anything resembling human attributes or motivations.
No, I am not being sarcastic, I see that the world is full of people who want to impose their half-baked ideas on everyone, even to the point of making laws to enforce their ideas about what MY behavior should be. (Typically, these types don't actually do what they preach, they just want to impose their rules on everyone else, but themselves. Have you even known someone who complains about the lack of personal responsibility among OTHER people, actually take personal responsibility when they screw up?)
And what about those of us who believe in G-d but just want to live and let live, huh?
The statement "there is no such thing as a god" is just as insupportable as "there is such a thing as a god." Instead, be a non-believing agnostic by saying, "I don't believe it, but I don't pretend to be able to prove it."
Nate - I have never said that I was right about everything! In fact, I will say right now that I am NOT right about everything!!
I think the author is just very angry about the murder and unfairness in the world that is being carried out in the name of religious fanaticism. He's got a valid beef but just came across as an ass.
..he came across as a schmuck! 
That my dear was way before I was born. I'm talking about today, the here and now.
Crusades were started by Turks (muslim converts) attacking the western edge of their empire. A good portion of the lords of land had what is commonly referred to lip service to the church (only due to upraising and fear of political power) and did not much have care for human life - cared more for increasing their own lands and treasury.
The Pope; having backing of many powerful lords and the majority of their population, gave them a more constructive outlet for their warring: Take back the holy lands from a bunch of muslims. Also it would also increase the buffer between the west and the rest of the world if everything went well. Well it could have gone better.
Ah, how about the IRA and Ulster Unionists? Catholic vs. Protestant in a cage match to the death!
Don't forget the call for help from the Byzantine Emperor Alexander. Also, the crusades were not only in the Holy Lands. The most successful were carried out inside Europe against the Manacheans in France and the Pagan Germanic tribes like the Pomeranians in the North. Convert or die baby!
Now , THIS guy should be a preacher. Organized religion is nothing more than a tool to control the masses. Always has been, always will be. Nothng more than politics. Got a problem with it?? talk to the "guy in the sky"
ya, whatever.
The opiate of the masses?
What benefits does religion have? And what is its good PARTS?
wit
Brilliant.