On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:09:24 -0400, John Leo
wrote:

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:58:09 -0400, Gene
wrote:

On Fri, 7 Aug 2009 10:31:57 -0400, JustWait
wrote:

.....unless you married into one of those "fundie" families....

When I married my wife, these folks weren't fundies, they were
reasonably normal (as far as in-laws can be, anyway).

They found Gawd, and changed everything about their lives, turning
their back on education (some holding advanced degrees) and assuming
radical religious and political positions. They travel in packs of
like thinking "believers" and will tolerate other folks only so far as
their potential to conversion to the "right" side. How do you respond
to things such as, "even the Jews are seeing the light and coming over
to *our* side"?

You don't. You accept that there are fools in the world. Again,
ridicule of someone's religious beliefs just puts a asshole on both
sides of the coin.

Do you think those who worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster deserve
ridicule or should their ministries be granted the same tax-free
status as the Catholic Church.

How about the Church of Anti-Secular Humanism (CASH). Should they be
granted tax free status? I think they worship the dollar.

What's more valid about Christianity than either of these two?

Would you ridicule either sect for their beliefs?

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:13:02 -0700, jps wrote:

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:09:24 -0400, John Leo
wrote:

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:58:09 -0400, Gene
wrote:

On Fri, 7 Aug 2009 10:31:57 -0400, JustWait
wrote:

.....unless you married into one of those "fundie" families....

When I married my wife, these folks weren't fundies, they were
reasonably normal (as far as in-laws can be, anyway).

They found Gawd, and changed everything about their lives, turning
their back on education (some holding advanced degrees) and assuming
radical religious and political positions. They travel in packs of
like thinking "believers" and will tolerate other folks only so far as
their potential to conversion to the "right" side. How do you respond
to things such as, "even the Jews are seeing the light and coming over
to *our* side"?

You don't. You accept that there are fools in the world. Again,
ridicule of someone's religious beliefs just puts a asshole on both
sides of the coin.

Do you think those who worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster deserve
ridicule or should their ministries be granted the same tax-free
status as the Catholic Church.

How about the Church of Anti-Secular Humanism (CASH). Should they be
granted tax free status? I think they worship the dollar.

What's more valid about Christianity than either of these two?

Would you ridicule either sect for their beliefs?

Key word: beliefs.

I wouldn't ridicule anyone for their religious *beliefs*.

That addresses any case you can throw up. Of course, I wouldn't
ridicule you for your beliefs either.
--
John H

All decisions, even those made by liberals, are the result of binary thinking.