In article ,
says...

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:04:56 -0500, John H
wrote:

So all those children to which you refer aren't from 'around here',
i.e. around you.

How literally do you want to take this? The folks in my immediate
neighborhood (houses I could see from my roof) go to that church.
Three miles to the east of me is a Primitive Baptist Church, three
miles to the west is some sort of "independent" Pentecostal church.
Those kids won't be doing Christmas.

Let me give you the numbers. This county covers 366 sq. miles, 6 miles
of that is water, so we have a total of 360 sq. miles of land that is
"potentially" habitable, though much of that is forested or farmed
land. There are at least 162 recorded congregations (the "independents
probably won't be counted). So, every church gets their 2.6 sq. miles
of followers. Obviously, that isn't terribly accurate, because the big
churches get more land.... leaving the small churches even smaller
patches of land to draw from. Small numbers make for isolationism and
that makes for some pretty weird, uh, "interpretations" of
scripture...

Do you maybe begin to see why this is called the Bible belt? Maybe
this place isn't like DC? I spent a LOT of time in Lanham and,
frankly, I didn't see this stuff, either. Maybe you've never BEEN
there? Ever been to a church where music was considered the devil's
work? Even been to a church where they don't pass a collection plate,
but palm the "tithe" to the pastor on the way out? Have you ever even
*heard* of shaped notes, or know why they are necessary? Ever been
*expected* to call the folks in your church "brother" or "sister"?
Have you ever been told that a member of the congregation is to be
shunned until the Pastor says otherwise?

Maybe you think these are things that happened "a long long time ago
in a galaxy far far away." Nope, seen all of these things with my own
eyes. Different, now? Nope... I've got similar horror stories for when
my son was in a Baptist School...... I know you would like things to
fit neatly into that tidy box.... fact is, they don't.

Time to move

In article ,
says...

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:42:09 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

Huge Snips

Little if any of it.

Kudos.... not everybody is that open minded..... or grasps (or wants
to) the bigger picture.....

.... I think you need to have spent some time in the deep South to get
it....

I did, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee but I am not sure if that is
considered the Bible Belt. I ran into folks like that down there, but
not in fringe churches, but mostly KKK.

On Dec 17, 10:35*am, I am Tosk
wrote:
In article ,
says...



On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:42:09 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

Huge Snips

Little if any of it.

Kudos.... *not everybody is that open minded..... or grasps (or wants
to) the bigger picture.....

.... I think you need to have spent some time in the deep South to get
it....

I did, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee but I am not sure if that is
considered the Bible Belt. I ran into folks like that down there, but
not in fringe churches, but mostly KKK.

Actually a lot of northern states have higher numbers per capita of
KKK members than many southern states.

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:04:16 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:57:06 -0500, John H
wrote:

That would have made a nice
motorcycle ride!

You must be better dressed than I am..... 'course they are predicting
snow tomorrow... too!

The trick to winter riding is a snowmobile suit. They work.

Of course, nothing helps when ice is involved. Don't have those
special tires, donchano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBaY...eature=related

(Good tire shot at about 0:58.
--

Have a Blessed Chrismahanukwanzakah and a Spectacular New Year!

John H

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:05:22 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:05:27 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:05:37 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:08:00 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:52:51 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:41:51 -0500, John H
wrote:

'cept maybe Harry, has been "in your face"

Actually, no. I always assumed Harry was Jewish, but I don't know. I
went to Grammar school and Junior High with a lot of Jews. I made
some good trades... I didn't like cookies and they didn't like matza.

You wouldn't have liked them.... they had "Easter Jokes..."

You made the accusation of us being 'in your face'. I didn't think you
really had an example of same. Harry is probably the closest you could
come to someone pushing for/against behavior based on religious
issues.

But maybe you missed it.

No... on re-reading.... maybe I took it too literally. Maybe you
didn't me *my* face....

PS. I like "Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah!" so much I'm borrowing part of
it.

Did you look at *that* link? It was an ad for Virgin Mobile a few
years ago... it is hilarious....

I didn't see that one either. I'll take your word for it.
--

Have a Blessed Chrismahanukwanzakah and a Spectacular New Year!

John H

On Dec 17, 9:08*am, I am Tosk wrote:
In article d0cc9957-5dd9-4116-8cf5-


You pushy *******, shoving that Christian food down my throat! I am
offended, I think I will sue:)


Please do. We could use the publicity.

?;^ )

In article ,
says...

In article ab15747b-ec1f-4790-b682-
, says...

AN ATHEIST IN THE WOODS
An atheist was walking through the woods.

'What majestic trees!
'What powerful rivers!
'What beautiful animals!
He said to himself.


As he was walking alongside the river,he heard a rustling in
the bushes behind him.


He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards
him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his
shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him..


He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer.


He tripped & fell on the ground.


He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was
right on top of him, reaching for him with


his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out,
'Oh my God!'

Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.


As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky..

'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist
and even credit creation to cosmic accident.'
'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?

Am I to count you as a believer?

The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical
of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps
you could make the BEAR a Christian'?


'Very well,' said the voice.


The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear
dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head &
spoke:

'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty
through Christ our Lord, Amen.'

Nice and clean, just what I would expect from you.. I wonder if "those
folks" will be offended

I'm offended at everyone and everything that doesn't agree with me 100%
or dares to think that I lie about anything in this newsgroup. That's
why I call them little schitts and dumfochs. I have guns, don't forget.

--
And now...back to flajim and others who are so obsessed with me, they
use my handle here.

On Dec 17, 9:11*am, I am Tosk wrote:
In article ab15747b-ec1f-4790-b682-
, says...







* * * * AN ATHEIST IN THE WOODS
* * * * An atheist was walking through the woods.

* * * * 'What majestic trees!
* * * * 'What powerful rivers!
* * * * 'What beautiful animals!
* * * * He said to himself.

* * * * As he was walking alongside the river,he heard a rustling in
the bushes behind him.

* * * * He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards
him.

* * * * He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his
shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him..

* * * * He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer.

* * * * He tripped & fell on the ground.

* * * * He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was
right on top of him, reaching for him with

* * * * his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out,
'Oh my God!'

Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky..

'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist
and even credit creation to cosmic accident.'
'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?

Am I to count you as a believer?

The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical
of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps
you could make the BEAR a Christian'?

'Very well,' said the voice.

The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear
dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head &
spoke:

'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty
through Christ our Lord, Amen.'

Nice and clean, just what I would expect from you.. I wonder if "those
folks" will be offended- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

LOL!

i thought it was cute too.
I'm not worried about anyone being offended with me. I look at it like
it's their problem, not mine...

In article f487bafe-67c0-4ec9-a54f-7dc034541919
@q18g2000yqj.googlegroups.com, says...

On Dec 17, 10:35*am, I am Tosk
wrote:
In article ,
says...



On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:42:09 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

Huge Snips

Little if any of it.

Kudos.... *not everybody is that open minded..... or grasps (or wants
to) the bigger picture.....

.... I think you need to have spent some time in the deep South to get
it....

I did, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee but I am not sure if that is
considered the Bible Belt. I ran into folks like that down there, but
not in fringe churches, but mostly KKK.

Actually a lot of northern states have higher numbers per capita of
KKK members than many southern states.

Could be, they are just more open about it down there. Asked a buddy of
mine in Ala where he would rather live, back in NJ, or in Ala, in
relation to prejudice. He said Alabama, "at least down here when a man
is a bigot, he will tell you when you walk in the door, so you don't
have to waste your time with him". "Up north, you don't know till it's
too late"...

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:44:18 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

On Dec 17, 9:08*am, I am Tosk wrote:
In article d0cc9957-5dd9-4116-8cf5-


You pushy *******, shoving that Christian food down my throat! I am
offended, I think I will sue:)


Please do. We could use the publicity.

?;^ )

Hey Tim!

My wife just called to remind me that the church is having it's
Christmas pot luck tonight.

Yippee! Lutherans can do a good job on pot lucks!

I'll probably put back all the calories I've been working off all
week.

It starts at 7:00. If you can make it, you're welcome to come.
--

Have a Blessed Chrismahanukwanzakah and a Spectacular New Year!

John H