I guess it's safe to admit that the evangelicals are pretty tolerant, then? After all, they are a significant portion of the population, yet being atheist is still legal.
Antecedently, basically all of the protestant friends I have are of the opinion that since God is supposed to be forgiving, anyone who is trying to be a good person will be rewarded.
It's written that all our good works are filthy rags. Salvation comes only from the realization that you can't save yourself; you need Jesus's sinless sacrifice to do it. This includes those who existed before Jesus appeared on Earth; God had promised a Messiah to those who trusted in him. For those who haven't heard the specific revelations of the Bible, that's a different theological argument that's way too deep to go into here. But anyone who has heard the Word and calls himself a Christian should really get this.
As an atheist, I don't understand the idea of good Christians respecting other religions. Why would you "respect" a practice that is sending innocent people to hell?
Because trashing someone's menorah isn't exactly going to warm their opinions to you? When Jesus threw a fit in a temple, it was a Jewish temple, not a Roman one. Judgment and reform are practiced on the inside. To the outside, the best one can do is practice positive words and action.
Likewise Judaism, where there is still a marginal (admittedly very marginal) debate on whether it is okay to break the Shabbat restrictions in order to save a goy's life.
Jesus already solved this issue in Matthew 12.
For example, as far as I can figure it, the Westboro Baptist Church is closer to real Christianity than those churches whom they rail against.
This is reason that people say, "they don't make them like they used to". True, we have readily available Chinese particle board furniture and McMansions thrown up with substandard materials, but back in the day they used to have hacks throwing together shoddy chairs and houses as well... those fell apart and only the solid stuff remains.
The hyperbole is strong with this one! No, unions are not inherently bad. But can't we appreciate the irony of teachers' pension funds being wiped out when GM defaulted on their bonds so that unions could have THEIR benefits?
Exactly. Everyone has a propensity for something undesirable, whether it's infidelity, laziness, drinking, overeating, or lying. PLEASE don't let us go down the path of excusing our bad behavior because doing otherwise is difficult. Just because we all have monkeys on our backs doesn't mean we need to act like animals.
You want that place in between what the corporatists and the socialists want: it's called "reasonable limits". This would be something like 3-5 year patents on pharmaceuticals and 14-30 year copyrights on works of art. Unfortunately, instead of common sense we have corporate lobbyists perpetually extending copyright while socialists want to cause the whole system to collapse into a fiefdom where no one is rewarded for his efforts.
By any measurable standard, the average American citizen has more freedom of movement and behavior than anyone in human history.
Really? Can you not have an address in the USA and still remain within the law? True freedom of movement is not possible. You'll be breaking the health care and income tax laws of both the federal government and several state and local governments. Want to defend yourself? Even if you carry a puny penknife, you're sure to be breaking a weapons law somewhere.
There has been an explosion of new rights and freedoms in the 20th century.
Rights are not new. Rights have always existed; it is just up to the governed to decide which rights can be conferred on their government.
Mickey Mouse is a trademark, not copyrightable. Stories are copyrightable. So are works of art, so a specific image of Mickey Mouse could be copyrighted, but not your description which clearly describes a trademark (but for superfluous mentions of his pals).
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You just Godwined in one of the most ignorant ways possible.
Great. Now do it with the technology available in Archimedes' time.
He uses Sarah Palin's hand.
Clearly, we need to lower the drinking age back to 18.
I guess it's safe to admit that the evangelicals are pretty tolerant, then? After all, they are a significant portion of the population, yet being atheist is still legal.
Anyone who believes that really is wrong; I agree. But that's not what is written.
Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Irony must not be ironic.
It's written that all our good works are filthy rags. Salvation comes only from the realization that you can't save yourself; you need Jesus's sinless sacrifice to do it. This includes those who existed before Jesus appeared on Earth; God had promised a Messiah to those who trusted in him. For those who haven't heard the specific revelations of the Bible, that's a different theological argument that's way too deep to go into here. But anyone who has heard the Word and calls himself a Christian should really get this.
Because trashing someone's menorah isn't exactly going to warm their opinions to you? When Jesus threw a fit in a temple, it was a Jewish temple, not a Roman one. Judgment and reform are practiced on the inside. To the outside, the best one can do is practice positive words and action.
Jesus already solved this issue in Matthew 12.
Nope. Jesus wasn't much for trolling.
You forgot to add, "get off my lawn!" Yours are outdated sentiments in our entitlement culture that has been growing for decades.
This is reason that people say, "they don't make them like they used to". True, we have readily available Chinese particle board furniture and McMansions thrown up with substandard materials, but back in the day they used to have hacks throwing together shoddy chairs and houses as well... those fell apart and only the solid stuff remains.
Wiccans and Goths?
This must be why France and Finland are the industrial giants of the world.
PHB protip: 40% of all sick days are taken on Monday or Friday! FORTY PERCENT!
The hyperbole is strong with this one! No, unions are not inherently bad. But can't we appreciate the irony of teachers' pension funds being wiped out when GM defaulted on their bonds so that unions could have THEIR benefits?
Thermite's a little spicier.
Armed civilians are in battle with government troops right now.
A nuclear weapon is only useful to governments and terrorists.
Exactly. Everyone has a propensity for something undesirable, whether it's infidelity, laziness, drinking, overeating, or lying. PLEASE don't let us go down the path of excusing our bad behavior because doing otherwise is difficult. Just because we all have monkeys on our backs doesn't mean we need to act like animals.
Regulation isn't working; therefore, we need more regulation.
You want that place in between what the corporatists and the socialists want: it's called "reasonable limits". This would be something like 3-5 year patents on pharmaceuticals and 14-30 year copyrights on works of art. Unfortunately, instead of common sense we have corporate lobbyists perpetually extending copyright while socialists want to cause the whole system to collapse into a fiefdom where no one is rewarded for his efforts.
Really? Can you not have an address in the USA and still remain within the law? True freedom of movement is not possible. You'll be breaking the health care and income tax laws of both the federal government and several state and local governments. Want to defend yourself? Even if you carry a puny penknife, you're sure to be breaking a weapons law somewhere.
Rights are not new. Rights have always existed; it is just up to the governed to decide which rights can be conferred on their government.
Wrong.
Ha ha! Clever. I award you one internet.
Note to mods: no, the word "overrated" is not a synonym for "I disagree".
Mickey Mouse is a trademark, not copyrightable. Stories are copyrightable. So are works of art, so a specific image of Mickey Mouse could be copyrighted, but not your description which clearly describes a trademark (but for superfluous mentions of his pals).