Jerry Falwell - R.I.P.

[Spock]

[Seacrest]

[quote kj]>>I love the intellectual level of this debate. Calling me a dope? Way cool.

I have to agree. There's nothing rational going on in this thread. It's all emotional. kj.
Maybe this will give youse a clue as to why the man inspires such vitriol.
He gave as good as he's getting here, and more.

http://www.slate.com/id/2166220
http://www.slate.com/id/2166337/fr/flyout

[OWC Jamie]

It appears he's died twice in one day.

Even the Devil couldn't stand him ?


:-)

[yoregano]

">>I love the intellectual level of this debate. Calling me a dope? Way cool.

I have to agree. There's nothing rational going on in this thread. It's all emotional. kj."

That is absolutely the most insightful thought uttered in this thread.

[rgG]

I have been reading this thread while watching a program on PBS about the Spanish Inquisition, that somehow seems appropriate.

There always seem to be people willing to take up the cause of hate and persecution. Falwell and others like him are but the latest in a long, long line that unfortunately seems to never have an end.

[vision63]

[quote yoregano]">>I love the intellectual level of this debate. Calling me a dope? Way cool.

I have to agree. There's nothing rational going on in this thread. It's all emotional. kj."

That is absolutely the most insightful thought uttered in this thread.
What sort of "friendly political ranting" would you like to see? Instead of just lamenting the state of a thread, share your wisdom regarding a more preferable discussable discourse. I agree, calling people names is beyond the pale. But people get to have a perspective, don't they?

[Lux Interior]

[quote vision63] But people get to have a perspective, don't they?
Sure.




As long it agrees with certain other people's.

[vision63]

[quote Lux Interior][quote vision63] But people get to have a perspective, don't they?
Sure.




As long it agrees with certain other people's.
Well it should not be that way. There should always be a core basic respect.

[kj]

>>Maybe this will give youse a clue as to why the man inspires such vitriol.
>>He gave as good as he's getting here, and more.

Of the things he said, I disagree with some, I find some of it just plain unchristian, but some I think has been misunderstood. However, the real issue to me is whether it is o.k. to treat people poorly because they've treated people poorly. I don't think poor behavior justifies poor behavior in return, but I guess for some people it seems "fair". When does it end though? He treats someone poorly, so now we can treat him poorly. Someone else sees both of us treating each other poorly, so now it's ok for them to treat all of us poorly. I guess we're all justified in stomping one another, which is just great. What a nice vision of how things could be. kj.

[RgrF]

kj this sort of dialog can go on forever unless you define the baseline. I think Mr. Carlin did it well with this:

Religion has convinced people that there’s an invisible man…living in the sky, who watches everything you do every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten specific things he doesn’t want you to do. And if you do any of these things, he will send you to a special place, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time. But he loves you. He loves you and he needs money.

Either you acept that invisible man or you question the whole precept. I question the whole precept.

Charlatans come in all guises. They have the power to convince, not only others, but themselves and to my mind that makes them all crazy as loons.

This is not to deny that spirituality and transcendence exist, just that they shouldn't be operated as profit centers because that's what organized religion always devolves to.

Every successful organized religion in history has amassed wealth and temporal power along the way. That's no accident.