Picayune Gods & Those Who Market Them

(I found a table over here in the back of the Coffee House where the old men hang out.)I invite everyone here to first off welcome jar back to the forum and have a round of coffee
(with Irish Whiskey?) to celebrate his return. I didnt really miss jar in the framework of debates (as he never let mine get off the ground) but I missed him as a member of the forum and am glad to see that he is healthy and hopefully well-rested.ringo and I go round and round and I have yet to win one of those arguments either. *Looks around table*I will say that ALL of you are unique in your debating styles and we all occasionally go off the rails and engage in personal attacks. I propose that in this topic, we stick to the arguments and be respectful of each other as much as possible. Forum GuidelinesRecently, I noticed how more than a few topics here at the forum were skidding off the rails and becoming as free for all as a brawl at an NHL Hockey game! The impetus for starting this session was to get everyone at the same table (believers and non believers, Conservatives and Liberals alike) and hash it out without derailingother topics. * * * CS Lewis was imperfect, but in a wold of free speech, he at least presented thoughtful arguments. Personally, I take issue with your idea that Catholics are the only true church. I DO consider them Christians, however. Dont go telling us that Jesus was non-binary! You have at least admitted that while on earth He was fully human, IIRC. Were you in the marketing business, what type of "God" would *you* market, jar?

jar, I know that you are not back to go off on the numerous PRATTS that the forum has accumulated in your absense, but I just want you to know that I made this topic for anyone who feels a need to correct the erroneous logic of one of their fellow members and you can hijack this thread all you want! I might ask Dredge if he considers believers as superior to non believers in any way and also pose the question to atheists. Do you (atheists) feel that you are smarter and more in touch with reality then are believers?

I noticed a recent blog post: The Two Christianities and Their Problems.It discusses "Jesus red and Jesus blue". I see jar and ringo as Jesus blue people, while Phat and Trump are Jesus red people. I'll put myself in the Jesus blue group.

Me and Trump??!! Why am I in that company?? Lest I react too much, allow me to read your article...

The Two Christianities and Their Problems:

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All the religions are totalitarian and all religions are authoritarian, although this latter quality is enhanced in theistic religions, since of course their founding premise is that there is a super being that literally authored the universe in the first instance and authored the religion in the next, presumably to correct something that went wrong in the initial offering; and of course the super being (because he is super) can’t possibly be held accountable for anything that goes wrong in his creation. So, when something does go wrong it must be the fault of the humans who are assigned caretakers of at least their part in creation. However in order to hold the humans accountable this super being cannot simply snuff them out and start anew – that would essentially admit that the creation of the humans was itself a mistake on the part of the super being, and a super being cannot make mistakes. So the humans have to be given a good lashing and made to feel guilty; but to remind them of the super being’s power, his majesty, how good he is in having created them and not snuffing them out, the unquestionable author also generates the fundamental principles of his creation’s religion. These fundamental principles structure the totalitarian control over their lives.

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Im still reading this article! Great conversation starter. What worries me about Jesus Blue believers is that they even go so far as to throw Jesus away and hijack the message for the people...without need of a leader. A Headless Beast, as it were!

No, they don't. But perhaps they throw away Jesus red.

I would never use a broad brush to paint these groups. I would need to judge these comparisons on a person by person basis.I have interacted with believers who can intelligently discuss topics like Epicurus' Trilemma or the Problem of Suffering. They are quite smart people. I don't think they are any less in touch with reality than I am. They will even admit that their belief is based on personal experience and faith instead of the crap poor apologetics that we sometimes see. I have come across many believers that I have great respect for. None of us are infallible, including myself, so I certainly don't fault people for being human.What I look for is honesty. What frustrates us is when people throw out honesty in the name of protecting an ideology or belief.

I keep asking you why you are NOT in that company - and you never answer.

How about instead of starting new topics you address the crazy shit you have been called out on on all the other bullshit topics you started?
Just an idea.

Its so numerous I would never find it all without some effort

First of all, we have to come to a consensus about what Trump represents.I've never voted for the guy. I DO know that he clams to want to control open borders, he wanted to help the small businessman rather than taxing the crap out of them which disincentivizes them from even wanting to run small businesses. He built a stronger military which keeps anyone from wanting to confront the United States. Oh, and he gave massive tax breaks to the wealthy, which was an unpopular move, though trickle down economics is akin to priming the pump. As I have said before, one needs a return on investment.The whole rising tides argument kills incentive and small business.

So you still simply like to make shit up and pretend that you are describing others.You still don't seem able to even read and understand what you write.Ŝajnas, ke iuj homoj neniam povas aŭ rifuzos pensi.Have I ever mentioned that Christians should follow what Jesus taught?

That was a con. The borders are not open, and Trump wasn't particularly successful at controlling the borders. If Trump wanted to help small business, he would have paid his own bills instead of stiffing them. If Trump wanted to help small business, he wouldn't have hired immigrants for his own businesses. And you are probably going to be paying for that for the rest of your life. It usually isn't. Rather, it is a way of giving money to the rich under the false pretense of priming the pump.

Only ignorant morons still fall for the trickle-down crap.

Can you actually read? Can you find actual respected economists, not right-wing shysters that support trickle-down?Trickle-Down Economics: Theory, Effect, Results
The Fallacy and Persistence of “Trickle-Down Economics” - Brown Political Review.
Why are we still pretending 'trickle-down' economics work? | Morris Pearl | The Guardian
Huge 20-Year Study Shows Trickle-Down Is a Myth, Inequality Rampant
Why Trickle-Down Economics Doesn't Work - Rantt Media

They are controlled. Republicans had control of both the White House and Congress, and they never did that. Go figure. The strength of the military never changed during his term. Put more food on the tables of the rich so there can be a few more crumbs that fall down for the rest of us??? Seriously??? All they did was prime the pump that pushed wealth up to the rich.