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  4. A Sad Day For Free Speech In Italy

A Sad Day For Free Speech In Italy

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  • H hairy_hats

    Christian Graus wrote:

    But wait, doesn't your inability to believe something imply free will, which means that the presentation of this information doesn't 'brainwash' at all, but just present a point of view that people are capable of rejecting ?

    To be capable of rejecting or accepting any religion one must be mature and well-informed enough to make that decision, therefore children should be protected from any form of contact with any religion until they are at least 18, then educated about many different religions and atheism and only then make their own choice. :)

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    Oakman
    wrote on last edited by
    #50

    Steve_Harris wrote:

    To be capable of rejecting or accepting any religion one must be mature and well-informed enough to make that decision,

    I personally believe in the bung-hole theory of education. On your child's 12th birthday, you have a big party with a full keg of beer which you allow him-her to partake off. Once the keg is emptied, you take your little darling - by this time unconscious - and put them into the keg. For the next 6 years you give your child anything he-she asks for, as long as it fits through the bunghole. Then, on your child's 18th birthday, you drive the bung back in. If he-she can figure out how to get out then they can be welcomed as a member of the human race. Otherwise, you don't even have to buy a coffin.

    Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

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    • C Christian Graus

      Oakman wrote:

      What fascinates me is the religious fervor with which some atheists seem to proselytise

      No-one is more irrational than a fervent athiest, in my experience

      Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

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      Oakman
      wrote on last edited by
      #51

      Christian Graus wrote:

      No-one is more irrational than a fervent athiest, in my experience

      How quickly you have forgotten he who should not be spoken Il of.

      Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

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      • O Oakman

        Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

        See, this just confuses me. Since when...?

        You need to check out the difference between "all respect" and "all due respect." ;)

        Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

        Hey, I try and learn as much as I can about everything I can, excluding world geography and most history.

        Look up what George Santayana said about history and the need to learn from it.

        Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

        That is a lot. I'll put it on my 'to-do' list

        Once you've completed that task, check back with me. I could give you a list of "worthwhile" followups that would allow you to speak with some slight authority on the subject of the bible. Then perhaps you could move on to philosophy and theology.

        Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

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        soap brain
        wrote on last edited by
        #52

        Oakman wrote:

        You need to check out the difference between "all respect" and "all due respect." Wink

        :laugh: Yeah! Of course, I probably have NO respect due to me. :cool:

        Oakman wrote:

        Look up what George Santayana said about history and the need to learn from it.

        Was it something along the lines of "You need to learn from history"?

        Oakman wrote:

        Once you've completed that task, check back with me. I could give you a list of "worthwhile" followups that would allow you to speak with some slight authority on the subject of the bible. Then perhaps you could move on to philosophy and theology.

        I'd prefer to learn about musical theory.

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        • O Oakman

          Steve_Harris wrote:

          To be capable of rejecting or accepting any religion one must be mature and well-informed enough to make that decision,

          I personally believe in the bung-hole theory of education. On your child's 12th birthday, you have a big party with a full keg of beer which you allow him-her to partake off. Once the keg is emptied, you take your little darling - by this time unconscious - and put them into the keg. For the next 6 years you give your child anything he-she asks for, as long as it fits through the bunghole. Then, on your child's 18th birthday, you drive the bung back in. If he-she can figure out how to get out then they can be welcomed as a member of the human race. Otherwise, you don't even have to buy a coffin.

          Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

          S Offline
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          soap brain
          wrote on last edited by
          #53

          Oakman wrote:

          I personally believe in the bung-hole theory of education. On your child's 12th birthday, you have a big party with a full keg of beer which you allow him-her to partake off. Once the keg is emptied, you take your little darling - by this time unconscious - and put them into the keg. For the next 6 years you give your child anything he-she asks for, as long as it fits through the bunghole. Then, on your child's 18th birthday, you drive the bung back in. If he-she can figure out how to get out then they can be welcomed as a member of the human race. Otherwise, you don't even have to buy a coffin.

          Ah yes, the tried-and-true approach. They'll be emotionally stunted, probably suicidal, their skeletons will be grossly deformed, but at least they'll be welcome. :)

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          • O Oakman

            digital man wrote:

            How feeble.

            What fascinates me is the religious fervor with which some atheists seem to proselytise. To tell the truth, I cannot tell the difference between a true believer on either end of the debate - both seem to get quite upset if you suggest that they may not have all the facts they need to guarantee their answers.

            Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

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            Lost User
            wrote on last edited by
            #54

            It seems that everybody at some point pulls the "WELL SOME ATHEISTS ARE JUST AS ANNOYING AND LOUD AS CHRISTIANS" shtick out to imply a rational worldview (there's no good evidence for a god) is somehow equivalent to an irrational worldview (w00t god baptist anglican catholic oh my) because *gasp* both have stupid loud people yelling! What-EVER. As to the advertising (speaking more of North America here): Number of signs posted around the countryside suggesting I'm either going to hell or that I'll never reach spiritual or personal fulfillment without accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior: 10,000 or so Number of signs on the side of a bus suggesting I probably won't: 1-2 So atheists have a ways to go to be as annoying as the fucking Baptists, which is all still more entertaining than "Head-On" or CSI adverts.

            - F

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            • O Oakman

              Christian Graus wrote:

              No-one is more irrational than a fervent athiest, in my experience

              How quickly you have forgotten he who should not be spoken Il of.

              Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

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              Christian Graus
              wrote on last edited by
              #55

              Well, I was talking about normal human beings, there are bound to be some exceptions on the lunatic fringe.

              Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

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              • L Lost User

                It seems that everybody at some point pulls the "WELL SOME ATHEISTS ARE JUST AS ANNOYING AND LOUD AS CHRISTIANS" shtick out to imply a rational worldview (there's no good evidence for a god) is somehow equivalent to an irrational worldview (w00t god baptist anglican catholic oh my) because *gasp* both have stupid loud people yelling! What-EVER. As to the advertising (speaking more of North America here): Number of signs posted around the countryside suggesting I'm either going to hell or that I'll never reach spiritual or personal fulfillment without accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior: 10,000 or so Number of signs on the side of a bus suggesting I probably won't: 1-2 So atheists have a ways to go to be as annoying as the fucking Baptists, which is all still more entertaining than "Head-On" or CSI adverts.

                - F

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                Christian Graus
                wrote on last edited by
                #56

                Fisticuffs wrote:

                o imply a rational worldview (there's no good evidence for a god) is somehow equivalent to an irrational worldview (w00t god baptist anglican catholic oh my)

                The fact that you misrepresent the Christian viewpoint is all that needs to be said about this.

                Fisticuffs wrote:

                So atheists have a ways to go to be as annoying as the f***ing Baptists, which is all still more entertaining than "Head-On" or CSI adverts.

                Perhaps. But again, one has to wonder at the rationale that causes them to pay for a bus ad to say that they have nothing to say. Excepting that they want to annoy Christians, which is a right I'd defend, even though I don't understand it, and I am disappointed that anyone falls for it.

                Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

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                • D Dalek Dave

                  Christian Graus wrote:

                  their religion is based on layers of tradition that move from the bible and often have no basis in fact

                  Name a religion based in Fact.

                  ------------------------------------ "The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion" Arthur C Clarke

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                  Christian Graus
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #57

                  I plainly believe that Christianity is, and I just as plainly know that any discussion on this will involve my beliefs being caricatured and anything I say, ignored. I've done this before, you see....

                  Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

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                  • C Christian Graus

                    Fisticuffs wrote:

                    o imply a rational worldview (there's no good evidence for a god) is somehow equivalent to an irrational worldview (w00t god baptist anglican catholic oh my)

                    The fact that you misrepresent the Christian viewpoint is all that needs to be said about this.

                    Fisticuffs wrote:

                    So atheists have a ways to go to be as annoying as the f***ing Baptists, which is all still more entertaining than "Head-On" or CSI adverts.

                    Perhaps. But again, one has to wonder at the rationale that causes them to pay for a bus ad to say that they have nothing to say. Excepting that they want to annoy Christians, which is a right I'd defend, even though I don't understand it, and I am disappointed that anyone falls for it.

                    Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

                    S Offline
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                    soap brain
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #58

                    Christian Graus wrote:

                    Perhaps. But again, one has to wonder at the rationale that causes them to pay for a bus ad to say that they have nothing to say. Excepting that they want to annoy Christians, which is a right I'd defend, even though I don't understand it, and I am disappointed that anyone falls for it.

                    I think the idea (or one of them, maybe) was to highlight the hypocrisy of the religious groups.

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                    • S soap brain

                      Christian Graus wrote:

                      Perhaps. But again, one has to wonder at the rationale that causes them to pay for a bus ad to say that they have nothing to say. Excepting that they want to annoy Christians, which is a right I'd defend, even though I don't understand it, and I am disappointed that anyone falls for it.

                      I think the idea (or one of them, maybe) was to highlight the hypocrisy of the religious groups.

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                      Christian Graus
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #59

                      Well, that's one way of saying that the idea was to bait them and try to make them look stupid. Which is childish IMO, but I agree that it's hypocritical to expect to be allowed to advertise one set of beliefs, and not the other. As I've said already, I wish these people would ignore folks deliberately trying to bait them. Who cares what i says on the side of a bus ? I sure don't.

                      Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

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                      • S soap brain

                        Oakman wrote:

                        I personally believe in the bung-hole theory of education. On your child's 12th birthday, you have a big party with a full keg of beer which you allow him-her to partake off. Once the keg is emptied, you take your little darling - by this time unconscious - and put them into the keg. For the next 6 years you give your child anything he-she asks for, as long as it fits through the bunghole. Then, on your child's 18th birthday, you drive the bung back in. If he-she can figure out how to get out then they can be welcomed as a member of the human race. Otherwise, you don't even have to buy a coffin.

                        Ah yes, the tried-and-true approach. They'll be emotionally stunted, probably suicidal, their skeletons will be grossly deformed, but at least they'll be welcome. :)

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                        O Offline
                        Oakman
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #60

                        Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

                        They'll be emotionally stunted, probably suicidal, their skeletons will be grossly deformed, but at least they'll be welcome

                        How is this any different from what happens to most kids now -- except for the welcomed part, of course. :confused:

                        Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

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                        • S soap brain

                          Stan Shannon wrote:

                          How do you know its not there? Maybe its hidden away in some kind of secret code. Why don't you spend some time checiking that out?

                          Anything as cryptic as what the Bible is can be interpreted however the hell you want, if you use an algorithm convoluted enough.

                          Stan Shannon wrote:

                          On the other hand, how cool would it be if somewhere trillions of decimal places into the value of pi there was a binary message that said: "Hello, I'm God. My name is Bob. Whats Yours?"

                          It wouldn't be cool at all, because it's mathematically certain that it is. Just like every other possible string. I also know that it contains, "Worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the true God".

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                          John Carson
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #61

                          Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

                          It wouldn't be cool at all, because it's mathematically certain that it is. Just like every other possible string. I also know that it contains, "Worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the true God".

                          You have proof of this? It certainly doesn't follow merely from the fact that pi is irrational and hence that its decimal representation is infinite and not repeating. Consider, for example, the following irrational number 0.0100100010000100001000001... i.e., a sequence of 1s separated by strings of zeros that increase in length by 1 for each successive string. This sequence won't give you every possible string --- at least not using any standard number to letter mapping. I would agree, however, that the discovery of some God-related text in the expansion of pi would be neither surprising nor interesting.

                          John Carson

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                          • G Gary Kirkham

                            Dalek Dave wrote:

                            Let people be brainswashed into following a fundemental faith

                            Yes, let us brainwash them into believing there is no God.

                            Dalek Dave wrote:

                            answers that religion cannot provide

                            Or it provides answers you are not willing to accept. There are all sorts of groups that have their own agenda, who seek to affect public policy according to their bias. Are you prepared to deny the Cardinal the right to protest a company's decision simply because you don't agree with him?

                            Gary Kirkham Forever Forgiven and Alive in the Spirit "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Me blog, You read

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                            realJSOPR Offline
                            realJSOP
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #62

                            Gary Kirkham wrote:

                            Yes, let us brainwash them into believing there is no God.

                            Well, there hasn't been anything one could use tangible proof that there is one, and it doesn't matter which version of god you might happen to believe in)..

                            Gary Kirkham wrote:

                            There are all sorts of groups that have their own agenda, who seek to affect public policy according to their bias.

                            I don't care what religious folks do as long as they don't they to directly and overtly impact *my* life.

                            "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
                            -----
                            "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

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                            • S soap brain

                              Oakman wrote:

                              You need to check out the difference between "all respect" and "all due respect." Wink

                              :laugh: Yeah! Of course, I probably have NO respect due to me. :cool:

                              Oakman wrote:

                              Look up what George Santayana said about history and the need to learn from it.

                              Was it something along the lines of "You need to learn from history"?

                              Oakman wrote:

                              Once you've completed that task, check back with me. I could give you a list of "worthwhile" followups that would allow you to speak with some slight authority on the subject of the bible. Then perhaps you could move on to philosophy and theology.

                              I'd prefer to learn about musical theory.

                              D Offline
                              D Offline
                              Dalek Dave
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #63

                              Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

                              Yeah! Of course, I probably have NO respect due to me.

                              OWING to me surely!

                              ------------------------------------ "The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion" Arthur C Clarke

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                              • L Lost User

                                It seems that everybody at some point pulls the "WELL SOME ATHEISTS ARE JUST AS ANNOYING AND LOUD AS CHRISTIANS" shtick out to imply a rational worldview (there's no good evidence for a god) is somehow equivalent to an irrational worldview (w00t god baptist anglican catholic oh my) because *gasp* both have stupid loud people yelling! What-EVER. As to the advertising (speaking more of North America here): Number of signs posted around the countryside suggesting I'm either going to hell or that I'll never reach spiritual or personal fulfillment without accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior: 10,000 or so Number of signs on the side of a bus suggesting I probably won't: 1-2 So atheists have a ways to go to be as annoying as the fucking Baptists, which is all still more entertaining than "Head-On" or CSI adverts.

                                - F

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                                O Offline
                                Oakman
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #64

                                Fisticuffs wrote:

                                It seems that everybody at some point pulls the "WELL SOME ATHEISTS ARE JUST AS ANNOYING AND LOUD AS CHRISTIANS" shtick out

                                Everybody? :confused: That's a level of paranoia that only a few folks reach. (Stan with "everybody is a Marxist" comes to mind.)

                                Fisticuffs wrote:

                                because *gasp*

                                hmmmm, where have I seen that punctuation before. . .

                                Fisticuffs wrote:

                                both have stupid loud people yelling

                                And you used all caps in a couple of places. . .

                                Fisticuffs wrote:

                                Number of signs posted around the countryside suggesting I'm either going to hell or that I'll never reach spiritual or personal fulfillment without accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior: 10,000 or so

                                To coin a phrase: is your faith so weak that you are afraid you may start doubting because of the signs?

                                Fisticuffs wrote:

                                Number of signs on the side of a bus suggesting I probably won't: 1-2

                                And how many times, do you think, that atheists have spent a goodly chunk of change to go to court to eliminate creches from a downtown park? Personally, I am not threatened by the signs of either sort, I can see all the creches I need to see on the front lawns of churches and, yeah, I really wish that both sides would stop yelling.

                                Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

                                modified on Monday, January 19, 2009 11:43 AM

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                                • J John Carson

                                  Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

                                  It wouldn't be cool at all, because it's mathematically certain that it is. Just like every other possible string. I also know that it contains, "Worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the true God".

                                  You have proof of this? It certainly doesn't follow merely from the fact that pi is irrational and hence that its decimal representation is infinite and not repeating. Consider, for example, the following irrational number 0.0100100010000100001000001... i.e., a sequence of 1s separated by strings of zeros that increase in length by 1 for each successive string. This sequence won't give you every possible string --- at least not using any standard number to letter mapping. I would agree, however, that the discovery of some God-related text in the expansion of pi would be neither surprising nor interesting.

                                  John Carson

                                  S Offline
                                  S Offline
                                  soap brain
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #65

                                  John Carson wrote:

                                  You have proof of this?

                                  Somebody does.

                                  John Carson wrote:

                                  This sequence won't give you every possible string --- at least not using any standard number to letter mapping.

                                  Some algorithm would, I...think. :~ .

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                                  • C Christian Graus

                                    Oakman wrote:

                                    What fascinates me is the religious fervor with which some atheists seem to proselytise

                                    No-one is more irrational than a fervent athiest, in my experience

                                    Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

                                    J Offline
                                    J Offline
                                    John Carson
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #66

                                    Christian Graus wrote:

                                    No-one is more irrational than a fervent athiest, in my experience

                                    This of course is just a schoolyard insult. Perhaps you would like to list the atheists you consider to be less rational than Fred Phelps and his happy band. Whether there are some is not really the point. What is the point is that you are just poking out your tongue rather than saying anything useful.

                                    John Carson

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                                    • realJSOPR realJSOP

                                      Gary Kirkham wrote:

                                      Yes, let us brainwash them into believing there is no God.

                                      Well, there hasn't been anything one could use tangible proof that there is one, and it doesn't matter which version of god you might happen to believe in)..

                                      Gary Kirkham wrote:

                                      There are all sorts of groups that have their own agenda, who seek to affect public policy according to their bias.

                                      I don't care what religious folks do as long as they don't they to directly and overtly impact *my* life.

                                      "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
                                      -----
                                      "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

                                      G Offline
                                      G Offline
                                      Gary Kirkham
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #67

                                      John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

                                      Well, there hasn't been anything one could use tangible proof that there is one, and it doesn't matter which version of god you might happen to believe in)..

                                      That wasn't my point. What one group does is going to be considered brainwashing by the other.

                                      John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

                                      I don't care what religious folks do as long as they don't they to directly and overtly impact *my* life.

                                      I don't care what athiests do as long as it doesn't impact *my* life. I guess everyone looks after their own self interest, sometimes even putting it before the interests of society as a whole. My point was that the Cardinal had the right to complain, just as you have the right to complain. The bus company had no obligation to listen.

                                      Gary Kirkham Forever Forgiven and Alive in the Spirit "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Me blog, You read

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                                      • J John Carson

                                        Christian Graus wrote:

                                        No-one is more irrational than a fervent athiest, in my experience

                                        This of course is just a schoolyard insult. Perhaps you would like to list the atheists you consider to be less rational than Fred Phelps and his happy band. Whether there are some is not really the point. What is the point is that you are just poking out your tongue rather than saying anything useful.

                                        John Carson

                                        C Offline
                                        C Offline
                                        Christian Graus
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #68

                                        John Carson wrote:

                                        Perhaps you would like to list the atheists you consider to be less rational than Fred Phelps and his happy band.

                                        Fred Phelps is not even remotely Christian. But, FWIW, I was referring to the christians and athiests I've had personal experience with. They mostly both do the same thing - ignore everything the other person says and wait for the gap to insert what they always say to such people. Real discussion very rarely occurs. I've had many conversations where the atheist response is a response to the opposite of what I just said.

                                        John Carson wrote:

                                        What is the point is that you are just poking out your tongue rather than saying anything useful.

                                        Well, it *is* useful to point out that many of the people paying for bus signs and generally looking to 'fight' for atheism, are highly irrational, even though they claim to be the voice of reason.

                                        Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

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                                        • D Dalek Dave

                                          Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

                                          Yeah! Of course, I probably have NO respect due to me.

                                          OWING to me surely!

                                          ------------------------------------ "The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion" Arthur C Clarke

                                          S Offline
                                          S Offline
                                          soap brain
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #69

                                          Dalek Dave wrote:

                                          OWING to me surely!

                                          I dunno. Maybe. I'm too sleepy to think at the moment. :zzz:

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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