@edgarblythe,
Quote:We who play by the rules have to bear the daily onslaught of fanatics who will stop at nothing.
People who play by the rules are serious fanatics. They have no doubts.
@spendius,
I knew you would find something about it to be an ass.
@edgarblythe,
The pedantic rule keeping goody-goody would bring all civilised life to a grinding halt within 24 hours if we gave him his head.
It takes an ass to deny it.
That's interesting. The Tories (conservatives) in the last provincial election in Ontario got pasted, and in large measure, it was the result of the mix of religion and education. In the late 1830s, the two provinces of Canada--Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Québec) became Canada West and Canada East, respectively, and formed into a single province of Canada (this was thirty years before the nation of Canada was formed). Both provinces were guaranteed equal representation in their parliaments, and both provinces made a series of deals to allow them a modus vivendi.
One of those was the support of religious schools. In Canada East (Québec), the Catholic Church ran the schools. In an effort on behalf of the English-speaking Protestant population of Canada East, the delegates from Canada West made a deal under the terms of which Canada East would provide secular school districts for those who did not want to put their children into Catholic schools, and Canada West agreed to support Catholic school districts. Over time, that has grown to be a major source of resentment in Ontario, because their Catholic population unexpectedly grew enormously--Italians and Portuguese have immigrated in large numbers, and now there is a growing population of Latin Americans there, and these immigrants are represented in large numbers in Toronto, the largest city in Canada.
During the last provincial election campaign, the conservative leader, John Tory (ironic name, no?) said early in the campaign that rather than fight a bitter fight over Catholic schools, the province should just support all religious schools. Bad move, really bad move. Tory tried to drop the issue, but neither the press nor the public would let him forget it. Not only did the Tories lose the election, and lose it badly, but John Tory lost his seat in the provincial parliament, and now, finally has had to step down as leader of the provincial Tories.
I cannot say for certain, because the prairie provinces are the stronghold of the Tories in Canada, but i suspect that this kind of measure, bringing religious prejudice into the school system, will haunt the Tories. However, they may get away with it.
@edgarblythe,
It's on his site on his video segment. Very funny -- especially the Mel Gibson line and the final punch line.
http://www.billmaher.com/
@wandeljw,
Quote:The classroom is where many kids are exposed to new ideas, learn to listen respectfully and develop critical thinking skills.
Platitudinous and meaningless drivel.
@Lightwizard,
Lightwizard wrote:
It's on his site on his video segment. Very funny -- especially the Mel Gibson line and the final punch line.
http://www.billmaher.com/
Thanks. He's a seriously funny and insightful dude. I wish he and spendi would trade places.
@edgarblythe,
Pope Spendius XXX couldn't come up with those zingers if his life depended on it.
@Lightwizard,
I restrain myself LW on account of how nice you all are.
Not expecting much I did check them out. Pathetic. I have a collection of Zit magazine for goodness sakes.
He's obviously had a Bottomless Past.
And has never seen Calvin Stopes and the Sexophonists playing There Ain't No Bottle in all the World like that Dear Little Bottle of Mine with Fifi Bradlaugh on Bumfinger soprano.
@Lightwizard,
Lightwizard wrote:
It's on his site on his video segment. Very funny -- especially the Mel Gibson line and the final punch line.
http://www.billmaher.com/
How 'bout this one.... "you can't crap all over Darwin and Stem Cells and then come crawling back to science when you want Tamiflu. That's for us sinners."
@rosborne979,
What they don't even understand are the basics of evolution; the swine flu is a "new" virus strain that has evolved to survive through "swine" to humans. God didn't "create" it; it evolved through survival of the fittest.
And if god did create it, he screwed up big time as a "perfect" god. Why would he want to punish humans this way? He sure loves us humans, doesn't he?
@rosborne979,
Right -- mention evolution science to most devout fundamentalist and they suddenly seem to morph into Christian Science advocates. It's not medical science that saves them, it's God and prayer. Of course, meditating and getting oneself into a Beta state does offer some therapeutic advantage, which is what the science of Bio-Feedback achieves. It's just that someone in a hospital room who's just been saved in surgery can't possibly believe that some higher power individually picked them out to be saved because of prayer but the person in the next room who didn't make it was selected while God was playing with his Ouija Board. Whether they prayed, were prayed for but especially if they were an atheist.
@cicerone imposter,
As far as running things he's more like a drunk driver.
@Lightwizard,
god does things in mysterious ways that us humans will never understand. We must only trust that he loves us, and that's the reason why he "sacrificed" his only son.
@Lightwizard,
Quote:Of course, meditating and getting oneself into a Beta state does offer some therapeutic advantage, which is what the science of Bio-Feedback achieves.
Whoa there boyo. You didn't ought to mention that in front of your claque. It makes them blush. Especially with the "Of course".
It opens up avenues that their scientific curiosity has on Ignore. As well it might. Mental states affecting health! Good gracious. They won't even discuss the matter like ladies at a respectable coffee morning won't discuss skiddie bloomers.
@cicerone imposter,
Quote:god does things in mysterious ways that us humans will never understand. We must only trust that he loves us, and that's the reason why he "sacrificed" his only son.
I'll refrain from dealing with that. It's just silly.
The real explanation is off limits to both sides. And you wouldn't understand it anyway. You don't do theology. You only do "leaning on the garden wall" religion.
Bill Maher would bolt from a booze up with theologians all red-faced and confused.
@cicerone imposter,
Is that mysterious or supernatural? Again, we're back to the "he" and his son, which means thee is supernatural sperm which impregnated Mary. Does that supernatural sperm have wings?
@Lightwizard,
The DNA does, but how all that plays out is anybody's guess.
@Lightwizard,
Quote:Does that supernatural sperm have wings?
It is quite easy to get such an impression LW. Have you been missing out?
