Why do you suppose Jesus never condemned slavery?

Snide passive-aggressive insults only serve to emphasize what an angry man you are Frank. I'm not concerned with any "failures" on your part. This is a game you play, i don't know why, and i don't care. But it's long since gotten old, tedious and predictable. More than anything else, it doesn't work. It doesn't draw in the christians and it serves none of the ridiculous, noble purposes you attempted to allege.

You should stop being so angry at god and the christians and lighten up.

Criticism of religion is logical if the beliefs of the religion fail to further society's goals and such criticism is difficult to level against the Christian religion because it has fulfilled those goals more successfully than any other culture ever did.

Criticism of religion is also valid if it offers an alternative to the religious leaders which will fulfil those goals more effectively, as Communism argues, and justifies its alternative with plausible and practical programmes of action.

Criticism of religion because some of its officials are corrupt, or evil, or that its professed beliefs are unprovable scientifically, are nothing but noises off from people whose ego thrusting has convinced them that they are better theologians than the religious elite. Such criticism is thus subversive, anti-culture and unscientific and might justifiably be persecuted or even demand persecution if those goals are put at risk.

Think how much good golf would do you if you laid down this burden of anger against god and christianity, Frank. You'd do much better, though, if you didn't strain yourself for bullshit such as comparing yourself to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who died to end slavery. There's no good reason to see someone so full of hate and anger as equivalent to people who truly had a noble cause. Your cause is rather paltry and mean-spirited, Frank. That's what you should work on.

I did not compare myself to anyone who died to end slavery.

The push to end slavery in America was once considered a "futile exercise" , Setanta.

Re: Frank Apisa (Post 5117706)
Frank Apisa wrote:
I did not compare myself to anyone who died to end slavery.


Liar. I told you this thread was a futile exercise. To that, you replied . . .

Frank Apisa wrote:
The push to end slavery in America was once considered a "futile exercise" , Setanta.

You're not very good at this Frank.

That's why you could never "invent" someone like me.

Your paltry rhetorical skills are not sufficient to invent someone who can shred your pathetic arguments so easily.

You aren't going to get up a crusade because someone's scripture from thousands of years ago condoned slavery. But more than that, as has been pointed out to you time and again, nothing you are saying will convince the religiously devout. Trying to make yourself look noble over this in fact just makes you look ridiculous. The majority, the overwhelming majority of people in the world believe in some sort of deity. This will not change in your lifetime or mine, not in the lifetimes of the next generation, nor their grandchildren's lifetimes, nor the lifetimes of their grandchildren.

No, you're not good at all at rhetoric. I see now that you're switiching from getting angry to getting frustrated. Whatever floats your boat, Frank. It's kind of sad for you that you have to invent emotional states in me in order to feel good about all of this.

The southern states were sufficiently anxious about an end to slavery that they focused almost single-mindedly on preserving the institution. They would not vote for the admission of any "free" state unless there were also the admission of a slave state. The three-fifths compromise (read about it sometime) meant that their political power was at stake whenever a new state entered the union. They were enthusiastic supporters of the war with Mexico because they thought that, using the terms of the Missouri compromise (read about it sometime), they would see the admission of several slave states to bolster their political power. No, certainly the southern states never considered an end to slavery to be a futile exercise.

What ought to have been glaringly obvious to you was that in their last desperate gasp, they went to war, because the spoils of the Mexican War had not brought them the political clout they believed they needed to preserve slavery. They knew from day one that most people in the United States did not support the institution, and would end it if possible.

I can't imagine why you would claim that Frank sees himself as an atheist, but thanks for the laugh. Frank has compared himself to the end of slavery, and i really don't see there being much probability of millions flocking to his banner.

I didn't figure you were so ignorant as not to have heard of the American civil war. But i'll take your word for it.

No, you're not good at it at all. Just look at that idiotic signature line of yours.