why ten commandments

He said 'we're all good Christians here'.

His wife???

How does she do it? J/K edgar!

LOL

I don't recall ever claiming to be a Christian. I did tell the tale of how I tried to become one, though it didn't take. I don't actually want to fight with Christians for the sake of a fight. I started out on a2k speaking out for separation of church and state and keeping science in our classrooms. The trash talk grew out of the rankled feelings people get when they disagree so vigorously. I've done my share. If people didn't take offense and go after every poster they disagree with, almost like stalking them sometimes, I think we could all get along a lot better.

from Wickopedia

George Carlin grew up on West 121st Street, in a neighborhood of Manhattan which he later said he and his friends called "White Harlem", because that sounded a lot tougher than its real name, "Morningside Heights." He was raised by his mother, who left his father when he was two years old. At age 17, Carlin dropped out of high school and joined the United States Air Force, training as a radar technician. He was stationed in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he began working as a disc jockey on a local radio station. He did not complete his Air Force enlistment. On July 29, 1957, Carlin was discharged.

At the age of 18, he and Jack Burns, a new announcer at the station, assembled a comedy routine and began booking nightclubs. Soon the act broke up, but Carlin continued to work as a stand-up comic.

In the 1960s, Carlin began appearing on television variety shows, notably Laugh In. His most famous skits were:

Indian war parties ("You wit' the beads...get outta line"),
Stupid disc jockeys ("Wonderful WINO...") - "The Beatles latest record, when played backwards at slow speed, says 'Dummy! You're playing it backwards at slow speed!"
Al Sleet, the "hippie-dippie weatherman". - "Tonight's forecast: Dark. Continued mostly dark tonight, turning to widely scattered light in the morning."
Jon Carson - the "world never known, and never to be known"
In 1961, Carlin married Brenda Hosbrook, whom he had met while touring the previous year. The couple had a daughter, Kelly, in 1963.

During this period, Carlin became more popular. He became a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson era, becoming one of Carson's most frequent substitutes during the host's three-decade reign. Carlin was also cast on Away We Go, a 1967 comedy show.

Eventually, Carlin changed his routines, and his appearance. He lost some TV bookings by dressing as a hippie, sporting a beard and earrings, but regained his popularity as the public caught on to his sense of style. It is not clear that Carlin has ever lost his hippie sensibilities, as he retains his beard to this day and has often sported a ponytail.

In this period he also perfected what is perhaps his best-known routine, "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," recorded on Class Clown, a routine which offended some. In 1973, a man complained to the FCC that his son had heard a later, similar routine, "Filthy Words," from Occupation: Foole, broadcast one afternoon over WBAI, a Pacifica Foundation FM radio station in New York City. Pacifica received a citation from the FCC, which sought to fine Pacifica for allegedly violating FCC regulations which prohibited broadcasting "obscene" material. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the FCC action, by a vote of 5 to 4, ruling that the routine was "indecent but not obscene," and the FCC had authority to prohibit such broadcasts during hours when children were likely to be among the audience. FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978).

The controversy only increased Carlin's fame (or notoriety). Carlin eventually expanded the dirty-words theme with a seemingly interminable end to a performance (ending with his voice fading out in one HBO version, and accompanying the credits in the Carlin at Carnegie special for the 1982-83 season), and a set of 49 web pages organized by subject and embracing his "Incomplete List Of Impolite Words." Ironically, the court documents contain a complete transcript of the skit, in line with what Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. said: "you cannot define obscenity without being obscene."[3]


George Carlin's 1972 arrest photograph
(arrest report: [1] [2])In December 2003, California U.S. Representative Doug Ose introduced a bill (H.R. 3687) to outlaw the broadcast of Carlin's seven "dirty words," including "compound use (including hyphenated compounds) of such words and phrases with each other or with other words or phrases, and other grammatical forms of such words and phrases (including verb, adjective, gerund, participle, and infinitive forms)." (The bill omits "tits", but includes "ass" and "asshole" which were not part of Carlin's original routine). Carlin was also arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and charged with violating obscenity laws.

Carlin was the first-ever host of NBC's Saturday Night Live, debuting on October 11, 1975 (He also hosted SNL on November 10, 1984.) The following season, 1976-77, Carlin also appeared regularly on CBS Television's Tony Orlando & Dawn variety series.

In the 1970s, Carlin became known for unpredictable performances. He would walk off if no one laughed, verbally insult the audience, or simply not appear.

Carlin unexpectedly stopped performing regularly in 1976, when his career appeared to be at its height. For the next five years, he rarely appeared to perform stand-up, although it was at this time he began doing specials for HBO as part of its "On Location" series. His first two HBO specials aired in 1977 and 1978.

It was later revealed that Carlin had suffered the first of his three heart attacks during this layoff period.

In the 1980s Carlin reformed, making a triumphant return to HBO (and to his hometown) with the Carlin at Carnegie special videotaped at Carnegie Hall and airing during the 1982-83 season. Carlin continued doing HBO specials every year or every other year over the following decade and a half, and became as identified with the cable network's comedy offerings as the performer whose specials practically inaugurated the network, Robert Klein.

By 1989, Carlin became popular with teens when he was cast as the mentor, Rufus, in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. In 1991, he provided the narrative voice for the American version of the children's show Thomas the Tank Engine, a role he continued until 1998.

Carlin began a weekly sitcom, The George Carlin Show, cast as "George," a cab driver, for the Fox Network in 1993. He quickly included a variation of the "Seven Words" in the plot.

In 1997, Brenda Carlin died of liver cancer. George Carlin did not work for a year following the death of his wife. In 1999, Carlin returned with an appearance in Kevin Smith's film Dogma. He worked with Smith again with a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and a larger role in Jersey Girl.

In 2004, George Carlin was voted #2 of the Greatest Standup Comedians of All Time by Comedy Central, just behind Richard Pryor (see List of Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time)

In December 2004, Carlin announced that he would be voluntarily entering a drug rehabilitation facility to receive treatment for his dependency on alcohol and painkillers.

Carlin performs regularly as a headliner in Las Vegas. He has currently begun a new tour and had a new HBO Special on November 5th, 2005 entitled Life is Worth Losing. - [4], which was shown live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

For once I couldn't think of anything to say.

djjd62, Moses was given 200+ laws in addition to the 9 or 10 accepted by Christians. (Catholics delete the one about not making idols/graven images and split the one about not coveting into two parts.) Here is the original version:


Interestingly, there is another set of commandments in the Bible which specifically refers to itself as the Ten Commandments, but is not accepted as such by Christians:


I came up with what I think are better rules for living:

1. Tolerate others' beliefs as long as they don't hurt anyone
2. Examine your own beliefs, and do not worship anything unworthy of worship.
3. Do not use language offensive to your listeners.
4. Eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest.
5. Do not physically or mentally abuse your spouse, your kids or your parents.
6. Do not murder.
7. If you make a commitment to someone, keep it in letter and in spirit.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie, or through your silence allow injustice.
10. Pay your taxes, vote, and uphold the laws or change them.

A few more:

11. Do not act irresponsibly and become a burden to others.
12. Love you family, love your friends, and at least be polite to everyone else.
13. Do not cause unnecessary pain.
14. Live such that the world is better place for you having been here.

And finally,

15. Teach children to think, don't just give them a list of rules.

Well, that's why Carlin is the master, we but the acknowledged pupils.

another reason not to be a christian, is god so humourless that he can't take a little bit of ribbing, you people need to lighten up a bit

djjd62,

What you do not seem to understand is that God is very Holy. His Word being perverted with sexual innuendo is not a little ribbing. It is perversion in God's eyes and offensive to me and other Christians.

So, when the day comes and He asks you why you thought He was so humorless, explain it to Him. I bet He will get a good chuckle out of it! :wink:

The problem is that many people do not have the same "take" on God and his word as you do. Assuming that there is a God, how do you know that it is perversion in his eyes? Also, how can you speak for other Christians?

The only thing that you can say with any authority is that you find the joking offensive to YOU!

Phoenix,

Not true, Phoenix. The Bible plainly states what God thinks about people mocking Him and His Word. How can I speak for other Christians? Well, if they are Christian, they would be offended, believe me.

I hold God in the most sacred of respect. I don't know any Christian that would think perverting God's word is funny.

I will look up some verses for you on this.

No, I can say with 100% authority that anyone that truly, truly loves the Lord would find perversion of His word offensive.

but is it offensive to god? my understanding is that god is beyond knowing, so how can you speak for somebody you can never really know

it offends you, and for that i'm sorry, believe me or don't that wasn't my intention (i toned down the language to make it more palatable), i found it an interesting peice, much of which i agreed with, and thought it may spark some debate

the phrase, water off a ducks back, comes to mind in how i feel the faithful should deal with things like this, i mean if your right i'm gonna get mine anyway

Right, just let it roll off my back. That's what I should do because the way you think and want to act is what is important and how it effects others is not?

I do appreciate the attempt to tone it down.

Responsibility goes both ways.

Thou shalt argue.

i believe a wise man once went against his father and suggested that rather than an eye for an eye, one turn the other cheek

A common response from a seeming non-believer. I'm telling you guys, you need a new script! We've got this one memorized and down pat!

You (not literal) don't believe in God or Christianity but boy if someone is gonna claim to be one, they dang well better do it your way or you are sure going to point it out to them! :wink: Sorry, that's Burger King's slogan, not mine.

funny, it's how i live my life

apart from all the heaven and hell stuff, as a role model you can't beat jesus

here goes, better sit down ma, i find the four gospels to be a great read, as was anthony burgess "man of nazareth" and nikos kazantzakis "the last temptation of christ"

I'm not offended by this topic and I think George is funny - mostly.

The fact is that Jesus did narrow everything down to two commandments for believers:
Love God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength.
and
Love your neighbor as yourself.

All other 'commandments' for Christians are simply extensions of the above.

Here goes djjd62, doesn't surprise me a bit! :wink:

Matthew 7:4.

I wonder about that each time I read one of your posts.

You speak for yourself, MoAn. If other Christians agree with you, they are certainly free to say that - but you simply can't portray your views as those of Christians. You represent yourself - perhaps some other Christians on some particular issues - but not all Christians on all issues.

Most of us are able to express our own opinions.

~~~~~~~

Now, on the upside, for me, is that reading your posts makes me review my own feelings about being a Christian - which I think is my obligation, every day.