George Aar

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not much on holidays, but there'e one or two that simply can't be missed. Like today! It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day! True it doesn't measure up to the significance and downright holiness of say, Guy Falks Day, but it IS a day that should not be missed, or trifled with, me 'ardies! 'appy 'oliday to us all sez I! arrrr...

O.K., I passed the test, but why do I have the overpowering urge to slap the snot out of whoever wrote it? OH! Could it be because it's toxically snide? Yeah, maybe... O.K., so it's Monday and I'm grumpy...

Geeze Seth, You've finally broken free of WayWorld, are you sure you want hitch your wagon to an even BIGGER bunch of meatheads? I mean, crop circles? And, though none of the other names seemed familiar, I know Gary Schwartz is infamous in skeptical circles for his unbridled credulity. And would you really wanna trust some broad with an obvious, abherrent affection for collagen clown lips? Might I suggest another website? Maybe spend a little time here: http://www.randi.org/ Plug in any of the celebrities' names from the sites you've posted in the search engine and see what the skeptical community thinks. Not saying that they're the final word on anything either. But maybe they'll give you a little more circumspection? Peace, love...

A quote from the second link I gave (as I have serious doubts that some here expended much effort to read it) that seems appropo: "It seems that the only science the Discovery Institute is interested in is the same science the First Crusaders were interested in: evolution. Why? They provide an answer on their Science and Culture Web site: Materialistic thinking dominated Western culture during the 20th century in large part because of the authority of science. The Center for Science and Culture seeks, therefore, to challenge materialism on specifically scientific grounds. The Discovery Institute folks seem to believe that science has led to an onslaught of atheistic materialism, which in turn has led to massive immorality and a world of sinners and criminals that can be purified only by a return to some imagined prior state when people used the Bible as their guide to morality and science. The fact that there is no evidence that there has ever been such a prior state does not seem to concern them. Contrary to the Discovery Institute view, the evidence indicates that the vast majority of sinners and criminals are not atheistic materialists. Most people are theists and there is no evidence that a disproportionate number of atheists are committing the world’s sins and crimes. In fact, one of Christianity’s own, George Barna, fell from grace with many fundamentalists when he published the results of a poll that found that in terms of standards many Christians think distinguish them from evildoers, there is no difference between themselves and non-religious people. There is no difference in the divorce rate, in the belief in absolute moral truth, in how they rank economic self-interest in relation to spiritual or moral values, or “living a comfortable lifestyle” in relation to having a close, personal relationship with God. Barna is a longtime Christian pollster who has authored over 30 books on the state of Christianity."

Oh, and this one too: http://www.skepdic.com/essays/secondcrusade.html

http://skepdic.com/intelligentdesign.html

I think WayWorld was about as adept at medical issues as they were at "Biblical Research". As a result, they embraced notions about healing and good health practices that were nigh unto "eye of newt" and letting of blood and the like. I would put about as much stock in their recommendations as I would in your basic astrology chart or other garden variety superstitions. The books sound like maybe they have a clue about something, but the Wayfer lackies' stuff? Nah....

It's a new DAWN! Cman and I are in COMPLETE agreement on this point!

I was driving through the parking lot of a WalMart once and was buhleeving for a parking place right up near the front door...

But if one chooses to go that extra mile, is that so wrong?

"But the cat came back He wouldn't stay away Sitting on the front porch the very next day The cat came back We thought he was a goner, but he just wouldn't stay away..."

Gee, nothing circular about that logic, huh? OM, I can see no way whereby one could falsify the "Law of Believing", at least by Wayferite standards of logic. Don't you find that troubling?

Well, what the hell, I guess I'll weigh in: Establishes and maintains a positive attitude. Can a class even do that? Seems presumptuous at best. If a class could do such a thing, it didn't happen in my case. Maybe I'm too passive? makes life meaningfull Ditto to the previous one. How can a class MAKE anything into anything? Maybe the wording is just poor. The APPLICATION of said class could do this I guess. But in my case, even that claim gets a "no". Overcomes worry and fear Again with what the class can "do" all on it's own. But no, I noticed no perceptable difference on that front. Promotes prosperity and health HA! This one's a joke, right? Yeah, dropping out of life in general to run around the country aimlessly was a tremendous benefit to my financial and medical well being! Explains apparent bible contradictions No, "explain" isn't the right word. "Obfuscate" I think comes closer to the mark. Developes more harmony in the home Oh yeah, you bet. Want more harmony in your home? Just alienate everyone you're related to and dismiss them all as "rank unbelievers". That'll develop harmony, YOU BET! Enables you to seperate truth from error No, again it falls short in it's claims. It only gives you a differing opinion to cling to and CLAIM as "the Truth". No guarantee what they're peddling has any more credibility than anybody else's Bible opinions. Disciplines the mind by believing What the f$%^ does that even mean? I never knew. Teaches how to pray effectively. Well, it teaches a method of prayer, I'll give it that. The fact that you get the same results as any other prayer (nothing) is never mentioned, however.

The one thing that I could never figure out with all the stars, and planets in conjunction and all that crap, was a very simple, pracitcal sort of thing. How the hell could one tell if a star was hovering over a particular house? I mean, unless said star was incredibly small and at an impossible and devastatingly low altitude? This point always baffled me, and caused me no end of torment, trying to make mythology line up with real life. Say, when's Hercules' birthday, anyway? I haven't sent him a card in an awful long time...

Machine wrapped with butter? Machine wrapped with butter! (nods knowingly, with wry smile)

I got a hunnert! ( I DID get off to a pretty slow start though, had no clue what the instructions were trying to say)

Mike, I'm not trying to be insulting or an arrogant a-hole, but, Have you ever considered the possibility that you're NOT the only person left in the whole world who really understands the intricate subtleties of Almighty God and His foremost prophet V.P. Wierwille, but that you're simply batsheit crazy? Just wondering...

Yeah, hopefully well away from everybody else's place...

I don't know about "sharing the gospel" but TWI sure killed any illusions I had about there being anything to the whole Christian experience. I mean, what with all the POWER we supposedly had at our disposal, yet we still lived - for the most part - like a bunch of losers. Yeah, it left a thoroughly (throughly?) bad taste in my mouth...

Well, I've got serious reservations about some "god" doing anything, Mike, sorry. Maybe it was Superman, or Hercules? But if you buy the notion that there IS an Almighty God that once had a pact with the Israelites, why couldn't the U.N. have been used as a tool to reestablish that nation? Is there some sort of Biblical prohibition against the U.N.? And as for your second question, if there's substantial genetic evidence that a large proportion of modern Israelies (and there DOES seem to be such evidence) are descended from the ancient inhabitants of that land, what IS the difference between the "Israel" of old and that of today? I mean, other than theological tenets of you and them?

Well, after almost 30 years, I guess that's not remarkable. Maybe I thought you two had a closer friendship than you did. I just remember sitting around talking about how you made the brooms and how you got paid - that kind of stuff - one day long ago in an Ohio Cornfield. Almost seems like somebody else's life now...

[quote name='Mike' date='Sep 9 2007, 04:34 PM' post='366271' I think that was all Dr was trying to do with placing those books for sale: getting us to not be influenced by a swarm of confusing notions regarding Modern Judaism and it's relation to Christianity. And what better way to do that than by promoting erroneous propoganda, huh? "Here KEEEDS! I'll straighten yous all out. Here's a pack of lies that explains everything!"

Eh, it's just one of those bits of trivia that stuck to my brain, kinda like flypaper. Amazing how arbitrary it can be though. So, long time no see! Ever hear from Cheryl anymore?

Yeah, and his BULLsit was even richer!