I Hate Dipshits who Hate Christians just for being Christian

[Steph]

Discussion starts here, whoo hoo!

[Snow]

could the first post be a summary of the chapter? that would seriously help me...

[Merwyn]

I'm not Jesus so I don't have to act like Him.

[[deleted user]]

I hate Christians who hate dipshits for being dipshits.

Point taken, Rummy. I don't bash anyone for their religious beliefs, but some of Jesus' fans do need to get knocked down a peg or 12.

[Merwyn]

No doubt - I'm with you on that!

[Amanda]

This thought just occurred to me:
If you're not bashing people for things that they believe, what are you bashing them for? I mean, you can't bash people for stuff they don't choose, right? Ok, you could. But why would you? That doesn't make sense. It only makes sense, therefore to bash people specifically because of stuff they believe.

[[deleted user]]

I think what Rummy's saying is that it's not fair to bash people who are Christians because of a certain element of Christian society, i.e. the loony Christian right. Much as you cannot condemn all Muslims because of some whack-job fundamentalists.

[Charissa]

actually, I think bashing people for their religion is standard fare in human history. what are you, the political correctness police?

I hate Christianity. So there. Bite me.

EDIT: I would like to formally apologize for this remark. Upon reflection I have come to realize that it was both inaccurate and unnecessary. Also, it was really rude and offensive. Apparently I have gotten the idea into my head that behaving like an ass is permissible in this forum, which is, of course, absurd. None of us really need any extra opportunity to behave like an ass. I'm sure I behave like an ass on a regular enough basis not to give myself permission to do it regularly in a public online forum where it's already difficult enough to interpret text. It may feel good to behave like an ill mannered six year old for a few seconds, but at the end of the day, what kind of world do I want to live in? Probably one with less meanness and prejudice would be preferable to one where I get to be a cunt.

[Dave]

Amanda, you make an excellent point. I don't like this notion of "Christian-bashing." What's the point of free speech, if not to persuade people of the wrongness of their choices? Of course, assuming all Christians are horrible people is absurd, but no person worth debating would say that.

[[deleted user]]

I don't like Christianity much, but I'm not going to give someone shit for believing in some kindly old man living in the heavens. And just because it's standard fare in human history doesn't make it right. Slavery was standard fare. So is rape and murder. So is telling random strangers to fuck off.

Fuck, I have no idea what point I'm making right now.

[Charissa]

so now you're equating saying you think something is stupid with rape? Wow... that's a leap.

[Amanda]

Well hi there, Rusty.

[Amanda]

It's true. We've seen them. They're red!

[[deleted user]]

No, Charissa, I'm equating the inanity and cruelty of stating "something is standard fare in human history, therefore, whatever". Bashing people for their beliefs leads to intolerance. And intolerance leads to a lot of "standard fare", like murder in the name of whatever fucking god you want to believe in.

Personally, I think all religion is just a shell game, but if you want to buy into the game, be my guest.

[Sally]

Big girl panties come in red? Mine say "TuesdayTuesdayTuesdayTuesday" in lavender.

[Rusty]

Big girl panties are $7.99 at Wal-Mart, and come in a variety of colors and designs. Just don't get the ones that say "Juicy" - that's tacky.

[Charissa]

Gus... I think it's a ridiculous stretch to say that shooting off one's mouth about thinking something is stupid, or that you "hate" something leads to a.) intolerance and even more ridiculous b.) murder. By that logic here's what my life would consist of:

Me - Day One (driving on the freeway): I fucking hate little old ladies with blue hair who can barely see over the dashboard who slow down when they are in front of you and then speed up when you are in front of them!!!!

Next Day (standing on the street corner): (holding up a sign) "All Old Ladies Out of North America!!!" (the other side of the sign) "Old Ladies Should Be Shot on Sight!!!"

Next Day (on the freeway): Fucking Lady!! (shoots and kills 27 old ladies in a freeway rampage).

Really? You think this is how people actually operate?

[[deleted user]]

I don't think that logic would apply to you, but it's very possible, in fact, documented, that certain people think with that same logic.

Oh, fuck it, this debate's going nowhere. I should have responded to your initial "bite me" statement with "consider yourself bitten."

So, let's go yell at some blue hairs, 'kay?

[[deleted user]]

That sapper is me, by the way.

[Charissa]

I'm a girl, you can't tell from over there whether I'm 'roused or not, Buster. : P

[Sally]

It's Wednesday, and you can tell because my big girl panties say WednesdayWednesdayWednesday in red comic sans font.

Some might say that a certain aroma is in the air when a female is aroused.

[Tracy]

ew! comic sans.




anyway, back to the argument at hand... saying that you shouldn't hate something, because then maybe other, less stable people will also hate it and then do something stupid because of it, is sort of akin to saying that violent video games cause violent kids. so you've got your causes and effects all mixed up. violent kids play violent video games BECAUSE they're violent, while the rest of us are capable of playing violent video games and suffering no ill effects. so, hateful people who do hateful stuff are hateful because they need an excuse for the stuff they would do anyway (those kids a couple years ago who beat that gay kid to death didn't do it because he was gay; they did it because they were homicidal freaks and the gay part was their excuse). but most of us are perfectly capable of both hating something and living with it if there's nothing to be done about it anyway.

[Amanda]

Kitten Tracy, I find myself agreeing AND disagreeing with you at the same time! Oh, my head is swimming! This argument is soooo complex!!!!!!!!

It's a nature v. nurture thing. Nurture is a big deal, and if kids who are Naturally violent are Nurtured on violent video games, they will certainly act on their Nature moreso than those who don't play the video games.

[Charissa]

you people are like the fucking thought police. liberal fascism.

California Uber Alles.

[Sally]

I'm surprised that nobody wants to talk about my panties near as much as KD or Gus's sperm.

[Steph]

Chapter 4 Summary: In this chapter, the Sweating Fever hits the palace. Raoulo is the first to get sick; then Gary, Francis, and Alex follow. Francis, unfortunatley, dies. Jon then comes down the with sickness. Alanna, with some help from Coram, Myles, and Timon (a servant) heals Jon.

[Amanda]

Oh, sorry Sally. I'm still giggling about your panties. I always forget that you're not here in the room with me so you can't see my laughter! do you remember the barettes that matched? Those little plastic ones...?

[[deleted user]]

If my sperm came anywhere near your panties, Sally, both you and I would have major hell to pay. My wife, she is the jealous kind, especially when it comes to my spooge. Hers, all hers!!!

[Dave]

Man milk?

Baby batter?

[[deleted user]]

Rocket sauce?

Nutsack swimmers?

Daddy's seed?

Gooey love offering?

Yeah, I got a million of 'em!

[Allie]

I liked that. You really saw even more of Alanna's fear of magic, made her seem more realistic. I wonder why Jon didn't figure out it was a woman talking to him when she saved him, and why he didnt' say anything. And we really get to see more of Myles, and what power he really has, how he is wise and can keep secrets.

[[deleted user]]

About that, Alanna speculates that Jon doesn't remember things that happened while he was ill. If he did remember, he may have dismissed it as a dream or hallucination induced by the Sweating Sickness.

I reiterate: Myles is wonderful!

[[deleted user]]

Alanna acts very grown-up here--so decisive and commanding. Even if I thought adults were wrong, I don't know if I would have had the gumption at 11 to correct them, or the intelligence to recruit another's help... actually, strike that. I'd probably recruit another's help, but I'd ask them to straighten things out and probably wouldn't presume to take charge myself... but then, my best friend hasn't been dying and surrounded by idiots like that.

Something I'm curious about: Why/How did Alanna know it'd come to the vervain/fire/goddess thing? And why did she get the vision again? Aside from foreshadowing, is this something the goddess is purposefully giving her, and if so, why?

[Snow]

i liked how everyone pretty much listened to alanna when she took over caring for jon. she just went to mylse, and VOILA! she was in charge!

[Charissa]

NOTE: I have made an edit to my message at #6. My apologies to any who were inadvertantly offended by my lame and unnecessary offhanded remark. I retract it and hope it may be forgiven.

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

I forgive you, Charissa. You're not afraid to say what you mean, and you're not afraid to realize you didn't mean quite what you said, either.
Totally cool, I think.

[Charissa]

thanks Jackie. That's right Christian of you. : )

[Charissa]

Thanks Donna. I kinda feel like The Fonz sometimes... I'm ssssssss........ yeah.

[Charissa]

heeeee.... thas funny.

[Steph]

I think the Goddess gave it to her purposefully to test her. If she could fulfill whatever the Goddess had in mind; then Alanna would be worthy of the Goddess' protection.

[[deleted user]]

That's a thought. But as you'll see later, the goddess didn't create the sickness. However, you're right that she may have used it as an opportunity to test Alanna, or force her to use her magic/ call on her aid (and thus break one of Alanna's mental/ emotional barriers that kept her from using it??)

[[deleted user]]

Just a thought (an annoying unanswerable one...): why/how did Alanna know it'd come to the vervain/fire/gods thing? And why the vision again? Why does she only get it in the fire and not at night or at other times? Most curious.

[Steph]

Wow, lee. Your questions force me to really think. And the bad part is that I can't come up with an answer.

[Krithika]

yeah. i really dont have an answer for Lee's questions.