Forgiveness

[moralist]

Greg:

Greg: I want to respond to your comments.

There's just one of me here.

If you claim you have recently read Genisis, Isiah, and Revelation lately, I suppose there is nothing I can say about that except congratulations. Normally, I would call bullshit on that, but...

There's no need to believe me. Call bulls*** all you want. It makes no difference to me.

Just so you know, I am not blaming you for being a Christian. I actually believe Christianity presents a reasonable world view, especially (perhaps only?) as it relates to universal salvation. I cannot wrap my brain around Christ dying only for a select subset of humans, preordained in advance, while others are preordained to suffer. That was not the early view of the Church, and it took Augustine to make this a mainline view of the Church for well over 1,000 years. Although this manline view scared the shit out of people rather nicely, it diminished our view of God's love rather greatly as a result.

Well, that's for you to work out for yourself. The intellectual pit you fell into is the result of you trying to figure out Christianity for the lives of others instead of discovering what it means for your life. You're free to spin your intellectual wheels over that conundrum all you wish, but it will not refine your own life one whit.

There is a difference between intellectually studying the dead past, and living here and now in the present moment.

Am I unjustly accusing you? Perhaps. But just so we are clear: my main problem with you is that you insult your audience.

Becoming offended is always your own free choice, and you are welcome to it.

My own personal approach is not to in the realization of typed words on a monitor in a virtual world compared to the reality of life out in the world. That's where the rubber meets the road.

Many of us have been around here long before you arrived. George Smith is kind enough to roam this forum, offer comments, even get in a scrape with some us now and then. Have you read his works? Do you realize how shallow some of your comments might come across as to someone like George Smith? Or Ellen Stuttle? Or any of the others you routinely (and I hope unintentionally) insult the intelligence of?

Well, again that's your own free choice. So go for it. Indulge yourself for all the good you think it will do you. I'll pass on that.

People who regard themselves as intellectuals carry a flaw within them in that when they become puffed up they can also become deflated. Whereas it is impossible to insult people with common sense, because they realize that it is in their own best interest to freely choose not to become insulted.

Greg

[Brant Gaede]

People who regard themselves as intellectuals carry a flaw within them in that when they become puffed up they can also become deflated.

Greg

That's me! But I've been deflated so much so often there's no longer getting any air in.

--Brant

I did have fun with helium once

[dldelancey]

Actually, it isn't the punishment itself that little children fear. It's the potential loss of the parent's love because they know their parents love is for their own good.

Excellent point.

The fear of the imaginary loss of parents' love is inherent in a child's perception of punishment, because they are not yet mature enough in their personal growth to see when punishment is done out of love for their own good.

The similarities between how children relate to their parents, and how adults relate to God are many. It's no accident that God is referred to as our Father, and those who honor Him are referred to as Children of God.

Greg

Please enumerate those similarities.

[Selene]

Whose the Mom?

I have the Catholic answer, however totally not sure of the tenets of the other christian groups as to the Virgin birth.

Is is possible, God being all powerful can be both Mother and Father of us all?

A...

[moralist]

That's Army 101.

Greg

For Rand talking usually came first. She was all about talking...

She had to do that as it was the only way to demonstrate the workings of the government bureaucratic thought process. I'll also add, I found that exchange as well as its outcome to be positively delicious.

Greg

[Selene]

moralist

That's what the n-words look for... a stupid unaware mark.

You realize that by saying "n-word" you're not changing the racist nature of your comment, right? I mean, you don't just get to type away racism.

I think "nigger" is a horrible concept.... but if you're going to employ the concept, have the balls to use the word.

What about the word "thug" because according to Sherman, Seattle cornerback, and possibly the best in the game, it is the new "n" word?

[Selene]

Another, "anomaly," [i am being kind] appears, upon information and belief, to apply the "hate crime" Federal jurisdiction purely when the alleged perpetrator is "caucasion."

My classic definition of "racism."

HOUSTON (AP) — A white Houston-area man accused of sucker punching an elderly black man has been indicted on a hate crime charge.

A federal grand jury in Houston indicted 27-year-old Conrad Alvin Barrett on Thursday.

Investigators say Barrett slugged the 79-year-old victim, breaking his jaw in two places, in a Nov. 24 attack in Katy. They say he laughed and shouted “knockout” as the man fell to the ground.

Investigators say Barrett videoed the attack on his cellphone and shared the recording.

Barrett was arrested Dec. 26 and remains in custody pending a court hearing next week.

The Associated Press left a message for defense attorney George Parnham seeking comment.

Parnham has said Barrett has a bipolar disorder and was off his medication when the attack happened.

What say you KacyRay?

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/01/23/texan-indicted-for-hate-crime-in-knockout-punch-of-elderly-man/

[Brant Gaede]

Another, "anomaly," [i am being kind] appears, upon information and belief, to apply the "hate crime" Federal jurisdiction purely when the alleged perpetrator is "caucasion."

My classic definition of "racism."

HOUSTON (AP) — A white Houston-area man accused of sucker punching an elderly black man has been indicted on a hate crime charge.

A federal grand jury in Houston indicted 27-year-old Conrad Alvin Barrett on Thursday.

Investigators say Barrett slugged the 79-year-old victim, breaking his jaw in two places, in a Nov. 24 attack in Katy. They say he laughed and shouted “knockout” as the man fell to the ground.

Investigators say Barrett videoed the attack on his cellphone and shared the recording.

Barrett was arrested Dec. 26 and remains in custody pending a court hearing next week.

The Associated Press left a message for defense attorney George Parnham seeking comment.

Parnham has said Barrett has a bipolar disorder and was off his medication when the attack happened.

What say you KacyRay?

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/01/23/texan-indicted-for-hate-crime-in-knockout-punch-of-elderly-man/

How do you know vice versa wouldn't obtain?

Doesn't mean I endorse "hate crime" law.

The other problem seems to be Federal law where it shouldn't be.

--Brant

the perpetrator, of course, deserves a bullet in the head, or some such

[Selene]

What say you KacyRay?

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/01/23/texan-indicted-for-hate-crime-in-knockout-punch-of-elderly-man/

How do you know vice versa wouldn't obtain?

Doesn't mean I endorse "hate crime" law.

The other problem seems to be Federal law where it shouldn't be.

--Brant

the perpetrator, of course, deserves a bullet in the head, or some such

Brant:

I have been looking at this issue for a while.

I am not finding numbers that I can rely on yet.

However, and this may be "information control."

Assuming that the % of the African American citizens of this country is aproximately between 12% and 16% we should be able to break out the numbers on the absurd concept of a "hate-crime" over the last six (6) years.

Essentially, there should be a certain percentage of African Americans that are charged with a hate crime and I am not finding those numbers.

Any help from OLers would be appreciated.

A...

[Brant Gaede]

Data, data, who's got the data?

--Brant

no data can replace principles, but they can help illuminate them

[Selene]

Data, data, who's got the data?

--Brant

no data can replace principles, but they can help illuminate them

Correct. So tag me as a modern day Diogenese who:

Diogenes of Sinope was a controversial figure. His father minted coins for a living, and when Diogenes took to debasement of currency, he was banished from Sinope.^[1] After being exiled, he moved to Athens to debunk cultural conventions. Diogenes modelled himself on the example of Hercules. He believed that virtue was better revealed in action than in theory. He used his simple lifestyle and behaviour to criticise the social values and institutions of what he saw as a corrupt society. He declared himself a cosmopolitan

Hmm...nevermind, too George Soros.

A...

[Selene]

moralist

That's what the n-words look for... a stupid unaware mark.

You realize that by saying "n-word" you're not changing the racist nature of your comment, right? I mean, you don't just get to type away racism.

I think "nigger" is a horrible concept.... but if you're going to employ the concept, have the balls to use the word.

What about the word "thug" because according to Sherman, Seattle cornerback, and possibly the best in the game, it is the new "n" word?

Here is an interesting article that would support KacyRay's opinion.

It is from Salon:

http://www.salon.com/2014/02/18/michael_dunn_and_open_season_on_black_teenagers_the_onslaught_of_white_murder/

Ms. Brittany Cooper wonders...

How much more are black people in this country supposed to take?

On Saturday, a Florida jury failed to convict Michael Dunn for the callous murder of Jordan Davis. Though he was convicted of three counts of attempted murder and also on a gun charge, a mistrial was declared for the first-degree murder charge. He will face substantial jail time – perhaps up to 75 years on the four charges for which he was found guilty.

Her premise is that:

I think it we can safely and fairly assume that it is open season on black teenagers, if the murders of Trayvon, Jordan and Renisha McBride are any indication.

Her thesis is essentially that:

Black being is the problem. Not black thuggery. Black boys officially exist in a state of social death, because the law continues to tell us that their lives, when taken by white men, are legally indefensible. They have been rendered by the law dead men walking. It’s no wonder then that in so many places they act like it. White thuggery, meanwhile, marches on, mowing down black folks at every turn, white sheets, sight unseen.

She concludes that:

This is unreasonable. In the face of all of it, black women lavish the men in our lives with the unreasonable love that our nation only knows how to give to white people. Playing surrogates for the nation is a job black women know quite well. In this instance, though, we are acutely aware of the insufficiency of our efforts. In the face of too much hate, our love is so clearly not enough.

A...