Folks,
Something to think about... more people have died over the centuries in the name of religion than any other cause. I had an eye opening experience some time ago when I locked up 2 Catholic priests for molesting young boys. Yeah...... I'm an ex-cop, and was involved in a very large child molestation investigation some years back that probably a lot of you read or heard about. Anyway, when you arrest a "man of god" for such a thing it really makes you wonder about the entire concept of organized religion. And the funny part is how the church tried to get the state's attorney's office to sweep it under the rug. Those crazy Catholics!
Yep, religion kills. But relationship builds and edifies. Believe it or not, all Christians are not Catholic priests. And you should question "organized" religion. I don't think that's what God had in mind. It amazes me that the Catholic faith won't allow their priests to get married. I think it would be hard to counsel someone on marriage when you've never been there yourself. I just don't understand that about the Catholic faith. I think they should let the priests get married. But they didn't ask me, so I guess it really doesn't matter what I think.
My initial issues with Al was an argument over insurance. He started the "holier than thou" crap and I responded. There have never been threats from me but I can't say the same for him.
Neither of us have to like each other to be moral. And my words have not caused anyone harm here. I believe anyone can have a say, even a jackass.
Rick
I didn't say you caused him harm nor that either of you are immoral. If I'm not mistaken, the golden rule states, "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you".
And I guess that's exactly what's happening between you and Al.
If everyone followed the teachings of Jesus we would all indeed be far far better off. However, what we have, overwhelmingly, is people aciting like assholes all week, hitting church on Sunday, then going back to being assholes.
Because anyone "believes" means nothing. Deeds alone won't save anyone however most Christians I know really don't know how to walk to walk.
Charity? Truly helping others less fortunate? Ask yourself:
A: When was the last time you devoted your time to the poor
B: How much of your income goes to to charity
Not calling anyone out but let's face it - it's all BS with the "Jesus is my teacher" stuff.
Jesus is your teacher? Ok - live modestly and give everything over what you need to live to help others.
Yeah....right. That Ipod and plasma TV with the new SUV is a bit more important than the poor.
Next you think about going out to dinner, instead - donate that time to a soup kitchen and donate what you would have spent on dinner.
Would Jesus hit TGI Friday's on Saturday or give that money to the needy?
Again, "I try to follow..." is all 100% pure kaka
By the way - I know and deeply admire just a very few people I know who walk the walk.
My brother runs an orgainization called Pax Chrisi in Baltimore. He has a good friend - owns basically nothing - lives the most modest life and his entire time is spent on Bea Gaddy's homeless shelter: Bea Gaddy Family Center
Anything he makes over what his basic living expenses costs goes to the center and he drives around Baltimore in the winter with food and blankets looking for people who need help.
Those are people I admire. So if you're not prepared to actually devote your life to PRACTICING the teachings of Jesus then you're a fraud.
------------------------------------ Health Insurance Agents: Training, Support, Discounts, E&O for $440 www.ihiaa.com
Mother Theresa gave her life to the poor and the final result from her was, I question my belief in god. She tried to help every way possible she could and in the end saw the hand of god do nothing.
No - Mother Theresa wasn't on message boards posting about what a great Christian she was. She put her beliefs into action and for that needs to be admired.
It doesn't matter what you claim you believe in. Unless your actions back up your believes you have nothing.
If everyone followed the teachings of Jesus we would all indeed be far far better off. However, what we have, overwhelmingly, is people aciting like assholes all week, hitting church on Sunday, then going back to being assholes.
No argument from me there. I can agree with that assessment.
Originally Posted by healthagent
Because anyone "believes" means nothing.
Based on my faith, true belief means everything. Of course, this also means a person is going to work on being transformed. Not everyone does.
Originally Posted by healthagent
Deeds alone won't save anyone however most Christians I know really don't know how to walk to walk.
You are right, deeds alone won't save anyone. And you are also right in that there are a lot of self righteous people who really don't walk the walk, but know how to talk the talk. That doesn't mean God isn't who He says He is (for me anyway). He expects more failure from me than I expect from myself.
Originally Posted by healthagent
Charity? Truly helping others less fortunate? Ask yourself:
A: When was the last time you devoted your time to the poor
B: How much of your income goes to to charity
I can answer that without hesitation. I spend much time helping others in need and about 15% of my income goes to charity. Of course, I could list any number and it would make no difference to anyone who reads this.
Originally Posted by healthagent
Not calling anyone out but let's face it - it's all BS with the "Jesus is my teacher" stuff.
No, He really is my guide. It's not BS to me.
Originally Posted by healthagent
Jesus is your teacher? Ok - live modestly and give everything over what you need to live to help others.
Yeah....right. That Ipod and plasma TV with the new SUV is a bit more important than the poor.
Starting to sound a little judgmental if you ask me. I do have an Ipod, but no plasma TV. And I do have a 4 year old SUV that I keep parked most of the time. Also, I have a decent amount of debt that I'm working through and still giving 15% of my income. If I just took what I gave to charity the last 3 years, I could be completely out of debt with the exception of my home (that includes paying off the HELOC as well). But giving is part of my faith. I created the debt with stupid decisions I made. I give out of sacrifice as well. Don't think for a minute I couldn't use that money to better my material situation. But I truly love the feeling of seeing someone being able to buy some groceries because I gave them some money.
Originally Posted by healthagent
Next you think about going out to dinner, instead - donate that time to a soup kitchen and donate what you would have spent on dinner.
Great suggestion. I've done it. Although I haven't been to the homeless shelter in a year or so, my family served at the homeless shelter for many years. We now have other areas we serve in place of that.
Originally Posted by healthagent
Would Jesus hit TGI Friday's on Saturday or give that money to the needy?
I don't know. He might would go to TGI Fridays and pay for everyone's meal. Even their beer.
Originally Posted by healthagent
Again, "I try to follow..." is all 100% pure kaka
O.K., if you say so. We all fall short. Have you ever tried something and not been successful? Or had setbacks?
Originally Posted by healthagent
By the way - I know and deeply admire just a very few people I know who walk the walk.
My brother runs an orgainization called Pax Chrisi in Baltimore. He has a good friend - owns basically nothing - lives the most modest life and his entire time is spent on Bea Gaddy's homeless shelter: Bea Gaddy Family Center
Anything he makes over what his basic living expenses costs goes to the center and he drives around Baltimore in the winter with food and blankets looking for people who need help.
Those are people I admire. So if you're not prepared to actually devote your life to PRACTICING the teachings of Jesus then you're a fraud.
I think that's great that this person does all this work. I thank God for people that devoted. But just because I'm not doing that doesn't make me a fraud. In your eyes maybe, but not in His eyes. He knows my heart and He sees my deeds.
I didn't say you caused him harm nor that either of you are immoral. If I'm not mistaken, the golden rule states, "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you".
And I guess that's exactly what's happening between you and Al.
Rick is a type triple-A aggressive personality. He has some deep-seated need to attack those whom he disagrees with. We've seen it here time and time again. Like the school-yard bully, Rick wants HIS way... not YOUR way.
We've seen this personality type throughout history.
The Jews historically had a long, long, long history of following the "golden rule" and turning the other cheek. Whether we were deported from our country or attacked in pogroms, and taken to the camps, we let the Ricks of the world have their way.
Unlike the blacks in the USA, there was no one to come to the side of injustice and stand up and speak out, as happened in the 1950s and 1960s. The "Ricks" of Alabama or Mississippi were not happy and stepped up their bombings of churches and murder... but there were enough "good people" to "overcome" such that 60 years later a black man can become President. (Having lived through this (and going to college in the South in 1965) I have great pride in what my generation helped accomplish, at least so far.)
Not so for the Jews. Jewish life has always been (and continues to be) cheap. And we're finally waking up to the fact that maybe God WANTS us to stand up and not "take it" anymore, just as Krishna instructed Arjuna. That's why the scrappy little country of Israel continues to survive... because it is either that or it's back to the ovens and gas chambers.... and the world would not care (indeed many would applaud a true Final Solution.)
In this forum it is not an issue of Jew vs. Catholic or atheist vs. believer. It is about those who seek to dominate and those who have decided to resist that domination.
You notice that I never start it with Rick. Go back over the postings of the past year and you will see that Rick lets his aggressiveness get out of hand and attacks... me and others.
Some would say I should turn the other cheek and ignore him. But I think it just encourages him to attack me and others even more. It's the school-yard bully thing we all faced as kids. If you can get up the courage to tell the bully "No, you can't have my lunch money... you will have to take it... and I might lose the fight but you won't come out unscathed either" eventually the bully gives up and picks on someone else.
And that's were it is now with Rick. It's attack and defend, attack and defend. My hope is that eventually Rick (and Senior and Hakim) will give it up and move on. Until Rick understands that there is no "lunch money" from me, it will continue.
I don't try to complicate the issue of Rick and myself in terms of ideology or "disagreements over insurance." To me, it is more basic. This is "good vs. evil." Rick is evil. I am good. I wish for nothing more than for Rick to "back off" and just let me live in peace here... to just leave me alone here.
Sure, he can disagree with me. But he can't do it via personal attack. Those are my ground rules. I have no problem with him saying "You're wrong about me using the CSA designation." It is when he adds "Only [a--shole, jackass, idiot, piece-of-crap] would say so" is where he shows his "evil" and if no one else will stand against the bully, I will.
Until Rick learns how to control his anger and his aggressiveness, this continues. It's Arabs and Jews. It won't stop until either one side wipes out the other or some sort of "peaceful co-existence" is achieved. (If I ran this board I'd ban anyone who said "What a piece of crap you are" or "XXX is a jackass" etc., but Sam does not want to do that... maybe he likes the side-show... and it is his board and his privilege to run it as he wants.)
Rick is an atheist so he has no faith-based foundation of morality to use as a guide for how to conduct his life. That does not mean one can't be an atheist and live a good and moral life, but I think it makes it much harder.
I on the other hand, having blended the culture of Judiasm into my readings and the followingof the basics of Bhakti Yoga and Krishna Consciousness (I've heard all the jokes about Hare Krishnas in the past 30 years, so please spare me) I do my best to live a moral life. But just as Arjuna was instructed by Krishna to defend himself even though Arjuna wanted to walk away from the conflict, I also stand up and take a position against evil. Sometimes I get knocked down... hard. But if the Ricks of the world are allowed to dominate, none of us will ever be allowed to keep our lunch money.
As is oft quoted, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." As long as Sam and his moderators permit Rick and Senior and Hakim to post their insults and to vent their aggressiveness to others, this board will remain the hostile place it is and will probably degenerate into a cesspool of hatred, intolerance, and bigotry.
There need to be some "adults" here... there have to be some "good people" who step up and say "Rick, Senior, Hakim, (and sometimes Al) you can't do this, we won't allow it and if it continues you will be banned from our society." That's what is needed. Not a "golden rule" or a set of rules and regulations. We need "good people" irrespective of their faith, to let the evil ones know that if they can't behave, they are to be banned.
Your post about me must be correct. It's very long and because you wrote it and are an authority on all things pychological, I finally have to agree with you.
Thanks for pointing out my faults. I appreciate it. The fact that you have spent so much of your apparently valuable time on me tells me what a caring person you are. You are a giver.
Love and Kisses.
Rick
------------------------------------ ILIAA
Training, Community, Support, and Success Independent Life Insurance Agents Assn rick@iliaa.org
I see a lot of combativeness in this thread. Personally, I consider my self a 40 year veteran of negotiations - a master manipulator you might say. Arguing is for fools. Speaking ill of others is low class.
Caring about others is what Americans need to re-learn. Let's agree to disagree and increase the standards of conduct. Calling all gentlemen!!!
I'm not going to get in the middle of yours and Rick's bantering. However, when you start calling someone "evil" and yourself "good", you've agitated the situation. You've set yourself morally above someone else. And you can think that. It is your right to do so. I personally believe calling someone evil is just as bad as them calling you the names you've been called.
I think we're all guilty of getting caught up in the moment and wanting to prove that we are right and the other person is wrong. I have to say, I usually don't feel better about myself when I attack someone. I try my best not to make it personal, but there are times when I do. In those instances, I didn't help the situation one bit and feel pretty crappy about myself.
Rick is a type triple-A aggressive personality. He has some deep-seated need to attack those whom he disagrees with. We've seen it here time and time again. Like the school-yard bully, Rick wants HIS way... not YOUR way.
We've seen this personality type throughout history.
The Jews historically had a long, long, long history of following the "golden rule" and turning the other cheek. Whether we were deported from our country or attacked in pogroms, and taken to the camps, we let the Ricks of the world have their way.
Unlike the blacks in the USA, there was no one to come to the side of injustice and stand up and speak out, as happened in the 1950s and 1960s. The "Ricks" of Alabama or Mississippi were not happy and stepped up their bombings of churches and murder... but there were enough "good people" to "overcome" such that 60 years later a black man can become President. (Having lived through this (and going to college in the South in 1965) I have great pride in what my generation helped accomplish, at least so far.)
Not so for the Jews. Jewish life has always been (and continues to be) cheap. And we're finally waking up to the fact that maybe God WANTS us to stand up and not "take it" anymore, just as Krishna instructed Arjuna. That's why the scrappy little country of Israel continues to survive... because it is either that or it's back to the ovens and gas chambers.... and the world would not care (indeed many would applaud a true Final Solution.)
In this forum it is not an issue of Jew vs. Catholic or atheist vs. believer. It is about those who seek to dominate and those who have decided to resist that domination.
You notice that I never start it with Rick. Go back over the postings of the past year and you will see that Rick lets his aggressiveness get out of hand and attacks... me and others.
Some would say I should turn the other cheek and ignore him. But I think it just encourages him to attack me and others even more. It's the school-yard bully thing we all faced as kids. If you can get up the courage to tell the bully "No, you can't have my lunch money... you will have to take it... and I might lose the fight but you won't come out unscathed either" eventually the bully gives up and picks on someone else.
And that's were it is now with Rick. It's attack and defend, attack and defend. My hope is that eventually Rick (and Senior and Hakim) will give it up and move on. Until Rick understands that there is no "lunch money" from me, it will continue.
I don't try to complicate the issue of Rick and myself in terms of ideology or "disagreements over insurance." To me, it is more basic. This is "good vs. evil." Rick is evil. I am good. I wish for nothing more than for Rick to "back off" and just let me live in peace here... to just leave me alone here.
Sure, he can disagree with me. But he can't do it via personal attack. Those are my ground rules. I have no problem with him saying "You're wrong about me using the CSA designation." It is when he adds "Only [a--shole, jackass, idiot, piece-of-crap] would say so" is where he shows his "evil" and if no one else will stand against the bully, I will.
Until Rick learns how to control his anger and his aggressiveness, this continues. It's Arabs and Jews. It won't stop until either one side wipes out the other or some sort of "peaceful co-existence" is achieved. (If I ran this board I'd ban anyone who said "What a piece of crap you are" or "XXX is a jackass" etc., but Sam does not want to do that... maybe he likes the side-show... and it is his board and his privilege to run it as he wants.)
Rick is an atheist so he has no faith-based foundation of morality to use as a guide for how to conduct his life. That does not mean one can't be an atheist and live a good and moral life, but I think it makes it much harder.
I on the other hand, having blended the culture of Judiasm into my readings and the followingof the basics of Bhakti Yoga and Krishna Consciousness (I've heard all the jokes about Hare Krishnas in the past 30 years, so please spare me) I do my best to live a moral life. But just as Arjuna was instructed by Krishna to defend himself even though Arjuna wanted to walk away from the conflict, I also stand up and take a position against evil. Sometimes I get knocked down... hard. But if the Ricks of the world are allowed to dominate, none of us will ever be allowed to keep our lunch money.
As is oft quoted, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." As long as Sam and his moderators permit Rick and Senior and Hakim to post their insults and to vent their aggressiveness to others, this board will remain the hostile place it is and will probably degenerate into a cesspool of hatred, intolerance, and bigotry.
There need to be some "adults" here... there have to be some "good people" who step up and say "Rick, Senior, Hakim, (and sometimes Al) you can't do this, we won't allow it and if it continues you will be banned from our society." That's what is needed. Not a "golden rule" or a set of rules and regulations. We need "good people" irrespective of their faith, to let the evil ones know that if they can't behave, they are to be banned.
I hope "judgement day" comes soon.
Al
Al I dont know you....
I have never talked to you over PM, Via Phone, or Email...
I once called you a Bi-Sexual over the public forum, and all of a sudden I'm a bully???
I was joking, unless you really are Bi/Gay, and then I can see how that is offensive, but take it easy man, I got no personal animosity against you...
I, and maybe I speak for Rick and Senior, along with many others, bring a sense of light heartedness to this forum, if it was strictly about insurance and annuities, and NOBODY was sarcastic or playful this forum would crash and burn...
Ill Be honest, I think you take stuff way to personal, when you called me a Hitler wanna be, and said I couldnt get along with jews and christians, and that If i cant speak the language then i should go back to where I came from... not to mention quoting someone and saying we have too many taxi drivers... that stuff is offensive, not that it offended me, because you were way off base... but how is that not being a "bully"?
Now, Al, I called you Bi Sexual one time... and You went off on a tangent about my race, religion, and language, and now you wanna be the one to point fingers about Bullys?
Come one man, you dont get along with anyone one on this forum, because YOU take things way to personal, its all fun and games...
I know your not gay, b/c I know your married, so drop it, and move on...
And I dont want your lunch money, use that to buy your boyfriend a gift or something...
Rick is a type triple-A aggressive personality. He has some deep-seated need to attack those whom he disagrees with. We've seen it here time and time again. Like the school-yard bully, Rick wants HIS way... not YOUR way.
We've seen this personality type throughout history.
The Jews historically had a long, long, long history of following the "golden rule" and turning the other cheek. Whether we were deported from our country or attacked in pogroms, and taken to the camps, we let the Ricks of the world have their way.
Unlike the blacks in the USA, there was no one to come to the side of injustice and stand up and speak out, as happened in the 1950s and 1960s. The "Ricks" of Alabama or Mississippi were not happy and stepped up their bombings of churches and murder... but there were enough "good people" to "overcome" such that 60 years later a black man can become President. (Having lived through this (and going to college in the South in 1965) I have great pride in what my generation helped accomplish, at least so far.)
Not so for the Jews. Jewish life has always been (and continues to be) cheap. And we're finally waking up to the fact that maybe God WANTS us to stand up and not "take it" anymore, just as Krishna instructed Arjuna. That's why the scrappy little country of Israel continues to survive... because it is either that or it's back to the ovens and gas chambers.... and the world would not care (indeed many would applaud a true Final Solution.)
In this forum it is not an issue of Jew vs. Catholic or atheist vs. believer. It is about those who seek to dominate and those who have decided to resist that domination.
You notice that I never start it with Rick. Go back over the postings of the past year and you will see that Rick lets his aggressiveness get out of hand and attacks... me and others.
Some would say I should turn the other cheek and ignore him. But I think it just encourages him to attack me and others even more. It's the school-yard bully thing we all faced as kids. If you can get up the courage to tell the bully "No, you can't have my lunch money... you will have to take it... and I might lose the fight but you won't come out unscathed either" eventually the bully gives up and picks on someone else.
And that's were it is now with Rick. It's attack and defend, attack and defend. My hope is that eventually Rick (and Senior and Hakim) will give it up and move on. Until Rick understands that there is no "lunch money" from me, it will continue.
I don't try to complicate the issue of Rick and myself in terms of ideology or "disagreements over insurance." To me, it is more basic. This is "good vs. evil." Rick is evil. I am good. I wish for nothing more than for Rick to "back off" and just let me live in peace here... to just leave me alone here.
Sure, he can disagree with me. But he can't do it via personal attack. Those are my ground rules. I have no problem with him saying "You're wrong about me using the CSA designation." It is when he adds "Only [a--shole, jackass, idiot, piece-of-crap] would say so" is where he shows his "evil" and if no one else will stand against the bully, I will.
Until Rick learns how to control his anger and his aggressiveness, this continues. It's Arabs and Jews. It won't stop until either one side wipes out the other or some sort of "peaceful co-existence" is achieved. (If I ran this board I'd ban anyone who said "What a piece of crap you are" or "XXX is a jackass" etc., but Sam does not want to do that... maybe he likes the side-show... and it is his board and his privilege to run it as he wants.)
Rick is an atheist so he has no faith-based foundation of morality to use as a guide for how to conduct his life. That does not mean one can't be an atheist and live a good and moral life, but I think it makes it much harder.
I on the other hand, having blended the culture of Judiasm into my readings and the followingof the basics of Bhakti Yoga and Krishna Consciousness (I've heard all the jokes about Hare Krishnas in the past 30 years, so please spare me) I do my best to live a moral life. But just as Arjuna was instructed by Krishna to defend himself even though Arjuna wanted to walk away from the conflict, I also stand up and take a position against evil. Sometimes I get knocked down... hard. But if the Ricks of the world are allowed to dominate, none of us will ever be allowed to keep our lunch money.
As is oft quoted, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." As long as Sam and his moderators permit Rick and Senior and Hakim to post their insults and to vent their aggressiveness to others, this board will remain the hostile place it is and will probably degenerate into a cesspool of hatred, intolerance, and bigotry.
There need to be some "adults" here... there have to be some "good people" who step up and say "Rick, Senior, Hakim, (and sometimes Al) you can't do this, we won't allow it and if it continues you will be banned from our society." That's what is needed. Not a "golden rule" or a set of rules and regulations. We need "good people" irrespective of their faith, to let the evil ones know that if they can't behave, they are to be banned.
I hope "judgement day" comes soon.
Al
Al, I'm surprised you're not suggesting some new laws to take care of these problems...after all, isn't more laws and more government the answer to every problem?
------------------------------------
[COLOR=blue]Don't steal - the government hates competition.[/COLOR]
To digress for a moment, Rick mentioned Rodney King. Well, earlier this week we had a police "brutality" incident in Philly that makes the Rodney King case look like a Sunday School picnic. The police chased a car with three black male suspects regarding a shooting incident. Thay stopped the car and pulled the three perps out and shoved them to the ground. Then 15 white cops systematically kicked (literally) the s**t out of them. All this was caught on tape by a TV news helicopter. The cops were pulled off street duty and the mayor and police chief appeared on Good Morning America and CNN to explain the situation. They did not defend the actions of the officers. The fact that a police officer was shot dead by a black perp with an assualt rifle that penetrated his bullet-proof vest the previous week may have had some effect on the officers behavior. That shooter was killed by the police and his accomplices, two other perps (bank robbers), were apprehended.
To digress for a moment, Rick mentioned Rodney King. Well, earlier this week we had a police "brutality" incident in Philly that makes the Rodney King case look like a Sunday School picnic. The police chased a car with three black male suspects regarding a shooting incident. Thay stopped the car and pulled the three perps out and shoved them to the ground. Then 15 white cops systematically kicked (literally) the s**t out of them. All this was caught on tape by a TV news helicopter. The cops were pulled off street duty and the mayor and police chief appeared on Good Morning America and CNN to explain the situation. They did not defend the actions of the officers. The fact that a police officer was shot dead by a black perp with an assualt rifle that penetrated his bullet-proof vest the previous week may have had some effect on the officers behavior. That shooter was killed by the police and his accomplices, two other perps (bank robbers), were apprehended.
You have to also remember those guys did not pull over right away and then get beat up, they were fleeing from the police and then they got beat up...
Doesnt bother me either way, call me old fashion, but If you are fleeing like that then you deserve to get the s**t kicked out of you...
Only reason its a big deal is because its 3 black guys and 15 white guys...
If it was black on black, white on white, of if white guys were getting beat up, they'd get seconds of air time...
You have to also remember those guys did not pull over right away and then get beat up, they were fleeing from the police and then they got beat up...
Doesnt bother me either way, call me old fashion, but If you are fleeing like that then you deserve to get the s**t kicked out of you...
Only reason its a big deal is because its 3 black guys and 15 white guys...
If it was black on black, white on white, of if white guys were getting beat up, they'd get seconds of air time...
The gist of the problem is that it appears that allegedly departmental regulations were not followed in making the apprehension. The tape does not necessarily tell the whole story. The perps may have been forciblytrying to avoid apprehension. BTW, the Rodney King beating was administered in a "professional" way by using batons. I am more prone to side with the police than with these street thugs.
Rick is a type triple-A aggressive personality. He has some deep-seated need to attack those whom he disagrees with. We've seen it here time and time again. Like the school-yard bully, Rick wants HIS way... not YOUR way.
We've seen this personality type throughout history.
The Jews historically had a long, long, long history of following the "golden rule" and turning the other cheek. Whether we were deported from our country or attacked in pogroms, and taken to the camps, we let the Ricks of the world have their way.
Unlike the blacks in the USA, there was no one to come to the side of injustice and stand up and speak out, as happened in the 1950s and 1960s. The "Ricks" of Alabama or Mississippi were not happy and stepped up their bombings of churches and murder... but there were enough "good people" to "overcome" such that 60 years later a black man can become President. (Having lived through this (and going to college in the South in 1965) I have great pride in what my generation helped accomplish, at least so far.)
Not so for the Jews. Jewish life has always been (and continues to be) cheap. And we're finally waking up to the fact that maybe God WANTS us to stand up and not "take it" anymore, just as Krishna instructed Arjuna. That's why the scrappy little country of Israel continues to survive... because it is either that or it's back to the ovens and gas chambers.... and the world would not care (indeed many would applaud a true Final Solution.)
In this forum it is not an issue of Jew vs. Catholic or atheist vs. believer. It is about those who seek to dominate and those who have decided to resist that domination.
You notice that I never start it with Rick. Go back over the postings of the past year and you will see that Rick lets his aggressiveness get out of hand and attacks... me and others.
Some would say I should turn the other cheek and ignore him. But I think it just encourages him to attack me and others even more. It's the school-yard bully thing we all faced as kids. If you can get up the courage to tell the bully "No, you can't have my lunch money... you will have to take it... and I might lose the fight but you won't come out unscathed either" eventually the bully gives up and picks on someone else.
And that's were it is now with Rick. It's attack and defend, attack and defend. My hope is that eventually Rick (and Senior and Hakim) will give it up and move on. Until Rick understands that there is no "lunch money" from me, it will continue.
I don't try to complicate the issue of Rick and myself in terms of ideology or "disagreements over insurance." To me, it is more basic. This is "good vs. evil." Rick is evil. I am good. I wish for nothing more than for Rick to "back off" and just let me live in peace here... to just leave me alone here.
Sure, he can disagree with me. But he can't do it via personal attack. Those are my ground rules. I have no problem with him saying "You're wrong about me using the CSA designation." It is when he adds "Only [a--shole, jackass, idiot, piece-of-crap] would say so" is where he shows his "evil" and if no one else will stand against the bully, I will.
Until Rick learns how to control his anger and his aggressiveness, this continues. It's Arabs and Jews. It won't stop until either one side wipes out the other or some sort of "peaceful co-existence" is achieved. (If I ran this board I'd ban anyone who said "What a piece of crap you are" or "XXX is a jackass" etc., but Sam does not want to do that... maybe he likes the side-show... and it is his board and his privilege to run it as he wants.)
Rick is an atheist so he has no faith-based foundation of morality to use as a guide for how to conduct his life. That does not mean one can't be an atheist and live a good and moral life, but I think it makes it much harder.
I on the other hand, having blended the culture of Judiasm into my readings and the followingof the basics of Bhakti Yoga and Krishna Consciousness (I've heard all the jokes about Hare Krishnas in the past 30 years, so please spare me) I do my best to live a moral life. But just as Arjuna was instructed by Krishna to defend himself even though Arjuna wanted to walk away from the conflict, I also stand up and take a position against evil. Sometimes I get knocked down... hard. But if the Ricks of the world are allowed to dominate, none of us will ever be allowed to keep our lunch money.
As is oft quoted, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." As long as Sam and his moderators permit Rick and Senior and Hakim to post their insults and to vent their aggressiveness to others, this board will remain the hostile place it is and will probably degenerate into a cesspool of hatred, intolerance, and bigotry.
There need to be some "adults" here... there have to be some "good people" who step up and say "Rick, Senior, Hakim, (and sometimes Al) you can't do this, we won't allow it and if it continues you will be banned from our society." That's what is needed. Not a "golden rule" or a set of rules and regulations. We need "good people" irrespective of their faith, to let the evil ones know that if they can't behave, they are to be banned.
I hope "judgement day" comes soon.
Al
It was all much simpler several months ago when you thought that Huckabee was taking over the world and everyone was going to vote for him so you felt it necessary to demonize Christians in order to make sure the country saw through Huckabee's move toward world domination and toward global subjegation of Jews. Again, every beef you have with someone is seen as a cosmic drama. Lay off the pepperoni pizzas and reading the Bagavad Gita after 11:00 at night. Not every irritation in this world is a sign from God that you need to take action to uphold the honor of your people. Sheesh.
Winter
------------------------------------ Spending Our Way to Prosperity
However, when you start calling someone "evil" and yourself "good", you've agitated the situation. You've set yourself morally above someone else. And you can think that. It is your right to do so. I personally believe calling someone evil is just as bad as them calling you the names you've been called.
.
You make a good and valid point. I really struggled to find the right word to portray Rick. I went back and looked at the posts he has made about me... my ability as an agent, my character, my morality, and all the less-then-nice names he has called me... and I simply could not come up with a better characterization than "evil."
What term would you use instead?
I just can't come up with one. He is not mentally incompetent (although he claims I'm a "moron.") He is not ideologically driven as might be a Red Guard or some other "true believer." He is not demented or a sociopath. He attacks for the sheer enjoyment of attacking. It if is not "evil"... and I agree with you that there IS a value judgement here... I just don't know what to call it. I really did think about it and I didn't use the term without considering alternatives.
you felt it necessary to demonize Christians in order to make sure the country saw through Huckabee's move toward world domination and toward global subjegation of Jews. Sheesh.
Winter
What does your reading about the past 2,000 years tell you? Was it Jews and Hindus that have tried and tried and tried to enslave the world? Is it Jews and Hindus who have carried their missionary zeal to extreme? No.
I look at history and see Christians as historical demons. Islamics are not far behind in a historical perspective, but because their political systems have been so corrupt they were never really able to organize. Nothing is as solidly organized as the Catholic Church. Christians love to fight against Christians, but only if there are no Arabs or Jews that they can annihilate.
I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the Pope calls for a Crusade against the Arab states.... probably when Vatican City can't afford oil to heat the Sistine Chapel! Of course the Pope might agree that if the USA... the world's so-called "best" military can't win in Iraq, what chance would a the French, Italian, and Spanish army have? (What did Patton say? "I'd rather have a German battalion in front of me than a French battalion behind me.") The Germans won't join... they would be on the side of the Arabs (again read early post WW2 history in the formation of Israel.)
Believe me, if Israel didn't have the bomb and no philosophical restraints for using it, the Arabs would march in and kill every Jew and Christian they found. They would enjoy the hell out of it. How many virgins do you get for killing a Jewish baby? Gotta be at least three!
You can make the argument that a Christian nation... the USA... got involved in WW2 in order to "save" the Jews. But you would be very wrong. The good Christians in this country did all they could to keep Jewish refugees out (as well as imprison Japanese citizens.)
I'm sorry Winter. Please don't tell me about how wonderful you and your Christian true-believers are toward "my people" because I stopped believing that a long, long time ago. How many people who worked in the camps, who shoveled the bodies, who knew what was going on... were Christians? You ever notice where the Germans built the biggest camps? In Poland. What was the "official" religion of Poland?
And as for Huckabilly, yeah we would have had Camp Huckawitz built somewhere that people would want it... which is probably everywhere in Alabama or Ohio (where they buy their sheets by the dozen.)
Show me a Christian who is willing to knock on my door and try to convert me to their religion and I'll show you someone who would just as happily kill me if they could, if I said 'no.'
Winter, if you want to engage in a historical polemic about christianity, bring it on. I'm your guy.
Re: Jesus Is My Health Insurance
Linear Mode
