David M. Payne

Don't feel bad Amos, if it wasn't for spell check I would have some pretty poorly spelled posts myself. I would suggest you first compose your posts in your word program, then cut and paste to the reply window. That way you can catch most of the mistakes before the world sees them. But it was a funny mistake, not a stupid one.

David

Amos

Thanks, I never use it and often have to edit to reduce the "reply portion" of my post.

Aerion

Amos,
The Story of Bob was meant as satire! I have to say that I don't think you really understand what satire is.


David P.,
Great story. I guess by now I don't have to remind you that many theist don't have much of a sense of humor where God is concerned. Don't take it personally.


Douglas,
See message to Amos above.

David M. Payne

Aerion; They are a humorless lot, aren’t they? When I first got here I took everything personally, now I hardly ever do that.

David

David M. Payne

Speaking of a humorless lot, I just got this thought (Threat?) on <a href="http://forum.faithfreedom.org/viewtopic.php?t=2270" target="_blank">this thread</a> over on Faith Freedom International, a site for Moslem free thinkers.
[ November 15, 2002: Message edited by: David M. Payne ]</p>

hal9000

A fatwa on you? What a toothless threat, just look at what it did for Rushdie!

zwi

Another Question for David M Payne

If everything in the New Testament were proven true; all inconsistencies shown to be simple translation mixups, except perhaps for a few instances of misinterpretation or errors in transcription of that kind,; that is to say if all were demonstrated to be true or very nearly true, would that mean that your belief system would classify you as a Christian, or as a perfected Jew, or what?

If the miracles associated with the names Moses, God, Jesus and anyone of that ilk were shown to be true miracles, would that have any effect o your beflief system? Do miracles matter?

Looking forward to you reply

OOOH Good word, ilk

Zwi

Jobar

[mod hat on]
When David first posted his tale of Bob here, I seriously considered moving it to the Humor forum. It is in fact a satire, and while it is a lampoon of the Christian (or Abrahamic) God I thought it a bit frivolous for EoG. I am involved in the worship of the Invisible Pink Unicorn, but I try to keep that largely separate from my contributions here.

However, on reflection I decided that its effectiveness as a satire earned it a place here. By the very fact that David traced the Biblical God so closely, he makes a powerful argument against Him- after reading the tale of Bob, IMO anyone who can read the Bible without a giggle is either humorless, blind, or brainwashed, or a combination of all three. Like Voltaire, David gives us philosophy with a liberal admixture of humor.
[mod hat off]

And David, if you actually got a fatwa issued against you, you would become a martyr for us atheists! What an honor!

David M. Payne

1) And 2) Probably an "or what." Seriously, who knows what would happen to any one person who found his or her beliefs to be fallacious. What would I do? I don't know, but I'll have a better idea when we get there. Until that happens there is no point in delving into it much that I can see. I do think the point you bring up here is relevant to those who do believe in God/religion, and I think this explains the fear of the religious anyplace on earth in give up their God/Gods. Their universe is ordered, and loosing their religion throws it into chaos for some. It isn't that way for freethinkers; we have found enough things to believe in to maintain order in our selves, for the most part. It looks like to me that the more illiterate the billions of humanities God/religion believers are, the deeper the fear, the stronger they defend their faith. If you want to destroy the hold of religion over humanity, the answer is simple, educate them and improve their living standards, and religion will fade to a fringe status in the psyche of humanity, no longer able to wreak havoc on humanity in the name of what is their perception of what is God, and what is "good". (Yes I know, the answer may be simple, getting there is anything but. <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" /> )

3) They would if they ever happened, but they haven't. (With the possible exception of the pink unicorn that is )


1) Another humorless pink unicornest exposed. I'll be Bob dammed, you guys are everywhere!

2) Thanks Jobar, I think humor and fiction are underused in the struggle to liberate humanity from the yolk of God/religion. As Voltaire and many others showed, they can be powerful tools in exposing God/religion for just what they are, a very successful scam after "the usual." As for my contribution, I do the best I can with the resources I have to fill that gap. I'm sure that our theist associates here and elsewhere see it differently on the God/religion thing being a yolk on humanity, and my contribution to the struggle, that’s what makes it an interesting debate.

3) Uh, pass on the martyr offer, but thanks for the thought.

David

zwi

Well David M Payne

I didnt get an answer out of my last question anything to my liking

Have read your short story about the Jewish Defense League on the link and your story of bob

I am still upset by a strong agnostic idea

Let me propose this to you

There cannot exist a being with the commonly presumed attributes of God

YOU see I believe that god does not exist, and indeed cannot exist. This puts the strong agnostic viewpoint as I understand it out of court

Any comments welcome

Zwi