Off Topic

This morning a friend said she had recently heard an atheist make the “I am atheistic about just one more god than you are” argument. Ricky Gervais makes the argument this way: So next time someone tells me they believe in God, I’ll say “Oh which one? Zeus? Hades? Jupiter? Mars? Odin? Thor? Krishna? Vishnu? Ra?…” If they say “Just God. I only believe in the one God,” I’ll point out that they are nearly as atheistic as me. I don’t believe in 2,870 gods, and they don’t believe in 2,869. Like many things the new atheists say, the argument has a kind of first blush plausibility but does not hold up on even a moment’s reflection. As David Bentley Read More ›

This is a thread for UD commenters to speak their mind. Please keep it civil. Off topic #1 If I could be a ballet dancer, I’d be this man: [youtube VQKfvwoKc6w] Off topic #2 It’s no secret I’m rather chummy with agnostics, atheists, free-thinkers and academics, and even some of the less reputable elements of society (professional gamblers). My love of the arts and drama often touches on realms the church sometimes frowns on. The irony is I’m a right wing conservative young earth creationist. Why is this so? First I wasn’t always a YEC. I was raised in a Roman Catholic home, my lifestyle was worldly and I found church often boring and suffocating, and this persisted to some Read More ›

α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-D-glucopyranose α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-D-glucopyranose This is your chance to talk Off Topic. Keep it civil please.

I’ve found it helpful to UD to post a thread where people can vent some of their off-topic ideas and thus keep off topics out of other threads. As long as you aren’t being confrontational and are family friendly, you are free to speak their mind. Here are my off Topics: “dogmatic opponents of design who demanded that the Center be shut down have met their Waterloo. Baylor University is to be commended for remaining strong in the face of intolerant assaults on freedom of thought and expression.” Bill Dembski Here is a good documentary on Waterloo: [youtube Z4K3vjCprE8] And another off-topic. This is the account of someone having the sort of change of heart that might make them open Read More ›

Preliminary thoughts are here, I  have a very queasy feeling in my tummy over this one. For historical context, here is Wiki’s summary of developments coming out of the 1938 “Peace in our time” crisis of 1938, which began with German agitation over the claimed plight of the Sudeten Germans living under Czech rule — which turned out to be a first major international use of the turnabout accusation, blame the targetted victim agitprop tactic: Parallels to the unfolding situation in the Ukraine include Poland as neighbour, with the former East Prussia now a Russian province and enclave (though this time, Poland is a member in good standing of NATO). Airing news seems to have an interesting summary, and provides Read More ›

Some visit UD trying to get answers for their questions. To that effect, Jaceli123 and others have been fielding questions that maybe some of you can answer. I don’t have answers toJaceli123’s question about tails and jaws. Other than that, have at it. Here is my off-topic: Boxer George Forman became a Christian after a near death experience. He’d been a burlger, and misfit. He then became an Olympic champion and then Heavyweight champ. But then Ali dethroned Foreman of the title. Some time later, Foreman had a near death experience, and friends and family could not comprehend the transformation. He became kind and charitable….running out of money, he came back to the boxing ring to give glory to God. Read More ›

There is a story about two men who were praying in the same place.  One, burdened by the weight of his own sinfulness, would not even look up as he prayed.  Instead, he fell to his knees and cried out in an anguished spirit, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!” The other man was very religious, and he prayed like this:  “Lord, I thank you that I am not sinful like other men, that guy over there for instance.  I give money to the church, I fast every week, I follow all the rules.  Amen.” The first man, we are told, walked away justified before God, but not the second. I understand this story.  If I have a good attribute it Read More ›