Troops cleared of charges

[Narrock]

Christians shouldnt be damning anyone to hell, as it isnt their place.

I was just passing on knowledge from my Sunday school classes a while back. Not sure if you had gotten the memo or not.

Way to put a SPIN on my point. I'll dumb it down for you. Muslims are the biggest doers of evil in the world, and the world will be a better, happier, and SAFER place to be without them.

[Darcler]

I dont care what your point was. You shouldnt be damning people to hell, as it isnt your place to do so.

[Gidan]

Christians shouldnt be damning anyone to hell, as it isnt their place.

I was just passing on knowledge from my Sunday school classes a while back. Not sure if you had gotten the memo or not.

Way to put a SPIN on my point. I'll dumb it down for you. Muslims are the biggest doers of evil in the world, and the world will be a better, happier, and SAFER place to be without them.

People might have said the same about the christians a ways back.

[Narrock]

I dont care what your point was. You shouldnt be damning people to hell, as it isnt your place to do so.

Oh big deal. So I said something out of frustration. Sue me.

[Darcler]

You say it alot. You should try to filter it out of your vocabulary.

Just a suggestion.

[Narrock]

Ok, I'll try. But no guarantees.

[Darcler]

Thank you

[Narrock]

you're welcome

[Markarado]

Very few Christians support the groups you mentioned earlier (It was Harrison right?). I would argue that the majority of Muslims support terrorism, and I may be wrong. Even if it's not the majority a lot of them do. That's the difference.

[Adivina]

There are also two types of Muslims, the Shite and the Sunni, one is radical and often violent, the other is not. I suppose you could parallel that to Harrison's statement.

Anyway, I am appalled at everyone who posts in these threads claiming to be a good representation of their faith when they lack one ideal of upmost important, tolerance. It makes me sick to see such pigheaded displays from people who claim to be upstanding members of their religion. It also makes me sick to see how said people when called upon their indescretions say "oh well I am a repentful sinner, and I will be forgiven" this to me sounds like nothing more than taking advantage of your religion. If you truely believe and follow your faith then you would try your hardest to follow the religion, not let yourself say whatever you want and then blame it on frustration later.

I grew up in a Unitarian Universalist church, and the FIRST thing we were taught was tolerance. Yes the church follows the teachings of Christ, but we were taught to learn about other cultures and religions and to respect and tolerate them. It makes me sad to see how far from that many people here today are. Condemning a group to hell because you don't agree with them, lumping a entire religion in with its radicals, acting as if no other religion except for yours could possibly have any validity, and by doing so disrespecting every other faith around you. Its sick.

[Tossica]

I would argue that the majority of Muslims support terrorism, and I may be wrong. Even if it's not the majority a lot of them do. That's the difference.

I would argue that you are a moron and I would be right.

[Arlos]

Adivina, I agree with you on your assessments, but one thing to keep in mind, is that the Unitarians are noted for their extreme levels of tolerance of otehr people. Most christian sects are nothing like that, unfortunately. Certainly not the fundamentalists, many of whom I doubt would really consider Unitarians to be true Christians. Certainly not members of the ultra-rabid group who don't even consider Catholics to be actual Christians.

While I have little to no respect for those groups, I have a great deal of respect for the Unitarians. If I was go go back to Christianity, it'd most likely be to Unitarianism. Not going to happen, since I'm quite happy with my current faith, but hey. rofl.

-Arlos

[Agrajag]

Anyway, I am appalled at everyone who posts in these threads claiming to be a good representation of their faith when they lack one ideal of upmost important, tolerance. It makes me sick to see such pigheaded displays from people who claim to be upstanding members of their religion.

I don't believe in any God or Gods. I am therefore exempt from this tongue lashing.

[Adivina]

Growing up in a Unitarian Universalist Church was definetly a positive learning experience for me. I was exposed to many religions, we even had a sector of CUUPS that met at the church (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans). My step-grandfather was the Reverand of the church and I really enjoyed the time I spent there.

Today I am not a religious person, as far as organized religion goes at least. I am not really sure what my beliefs are, and I do admire people who know exactly what they believe and believe so deeply that it is ingrained in their everday life. It just kills me when I see such hatred and disdain from religious people, religion should be about devotion and love, not hatred and ignorance.

[Arlos]

*nod* The Unitarians have always gotten along well with the various pagan faiths. One of the local Unitarian churches actually rents out space a couple times a month to Wiccan groups who want to do public rituals open to anyone who wants to come and participate.

-Arlos

[Narrock]

When I was going though the police academy in San Jose, they had a couple Wiccans come in to give a presentation, and they demonstrated some of the "tools" they used in their rituals. The whole presentation only lasted about 20 minutes, thank God. There were a lot of "rolling eyes" during the show-and-tell. As soon as they left, the whole classroom erupted into uproarious laughter. It was gold.

No offense, Arlos. Just reporting some facts here.

[Arlos]

Well, the reason they'd give the presentation is that various wiccan sects use knives and even swords as part of the rituals. So, to wiccans, their knife (called an athame) is, in a sense, a sacred object, and needs to be treated as such. Plus, if a cop sees someone waving a knife around, it doesn't necessarily mean that someone is threatening people with it, in certain specific cases.

As for the laughter, *shrug* well, no one ever claimed that police were bastions of tolerance and respect for diversity, and indeed, are usually the opposite. You can look at any religion from the outside and see stuff that looks screwy or bizarre.

Hell, imagine if you're someone who's never heard of Christianity, and are told that during Christian rituals, people at the ceremonies ritually eat human flesh and drink human blood. Would sound pretty damn bizarre, right? Well, the eucharistic rituals DO talk about literally eating the "body of christ" and the "blood of christ", yes?

Now, you and I know that there's more to it than outright ritual cannibalism, but to someone raised in an entirely different faith who knew nothing of the details of Christianity, that would seem REALLY bizarre. None of those cops likely knew anything about wiccanism, so the trappings of that faith seemed bizarre to them. People open to diversity or multiculturalism wouldn't have laughed, they did.

-Arlos

[Harrison]

Arlos is making too much sense today

[Narrock]

Well, the reason they'd give the presentation is that various wiccan sects use knives and even swords as part of the rituals. So, to wiccans, their knife (called an athame) is, in a sense, a sacred object, and needs to be treated as such. Plus, if a cop sees someone waving a knife around, it doesn't necessarily mean that someone is threatening people with it, in certain specific cases.

As for the laughter, *shrug* well, no one ever claimed that police were bastions of tolerance and respect for diversity, and indeed, are usually the opposite. You can look at any religion from the outside and see stuff that looks screwy or bizarre.

Hell, imagine if you're someone who's never heard of Christianity, and are told that during Christian rituals, people at the ceremonies ritually eat human flesh and drink human blood. Would sound pretty damn bizarre, right? Well, the eucharistic rituals DO talk about literally eating the "body of christ" and the "blood of christ", yes?

Now, you and I know that there's more to it than outright ritual cannibalism, but to someone raised in an entirely different faith who knew nothing of the details of Christianity, that would seem REALLY bizarre. None of those cops likely knew anything about wiccanism, so the trappings of that faith seemed bizarre to them. People open to diversity or multiculturalism wouldn't have laughed, they did.

-Arlos

Yes, it's true what you say about the cops needing to be aware of "weapon" use in certain rituals, in case they happen upon them in progress. One of the Wiccans held up a squiggly, bent dagger and said they use that to channel their thoughts and energies in a certain direction.

As far as Eucharist rituals are concerned, both of the churches I attend (SDA, and non-denominational) teach communion to be symbolic. Catholics believe the priest or monsignor has the power to convert the wafer and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ. Lutherans believe that communion is in the "middle" of symbolism, and transubstantiation, taking no absolute side to one or the other. That's what a LCMS pastor just told me about a month ago when he was over at my parent's house for dinner.

[Lyion]

I'm too busy with the Canadians today. I haven't had time to crosspost any of the whackjob moonbat KOS stuff he reads like how the Administration timed the Zarqawi deaths or how the economy isn't really good, despite the stellar numbers.

If you feel the need to disagree with him just start a thread about 9/11 coverups, how Osama actually is a Karl Rove plant, or how we should be allowed any sign of Christianity on public display.

[Arlos]

I like how lyion randomly makes up crap from the blue and claims I believe it. Most of that list I've never even heard of before. Obviously he's reading all sorts of sites I'm not, though he certainly seems to THINK I read them. Then again, he's long had a habit of assuming what sites I do and do not visit, despite me posting more than once lists of the sites I do go to.

Ah well, he's getting his ass handed to him in all of his other arguments today, so he feels the need to come here and stir up shit, and since he had no other ammunition, he had to make up stuff.

*pat pat* There there, Lyion. It's OK. Just close your eyes and pretend you're McCarthy again. I know that puts you in your Happy Place.

-Arlos

[Eziekial]

I'm feeling chipper today, put me in coach.

[Arlos]

One of the Wiccans held up a squiggly, bent dagger and said they use that to channel their thoughts and energies in a certain direction.

The actual type of dagger doesn't necessarily mean anything. For some sects it might, but that's the thing about wiccanism, 2 different groups can both be wiccan, but have widely differing beliefs. Indeed, the Athame can sometimes be represented entirely symbolicly, by pointing a finger, etc. That's not preferred, obviously, but sometimes one must make do. The particular flavor I most closely associate myself with, the only real stricture about the athame is it can't have ever been used to draw blood of any kind, even animal blood, and that includes having been used to cut a steak or suchlike. Honestly, the athame is a ritual object, it doesn't get used for mundane purposes, any more than a christian priest would use the eucharist cup to have a beer while watching football on TV.

Honestly, I don't know every christian sect's opinion on the reality of the eucharist being literally human flesh and blood (Jesus's flesh and blood) at the point it is consumed during Mass. I know that that's how the Catholics view it, as you said, and given that there's about a billion Catholics, and Catholics outnumber all protestants combined, when looked at on a worldwide basis, I think my argument isn't too far off.

-Arlos

[Narrock]

Arlos, we should definitely go to a pub and have some laughs. For seriously. Me, you (is your name Arlos?), Jay, and Dana. Then we'll have the waitress take our picture together and we'll post it here. I will be extremely busy until late August or early September, but I think some time in September would be an optimal time to get together.

[Arlos]

My actual name is Kevin.

-Arlos