Angry_Games Posted April 3, 2006 Posted April 3, 2006 Angry, Have you ever pondered why you don't feel like you are a very political or a very religious person? If so, what circumstances in your life shaped your somewhat neutral views on politics and religion? And not so serious, how long do you think it would take to fry an egg on the new X1900XT and X1900XTX video cards? (just in case my stove ever goes out) well I am probably very political (if you were a fly on the wall and heard me and momma talking about stuff on CNN, Real Time with Bill Maher, NPR, internet etc etc, you'd probably be super surprised). However, I have learned from an early age that politics is one of the worst discussion topics because everyone else is so political and their views usually are unbending and people tend to be extremely narrow minded. So I choose to never divulge my political views other than little hints here and there (ie I'm conservative on crime, I'm liberal on hookers!). I try to keep it out of the forum too as I'm sure you and everyone else here has been to other forums where political wars break out in a thread and it VERY quickly turns VERY ugly. I'd rather be called ugly names and keep it out of our forum instead of allowing it to be discussed and then having 100 or more people extremely angry at me and each other. as for religion... I'm a pragmatist and a realist. I also read and study a lot, and not just 'internet' stuff. I've read more books probably than any 100 persons on average. This doesn't make me smarter than anyone, or better than anyone, but it does allow me to have a good opinion on certain subjects that I have read about, and religion is one subject I've read about. Why? Like you and everyone else, being human and at the top of the food chain, and being the only real species that can think and interact with each other in the complex ways that humans do with communication and emotions as well as our ability to research new things and adapt (well, lots of animals do it...but none do it like we do!). Being that top species...and seeing all the crazy and wonderful and terrifying things humans have done to each other, themselves, the planet, etc over the course of history...one always wants to believe that there MUST be something above us. No one wants to think that once they die, that is all there is, kaput lights out blammo no more. I've spent the better part of my life wondering this just like a lot of others have. However, being a realist, and knowing how imaginitive humans can be, and more than that, knowing how humans love nothing more than to have power and control over other humans, I've pretty much come to realize that there probably is nothing above us, and if there is, whatever it is, is very disinterested in us (wouldn't you be if you created a bunch of animals and gave them features that no other animal was given and all they did was kill themselves over thousands of years, and once in a while a great animal would come along and do something fantastic that would really evolve the direction the species was going in, and then for hundreds of years it was back to killing each other vying for power and control?) Then again, I don't really know, and like everyone else, won't know until death comes to take me. But Studying humanity since the dawn of time when we wrote things down on stone tablets and drew pictures on cave walls, I realize a few things. Back then, humans were just coming out of the wild, learning that living in groups was better and safer than hunting alone in the wilds. Humans were scared of the unknown (I mean, solar eclipses caused mass panic! Earthquakes were the "Gods" being angry, etc). Some inventive and smart human decided that all these beliefs could be used to control the rest, and so organized religion began. And that is really what I believe 'religion' to be. Organized religion is just another form of control. Religion states this is what you can and cant do, what you can and can't eat, what you can and can't believe, etc. They use fear against the people they control, by telling them that a God or Supernatural Being that no one has ever truly seen or witnessed (and those that claim they have, have never had it confirmed by another individual that didn't live in a white trash trailer park like alien abductees seem to heh) will be angry that they did or didn't do this or that. I also believe that some had the opposite idea, and this guy Jesus was one of those rarities, that believed that people didn't have to belong to organized religion and didn't have to have any of those faults that come with such organizations. He believed that we should love each other, take care of each other, turn the other cheek when someone strikes you, etc. This isn't really religion to me This is common sense If it takes a God to instruct people to do GOOD things for and to each other....then we are a total wreck of a species (especially if it takes the FEAR of a God to make you do good things, or FEAR of what might happen to you if you DONT do good things). And like religion is good at, they killed this guy Jesus for 'blasphemy' when Jesus wasn't really a heretic...all he was doing is saying "hey, you don't need these jerks putting the fear of God into you to make you good people...we all have the ability to be good, we just choose not to be good for some unknown (and still unknown) reason but it DOESN"T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!" Which of course was bad for organized religions because if people could be good on their own and had no fear of God, they wouldn't need those in control to tell them what to do anymore. And if no one listened to those in control and were not afraid, then they would cease to have power over others. Of course, Jesus was a bit of egomaniac claiming to be the "son of God". Honestly...thats a bit of a stretch really. If he had never claimed such a thing, I bet he would have lasted a lot longer and maybe human society would be a much much better place than it is because honestly, his gig was EXTREMELY popular, and he was getting more and more famous for his teachings. But then you know his fate, and you know how the world has ebbed and flowed in both dark and light. Religion has been the cause of the overwhelming majority of the world's conflicts up until the modern age (and even today religion is still the cause of most conflicts). Everyone seems to forget in the middle ages how religious crusades decimated entire populations. It has always been a double-edged sword...one edge is "do good like Jesus" and the other edge is "our religion is the right religion and if you don't believe it you will burn in hell after we kill you for not believing". And personally, I find religious people to be utterly offensive. When people find out I don't believe in THEIR God, it makes them angry and they try to convince me that THEIR God is the only one and the right one and I'm a heathen, which goes against the teachings of Jesus which was "be tolerant of other's beliefs", so that is a contradiction of the worst offense. Then I ask them "well...what if Native Americans had it right and there's many gods? What if ancient Egyptians or Mayans or Aztecs or Buddhists or any one of the hundreds of religions are actually the one TRUE religion and their God or Gods are the one TRUE Gods?" *sigh* You can only imagine the intolerant replies I get from people about such things. Then there's the whole science vs religion debate. Science is stuff that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, or at least proven with evidence to more than likely be the right way things happened. We see evolution as a reality because we watch animals, insects, plants, even humans evolve, yet apparently that is nonsense to religious people. The funny thing is, why can't science and religion co-exist? I mean, we THEORIZE that the big bang is what started the universe...but what if a God or some Gods really created everything? There's an almost infinite number of galaxies floating through the universe, each with hundreds of billions of trillions of quadrillions (you get the point) of stars, and even if only .01% of .01% of .01% of .01% of .01% had a planet that might be life sustaining (and who says it has to be like ours where living beings breathe oxygen/nitrogen mix? why can't there be life that breathes methane or is silicon based or maybe something so different that human imagination can't even possibly begin to imagine?!), how can we possibly say that a God only made us and nothing else, and we are made in the image of God? What if there was a God who created all this stuff, but maybe HIS people are in a galaxy that is 100 trillion light years away, so far away that we cannot even begin to understand how far away it is? What if we are just a by-product...an 'accident', or maybe just the right mix of air and water and sunlight and blam life started here as it has on a billion other worlds that we will never know about because of the distance between such anomalous worlds? What if there was a God that created us as well as a billion other life-giving planets just because he was curious to see what would evolve? What if there simply is no God and we are just an anomaly, a sort of cosmic accident? Religious people are simply too narrow minded to even begin to comprehend all the implications of just how big the universe really is, and they egomaniacally think that humans and the planet Earth are the ONLY life in the universe and somehow we are at the top of God's favorite list, or that he even made us in HIS image...which is actually what I would consider an insult if I were a God because a God is omnipotent, and probably does not have 2 arms and 2 legs and 2 eyes etc....that's just...dumb honestly. But I digress I suppose. To me, religion, in my experience over the course of history as well as my own actual experience (bet you didn't know I used to be a churchgoer eh?), is just another form of control, and it is simply too narrow minded for me. I refuse to be told that something is the way it is because God says it is, but there is no proof. I refuse to believe something just because someone says to believe it. I have to have proof, or at least a very good argument that something is something (like we believe black holes are what they are because math is used to pinpoint effects of black holes and we KNOW they exist, we just theorize on exactly what it is they do or how they act, but we have pretty good data from years of studying them). I refuse to live a certain way just because someone says to live a certain way or I will burn in their version of hell, which i don't even believe in anymore. I'm a human being. I am a product of my environment. I have learned enough at a young age to know that punching Billy in the face is not a nice thing to do, and telling Lucy that she is fat will hurt her feelings, and in turn, make me feel bad. I know that murder is bad, I know that crime is bad, I know all about what is bad and what is good, and while school and society has taught me most of it, I have grown up and been able to make my own decisions based on what I feel is right and wrong. Every time I yell at one of you guys, or ban you, or have to discipline you, I feel bad, because I don't like it. However, it is necessary or else I wouldn't do it, as it is for the greater good of the forum. Every time I have to be brutally honest with someone I have a little pang of guilt in me...but every time I lie to someone to save their feelings, I feel worse than I ever have, because I know lying is the worst, and lying to someone just to save their feelings is where our society is right now. Every time I see starving african kids on tv, I feel like .. Everytime I see a car accident or some athlete break his ankle or some kid abused or even a kid lose his balloon at the fair, I feel like .. I feel like I am a normal human being, and I feel like every other human on earth has the same feelings as me, but most are too greedy or selfish to allow themselves to feel empathy for others, and most are raised in a 'gimme gimme gimme' world and they wish for material possessions and/or power over others. And yes, I am just as guilty of it as others in certain times, so no, I am not superior to anyone in any way. I just wish others would realize their own faults sometimes and do something about them instead of not caring, or maybe caring and still doing it anyway. but in the end, I am intelligent enough to realize the most important factor of all everyone is different. everyone was raised differently, and everyone has their own belief system. no one is going to be like me not everyone is going to like me I am not going to like everyone I understand the base principals of humans in that there are so many of us with so many differing opinions that it is amazing that we've made it this far in our history and have not blown each other up or killed each other and we have a fairly stable society (well, most of us from western cultures anyway). I don't allow religion to enter my life because I don't believe in it in the way that it is preached across the planet, and it's intolerance of others and their beliefs. I don't try to preach my personal beliefs to others because others are not me, and they resent my beliefs and my preaching as much as i resent when they do it to me (do ya hear that Republicans? lol). I don't allow that nonsense in this forum because of what i just said...there's simply too many of us with too many different opinions, and when you get that kind of group together, they have zero tolerance for someone's opinions and beliefs if they are different. And I can guarantee you that someone with religious beliefs will read this and go on a terrible rant because of my 'false information' or my 'heathen beliefs' or who knows what, but they will (and I will simply cut them out of this thread as this is not open to debate, as it will lead to the nasty things I just said it would lead to...this is simply me answering a question that was asked). also because some people just love to argue (as we've found out over the time this forum has been around lol). anyway...sorry that my reply is so long and stupid and boring and heathenistic...but you asked I've also been proctrastinating rebuilding my server yet again as my stupid 915 Lanparty board is....well...lets just say I'm not real happy with it, and I am moving on to the 875P-T because I know exactly how awesome my 875P-T Pentium4 is for a server (and a single core 2800+ A64 and 1GB of RAM just isn't cutting it anymore) plus i got to get a 320GB hdd as my 160GB drives are less than 20% free space each and it is time to consolidate a bit enjoy! 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fst h2o Posted April 3, 2006 Posted April 3, 2006 White wine doesn't seem to have enough OOMPH! to really season the bird. That's why I use a cheap cherry wine. No sense in wasting the good stuff on chicken. Not to say you are wrong, but my own personal motto of cooking with wine and liquors is: "If you won't drink it, don't cook with it." Granted I've never tried to cook poultry or pork with red wines, but I have made some great pork roast and roast chickens using a delicious Chardonney ($12 to $15 a bottle). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelballzz Posted April 3, 2006 Posted April 3, 2006 angry... u really have a way with words....u can explain your point in a way that even a foreign guy like me can understand...... not a$$ kissing but i enjoy your looong posts.... following this thread fo a while and i have a couple of questions why the japanese cars.....? how much it costs a gallon of fuel over the USA.....here i pay1,2€....more or less 1,5 us dollars for 1(one) litre....ouch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry_Games Posted April 3, 2006 Posted April 3, 2006 angry...u really have a way with words....u can explain your point in a way that even a foreign guy like me can understand...... not a$$ kissing but i enjoy your looong posts.... following this thread fo a while and i have a couple of questions why the japanese cars.....? how much it costs a gallon of fuel over the USA.....here i pay1,2€....more or less 1,5 us dollars for 1(one) litre....ouch Japanese car companies are superior in a couple of respects, compared to American car companies #1 and most important is that Japanese car companies build cars that Americans WANT, while American car companies build cars THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE this has been going on for a long time, and American car companies just don't see to get it yet the funny thing is, they get it when it comes to SUV's and trucks, as they've been building these gas guzzlers exactly how Americans like them for a decade or so....but when it comes to cars, they just don't seem to get it. #2 is the reliability/quality. Japanese cars are known for their efficiency but more important, for their lasting quality. Honda and Toyota cars are well known for their ability to hit 200,000 miles or more, and more importantly, is their ability to not need repairs every freakin 3 months like american cars do. Take a good read through Consumer Reports...I've been reading that rag for years and years, and every year they rate the Japanese cars the highest, and the American cars among the lowest, and every year they get nasty letters from readers about how they are 'unamerican' and they always reply the same "the day the American car mfg's start putting out cars that Americans want and that are as reliable as Japanese cars, then we'll rate them as high or higher than Japanese cars...but until then, reality is reality, and Japanese car mfg's are superior in almost every way, AND they also are built here in USA with American workers" I don't hate america and I am as patriotic as the next guy (tho we are all patriotic in our own ways I suppose). I am just smart enough to know that a Honda Accord and Toyota Camry have all the features and fuel efficiency and reliability that I want, and the only American made car I would even possibly consider is the new Ford Mustang...and maybe the new Dodge Charger...but the rest of the American cars are weak and unreliable and the couple that are cool like the Viper and Corvette are simply too much money and too much insurance money. as for gasoline...I just filled up the car last Thursday, at $2.38/gal and it takes about 12 gallons to fill up my little Mercury Station Wagon grrrr....ridiculous this is why I want an Accord Hybrid...it will maybe maybe still use as much gas, but hopefully not if we could buy good Hydrogen cars and had Hydrogen fuel stations then I would probably go that route I wouldnt go bio oil though...those things stink like french fry fryers lol but then again remember, I am the guy who replaced his entire house's light bulbs with the flourescent bulbs, I'm the guy who turns the thermostat down to 60F in the winter and makes everyone put on more clothes, I'm the guy who won't turn on the Air Conditioner at home until it is 90F outside, I'm the guy who would rather walk to things close by than drive...I'm not a hippy but I played one on TV! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelballzz Posted April 3, 2006 Posted April 3, 2006 i have a mazda and an honda....i know what u r talking about.... :cool: didnt know that american cars r so unreliable..... time to sleep now...late around here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimTjik Posted April 4, 2006 Posted April 4, 2006 A_G @ Don't worry; I'm not planning to deliver some kind of rant over your post about religion. Even though I have a very different standpoint than you do, I would just like to add two thought of in a sense more linguistic character, even though it has some influence on how to comprehend certain religious terms: Fear: there's more than one type of fear. Some are indeed more of a destructive kind. However others keep me alive: healthful fear helps me to avoid doing stupid things to myself, it urges me to take care of my family and doing good, since I fear hurtful deeds. Image: an image doesn't have to be literal. You might be in likeness, or image, of someone, without having any physical resemblance of that person. The image might be a pattern of inner qualities or something of an abstract nature. I hope you don't view me as annoying, because of these remarks. At least it wasn't my intention. Good luck with your server! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry_Games Posted April 4, 2006 Posted April 4, 2006 nah I'm just not up to debate in the forums over whether my views are acceptable or not because in my opinion, they are what I believe and that's that. And if you read my whole post, you realize that I accept other person's beliefs because I know everyone is different. That is unfortunately not enough for some people and they have to try and explain this or that (like you have) when you should just accept that I believe what i believe and I have my reasons for it, and that's just how it is, as this is not a place for religious debate nor arguing semantics over what I believe vs what you believe. Not yelling at you or trying to be rude...just making sure we don't have everyone and their dog in the thread arguing over what they believe in now. I only answered because someone asked me a pointed (and rather good) question about it based on previous posts I've made. I gave my answer, but I'd rather not go into it any more than this since it is my opinion, and it was asked of me, and you all really know how I feel about allowing 'debates' (and any thread about religion or politics is a debate, not a discussion) about these two subjects. I know that sounds really like a "ITS MY FORUM AND I MAKE THE RULES" but honestly I'm not really meaning it in a mean or terrible way. This thread is for you guys to ask me or momma questions and so far it has been a very good thread, so keep asking! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimTjik Posted April 4, 2006 Posted April 4, 2006 Sorry, but I think you got me wrong, because I didn't make any comments about religion. I'm switching between several languages every day, so I'm quit fond of words. Never mind, I drop the subject... Two questions: - if you're looking for a book, what does catch your interest first? - will you go on playing hockey all summer too? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma Posted April 4, 2006 Posted April 4, 2006 Sorry, but I think you got me wrong, because I didn't make any comments about religion. I'm switching between several languages every day, so I'm quit fond of words. Never mind, I drop the subject... Two questions: - if you're looking for a book, what does catch your interest first? - will you go on playing hockey all summer too? When I am looking for a book I look for ones with good plots behind them. I also like nonfiction stuff so if it sounds like something I want to know more about, I usually pick it. I also like classics such as Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, or stuff by the Bronte sisters. I haven't been able to read for enjoyment for so long that I have a giant book list to read whenever I get done with school. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry_Games Posted April 4, 2006 Posted April 4, 2006 Two questions:- if you're looking for a book, what does catch your interest first? - will you go on playing hockey all summer too? author is the first thing I look for, as well as reviews in newspapers second. Stephen King Dan Simmons Michael Crichton Terry Goodkind those are just 4 of my fav authors...I like sci-fi mostly, some fantasy, I really like Tom Clancy stuff usually, and depending on the subject, I dig non-fiction (usually historical stuff). I'll play hockey all summer, all fall, all winter, all spring, etc etc etc not going to join a summer league, but I will be ready by the time the fall leagues begin! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calvintang Posted April 4, 2006 Posted April 4, 2006 What got you interested in hockey?I personally don't like sports... whats the point of watching two teams shooting/kicking/throwing an object into a target(net) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wevsspot Posted April 4, 2006 Posted April 4, 2006 Angry, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your reply to my questions. It really gives me some insight into your character and personality. I didn't consider that asking (nor you answering) would open up a can of worms on religion or politics, so I hope that it doesn't. I'll make three comments and then move onto the important question that was at the very end of my first post. Religion can be dangerous (just like politicians) Jesus was a special gift to mankind Faith is good Now the biggie . . . . . Drum roll please . . . . . How long will it take to fry an egg on the Radeon X1900XT? (just in case my stove goes out) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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