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doctor iono posted:What makes a Christmas tree specifically a Christian symbol, anyway? I can't really find any solid history linking the two. Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." That verse doesn't refer to Europeans, but euro-pagans did decorate trees and use cuttings to make wreaths, etc. And it's hard to imagine Jeremiah's next verse being a disclaimer saying "...But it's OK if your skin color is lighter than that of those heathens previously mentioned." The solid history linking the two is that as Christianity spread throughout Europe, it co-opted local holiday traditions. They really are just holiday trees and wreaths, nothing originally Christian about them.
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Dec 22, 2010 13:19
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swarthmeister posted:The solid history linking the two is that as Christianity spread throughout Europe, it co-opted local holiday traditions. They really are just holiday trees and wreaths, nothing originally Christian about them. There taken are TRADITIONS!
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Dec 22, 2010 13:42
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swarthmeister posted:The solid history linking the two is that as Christianity spread throughout Europe, it co-opted local holiday traditions. They really are just holiday trees and wreaths, nothing originally Christian about them. This is as true as blue sky. It's not widely known (here in the US); the reactions from people to it can be quite...volatile. Also when you tell them that any celebration of Christmas as anything but a day of prayer and worship was frowned upon by the religious leaders in New England in the early days of colonization.
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Dec 23, 2010 00:24
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swarthmeister posted:Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." I asked a Biblically literate friend about this, his response: Interesting passage that many people take out of context to attack the use of Christmas trees. Most likely, Jeremiah was referring to the the process that created Asherah poles (See Jeremiah 17:2). Asherah was a Canaanite fertility goddes...s, and her worshipers would strip a tree down to its trunk, making a pole, and nailed silver and gold on it for added decoration. By worshiping these poles, they were considered idols that replaced the one true God. This was a major problem in Israel at the time Jeremiah was a prophet. Since Christmas trees were first used in northern Europe, and not in Palestine, it can be concluded that Jeremiah was not referring to them. So, if anyone were to bow down in worship of their Christmas tree, that would be sinful idolatry and this passage would be applicable. If not, the Christmas tree can just be seen as a nice symbol of the holiday celebrating our Savior's birth. Merry Christmas!
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Dec 23, 2010 00:31
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Next you're going to tell me there's nothing in the Bible about Easter baskets.
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Dec 23, 2010 01:28
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Armyman25 posted:I asked a Biblically literate friend about this, his response: Oh, I'm very aware of the verse's proper context, and that it was decreed well before Christianity existed. I'm also aware of those justifications for co-opted pagan practices ("well as long as you don't worship pagan gods, you can do what you want with pagan festivities"). I mean, without embracing and justifying pagan practices, modern Christmas would lose the date, the color scheme, the trees and greenery, the lights and decorations, the feasting, carolers, everything Yule, etc. I don't blame them, it can be fun stuff. A hardcore Jesus-authentic Christmas would probably just be people either bunkering down or renting stables randomly throughout the year for a night or two of devotions. Not very exciting, and it would leave the religion without a prime winter holiday. It would've been tougher for the developing church to make inroads and recruits without all the co-opted pagan holidays - same goes for Easter. I don't think it means Christmas-tree owners are bad people. I was responding to doctor iono with regard for the Christmas-warrior email spreading the false message of "ARGH. IT'S A CHRISTMAS TREE, NOT A HOLIDAY TREE!!!" which was quoted by AceSnyp3r. sweart gliwere fucked around with this message at 03:30 on Dec 23, 2010 |
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Dec 23, 2010 03:23
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Hope everyone had a HAPPY HOLIDAYS (  ) but its time for more emails. This ones got 2 variants. Neither are actually what they claim to be.quote:Here is a strong lady!!!! quote:British Housewife Speaks Out RagnarokAngel fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Dec 26, 2010 |
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Dec 26, 2010 16:53
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When the most basic rights of human beings are broken, I don't care (as long as it isn't happening to me)
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Dec 26, 2010 18:22
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I don't think we've been in a war without soldiers from South Korea being with us. Where's there thanks, lady!?
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Dec 26, 2010 18:49
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RightHonourableHolt posted:I don't think we've been in a war without soldiers from South Korea being with us. Where's there thanks, lady!? Aren't they the bad Korea!!!
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Dec 26, 2010 19:00
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Which US news source claims that their right to free speech is from international law and not the First Amendment? Everything else I can believe she doesn't care about, but this claim is just kind of random.
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Dec 26, 2010 23:07
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I wonder what sort of perfect shitstorm would ensue if someone tried to start a holiday in honor of the Soviet soldiers who fought longer and harder and killed more Nazis than anyone.
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Dec 26, 2010 23:21
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Basic human rights are just random liberal technicalities with no real purpose or meaning. It's so infuriating that terrorists can abuse these antiquated notions to their own advantage as if we are somehow doing something wrong. Let's just do away with all of it. Also, we should all get some guns so we can protect ourselves against the government death camps and death panels.
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Dec 26, 2010 23:52
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RightHonourableHolt posted:I don't think we've been in a war without soldiers from South Korea being with us. Where's there thanks, lady!? They don't fit the American/English picture of a soldier. Brown hair, blue eyes, English speaking. That's why France isn't included (In addition to Russia as someone said). The Jesus in that email probably fits that description too. RagnarokAngel fucked around with this message at 23:59 on Dec 26, 2010 |
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Dec 26, 2010 23:56
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Dr. Arbitrary posted:One of my facebook friends just went nuts. Just going to mention that anyone citing Prison Planet is ripe for a righteous mocking. Just take your loving pick of lunacy. I suggest asking him to explain Morgellon's Disease.
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Dec 27, 2010 04:02
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Anosmoman posted:Basic human rights are just random liberal technicalities with no real purpose or meaning. It's so infuriating that terrorists can abuse these antiquated notions to their own advantage as if we are somehow doing something wrong. Let's just do away with all of it. Also, we should all get some guns so we can protect ourselves against the government death camps and death panels. Personally I'm just sick of this liberal meme that it's somehow bad to stamp all over somebody else's religion. I mean see Saudi Arabia bans bibles, but we can't ban the koran? Are we not GOOD ENOUGH to outlaw Islam in return? And really, any holy book whose name can be romanized in multiple ways isn't worth respecting anyway. 
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Dec 27, 2010 05:25
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FW: PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW This past July, we had the pleasure of sharing a summer barbecue with a refugee from Cuba. Our dinner conversation was starkly different than most. This refugee came to the United States as a young boy in the early 1960s. His family was more fortunate than most as they were able to bring a suitcase and $100 when they fled Castro's newly formed revolutionary paradise. Our dinner consisted of all-American fare: hamburgers, potato salad, watermelon and fresh ears of sweet corn. This is a menu shared with family and friends nationwide, while celebrating the birth of our beloved America on the Fourth of July. We began with a simple discussion about our country and the direction it has taken since Barack Obama came to power. We shared the usual complaints about the sour economy and liberal social engineering emanating from the rulers in Washington. But then he said it. The sentence came naturally. I assume it was unplanned. But it carried the weight of a freight train. "You know when Castro took power, none of us knew he was a Communist." We sat stunned. He continued, "Yes, we all thought he was a patriot, a nationalist. Before the revolution he didn't sound like a radical." The comparison at this point was easy, and I interjected, "You mean just like Barack Obama?" He responded, "Yes, just like Barack Obama." He continued, "We were all shocked as the government just continued to grab more power. First they said the revolution is over, so please turn in your guns. We all complied." "I remember my uncle saying after it started, 'Castro will only nationalize some of the big industries, he will never come and take our family hardware store. 'But that is exactly what happened, Castro started with the sugar mills and the large industries, but they eventually came and knocked on the door of our family hardware store. My family had run this store for generations. They said we now own the hardware store, you work for us. And that nice, large four-bedroom home you own, it is now our property also, and you can move yourself and five children into two rooms of the house because others are moving in with you." The lesson learned from this discussion is a lesson most Americans refuse to hear. Political leaders can lie about their agenda and once in office they can take totally unexpected turns. If you had asked us three years ago if we thought General Motors would be nationalized, we would have never believed it. We could never contemplate a country where the rule of law, the most fundamental building block of a justice society would be evaporating just like it did in Castro's Cuba in the early 1960s. But the news of injustice keeps increasing. Black Panthers are not charged with wrongdoing by the U.S. Department of Justice because their crimes are against whites. The bondholders of GM are stripped of their assets without due process by the government. Governmental leaders are bribed in full daylight only to have all investigation of the crimes stifled by the Attorney General. The U.S. borders are overrun with crime and illegal activity and the leaders in D.C. act as if it is important to protect the lawbreakers while the innocent are killed and overrun. When local communities attempt to enforce the law, they are ridiculed and threatened as racists and bigots. They are sued by the very administration entrusted with enforcing the law. Without the rule of law the U.S. Constitution is a sham. Without the rule of law our beloved America is swiftly becoming a country where only the well connected and politically powerful will be safe. As Michelle Malkin has so eloquently explained in her recent book, a culture of corruption has replaced honest government. The only way this problem will be fixed is by massive citizen action. All honest citizens that want to be treated equally must come together and demand that the favoritism, the bribes, the uneven enforcement of law end now. And yes, it can happen here. PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW ... And may God save the United States of America!
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Jan 4, 2011 03:37
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crime fighting hog posted:[Long rant about communism] Black Panthers are not charged with wrongdoing by the U.S. Department of Justice because their crimes are against whites. I actually lol'd at that. "The communists are coming! They're nationalizing our businesses and confiscating property! And also niggers!" The whole thing is about patriotism and capitalism and all that, but the writer just can't help being a dumb racist.
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Jan 4, 2011 04:37
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XyloJW posted:I actually lol'd at that. "The communists are coming! They're nationalizing our businesses and confiscating property! And also niggers!" The whole thing is about patriotism and capitalism and all that, but the writer just can't help being a dumb racist. Don't you see, the Black Panthers are his secret police! Like, uh, like uh, oh wait Castro coming to power was the result of an armed revolution, launched from Mexico. There really isn't a comparison, because, well everything in that drat email was a lie... Edit: I know about the CDR's. Those were *after* the revolution. miasmata fucked around with this message at 05:13 on Jan 4, 2011 |
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Jan 4, 2011 05:10
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crime fighting hog posted:As Michelle Malkin has so eloquently explained in her recent book, a culture of corruption has replaced honest government. So, how does one respond to something like this (in the context of 2001 to 2009) without just going "ahahahahahahaha!"?
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Jan 4, 2011 05:16
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crime fighting hog posted:FW: PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW Not only is Obama an iron-fisted autocrat, he's a weak-willed doormat! quote:So, how does one respond to something like this (in the context of 2001 to 2009) without just going "ahahahahahahaha!"? This is a dumb question, I know, but where the gently caress do the people who supported the Patriot Act, warrant-less wiretapping, and profiling people based on racial and religious backgrounds and auto bailouts get off screeching about how the auto bailouts are Castro and helping poor people buy medicine is Hitler? Ok, Obama is still doing the exact same skeevy stuff Bush did and didn't push UHC, but you know what I mean. VVVV Even worse than that, they aren't fear mongering about government takeovers of industry while ignoring the actual violations of civil rights, they're fear mongering about government takeovers of industry while acknowledging those violations and saying that by "merely" continuing them, Obama isn't going far enough! Dr Christmas fucked around with this message at 10:14 on Jan 4, 2011 |
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Jan 4, 2011 06:20
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Dr Christmas posted:Ok, Obama is still doing the exact same skeevy stuff Bush did and didn't push UHC, but you know what I mean. That is what's sad about it; for all the things they could be calling him out for, they ignore what's actually happening that you'd think would go against their stated principles (smaller government, individual freedom, yada-yada-yada.)
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Jan 4, 2011 07:09
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In regards to people being anti-gay marriage, has anyone asked "Where in the bible does it say married people should get a tax break?" I want to try asking this, but I'm already deathly afraid of my extended family throwing me an intervention for being liberal and atheist.
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Jan 5, 2011 04:14
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They will probably respond that gays should get "civil unions" with tax breaks, but it shouldn't be "marriage." Or just that the tax breaks have nothing to do with the bible, but the government should encourage healthy families (which ONLY includes a mother, father, and babies). The reasong this is the only healthy family is because "God said so" and there are (vague, never specifically named) studies that support this. For a fun time, try this "where in the Bible" game with a lot of Christians on social issues. Not in a snide or combative way, but genuinely ask. Lots of them have no idea. And the verses they do point to have interesting context. Like in Corinthians, it directs each man to have his own wife and each wife to have his own husband, on only have sex with each other. This is because the church members were hooking up with their in-laws. Fun fact: even the verses they point to condemning premarital sex are on shaky ground.
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Jan 5, 2011 06:04
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Even if you're not snide they will just say, "Well I can't give you the specific passage but it's in there." and move on. When people bring up Civil Unions I always say something like, "So you support separate but equal rights for two different types of people?" But that still doesn't get it.
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Jan 5, 2011 07:46
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Manifest Dynasty posted:They will probably respond that gays should get "civil unions" with tax breaks, but it shouldn't be "marriage." It's funny, because the word itself comes from the latin word "maritus" and predates christianity. So it's actually the christian marriage that should have a special term. "Jesus-union"?
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Jan 5, 2011 10:16
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Manifest Dynasty posted:The reasong this is the only healthy family is because "God said so" and there are (vague, never specifically named) studies that support this. Even though there are other studies that show it makes no difference what gender your parents are. Can't specifically name them, but they got brought up in the Prop 8 trial and the judge completely shot down any "trials" presented by the pro-8 side.
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Jan 5, 2011 11:26
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Miss Fats posted:Even if you're not snide they will just say, "Well I can't give you the specific passage but it's in there." and move on. When people bring up Civil Unions I always say something like, "So you support separate but equal rights for two different types of people?" I tried using that with my dad when he was saying that gays shouldn't be able to get "married". I started enthusiastically supporting segregation, since separate but equal was good enough for gay people, why not mixed race couples too. I got called an rear end in a top hat. I then said that all the lovely hollywood marriages that last for all of 3 seconds have done more to ruin the institution of marriage then letting people of the same sex get married would do, but that point was ignored as well.
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Jan 5, 2011 15:33
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Ask your dad if he wear poly-cotton t-shirts! Mixing of fibers in your clothes is forbidden too! In the same book as some of the "no homo" stuff! Deuteronomy 22:11, btw
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Jan 5, 2011 15:44
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What could be wrong with a tough new law targeting gay-bullying in our schools that is now sitting on Governor Christie's desk? After all, the activist Gay and Lesbian groups that spent over a year writing the language of the bill are publicly describing it as the "most sweeping anti-bullying legislation in America". Isn't it a good thing that New Jersey will become the national leader in the fight against gay bullying? Isn't it good that New Jersey will be bringing law-enforcement into our children's classrooms in ways that no other State has ever done before? Gay and Lesbian groups are right when they say that it's about time that New Jersey takes a tough line against bullying. But this law, which requires mandatory teaching of a "week of respect" and mandatory year-round classroom teaching, stands, per the New York Times, to be used by Gay and Lesbian groups to indoctrinate school children of the "need" for gay marriage*. Gay and Lesbian groups have publicly admitted that one reason the law is the most sweeping of its kind in America is because it "applies to schools from kindergarten" and up. If Gay and Lesbian groups get their way, outrageously, gay marriage will be taught to New Jersey's pre-schoolers. And Gay and Lesbian groups are not telling you and me that if Governor Christie signs this law, our schools could be teaching pre-school children to direspect their own parents if they are against gay marriage**. Do our kindergarten kids really need gay marriage forced down their throats during a required annual "week of respect"? Do our pre-school kids need a "week of respect" that teaches them to disrespect their own parents? Is teaching gay marriage in kindergarten the new education reform that Governor Christie had in mind for New Jersey? The clock is now ticking and the deadline for the Governor to take action on this bill is only hours away. This is a real emergency and we must take action now. You can make a real difference. Call Governor Christie as soon as you can and tell him that we care about the pre-school kids of New Jersey. Tell Governor Christie that he needs to put a stop to activist Gay and Lesbian groups taking over the education of our pre-school children. Tell Governor Christie to veto the activist Gay and Lesbian "week of respect". There are 1.38 million schoolchildren in New Jersey's Public School system, please take a couple of moments out of your busy day to, right here and right now, do three things to show you care: 1) Please sign this online petition 2) Please call Governor Christie at 609-292-6000 and tell him to veto the "week of respect" 3) Please send the above in email to everyone you know who cares for 1.38 million schoolchildren * "liberals and gay rights groups are using the antibullying banner to pursue a hidden “homosexual agenda,” implicitly endorsing, for example, same-sex marriage", "In Efforts to End Bullying, Some See Agenda", New York Times, November 7, 2010, page A16, quoting parents and activists. This is no idle claim. On its website, the leading national Gay and Lesbian organization involved in anti-bullying legislation, GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, recommends Uncle Bobby's Wedding a text promoting gay marriage for all Elementary school grades. ** Publisher's Weekly describes GLSEN's all Elementary school grades recommended Two Moms, The Zark, And Me as a "mean-spirited, sniping" attack on adults with traditional values. See the complete review posted on Amazon.com
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Jan 5, 2011 17:41
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How are we supposed to teach our children to be ashamed of their sexuality and bully those who are different if they're being taught in school that everyone deserves respect!
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Jan 5, 2011 17:58
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I like that you can see "proof" of how this will cause children to disrespect "traditional" parents by reading a review on Amazon.
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Jan 5, 2011 18:14
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I get some newsletters from various prolife organizations to keep on top of whatever crazy thing they are up to but this one today was especially  quote:Intolerance is a Beautiful Thing and Something We Should All Strive For in the New Year – A New Commentary by Bryan Kemper
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Jan 5, 2011 23:30
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quote:Dr. King was a man who believed that we as a nation must stand up against a great evil that had kept so many of our brothers and sisters in bondage. He knew that for the truth to break through the lies, he and those who would stand with him must be absolutely intolerant of racism. That's such a stretch I dont even know where to begin.
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Jan 6, 2011 00:17
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So we had a school shooting in town today http://www.omaha.com/article/20110105/NEWS97/110109863#millard-south-shooting-suspect-dead-principals-shot And here's one of the facebook comments on the story quote:the devil ( a bad angel) seems to be in a battle with the good angels of earth..it started back when kids came home saying " If you hit us & bruise us we can turn you into the school, & you can go to jail" well.. these kids have missed... out on good for them from good parents spankin's --government over-stepped & has ruined America. again. Obviously the lack of corporal punishment is why this kid tried to blow away his principals.
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Jan 6, 2011 00:22
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^ Crazy people on the internet really do love them some ellipses.Bryan Kemper posted:Don’t get me wrong; I strongly believe in loving the sinner and hating the sin. However, this does not mean that we should tolerate sin and ignore the death and destruction that come with it. Out of all the stupid poo poo the religious right has come up with over the years, 'hating the sin, not the sinner' is by far one of the dumbest, if only because they always end up hating or at the very least marginalizing the sinner in any case.  "I don't hate you, just everything about you! Now let me tell you why you're a horrible person!"
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Jan 6, 2011 00:53
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People who actually live by that motto are great. It's very rare, though. Actually, they're great when they honestly live by the "hate the sin, LOVE the sinner" motto.
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Jan 6, 2011 01:01
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Blarghalt posted:^ Crazy people on the internet really do love them some ellipses. Just tell them that you hate the religion, not the congregant. "I don't hate you, just your church." The analogy will likely be lost, so be prepared for them to take it as you attacking them.
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Jan 6, 2011 02:13
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streetlamp posted:I get some newsletters from various prolife organizations to keep on top of whatever crazy thing they are up to but this one today was especially I got up to "this sticker makes me angrier than any other sticker" before I fell over laughing.
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Jan 6, 2011 02:57
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crime fighting hog posted:So we had a school shooting in town today Omaha goon checking in-- Fox News commenters are coming out as usual with the "if we arm our principals, these things don't happen" and "this story *must* be wrong, the campus was a no gun zone" bullshit.
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Jan 6, 2011 08:37
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