patrick.net

mell says

The only way out of ths mess is a Libertarian approach with low taxes and high civil liberties and fairness for all (instead of equality),

Amen. This clamor for equality has gotten out of control. A 4'6" 300 pound couch potato of a man is never going to be better than a 6'7" 200+ pound fit trained man at basketball. Per the current version of euqlity-both men should be paid the same by basketball teams. While sports and other such fields are exempt-Obozo's laws for equality are the same for the rest of us-where you are euql just because you exist.

We're all equal but Liberals are above us all, and deserve billion dollar state of the art learning campus centers, while the rest of us gets metal detectors and mobile home classrooms.

But of course they deserve it, well because their kids were born to them in their environment, and there's just no way the rest of us can compete with their intellect. So it's for the best I suppose. What with them being so damned smart and all and we're all so fucking stupid.

Equality is a Motherfucker under these Liberals.

CaptainShuddup says

He should lose his job!

Trolling just to show people how damned smart he is.

If you mean Tyson, you gotta admit that guy is brilliant.

The guy obviously has a beef with Jesus. He did a whole series about it. Why does he get to be a social media Bully?

CaptainShuddup says

The guy obviously has a beef with Jesus. He did a whole series about it. Why does he get to be a social media Bully?

Because Jesus is the most believed myth on the planet.
1. He was not born of a virgin.
2. He was not son of God.
3. He did not perform miracles.
4. He never rose from the dead.
5. He never died for anyones sin.
And he ain't coming back. Get over it.

CaptainShuddup says

Why does he get to be a social media Bully?

Oh boo-hoo-hoo! Boo-hoo-hoo!

Christian bewiefs are ever so thweatened & pewsecuted and picked on! So powuhless 'n' underwepwesented. Mommeeee! He cauwed me naaaames! Sniff. Sniff.

BTW: "Why do people get so upset over what someone says?"

sbh says

Free speech is a bitch for wingnuts. Deal with it.

The Constitution for me, but not for thee.

I'm just saying while nodoby likes anyone preaching at them when you aren't into it. Screwing with people because of their religion or screwing with religion to screw with people, is really covered under the same umbrealla of principals on the moral scale. I was just taught that way we just spent the last few decades going over "Don't screw with the Jews.", OK we got it. How about nobody mess with other people's religion? If you got a beef with God, then go Sky Diving or Cliff jumping or something. Or if you have an imaginary time travel machine... Then Go imagine there's no Heaven...

CaptainShuddup says

Screwing with people because of their religion or screwing with religion to screw with people

You poor, poor man. They tied you up and forced you to read his tweets!

Sniff!

CaptainShuddup says

I'm just saying while nodoby likes anyone preaching at them when you aren't into it. Screwing with people because of their religion or screwing with religion to screw with people, is really covered under the same umbrealla of principals on the moral scale. I was just taught that way we just spent the last few decades going over "Don't screw with the Jews.", OK we got it. How about nobody mess with other people's religion? If you got a beef with God, then go Sky Diving or Cliff jumping or something. Or if you have an imaginary time travel machine... Then Go imagine there's no Heaven...

Isn't that exactly what religions do?
Preach non stop.
Wage wars non stop.
Abuse human rights non stop.
Good thing there is no heaven for them to go to. They don't deserve heaven.

To be honest, I kinda like Jesus. At the very least, Jesus didn't rob, rape, or kill anyone, so he makes a pretty good role model that way. So even if I don't believe, I like it when other people believe in Jesus and want to treat me well because that's what He would do. Sure, Christians do bad things, but at least they have to work at justifying it.

Islam is very different. Mohammed did rob caravans, rape captured women, and kill lots of people. And that's their official history (hadith) about the "role model for all of humanity". So it's super-easy for them to justify doing bad things to non-Muslims.

Judaism is just a particular religion for a particular group of people. They don't want outsiders to join, so it inherently alienates everyone else. Especially when they turn out to be damn good at business.

Buddhism is a lot like Christianity. Buddha was a super-nice guy with incredible self-control, like Jesus. Good role model.

Can't figure out Hinduism at all. Lots of unusual Gods. Can't find a real unifying theme or any founder guy.

Happy to be politically incorrect. Merry Christmas!

Sure, Christians do bad things, but at least they have to work at justifying it.

So that Liberal teacher that reached in her hand bag took out a pistol and then emptied it in the room, is what Liberals would do, if they didn't get tenured?

People do stupid shit, but if we're grouping people then let's keep it real.

Buddhism is a lot like Christianity. Buddha was a super-nice guy with incredible self-control, like Jesus.

Except that Buddha did not push the idea of an omnipotent supreme deity.

The one fundamental difference between Christ and Buddha is that Christ promoted an Abrahamic religion, with all the notions of a soul and a god of utterly different essence from humans (even though they are in his image).

I used to judge Christ and Buddha on par. The more I learn about the Abrahamic religions, the more I find this distinction between Buddha and Christ to be a real chasm.

I'm no Buddhist, but Buddhism requires substantially more maturity on the part of adherents, because you are invited to believe things about human experience and nature, instead of being told to cower and piss yourself lest the god of Job go medieval on your ass with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch.

I don't think Buddhism has made the world a better place, but there is something going on there: his observations are in line with most of those who have thought deeply about human misery and its roots. I doubt his conclusions are original to him, anyway.

The essence of American misery is our inflated sense of self and lack of appreciation of the present, both of which are encouraged by Abrahamic religions, no matter what Christ said (most of which is pretty good advice).

Sure, Christians do bad things, but at least they have to work at justifying it.

Might this sense of an immortal soul or future reward/damnation also contribute to more misery and evil behavior?

I wonder also what percentage of self-described Christians actually follow the teachings of Christ? 5%?

Are most of them merely suppressing that pang of guilt before proceeding to kill, defile and embezzle? Does this self-hatred merely spur further unhappiness, more grasping and more desire to enlarge one's fortune for no return in happiness?

BTW, most Americans are Calvinists.

HydroCabron says

Buddhism

You don't know the first damned thing about Buddhism you think the image in my moniker has anything to do with Buddhism. When it's just an American yard sale tchotchke that hipster vegetarian American's light incense while they try to do yoga and palates.
Laughing Buddha or the Budai as it is, is not "The Buddha", the American association the Budai as the Buddha was an invention, a statue that decorated the entrances to Chinese American restaurants as they were springing up. The Buddha would have been too intimidating to Americans. A fat smiling Buddha seemed obsequiously polite and inviting.

marcus says

Hard to decide which of those three tweets are the most offensive. They're all so terrible.

Damn atheist.

And this is exactly why religion needs to be eliminated. Do we really want more Marcus's in the world?

So, let's go over the tweets and see if the Christians getting their panties up in a bunch is merited.

ThIs year, what do all the world's Muslims and Jews call December 25th? ANSWER: Thursday

False god forbid that Christians be reminded that not everyone in the world believes in their fairytales and that the world doesn't revolve around them.

"On this day long ago, a child was born who, by age 30, would transform the world," Tyson wrote Thursday. "Happy Birthday Isaac Newton b. Dec 25, 1642."

This is true. Isaac Newton was born on Dec 25 and he did have a far greater influence on the world than Jesus Christ, who wasn't even born on Dec 25.

The only reason Christmas is celebrated on Dec 25 was because early Christians tried to co-opt the winter solstice, a very significant holy day in pagan cultures.

Now I’m sure all the Christians are jumping up and down yelling, “How could you say that Newton had a greater influence on the world than Jesus Christ; billions follow Jesus and no one worships Newton.”. Yep, billions worship the false god Jesus, but that doesn’t make him important. And here’s why.

If Jesus Christ never existed, the world would be no different. There were thousands of messiahs in Jesus’s time and a different on would simply have been picked. In fact, one could argue that it was Saul (alias Paul) who is responsible for the rise of Christianity, not Jesus. Had Saul chosen a different son of god, then billions would be worshipping Bob and calling themselves Bobians.

The fact is that Jesus Christ could be replaced by any false figurehead and nothing in history would have changed. It doesn’t matter which false god or prophet is followed. What matters is how the state and other powers manipulate the masses using that figurehead. Christ or Mohammed doesn’t make a difference. Islam today is worse than Christianity, but not because of the mythology, but rather because of those in power and those controlling the culture through wealth, power, fear, and violence. Thankfully, rationalists in the western world managed to castrate Christianity for the most part over the past few centuries.

In contrast, Newton’s work in physics led to the industrial revolution, the light bulb, the mastery of electricity, both powered and unpowered flight, and modern science, which in turn led to the very Internet you are using to read this post. Newton set us on the path to the moon. Jesus Christ accomplished nothing.

Merry Christmas to all. A Pagan holiday (BC) becomes a Religious holiday (AD). Which then becomes a Shopping holiday (USA).

Again, Tyson is 100% correct on both counts. As I stated above -- and I wrote that before I read this tweet -- Christmas was a sneaky, deplorable way to covert pagans by co-opting their holy days and traditions. The Christmas tree...

http://www.youtube.com/embed/VC6D5PXvhaI

Yep, a comedy show knows more about Christmas than Christians.

And Christians, if they actually believed in their false god, should be applauding Tyson for pointing out how commercial Christmas has become. Consumerism goes against everything the teachings of Christ say.

Imagine a world in which we are all enlightened by objective truths rather than offended by them.

And the outrage against Tyson's tweets, which is probably mostly false outrage, proves his point.

Some claim the USA is a Christian nation, compelling me to wonder which assault rifle Jesus would choose: the AR-15 or AK-47.

Gun ownership goes completely against the teachings of Christ. According to the false god Christ, you are supposed to let someone kill you or your family rather than commit an act of violence against another person. Yes, you should die rather than kill or wound someone who is attacking you or your family. Why? Again, read your fucking Bible, it's right in there. Turn the other cheek; do good to those who hurt you; that which you do to the least of my people you do unto me; thou shalt not kill.

If the purpose of this life is to live virtuously and you will be rewarded with an eternity of bliss in heaven for doing so, then you should ABSOLUTELY let that burglar slaughter your family and not raise a finger against him. For nothing bad is happening to your family since they'll just be in paradise in a few minutes, but to commit an act of violence against the intruder is to commit that act of violence against Jesus. If you really believed in your false god, you cannot own any guns and you cannot engage in any violence even to save your own children. That is what it means to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Of course, if you still own a gun after reading this, then like me, you think Jesus Christ was a fucking moron.

So, what have we learned? If Fox is pissed off about something, that something is probably a good thing.

Dan8267 says

This is true. Isaac Newton was born on Dec 25 and he did have a far greater influence on the world than Jesus Christ, who wasn't even born on Dec 25.

He was Born on December 25 if you lived in England in 1642 and used the Julian calendar, otherwise today for our own practical sense of time and space he was born on 4 January 1643 the Gregorian calendar.

Dan8267 says

marcus says

Hard to decide which of those three tweets are the most offensive. They're all so terrible.

Damn atheist.

And this is exactly why religion needs to be eliminated. Do we really want more Marcus's in the world?

Lets start with eliminating the worst religion, Islam. 99% of our problems will be gone.
If I see a bunch of Mullahs coming towards me on the left side, and a bunch of priests coming towards me on the right side, I will be walking on the right side.
Is it discrimination...yes
Is it profiling............yes
Is it racist.................yes
Do I give a damn.......NO

Dan8267 says

This is true. Isaac Newton was born on Dec 25 and he did have a far greater influence on the world than Jesus Christ, who wasn't even born on Dec 25.

Not really. Isaac Newton contributed more towards the progress of the world, while Jesus did more harm to the world by holding back progress. But as far as influence goes, Jesus is clearly way ahead.

Strategist says

I mean somebody walked on water and today we can walk on the moon.

But they didn't create it and place it in space.

P N Dr Lo R says

Strategist says

I mean somebody walked on water and today we can walk on the moon.

But they didn't create it and place it in space.

I don't knowhow it got there. I have no clue.

Strategist says

Lets start with eliminating the worst religion, Islam. 99% of our problems will be gone.

Wrong. All the Muslims would become Christians and Christianity would become like Islam in the Middle East just like it was during the Dark Age.

The problem is religion and superstition itself, not which arbitrary mythology is behind the religion.

Strategist says

Jesus did more harm to the world by holding back progress. But as far as influence goes, Jesus is clearly way ahead.

Again, if it wasn't Jesus, it would have been another false god. I'd vote for Talos so that we'd be safe from pirates and invaders. Or am I thinking of the Dragonborn?

Whenever people choose to believe based on authority, they leave the truth behind. Whether it's Muhammed or Buddha or Neil DeGrass Tyson, nobody is worth abandoning reason and faith to hold slavishly to a dogma.

Quigley says

Whenever people choose to believe based on authority, they leave the truth behind. Whether it's Muhammed or Buddha or Neil DeGrass Tyson, nobody is worth abandoning reason and faith to hold slavishly to a dogma.

There's some serious bullshit in your statement. Neither Neil deGrasse Tyson nor any other scientist in history has EVER asked or demand people to abandon reason or to take anything on faith or to hold slavishly to any dogma. The entire point of science is that all truth is verifiable and can be independently verified any number of times by any number of people.

So no, you don't get to put our rational science up with other people's irrational superstitious beliefs and say it's a wash. It's not. There is nothing wrong with the scientific method. It has accomplished more than any other philosophy of idea in all of human existence. And science is not a religion and anyone who tries to make it out to be is being disingenuous.

Quigley says

Whenever people choose to believe based on authority, they leave the truth behind. Whether it's Muhammed or Buddha or Neil DeGrass Tyson, nobody is worth abandoning reason and faith to hold slavishly to a dogma.

Tyson does not belong in your list. Jesus does.

Dan8267 says

Strategist says

Jesus did more harm to the world by holding back progress. But as far as influence goes, Jesus is clearly way ahead.

Again, if it wasn't Jesus, it would have been another false god. I'd vote for Talos so that we'd be safe from pirates and invaders. Or am I thinking of the Dragonborn?

OK, but that does not change the fact that Jesus is more influential than Newton.
Most people on this planet learn about Gods before they ever learn about Newton, if it all. Why do you think the world is so screwed up?

So you're saying that a scientist can never be wrong? And that we should believe all that one says? I compared people, not the scientific method and religion.

Quigley says

So you're saying that a scientist can never be wrong? And that we should believe all that one says? I compared people, not the scientific method and religion.

Sure scientists can be wrong. The question is.....Can people who claim to be Gods or Prophets ever be right?

CaptainShuddup says

So that Liberal teacher that reached in her hand bag took out a pistol and then emptied it in the room, is what Liberals would do, if they didn't get tenured?

There you go again. Assuming she was a liberal because she had a phd from harvard, and was a professor of biology.

Hey, here's something to gestate with. Maybe the reason she didn't get tenure was because she wasn't a liberal.

Dan8267 says

Do we really want more Marcus's in the world?

I believe you meant "Marcus' in the world."

marcus says

I believe you meant "Marcus' in the world."

Feel free to revel in any grammatical mistake I make. It's the most you'll ever get.

Strategist says

OK, but that does not change the fact that Jesus is more influential than Newton.

As usual, you entirely miss the point. The point is that Jesus Christ didn't make a damn bit of difference. People blinding following Christ or Mohamed or Brahma doesn't make any difference. You can substitute one false god for another just as easily as you can substitute one Caesar for another.

Newton, in contrast, actually did change the course of the world. The world would have been a very different place had he not existed. Had Jesus not existed, Bobitains would be fighting Joeslums in the Middle East and Fox News would be bitching about the War on Bobmas.

So if LIBRULS want to squelch speech contrary to their dogma, that's bad. Then we call it Political Correctness.

But if Fox Newsers do it, they are just being good Christians, nothing to do with Politics.

Tolerant to the core!

Dan8267 says

It's the most you'll ever get

You mean I don't get to count all those times you made a fool out of yourself?

Dan,

I think your wrong about who was more replaceable. If Newton had not been around, we would have ended up in about the same place, because someone else would have made the same discoveries at a later point in time. The march of technical and scientific progress would have just been a bit slower.

With religion, there are less underlying principles. Thus, there are more differences between religions than say the differences between Newton's and Leibnitz's calculus. So, I would say that scientific leaders are more replaceable than religious leaders, despite the scientific leaders also being more correct and immediately useful.

marcus says

Maybe the reason she didn't get tenure was because she wasn't a liberal.

Her marksmanship belies that.

Dan8267 says

Strategist says

OK, but that does not change the fact that Jesus is more influential than Newton.

As usual, you entirely miss the point. The point is that Jesus Christ didn't make a damn bit of difference. People blinding following Christ or Mohamed or Brahma doesn't make any difference. You can substitute one false god for another just as easily as you can substitute one Caesar for another.

Newton, in contrast, actually did change the course of the world. The world would have been a very different place had he not existed. Had Jesus not existed, Bobitains would be fighting Joeslums in the Middle East and Fox News would be bitching about the War on Bobmas.

OK, so you are saying the path of civilization would have been the same regardless of which God led the way, but Newton changed the course of man for ever.
It's a good point, but the argument can go on for ever. I'm just glad we have scientists in this country who need not fear religious persecution. We need lots of people like Newton. I thank them all. :)