I'm not going to post anything about physics and quarks and such. Ive not been educated much in that direction. Also, I really would be foolish to post some strong opinions about Hegelian thought. Havent really invested the necessary time and energy to learn much about him.

So it startles me that every asshole has an opinion about Catholic moral teaching, the theological history of the catholic church, etc. Youve got to be kidding me! Being raised by parents who are Catholic qualifies you?

If you are going to pretend to know something about Buddhism, historical materialism, Lutheranism, OR Catholicism... please, read a few books. Study for a few years. Talk to some learned Catholics.

But of course, that requires some intellectual effort, some commitment to knowledge. That requires you silly little Brooklynites to travel beyond the circles of people with the exact same worldviews as you. But who knows... maybe you're ready.

There's a big world out there.

Ian: It's good that you are a practicing Protestant Christian. To each his own.

I am an atheist. I don't believe there is a God so the whole issue is essentially irrelevant to me.

'Scuse my typos.

Christian beliefs are no more antiquated than "libertarian" beliefs. It's not so easy to equate so-called conservative values with being passe, the so-called progressive stance on ethics is just as rooted in a tradition and elements of it are just as old as Christianity. Further, being condescending to religious viewpoints may be an easy to do in our modern culture but its incredibly naive. Every group has their own beliefs about matters, and a controlling set of presuppositions, some ways of seeing things can account for things in reality that others cannot. So the criticism of religious convictions falls on all sorts of people, whether or not they act fanatically, or as a convinced and pro-proselytizing agent in their society or not.

Ironically, most people in the billyburg are desperate so desperate to not be the white-bread westerners that they inescapably are. They're philosophy is mediated through Europe, and its "enlightenment" age. So they set up the enlightenment criteria for intellectual respectability above all other world-views often without being in the slightest self-aware of their biases. Where other peoples, such as myself (a practicing Protestant Christian)interpret life through the lens of their naive religion, people who are really, really, really modern see it through "common-sense" (read: modernism).

No one is angry here. Just saying what they think.

:-)

:(
Don't talk about politics and religion :(

You're so angry.

:)

Funny how all these so called "hipster liberals" truly reveal themselves sometimes, isn't it? Always knew that most of them were full of shit. Seems to me a good number of them are really conservatives under liberal clothing. After all...how can one be so "hip" if they aren't liberal right? What does one expect? They bring all their small town conservative values from East Bubbafuck wherever, come to live in New York so they can tell all their friends back home how "radical" and "cool" they are.

"Jesus Juice" and "12345" seem to be examples of this, no?

Dis is bad. ya, weeel bad, idnit?

Ben: I'm not sure who you are responding to or are just responding in general but you make good points here. The thing is that I, too, was brought up in a gigantic Catholic family so I know where they come from too. If you disagree with the Catholic teachings, then walk away from it, ignore it, forget it. There's no crime in it (anymore). But the Church, rightly or wrongly, have their right to their beliefs as well. Of course what they do is very hypocritical but that's religion for you. All religion is by nature hypocritical and superstitious nonsense as far as I'm concerned. But no one is holding a gun to anyone's head (unless you live in Saudi Arabia or some other theocratic state).

No one here is accusing anyone of catholic bashing but it is very intriguing to me how christians--and catholics in particular---are always on the receiving end of venomous attacks while other religions seem to get a free pass. I've been on about this before here.

They're ALL the same. A group of men who want to control every aspect of other people's lives because they believe in a supernatural being that no one can prove even exists.

But, interestingly enough, there are a lot of what I call "secular religious zealots" as well. Those are the people who replace God with government or ideology but more or less act the same way: wanting to control every aspect of people's lives through behavioral and thought control.

Political ideology in some cases is just a secularization of religious dogma. Same shit, different name.

But I do agree with you on the Church's hypocrisy. But I'm not a christian or even religious so I don't care what they think or say. I think they have a right to their beliefs, but I also have the right to tell them to get fucked. And I do quite often.

Yeah! All the Catholic Church (which I was brought up in, I'm from a GIGANTIC Catholic family, mostly still devout and practicing, so if you want to accuse me of Catholic-bashing I want you to know that 1- it comes from a well-informed source and 2- I'm not bashing "other" people's beliefs, I'm bashing the ones I was taught from a young age, and, with time came wisdom and I rejected them)

Where was I?

Oh, right. The Catholic church are those nice fellas who go to overpopulated, AIDS-ravaged countries to tell the people there what evil things condoms are. The majority of the world's Catholics are in dire poverty, whilst the Vatican is clogged with gold everythings. Oh, and the entire organization-- including Pope John Paul II-- was involved in protecting child-rapists from ever facing punishment for their reprehensible crimes against children.

They're the good guys, all right.

how about some respect for other people's beliefs. you "liberals" are a joke.

Well, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Everyone knows that the Catholic Church has a problem with condoms, sex (outside of marraige and sex for other than reproduction, though the latter has been 'liberalized' somewhat over the years). This is the way it's been for over 1000 years, so what's the big surprise.

Fortunately, we no longer have the inquisition so people could do whatever they want.

As far as them dropping her from the performance: They have that right, even though, I personally, feel it's silly and antiquated. But that is the Catholic teaching. It would be the same way for any other religion, believe me. Orthodox Jews would do the same if a Jewish performer advocated sex outside of marriage; strict Muslims would do the same if a performer advocated the eating of pork or consumption of alcohol. It's all the same shit.

Again: It isn't only Christians who have ancient, antiquated, anti-libertarian ideas. Case in point: the group of muslims who just today trashed liquor stores in Oakland and various other cities, claiming it to be "immoral". Where's the damning news on that?

This is religion for you. In general. Always bringing people together!