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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
 Posted - 08/20/2005 : 22:12:41 [Permalink]
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All it means is the government can't officially be anything. Quite a reassuring thought, really.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
| Edited by - H. Humbert on 08/21/2005 00:28:58 |
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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2005 : 22:50:39 [Permalink]
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| We should probably tell you-know-which-other-board to stop drooling at this then. They're going to milk this for all they can. Some are even considering court cases, it looks like?! |
>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 00:26:42 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by the_ignored
We should probably tell you-know-which-other-board to stop drooling at this then. They're going to milk this for all they can. Some are even considering court cases, it looks like?!
Their hopes are predicated on the idea that science and evolution are the same as atheism, and hence, a "religion." Or that "no religion" is the same as atheism.
We have nothing to worry about.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
| Edited by - H. Humbert on 08/21/2005 00:32:08 |
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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 00:55:17 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by H. Humbert
quote:
Originally posted by the_ignored
We should probably tell you-know-which-other-board to stop drooling at this then. They're going to milk this for all they can. Some are even considering court cases, it looks like?!
Their hopes are predicated on the idea that science and evolution are the same as atheism, and hence, a "religion." Or that "no religion" is the same as atheism.
We have nothing to worry about.
Hah! Just remember, it's rhetoric that these people and their supporters rely on, not evidence. Or else they confuse the two when it comes to matters of their faith.
Antway, maybe this link will work? |
>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 01:32:13 [Permalink]
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quote:
They can. Any non-profit organization can. Religions may seem to have an advantage because they can avoid property taxes on their real estate, but non-religious non-profits, such as an atheist private school, could do the same.
I thought churches had some special tax status beyond what is available to other non-profits?
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 03:20:42 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by the_ignored
We should probably tell you-know-which-other-board to stop drooling at this then. They're going to milk this for all they can. Some are even considering court cases, it looks like?!
I rather liked this post from nbt:
quote:
Court declares "bald" a hair colour.
There was another good one concerning oxymorons.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 04:10:43 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
I'd love to see a tele-atheist.
Given a few years, perhaps Skepticality? 
The photos on their site indicates they are photogenic enough. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 04:20:06 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by the_ignored
We should probably tell you-know-which-other-board to stop drooling at this then. They're going to milk this for all they can. Some are even considering court cases, it looks like?!
At first glance I thought that this would by a nice thread to join and discuss. But the more posts I read in that thread, the more depressed I become that there are such bigoted and ignorant and non-thinking people.
(edit: spelling) |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 08/21/2005 04:21:25 |
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tw101356
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 07:09:19 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dude
quote:
They can. Any non-profit organization can. Religions may seem to have an advantage because they can avoid property taxes on their real estate, but non-religious non-profits, such as an atheist private school, could do the same.
I thought churches had some special tax status beyond what is available to other non-profits?
Not really. I live in the Boston area and there are frequent articles in the papers about financial concerns when Harvard buys more property, taking it off the tax rolls. Then there's another round of negotiations over how much Harvard will pay Boston or Cambridge in lieu of taxes. There's only a fuss because Harvard is large and concentrated in two cities. When they buy up an entire block it has a visible impact on tax revenue.
Religious organizations are exempt from having to file Form 990 with the IRS, but so are a number of political organizations. (Form 990 shows where the money went. Good for determining how efficient a charity is.) They still must fill out Form 1023 to request the tax exemption like everyone else.
An admittedly cursory google has turned up nothing that shows religions receiving any special status. I wonder if it's just a perception thing. Church/religion is a well-defined non-profit category and mainstream denominations are well known. Barring errors in the paperwork I suspect they get tax exemptions approved automatically.
If I were to form the either the First Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or the United Atheist Philanthropies I believe my requests for tax exemptions would be scrutinized in detail. |
- TW
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 09:13:05 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
quote:
Originally posted by the_ignored
We should probably tell you-know-which-other-board to stop drooling at this then. They're going to milk this for all they can. Some are even considering court cases, it looks like?!
At first glance I thought that this would by a nice thread to join and discuss. But the more posts I read in that thread, the more depressed I become that there are such bigoted and ignorant and non-thinking people.
(edit: spelling)
Not to mention spiteful.
Quite a depressing read, it was. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 10:12:21 [Permalink]
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| I wonder if jesus would approve? |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 10:40:48 [Permalink]
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Certainly the courts have taken liberties with the word "religion" in this ruling, and even though they've defined how they are using it, and by that definition they are keeping with the Constitution, the problem is that:
1.) I think the only reason they are taking liberties with the word "religion" in the first place is to avoid social controversy.
2.) Most people who hear about this ruling are not going to bother to learn how the court define "religion" for the purpose of this ruling, and are thus going to use this ruling to back up their stupid claims that atheism is a religion. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 10:46:05 [Permalink]
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Well, I was planning on going to my a-church to pray/meditate to my a-god as any good a-theist should, but then I remembered that was silly.
If god and a-god ever meet, would they cancel each other out? |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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| Edited by - pleco on 08/21/2005 10:46:49 |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 12:01:34 [Permalink]
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The ruling may or may not have any effect but the idea that religious groups are trying to influence the courts bothers me and I see this as a reflection of that.
It's along the lines of claiming science to be a religion. |
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tw101356
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 12:03:33 [Permalink]
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I'm always hearing the argument (boiled down), "Atheists believe that there is no god, thus they have faith that there is no god, thus atheism is a religion."
I try to explain that atheism is not the belief that there is no god, but the complete absence of any religious belief. That rarely works, so I hold out my empty hand and ask them to tell me the color of the ball in my hand. When they protest that there is no ball in my hand, I explain that the absence of belief can no more be assigned to a religion than the absence of a ball can be assigned to a color.
Once in a while I get through to someone, but I've learned not to hold my breath. |
- TW
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