Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind

[PickleBottom]

Originally Posted by Myers

I don't know about that. I got a tax break for installing an energy efficient heating and ac unit. You don't think dead people cooling would qualify?

Probably depends on whether they would be carbon neutral or not?

[flyingtart]

Originally Posted by PickleBottom

Therefore, I am confused, what is wrong with my statement, "So if I could lure a whole heap of them into my house I would not need to worry about paying for air conditioning?"

Nothing wrong whatsoever, but the problem might be the luring bit.

[brianpatrick]

Originally Posted by flyingtart

Nothing wrong whatsoever, but the problem might be the luring bit.

As it happens, I've just opened a business which specializes in this very thing. Now, I can't tell you how exactly it's done (proprietary business secret), but for a very marginal fee, we can attract as many spirits to your home or business as you'd like. We can also get rid of them when you're tired of having them around, or winter comes.

All of our services are electronically verified, of course, and I don't want to brag, but we just did Justin Timberlake's house. He was enthralled!

We take all major credit cards and even PayPal!

[flyingtart]

Originally Posted by brianpatrick

As it happens, I've just opened a business which specializes in this very thing. Now, I can't tell you how exactly it's done (proprietary business secret), but for a very marginal fee, we can attract as many spirits to your home or business as you'd like. We can also get rid of them when you're tired of having them around, or winter comes.

All of our services are electronically verified, of course, and I don't want to brag, but we just did Justin Timberlake's house. He was enthralled!

We take all major credit cards and even PayPal!

I'm yet to be convinced electronic banking isn't a form of paranormal activity. All that spooky invisible money controlled by bits of plastic. It doesn't really exist you know.

[PickleBottom]

Originally Posted by flyingtart

Nothing wrong whatsoever, but the problem might be the luring bit.

Yep, which is fair enough, that was why I recommended John Edwards/his method - is it cold in the studio when he is on stage?

[flyingtart]

No idea, but he does wear pullovers so maybe that's a clue. On the other hand, somebody could have left the stage door open.

[brianpatrick]

Originally Posted by flyingtart

I'm yet to be convinced electronic banking isn't a form of paranormal activity. All that spooky invisible money controlled by bits of plastic. It doesn't really exist you know.

It exists just as much as the disembodied spirits of the dead do, and according to my new business plan, that's a lot.😀

Say, if you'd like to invest a few thousand bucks in a sure thing, I can arrange to take YOUR money. Then you'd see how real it was😀

[PickleBottom]

Originally Posted by flyingtart

No idea, but he does wear pullovers so maybe that's a clue. On the other hand, somebody could have left the stage door open.

It could be something a person could measure, the room temp before and after his performance

[chat bot]

have you ever heard of people hating on atheists? all like, "Atheism has no room for humanism?"

edit: just switching the subject here.

[PickleBottom]

Originally Posted by chat bot

have you ever heard of people hating on atheists? all like, "Atheism has no room for humanism?"

edit: just switching the subject here.

Yep, it is all part of Group mentality, people within the group are "better" than the people out of the group.

But anywho, In My Understanding, History demonstrates that if a society wants to change behaviour, sitting in a room and having a conversation (at least in my view of history) usually does not work.

There are a few ways to make this work, for example, by creating a new tax, or way for the rich folk to get more money. If there were a lucrative tax and industry for Atheism and this was debated in January of the year 1900, Atheism would have been ok from the 1st of January by 9.00.01AM (with the meeting starting at 9.00.00AM).

Alternatively, there can be a number of casualties relative to or against the cause that is required to enact change. For example, if Atheists want secularism (true secularism rather than just hollow words written on an unimportant document like The Constitution) than a certain number of Atheists need to be brutally murdered, tortured etc by the powers-that-be. Once the number of Atheists reaches a threshold X without exceeding "the subjugation threshold", than a future government will look favourably upon their argument. Alternatively if the Atheists have the power they can brutally murder, torture etc the opposition into subjugation...

[PickleBottom]

The apparent weakness in the argument above is, "why not tax religion"?

But this is offset by the lucrative business of religion and secret handshakes to congressman (involving rolled up wads of cash).

[PickleBottom]

Is the threshold X related to the money/power structure?

For example, apparently in the times of Pablo Escobar, thousands of people (including poor people) were killed or injured, unrelated to this, Escobar could still be extradited to the US. Yet when two affluent and influential people's relatives were killed (and another ~30 kidnapped), in my understanding, this created a climate whereupon Escobar was given assurance he would not be extradited to the US.

This, in my understanding, demonstrates that the threshold is relative to the "importance" of the victims. If it were just the scum poor people massacred, tortured, executed, mutilated etc the threshold can be, in some cases, in the hundreds of thousands before anyone with persuasion takes notice and does something, yet the threshold dramatically decreases when "real" people, with "real" feelings, like family of people in power or rich people, are brutally murdered.

[chat bot]

dude, u know everything

[PickleBottom]

Originally Posted by chat bot

dude, u know everything

I wish... actually, one time, I might have already mentioned this on this forum, I was watching that Jim Carey movie Bruce Almighty, and during the movie Jim Carey asks for a sign, and at that moment, in a cosmic coincidence, I received a sign. But to backtrack somewhat, my impression of prayer etc is a bit like asking Father Christmas for Easter Eggs or wishing on a shooting star. So there I am with my sign from God, wondering what I should wish for, then it occurred to me; "Dear God" I say, "please make me extremely intelligent!"

Unfortunately there was no follow-up sign or signing of contracts using human blood to acknowledge the transaction. But I figure that by deliberately deceiving myself I have become somewhat wiser.

[Prodigalson]

Originally Posted by Cityboy

But, this is an interesting quote I found. It might have some truth in it:

Francis Thompson wrote: "Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman."

Originally Posted by Cityboy

I had rapists and murderers in mind...

You're a slippery one, cityboy.

Originally Posted by PickleBottom

I wish... actually, one time, I might have already mentioned this on this forum, I was watching that Jim Carey movie Bruce Almighty, and during the movie Jim Carey asks for a sign, and at that moment, in a cosmic coincidence, I received a sign. But to backtrack somewhat, my impression of prayer etc is a bit like asking Father Christmas for Easter Eggs or wishing on a shooting star. So there I am with my sign from God, wondering what I should wish for, then it occurred to me; "Dear God" I say, "please make me extremely intelligent!"

Unfortunately there was no follow-up sign or signing of contracts using human blood to acknowledge the transaction. But I figure that by deliberately deceiving myself I have become somewhat wiser.

And you're a sage, picklebottom.

[Myers]

"Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman."

Oh, I love these!

Aphorisms that sound clever or profound for a fraction of a second, but if you examine them for any longer, you can see they are utterly moronic.

It's quite a skill.

[PickleBottom]

Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find an imaginary object

[brianpatrick]

Originally Posted by PickleBottom

Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find an imaginary object

Or for the same reason brian cannot find his 12" penis.

[PickleBottom]

Originally Posted by brianpatrick

Or for the same reason brian cannot find his 12" penis.

...because it is 16"

[brianpatrick]

Originally Posted by PickleBottom

...because it is 16"

17" actually, but who's counting.

[PickleBottom]

Originally Posted by brianpatrick

17" actually, but who's counting.

[Nick Pierce]

[QUOTE=brianpatrick

the reason brian cannot find his 12" penis

[/QUOTE]


because he is sitting on it?

[Nick Pierce]

Originally Posted by PickleBottom

Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find an imaginary object

I was simply reading some of the thread when I saw this, started laughing and had to log in to type so.

[PickleBottom]

Originally Posted by Nick Pierce

I was simply reading some of the thread when I saw this, started laughing and had to log in to type so.

That's why I put in a little emoticon after Brianpatrick's post, but sometimes a "thanks" or an emoticon isn't enough...