# Ask The Patriotic American Intellectual Conservative Christian **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 9, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234 "2010-02-09T03:41:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/121 "2010-02-10T17:32:06Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Wait, is **Jack Batty** in 8th grade too? > > (That truly seemed uncalled for, in my opinion!) I disagree. The question lends insight into whether patriotic American intellectual Conservative 8th graders believe in passing notes in class aka breaking rules. The OP has already hedged on whether he would respect the law, why not take it to a very local, personal level? It’s on par with anything else in this thread–Ask the Tween How and What He Thinks About Stuff.\* \*I’m not saying the thread doesn’t have merit; I’m saying there’s no reason it can’t poke a bit of fun as well. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/122 "2010-02-10T17:34:28Z")
What personal experience are you using as a comparison to decide that the US is the best country in the world? What are your criteria for this decision? ---
**Author:** ![adhay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/123 "2010-02-10T17:38:57Z")
I have invited you in the past to post to my OP [How Did You Come By Your Political Opinions?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=533523) > [@](#): > > Where did you come from and how did you get here, politically? What I would hope to see here is a brief bearing of your political soul with a few cites that were influential in its making. You chose not to respond there but perhaps you can do it here instead. For a fellow of your tender years, I must say that at the very least your abilty as a wordsmith is remarkable. I would be most gratefull to hear your take on Noam Chomsky’s [What Uncle Sam Really Wants](http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Chomsky/WhatUncleSamWants.html). It’s a public record accounting of US post-war foreign policy. Please confine your remarks to the text and refrain from dismissing it as the work of an aging left-wing nutjob. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/124 "2010-02-10T17:43:11Z")
What is the (estimated) population of the village/town/city in which you currently reside? What is the (estimated) population of the largest village/town/city in which you have ever lived? What is the (estimated) population of the largest village/town/city that you have visited? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/125 "2010-02-10T17:48:32Z")
Is it a sin when people have dreams about sex? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/126 "2010-02-10T17:51:25Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Is it a sin when people have dreams about sex? And what if sex people have dreams about sin? Or the sinful sex dreams of people? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/127 "2010-02-10T17:54:48Z")
A similar question: Why Christian? As an intellectual, you’ve surely asked yourself a number of questions about Christianity, including, but not limited to: - Isn’t it unfair of God to consign everyone to not-heaven who grow up in a non-Christian country? Isn’t he giving a huge unfair advantage to people who are born in a Christian family? - Jesus shows up only one time and preaches for a couple of years? Doesn’t this seem, again, as though God isn’t really trying? - Good people who are Muslims - Screwed? - The problem of evil, as above. C’mon, 'Satan did it? ’ - Matthew 16:28, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”" - without weaseling, (tasting death doesn’t mean dying, Lazarus the wandering Jew) how can this be reconciled with the 2000 year gap between the crucifixion and the now. Have you considered and investigated other religions, and in particular, Atheism and Agnosticism? As an intellectual, and smart person, one has to wonder how one questions one’s assumptions, and then commits and becomes Christian at such a young age. I would have expected Agnosticism. Are you sure that your faith isn’t a received, unquestioned assumption, and worthy of further analysis? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/128 "2010-02-10T18:05:41Z")
Why did God make our arms reach our genitals if we aren’t supposed to play with them? ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/129 "2010-02-10T18:19:11Z")
Can one be partiotic and think that Reagan and W were awful presidents who treated the Constitution like toilet paper. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/130 "2010-02-10T18:29:16Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I’d define it as rocking that booty…but I am not **Curtis** , and I am often irreverent like that, so ignore me. Whose booty – mine or **Curtis** ’s? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/131 "2010-02-10T18:36:38Z")
**Curtis:** Do you feel that intellectualism can only go so far for a Christian. At some point rationality has to be abandoned in favor of faith. And the faith required of a Christian necessarily falls far short of the intellectualism required for someone who keeps more open mind, such as a scientist (be them agnostic, or (yes) even an atheist). Would you agree? ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/132 "2010-02-10T18:48:56Z")
Curtis, do you believe there are people smarter than you whose opinions about politics and religion are diametrically opposed to yours? IOW, are there liberals and atheists smarter than you? (E.g., I’m an atheist and fairly liberal socially, but I concede that, e.g., the late conservative Christian William F. Buckley was definitely smarter than me. And I’m sure there are many more such people). I find this question an excellent test of whether one defines “intelligence” as simply “agrees with my opinions”. And when I say ‘smart’ I mean, ‘to include intelligence in the areas you disagree with them on’. (IME, respondents to this question sometimes sidestep the question by naming a ‘poindexter’: someone with opposing beliefs who’s really good at one subject like physics or auto mechanics). ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/133 "2010-02-10T18:49:46Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Where were you the night of January 23rd? LOL! This one wins the thread! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/134 "2010-02-10T18:54:58Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=551497), why do you use the British spelling of favorite? ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/135 "2010-02-10T19:28:48Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=551497), why do you use the British spelling of favorite? Perhaps he HAS been to Canada. ---
**Author:** ![adhay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/136 "2010-02-10T19:53:58Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > … > (E.g., I’m an atheist and fairly liberal socially, but I concede that, e.g., the late conservative Christian William F. Buckley was definitely smarter than me. … Don’t sell yourself short. The lame sophistry of which WFB is a recognized master does not smarts prove. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/137 "2010-02-10T20:06:10Z")
Do you believe faith and science can ever be reconciled? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/138 "2010-02-10T20:12:18Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Whose booty – mine or **Curtis** ’s? 😉 Actually, I meant non-personified booty in the abstract. That noted, I’m straight, so it’s all you, girl. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/139 "2010-02-11T03:08:41Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > Hi Curtis, > > Thanks for starting this thread. So far, I think your responses reveal that you are a more nuanced and complex individual than some would have guessed. > > **Q:** What appeal does the SDMB community have for you? Given that the board leans left and you’ve been the recipient of some criticism in the past, what keeps you coming back? I like debating. > [@](#): > > **Q:** Has any of the debate — whether or not you’ve participated — cause you to reconsider a previously held notion? If so, what? I think a few times but I don’t remember a specific one. > [@](#): > > **Q:** As an aspiring public servant, what particular areas would you like to affect? In what ways? Foreign policy and abortion to become more interventionist and ban abortion respectively. > [@Kid\_A](#): > > **SINNER!!!** > > Real question: > > What are your views on alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana? I don’t mind people drinking alcohol as long as they aren’t drunk. As for marijuana and tobacco I’m a bit more iffy as the Bible says are bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and even a little of tobacco and marijuana causes addiction. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > How are they failing to compete against those countries? Do you mean that they don’t make goods cheap enough to be sold at Wal-Mart? Or do you mean something else? What about quality? I have watches made in Switzerland, and some made in Japan. I prefer the quality of the Swiss ones. > > Define ‘economic sloth’. > > Denmark has unbelievably high tax rates. (No, really. I couldn’t believe them!) But it is also reported to have the happiest citizens. Do you see anything wrong with paying for the services you receive? > > I know that you are being bombarded by questions (and snark), but I’d like to take the time to define your objections. I’d prefer a vast economcy producing durable goods rather than specialty goods only bought by the rich. As for economic sloth look at Britain or Germany. Also cite for the happiest citizens. > [@Gorsnak](#): > > None of those are true of Canada, which is one of those social democracies you’re afeared of. What’s scary about Canada? > > Why do you suppose it is that most citizens of these social democracies are opposed to moving away from social democratic policies towards US-style conservatism? Are we willfully opposed to our own best interest, or just ignorant? Well of course since they’ve been coddled by the governments they don’t want to give it up-but Europe’s population’s crashing and it’s labour force can’t support the social welfare programs. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > Could you be more specific? How would you define “civic duty”? Voting, helping out in the community, etc. > [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Have you ever been to another country? If so, which one(s) and how long. > > Regards, > Attack from the 3rd Dimension, > Patriotic\* American, and patriotic\*\* Canadian > > - Assuming that patriotic includes constantly ripping on the States for not being the country that I think it should be, and could be. > \*\*if patriotic Canadian weren’t a contradiction in terms. None, my family isn’t particularly wealthy. > [@Kal](#): > > Given your definition of patriotism and nationalism, does the following quote make you patriotic or nationalist? Borderline nationalist I’d say. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Do you have a best friend at school? Yes. He’s Muslim and his family is opposed to the current (and Bush’s) US foreign policy. They supported Obama in the last election cycle and they also seem to believe 9-11 was commited by the government. > [@](#): > > What do you do for fun besides post here? Read, surf the Net. > [@](#): > > Are you close to your parents, and what are they like? (I assume patriotic, Christian, intellectual, conservative). Do they also read the SDMB and what do they think of it? My father’s rather conservative-he listens to Limbaugh, Hannity, and Levin and he’s Christian. My mother’s Buddhist (well we’re Korean-American so nothing too surprising) though she goes to church. > [@Wheelz](#): > > Curtis, first I apologize for my earlier quip about not coming back to answer questions. Clearly you are willing to do so. > > My questions: In your view, how does “intellectual” differ from “intelligent”? Is it possible to be one and not the other? > In terms of bridging the gap between the ability to read and recite from various philosophical and theological texts, and actually using such knowledge to inform _your own_ unique perspectives and ideas, where do you see yourself at your current point of mental development? Failry good I’d say. > [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > You keep saying that patriotism, to you, means “loving your country and doing your civic duty”. Can you be more specific? What does loving your country mean to you? What do you think YOUR civic duty is? > > I think you are trying to answer the questions people are asking, but you’re also getting a lot of repeats because you’re not really giving much in the way of details. I’m still unsure of how you, personally, define most of the things you say you are. See above. > [@The\_Lurker\_Above](#): > > Can you put a number to ‘massive tax burdens’? Do you know the tax burdens are in ‘social democratic nations’ and the tax burdens in the US? Yes Denmark’s for instance starts at 40% and goes high 60%. > [@Strinka](#): > > Why do you believe in god? Because I simply cannot believe that this life is the end of us. I think we have a higher purpose-a higher level. > [@](#): > > Regarding Christianity that is faith. What do you mean by conservative? Are there any conservative policies you disagree with? If so, what? [/QUOTE] I’m not as economically libertarian as most conservatives. > [@](#): > > Also, after imposing your democratic world government on the planet, what would you do if the majority of people voted that they wanted to have separate nations again? Depends on how fanatical the movement is. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > What personal experience are you using as a comparison to decide that the US is the best country in the world? What are your criteria for this decision? > [@Digital\_Stimulus](#): > > What is the (estimated) population of the village/town/city in which you currently reside? Anaheim (roughly 330,000) > [@](#): > > What is the (estimated) population of the largest village/town/city in which you have ever lived? Same. > [@](#): > > What is the (estimated) population of the largest village/town/city that you have visited? Los Angeles (4,000,000) > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Is it a sin when people have dreams about sex? No they can’t help it. [QUOTE] > [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > A similar question: Why Christian? As an intellectual, you’ve surely asked yourself a number of questions about Christianity, including, but not limited to: > > - Isn’t it unfair of God to consign everyone to not-heaven who grow up in a non-Christian country? Isn’t he giving a huge unfair advantage to people who are born in a Christian family? We have missionaries. > [@](#): > > - Jesus shows up only one time and preaches for a couple of years? Doesn’t this seem, again, as though God isn’t really trying? I’m not God nor am I His spokesman. > [@](#): > > - Good people who are Muslims - Screwed? If you mean unsaved-yes. > [@](#): > > - The problem of evil, as above. C’mon, 'Satan did it? ’ A rather difficult theological problem I’ll have to research. > [@](#): > > - Matthew 16:28, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”" - without weaseling, (tasting death doesn’t mean dying, Lazarus the wandering Jew) how can this be reconciled with the 2000 year gap between the crucifixion and the now. I bet the Hebrew words mean something different. > [@](#): > > Have you considered and investigated other religions, and in particular, Atheism and Agnosticism? As an intellectual, and smart person, one has to wonder how one questions one’s assumptions, and then commits and becomes Christian at such a young age. I would have expected Agnosticism. Are you sure that your faith isn’t a received, unquestioned assumption, and worthy of further analysis? I know the tenets of other religions and religious beliefs-but I feel faith only in Christianity. > [@Cumberdale](#): > > Can one be partiotic and think that Reagan and W were awful presidents who treated the Constitution like toilet paper. Yes. > [@cmyk](#): > > **Curtis:** > > Do you feel that intellectualism can only go so far for a Christian. At some point rationality has to be abandoned in favor of faith. And the faith required of a Christian necessarily falls far short of the intellectualism required for someone who keeps more open mind, such as a scientist (be them agnostic, or (yes) even an atheist). Would you agree? There are many scientists who are religious: Galileo (Catholic), Newton (Unitarian), and Francis Collins. > [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > Curtis, do you believe there are people smarter than you whose opinions about politics and religion are diametrically opposed to yours? IOW, are there liberals and atheists smarter than you? > > (E.g., I’m an atheist and fairly liberal socially, but I concede that, e.g., the late conservative Christian William F. Buckley was definitely smarter than me. And I’m sure there are many more such people). > > I find this question an excellent test of whether one defines “intelligence” as simply “agrees with my opinions”. > > And when I say ‘smart’ I mean, ‘to include intelligence in the areas you disagree with them on’. (IME, respondents to this question sometimes sidestep the question by naming a ‘poindexter’: someone with opposing beliefs who’s really good at one subject like physics or auto mechanics). Yes I think for instance Noam Chomsky’s smarter than me. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=551497), why do you use the British spelling of favorite? I’ve read Lovecraft and as I enjoy imitating Mr. Lovecraft in writing I have adopted British spelling-I’m already an Anglophile. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Do you believe faith and science can ever be reconciled? Yes for all knowledge is one. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/140 "2010-02-11T03:16:13Z")
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