# In which Cisco creates a whole new breed of fundie **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 16, 2002, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046 "2002-12-16T07:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/81 "2002-12-17T10:38:02Z")
**Cisco** , I’ve got a longer response to you over in the other thread, but I wanted to respond to this last post. I think the point people are trying to make is that you aren’t respecting something which is clearly very important to your girlfriend. Here’s the difference. My brother and I were both raised Episcopalians, and, when we were in our 20’s, we both wound up engaged to Catholics. To generalize, if a non-Catholic is going to marry a Catholic, the Catholic church would prefer that person convert to Catholicism. Episcopalianism isn’t all that big a deal to my brother, so he converted. No problem. As for me, I’ve got good reasons for not wanting to be Catholic and my Episcopal faith is important to me, just as my fiance’s Catholicism was important to him. Much as I loved him, I couldn’t convert, so we found a loophole. While the engagement didn’t work out in the end, it wasn’t because of religion. What I was reading was not only that you didn’t respect something which was very important to your girlfriend, but that you had contempt for it. That’s not a good basis for a relationship. Also, I do get tired of the notion, “No intelligent person can be a Mensan.” Thanks to an unusual set of coincidences, I’m a member of Mensa and a regular at Regional Gatherings. This is a self-selected group, I admit, but we’ve got people whose religious beliefs are all over the map, including some whose beliefs have been all over the map during their lifetimes. Since both religion and Mensa supply important needs in my life, I’m not giving either of them up ( **Cisco** , I realize you didn’t say that.). Also, **Rex Dart** , I’m sorry to say this, but we do have alchoholics and recovering drug addicts in Mensa. Unfortunately, intelligence is no guarantee of common sense. If anything, being intelligent seems to reduce the odds of having common sense. CJ ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/82 "2002-12-17T11:05:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cjhoworth \* > **Also, I do get tired of the notion, "No intelligent person can be a Mensan."** I don’t get tired of it. I just can’t understand it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/83 "2002-12-17T11:20:15Z")
Cisco wrote: > [@](#): > > Try to imagine revering a baseball player if you have absolutely no intrest in baseball. It just…doesn’t matter to you. Other people may get all excited and emotional about Mark McGuire or Sammy Sosa but you just don’t care. And then a crowd of people come along and say “HEY! You should respect Sam Sosa goddamnit! That man hit more baseballs than anyone else in history!” Well, you just don’t care though. Does anyone follow me here? But you _already_ revere Sammy Sosa. And you want him to stop playing baseball. In fact, you hate baseball and cannot bring yourself to respect anyone who plays baseball. People who play baseball are mindless morons who can’t think their way out of a paper bag. You wish that Sammy Sosa would forget about his baseball. His baseball means more to him than anything else in the whole word, but for you that doesn’t matter. For you, what matters is that it means nothing to you. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/84 "2002-12-17T11:28:16Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by me_ > “No intelligent person can be a Mensan.” And I’ve just proven it!:o What I intended to write was , “No intelligent person can be a _Christian_.” **Desmostylus** , I’m not sure which way you read that, and I’m afraid to ask! 😃 CJ ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/85 "2002-12-17T11:36:50Z")
I understood what you meant. I was just being silly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/86 "2002-12-17T11:39:38Z")
BTW, **cj** , from what I know of them there aren’t many differences between RCC and Anglicanism. Just one puts authority in Rome, the other with the English monarch. The practices, as I understand them, are almost identical. What was the hangup about switching? ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/87 "2002-12-17T11:46:50Z")
[hijack] There aren’t, but I have two points I simply cannot budge on. I can’t accept Papal infallibility, even with the _ex cathedra_ limitation. More importantly, one of the things my fiance and I had in common is we’ve both considered entering the priesthood. If I become Catholic, that’s not going to happen! I have a few other issues as well. I realize they may seem trivial, but they aren’t so for me. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/88 "2002-12-17T11:51:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cjhoworth \* > \*\*I have two points I simply cannot budge on. \*\* Oh, well I think that everyone here would agree with me then that you’re just a dirty bigot. I mean, how fucking intolerant can you be? I bet you hate black people too, don’t you? I hate to have to explain myself but just so you know, that’s not a shot at you personally cj ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/89 "2002-12-17T12:10:06Z")
For future reference — in general, Cisco, it is often better to hear advice first and then make a decision than the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/90 "2002-12-17T12:16:19Z")
Not sure I follow, Lib. What decision did I make before hearing advice? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/91 "2002-12-17T12:22:45Z")
Well said **Lib**. (Smacks self on wrist for: 1. Being told by mod to pit **Lib** over posting style. 2. Finding that opportunity is denied, because **Lib** didn’t hit and run. 3. Finding self agreeing totally with **Lib**.) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/92 "2002-12-17T12:25:39Z")
Excuse me? You were told by a mod to pit me over my posting style? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/93 "2002-12-17T12:32:25Z")
That’s the whole hit and run problem. You didn’t notice my response, or even the mod’s response. I’ll try and track the thread down. I don’t mean that the mod said “pit lib”, what was said was “take it up in the appropriate forum, not here”. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/94 "2002-12-17T12:39:44Z")
**Lib** The thread title was “small nuke-a-ler 'splosions”. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/95 "2002-12-17T12:44:59Z")
**Cisco** , if you can find any point in my entire posting history where I have called Catholics illogical or wrong, I’ll let that post slide. In fact, if you can find any religion which I have shown the contempt you’ve shown Christianity, I’ll retract this entire post. Unlike you, I also did not try to convince my fiance of the error of his ways. I take accusations of bigotry _very_ seriously, even when made in jest. Maybe especially when made in jest because I find insults more hurtful than funny. Please do not do so again. CJ ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/96 "2002-12-17T13:33:55Z")
I think he was kidding **cj**. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/97 "2002-12-17T13:39:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > \*\ ***Lib** The thread title was “small nuke-a-ler 'splosions”. \*\* I see. General Questions is not intended as a forum for discussion and debate, but rather as a forum for the asking and answering of questions with a factual basis. What you did was make a fly-by judgment of me based not on fact, but on intellectual hysteria. Bibliophage was not making a suggestion to you; he was admonishing you. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/98 "2002-12-17T14:07:28Z")
I know that Bibliophage was admonishing me. I _intended_ to pit you, but didn’t and couldn’t, because you didn’t show the behavaviour that I had assumed, on my limited experience, that I thought characterised you. I assumed that you were aware of Bibliophage’s post, and so made my “_some fucking sense_” post. I accepted your response to that post, and said “Peace”. WTF is “intellectual hysteria”? What’s a “fly-by judjment” based on “intellectual hysteria”? I misjudged, and corrected my opinion. What are you doing? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/99 "2002-12-17T14:23:11Z")
Pondering whether to parody myself. It might be fun. Then again, it might be a nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046/100 "2002-12-17T14:27:07Z")
Parody away. I’m going to bed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-cisco-creates-a-whole-new-breed-of-fundie/143046.md?page=6)