# ITR champion’s complete conversion
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [August 7, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784 "2012-08-07T21:30:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/1 "2012-08-07T21:30:01Z")
I’ve paid attention to **ITR champion** ’s posts since he became outspoken about his conversion to Christianity, as it coincided with my own second look at the respectability of theism. I’ll admit — although it puts me somewhat against the fashion around here — that I’ve come to hold the opinion that religious belief _can_ be respectable, although I myself land somewhere closer to a broadly theistic deism (or even agnosticism in its vulgar sense).
But what initially felt like following someone else’s experiences, as he went through what _I_ was going through, quickly turned into the wide-eyed fascination usually reserved for nasty roadside car wrecks. Thread after thread trying to expose the evils of atheism, bizarre posts which (say) he trotted out Međugorje or the efficacy of meditation as proof of Christianity … yeesh. What good points he made were washed away in the torrent of abject silliness. In his bizarre obsession to defend religiousness he did much more harm than good; see [this pit thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=508564) circa 2009.
And now I’m finally convinced that his conversion is complete: [a thread the sole point of which is to demonstrate liberal hypocrisy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?f=7). Maybe it happened earlier, but I had averted my eyes from the wreckage. If **Der Trihs** and **Diogenes the Cynic** got together, Weird Science style, to create the perfect religious dumbass, **ITR champion** ’s who the computer would spit out (not Kelly LeBrock, sorry).
My suggestion for **ITR champion** : if you want to defend something keep your trap shut, because you demonstrate absolutely no competence with respect to debate or persuasion. You only make yourself look like a stupid True Believer.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/2 "2012-08-07T21:33:25Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#):
>
> And now I’m finally convinced that his conversion is complete: [a thread the sole point of which is to demonstrate liberal hypocrisy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?f=7).
Your link goes to the GD forum page.
Did you mean [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=661170)?
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/3 "2012-08-07T21:57:08Z")
Well, the guy’s chosen philosophy automatically deprives him of a number of reasoning tools, so he can only overuse the few he has left.
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/4 "2012-08-07T23:27:50Z")
When asked for evidence of his beliefs he sighs and offers a reading list.
There is a book tax to question him. I love that in a theist.
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### Author:  [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/5 "2012-08-08T00:27:31Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#):
>
> If **Der Trihs** and **Diogenes the Cynic** got together, Weird Science style, to create the perfect religious dumbass, **ITR champion** ’s who the computer would spit out (not Kelly LeBrock, sorry).
Really? _Damn._ Oh well; project scrapped.
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/6 "2012-08-08T00:32:51Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#):
>
> or even agnosticism in its vulgar sense
is that where you tell Greek mystics to go fuck themselves?
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/7 "2012-08-08T00:46:45Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#):
>
> is that where you tell Greek mystics to go fuck themselves?
At the moment of orgasm, you shout, “Oh god? Oh god? OH JESUS CHRIST?”
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/8 "2012-08-08T00:54:01Z")
> [@Lobohan](#):
>
> When asked for evidence of his beliefs he sighs and offers a reading list.
>
> There is a book tax to question him. I love that in a theist.
What kind of evidence did you have in mind? Is there any such evidence that would convince?
A man is aware of his spirit, and his brain tries to explain it, tries to organize it into a series of facts. Thus we have theology, the crystal purity of pointless rationalization. Nothing wrong with that, so long as you don’t take it too seriously. Which would be if you take it seriously at all.
Maybe its important to realize that life has no meaning. Its more important to realize it doesn’t need one.
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### Author:  [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/9 "2012-08-08T01:14:03Z")
I just want to know what ITR stands for.
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/10 "2012-08-08T01:28:22Z")
> [@](#):
>
> …When a texter sends the first text, usually along the lines of “Hey what’s up?? :)”, this is known as the initiatory text. Through comparing the average number of initiatory texts sent by two participants to each other, an initiatory text ratio can be determined. The ITR is a clear indicator of who is the more interested of the two. If for every five initiatory texts you send, there is usually one in return, the ITR is 5:1 in the textee’s favor, and you’re just not in good shape. Ideally a 1:1 ratio is reached, but only in the most compatible of relationships. The ITR is on the same level of dependability as the theory of gravity itself…
_Urban Dictionary_
> **[Urban Dictionary: text relationships](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=text%20relationships)**
>
> text relationship: A relationship \[solely\] based on constant conversations that occur \[via text\] message, while \[in person\] the couple tends to be extremely...
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/11 "2012-08-08T01:45:06Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> What kind of evidence did you have in mind? Is there any such evidence that would convince?
>
> A man is aware of his spirit, and his brain tries to explain it, tries to organize it into a series of facts. Thus we have theology, the crystal purity of pointless rationalization. Nothing wrong with that, so long as you don’t take it too seriously. Which would be if you take it seriously at all.
>
> Maybe its important to realize that life has no meaning. Its more important to realize it doesn’t need one.
I agree. The trouble is he says outright, “I have evidence for my beliefs.” and when someone says, “And what is that?” He goes, “read these books and get back to me.”
Like when he said there was evidence for the resurrection he presents this: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14169138&postcount=9](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14169138&postcount=9)
If he said, “Hey, I know there isn’t evidence, I just feel it in my heart.” I’d say, well, you have the right to have fiat beliefs, just don’t go asserting you have evidence for them.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/12 "2012-08-08T05:30:17Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> Really? _Damn._ Oh well; project scrapped.
Yeh, but, shit, dude… Go ahead and scrap the Religious Dumbass simulation, can you still try and make a Kelly LeBrock?
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/13 "2012-08-08T05:34:08Z")
> [@cmyk](#):
>
> Yeh, but, shit, dude… Go ahead and scrap the Religious Dumbass simulation, can you still try and make a Kelly LeBrock?
About that… because of the time field, it would be _present day_ Kelly LeBrock.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2012, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/14 "2012-08-08T05:36:00Z")
> [@Lobohan](#):
>
> About that… because of the time field, it would be _present day_ Kelly LeBrock.
Ok. Yeh, scrap the whole damn thing.
And just… set it on fire to be sure.
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### Author:  [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/15 "2012-08-12T14:45:58Z")
Comparing the religious debating skills of\*\* ITR champion\*\* to \*\*Diogenes the Cynic \*\*is surely a joke.
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### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/16 "2012-08-12T15:39:26Z")
Hmm. The “what do you get when you cross…” kind of joke?
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### Author:  [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/17 "2012-08-12T16:26:44Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> Really? _Damn._ Oh well; project scrapped.
This made me laugh so fucking hard
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### Author:  [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/18 "2012-08-12T18:57:54Z")
I really do not understand anyone becoming more right-wing as they get more religious. Hey, douchebrains, did you read _anything_ Jesus said? More than half is about economic equality and taking care of the poor.
Well, I guess I understand “trying to fit in with the dumbasses in your close-minded little church”. But for me, when I decided to become more serious about Christianity, I had to become more liberal. I didn’t want to; The Virtue Of Selfishness is a pretty cushy philosophy (yeah, I’d fallen in with Randian Objectivists at a tender age).
But intellectual honesty meant that if Jesus cares about the disenfranchised, I’d better damn well, too.
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### Author:  [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/19 "2012-08-12T20:34:23Z")
> [@digs](#):
>
> I really do not understand anyone becoming more right-wing as they get more religious.
Quite obvious to me when it’s someone like ITR who claims to have reasoned himself into these beliefs. That shows either increasingly faulty reasoning skills or just increasing “independence of thought” meaning him putting those “skills” to work more. That would likely make him more right wing.
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itr-champion-s-complete-conversion/630784/20 "2012-08-13T02:26:41Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#):
>
> Hmm. The “what do you get when you cross…” kind of joke?
What do you get when you cross Jesus Christ…[spoiler]?
Redemption![/spoiler]