Boogarheal, she didn’t seem to be goading anyone a whole helluva lot… sure, the title of the thread may be a bit much on its own, but given the content, I think it’s appropriate.
Basically, she’s saying “A lot of christians are dicks”.
My whole take is this: if you can’t live up to christianity, don’t be a fucking christian! Or a celibate one, for that matter.
Like I said. Defensible. The fun of it is that when some poor sap gets offended, Drain can turn around and complain that the offensive parts were taken out of context. As if she never imagined anyone would ever get the wrong idea about what she meant! 
This thread is just bait.
If it were just bait, I’d be arguing a lot more.
Other than to clarify my original thought on putting the title as it was, which some people misinterpreted, my post stands. People like Brother Jed give a bad name to all Christians. That’s it, end of story. If I were trolling, half the posts in this thread would have been mine, arguing with the people who disagree with me.
Oh, wait. Nobody does.
“Confrontational Christians?” I have to admit that I am deeply offended. Not by the title (one should always consider, not only the source, but what they are talking about – the most deeply offensive statement imaginable isn’t offensive if taken in the proper context). One should never let any particular word(s) or phrase(s) “set you off”. Either you are reacting exactly as a troll expected you to or you are showing a self-centered disregard for someone else’s legitimate concern.
Having said that, I am a confrontational Christian. My favorite targets are the folks who run around acting like G-d gave them their marching orders, suspending the rules for common courtesy and gentle behavior.
I’m supposed to be as gentle as a lamb and as wise as a serpent – but sometimes I just get mad as hell when people do evil and call it good – and that’s just what they’re doing. If you’re a Christian, you should be as ready to raise the bullshit flag as your non-Christian friends and acquaintences. More so – we don’t want jerks telling the world lies and calling it truth, and leaving the world to assume we’re all a bunch of evil, bullying bastards.
Jesus never had his disciples go kick someone’s ass when he didn’t like what they were doing. That sort of behavior is pure BS, and I (for one) take a certain pleasure in standing up to it.
~~Baloo
Drain: about 8 posters have stated that the title of your thread is rude & insulting. If that is “everyone agreeing” with you, we sure have a funny way of showing it. A mature person would simply apologize for the Title, and move on. So?
Daniel: please get over it.
Baloo: Well, Jesus didn’t, but God certainly told his people to go and kill everyone in a certain town.
Actually, the point she was making, I think, is that Jesus per se wasn’t a dick, but some(okay, lots) of folks who Purport to speak for him are.
Take what I said in the context it was given.
~~Baloo
First of all, I find it very amusing that Drain and I are now sock puppets. I mean, several Dopers have seen us in a room together (Falcon, pldennison), several more WILL see us in a room together (the Raleigh Doper gathering next weekend) and many more have seen us in chat together.
And if Drain is my sock puppet, I really would like to know where all of this money I am spending on long distance bills is going to! And the gas I spend for driving the 554 miles to and from Columbus, OH and Raleigh, NC.
Whoever it was that brought this up, you’re such a fucking genius to bring up the thread that I started with similar verbage that you couldn’t find this thread with us pictured together, huh. Admittedly, our picture was there BEFORE the great image purge here, but the link to the picture is still there. :rolleyes:
I would call this Columbo wannabe a putz, but I would so hate to offend all putzes with such a characterization.
Now, since you bring up that thread of mine, I will now say with all certainty why both Drain and myself got all kinds of shit for stating the obvious.
You Christians don’t like it when someone says something bad about some followers of your religion, do you.
Even when perfectly founded with factual data or direct experience, and even when what is said is obviously intended towards some specific assholes (in her case, campus preachers, in my case, a few people who say you are not Christian unless you believe ina literal 6-day Creation), you immediately have to say, “I am offended.”
Well, to all applicable: Instead of getting pissed at those of us who see the bullshit and like to call those guilty out for it, how about saving some of that for the ones who fucking deserve it, eh?
How about telling a campus preacher that what they are doing and the manner in which they do it is against what they proport to stand for?
How about telling someone who thinks otherwise that Creationism is not a salvation issue?
How about telling anyone who is somehow distorting what Jesus really stood for that they are the ones who are making you all look bad, and are doing anything but making people want to hear what the dude preached?
I can appreciate the attitude that it’s okay for me to tease and make fun of my younger brother, but if someone else does it, they have to answer to you. I mean, I’m the oldest of five kids; I can relate.
However, we are NOT making fun of your brother. We are making fun of people who MAKE YOUR BROTHER LOOK LIKE A SCHMUCK! And you LET THEM make your brother look liek a schmuck while giving shit to those WHO ARE ESSENTIALLY STANDING UP FOR YOUR BROTHER!
In any event, quit being so fucking defensive. If you have a problem with the way Drain, myself or anyone deem SOME Christians, you only should take offense if a) you are one of them or b) you are too stupid to realize that you are not one of them.
So which is it?
I’m so glad that other groups of people are not so thin-skinned and protective this way. I could see it now:…
“Another postal worker came into the place and shot it up yesterday. Talk about going postal…”
NOT ALL POSTAL WORKERS ARE LIKE THIS! HOW DARE YOU MAKE UP SOME PHRASE LIKE “GOING POSTAL,” AND ACCUSE ALL POSTAL WORKERS OF BEING THIS WAY! YOU HAVE DEEPLY OFFENDED ME WITH THIS CHARACTERIZATION…
So get the fuck over it, people. Save the self-righteous indignation for those who are making you (and your God) look like a dick, not those of us who simply observe it happening and comment on it.
Yer pal,
Drain Bead
TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Two months, two days, 2 hours, 53 minutes and 54 seconds.
2524 cigarettes not smoked, saving $315.60.
Life saved: 1 week, 1 day, 18 hours, 20 minutes.
When someone finds the actions, or words, or philosophy of a Christian offensive, it does not automatically mean that I am offended, or angered by it. At times things done and said by faithful, committed believing Christians offend me. I am certainly not supportive of any person who claims to know the state of any other person’s soul, nor the value of that person to the Lord. I reserve that right to my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
I do speak to those who I feel are misguided in their zeal to bring the word of God to others. I contest what I think is self-glorification done in the name of Christ. The fact is that a lot of people speak on behalf of groups of others, or philosophical schools of thought without being in any way conversant with the real meaning of those philosophies, or the opinions of those others. Christians are no less likely to do this than others. It is more obvious, when they do, because they are very publicly admonished to do otherwise in the bible they ignore. Christ will correct that, among his own, when the time comes.
To those who are hurt by Christians, I offer my heartfelt apology, and assurance that Jesus does not hate you. He loves you. He even loves those assholes that can’t seem to get the message right. Being loved doesn’t make what they say right. Do you support every word spoken in public by any person who claims the same nationality as you? I think a lot of Americans are overbearing sanctimonious jerks. That makes me love my country no less, nor respect the opinions of those jerks more. I am a Christian. I might well be an idiot too. Don’t follow me. Follow Him.
Drain,
Whatever your intent, or your justification, you title insults someone I love greatly. If I started a thread that said “Drain’s mother must be a cunt . . . “ I think you would be offended before you read my opening post. I doubt that I could write one eloquent enough to change that emotion. You may love or hate Christians as you see fit. You may extend that to Jesus if it seems to you to be fit. If you think it will not hurt my feelings to have the soul I most love in all the world insulted, you are wrong. I believe that you did not intend to do so. But you did insult Him. He forgives you, and for what little it is worth, so do I. I only speak of it that you might understand the great power of words, and how hard it is to call them back.
Tris
satan, ol pal. Nobody, and I repeat NOBODY, so far, posted with any problems with the THREAD. We all know & agree that there are those who profess to be (and may be) Christians (and Jews, and Pagans, and Mormons, and Muslims, and Secular Humanists, &&&&…) who are obnoxious ASSHOLES.
What we have a problem with is the RUDENESS of the TITLE of the thread. So far, about 10 or so respected SDMBers, not all of them Christian, have complained about the rude title.
This is SO funny! The poster should take his own advice.
What a classic post. Here the old Satan emerges in all his glorious insecurity, foaming at the mouth, livid that anyone would be critical of him.
As to the Drain Bead/Satan sock puppet theory, I don’t think anyone has ever seriously suggested that they’re the same person. But that doesn’t stop Satan from going ballistic about it. Meanwhile, in another thread, Drain admits she has posted as Satan.
She wrote in http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=23725
Is it such a stretch of the imagination to wonder if Satan has posted as Drain sometimes, too? Naw!! THAT could never be.
The best thing about Satan’s post, though, is the amazing insight it gives into his psyche.
Satan has a younger brother who is a Christian youth minister.
Ever wonder why Satan gets so passionate about fundies? Because they make his brother look like a schmuck! Satan deeply resents fundie Christians who make all Christians look bad, and if you get in his way when he’s ranting about it, something in his psyche kicks in and he goes a little berserk, like you’re attacking something near and dear to him. Like he has to defend his brother.
It makes me think he’s also defending himself. He doesn’t like it when people distort ‘what Jesus really stood for,’ as he wrote in his post. He has deeply held beliefs about what Jesus really stood for, and he resents fundies for distorting that.
Is it possible Satan’s an in-the-closet Christian?
Hmmmmm.
ROFTL
You obviously don’t know a thing about Satan, but your post gave me a great Sunday morning chuckle. Thanks man!
That would make a nice scene in a music video: satan foaming at the mouth! 
Van: foam from the Archdevil’s mouth is a very important ingrediant in cookie dough? 
danielinthewolvesden wrote:
Oh, yes, heaven forbid anyone be offended in The Pit. :rolleyes:
Fine - you’re offended, you’ve said so, now shut up.
Esprix
Daniel, et al:
Here is a list of just a few titles of threads currently roasting in the Pit:
[ul]**
[li]You are a stupid moron![/li][li]GOODBYE John Rocker, you piece of shit![/li][li]Go sodomise yourself with a chainsaw,[/li][li]FUCK![/li][li]fucking LIAR[/li][li]The pussification of the american male[/li][li]all cocksuckers must die[/li][li]This forum sucks[/li]**[/ul]
You and others have said that the title of this thread is, “crude, even for the Pit.” I am sorry… the idea is laughable.
Take another look at the title of the thread, but change it from “Jesus must have been a real dick…” to:
[ul]
[li]“John Rocker is a real dick!” or[/li][li]“the american male is a real dick!” or[/li][li]“cocksuckers are real dicks!” or even[/li][li]“danielinthewolvesden is a real dick!”[/li][/ul]
I submit to you that if any of those threads had been posted, you would probably not have whooped up a war against the OP’er. It’s not that I don’t understand your sensitivity and motivation… because I do. It’s just that I think your feelings are misguided.
Look… I have spent a good part of my life teaching Jewish teens how to deal with anti-semitism. It basically boils down to one lesson:
Ignore it. If someone thinks you’re a jerk because you are Jewish, then they are not worth your time. But, whatever you do, don’t engage them… it’s simply not worth the effort.
If someone takes the time to buy a billboard in Times Square proclaiming that you are a pig, do you buy network air-time to reassure the public that you are not, in fact, piggish? Do you take out ads in the Times illustrating the myriad differences between you and pigs? Why bother?
You are not going to convince the idiots who started the whole thing anyway.
And, in this case, the “idiot who started the whole thing” is neither an idiot nor did she start anything.
Drain Bead used a purposely inflammatory title to draw people to a thread in the Pit. (Note that your response to her was less than reasonable, well thought-out or politely worded.) You then stopped over-reacting, read her post, and said:
**
Methinks the issue has been put to bed, no?
(You asked me (among others) to come here and post my opinion on what you consider to be a “wrong.” Sorry… I haven’t seen anything wrong here.)
PS - I would be tickled pink to see a “sdimbert is a real dick!” thread here in the Pit. You know why? Because I know that I am not a dick. 'Nuff said.
sdim: would you be as reasonable if it had been Moses or Abraham instead of Jesus? or the Holy Name of G-d?
The rest of those people named are not religous figures. if they had said “Danielitwd must be a real dick” I would have responded with a witty flame. But I am not a religous figure.
In a word… yes.
Reality check time, Daniel. Moses and Abraham don’t need me to defend them. Neither does Jesus. What they accomplished stands, on its own merit, for history to learn from.
If Drain Bead or Satan or you decided to trash Abraham, I don’t think I would be offended. I might try to answer the charges, but I certainly wouldn’t challenge anyone’s right to say what they want to about Biblical figures.
[ul]
[li]Abraham tried to kill his son.[/li][li]The Talmud explains that Moses had the temperment of a murderer.[/li][li]King David lusted after Batsheva and had her husband killed so he could have her as a wife.[/li][/ul]
All of the above are true. I can’t dispute them. If someone chooses to judge King David in a negative light, that is his or her right.
If, for example, Drain Bead posted that Moses was a murderer, we could have an enlightening and challenging discussion over in GD about the meaning of Exodus 2:12.
And, if someone wanted to make things up about Biblical figures, things that had no basis in Biblical fact, I would ignore them.
Why? Because people who believe things with no rational basis are either fundamentalists or lunatics and, on the SDMB, there really isn’t much of a Nafka Mina (“practical difference”) between the two. It’s obvious that you don’t think Jesus was a dick. FWIW, neither do I (and, incidentaly, neither does Drain Bead).
So, refering back to my earlier post, you can either ignore the claim that you are a pig, or you can whoop up a Crusade to battle it.
Guess which makes you look sillier?
SDim: Absolutely, but the thread was not “Jesus was a hypocrite” or “Jesus commited heresy”, both of which I would be happy to argue, but a rude name calling. And it is true that these great men do not need us to defend them, but we both have, haven’t we? (I’ve defended the OT leaders, myself). And there is a bit of differnence between JC, Moses & Abraham - the latter 2 spoke to G-d, but JC is considered* to BE G-d.
*by Christians only, of course.