Is this thread basically a pitting of religion and spirituality?
Because belief in one divine origin is the same as belief in any other divine origin, in my book. I don’t know what this guy’s religion is, but if you’re calling him an idiot because he believes in it, then you’re calling every Muslim and Jew who believes on the planet a liar and fraud. You’re calling every adherent to shamanistic or anamistic religions an idiot. You’re calling everyone not privy to Western science an idiot. That’s a strong statement.
No, it’s basically a pitting of repetitiveness and stupidity.
Not true. Nobody has called lekatt a liar. As a debater, he seems to have problems with selective memory, but I think he’s too stupid to lie. Actually I’m amazed he has the medulla functions required for breathing. Science should take a good long look at that skull of his when he shuffles off whatever coil he says he has.
I know I’m asking for it, but there’s also the matter of “why would he say these moronic things if he didn’t believe them?” I doubt he’s a liar.
Strictly speaking, we’d be calling them wrong, not an idiot. You can be one without being the other. If you’re an atheist, and I am, you’re basically saying everyone who believes in god is wrong anyway, so that wouldn’t be in some other league.
You know what lekatt reminds me of? He’s like a scatterbrained version of the pet shop owner in Monty Python’s Dead Parrot Sketch.
Nah lekatt has three basic themes, repeated ad nauseam: He interrupts other threads to claim that:
Near Death Experiences “prove” that there is life after death and that “science” refuses to look at the evidence. His “evidence” is a series of anecdotes posted on his own web site, to which he links repeatedly, all the while proclaiming that his anecdotes are scientific proof.
“Science” is trying to destroy religion and “science” has declared that there is no such thing as spirituality. When it is pointed out that science has no business talking about the spiritual and that many scientists are religious, and even Christian, he simply ignores those statements, even when they are supported by links to sites discussing religious or Christian scientists and then repeats his refrain that “science” is attempting to overthrow religion.
Evolution is “only a theory.” And when links are provided demonstrating the evidence for the fact of evolution and to sites distinguishing the fact of evolution from the theory of how it happened, he ignores the evidence and repeates that it is only a “theory” because no one saw it happen. When further links and explanations are provided, demonstrating that speciation has been observed in living creatures, he ignores that information to repeat that evolution is “only a theory” that has “never been observed.”
Pitting him is a waste of time and energy, but he is not being pitted simply for holding religious beliefs.
It seems to me he’s just hit a nerve among those who refuse to accept spirituality of any kind. I think he wouldn’t draw the level of vitriol I see here if his opponents were even mildly spiritual or religious in any sense at all. Just what it seems like to me.
Flat-out wrong on that guess, Argent. The most vocal critic of lekatt on these boards is probably tomndebb, who is Catholic. So, IIRC, is Guinastasia, and Siege is Episcopalian.
Considering lekatt to be an annoying, bigoted, resolutely ignorant waste of time is a truly ecumenical viewpoint, shared by Dopers across the entire spectrum of religious belief.
How…how shall I say this?..Oh, yes!..How lekattesque a comment!
Did you bother to read any of the posts above? You were politely informed of the facts of the matter and yet, just like lekatt does, you blew off the facts and claimed that it’s some kind of conspiracy against The Truth[sup]tm[/sup].
This debating “technique” is (should be) already known as “Lekatting”. At least according to me. I try and try to get this term going but it never seems to take off. Dammit.
PatriotX amusing hit the nail on the head with the following post from the above linked thread (I find his last two sentences particularly amusing, the more so in the context of the OP):
And then I have to comment on this:
Not so fast, there. I will unashamedly own up to having done so and I don’t regret it for a moment. Forgive me if I
Argent Towers, as Kimstu said, I’m a devout Episcopalian. Religion’s one of the topics I post about most, and my faith is the most important thing in my life. I’m also a computer programmer and the daughter, sister, and girlfriend of engineers.
Lekatt has a nasty habit of claiming that anyone who disagrees with him, be it on near-death experiences, Terri Schiavo, or acceptance of evolution is against religion and that science and the scientific method are opposed to and out to destroy religion. He has, more than once, implied that I’m against religion. I’ve been interacting with him for over four years now and seen this time and time again. I think, if I were an atheist, I’d simply write him off as another religious nutcase. Instead, I object to him because he has repeatedly said I must be opposed to religion because of what I believe and accept.
For those who aren’t familiar with him, lekatt is not Christian (not an insult; merely a statement of fact), nor have I ever seen him name his beliefs. I’m not even sure if he’s monotheistic or polytheistic. He says his beliefs are based in “love” and “truth”, but, as I’ve said, he tends to be very insulting towards those who disagree with him, usually claiming they oppose religion. Since, in my case, this is neither loving (it’s actually quite insulting) nor true, I’d say that makes him a hypocrite. When it comes to specifics, he’s about as easy to pin down as a bowl of jello.
Lekatt isn’t being Pitted because he’s religious. I’ve been posting on religion for nearly five years now, and I’ve never been Pitted (crosses fingers). He’s being Pitted because he’s insulting and not only refuses to look at evidence which contradicts his beliefs, but says anyone who disagrees with him is against religion, including some of the most religious posters on this message board.
lekatt has failed to present any evidence other than personal anecdotes to support his fanciful claims. I don’t believe in flying saucers either, despite the many silly claims for their existence. I reject any belief system based solely on myth and legend.
I’m think this thread title and OP are offensive to idiots. I’ve known and worked with idiots for years, and even have some in my family, and none of them are as stupid and annoying as Lekatt.
Blah. Plenty of people who are religious will gang up on lekatt too. One of the “issues”, other than those already listed, is lekatt ignores facts, misrepresents falsehoods as fact, and also ignores the teachings of almost all religions (making things up as he goes along maybe). Then after getting everyone riled up, it’s the same old “you’re all being mean to me”.
I go away for a few hours and this thread turned into a debate on Intelligent Design? I’m glad some of you had my back and returned it to its original purpose, trashing Lekatt. However, cricetus is right; the thread is offensive to idiots, as well as morons, fools, cretins, blockheads, and the full panoply of the intellectually subnormal. I took the easy way out and used a word that is short and snappy enough for a title but does not fully describe him as the intellectually lazy, pig-headed, disingenuous, manipulative, lying, and purposely and proudly ignorant jerk he repeatedly demonstrates himself to be.
It became clear to me when I saw this. Consider the link “How Good are You, a test”. Let that title just sink in for a moment. Feeling a little skeeved? Well, brace yourself, and click on it.
You’ll see a series of multiple-choice questions which the creator of the test would have you believe can quantify and qualify your soul. On this page, it’s all about “forgiveness”.
Answer a question; but don’t answer it “correctly”. You’ll see loving reminders of your inadequacy like “Wrong! Your score is now 0” “You have already answered that!”, and, my favorite “Access denied! You need nine points to advance to the next level.”
So some slob out there in the world has a nocturnal brain fart, and this experience somehow empowered him with the ability to rank the goodness of humanity and make declarations like “Access denied!” What this “next level” I’ve been stiffarmed from quite is I neither know nor want to know, if all that lies withing is a trip into the deeper into the recesses of a patently diseased mind.
I must temper my language, as I’m not sure on what perilous ground as a participant in the Dope I might tread if I choose my words poorly, but I’m convinced engaging this creature is, beyond an exercise in futility, willingly allowing onself to fall into the trap of sating his malignant ego, providing him with whatever bizarre sustainance he derives from goading the sane into fruitless dialogue, which only encourages him to manipulate you further while enhancing his skill at doing so. Many with personality disorders become expert at this pathetic game, as its the only distraction they can contrive of themselves temper their own painful feelings of emptyness. Such individuals are to be pitied, truly, but dialectical therapies are best administered in a controlled environment. I’m guessing the guy probably needs help. Meanwhile, you’re beating your head against a very thick wall trying to make things different, and may be inadvertently enraged and diminished in the effort. It’s precisely the sort of effect such borderlines and narcissists are after.
