# My First Pit- Magellian01.. you are a cancer upon the human condition **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 2, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014 "2008-07-02T05:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/61 "2008-07-02T20:45:59Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] “We are gathered here in the sight of nothingness to conduct an empty ceremony to affirm the committment of these two deluded nitwits, who apparently believe that love matters in a howling existential wilderness of emptiness…” [/QUOTE] Yeah, we also went with the atheist catechism. Afterwards everyone got silently drunk and tried not to think about the void. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/62 "2008-07-02T22:30:35Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] Not exactly, but you’re close: governments should stop issuing baptisms or confirmation certificates. If they want to issue birth certificates (which recognize a change in legal status but do not have religious overtones) or voter registration cards (which signify a change in legal status but do not have religious overtones), that’d be peachy. … Daniel [/QUOTE] LHOD- Am I reading this correctly? Are you saying there are states in the USA that issue baptismal and confirmation certificates? Ignorance fought - I thought only churches issued these. I don’t think New York State does this. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/63 "2008-07-02T23:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] It’s good that **choie** came along and averted this thread from being hijacked into a thoughtful discussion about marriage rights and the role of the government therin, and returned it to what it’s really all about: an idiot screaming “bigot” at the top of her lungs, without paying any heed whatsoever to what anyone is actually saying. [/QUOTE] Because he/she obvious doesn’t **believe** what they are saying. I’ve never considered the whole “Let’s call them civil unions instead !” idea to be anything other than a combination of naivete ( on the part of those who actually think that “separate but equal” would actually be equal ), and crypto-bigotry on the part of those using it to try to stop marriage between homosexuals. The chance of marriages being redefined into “Civil Unions” for everyone is pretty much zero, and it really does sound like the sort of thing that the Right would use as a scare tactic. Actually trying to do so would probably kill homosexual marriage for a generation, at least. And this desperate attempt by **magellan01** and others to retain the word “marriage” only for straights while pretending the motivation is anything other than bigotry is silly. Because every time someone tries to define it that way without actually admitting that the motivation is homophobia, they end up with a definition that excludes large numbers of people who are already married; we’ve seen the “atheists can’t get married” version here, and the “you aren’t married if childless” exclusion in the other thread. We all know that the real motivation for arguments like that is just homophobia, regardless of our willingness to admit it. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/64 "2008-07-03T02:43:46Z")
[QUOTE=BwanaBob] LHOD- Am I reading this correctly? Are you saying there are states in the USA that issue baptismal and confirmation certificates? Ignorance fought - I thought only churches issued these. I don’t think New York State does this. [/QUOTE] Yeah, does anyone have a cite that States issue baptismal or confirmation certificates? ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/65 "2008-07-03T03:35:02Z")
Wow. ::Note to self: Don’t cross Full Metal Lotus:: Personally, I find Magellan01 to be a refreshing conservative voice, since he seems to be much more logical and patient than some people (not naming names). Also, > [@Der Trihs](#): > > Because he/she obvious doesn’t believe what they are saying. this is just begging for a smackdown. If you assume this, you devalue all words, and invite illojic. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/66 "2008-07-03T03:41:24Z")
[QUOTE=pedescribe] this is just begging for a smackdown. If you assume this, you devalue all words, and invite illojic. [/QUOTE] What ? There’s something that “devalues words” about pointing out that a third party apparently doesn’t believe you ? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/67 "2008-07-03T04:21:55Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] I’ve never considered the whole “Let’s call them civil unions instead !” idea to be anything other than a combination of naivete ( on the part of those who actually think that “separate but equal” would actually be equal ), and crypto-bigotry on the part of those using it to try to stop marriage between homosexuals. [/QUOTE] You can consider it whatever you want, but you clearly didn’t read the thread I linked. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/68 "2008-07-03T04:33:55Z")
Gee, I’m glad I have all these nice people to tell me I’m actually a frothing bigot with no more right to live on this good clean Earth than the hantavirus. It’s also good to know how very, very wrong I am to think that finding similarities among us all is better than trying to find places to differ. Can’t we all just get along, you bunch of motherfuckers? > [@Emo Phillips](#): > > He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!” > > I said, “Die, heretic scum”, and pushed him off. (The full joke is funnier.) > [@elucidator](#): > > “We are gathered here in the sight of nothingness to conduct an empty ceremony to affirm the committment of these two deluded nitwits, who apparently believe that love matters in a howling existential wilderness of emptiness…” You made me spit my milk. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/69 "2008-07-03T05:21:18Z")
Any person who supports discrimination against gays–and “separate but equal” is still discrimination–is homophobic. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/70 "2008-07-03T08:14:24Z")
I want to start out by appologizing to all for the raw and over the top vitriol I expressed in my opening post and the few follow ups I added. I do vehlmently disagree with Magellen01’s position, and feel his words represent a hidden subtext of anti gay and homophobic feelings. My wife of 10 yrs and I are getting divorced, which we discussed about 45 minutes prior to my OP, I guess I wasn’t in my right mind. As I indicated it was my first “PIT” and it will probably be my last. Over the years I have learned that feeding trolls, poking bears and otherwise helping to spread “the stupid” never helps. Given my state of mind last night, I must say that I forgot those simple rules. Magellan01 has a right to his opinion and western democracy is built on the clamour of all voices having the right to say, feel and think what ever they wish. Even if it is stupid, hateful and wrong. Once again, I apologise for my vitriol. It was (and is) what I felt, but I expressed it in a sloppy and childish manner. Regards FML ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/71 "2008-07-03T15:25:29Z")
[QUOTE=Full Metal Lotus] Once again, I apologise for my vitriol. It was (and is) what I felt, but I expressed it in a sloppy and childish manner. [/QUOTE] Wait a minute, which is it? You flew off the handle and were wrong in your screed? Or you simply regret the over the top language, as it’s earned you slaps from the people who side with you on the issue? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/72 "2008-07-03T15:35:27Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Wait a minute, which is it? You flew off the handle and were wrong in your screed? Or you simply regret the over the top language, as it’s earned you slaps from the people who side with you on the issue? [/QUOTE] I read it pretty clearly as he meant what he said, but regrets the way he said. I think he is recognizing that he was over-the-top. I don’t believe \*\*Full Metal Lotus \*\* was apologizing to you, but rather the other people that agree with his position on gay marriage. As I said, I use to agree with you as recently as about 7 years, but I got better. 😉 So I don’t condemn you. I do think you are somewhat prejudiced towards gays, but you are **far** from the cancer you were accused of being and prejudice is hard to overcome. Jim ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/73 "2008-07-03T15:49:28Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I don’t believe \*\*Full Metal Lotus \*\* was apologizing to you, but rather the other people that agree with his position on gay marriage. [/QUOTE] Oh, I know that. (Even though that is what would be called for.) But I’m not sure what he/she is apologizing for, specifically. Just the fact that it blew back in his/her face? Reread her last line. maybe you read it differently. What does the “it” refer to? [QUOTE=What Exit?] As I said, I use to agree with you as recently as about 7 years, but I got better. 😉 So I don’t condemn you. I do think you are somewhat prejudiced towards gays, but you are **far** from the cancer you were accused of being and prejudice is hard to overcome. [/QUOTE] I’m not a cancer? Aw, shucks, you say the nicest things. But seriously, this meme that anyone who disagree with gay marriage is somehow stunted, or not fully developed, is quite comical to me. It’s highly offensive in general, but I find it quite funny. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/74 "2008-07-03T15:53:29Z")
More like a chancre. Not fatal, just repulsive. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/75 "2008-07-03T15:53:56Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] I’m not a cancer? Aw, shucks, you say the nicest things. But seriously, this meme that anyone who disagree with gay marriage is somehow stunted, or not fully developed, is quite comical to me. It’s highly offensive in general, but I find it quite funny. [/QUOTE] Not stunted or fully developed. Just _wrong_. There is no logical reason to oppose it. I do not believe that people who think illogical thoughts are automatically bad, though. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/76 "2008-07-03T16:01:48Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Oh, I know that. (Even though that is what would be called for.) But I’m not sure what he/she is apologizing for, specifically. Just the fact that it blew back in his/her face? Reread her last line. maybe you read it differently. What does the “it” refer to? I’m not a cancer? Aw, shucks, you say the nicest things. But seriously, this meme that anyone who disagree with gay marriage is somehow stunted, or not fully developed, is quite comical to me. It’s highly offensive in general, but I find it quite funny. [/QUOTE] I reread it a third time, I still think it was only an apology for how **Full Metal Lotus** expressed his/her opinions and not anything more or less. Only **Full Metal Lotus** can come back and say for sure. Hopefully \*\*Full Metal Lotus \*\* will and clear up the gender question. As to the stunted part, the “I got better” bit was clearly a joke. I don’t think you are stunted. I do think you might eventually change your opinion. I sorry I couldn’t give you 100% support, but I was defending you as well as I could according to my own opinions. Jim ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/77 "2008-07-03T16:11:56Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I reread it a third time, I still think it was only an apology for how **Full Metal Lotus** expressed his/her opinions and not anything more or less. Only **Full Metal Lotus** can come back and say for sure. Hopefully \*\*Full Metal Lotus \*\* will and clear up the gender question. As to the stunted part, the “I got better” bit was clearly a joke. I don’t think you are stunted. I do think you might eventually change your opinion. I sorry I couldn’t give you 100% support, but I was defending you as well as I could according to my own opinions. Jim [/QUOTE] I got your joke. I thought it was a good one. That’s not really what I was referring to. It’s the general meme that a rational person will automatically, eventually arrive at the same position others have. Oh well, I’m done with this for the time being. Thanks for applying some sense the issue. Other posters, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/78 "2008-07-03T16:56:29Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] I’m not a cancer? Aw, shucks, you say the nicest things. But seriously, this meme that anyone who disagree with gay marriage is somehow stunted, or not fully developed, is quite comical to me. It’s highly offensive in general, but I find it quite funny. [/QUOTE] Normally I’m descriptivist to a fault, but goddammit, a “meme” isn’ t just a dumb idea that you disagree with. “Meme” is an awesome, interesting word that’s highly useful and that has no real synonym: it refers to an idea that seems to be able to transmit itself from mind to mind as a discrete unit. If you want to call something a “dumb idea,” please call it a “dumb idea.” This actually is a case in which the prescriptivists have a point: “meme” is too cool a word to have its meaning confused by halfwits who just want to sound intellectumable by using big words that mean something else. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/79 "2008-07-03T17:05:15Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] Normally I’m descriptivist to a fault, but goddammit, a “meme” isn’ t just a dumb idea that you disagree with. “Meme” is an awesome, interesting word that’s highly useful and that has no real synonym: it refers to an idea that seems to be able to transmit itself from mind to mind as a discrete unit. If you want to call something a “dumb idea,” please call it a “dumb idea.” This actually is a case in which the prescriptivists have a point: “meme” is too cool a word to have its meaning confused by halfwits who just want to sound intellectumable by using big words that mean something else. [/QUOTE] Not that it matters, as you were just using it as a door to walk through in order to deposit an insult, but: [QUOTE=Wiki] A meme (pronounced /miːm/)[1] consists of any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that gets transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. Examples include **thoughts, ideas, theories, practices, habits** , songs, dances and moods. Memes propagate themselves and can move through a “culture” in a manner similar to the behavior of a virus. [/QUOTE] But I apologize profusely for not using a word only in a manner that you would. What was I thinking, my Slippery-Slope friend? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014/80 "2008-07-03T17:08:08Z")
Sorry to hear about your divorce, **FML**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-magellian01-you-are-a-cancer-upon-the-human-condition/455014.md?page=5)