# The dumbest thing you've heard anyone say this week is... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 1, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630 "2009-07-01T21:13:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/121 "2009-07-09T06:26:03Z")
It was a couple weeks ago now, but someone expressed astonishment that yes, I’ve heard of rice, and yes, we have it in America. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/122 "2009-07-09T14:47:34Z")
Not heard this week, or even this year, but still to good not to tell… You know how people say that there’s no such thing as a stupid question? Well those people have never been on Yahoo Answers. I used to go on their Religion & Spirituality forum, trying to fight misconceptions about Judaism, but it was like trying to mop up the ocean with a sponge. Anyway, the dumbest serious question I have ever seen, now or then, was “ **Was Adolph Hitler an anti-semite?** ” No, he was a regular member of Congregation Beth Shalom of Munich! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/123 "2009-07-09T16:07:11Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Not heard this week, or even this year, but still to good not to tell… > > You know how people say that there’s no such thing as a stupid question? Well those people have never been on Yahoo Answers. I used to go on their Religion & Spirituality forum, trying to fight misconceptions about Judaism, but it was like trying to mop up the ocean with a sponge. > Anyway, the dumbest serious question I have ever seen, now or then, was “ **Was Adolph Hitler an anti-semite?** ” > > No, he was a regular member of Congregation Beth Shalom of Munich! :smack: hahahahahasnorthahahahasnortgigglehahahahawhooooooo Thank you. I almost got hot tea up my nose and all over my keyboard. The Congregation Beth Sh… \ ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/124 "2009-07-09T19:36:18Z")
> [@Alex\_Dubinsky](#): > > and i’m sure there’s plenty of hispanic jews named jesus? No, but I bet there’s a lot name Joshua, which is a better translation of Jesus’ name. On the name Hussein and naming after the father: It’s convention that Arabs give their children one given name and the father’s name acts as the rest of the name. Sometimes, there’s the kunya (a nickname of sorts) or a tribal name attached. If you were named D.E.F, your kid would be named C.D.E. and his kid would be B.C.D. This could stretch out as many generations as necessary, so the great great grandson would be named A.B.C.D.E.F. Then there’s tribal names like al Faraji or al Tikriti and kunyas like Abu Hamad. Hussein is a diminutive form of Hassan, meaning “good” or “handsome”. The name is popular because of Hassan ibn Ali (“Hassan, son of Ali”), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and important figure in Shia islam. So the name is literally an Arabic word, and is intimately tied to Islam. I don’t see the debate here. Obama has a Muslim/Arabic name. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/125 "2009-07-09T19:52:52Z")
OH! And my stupid comment of the week is… 4th of July, we’re going through security to get onto the Capitol lawn to watch the concert and my 22 yr old brother goes “What do they do at the Capitol building?” I’m shocked by the question and thus can’t answer it right away because I’m searching for a hidden meaning or something else in his question. I ask for clarification and he gets offended, replying “I’m not interested in politics at all.” As if that’s an excuse for being a total moron. ---
**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 9, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/126 "2009-07-09T19:54:51Z")
It’s a museum where they re-enact how representative democracy used to work, right? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/127 "2009-07-09T20:27:13Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > No, but I bet there’s a lot name Joshua, which is a better translation of Jesus’ name. > > On the name Hussein and naming after the father: It’s convention that Arabs give their children one given name and the father’s name acts as the rest of the name. Sometimes, there’s the kunya (a nickname of sorts) or a tribal name attached. If you were named D.E.F, your kid would be named C.D.E. and his kid would be B.C.D. This could stretch out as many generations as necessary, so the great great grandson would be named A.B.C.D.E.F. Then there’s tribal names like al Faraji or al Tikriti and kunyas like Abu Hamad. > > Hussein is a diminutive form of Hassan, meaning “good” or “handsome”. The name is popular because of Hassan ibn Ali (“Hassan, son of Ali”), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and important figure in Shia islam. > > So the name is literally an Arabic word, and is intimately tied to Islam. I don’t see the debate here. Obama has a Muslim/Arabic name. There is no thing as a Muslim name. Muslim is a religion, not a culture, ethnicity, or language. And the elder Obama from Kenya, not Arabia. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/128 "2009-07-09T20:55:32Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > 😕 > > Perhaps I’m dumb. Where’s the oxymoron? > > Common usage allows “hysterical” to imply a loss of control over one’s emotional responses. My bad. For some reason, I only ever used the word “hysterical” in the context of humor. Clearly, I’m the one who was mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/129 "2009-07-09T20:55:58Z")
So you’re saying that names can’t be of a particular religion? Despite there being a clear, obvious link between the popularity and usage of the name and a major religious figure? By that reasoning, no word has an origin and therefore no adjective can be attached to it. And you’re really arguing that Hussein isn’t an Arabic word? Care to scroll down to [number 97](http://www.searchtruth.com/baby_names/names.php?ntype=m&find=2&letter=H)? I’m really not seeing your argument. ‘Hussein’ is Arabic. Obama is named ‘Hussein’. Thus, Obama has an Arabic name. QED. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/130 "2009-07-09T21:03:20Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > So you’re saying that names can’t be of a particular religion? There are non-Jews named Abraham, Moses, David, & Solomon. There are non-Christians named Peter and Jesus. I know at least one non-Muslim named Muhammad. Names are artifacts of language, not of religion. > [@](#): > > And you’re really arguing that Hussein isn’t an Arabic word? Care to scroll down to [number 97](http://www.searchtruth.com/baby_names/names.php?ntype=m&find=2&letter=H)? I’m really not seeing your argument. I made no such argument, which is why you’re not seeing it. My point was that Arabic does not equal Muslim. > [@](#): > > ‘Hussein’ is Arabic. Obama is named ‘Hussein’. Thus, Obama has an Arabic name. QED. I didn’t say that he didn’t have an ARABIC name. I said he didn’t have a MUSLIM name, because that term has no meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/131 "2009-07-09T21:12:33Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > There are non-Jews named Abraham, Moses, David, & Solomon. There are non-Christians named Peter and Jesus. I know at least one non-Muslim named Muhammad. Names are artifacts of language, not of religion. Then you, my friend, know some non-Jews with Jewish names, some non-Christians with Christian names, and a non-Muslim with a Muslim name. If it weren’t so, how did you know which names to pick out for which religions? Why didn’t you say “I know some non-Christians named Craig”? You’re pointing out exceptions to the rules. You’re not showing that the rules don’t exist. Those names are associated with a religion (albeit, some moreso than others). Those names are derived from religious figures. They’re in use today _solely because of_ those religions. Ergo, they’re [religion] names. I know what you mean and you know what I mean. From this point forward, we’ll just be talking _at_ each other, and this isn’t GD, so I’ll drop it. I’m trying to think of some humorously dumb quote to get this back on track, but I can’t. **Skald** , that ball’s in your court. ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/132 "2009-07-09T21:20:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The [Church of England](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwkI6PZhm4A) explained. A [bit more](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTRjWDW3JSg) about the Church of England (the really relevant bit starts at about the 2:30 mark). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/133 "2009-07-09T23:48:36Z")
I didn’t personally hear this one, but it was passed on to me by my cousin. She will graduate from high school next year and when a friend of hers asked about her college plans she said that she planned to get a “liberal arts” degree. To which her friend responded " You mean like _karate_?" ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/134 "2009-07-10T03:09:11Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Then you, my friend, know some non-Jews with Jewish names, some non-Christians with Christian names, and a non-Muslim with a Muslim name. If it weren’t so, how did you know which names to pick out for which religions? Why didn’t you say “I know some non-Christians named Craig”? You’re pointing out exceptions to the rules. You’re not showing that the rules don’t exist. > > Those names are associated with a religion (albeit, some moreso than others). Those names are derived from religious figures. They’re in use today _solely because of_ those religions. Ergo, they’re [religion] names. > > I know what you mean and you know what I mean. From this point forward, we’ll just be talking _at_ each other, and this isn’t GD, so I’ll drop it. > > I’m trying to think of some humorously dumb quote to get this back on track, but I can’t. **Skald** , that ball’s in your court. Wow, what a beautiful post. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/135 "2009-07-10T03:45:38Z")
I have a phone book in my hotel room printed by a company that has a major mispelling in their own name. :rolleyes: X 2^Googolplex The company? “New Millenium Directories”. [http://www.bigprintphonebook.com/index.html](http://www.bigprintphonebook.com/index.html) ---
**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 10, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/136 "2009-07-10T07:02:58Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > There is no thing as a Muslim name. Muslim is a religion, not a culture, ethnicity, or language. Yeah, unless his name was Barack Muslim Obama. Then it would be a Muslim name. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/137 "2009-07-10T08:32:53Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I know you’re joking, but I don’t get it. It’s hardly even a joke - and I was speaking as a lifelong member myself (tho’ I consider myself a “mere Christian”, which you will probably get, and have no objection to worshipping ad hoc in a church of pretty much any denomination). The C of E is largely populated by people who would be considered unutterably lukewarm by, say, Pentecostal standards, but who nevertheless feel happier when they go to church, think that’s the right thing to do on a Sunday, want the reassurance that there is a local church and clergyman, and think that everyone should go to church at least three times in their life to get things thrown at them (water, confetti and dirt respectively). Additional attendances are largely optional but may well include Harvest Festival (in rural communities, at least), Remembrance Sunday and Christmas Eve for the midnight service if they slip out of the pub in time. If you’re unsure where you stand, spiritually or theologically speaking, but find it comfortable if you go to church anyway, the C of E is likely to welcome you with open arms and refrain from embarrassing you with a call to the front or a sudden manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit. Sermons are usually of no more than fifteen minutes’ duration (whereas I’ve known Baptist ministers run on for three-quarters of an hour in the apparent belief that they have a gift for preaching) and aim to provoke quiet cogitation rather than immediate lamentation, self-flagellation or anything of the sort. Speaking in tongues is vanishingly rare and a sudden spiritual attack requiring immediate exorcism is, in my experience, unheard of. In short \*, as I believe it may have been said already, the C of E is for those who can’t quite shake the conviction that, deep down, God is an Englishman of the thoroughly decent sort. And I personally am fond of it as I am fond of my favourite aunt. (\* Too late. I know.) ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/138 "2009-07-12T22:59:03Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > It’s certainly a wide-spread belief in some Pentecostal churches, which have definite tendencies towards obscurantism. I’ve heard this pastor say that his opinion on the interpretation of scripture is not merely equal to, but actually superior to, a person who reads ancient Greek, Hebrew, & Aramaic, BECAUSE he doesn’t speak or read any of those languages. His humility in not seeking out “man’s knowledge” leaves him open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Yeah… BRRRRRR! I guess I’m not too surprised, because I’ve had considerable experience with Pentecostals, much of it from the inside. :eek: Following are some recollections about some of the sheep I knew, rather than the “shepherds.” A colleague at one college I attended often gently challenged what our fellow 20-ish church attendees spouted. (He was the leader of the college’s Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. IVCF promotes a mainstream Christianity on campuses, but does not set up a church structure anywhere, so members usually made a choice from the local churches available. This guy eventually chose to go to a more distant Orthodox Presbyterian one, as he was always something of a misfit among the dogmatic Pentecostals, as was I.) One of his remarks to these fine, enlightened :rolleyes: folks was: Okay, that’s what the Bible says, but what does it _ **mean** _? Most of the congregation tended to swallow whole whatever the Pastors and Bible lecturer expounded. He also would question what the original Greek of the N.T. wouuld say, and whether it would back up the interpretation handed down. Here is what he would often hear back: “WHY should I bother with the Greek when we have the King James English?!” Sometimes I would hear these folks say, ST. JAMES version. I wonder whether they actually thought that James the Greater, one of the twelve, and allegedly the author of the Epistle by the same name, took time to also make a translation. Or maybe the other apostle James? Do they even realize that nothing like English even existed back then?\*\* -30\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/139 "2009-07-12T23:20:18Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > If you’re unsure where you stand . . . the C of E is likely to welcome you with open arms . . . - YOU! Cake or death?! Uh, death please. . . . . NO, cake, cake! Sorry! Ah, ah, ah, you said “death” first. Well I meant cake! Oh, all right. You’re lucky I’m Church of England! \* ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630/140 "2009-07-13T00:08:01Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Hmmm…ignorance fought. I never knew Bombay changed its name to Mumbai. However, even the Associated Press kept referring to it as “Bombay” until 2006, only adopting the name “Mumbai” then. Heh, reminds me of the old Soviet joke : "- Where were you born, comrade ? - St. Petersburg. - Where did you grow up ? - Petrograd. - Where do you live now ? - Leningrad. - Where would you rather live ? - St. Petersburg…" [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dumbest-thing-youve-heard-anyone-say-this-week-is/501630.md?page=8)