# The stupids are eating my soul!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 16, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846 "2005-07-16T23:45:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/21 "2005-07-17T18:20:47Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Says who? Certainly not by someone who claims that “[Jesus is alive, and speaks directly to those who worship Him.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6375188&postcount=374)” Nurse! ---
**Author:** ![nameless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/779978/32.png) [@nameless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nameless)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/22 "2005-07-17T18:29:40Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > You are stupid mswas. Please shut up. Something about that insult just made me laugh until I puked. Perhaps I should not have eaten six pop-tarts for breakfast this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/23 "2005-07-17T22:20:56Z")
> [@](#): > > **comrade33** : i wish people would stop saying religion when they mean christianity. That’s understandable. I wish people would stop saying _Christianity_ when they mean _some branches of Christianity_. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/24 "2005-07-17T22:52:26Z")
**mswas** , I believe in a sort of artificial separation of religion and science for now. Scientists don’t normally demand “proof” of God’s existence. They understand the difference between _proof_ and _evidence_ and don’t expect non-scientists to be able to produce the impossible. It’s the scientists-junior-grade that ask for proof of God – also usually knowing that it can’t be given, but hoping one might try. It makes for good butt-kicking. Religious people need to use their own facilities for teaching their own beliefs. Our parents are our most influential teachers in our lives. And churches, youth groups, and Sunday Schools can have a strong focused influence. They don’t need to take over science classrooms. My own personal belief is that science will discover some of the truths that have been the basis for religious belief and that there will be more unity between the two. (Creationism will **not** be one of those truths.) That’s a long way off. Most branches of Christianity aren’t ready for that yet. Some other religions are. The best scientists are _open-minded_ skeptics. The closed-minded aren’t prepared. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/25 "2005-07-17T22:54:41Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > That’s understandable. I wish people would stop saying _Christianity_ when they mean _some branches of Christianity_. Well _I_ wish people would stop saying _some branches of Christianity_ when they mean _killjoy fuckheads would use any flimsy justification to exercise power over others as a means of making their dicks hard because nothing spells impotence faster than knowing other people don’t give a fuck what you think; religion simply being the most convenient means to this end._ ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/26 "2005-07-17T23:05:12Z")
But **Bryan** , what about the ones with ovaries? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/27 "2005-07-18T00:14:31Z")
Most of them still have dicks; they’re just on other people’s bodies. (And they still want them hard) ---
**Author:** ![Denis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5e9695/32.png) [@Denis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Denis)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/28 "2005-07-18T01:13:45Z")
Og smite stupids! Og smite this thread! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/29 "2005-07-18T08:54:53Z")
> [@nameless](#): > > > [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > > > You are stupid mswas. Please shut up. > > Something about that insult just made me laugh until I puked. Perhaps I should not have eaten six pop-tarts for breakfast this morning. At least he said please. ---
**Author:** ![drgnrdr07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71e660/32.png) [@drgnrdr07](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drgnrdr07)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/30 "2005-07-18T12:24:14Z")
> [@comrade33](#): > > i wish people would stop saying religion when they mean christianity. When I speak about religions I mean all religions, not just those of a Christian persuation. All religions make the error of assuming certain truths without any empirical evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/31 "2005-07-18T12:37:07Z")
**drgnrdr07** : _All religions make the error of assuming certain truths without any empirical evidence._ Why is that necessarily an “error”? Sure, it’s an error from the scientific standpoint, but that’s not the only possible standpoint. Scientists and science advocates shouldn’t assume that scientific reasoning is the only valid way to look at the world or the only source of truth. It may be so, but they can’t prove it, and they shouldn’t assert it as though it were fact. Similarly, religion advocates shouldn’t complain about science being non-religious or “denying” religious beliefs. Religion and science should stop trying to push their own epistemological assumptions on each other. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/32 "2005-07-18T16:07:41Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Certainly not by someone who claims that “[Jesus is alive, and speaks directly to those who worship Him.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6375188&postcount=374)” Certainly not indeed. But then, I actually know what “valid” means. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/33 "2005-07-18T17:40:49Z")
> [@drgnrdr07](#): > > All religions make the error of assuming certain truths without any empirical evidence. [They even have a word for it.](http://www.bartleby.com/61/84/F0018400.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/34 "2005-07-18T18:09:48Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Says who? Scientologists have faith. Lots and lots of faith. Does that lead to them having a valid argument? Faith is not nor ever will be a valid argument for anything appart from the existance of faith. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/35 "2005-07-18T21:06:29Z")
**Aeschines** pours a 40 oz. Colt-45 on this thread: “This one’s for my stupid, soul-eaten homies…” ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/36 "2005-07-18T22:28:14Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Certainly not indeed. But then, I actually know what “valid” means. Good for you. Want a cookie before we move on to “pretentious blowhard”? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/37 "2005-07-19T00:42:29Z")
Oh, who really gives a damn about “the meaning of is”? The whole thing boils down to some people being pissed off that intelligent design, 6000 year earth, and other things of no scientific value are not taught or misrepresented as science in the DECENT schools. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/38 "2005-07-19T19:24:47Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Counter rant… > > Just as bad, is when pinheads try to dictate what sort of science is acceptable (stem cells anyone?) or try to restirict it to the point that ianythng new just can not succeed, based on their failure to read their own book PROPERLY. They try to remove even a chance for a decent death with dignity (sanctity of life my fucking ass). Then they try to force their erroneous bullshit on the schools, an finally try to make it the law of the land. Worst of all they even lie to do it (the “Amurrica was founded on christian principles” line). > Afterwards, if their attempt to foist their intolerance on us fails, they accuse the other side of intolerance. Fucking inbred drooling heretics and leeches. > I used to be sort of religious. Now I look at the Falwells, Santorums, Robertsons, Phelpses, etc, and I swear I want to puke. They and their kind use religion like a bludgeon to control those they can, and to hate those they can not. They cater to the basest instincts and the lowest common deniminator. > > Keep religion out of science, out of government, out of hospitals, and out of other peoples bedrooms. In short, stop peddling heretical bullshit and MYOFB. I too wish that no one disagreed with me. I wish people would listen to me about how to practice their religion. I wish they would not incorporate their beliefs into their voting patterns. I’m mad enough about it to wish deep in my heart that these people could not vote. I’m certainly mad enough to call them bad names and hope that will discredit them. I’m mad enough to pick on the worst examples I can find and pretend that they represent everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/39 "2005-07-19T21:56:46Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Why is that necessarily an “error”? Sure, it’s an error from the scientific standpoint, but that’s not the only possible standpoint. > > Scientists and science advocates shouldn’t assume that scientific reasoning is the only valid way to look at the world or the only source of truth. It may be so, but they can’t prove it, and they shouldn’t assert it as though it were fact. > > Similarly, religion advocates shouldn’t complain about science being non-religious or “denying” religious beliefs. Religion and science should stop trying to push their own epistemological assumptions on each other. Stop reading my mind! I could go on for half an hour on that subject. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846/40 "2005-07-20T01:19:20Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > I too wish that no one disagreed with me. I wish people would listen to me about how to practice their religion. I wish they would not incorporate their beliefs into their voting patterns. I’m mad enough about it to wish deep in my heart that these people could not vote. I’m certainly mad enough to call them bad names and hope that will discredit them. I’m mad enough to pick on the worst examples I can find and pretend that they represent everyone. Creationism does not belong in science or in a science class. Intelligent design does not belong in science or in a science class. Six thousnad year old (young) earth does not belong in science or in science class. I don’t care how people practice their religion. I do care when they try to push it on the rest of the country, and try to make it law. I picked the worst examples I coud think of, on purpose. They are the ones making the most noise, [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupids-are-eating-my-soul/312846.md?page=3)