Posted on 08/12/2010 1:19:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
OK, back to #127...what religion do skeptics belong to?
NPR's Market Place did a piece on this.
Oh, and there are the products: travel packages, clothing, prayer beads. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports on how a book about one woman's quest to de-clutter her life has spawned a mega-marketing blitz.
How do you "belong to" a "religion"? Sounds like you're talking about some sort of institution there.
I'm not.
The problem with being and empty vessel, like Robert’s, is that you can fill it up with just about anything. Even liquified poo.
What did you mean by...’everyone has one, and only one’?
Everybody has got something that they "know" is true, meaning that they expect it to be true even if they themselves don't believe it. The usual practice is for this to be concealed under a smokescreen of obfuscating rhetoric, and the same thing that generated the smoke will respond with fire to any attempt to strip away the cover.
That's what I meant.
There have been thousands of books and essays written on all of your pet questions. They can be found at any good philosophy and apologetics website. I’m sure you know that.
You could get four tennis balls in that mouth.
OK, but since you used it a couple times and bolded the word religion, that’s why I thought you were talking about religion, my mistake.
You don’t think people can change their core?
Yes, but I prefer to ask my questions directly to people here.
Think about what that would mean.
No, they can't.
And I normally don't use the word "religion" since it has been royally obfuscated for >100 years. I think of it more in terms of its Latin roots.
I didn’t know hinduism (the real thing, anyway) even accepted converts.
God can change people’s hearts though, can’t He?
Is this core something one is born with, or they learn at a certain age?
"With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
I’ll take that as a yes.
So is this core something one is born with?
You shouldn't have to ask that. What do you think a person is?
If they are not grounded in some type of faith, ethics, morals or self-restraint they look for new thrills, excitements, dangerous adventures, taboo or forbidden sexual aberations, drug addiction......or they delve into cults or the exotic.....many times getting all giddy over Eastern, ancient "religions" or pagan beliefs.
It's always interesting to read in American cultural history from the late 1800's to today the stories of wealthy and noted stars of stage and screen, wealthy heirs and heiresses, fabulously rich tycoons, playboys of the western world, rich literary icons and the like who used their riches to satisfy off-beat appetites or to find the magic thrill or philosophy to keep tormented or restless minds occupied. Often their search for "fulfillment" and "finding their inner selves" leads them down paths to great unhappiness or outright tragedy.
Every so often a middle-aged celebrity announces a conversion to some eastern religion and.....if it gives fifteen minutes of publicity to the individual and it makes her or him happy.....who really gives a shiite?
Julie, give me that good old-time religion....it's good enough for me.
Leni
Funny stuff:
http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/ld/a/10-things-you-should-know-about-javier-bardem.html
Why shouldn’t I? Since you brought it up, I was asking you.
Last week I went to La Scarola (famous Italian restaurant here, pictures of celebs all over the walls, including Bill Clinton with 2 Chinese guys). The waiter said that later that evening Shia LaBeouf and Micheal Bay would dining there. They are filming Transformers 3 here. Too bad Megan Fox was fired from/quit from the project or else I would have stuck around.
LaBeouf is a rare case of a Disney child actor that actually has a successful film career. The show was called “Even Stevens”. I watched it sometimes cause I liked LaBeouf’s sister on the show. Never would I have guessed he’d be a movie star.
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