ouch

tbh i dont even think jpc is a christian? hes just being a good friend and calling you out for belittling.

and i understand as an atheist you can say that the biblical god is worth just as much salt as the flying spaghetti monster, because there is no god, so they are equally ludicrous.

but as a scientist, you have to take into account some basic differences, like, the spaghetti monster was made up on purpose as a joke, within the last, what, 20 years? whereas the whole creation god thing is thousands of years old with billions of brainwashed followers. but theyre all dumb.

except you cant jump to that conclusion that fast unless youre amazingly headstrong (think: veta).

as ive said in other places, if you claim to know with certainty anything about god/lackofgod, then theres something kooky about you.

and therefore you should choose to respect others belief system, whether it is theistic or atheistic. if we lack that mutual respect, then we have failed as a nation when it comes to following the ideal of the 1st amendment.

"Then you turn around and claim that your belief system / interests are some how superior and require protection of others again belittlement."

When did I do this? I said belittling any belief system is petty and arrogant. Not mine. Not montes. Not yours.

If you were actually trying to discuss Christianity and Startrek as legitimate belief systems, that'd be fine - but you weren't.

It's interesting that you're calling my defensive when you're behaving the same way. I called you out on being petty and arrogant and you're sidestepping with bs explanations of why you acted as such.

If it's simply "don't take this so seriously" that's fine - but no, instead you insist on acting like you're persecuted - and then pretend like you were presenting an actual conversation bringing up Trekkies, when you were only trying to poke fun.

All I'm saying is, I find it petty and arrogant to belittle anyone's personal faith. I don't see the issue in calling you out for doing such.

I certainly have respect for the christian value system, with the exception of the altruistic parts. One whole side of my family is practicing Catholic; so I have plenty of respect for it. I do not think respect is the issue.

Btw; in your example of the spaghetti monster. You have to admit it is kinda scarecrowish. What about Dragons? They have been around for thousands of years; or Hercules?

What comparison would be valid to you? My point is that I do no believe that JPC would accept any disproven belief as being comparable to Christianity. This is my problem. Outrage is used to defend his beliefs by cowing it's opponents to submission; not open discussions and an open mind.

It is "don't take this so seriously"; allow others to have different opinions without pulling the "your mean!! apologize to us now!!" bullshit.

So monte, you're saying that I should believe the guy that duped a bunch of down-on-their-luck , relatively uneducated slaves 2,000 years ago over the gentleman that created FSM via the internet 20 years ago?

Why?

JPC: "... pretend like you were presenting an actual conversation bringing up Trekkies, when you were only trying to poke fun. "

You don't get it... I wasn't pretending. My original comment is valid (monte agrees) and I stand by it.

Just because Jesus' cult took hold better than others doesn't make it more valid.

You completely misinterpret what I've been saying then.

If anyone wants to say "I actually believe the Star Trek mythos to be the truth of the universe" then that's entirely legitimate to me.

That isn't what you were doing.

Just the same that if someone said "I believe there are no deities. There is no God." Cool, great, that's for you decide. My point is no one's faith/religion/belief structure is more valid/correct than anyone else's.

You're acting like I'm a Christian condemning your atheism and all other non-Christian faiths - which I'm sure you've had many the conversation. That's not at all what I'm doing and I tried to make that clear.