My kid is fastenated with farting in the bathtub.  He thinks its the neatest thing....

He just sits in the tub... and you can tell he is trying to push out some gas.  Then.... BOOM!

And he just laughs his fool head off.

Perhaps I am missing out on the point because I haven't farted in the bathtub in a long time.

*ponders eating come chili and then taking a bath*

I sometimes enjoy debating with the overly religious types.

Oh, I don't debate about the existance of god or gods, or what religion is correct.  The first is a personal matter of spirituality, the latter does as much good as pissing in the wind.

However, I do love to debate the misconceptions, misinformation, and sometimes outright stupidity of some of these types.  Here is an example from a news group type thing I post at sometimes.  The topic is religious displays in government buildings:

Religious person:  However organization such as the ACLU are openly trying to remove freedom of religion on the grounds that not everyone believes it.

Me:  Really now?
From the ACLU's website..." The right of each and every American to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all, is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The Constitution's framers understood very well that religious liberty can flourish only if the government leaves religion alone.

The free exercise clause of the First Amendment guarantees the right to practice one's religion free of government interference. The establishment clause requires the separation of church and state. Combined, they ensure religious liberty. Yet assaults on the freedom to believe continue, both in Washington and in state legislatures around the country.

The ACLU will continue working to ensure that religious liberty is protected by keeping the government out of the religion business. Use the resources on this page to learn more and take action to protect the rights guaranteed to all Americans by the Bill of Rights. Our latest news releases are listed to the left; actions you can take now are listed to the right, along with additional resources. The most recent religious liberty features are included directly below.

Hmmm... I even went over the ACLU's mission statement. I must have missed the part where they are 'openly trying to remove religion'. In fact, the ACLU has been one of the most vigulant people in helping to PROTECT people's religious freedoms, working with several people of ALL faiths who have been percecuted for their beliefs to get justice in the courts.

Don't believe me?
Then check it out for yourself

Religious person (a little later, after discussion of government employees making religious statements while on duty): Perhaps it would interest you to know that I am a Government employee? I have been in the Army Reserves for almost 19 years. Did you know that there is a regulation that states that military personel must be given the right to practice religious beliefs? That of course includes all religions, but as you stated he or she should not do it as part of the Government?

My damn Gnomey self:  Yes, I am aware of that regulation.  I know it is supposed to apply to all religions. However, that has not always been the case in practice In fact, the latest court case was won by a Wiccan who wanted religious freedom on base and she was discriminated against! Lucky for her, those religion haters at the ACLU were there to sue the military to force them to allow her to openly practice her faith on base.

Um....


Its kinda sad.  People like this will piss and moan if the ACLU defends anyone of any other faith, while ignoring the times the ACLU went to bat for Christianity.  Or perhaps the times the ACLU defended their beliefs were more justified.

Perhaps all religions are equal... but some are more equal than others...

Recently, someone else email me a bunch of counters on a similar topic at another site, starting many paragraphs with "Preacher says..."

Woah.  Stop right there.  If your argument is based on, or starts with phrase "preacher says," you better resign the game.  If all one can do is unquestioningly regurgitate what has been spoonfed to them in church, then their faith has done them a great disservice, and their quest for whatever "facts" they were seeking every Sunday morning has not lead them anywhere productive.

But then again, the power of any organized religion comes from unquestioning devotion of its followers.  The fewer questions one asks, the better of a follower they are.  A preacher would rather lead a crowd of drones than discuss issues with a handful of skeptics.  Mindless obediance puts asses in the pews and money in the collection plate. 

Think about it.  Ever wonder why church leaders, or at least the ones of several Christian and Jewish churches, like to refer to their followers as "sheep"...