Town to Behead People Who Don't Pray 5 Times a Day

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

The question of whether Repent is kidding or totally serious is NOT obvious by any means! He has consistently held similar views over a number of years...he may in fact simply enjoy "stirring the pot" but has NEVER admitted such therefore when he posts such garbage, it has to be answered...if that plays into his fantasy so be it!

There are times when I'm not sure whether he's kidding or not, but in this case I think it is obvious that he was kidding. I don't think there is anyone that could possibly agree with that new law in Somalia with the exception of the most radical people of that particular religion.

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

There are times when I'm not sure whether he's kidding or not, but in this case I think it is obvious that he was kidding. I don't think there is anyone that could possibly agree with that new law in Somalia with the exception of the most radical people of that particular religion.

Well, he has repeatedly stated that we are all required, as "loyal Americans", to blindly follow Bush without question no matter the result...and those that don't are traitors and should be either exiled or put to death...not much difference I'm afraid!

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Well, he has repeatedly stated that we are all required, as "loyal Americans", to blindly follow Bush without question no matter the result...and those that don't are traitors and should be either exiled or put to death...not much difference I'm afraid!

I must have missed out on some exciting Repent posts... I don't even think I've ever read that one! LMAO

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

I must have missed out on some exciting Repent posts... I don't even think I've ever read that one! LMAO

Trust me...I have a good memory! Repent and I go back a ways...I've talked to him on Messenger and other off-board places (never met him) and he has never recanted any of his comments to me! Maybe others (Coach, Jerry) who may know him better know whether he's serious or not but I sure can't say! He informed me at one point that he reported me to the FBI because I favored some socialist aspects...and he has threatened several others the same way! You think, "this guy must be joking!"...but no way to know for sure! He has supported killing various groups of folks numerous times...gays, liberals, socialists, communists...even Democrats!

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Trust me...I have a good memory! Repent and I go back a ways...I've talked to him on Messenger and other off-board places (never met him) and he has never recanted any of his comments to me! Maybe others (Coach, Jerry) who may know him better know whether he's serious or not but I sure can't say! He informed me at one point that he reported me to the FBI because I favored some socialist aspects...and he has threatened several others the same way! You think, "this guy must be joking!"...but no way to know for sure! He has supported killing various groups of folks numerous times...gays, liberals, socialists, communists...even Democrats!

Democrats? LOL Somer! I'm sorry, but it really is ridiculous when you think about it... if people spent half of the time they spend HATING others and putting that time towards CARING about other people, this world would be a better place. But no... it is human nature to hate and judge. Sad...

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Democrats? LOL Somer! I'm sorry, but it really is ridiculous when you think about it... if people spent half of the time they spend HATING others and putting that time towards CARING about other people, this world would be a better place. But no... it is human nature to hate and judge. Sad...

Yes, there is certainly a hilarious aspect to his rantings...there always is until someone who thinks that way finds themselves in a position of power...then it becomes something else entirely! The biggest lesson I learned from my years in the Civil Rights Movement was if you sit back quietly and don't challenge the rhetoric of hate...you are in fact supporting the evil and allowing it to grow! In SDS we had a slogan (ok, we had many but this one is pertinent)..."you are either part of the problem or part of the solution". That became bastardized to legitimize the bombing of physics buildings but the core principle is correct!

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Democrats? LOL Somer! I'm sorry, but it really is ridiculous when you think about it... if people spent half of the time they spend HATING others and putting that time towards CARING about other people, this world would be a better place. But no... it is human nature to hate and judge. Sad...

Jaimie,
You might need to be seated to read this.
Seems to me that you and I are thinking alike.
Yup!
Hating vs caring.
Somerfrost makes some good points. I even thought about staying out of this thread and just sit back and watch everyone else fight it out.
In my humble view, if I'm reading Somer's ideas correctly, he, like me have been threatened by that guy on the old board and told we'd be reported to the FBI. My response was "GO AHEAD!"
Unless people "care" enough to show others how to "hate" less, the story will continue.
Native Americans will be slaughtered by "good" Christians so they can take their land, Japanese people will be rounded up to detention camps, not because they weren't born in the USA, just because they might "look different". Black people would still be riding in the back of the bus and drinking from a water fountain near the backdoor of the school.
I could go on and on.
Thankfully, folks like Somerfrost, Genuine Risk, Brian, and now you, see through the hatered. It's how we show we care.
DTS

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Democrats? LOL Somer! I'm sorry, but it really is ridiculous when you think about it... if people spent half of the time they spend HATING others and putting that time towards CARING about other people, this world would be a better place. But no... it is human nature to hate and judge. Sad...

I think (if I may be once again permitted to push my nerd glasses up on my nose) that it's not so much human nature to hate and judge as it is human nature to fear what we don't understand. Which I think is much bigger than a human nature thing; I think it's a survival mechanism for most living things capable of fear-- how often do we see horses freak out at something new? It's an excellent survival tactic in the wild, but in our civilized world, I think it gets turned into anger and violence.

I had a very different opinion on homosexuality as an 18-year-old college freshman than I did as a 19-year-old college sophomore. And what changed me was watching an extraordinary, amazing college professor die of AIDS over that year (this was a few years before the pro-tease inhibitors came on the market) and having a classmate who was gay and willing to answer any and all question I could think of to ask him about himself. I got past the fear of the unknown and so moved to a point where I could never see someone else's orientation as a reason for hatred.

On the other hand, you have my uncle, who on some level, I think is so unwilling to risk having his mind changed that he won't even watch Ellen DeGeneres' talk show. I think that is the fear instinct, coupled with a drive to protect oneself, taken to the unfortunate end in a civilized society.

The difference between us and most animals (primates are awfully bright), though, is that we can ask ourselves why we hate something; why it provokes an emotional reaction in us. Because it's bad or because it's different? And we can choose to go out and talk to people who have different opinions and maybe make a fuller, more informed decision about what deserves to be hated and what needs us to understand. But it's hard. Fear is hard-wired into us, so it's tough to work past it. But animals do it all the time (here I think of BuffyM's Buck and the scary bush) and so can we.

Which is why I love this board. It's also human nature to cluster into groups that are like us, and not venture out and look at anything different. Survival, in a more primitive time. But not now. But see? Look at all of us! The only thing we all absolutely have in common is that we love horse racing. The rest we'll discuss and hash out and argue but not resort to hate. Hey! The way to world peace is through Derby Trail! I knew it!

[Cajungator26]

LOL Nicole...

I don't disagree with all that you just posted, but if I may...

I have a hard time accepting the notion that ignorance and fear of the unknown causes people to resort to violence and anger. I believe that it IS human nature to take the easy road, and the easy road in a lot of cases is to be filled with contempt. It is HARD WORK for me to look at the world with rose colored glasses... it really is. I am not a hateful person, but I honestly have to work at being patient and kind. (If you're ever in a car with me, you will know this. ) With that said, I try to be a good person and respect others, even if I don't agree with their viewpoints. I think that if more people at least ATTEMPTED this, we would be in a better place.

*Jumping off of my soapbox.*

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

I think (if I may be once again permitted to push my nerd glasses up on my nose) that it's not so much human nature to hate and judge as it is human nature to fear what we don't understand. Which I think is much bigger than a human nature thing; I think it's a survival mechanism for most living things capable of fear-- how often do we see horses freak out at something new? It's an excellent survival tactic in the wild, but in our civilized world, I think it gets turned into anger and violence.

I had a very different opinion on homosexuality as an 18-year-old college freshman than I did as a 19-year-old college sophomore. And what changed me was watching an extraordinary, amazing college professor die of AIDS over that year (this was a few years before the pro-tease inhibitors came on the market) and having a classmate who was gay and willing to answer any and all question I could think of to ask him about himself. I got past the fear of the unknown and so moved to a point where I could never see someone else's orientation as a reason for hatred.

On the other hand, you have my uncle, who on some level, I think is so unwilling to risk having his mind changed that he won't even watch Ellen DeGeneres' talk show. I think that is the fear instinct, coupled with a drive to protect oneself, taken to the unfortunate end in a civilized society.

The difference between us and most animals (primates are awfully bright), though, is that we can ask ourselves why we hate something; why it provokes an emotional reaction in us. Because it's bad or because it's different? And we can choose to go out and talk to people who have different opinions and maybe make a fuller, more informed decision about what deserves to be hated and what needs us to understand. But it's hard. Fear is hard-wired into us, so it's tough to work past it. But animals do it all the time (here I think of BuffyM's Buck and the scary bush) and so can we.

Which is why I love this board. It's also human nature to cluster into groups that are like us, and not venture out and look at anything different. Survival, in a more primitive time. But not now. But see? Look at all of us! The only thing we all absolutely have in common is that we love horse racing. The rest we'll discuss and hash out and argue but not resort to hate. Hey! The way to world peace is through Derby Trail! I knew it!

GR,
Interesting that you see "fear" as a reaction to threat.
Have a look at this link and see how it plays against "safety".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%...archy_of_needs

Perhaps, "hate" fits somewhere else in Maslow's pyramid as an oppositional motivation as well. Trigger-response "stuff". I have been looking for causal factors, but honestly, still have a problem with the motivation for it.