Don't wanna make polemics or something but

[MuadDib85]

I believe in marriage before sex, not only for all of the moral reasons but also for the fact that parents that have made some sort of binding commitment to each other are much more likely to work towards a relationship that will guarantee their children a stable home.

This is perhaps the stupidest thing I have ever read on these forums. If you ever said that in my presence in real life, I would probably punch you in the face.

[FM]

Ok, ok, guys, clean up the act before I have to start cutting and shredding posts left and right. Seriously. Use the chat system, for God's sake, but keep certain opinions to yourself in a non-exclusive Forum, will ya? I mean, I've grown to respect other people's beliefs, and if GT wants to call homossexuals "perverts", well, there's nothing I can do about it, except hope he'll have a gay son or daughter someday to make him learn the hard way what we've learned the easy way. Other than that, I can't do a thing about his beliefs, and that's ok, but posts in this regard belong in religious Forums, not an open one where it's BOUND to stir up trouble. And the same goes for everyone else. It's ok to point out the fact that there's a Forum on the web doing such a stupid thing so we can discuss a bit, but refrain from stirring up trouble, will you?

[TheJord]

As long as it stays civil and within the rules of the forum, feel free to continue. It would be nice to see more activity on here

Opinions are like butts, everyone's got one and usually they stink. Not to say your opinions are valueless :hey:

[FM]

I believe in marriage before sex, not only for all of the moral reasons but also for the fact that parents that have made some sort of binding commitment to each other are much more likely to work towards a relationship that will guarantee their children a stable home.

This is perhaps the stupidest thing I have ever read on these forums. If you ever said that in my presence in real life, I would probably punch you in the face.

Not this kind of activity, though... Not an offensive post, of course, I very much doubt a Forumer is ACTUALLY threatening another, but it COULD prompt an equal-to-lower response, and so on, so forth, and next thing we know, we're so down low that we are worse than the Dallas Cowboys.

[MuadDib85]

Fair enough. Of course I can't actually punch him... that is what I would like to do to people with such pinhead opinions though.. It's okay to this but not that. Haha. Religious propaganda/garbage in any form should not be preached here by anyone.

I have a child and am not married. Uh oh.. my child does not have committed parents. What a load of crap. Moronic at best.

[FM]

Yeah, that means you're cursed, and of course, you can just save your money right now because they're not going to college, they'll be too busy in jail since they were raised by unmarried parents. But pedophilic PRIESTS are ok, though... LOL.
Totally agree with you, big time garbage.

[Gil-Estel]

Other than that, I can't do a thing about his beliefs, and that's ok, but posts in this regard belong in religious Forums, not an open one where it's BOUND to stir up trouble. And the same goes for everyone else. It's ok to point out the fact that there's a Forum on the web doing such a stupid thing so we can discuss a bit, but refrain from stirring up trouble, will you?

I don't agree with you, because the section where it is posted says clearly:

All kinds of discussion and discourse going on here. Got a topic that doesn't quite seem to fit elsewhere? Here's the place to post 

I don't mind discussing religion, more over, I strongly recommend it. I do realize it is often rather pointless, since both sides often start to get blunt, and this discussion is a great example. I mean, you cannot hold all Christians responsible for pedophile priest, now can you Felipe? Or should we blame all Austrians to be Hitler? Who is to blame for unchristian pedophiles? Should we go to The Hague, accusing mankind for screwing up?

Again, when claiming to have high moral standards, you can be held responsible, and that is ok. If someone, being a christian or not, makes a point with which you cannot relate at any level, you may question that, you may find it dis picable, but keep the debate clean. If you find a statement rude, don't answer in a rude fashion. Otherwise you're doing the same you're accusing someone else of.

Being a christian doesn't mean you have all the answers. That is the reason I can relate to my quote from Tolkien which I have in my signature. I am in general cautious to say how things are, or what people should do, because I know that in my faith I am flawed, so I don't have all the answers.

I hate it that every time religion is brought to this forum, people can not discuss it in an orderly fashion. Not by some Christians, not by some non Christians... There are some adults here right?

[hrcho]

Atheists resent hypocrisy to all the believers of all faiths, but mostly to Christians for the sole reason that Christianity is "the most popular" religion in the so called advanced societies and those same societies hold the most atheists as well.

I know more then a few Christians who really live by their faith and it's not a blind faith they have, but they really love and help and I'm always glad to know them as friends. I myself am baptised (I don't know the right word for pouring water over little children to free them from sin), but I declare myself as being an atheist or agnostic (haven't yet decided ) and while I have no problem with people believing anything, I have a problem with Church and other similar political parties. Going to church, marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that have absolutely no connection with any god I have a problem with. It's just people finding a way to in some way control other people.

In Croatia, Christianity is the most popular religion and a lot of people are very close-minded about it. Our current president declares himself as an agnostic and did you know that the most popular search in google in Croatia during election was "what is agnostic?"? The main argument against him was that he's not Christian and whoever is not a Christian is a communist. I really can't believe that people are so scared of communists. This fear is most spread in United States, because US government has the most effective means of spreading and using it, but thanks to the internet and tv, it spread all across the world. People see it more noble to kill a communist than to help a dying man.

Huh... this felt good.
I had to get it out of my system and since such a nice opportunity presented itself here, I couldn't say no

I'm in shortage of good debates here and even though most of these will serve no real purpose, I like debating. Mostly because of good insults one can throw anothers way. I love good insults

INSULT ME, PLEASE! 

[Gil-Estel]

I like debating. Mostly because of good insults one can throw anothers way. I love good insults

INSULT ME, PLEASE! 

I perhaps could do better than Ket, because saying you smell can hardly be an insult. But what is your point, Hrcho? I like debate too, but do we need to start a new topic by insulting you and debating the various insults? Or do you want to make a point, in regards to this topic, which essentially is racism, and debate that....OR, do you want to debate people being Christian, fine by me too, but then you have to insult me first, for otherwise we have nothing to debate about ;-)

[macheteman]

oooo ket, you should start a thread where people can come and ask you for a good insulting....

for example, i'll be like:

Hey, ket, i need a good insulting today...

and then you'll say: Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!!!!!!

=P

[hrcho]

But what is your point, Hrcho?

Heh, I totally forgot this topic was started because of racism. I just saw some people here were saying something and I wanted to say something about that something. It seems I missed my guess about what that something is, but I don't care so long as I said something. SOMETHING!

I just tried to add my point of view to Troll Gate's and MuadDib's. They represent Christianity and Atheism respectively in their own way. I tried to add my 2 cents.

I really don't have much to say about racism, mostly because there is very little of it here as opposed to religious discrimination. I think very few people hate other people or want to harm them solely on their skin color. It's many other problems they have, but choose to ignore them because they have a lot of "niggers" to kill. Such people probably had very rough childhoods if they even had anything that could be called a childhood or like so many other people, they just need to belong somewhere and it doesn't matter where, so long as their need for belonging is fulfilled. If that group requires wearing pointy white hoods and hanging something they call niggers, so what?

Insults for the sole purpose of insulting can be fun, but not as fun as insults which try to make a point. I pretty much grew up in an environment where any problems were dealt with productive insults. Fun time that.   

@ket: thanks for your efforts, but you're gonna need to do better than that to earn a cookie

[Gate Troll]

I believe in marriage before sex, not only for all of the moral reasons but also for the fact that parents that have made some sort of binding commitment to each other are much more likely to work towards a relationship that will guarantee their children a stable home.

This is perhaps the stupidest thing I have ever read on these forums. If you ever said that in my presence in real life, I would probably punch you in the face.

How open-minded of you.

[ket_the_jet]

Over forty, but less than fifty, percent of marriages in the US end in divorce. Zero percent of non-married couples divorce. That is my misleading fact to follow a stated opinion with no scientific evidence.
-wtk

[Gate Troll]

Yes, but how many non-married couples separate, a process that is much easier because it entails no legal wranglings or any other sort of problem? Marriage is the glue that holds a family together. The entire purpose of marriage is to formalize a relationship. Certain responsibilities go with marriage, and they are much easier to ignore if you are not married. I have plenty of relatives who are proof of this.

My question is, if you plan to spend your entire life with someone and raise children together, why not formalize and legalize your relationship?
If you don't plan on it, why are you having kids?

[ket_the_jet]

Common law marriages are quite common and carry legal ramifications for splitting as well. In most states, living together as little as four years legalizes a common law marriages.

If I interpret your argument correctly, it is that without a Christian marriage, a child is effectively doomed to a worse existence than a married family? Why can't someone be a family without being married? And considering the costs of weddings in America--about $20K according to the American Bridal Association--why would someone want to financially bind a foundling family when that could be put toward a mortgage or education our other real-life expenses?

Word of advice, when your arguments are already drawn into question, using a "personal, family experience" will only further draw into question your qualifications toward making any statement. Beyond being completely unprovable (though maybe not untrue), it is not the foundation of a quality argument anyways. And apparently, we know plenty of non-married folks who have a solid foundation and great coexistence, right MuadDib?
-wtk