In response to the following quote, taken from Unleashed/the Drum:
realist :
04 Apr 2010 3:24:48pm
This is not a debate, this is two different side being totally unaccepting of the other, neither of which is willing or able to see the othersides view. With a debate you have rational thinking on both sides and one side tries to have the other accept their view. That will never happen here, what you have here is a bunch of biased people on either side unable to bend at all, basically yelling at each other.
A Theist
Well, it were them wot started it weren’t it? There I was, scratchin’ me arse and reachin’ fer me third tinnie of the mornin’ when all of a sudden there’s a knock at me bloody front door and wouldn’t you bloodly know it, it’s them bloody Jehovah’s Witlesses on the ear’ole again!
“Sure mate,” they sez, “jest believe wot we tells yer and give us ten percent of yer income an’ after ya die ya’ll go to Heaven and get all the goodies you missed out on in this world!”
“Well,” says I, “Listen mate, why not gimme Heaven on credit now, then I’ll be able to afford to give a ten percent which would be a dammsight bigger than the ten percent I can give you now…”
“Nope!” ‘e sez, “Dun’t work that way!”
“I’ll just bloody well bet it dun’t” sez I, and slammed the door on ’em!
😉
For some strange reason these words of wisdom from Mr Albert Theist were not accepted as worthy of being posted on one of the anti-atheist blogs over at Unleashed this weekend; a pity; I think he’s onto something! So, I’ve decided to post them here as another ‘blog that got away’!
Window Dresser's Arms, Pig & Whistle 
I like your happy Buddha story, T2. Having the three boys here mucks up my little routines, and I don’t always remember where I have been…
Being vegetarian he had to eat lots sweets to get that big, at least he did not drink Gerard’s Cocca Colla!
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I have a lttle Buddha statue on my bathroom window sill; he’s just like the one on your story…
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Setting up a Buddha statue is supposed to bring one good luck Helvi…
🙂
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T2, I was pleased that the moderators allowed you to promote Pigs Arms on UL; I don’t know anymore what is acceptable and what is not. In the past none of my posts were censored…
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Sssshhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone, Helvi, but I think it’s the way I do it… I usually only mention either the PA or AW whenever certain themes are suggested which make it relevant to the conversation in hand, giving it a certain legitimacy, for instance, as a literary reference on matters relating to violence, rather than being blatant advertizing. I keep it all very low key and just keep my fingers crossed; I’m sometimes pleasantly surprised with what I actually do manage to get through; I only hope it works now!
🙂
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And of course, fortunately violence comes up quite a lot in a media-oriented society which loves and promotes violence not only as a modus operandi (Apart from Haliburton, CNN made out like bandits during both the first and the second Gulf Wars) but also as entertainment. My book is quite relevant to those topics, so it’s a genuine reference.
🙂
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We had a lot of problems with JWs, as well as salespeople.
It came to a head when the JWs appeared twice in 30 minutes. I threatened to throw the the little bastard, and his brief case full of Watchtowers down the front steps.
I had a sign made up, ‘NO junk mail, NO salespeople, NO Jehovah’s Witnesses.’
We have been been left in blissful peace ever since. The occasional salesman gets through. I usual state that I would be unhappy for him to do the paperwork, as he clearly cannot read. Seems to work.
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A witty response gets ’em every time, eh, Big M?
🙂
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No, I just got so damned tired of them. The usually ‘drop in’ while I’m up a ladder juggling hammer, screws and cordless drill!
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Look in the bright side Big M; at least you’ve got a few good weapons handy!
😉
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Bought a new cordless drill, this week. Lithium Ion, all electronic. Should be good for a brain biopsy.
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Not a new story, but one I love retelling.
One time I was house sitting in Manly – for a year. Much surfing and quite a lot of sickies when the surf was perfect.
Some house blessing people came. I refused to let them in saying that we were a Marxist collective and we needed a quorum to decide whether they could come in – and that we wouldn’t have one until Karl got back. Since he’d been gone for decades, I was pretty sure he’d be back if they wanted to wait – and I offered them a cuppa. and a seat on the porch.
That was in 1978. They might still be there, for all I know. I think I’ve given up on Karl, though.
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You mean they actually sat around waiting for Karl Marx to show up? They’ll be waiting a long, long time for that to happen!
🙂
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Well spotted, T2 !
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I think I was working at the ‘Steyne Hotel’, picking up glasses, in 1978. We probably ran into each other?
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Those Jehovah’s witnesses can be very nice looking and always nicely dressed. We live about 13 km from the nearest little village and about 500 metres from the gate. Even so, they have been here on several occasions.
I find it hard to believe that they are so knee deep in selling salvation and subdivision plots in heaven. Do they ever have sex or anyfing like carnal delights? Surely, they must take Herman to the circus like all of us decent folks?
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Albert Theist is just a character I invented, Gerard; when the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Mormons or whoever else comes to my door, I usually invite them in for a chat.
They usually leave me alone after one or two visits, although I’m always friendly… but I do argue with them (politely, of course) and find it easy to come up with questions they just can’t answer.
I remember one pair of JWs who were an older man (late sixties, early seventies, I suppose) and his younger wife (early thirties, I suppose) and the man took great delight in telling me how wonderful the sex was; as if my objection to his religion was based on a lack of sex. They have little imagination and less understanding.
🙂
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I have a similar situation Gerard (distances) but they keep coming (twice so far this year). They have now taken to parking their vehicle well away from the house and creep up to the front door. I told them not to try that again and if they did I would be calling the police. Some years ago I was out the back whippering snippering and when I came back inside I found my husband at the table surrounded by 4 strange women. He’d let them in as he thought they were friends of mine and was somewhat startled when I ordered them all out of the house.
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Nice to see you made it here, Vivienne! Merv, a long pink drink for my friend, please, and I’ll have another pint of Trotters…
🙂
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You say that you walk into your kitchen and find your hubby surrounded by four strange women, and he was SURPRISED that you ordered them out?!
🙂
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My poor Dad has the same problem, 10 kms from town and some hundreds of meters from the road. They still come. The last one was an old fella(a JW) who wandered in on a stinking hot, dry day.
Dad’s response was, “Why are you trying to drum up support for those c&^%s, you should be in an air-conditioned pub, knocking back a couple of Yagoonas.”
I think the old fella thinks that Dad is possessed of the devil!!!
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LOL, Emmjay!
My post (under disguise) appeared. Since Hitchens and Dawkins the atheists have multiplied very fast. Of course we have always had non-believers but now it seems to be almost fashionable to be an atheist, I even think it’s a kind of the new black amongst the isms of the world.
I believe some of youngsters think they are smart when they bash religions. I’m not talking about the genuine articles, those people who have thought about long and hard and have to come believe that there is no god. My father was one of those, yet he was most respectful of mum who was a believer.
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I think I answered your disguised post Helvi… please don’t hit me when you read it, will you?
I don’t think the increase in atheism has anything to do with fashion at all. I think it has more to do with the increasingly untenable nature of superstitious beliefs and a growing dissatisfaction with the behaviour of members of various churches (particularly the you-know-whos!).
Of course, when the ABC puts up so many anti-atheist posts just before Eostre, and their pope doesn’t even mention the child-abuse scandal in his Eostre speech, which is just going from bad to worse, it’s not hard to realize that they are just trying to distract attention from their own faults by finding a scapegoat and whipping him furiously… Typical behaviour from this particular religion.
And guess who make the best scapegoats for the religious community… atheists, of course. Don’t you know, that simply because we’re atheists we have no morals, or any other good points at all? If they could they’d still be burning us at the stake; reading between the lines of some of the anti-atheist posts, it is easy to form the impression that the authors really wish they were back in the days when anyone who had the nerve to disagree with Mother Church could be tortured into a confession for atheism, apostacy or heresy and summarily burned at the stake.
In view of this it is hardly surprising that so many people want to have a go at the church; some of the things they say about atheists are really not nice at all…
But of course, scapegoats traditionally are not meant to have a voice or to express their opinions at all; and it would seem the church has chosen the wrong victim if it wanted a silent one. Atheists are not only far too rational but far to eloquent and articulate to make good scapegoats really, and they see the need to respond to this kind of vicious verbal attack in order to prevent this use of social scapegoats from spreading out of control; I don’t have to remind you what can happen if this does, do I?
Please don’t tell me you’d rather they just accepted this verbal ‘whipping-boy’ status and keep their mouths shut?
🙂
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Asty, of course i don’t have a problem anyone being anything, believer of any kind or atheist, but I still believe that many jump on the atheist bandwagon because it’s very much out there at the moment…
There has also been too many articles on certain subjects on UL, so one gets a teeny bit bored with the repetition…
Personally I have found the Buddhists philosophies most helpful in testing times. I also have to confess saying a little prayer when we had to rush Gerard to hospital. Of course when everything was OK, i forgot to say my thanks 😉
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What did you think of my little ‘Buddha’ story, Helvi?
🙂
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Hi Emmjay; couldn’t find the ‘category’ to file this one under; your dashboard is different from mine; I think it belongs in the ‘rejected Unleashed comments’ blog.
🙂
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Asty, is this your story? I thought it was Emmjay’s as I don’t see your name up there.
So, if it’s you, I’ll have to say: LOL Asty. 😉
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Thanks Helvi…
🙂
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