Thought provoking questions: Did the events of September 11th ignite a religious fervor in this country akin to the fanaticism of Islamic extremists? What other events precipitated this new-found zeal for all things Bible?

and the irony of trying to push seperation of chuch and state over there, and meld the two here? ironically hysterically terrifying.

...So you see, the puppy was the industry, in that they were both lost in the woods, and nobody, especially the little boy (society) knew where to find him, except that the puppy was a dog, but the industry my friends, that was a revolution. Knibb high football rules!

so, here's some (as rob would call it) stoner philosophy. I think some of the new religious fervor is a natural progression from the consumerism/marketing revolution which began in the 1950's. For decades, advertisers have been offering easy answers to happiness, in buying this product or that. Is there a better place for easy answers than out of the Bible? (Actually, to be fair, this only applies to people who pick and choose what they want out of the message).

At no point in your rambling, did you even come close to an intelligent thought. I award you no points, may God have mercy on your soul.

doesn't everyone now pick and choose what is relevent from the Bible? Hasn't it always been that way?

No. I take the whole thing literally. That allows me to ignore it completely. It's really convenient.

i will answer simply that there are people who do not need a book to be "good" humans. i will also answer simpl ythat there are many examples on both sides (bible/non-bible) of people that are "good" and that are "bad".

anonymity is weak.

If all people used the Bible for was too teach others how to be good people, I'd have no problem. But now people are using it not to offer suggestions on how to lead a better life, but to mandate how to lead your life. If God gave us free will, then don't we get the choice to lead our lives as we choose? And not be forced to follow a code set by others, including some that are horrendously irrelevent this day in age.

How is this decision in Kansas mandating how you lead your life or forcing you to follow a code set by others?

don't know. ask galileo

religion is a lot of things to a lot of people. you can't fault people for believing in a god of some sort. whether it gives them hope or direction or explains the unexplainable, religion does serve some good.....but it's the people that jam it down other people's throats or try to make others live by their beliefs when i have a problem with it. the worst part is that i would bet that most religious people aren't such big a-holes, but the only ones you hear yammering on, are the crazies. bastardizing religion is what really pisses me off.

Yes oof, yes. But people now seem to have this fear that if I let you have your way, then I need to have my way too. Or maybe better put, if you won't teach my way, then don't teach the other way. Fact is both sides should welcome the other being taught. For example, if you are convinced the Bible is a joke, then to teach it (teach meaning literal and historical nature of the Bible, not as much interpreting) would open it up to criticism and eventually the 'holes' will make it sink. The same is why I don't think that Darwin should necessarily be back on trial. Let it be taught. All should learn that at a minimum, many people believe this to be true and at a max, it explains our universe. And the same goes for religion (all religions). Let it be taught. The worse that could happen is that someday there is proof of its incorrectness, but until that happens, at least we could learn the differences in cultures and maybe take some of the edge off the current distrust for people different then us. Of course this whole plan is ruined when a fanatic on either side of the debate pushes their beliefs to hard. The other issue with this is I just extended the school year by about 8 months. But back to your original question, I tend to think the election of 2000 is what changed things. It seems to me that since that time, people have been looking to make things far too black and white. With an election so close, it seemed to make one side not appreciate the other not conceding while on the other hand it made one side believe that they had been wronged. A real ‘wound’ was formed. It was almost like there was a line drawn in the sand. So it seems that every issue to come up after that election, there had to be a definite right answer and obvious wrong answers. My answer was always right, the other was not only wrong, but you were a moron for thinking it. However, with religion there became this belief that any liberal was an atheist, while every conservative was a bible thumper. So there could be no way to cross over, or share a middle ground. To which, more distrust over your way being taught and not my way seems to have made its way into everyday life (or at least everyday reading on BHendrix.com)

Bub's post is better than mine...

This Kansas decision does not really affect me, but using the religion to set abortion and marriages rules does. I feel like people gravitate to an environment and community where they feel comfortable. Some people like cities and some people like farms, but why should the people in farm country tell those in cities how to live.

the only problem is it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. It's not the mainstream middle of the road voice which is being heard. It's people on both extreme's of the spectrum. the problem is people in the middle don't care because we have better things to worry about. but when choice time comes, we are forced to take one retarded extreme or the other. that's what sucks. thank you two party system. oh yeah. evolution is not a religion.

you're all goin to hell.

The core of this issue seems to be the fact that people want to put intelligent design/creationism and evolution on the same level. They're not. Creationism definitely, and to an extent Intelligent Design, belong with all the other Creation "Myths" from ancient civilizaions through the modern religions. Evolution is our best understanding of the origin of species arrived at through scientific method, a theory supported by experimental evidence, and belongs with our understandings of mathematics and the other physical sciences. Intelligent design is interesting because there is a scientific argument at it's center (that you can statisically reject the null hypothesis that evolution occurred randomly), but no one has managed to produce a well thought out scientific experiment to test that hypothesis, so as of yet its a completely unsubstantiated theory. I would have no problem presenting it as such in a science class, as long as it not used to imply the existence of an almighty creator. My point is that Creationism is absolutely NOT an "alternative" to evolution, it is not science, and has no more a place being taught as such in a public school than a native american myth about the sun god. You want to believe in it fine, but under no circumstances should it be taught side by side in a science class with evolution.

hell is other people

um, i didn't really finish my post: My point was simply that shouldn't these issues be a more local level. For instance: The House just approved a budget with a provision basically mandating proof of citizenship in order to get a driver's license for national security reasons. The ramifiactions of that are very widespread in Southern California. I feel like many Bible-beaters apply this same logic, that what's good for the goose is good for the gander. That is not always true.

Since I am responsible for these rants, my point has nothing to do with Kansas. I am less worried about religion in school cause as Mayes pointed out I don't care. It doesn't affect me now and I have other things to worry about. My concern is that seemingly a minority is trumpeting its lifestyle as the only one.

The core of the issue is the fact that half of the country wholeheartedly disagrees with Rob.

you call that the core. i call that the problem

no evolution is not a religion, but believing in no religion takes the same amount of faith as believing in religion(interchange religion with god, if you so choose). since darwin/evolution and creation are the main two explanations...they get linked.

I know, it's depressing, especially because not one of those 50% can produce an argument why an argument why Creationsim is more valid than a Native American myth.

...produce an argument why... delete key confusion

Jon has moved on from quoting random books to serving as a resident thesaurus. i'm just going to lock my kid in the basement and not let it be exposed to anything... including sunlight.

Added bonus of not worrying about skin cancer.

Less of a worry Rob, maybe, but I wouldn't go as far as to say no worry. Have you seen JT. That is one pale kid. I’m guessing the lights in his room can burn him. Yes, I am speaking from experience.

I kind of see your point. atheists require as much faith as there is no evidence against the existence of god (though you can argue any successful religion would have to be set up that way). that's why I say I am a skeptical agnostic. and actually, i recently quoted a random play, which technically isn't a book. and I applaud JT for using the same method used by his mother on him on his future offspring. "if it ain't broke, don't try to (try to fix it) fix it"

Good point. Better leave the lights off to be safe, and now you're saving electricity costs as well. JT, you are going to be the best dad ever.

Jon, you don't have to be jealous... i know you've always dreamed of living somewhere with a basement.

ballgame.

bullshit. i had basements everywhere i lived that wasn't within 1 mile of the ocean

excellent job fellas. back to back zingers. further proof that sometimes, two opposites can be right

Sorry to burst your collective babble bubble but they already did that to a kid. He was diagnosed as being allergic to light when he was born so he had to live in total darkness his whole life. His name was Raymond Terrill. Except that it turns out he wasn't really allergic to light at all... http://pc59te.dte.uma.es/cdb/series/dc/ray.htm

just like the last place we lived

PS. mayes already did live in the basement of dean's house.

actually, i lived at audra's. blum lived in the florida room

Mayes, sometimes basements are made out of cinder blocks... but usually they aren't supported by them. And, I don't want to ruin your childhood, but that wasn't a jungle gym... that was a set of trailer axles.

that's cool. my kids will be doing the same thing to yours.

like the two of you will ever spawn without involving spank magazines, a plastic cup, and two lesbians.

Is there any other way?

good point. but my lesbians will be from boston, his from pittsburgh. i still win.

you still win? congrats, i guess, but what competition are you referring to? That makes two jm posts in a row that haven't made much sense. Maybe you should go back to quoting others... (jon, i hope you aren't taking any of this personally...)

after the will/ape comment, i don't think anyone possibly could

at what point did being a good human being become something to ignore completely? Congratulations on posting the biggest load of horse shit I've seen on the site for quite some time. Really, you've outdone yourself. You deserve a beer commercial. Here's a hint: I don't need a book full of fairy tales to tell me how to be a 'good person'. And if I did, I'd probably lean the way of Dr. Suess. At least his shit rhymed.

"if it ain't broke, don't try to (try to fix it) fix it" since i give you a hard time for you bs references, it is only fair that i point out when you throw out a good one. nice job man