Death of the Church in Canada?
Oh I see. You've become upset because you claimed I should learn more about Catholic views on the consumption of alcohol based on the learned position that you get drunk at Knights of Columbus functions. You also claimed that I am ignorant of the Church's position on gambling as you have witnessed Poker Derbys.
But, the cowardice soon shows as you refer to me as an "Anne Coulter" style debater. I flatly accuse you of being unaware of her debating style as she spouts right-wing rhetoric ad naseum with little original interjection. All of my counter-arguments are exactly that, "counter"-arguments. They use pieces of your original argument, highlight the defect in your thinking or reasoning and are then reassembled and posted here. Perhaps you haven't become accustomed to analyzing information presented to you. Afterall, I've been to your Catholic masses and I don't recall a Q&A period. Apparently, it upsets the priest.
Debate myself that 43% of Canadians are Catholics? Huh? That's a trivial argument anyway. If 13,000,000 Canadians are Catholics, 9,000,000 more are some sort of Protestant denomination, representing 22,000,000 of roughly 30,000,000 Canadians, why then is divorce legal? Why can women get an abortion if they so choose? Why then did the Supreme Court strike down anti-Sunday Shopping laws in Alberta? Why can I buy pornography and liquor? If the Church is so powerful (although you've left the debate like a little coward), why then is all of that possible?
It would seem the Christian churches' influence has waned to the point of irrelevence.
I don't know whether you're a big reader, but the Globe & Mail had an excellent article written by a Professor of Religious Studies at Queen's University this past Saturday who thoroughly skewered the Christian church's claim to be the traditional source of marriage.
Uh-oh, I noticed you retracted your 'welcome'. I guess you missed Matthew 19:19 which asked you to love your neighbour as yourself. But, of course, I don't know as much about Catholocism as you do.
putz putz:
$1:
I am rebuked on the Catholic view of alcohol because you and the rest of your Knights of Columbus are slobbering drunks?
Man it is funny when uneducated people start fights just for the sake of it. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ARE or what they stand for? As a matter of fact they stopped running casinos and the such on the basis of gambling and the Catholic Church. I am not a member of the Knights of Columbus but my g/f dad is as is her brother. Maybe if you want to debate you should stick to the facts not your ASSumptions that you promote as fact. FYI the money that Knights get don't go to themselves they go back to the community and the Church itself, so maybe JUST MAYBE, back off on things that you have no idea about.
Putz,
Your name is most appropriate. If you had bothered to read any of the previous posts, you would have read where Robair (claiming to be a Knight of Columbus) stated he and his KOC buddies got sauced at KOC functions as a reason why I didn't understand the Vatican's position on the consumption of alcohol. I merely pointed out to him that his anecdotal drinking is both alarming and irrelevant.
Anyway, since you're apparently an uneducated person starting a fight, I'll leave it up to you to figure out the defect in your thinking. I'll give you a hint though. It involves me saying that the Catholic Church is opposed to gambling as it is a sin and a vice and Robaire the Intelligaire saying I don't know what I'm talking about as he's a Knight of Columbus who organizes Poker Derbies. HINT HINT Putz, HINT HINT. Feel free to read all about it in his posts if you don't wish to believe me.
However, do you have anything to bring to the debate or are you going to act as an ignorant cheerleader of poorly articulated and defectively reasoned Christian views?
I shan't be holding my breath for a good answer.
Robair @ Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:49 am
Somebody spends waaay too much time on forums.
Dayseed Dayseed:
To all:
Is the Church dead in Canada?
Let's hope not.$1:
ROME - Worried about the lure of the devil, a Vatican (news - web sites)-linked university on Thursday debuted its latest course offering: a class on Satanism, black magic and exorcism.
The class for clergy and seminarians at Rome's Pontifical Academy "Regina Apostolorum" arose from alarm about what some religious officials see as Satanic practices among young people, especially in Italy.
In one case in Italy in January, members of a heavy metal band called "Beasts of Satan" were ordered to stand trial for their alleged role in three ritual killings. One of the victims was a 19-year-old stabbed to death in 1998. She may have been targeted because her killers believed she was a personification of the Virgin Mary, prosecutors contend.
Seperation of Church and state? Deafinatly! No intelligent person would argue otherwise.
Now, should the church still have influence in society?
$1:
"It's a more spontaneous and hidden phenomenon, a problem of loneliness and isolation, a problem of emptiness, that is fulfilled by the values of Satanism," said one of the teachers, Carlo Climati, a specialist on youth culture and Satanism.
One could also argue the problem may be kids raised without religion. If left to find one of thier own, Satanism probably looks the sexiest...
Robair,
How many Satanists do you think they're are? Next you'll find the boogey-man running D&D sessions.
Besides, apparently you grew up with religion and then developed a hearty zest for booze. Are they correlated? I don't know.
Christianity espouses cannabalism and imitative magic all in communion. Oh yeah, kids need this like kids need a railroad spike in the eye.
Booga-booga.
Robair Robair:
Somebody spends waaay too much time on forums.
Ouch! Now that is a fine example of razor-sharp wit! You must be channelling Voltaire! Who spends too much time in forums? Surely this isn’t coming from the hypocrite with over a 1000 posts here alone (that doesn’t include your Jesus sites, anti-abortion forums, Opus Dei chat groups and anti-evolution newsgroups)? Nice work! Do you even have a point in there??
Keep on truckin’ in 2005!
$1:
Besides, apparently you grew up with religion and then developed a hearty zest for booze. Are they correlated? I don't know.
I grew up Catholic too...I can tell you that the hearty zest for booze isn't just correlated to Catholicism, it's an integral part of the community. Oh, and you know that Frank Zappa song about Catholic girls? It's true, every word of it.
The thing is that a couple of Hail Mary's and all is forgiven. It's like a license to get drunk and screw. It's actually a pretty good way to grow up, but you have to get used to the nun flashbacks.
Robair @ Fri Feb 18, 2005 7:40 pm
Mustang1 Mustang1:
Ouch! Now that is a fine example of razor-sharp wit! You must be channelling Voltaire!
Wouldn't work, I can't speak french.
Mustang1 Mustang1:
Who spends too much time in forums? Surely this isn’t coming from the hypocrite with over a 1000 posts here alone (that doesn’t include your Jesus sites, anti-abortion forums, Opus Dei chat groups and anti-evolution newsgroups)?
I've been here about two years now, do the math. (Oh, shit what am I thinking) It works out to less than two posts a day for me... aaaand somewhere around ten I'm betting for you.
First forum I ever posted at. The only other one would be
www.canuckabroad.com , I think I've got a totall of three posts over there. Use the inet for Canadian content, and to follow the CFL, it's the only way I can.

Before moving I didn't have much use for it.
Mustang1 Mustang1:
Nice work! Do you even have a point in there??
On your first day here (I'm addressing both of you, you seem to be somehow attached), you show up and bash my religion. My families religion, and a large part of my home communities religion.
(I'm not holding my breath for any apologies.)Then try to 'prove' yourself 'right'? Yea, maybe we should disband the church, and along with it the K of C, those kids can buy there own wheelchairs damnit. Same with that battered womans shelter, what are they whining about anyway? I mean, can you imagine if people started to actually live by the ten commandments? Love thy neighbor... nothing but chaos can come from that.
Dayseed Dayseed:
Christianity espouses cannabalism and imitative magic all in communion.
You were the guy claiming to know what he's talking about, right?
Robair,
When it comes to Catholicism, don't kid yourself, you haven't a clue what what's going on around you.
Cannabalism and imitative magic in communion. Look at the actions and the sacraments that are read during it. Don't just be a Catholic grunt, think for yourself. Of course, you tried to claim I didn't understand the Vatican's position on alcohol because you can't go five seconds without booze at a KOC function so I can imagine the depth of thinking you'll apply to the problem. Most likely, it'll be like the day people reported the symphony of cracking aneurysms heard 20 paces away when you first observed a traffic-light.
Secondly, I've now been accused of bashing your religion. By what, questioning its role in social policy? By pointing out the historical annexation of Christian social policies by their secular counterparts? Unlikely. How did YOU respond? Benighted ad hominem attacks you COULDN'T BACK UP and then you claimed I wasn't worth your time plus you weren't coming back.
Of course, you want to know what would happen if people followed the Ten Commandments immediately followed by the reference to Matthew 19:19 I suggested to you? The two are totally incongruous biblical references. It was a nice effort, but the grasp exceeded your reach. You also have to clarify WHICH Ten Commandments you're referring to there St Thomas Aquinas. And not just the biblical discrpency between the 20th Chapter of Exodus and the 5th of Deuteronomy, but across religions. Or did you perhaps mean the SECOND Ten Commandments? Keep reading Exodus old bean until you hit 34. All that aside, pray tell, how will not letting my cattle labour on the Sabbath keep the world a better place?
When it comes to biblical scholarship, you're like an errant toddler wandering out on to a busy freeway. Look out!
Wow, you're wrong on alot of counts, aren't you? Perhaps you should consider making the most of your limited abilities by focusing on phoning late-night sports-talk radio shows with Roughrider statistics and suggestions for the coach.
Robair,
Perhaps you could actually offer some poignant arguments about the thread’s topic instead of obfuscating the point by spewing tangents that fail to persuade anyone.
Let’s revisit one of your first efforts (a poor one, mind you) at trying to foster a dialogue – you initially wrote, “Kindly learn a thing or two about my religion before bashing it.” I directly challenged you to substantiate that baseless supposition and you cowered from the question. Subsequent attempts to have you back up your erroneous assertion met with shifty, cowardly acts (including one that stated this was a “waste of time). Simply put, you are a superstitious simpleton whose utter lack of integrity warrants little respect – you’ll keep dodging and I’ll keep pressing and you’ll appear disingenuous in the process.
Robair Robair:
I've been here about two years now, do the math. (Oh, shit what am I thinking) It works out to less than two posts a day for me... aaaand somewhere around ten I'm betting for you.
Wow, thanks for the bio! What’s your point? This somehow quashes the hypocrite label? You post/day statistics are lower than mine? Thanks Rainman, but so what? Talk about fallacious logic!! Oh…betting, too? Does Opus Dei know? Won’t this require penance?
Posting, for me, doesn’t require a major cognitive workout. It’s easy and entertaining. If it taxes your meagre intellectual abilities, that’s too bad, but don’t project your cerebral shortcomings on to me.
Robair Robair:
On your first day here (I'm addressing both of you, you seem to be somehow attached), you show up and bash my religion. My families religion, and a large part of my home communities religion. (I'm not holding my breath for any apologies.)
I’ll question whatever religion I see fit – I don’t need your permission or formal endorsement to legitimatize my actions either. If your feeble, delicate self-esteem can’t withstand a dialogue on religion then don’t participate! You are perfectly welcome to cower at the moon, perform ritual magic, and talk to your adult imaginary friend – it’s your prerogative. If your faith is that vacillatory than perhaps you should conduct some spiritual searching, but don’t rant and whine like a three year old with a skinned knee because someone has the audacity to present a contradictory view of your mysticism. Damn.
Robair Robair:
Then try to 'prove' yourself 'right'?
I am right. Perhaps you, with your infinite wisdom, could try to prove me wrong. I’ll eagerly await the intellectual train wreck you call a rebuttal.
$1:
Alcoholics Anonymous doesn't have belief in a Greater Power sorting out lives? No religious overtones in that step
Ill tell you buddy, if that greater power is a tree and thats what gets you through another day then so be it..In AA your greater power is what ever YOU deem it to be, ..
ALSO I see that this thread is starting to look like it will become a flame war here so ill ask you all now to cool your jets.. before things get too far out of hand... This is a perfrect example why religious discussions are not a good thing...It allways starts and war of words and sometimes even a war or two.... So tone it down fine people