Religion...

Come here to talk about topics that are not related to development, or even Kansas City.
earthling
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Re: Religion...

Post by earthling »

ignatius wrote:this get's back to something discussed a while back in thread about 'faith' vs. 'on what grounds do we accept something'.  for me, if something proposed has multiple independent paths (i mean very different methodologies taken) that generally tell the same story, it has more merit than if only one method of testing telling a story.  ie, i accept evolution in nature because there are many very different fields of study that all point to it.  i do not however fully accept the big bang because there aren't enough varying methods that tell the same story.
http://phys.org/news/2015-02-big-quantu ... verse.html

A curious significant challenge to big bang within sci community is appearing. There are not enough independent paths of testing/study telling same story to be beyond reasonable doubt like evolution. Accepting evolution as likely is reasonable because there are so many independent paths that tell same story, especially now with DNA support. In cosmology, we cant go poking around the universe with dozens of different methods like we can on Earth. There is too much dependency on math models and distant observation, essentially relatively little ability to poke around universe and perform tests.
earthling
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Re: Religion...

Post by earthling »

Via the Indiana thread, was looking up related polls in context to the culture wars and found these...

http://www.gallup.com/poll/170834/three ... aign=tiles
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http://www.gallup.com/poll/171998/major ... aign=tiles
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US projections by 2050.
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earthling
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Re: Religion...

Post by earthling »

Pew Research released new report on religious/non-religious affiliation in US...

http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/amer ... landscape/

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beautyfromashes
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Re: Religion...

Post by beautyfromashes »

Millennials: Who needs God when you have helicopter parents?
earthling
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Re: Religion...

Post by earthling »

Silent Generation: Who needs reason when you have mysterious supernatural forces judging your every move? ;)
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Re: Religion...

Post by aknowledgeableperson »

Religion and other topics. Just wondering about companies and their holiday parties now.


Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: November 1, 2012
RE: Gala Christmas Party

I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23rd, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill House.

There will be a cash bar and plenty of drinks! We'll have a small band playing traditional carols... feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus!

A Christmas tree will be lit at 1:00 PM. Exchanges of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone's pockets.

This gathering is only for employees!

Our CEO will make a special announcement at that time!

Merry Christmas to you and your family,
Patty


Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: November 2, 20102
RE: Gala Holiday Party

In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Hanukkah is an important holiday, which often coincides with Christmas, though unfortunately not this year.

However, from now on, we're calling it our "Holiday Party." The same policy applies to any other employees who are not Christians and to those still celebrating Reconciliation Day.

There will be no Christmas tree and no Christmas carols will be sung.

We will have other types of music for your enjoyment.

Happy now?

Happy Holidays to you and your family,
Patty

Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: November 3, 2012
RE: Holiday Party

Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table, you didn't sign your name...

I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, "AA Only", you wouldn't be anonymous anymore. How am I supposed to handle this?

Somebody?

And sorry, but forget about the gift exchange, no gifts are allowed since the union members feel that $10.00 is too much money and the executives believe $10.00 is a little chintzy.

REMEMBER: NO GIFTS EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED.

Patty

Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
DATE: November 4, 2012
RE: Generic Holiday Party

What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20thbegins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours.

There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs. Perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party or else package everything for you to take it home in little foil doggy baggy. Will that work?

Meanwhile, I've arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from the dessert buffet, and pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms.

Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with Gay men, each group will have their own table.

Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men's table.
To the person asking permission to cross dress, the Grill House asks that no cross-dressing be allowed, apparently because of concerns about confusion in the restrooms. Sorry.

We will have booster seats for short people.
Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet.

I am sorry to report that we cannot control the amount of salt used in the food . The Grill House suggests that people with high blood pressure taste a bite first.

There will be fresh "low sugar" fruits as dessert for diabetics, but the restaurant cannot supply "no sugar" desserts. Sorry!

Did I miss anything?!?!?
Patty


Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All F*%^ing Employees
DATE: November 5, 2012
RE: The F*%^ing Holiday Party

I've had it with you vegetarian pricks!!! We're going to keep this party at the Grill House whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the "grill of death," as you so quaintly put it, and you'll get your f*%^ing salad bar, including organic tomatoes.

But you know, tomatoes have feelings, too. They scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm hearing them scream right NOW!

The rest of you f*%^ing wierdos can kiss my *ss. I hope you all have a rotten holiday!

Drive drunk and die,

The B*tch from H*ll!!!

Company Memo
FROM: Joan Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director
DATE: November 6, 2012
RE: Patty Lewis and Holiday Party

I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery from her recent nervous breakdown and I'll continue to forward your cards to her at the asylum.

In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.

Happy Whatever!
Joan
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KCtoBrooklyn
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Re: Religion...

Post by KCtoBrooklyn »

Is this the place where we now post chain e-mails forwarded by your grandparents? FW: FW: FW: Re: FW: Obama enacts Sharia Law!!!
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Re: Religion...

Post by aknowledgeableperson »

Not from grandparents. They are long gone.
Thought it was funny. Are you offended?
Is this not politically correct?
What is it?
mean
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Re: Religion...

Post by mean »

Whatever it is, it's fiction. Ramadan in 2012 was in July and August. But you can tell this was probably written in 2012 because this:
To the person asking permission to cross dress, the Grill House asks that no cross-dressing be allowed, apparently because of concerns about confusion in the restrooms.
Didn't elicit accusations of transphobia, which probably wasn't quite mainstream enough a few years back for the folks who write this kind of parody to have it on their radar. No doubt someone has sent out a more recent version where this is corrected.

As far as whether it is funny, I don't know. I can't really tell what it's getting at; whether it is a lighthearted jokey way of saying, "Gee, we're so diverse! And isn't that great?" or a darker sort of attempt to assert that accommodating diversity at all is an ultimately futile endeavor that will drive people crazy keeping up with the minutia of every individual's preferences.
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Re: Religion...

Post by aknowledgeableperson »

2012? Whatever, does it matter when it was written? Concerning transphobia we had some field offices before 2000 where this was an issue. A few men announcing they were women and wanting to use the woman's restroom. Quite unsettling for the women in those small offices.
Years ago we would have Christmas parties at work. Jews, other non-Christians, even atheists in the offices circulated and some exchanged gifts. No big deal, if they participated fine, didn't participate fine but almost all did. Believe it or not, some older people do have a problem adjusting to the new normal. But then given some recent reports even some of the young seem to have a problem accepting what would be considered normal now.
Not saying this is great literature but writings can have different meanings to different people. For me it is funny but it is a serious reflection of how our society has changed and how this changed affects some.
BTW, just think of what is going on with the usage of Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.
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Re: Religion...

Post by WSPanic »

aknowledgeableperson wrote:2012? Whatever, does it matter when it was written? Concerning transphobia we had some field offices before 2000 where this was an issue. A few men announcing they were women and wanting to use the woman's restroom. Quite unsettling for the women in those small offices.
Years ago we would have Christmas parties at work. Jews, other non-Christians, even atheists in the offices circulated and some exchanged gifts. No big deal, if they participated fine, didn't participate fine but almost all did. Believe it or not, some older people do have a problem adjusting to the new normal. But then given some recent reports even some of the young seem to have a problem accepting what would be considered normal now.
Not saying this is great literature but writings can have different meanings to different people. For me it is funny but it is a serious reflection of how our society has changed and how this changed affects some.
BTW, just think of what is going on with the usage of Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.
As one of the minorities called out in that piece of "literature" - it seems to say to me that the jews, homos and brown people are raining on whitey's parade. And if we all just did things the way white christians want them done - we would all be much happier. Was that the intent?
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Re: Religion...

Post by aknowledgeableperson »

If you wish to interpret it that way then go ahead. Can't stop you. Of course it isn't just "white" Christians. Believe there are many brown and white Christians also, along with yellow and red. Even LGBT.
So, was your intent to just besmirch white Christians and not the others?
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Re: Religion...

Post by WSPanic »

I guess I should have said non christian brown people. Sorry.
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Re: Religion...

Post by AllThingsKC »

The "e-mail" is a hoax from the late 1990's or early 2000's. I remember this from a long time ago. Look like it's been slightly updated since then. Back then, I took it as a joke on the trying to be too PC. Like you can't call it a "Christmas" party, it's a "holiday" party or "Winter" party. It's ok to try to be PC, but the fictional email was a joke showing how can be easier to not do anything than being too PC.

At least that was my understanding of it over 15 years ago.
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Re: Religion...

Post by aknowledgeableperson »

Of course, WSPanic, not all Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th. For some it is January 7th. And a few others don't celebrate either date and don't celebrate it at all. Jehovah's Witnesses are one group, Seventh Day Adventists are another group.

Of course some Jewish people don't mind Christmas. Irving Berlin wrote the song White Christmas, Neil Diamond recorded two Christmas albums, Kenny G has also recorded a couple of Christmas albums.
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Re: Religion...

Post by beautyfromashes »

God, people, it's just a joke about being too PC. Your responses, while not as humorous, reflect the same problem the 'article' was talking about.
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Re: Religion...

Post by WSPanic »

beautyfromashes wrote:God, people, it's just a joke about being too PC. Your responses, while not as humorous, reflect the same problem the 'article' was talking about.
Umm no. What it does, is provides justification for morons to say there's a war on xmas. It minimizes the real concerns of subjecting non christians to the stupidity of xmas by comparing them to the very fictional, stupid, satirical reasons at the end.
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Religion...

Post by beautyfromashes »

What a Scrooge. Drink some eggnog.
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Re: Religion...

Post by grovester »

Alcohol always helps a discussion about religion at my family functions.
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Re: Religion...

Post by phuqueue »

In my experience there are far more people worried about the "war on Christmas" than there are people actually attempting to wage war on Christmas. I don't think I've ever met anyone, atheist, Jewish, Muslim, or otherwise, who actually has a problem with Christmas, or even with being wished a Merry Christmas in good faith -- good faith encompassing, for example, a mass email, or even a one-on-one exchange with somebody, provided they genuinely wish you well. My very Jewish boss loves the Christmas season, Christmas trees, being wished a Merry Christmas, and so on. Separate from its religious roots, Christmas is basically a cultural institution in the West (and, interestingly, in some Eastern countries too, where it is almost completely divorced from any religious connotations). I don't often see problems arise except when people aggressively push Christmas as an overtly Christian holiday on non-Christians. And of course, Christmas is an overtly Christian holiday, but much of the country (including many Christians themselves) no longer celebrates it as such, and I think even the majority of those who don't celebrate it at all don't get wound up about it. I don't think you have to go all in on "Happy Holidays" to be PC -- I think you can be plenty PC with a friendly "Merry Christmas" as well. But "friendly" is the key word there. And I don't really understand what the problem is with being PC in the first place. PC is just another name for not being a fucking dick to minorities (racial, religious, sexual, or otherwise). It's strange to pride yourself on being a garbage person.
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