Bill Maher reclaims one from the Mormons

[_EAllusion]

A dude who advances skepticism in germ theory of disease (!) telling religious people they are so unreasonable that they basically have a brain disorder? F that guy. He embodies negative stereotypes of an atheist that aren't normally based in reality. He's snooty, dogmatic, intolerant, harbors his own secret quasi-religious beliefs, and trumpets a sleazy, libertine lifestyle. People who want to besmirch atheists need people like Maher. They have a symbiotic relationship.

[_Blixa]

A dude who advances skepticism in germ theory of disease (!) telling religious people they are so unreasonable that they basically have a brain disorder? F that guy. He embodies negative stereotypes of an atheist that aren't normally based in reality. He's snooty, dogmatic, intolerant, harbors his own secret quasi-religious beliefs, and trumpets a sleazy, libertine lifestyle. People who want to besmirch atheists need people like Maher. They have a symbiotic relationship.

I concur. Maher is all kinds of ick.

[_moksha]

Maher is a complete idiot!!!!

My name is Ceeboo and I approved this message.

Peace,
Ceeboo

Ceeboo, as a Catholic might you be willing to chair the National Organization Against Bill Maher (NOABM)?

If so, a man with a raincoat and umbrella will meet you by the mailbox to arrange payment. It is vital that you disavow ever meeting this man. Further instructions from that point on will be delivered, by a remote toy copter, to your windowsill. Hope you do not mind working with two other committee members who will be Evangelical and/or Jewish.

[_Bond James Bond]

There should be a wider movement to do this sort of thing. It would be interesting if, say, an Evangelical group decided that they needed to help Mormons by doing this on a massive scale. Can you just picture smac, Scott Lloyd, and the rest of that crew nodding and smiling, saying how much they appreciate this kind gesture?

While I don't know if it should be a wider movement, I think that sample reverse baptisms (unbaptisms?) like Maher's should be blatantly offensive so that Mormon, even if they know it's in jest, feel some level of the offense felt by people whose relatives are/were proxy baptized. People in general should be offended at the notion that the decisions we make in life are not concrete enough and that proxy baptism is an attempt to take away our free will.

It's offensive to piss on the graves of martyrs and dead people who felt strongly about their faith or lack thereof. It seems only fair to lampoon and mock the "sacred" ceremony that pisses on the graves.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/568 ... 1209087524

1. Maher is obviously intending to offend, whereas the LDS practice of proxy baptism is not intended to offend.

And yet it does smac. It offends many people.

[_Bond James Bond]

Maher sucks. His humor is very hit and miss and the quality of his thinking is way out of proportion to the sneering condescension he likes to adopt.

Very true. Still funny occasionally. And really bad hair.

He's also into all manner of HuffPo style pseudo-scientific ideas and makes for a highly imperfect flag bearer for rational skepticism. In fact, he's contributing to a public misunderstanding of science and scientific thinking on one of the most vital subjects for people - medicine.

He is crap on thinking immunizations don't work (insert Mr. Stak-style "sauce" link about immunizations working) but at least he's on board with global warming and climate change and then actually calling the alternative position out rather than giving equal time without rebuttal to the alternative conservative positions. Better than a lot on TV.

[_Doctor Scratch]

There should be a wider movement to do this sort of thing. It would be interesting if, say, an Evangelical group decided that they needed to help Mormons by doing this on a massive scale. Can you just picture smac, Scott Lloyd, and the rest of that crew nodding and smiling, saying how much they appreciate this kind gesture?

While I don't know if it should be a wider movement, I think that sample reverse baptisms (unbaptisms?) like Maher's should be blatantly offensive so that Mormon, even if they know it's in jest, feel some level of the offense felt by people whose relatives are/were proxy baptized. People in general should be offended at the notion that the decisions we make in life are not concrete enough and that proxy baptism is an attempt to take away our free will.

It's offensive to piss on the graves of martyrs and dead people who felt strongly about their faith or lack thereof. It seems only fair to lampoon and mock the "sacred" ceremony that pisses on the graves.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/568 ... 1209087524

1. Maher is obviously intending to offend, whereas the LDS practice of proxy baptism is not intended to offend.

And yet it does smac. It offends many people.

I agree, Bond. I've always thought that the proxy baptisms, when applied to people who clearly don't want them, were arrogant, presumptuous, and very offensive. Smac wants to claim that it's "not intended to offend," which is bizarre, and it makes me wonder how many proxy baptisms he's either witnessed or participated in. It's not as if these things are handled in an especially dignified or "sacred-seeming" way: it's just one dunk after the next in rapid succession. If the presumptuousness of it isn't offensive, then the perfunctory nature of it is.

Also, I noticed that Calmoriah, who is often pretty reasonable, was trying to argue that the proxy baptisms are OK because "God commands us to do it." Do I really need to point out how ugly and horrible this kind of argument is? Dare I utter the name, "Lafferty"?

[_marg]

Is there any other religious organization in the world, now or in the past that is or has been as aggressive in not only their campaign to convert others but as well in promotion of a cultural worldview that they are superior to all other religious groups and the one true religion. And if they can't convert in this life, they'll convert you in the afterlife..because heck in the afterlife 'we Mormons "KNOW" you'll want to join because we are the one and only true religion'. Is there another religious group now or ever, so aggressive in promotion of this sort of superior worldview that promotes such arrogance and even resorts to invading the right to be left alone of people who wanted nothing to do with them when they were alive?

[_EAllusion]

Is there any other religious organization in the world, now or in the past that is or has been as aggressive in not only their campaign to convert others but as well in promotion of a cultural worldview that they are superior to all other religious groups and the one true religion.

Lots? Are you familiar with European colonialism at all?

And if they can't convert in this life, they'll convert you in the afterlife..because heck in the afterlife 'we Mormons "KNOW" you'll want to join because we are the one and only true religion'.

That's a good question. Any other religions that perform rituals to (offer the opportunity to) convert the dead?

[_Yoda]

Is there any other religious organization in the world, now or in the past that is or has been as aggressive in not only their campaign to convert others but as well in promotion of a cultural worldview that they are superior to all other religious groups and the one true religion. And if they can't convert in this life, they'll convert you in the afterlife..because heck in the afterlife 'we Mormons "KNOW" you'll want to join because we are the one and only true religion'. Is there another religious group now or ever, so aggressive in promotion of this sort of superior worldview that promotes such arrogance and even resorts to invading the right to be left alone of people who wanted nothing to do with them when they were alive?

The Catholic Church was very aggressive in converting people, particularly during the era of the Crusades. The Crusades was basically a religious war.

The Mormons are unique in the baptism for the dead ritual. I am not familiar with any other religion which has a similar tenet.

There are brutal tenets of other religions as well, however. i am not trying to pick on the Catholic Church, but one of their beliefs is that if a child dies prior to baptism, they are relegated to spend eternity in hell.

The Jewish religion believes that if someone leaves the Church, it is as if that person is dead in the eyes of the believing family. I am wondering if this concept is where the Mormon disdain for apostates stems from.

[_MrStakhanovite]

The former practice of indulgences, paying money to reduce a family member’s time in purgatory could be another example.