Comments on: This is Not a Sitcom http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/ by Hemant Mehta Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: PrimateIR http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-82568 PrimateIR Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:25:52 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-82568 Funny. I just now found out that a Coven is forming in my tiny conservative town. Perhaps its the new hot thing. Funny. I just now found out that a Coven is forming in my tiny conservative town. Perhaps its the new hot thing.

]]> By: Pat http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81769 Pat Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:56:05 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81769 So they are willing to run wiccans out of town to protect their beliefs.. yet not put the same energy into protecting their children from meth. If they even put a quarter of the effort into stopping meth as they have into this wiccan meeting, meth would no longer be a problem. So they are willing to run wiccans out of town to protect their beliefs.. yet not put the same energy into protecting their children from meth. If they even put a quarter of the effort into stopping meth as they have into this wiccan meeting, meth would no longer be a problem.

]]> By: Mercredi http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81502 Mercredi Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:51:13 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81502 If I had to choose sides, I'd be for the Wiccans. All other things being equal, I feel it's important to stand up for the underdogs. Not (to paraphrase Sam Vimes) because there's anything particularly noble about them, but because they're not the overdogs. If I had to choose sides, I’d be for the Wiccans. All other things being equal, I feel it’s important to stand up for the underdogs. Not (to paraphrase Sam Vimes) because there’s anything particularly noble about them, but because they’re not the overdogs.

]]> By: Mriana http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81429 Mriana Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:40:17 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81429 They need to quit worrying about their children joining a coven and start worrying about their town before it becomes a ghost town. They need to quit worrying about their children joining a coven and start worrying about their town before it becomes a ghost town.

]]> By: Richard Wade http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81263 Richard Wade Mon, 29 Oct 2007 05:58:26 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81263 Mriana, I don't think even the most superstitious townsfolk blame the Wiccans for their town's well-entrenched troubles, since most of that happened before the Wiccans arrived. They're all upset about imagined future problems such as kids joining covens or their cow being hexed. Scapegoating is useful for more than fixing a causal blame. It's also good for distracting attention away from problems that in part may be consequences of their own neglect, shortsightedness and backward attitudes. They may not want to look at that. Imagine if they could fill that high school gym with over 150 people as fervent and earnest about finding creative solutions for their economic and social problems as they are about this silly, childish medieval bullshit. Their town would be in good shape again. Mriana, I don’t think even the most superstitious townsfolk blame the Wiccans for their town’s well-entrenched troubles, since most of that happened before the Wiccans arrived. They’re all upset about imagined future problems such as kids joining covens or their cow being hexed. Scapegoating is useful for more than fixing a causal blame. It’s also good for distracting attention away from problems that in part may be consequences of their own neglect, shortsightedness and backward attitudes. They may not want to look at that.

Imagine if they could fill that high school gym with over 150 people as fervent and earnest about finding creative solutions for their economic and social problems as they are about this silly, childish medieval bullshit. Their town would be in good shape again.

]]> By: Mriana http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81229 Mriana Mon, 29 Oct 2007 02:05:48 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81229 Richard, none of what you mentioned is the Wiccan people's fault. Of course, I know the superstitious believe it is. :roll: Richard, none of what you mentioned is the Wiccan people’s fault. Of course, I know the superstitious believe it is. :roll:

]]> By: PrimateIR http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81221 PrimateIR Mon, 29 Oct 2007 01:27:49 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81221 There's a lot of money to be made selling armaments to the Christians: guns, knives, zombie repellent. The Wicans probably create their own defense systems from roots and berries and probably only when extremely provoked. I'm going to have to side with capitalism and a healthy economy. I choose the Christians. There’s a lot of money to be made selling armaments to the Christians: guns, knives, zombie repellent. The Wicans probably create their own defense systems from roots and berries and probably only when extremely provoked.

I’m going to have to side with capitalism and a healthy economy. I choose the Christians.

]]> By: Darryl http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81178 Darryl Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:49:20 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81178 I'm cheering for both sides. Crisis and chaos are what these dumb-asses are most in need of. Something good is bound to come of this. If nothing else, it is instructive. I’m cheering for both sides. Crisis and chaos are what these dumb-asses are most in need of. Something good is bound to come of this. If nothing else, it is instructive.

]]> By: Richard Wade http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81168 Richard Wade Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:50:14 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81168 The full article linked above reveals a lot of insight. This is a town of 1200 people, 125 miles south of Chicago. Local factories have closed along with the local high school, and a suspicious fire has gutted much of their downtown. They have a methamphetamine problem. In short, it's a typical dying rural town. So beleaguered by so many problems do they step up to their responsibilities to attract new businesses, revamp their school system to attract new families, find effective approaches to substance abuse and drug trafficking and move their town out of the cornfields-and-smokestacks model of rural economy? No, they find a completely unrelated scapegoat on which to focus their frustration. So after someone eventually firebombs the Wiccan storefront and the town drives out the "evil witches," will they fix all the real problems that plague their town and that only they can fix? Probably not. They'll just pray more comfortably, more self-assuredly in their churches as their insular, xenophobic little town crumbles into dust and blows away as so many others have before. It's not a question of which "side" to take. Failing communities have cheap rent. People with unfamiliar ideas and ways will be attracted to the opportunity. If the locals reject everything and everyone but what they're used to, it's over for them. Their status quo has already failed. The town has to, like any living thing, adapt or die. The full article linked above reveals a lot of insight. This is a town of 1200 people, 125 miles south of Chicago. Local factories have closed along with the local high school, and a suspicious fire has gutted much of their downtown. They have a methamphetamine problem.

In short, it’s a typical dying rural town.

So beleaguered by so many problems do they step up to their responsibilities to attract new businesses, revamp their school system to attract new families, find effective approaches to substance abuse and drug trafficking and move their town out of the cornfields-and-smokestacks model of rural economy?

No, they find a completely unrelated scapegoat on which to focus their frustration. So after someone eventually firebombs the Wiccan storefront and the town drives out the “evil witches,” will they fix all the real problems that plague their town and that only they can fix? Probably not. They’ll just pray more comfortably, more self-assuredly in their churches as their insular, xenophobic little town crumbles into dust and blows away as so many others have before.

It’s not a question of which “side” to take. Failing communities have cheap rent. People with unfamiliar ideas and ways will be attracted to the opportunity. If the locals reject everything and everyone but what they’re used to, it’s over for them. Their status quo has already failed.

The town has to, like any living thing, adapt or die.

]]> By: Mriana http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81135 Mriana Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:22:46 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/27/this-is-not-a-sitcom/#comment-81135 Oh good grief! These people are unbelievable. :roll: Whose side am I on? I don't know. I say leave the Wiccans alone. They aren't there to hurt anyone. They aren't there to attack anyone, so I have no clue why the X-ians feel they are being attacked, just because Wiccans are there and exist. Flawed religion? No more flawed than X-ianity when you get down to it. <blockquote>Jesus’s followers ate his flesh and drank his blood so they could share his reanimation powers.</blockquote> It's called theophagy. I was watching this show about Vampires on the History channel. I'll share this laugh with all of you- one of the Vampire Specialists said a case could be made that JC was a vampire because he rose from the dead. :lol: Ok now that one was a good one, but I see nothing, unlike previous mythilogical stories- like Horus and Osiris- to support this claim. Oh good grief! These people are unbelievable. :roll: Whose side am I on? I don’t know. I say leave the Wiccans alone. They aren’t there to hurt anyone. They aren’t there to attack anyone, so I have no clue why the X-ians feel they are being attacked, just because Wiccans are there and exist. Flawed religion? No more flawed than X-ianity when you get down to it.

Jesus’s followers ate his flesh and drank his blood so they could share his reanimation powers.

It’s called theophagy. I was watching this show about Vampires on the History channel. I’ll share this laugh with all of you- one of the Vampire Specialists said a case could be made that JC was a vampire because he rose from the dead. :lol: Ok now that one was a good one, but I see nothing, unlike previous mythilogical stories- like Horus and Osiris- to support this claim.

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