It's hard to argue against the fact we live in a THEOPHOBIC culture.

a reply to: olaru12

And His Most Holy Reverend Technomancer, MSgt, USAF(ret), D.D. here LOL that's what I mean by I know for a fact.

a reply to: iterationzero

Hockey!! brutal sport had to play against girls at school we thought we would walk it but it was like the aftermath of a battle, bloody knees, bruised goolies, they were vicious !.
Or is it ice hockey?.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Yeah I mean don't you have to have qualifications?.

That is exactly correct. You may have been being facetious with all your talk about the Church of Monkey - but here, you can actually do it.

Not too long ago, a member of the Pastafarians (Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster) was allowed to to wear a collander on his head for his official driver's license picture. Many have followed suit.

There's another church in the upper Midwest (Indiana) called "The First Church of Cannabis" ......they've gotten permission to smoke weed:

Be careful what you wish for: A “church of cannabis” is the latest unintended consequence of the right’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act madness.

...

In the latest Unintended Consequence of the “Religious Freedom” laws now sweeping the country, an Indiana church today was granted tax-exempt status by the IRS. But not just any church: The First Church of Cannabis, which proposes to exploit Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to smoke pot at its services.

According to Bill Levin, self-described “Minister of Love and Grand Poobah” of the church, the first service is set for July 1, the day the Indiana RFRA takes effect.

“We’re here for love, compassion, understanding, and good health,” Levin told The Daily Beast. “We’re teaching what the original guys originally taught.”

All you have to do is declare yourself a church, and file for a tax-exempt status based on it.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I'm going to be a billionaire!! .
Thing is would I end up believing my own nonsense and rule the world?.
Hell yes!.

Book of Monkey Book one verse 1.

And the prophet buzzy said

That is exactly correct. You may have been being facetious with all your talk about the Church of Monkey - but here, you can actually do it.


And thus Monkey was born...

a reply to: boymonkey74

Note to self: This is not how the world ends, not with a bang, or whimper, but with A Monkey and his Prophet(ess)

a reply to: boymonkey74

Hockey (here) is Ice Hockey.
Here, at least. And yes, it's probably the most brutal of the actual team "sports." That's putting 'boxing' aside as not a 'team' sport. Then you start to get into World Wresting Fakery - a la Jesse Ventura and 'The Rock' - which is all choreographed and faked. Stage fighting. I've been trained in stage-fighting (swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat - that's how I met my husband, actually). My bestie was a "professional" (girl) wrestler for several years.

a reply to: Technomancer01

Thing is I bet as silly as I am all religions have started a bit like mine.
Difference is mine doesn't put down humanity because we are human.

a reply to: Technomancer01

End? blimey we would have moon bases in 10 years If I ran it all.
Behold the mighty monkey!.

a reply to: Technomancer01

Membership is only 19.95 per month!!! A special newbies deal!!!

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Is this too harsh for a theme tune?.




Feeeelll the power of the Monkey!!.

Church of the sub Genius has few requirements except for a little slack...Praise Bob and his sweet name.



subgenius.com...

a reply to: boymonkey74

YEP!!!

We have this, too!!::
The United Church of Bacon

Praise Bacon

Are you tired of religious people being seen as morally superior to atheists? Of religions getting special privileges in the law, because they’re perceived as better than secular non-profit organizations?

As a protest, atheist friends of magician Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller had a fantastic idea in 2010. Let’s start a real, legal church with a funny name, and then demand the same rights as mainstream religions:

We oppose supernatural claims. We are skeptics and atheists. In our religion, we doubt religion.

We fight discrimination. Atheists are not inferior and should not be hated and marginalized.

We raise money for charity and are striving to be the most generous church in the world.

Our officiants perform legal weddings, always for free. How joyful!

We expose religious privileges as silly by claiming the same rights for Bacon.

Praise Bacon

If you prefer to praise Vegetarian Bacon or Turkey Bacon that is fine!

We now have over 12,000 members from around the world and have performed hundreds of weddings. Join us! Raise your voice in protest, and to Praise Bacon!

(Not sure if Canadians can join, though, without taking a 'what is bacon?' quiz first, and having qualifications to prove that they passed.)

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

www.themonastery.org...

I found this any good?.

Could I introduce myself as the right rev Monkey?.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Try this one, though:


Or, on second thought - naah.
Too scary and awful.
Plus, that whole world is the concoction of the Wizard (of Oz) - all orchestrated from behind the curtain.


The Wizard of Oz....never seen it?

Scared the bejeezus out of me as a little kid. !!!!! And, they air it EVERY YEAR.

It was even more traumatic than weekly church. And I'm being very, very seriously sincere when I say that. Between the two, my early years impacted me permanently. Not joking.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Haven't heard of that one....but, you can introduce yourself as anything you want!

Apologies for the delay.

I came home from work, saw and read most of the posts and went, "what have I stepped into this time?" LMAO.

Took a nap, ate, then hesitated in trepidation to the can of worms I had opened. I am somewhat prepared in rebutting/clarifying my position.

First, I am not a Christian. I am, however, a Christian supporter, or ally if you prefer.

At no point has the thought entered that everyone falls into this category. There can be, and likely is, rational disagreement with the religious viewpoint in general.

Some have demanded 'proof' of my assertion. For myself, I require no proof as that implies convincing others of my view. I require no validation from others. Empirical evidence is sufficient for my certainty level to withstand criticism.

I will, however, modify my views when presented with evidence or logical argument that resonates sufficiently to change my views....as most of us also do.

Having said that, prima facie evidence lies in a multitude of posts in response to this thread. As I am too quick to temper, I have had several 'warnings' about my responses. Therefore, ATS decorum prevents me in labelling specific posts as a 'phobia' lest I offend. Apparently, negative comments must be buffered with 'generalities' and implied, indirect comments.

So I ask you posters that may have only posted in response to the concept to look again at the posts. You decide if which if any can be or 'flirt' with a theophobia.

I see numerous examples.

Likely many who have been caught in this mentality will not be able to see it....at first.

I'd like to point out that my opening example of the separation of church and state was and is valid. One poster has stated that the Constitution should have been applied in the day the same as today.

I rebut why? There was no movement toward a religious gov't. The mentality was live and let live. I'm sure there was both religious and non-religious members amongst those elite individuals who fathered the Constitution.

In fact, to even achieve an accord amongst the thirteen colonies, many issues were avoided in totality. Slavery is the perfect example of that. To have addressed divisive issues would have killed the accord before it even started never mind allowing it survive any amount of time.

We are now approaching a similar divisive state to the point where the very nation is threatened by this and other issues.

One poster suggested the 'fear' wasn't irrational citing acts committed currently by radical Islamists, among others.

If one disagrees with a 'concept' or an idea, one doesn't fear it, one discards it, rebuts it, counters it in an intellectual fashion. One doesn't 'fear' a concept, rationally. It is an irrational statement.

The acts of individuals "in the name of Religion" are still acts of individuals. Religions, in and of themselves, are incapable of "acts". They are acts of anything but religious people. Be they in a specific religion or not.

A truly religious person is not to be feared in any way whatsoever. Does anyone ever felt 'fear' when Mother Teresa's name is mentioned? Of course not. Some would rebut, "the exception that proves the rule". Perhaps. There are very few that live up to that standard. In or outside organized religion.

Have the most horrific acts been committed in the name of religion? Hell, yes! No more so than in the name of any ism you can name.

The standards and ideals set by religion are very high and few attain them. All end up subverted in some fashion one way or another, at least for a period of time. Equally true of any group created by mankind, ever.

Some have coined a new phrase, Christophobia. Perhaps valid. Yet it also could be all religion with Christianity being politically correct to be attacked or marginalized and when it come to Islam, it falls under the politically incorrect category to marginalize. Social media and agenda can be fickle....

Again I cite gov't's aim to supplant a deity with themselves as the sole decision maker on right and wrong, who lives, who dies and when.

I ask you, which is worse?

When I referred to the culture being theophobic I will clarify. Simply put, there is no restraint on pointing out the flaws of religion or a percentile of it's members with many being valid. What is never pointed out is the fact that the same acts occur outside religion or so-called religious people. Be it nationalism, socialism, capitalism, communism, greed, insanity, power....shall I go on?

I suspect many of you get my point.

There is a theophobia. This culture manifests it, even indoctrinates it via social media.

Enough for tonight. The Coho are running up here in Washington and I intend catching a couple in the morning. I almost never happens, though....perhaps I should call on divine intervention......

a reply to: nwtrucker

Again I cite gov't's aim to supplant a deity with themselves as the sole decision maker on right and wrong, who lives, who dies and when.

I ask you, which is worse?

you cannot supplant a figment of imagination. you can only fill a vacancy. and in government, vacancies are loose ends.

a reply to: TzarChasm

Again, I ask you which is worse. A 'fictional' boogie man or 'real' boogie man.

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: TzarChasm

Again, I ask you which is worse. A 'fictional' boogie man or 'real' boogie man.

which is easier to treat, psychosis or a broken leg?

a reply to: TzarChasm

I disagree with the premise. Psychosis is a human condition, not restricted to any one belief system whatsoever.

By belief system includes religion as well as the rest, socialism, capitalism, nationalism, to name but a few....