Gay scientists isolate Christian gene!

[Skybird]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCzbNkyXO50

:lol: Priceless!

[STEED]

What a load of rubbish. :nope:

[antikristuseke]

hehehehehehe, taking silly findie claims and turning it agains them :)

[Letum]

Top satire.

[GlobalExplorer]

What's the point of stressing that it's a "gay" scientist?

[Brag]

Ha, ha ha, harr, harr, harrrfff, harrffahoochies :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Tchocky]

What's the point of stressing that it's a "gay" scientist?

Swap "christian" and "gay"

[GlobalExplorer]

Thanks. I must admit I didn't get it first time.

[iambecomelife]

Reeeal funny. What's even funnier is how these same comedians would probably never have the guts to do a satirical vid about a certain Religion of Peace...:roll: Maybe if the people at our church started chopping off heads we could get the media to start talking about how wonderful our religion was.

[iambecomelife]

I've spent quite a few years of my life on some pretty Leftist campuses. It's always kind of fascinating how the "homophobia" accusations start to fly as soon as Christianity comes up. To my knowledge I haven't yet stoned a homosexual to death, but I guess it's the Christians who are the threat. Go figure.:roll:

[CCIP]

Mind you, I don't think this video suggested stoning Christians. It's just an excercise in reversing a certain position's rhetoric to point put flaws.

[Steel_Tomb]

Rofl, ah thats priceless. Complete bull, but so funny. :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Blacklight]

Guys. It's not real. That's a parody done for some comedy show.:D

Would be hilarious if it's real though. :D

[Letum]

It's always kind of fascinating how the "homophobia" accusations start to fly as soon as Christianity comes up.

I wonder why that could be...... :hmm:

Far from just christianity tho and far from all of christianity.

http://nosnowhere.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/god-hates-fags.jpg

[Skybird]

:lol:

What is happening here!? :D Some of you guys need to take your happiness-pills more regularly, I recommend.

your soul will not take any harm from watching this SATIRE, for it is just dealing with gays and Christians, and as we all know, in america there is even something worse than gays and christians - there is people like me, there is atheists! So today, you can consider yourself lucky. Compared to lovely gays, now we atheists really are the riders of the apocalpyse, and watching a satire including people like us probably would be your last living day on this god-forsaken planet. :lol: So go home and hug your loved ones that you escaped doom so closely today. ;)

Now lean back and have a good laugh. People who defend free speech and Muhammad cartoons, surely are tough enough that they can stand this, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ziECzNKhM&feature=related ;)

Who are the guys behind CNNNN?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNNNN

[August]

I wonder why that could be...... :hmm:

Far from just christianity tho and far from all of christianity.

An entire dozen people, some children, all members of one family, are supposed to represent 2.1 Billion Christians? :o

[Letum]

I wonder why that could be...... :hmm:

Far from just christianity tho and far from all of christianity.
An entire dozen people, some children, all members of one family, are supposed to represent 2.1 Billion Christians? :o

Dear me! Certinaly not!
Like I said, far from all of christianity!

But it is no doubt this kind of thing that causes the bad reputation, however injust.

[August]

But it is no doubt this kind of thing that causes the bad reputation, however injust.

Such beliefs are very much a "coalition of the willing" I think.

[Letum]

But it is no doubt this kind of thing that causes the bad reputation, however injust.
Such beliefs are very much a "coalition of the willing" I think.
....That or such images are headline grabing and stain the memory somewhat.

That and things like the catholic ban on celibate, gay priests etc.

Historicaly the church has been very anti-homosexual as well, but then so was society in genral back then.

And ofcourse, there is the text, but that is open to limitless intupritation. (LINK) (http://www.catholic.com/library/Early_Teachings_on_Homosexuality.asp)


On the other hand, the christian texts do contain an example of gay lovers; David and Johnothan...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/David_and_Jonathan.jpg

[August]

....That or such images are headline grabing and stain the memory somewhat.

Again, only by those eager to make the association.

[Onkel Neal]

Reeeal funny. What's even funnier is how these same comedians would probably never have the guts to do a satirical vid about a certain Religion of Peace...:roll: Maybe if the people at our church started chopping off heads we could get the media to start talking about how wonderful our religion was.

Very good point!!

I can laugh at this video, it isn't hateful, just poking a little fun. Even the announcer was gay :) So, now the Christian scientists and the gay scientists are racing to stamp out the other's gene.

Still, I don't see the artists as even a bit bold. Let them make a video like that about Mohammed, let's see what happens :roll:

[Letum]

....That or such images are headline grabing and stain the memory somewhat.
Again, only by those eager to make the association.

Do you think such things have no effect on christianitys reputation?

[Onkel Neal]

....That or such images are headline grabing and stain the memory somewhat.
Again, only by those eager to make the association.

Do you think such things have no effect on christianitys reputation?

Who cares? The only people Christians need to hold in regard are other Christians.

BTW, someone told me--and this was akin to saying there are two moons in orbit over the eastern hemisphere--that Roman Catholic priests marry in Europe. It is permitted, only in the US are they required to be celibate. Which stems from the early history of the country, the US Catholic church compelled the Pope to pass an edict that required US priests to be celibate.

Does anyone has a source I can read about this? Prove or disprove it? I tell you, I was really skeptical, I had never heard anything about this.

[Tchocky]

I seriously doubt that, Neal.

[Letum]

Catholics priests are celibate world wide!

Who cares? The only people Christians need to hold in regard are other Christians.

Im not sure I follow you 100%
Do you mean that Christians should disregard non-christians?

[August]

....That or such images are headline grabing and stain the memory somewhat.
Again, only by those eager to make the association.
Do you think such things have no effect on christianitys reputation?

I didn't say it didn't...

[Letum]

....That or such images are headline grabing and stain the memory somewhat.
Again, only by those eager to make the association.
Do you think such things have no effect on christianitys reputation?
I didn't say it didn't...

.....ok....
Well, all I was trying to say is that it is such things that do have a negative impact on
Christianity's perceived relations with homosexuality.

[August]

....That or such images are headline grabing and stain the memory somewhat.
Again, only by those eager to make the association.
Do you think such things have no effect on christianitys reputation?
I didn't say it didn't...
.....ok....
Well, all I was trying to say is that it is such things that do have a negative impact on
Christianity's perceived relations with homosexuality.

But percieved by whom Letum? My point is it's mainly those predisposed to believe (or pretend they believe) such drivel in the first place.

[Letum]

But percieved by whom Letum? My point is it's mainly those predisposed to believe (or pretend they believe) such drivel in the first place.
Well, by anyone and everyone I suppose.

No doubt people are pre-disposed to such things. For majority of the last 1400+ years
Christianity has certinaly been very anti-homosexual. It will take a long time yet
before the more modern aproach taken by most western churches becomes the
reputation of christianity and peoples disposition towards it.

[August]

But percieved by whom Letum? My point is it's mainly those predisposed to believe (or pretend they believe) such drivel in the first place.
Well, by anyone and everyone I suppose.

No doubt people are pre-disposed to such things. For majority of the last 1400+ years
Christianity has certinaly been very anti-homosexual. It will take a long time yet
before the more modern aproach taken by most western churches becomes the
reputation of christianity and peoples disposition towards it.

But that's like saying wearing a hat in public is a Christian practice because the pope wears one. In reality any anti-homosexual attitudes held by Christianity only reflect the general public attitudes of the times.

[Letum]

But percieved by whom Letum? My point is it's mainly those predisposed to believe (or pretend they believe) such drivel in the first place.
Well, by anyone and everyone I suppose.

No doubt people are pre-disposed to such things. For majority of the last 1400+ years
Christianity has certinaly been very anti-homosexual. It will take a long time yet
before the more modern aproach taken by most western churches becomes the
reputation of christianity and peoples disposition towards it.
But that's like saying wearing a hat in public is a Christian practice because the pope wears one. In reality any anti-homosexual attitudes held by Christianity only reflect the general public attitudes of the times.
That's true, but the difference is that any view a religion takes becomes a dogma.
Whether it be geocentricm, views on homosexuality and women, belief in a god or
any other dogma the church has held/still does hold.

Dogma changes far slower than intellectual or social trends, which is why the CoE only
started ordaining gay vickers in the late 90s/early 00s; long after equality in the
work place was granted.

The inertia of doctrine lingers for a long time and leads to long staying reputations,
even after change has finaly taken place.

[kiwi_2005]

Well at least he wont have to worry about being beheaded for making that video:yep: A lot of christains would be laughing with him i presume if they see the funny side of it.

[Ducimus]

I thought it was a very funny satire. A poke in the ribs type of joke. Certainly nothing to get upset over.

[iambecomelife]

Well, it's nothing surprising, that's for sure. My religious leaders have often pointed out that it's inevitable we will be ridiculed for holding our beliefs, even as the selfsame PC-cultists yammer on and on about how wonderful Islam & other religions are. :nope: Still, better this trash than the serious persecution that Christians in other countries have to put up with.

[Onkel Neal]

I seriously doubt that, Neal.

I know, I cannot buy that either, but the person telling me was reading a book on the Catholic Church....

[Blacklight]

I really think the next video should be poking fun at the two sides trying to stamp out each other's genes.. or have one side clone a member of the other side or something. It's the next logical step.

Imagine..

"We have bioengineered Christian chickens !"

[iambecomelife]

I really think the next video should be poking fun at the two sides trying to stamp out each other's genes.. or have one side clone a member of the other side or something. It's the next logical step.

Imagine..

"We have bioengineered Christian chickens !"

I really think the next post should be Skybird lecturing Americans about how intolerant they are (as usual). He's setting quite an example with his tolerance for Christians. I bet the hilarious irony would escape him, but that's his loss.

[Skybird]

I seriously doubt that, Neal.

I know, I cannot buy that either, but the person telling me was reading a book on the Catholic Church....
A book by whom - Pat Condell...? :lol:

[Sailor Steve]

Some of you guys thought this was real???:o :nope:

I got the joke as soon as I read the title.:rock:

[Letum]

Some of you guys thought this was real???:o :nope:

I got the joke as soon as I read the title.:rock:
Im not sure any thaught it was "real" as such (no one could do that right?!), but reading
through the posts here it looks like at least one person is suspect for missing the irony. ;)

[Skybird]

Some of you guys thought this was real???:o :nope:

I got the joke as soon as I read the title.:rock:
Im not sure any thaught it was "real" as such (no one could do that right?!), but reading
through the posts here it looks like at least one person is suspect for missing the irony. ;)
I read it three, with a fourth having come to a late enlightenment. Thus my comment two days ago.

Still can't believe how this thread developed. I just burst in a laughter over that film, appreciated the cleverness in it - and that was all in there for me.

[joea]

BTW, someone told me--and this was akin to saying there are two moons in orbit over the eastern hemisphere--that Roman Catholic priests marry in Europe. It is permitted, only in the US are they required to be celibate. Which stems from the early history of the country, the US Catholic church compelled the Pope to pass an edict that required US priests to be celibate.

Does anyone has a source I can read about this? Prove or disprove it? I tell you, I was really skeptical, I had never heard anything about this.

Hmmmm no, but, Eastern Rite Catholic priests can be married if they were so before ordination. Just like the Eastern Orthodox Churches where most Eastern Rite churches originate from (they recognize the pope but keep Eastern rites and the right to ordain married men). I think married Anglican priests who convert are allowed to become Catholic as well but that I am shaky on.

I just thought the film was funny but as usual threads take on a life of their own.

[iambecomelife]

It's always kind of fascinating how the "homophobia" accusations start to fly as soon as Christianity comes up.

I wonder why that could be...... :hmm:

Far from just christianity tho and far from all of christianity.

http://nosnowhere.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/god-hates-fags.jpg

I'm surprised I missed this post - it exemplifies the attitudes toward Christianity I encountered. Like I said, in college whenever Christianity was mentioned (outside of historical courses) it was generally for the purpose of tying conservative Christians to Fred Phelps and his kind. That's the way the left wingers on campus thought. Their intolerance of conservative Christianity was always justified, as opposed to the "bad intolerance" of the Westboro-type Christians. Christian "hatemongers" were a mortal threat to the campus and to society - never mind that liberal viewpints predominated throughout pretty much the entire school.

[GlobalExplorer]

I admit that I didnt get the irony first. Well I didnt pay much attention afterall, and maybe I don't think this stuff is as silly as it sounds.

This is because there are neurologic hints towards a religious brain (of course not differentiated between christianity and other forms ) - not so much different to brains with special mathematical or musical talent. Of course this kind of research is under the carpet and not very welcome - the same as the research on gay, criminal or intelligence genes. People of course are less scared by the facts than by what could be made out of it.

[DeepIron]

This is because there are neurologic hints towards a religious brain...

Yeah, "religious" (of all kinds) people get on my nerves... ;)

[GlobalExplorer]

The problem is if religiousness is neurologic / genetic these people really believe in it, so it must be accepted like someone being left handed or gay. I also thinks thats the general consensus these days, accept and don't try to reason, but resist when they try to enforce it on anyone.

[Skybird]

Be careful to conclude from different brain area activity patterns on different hardwired neural characteristics of the grey matter, that would be premature, if not foolish. while hardwiring of brains does chnage over time and under certain cicumstances, or so it seems since latest research, brain areas never meant to contribute activity to any given function nevertheless can learn to take over parts of that functionality, if the major areas associated with this function go offline, due to a physical damage after a trauma, for example. If that relearning of brain areas automatically means a "material" change in regional neural structure, or if it just about the whole brain simply redsigning the distribution of it'S regiponal potentials to given tasks and thus the rbain chnages all it'S functionality all together, currently it completely unknown, and one amongst several working thesis at best. I know you hate to hear it, but a brain is no CPU.

Watson just weeks ago took heavy flak for his remarks on intelligence potentials and genetic predispostion of different human races. while that at least could be imagined to be a possibility, it is far from being "proven fact". at this status, it certainly was very stupid of him to voice his beliefs loud in public. that he would be accused of being a racist he had to expect, then, and since the object of his opinion is no proven fact, he maybe even deserved it.

Concerning religious genes, take babies from religious families, and give them to families of other orientation. I bet with you any time that they will develope differently, according to the changed environment, and many of them so differently that noone will see any need anymore to argue in favour of the existence of a religious gene. What I could imagine, though, is a genetic representation of characteristics in an individual'S psychologic potential to adore authority/Alpha-wolve's leadership, or to resist it and prefer more independence. that this would have an effect on the individual'S readiness to embrace a religious theologic dogma serving as a leadership instance that it got fed with by it's parents, and to will to fall under the spell of that dogma's hierarchic structures, or both these things not, is self-explanatory.

[GlobalExplorer]

Well I read there have been many cases of ppl who developed extreme messias complexes after a stroke, and that religious visions of englightenment can be caused by stimulating particular brain areas, but apart from that I am really not qualified on the matter. It just makes sense to see it as a certain "type" of brain like that of the mathematical genius or left hander.

[Skybird]

the difference in brains of mathematical geniusses and lefthanders again is regarding the activity patterns in their brain's regions. That there is a proven material differences in material brainstrcutre so that you could say "this is the brain of a genius/lefthander", I never have read or heard.

Imagije the brain'S solid matter to be like a chessboard, and the different postiitons you set up with the pieces to be "activity" or "thinking". You could rwch the same position in different moves, maybe, or use the same pieces so create different positions. but the cheasboard remains one and the same. It does neither chnage the number of fields it contains, nor does it rearrange the way in which they are arranged. That two plaxer agree on playing the ruy Lopez or the Sicilian Defense, will result in a string of moves that has some variance, but nevertheless will always qualify for an observer to be described as the ruy Lopez or the Sicilian Defense. the first may be is "seeing", the second maybe is "solving a Sodoku". Every once in a while, you see somebody leaving the theory of the choosen opening, and do a stupid move that looses him the match by ruining the position. That's is the equivalent of a mental idiot in this analogy. And every once in a while you see doing somebody a different move, and it it so brilliant that this compares to what you call the mathematical genius.

Only an analogy, of course, and it describes only a major approach on what brain is. I would not know, since nobody does, how to describe people who can hear a sound, a musical note - and immediately by that get flooded by a stroing visual image of a coliur their brain for whatever a reason associates with this sound. It is not a choice of theirs to do so, it is as real for them as is seeing the difference between a green meadow and a blue sky for you and me. If this is a differenbce in their hardware, or thgeir cognitive apparatus, or the way their brain functions - currently nobody can say.

We also do not know where to sort in NDE, near-death-expoeriences. There are so many cases where medical experts beyond any doubt made clear that the brain was dead and not functioning for a given period of time, and nevertheless people were able to make detailed, explicit descriptions of the situation and the room and the event for that phase of time when they were considered to be without consciousness before and afterwards anyway), that so far any attempt I ever read or heared of to explain the dying brain'S "terminal euphoria" as a a final chemical overdose the body is prodcuing, to be almost hilarious. Since the multi-cultural reasearches done by Osis&Haraldson in the 70s, including tens of thousands of sngle cases being examined and statistically calculated, we even know that this experience includes key items that are the same in every culture, and thus cannot be explained by culture-dependant differences. Also, the studies by Grof, and some others, strongly recommend themselves for arguing that obviously there is a consciousness and awareness that is beyond the brain, and an existence beyond life. And you do not need relgion at all to argue in favour of that. Thanatology, and brain research, especially the first having been over several years an area of special interest of mine in the past, have a very huge and interesting literature to offer instead. the art is to filter out the esoteric stuff that contaminated these fields so heavily since the mid-80s. but I have stopped to think about that too much anymore. Thinking leads you so far only, regarding these issues - and not beyond.

[Stealth Hunter]

Near death experiences are quite explainable, using simple biology and science skills:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41428.php (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41428.php)


According to a team of researchers from University of Kentucky, while a person is undergoing a near death experience the same parts of his/her brain are activated as the brain of a person who is having a dream. The scientists compared 110 people, half had never had a near death experience, while the other half had.

They found that the people who had had a near death experience had less clearly separated boundaries between periods of sleep and wakefulness. The near death experience people reported looking down at themselves in the operating theatre or being bathed in a bright, white light. When a person is in a REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep stage, similar sensations also happen.

You can read about this study in the journal Neurology.

The majority of people with near death experiences also experience REM while they are awake (called REM Instrusion), say the researchers. Less than 25% of those who have never had a near death experience ever experience REM stage while they are awake.

REM intrusion may mean you wake up and cannot move your limbs, or any part of your body, your muscles may feel incredibly weak, or you hear sounds that other people cannot hear. It is a paradoxical state of being in a dream stage while you are awake.

The scientists say that near death experiences are caused by the same parts of the brain being activated as they are during REM.

Simple. It has nothing to do with God or some spiritual being. It's just energy in the brain and the simple fact that energy cannot be created or destroyed. When you die, you die. We're not special in the universe. Honestly, I don't know why people get that impression (despite the fact that they're usually too ignorant to correlate the plains of the black desert we know as "infinity", and henceforth have no understanding of life beyond our own). We're a microscopic speck of dust in the gulf of space, one in a hundred billion trillion planets, not even including other galaxies. We believe we are special, but we're not. We're simply spiraling coils of self-replicating DNA.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/astpic/deepsec.jpg

That image shows a microscopic portion of the universe. Every speck of light (almost every speck, anyway) is a galaxy, some of which are titanic compared to our own. Why do we think we're special? Why do we think that we have all the answers? Our minds cannot even grasp the concept that existence does not revolve around us. Why should we cling to some apparition of the heavens instead of looking to the answers (despite the implications it could have on religion)? We're a doomed and simple species in an endless zoo, and we believe in God because we're afraid of the truth, plus simple-minded people are looking for an explanation to everything around us, so they choose the quick and easy answer rather than investigate.

[GlobalExplorer]

.................................................. ..............................................

Blah blah blah. Fact is that damage to distinctive brain areas results in distinctive inabilities like loss of speach, long term memory or the ability to connect the right and left hemisphere. No one is saying the brain is modularized like a metro plan but in the end all activity follows a certain pattern. For example thats why you could see lobotomy leads to certain personality disorders, or people with damage to a certain part of the parietal lobe cannot count anymore.

[GlobalExplorer]

Near death experiences are quite explainable, using simple biology and science skills:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41428.php (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41428.php)



Yes, of course, but for certain people the world would be empty without such myths.

[Stealth Hunter]

Near death experiences are quite explainable, using simple biology and science skills:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41428.php (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41428.php)



Yes, of course, but for certain people the world would be empty without such myths.

True. False hope can spur people onwards.

[GlobalExplorer]

And concerning your comparison with the universe, from what I know skybird believes that your brain contains the universe and vice versa. So you will not impress him with any world model that does not allow for something to be singular and infinite at the same time. A nice concept actually.

[DeepIron]

Near death experiences are quite explainable, using simple biology and science skills... Interesting article. But then it raises another question: Are we only physical in our nature then? Is our "self" confined to the explanation that the "indivdual" is only grey-matter, electricity and neural synapses? When someone has an 'out of body' or 'near death' experience, do they see themselvs as a brain with a couple of eyes attached floating around?

In 2001, in the journal Resusitation, a year long study by two British scientists of 63 heart attack victims showed that at about 10% reported having well-structured, lucid thought processes, with memory formation and reasoning, during the time that their brains were not functioning. The effects of oxygen starvation and drugs were ruled out.

So, science is able to prove and disprove itself at will it seems.

[GlobalExplorer]

I am convinced the human brain is capable of conjuring up any conceivable dream. I was once talking to someone who said when he was 6 years old "he could fly" - during the day, when he was awake - he couldnt explain it any other way.

I don't give too much on the doctors claims that there was absolutely no brain activity. They couldnt measure it, sure, but why shouldnt the brain cells continue glowing faintly for another couple of hours?

[GlobalExplorer]

In 2001, in the journal Resusitation, a year long study by two British scientists of 63 heart attack victims showed that at about 10% reported having well-structured, lucid thought processes,

I had to smile when I read: "about 10% of a total of 63 cases". They could have put it: We interviewed some people and 6 said they had dreams during cardiac arrest.

[DeepIron]

In 2001, in the journal Resusitation, a year long study by two British scientists of 63 heart attack victims showed that at about 10% reported having well-structured, lucid thought processes,
I had to smile when I read: "about 10% of a total of 63 cases". They could have put it: We interviewed some people and 6 said they had dreams during cardiac arrest.
Actually, the report as I understand it, was far more detailed than the simplified version I posted... ;) and I'm trying to find an Internet citation. The info I posted was from a book I have documenting such "phenomena"...

However, I find it significant that even 6 people in the study were able to communicate their experiences accurately and lucidly after their "event'. This would lead inevitably to the "existence of the soul" discussion as the ultimate repository of "self"....

[GlobalExplorer]

Sure it is a fascinating subject.

It must actually be even more so when you experience it yourself. Personally I have experience a strange phenomenon: an inability to remember if I dreamed certain things - relative unimportant ones - or if they actually happened. I think I dreamed them but I am not sure.

[DeepIron]

A personal experience: Back in 1980, I came very, very close to drowning in an accident on a lake. I'm an excellent swimmer, a well certified scuba diver and I have no fear of open water. I won't recount the details leading up to the event, but suffice to say, at one point I was literally breathing water...

The most remarkable part of the experience, and one I've remembered faithfully for the last 28 years, is that after the initial panic, I became very calm and knew I was going to die. I was surrounded by a pearly grey/white light and the most incredible peace came over me, a peace I've never felt since. I had no fear of death at all...

Suffice to say, circumstances evolved that lead to the saving my life and I'm still around to tell of the experience.

So, while I'm sure that there are myriads of possible explanations, I "know" and "feel" inside myself that there's more than "just a brain" involved. The problem with trying to explain this kind of feeling is that it can't be quantified or measured scientifically. Yet you know...