"Live just to do it and then die, JUST like a cancer cell. It's actually very confounding how someone can act like anything matters whatsoever if what atheism entails is even remotely true."
I'm grateful for having one life. I don't understand why there are people who have a greedy wish for something more.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Another quote for my list of favorite quotes: This one is about batshit-crazy religious fucktards.
"Believing in religion and the supernatural must be a collective mental illness; especially in the modern era where knowledge should be abundant enough for people to know better."
-- Anon
-- Anon
Northland Bible Baptist Church. This bullshit cult has two locations in Minnesota. This is some real Idiot America stuff. It's got everything including the childish heaven fantasy and of course the Magic Jeebus Man. Most likely evolution makes these morons cry.
What We Believe
1. The Bible, in its original documents, is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural revelation of Himself to man, absolute in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content and without any errors in its statements. 2 Tim 2:15, Exo 24:12, Exo 32:16, Exo 34:27, Prov 30:5-6, Jer 30:1-2, Mat 5:18, Luke 1:68-70, Luke 24:25-27, John 10:35.
2. There is one God, eternally existent, Creator of Heaven and Earth. He is manifested in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 2 Cor 13:14, 1 Tim 3:16, Gen 1:26, Heb 9:14, 1 Pet 1:2.
3. The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God who took on flesh and dwelt on earth. He was sinlessly perfect and gave Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice by shedding His blood and dying on the tree. He then came back from the dead. This was to pay for all sins, (past, present and future) of all mankind, but only effective for all who believe. John 1:1-4, John 1:10-14, 1 Tim 4:10.
4. God is absolutely sovereign and in His sovereignty gave man a free will to accept or reject the salvation that He has provided. It is God's will that all would be saved and that none would perish. God permits man's destiny to depend upon man's choice. John 3:16-18, Mat 23:37, Rom 2:11.
5. Each member of the human race is fallen, sinful, and lost; and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for salvation of man. The moment a person receives Christ as Saviour, immediately, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer who is sealed until the day of redemption. John 3:3-8, Titus 3:5, 2 Cor 5:17, Eph 1:13, 1 Cor 12:13, Rom 8:9, Gal 3:1-3.
6. Man is saved by undeserved mercy (grace) through faith and nothing of man enters into his salvation. It is a free gift. Man's efforts, regardless of how good or well-intended, before or after salvation, have nothing to do with it. Salvation is by the finished work of Christ and nothing can be added to it. John 19:30, Rom 11:6, Gal 2:16, Eph 2:8-9, Col 2:13, Titus 3:5.
7. The Church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and is composed of all true believers. By the Holy Spirit we are all baptized into one body of Christ. Water baptism is not essential for salvation but is a testimony to the world. Water baptism is to be done by immersion to show the death, burial, and resurrection. Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-13, Eph 1:13-14, Acts 8:35-39.
8. Every child of God possesses eternal life, being justified by faith, sanctified by God, sealed with the Holy Spirit, is safe and secure for all eternity, and he cannot lose his salvation. However, a Christian can, through sin, lose his fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward and incur the Father's chastisement. Relationship is eternal, being established by the new birth. Fellowship, however, is dependent upon obedience. John 6:36-39, John 10:28, John 5:24, 1 Pet 1:4-5.
9. A true child of God has two births; one of the flesh, the other of the Spirit, giving man a flesh nature and a Spirit nature. The flesh nature is neither good nor righteous. The Spiritual man does not commit any sin. This results in a warfare between the Spirit and the flesh, which continues until physical death, or the return of the Lord. The flesh nature of man does not change in any way with the new birth, but can be controlled and kept subdued by the new man. John 3:3-7, Rom 8:8, Isa 64:6, Eph 2:3, 1 Pet 1:23, 1 John 1:8, 1 John 3:9, Rom 7:15-25, Col 2:6-7, Gal 5:16-23.
10. There will be a resurrection of the saved and of the lost: of the saved unto eternal life and of the lost unto eternal conscious punishment. These two resurrections are separated by at least 1,000 years. 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Th 4:13-17, Dan 12:1-2,13, Mat 25:41-46, Rev 20:1-15, Mat 23:14.
11. We believe in the personal, pre-tribulational and premillenial return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Titus 2:13.
12. Satan is a real person, the author of sin and he and his angels shall be eternally punished. Ezek 28:15,17, Isa 14:12-15, 1 Pet 5:8, Eph 6:10-13, John 8:44, Gen 3:1-4, Mat 25:41, Rev 20:7-10.
13. God can heal but physical healing is not in the atonement. God heals miraculously today when it is His perfect will to do so. Healing cannot be claimed through the guarantee of the atonement. At times it is God's will for sickness not to be removed. II Corinthians 12:8-10, James 5:4-16.
14. The gift of tongues (languages) was a manifestation of the Spirit's power solely for the demonstration of God's wisdom, purpose and power in the establishment of the early church and always was in a language that was in use. We believe that tongues fulfilled its purpose in the first century and ceased to be used before the completion of the New Testament. We further believe that the modern tongues movement is not of God. Acts 2:16-18, I Corinthians 14:22.
15. The true child of God is not under the law but under grace - saved by grace and disciplined by grace. Rom 6:14, Gal 5:13-14, Titus 2:11-15, Psa 119:128-130, Eph 5:1, 1 John 3:1-3.
16. Repent (metanoeo) means a change of mind. Repentance in salvation means a change of mind from any idea of religion that man may have and to accept God's way of salvation. Repentance does not in any sense include a demand for a change of conduct before or after salvation. Matthew 21:32, Acts 20:21, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, Eph 2:8-9, Gal 3:10-12, Acts 16:25-31, Rom 11:29.
One of the counterfeits Satan is using today is the misuse of the word "repent". To insist upon repentance that in any sense includes a demand for a change of conduct either toward God or man is to add an element of works or human merit to faith. Penance is payment for sin. Penitence is sorrow for sin. Works add something of self in turning from sin. But repent (metanoeo) means a change of mind. Nowhere does Scripture use the phrase "repent of sin" to be saved.
17. It is every Christian's privilege and duty to make clear God's plan of salvation wherever and in whatever vocation he or she may be. Mark 16:15, I Thessalonians 2:4.
2. There is one God, eternally existent, Creator of Heaven and Earth. He is manifested in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 2 Cor 13:14, 1 Tim 3:16, Gen 1:26, Heb 9:14, 1 Pet 1:2.
3. The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God who took on flesh and dwelt on earth. He was sinlessly perfect and gave Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice by shedding His blood and dying on the tree. He then came back from the dead. This was to pay for all sins, (past, present and future) of all mankind, but only effective for all who believe. John 1:1-4, John 1:10-14, 1 Tim 4:10.
4. God is absolutely sovereign and in His sovereignty gave man a free will to accept or reject the salvation that He has provided. It is God's will that all would be saved and that none would perish. God permits man's destiny to depend upon man's choice. John 3:16-18, Mat 23:37, Rom 2:11.
5. Each member of the human race is fallen, sinful, and lost; and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for salvation of man. The moment a person receives Christ as Saviour, immediately, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer who is sealed until the day of redemption. John 3:3-8, Titus 3:5, 2 Cor 5:17, Eph 1:13, 1 Cor 12:13, Rom 8:9, Gal 3:1-3.
6. Man is saved by undeserved mercy (grace) through faith and nothing of man enters into his salvation. It is a free gift. Man's efforts, regardless of how good or well-intended, before or after salvation, have nothing to do with it. Salvation is by the finished work of Christ and nothing can be added to it. John 19:30, Rom 11:6, Gal 2:16, Eph 2:8-9, Col 2:13, Titus 3:5.
7. The Church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and is composed of all true believers. By the Holy Spirit we are all baptized into one body of Christ. Water baptism is not essential for salvation but is a testimony to the world. Water baptism is to be done by immersion to show the death, burial, and resurrection. Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-13, Eph 1:13-14, Acts 8:35-39.
8. Every child of God possesses eternal life, being justified by faith, sanctified by God, sealed with the Holy Spirit, is safe and secure for all eternity, and he cannot lose his salvation. However, a Christian can, through sin, lose his fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward and incur the Father's chastisement. Relationship is eternal, being established by the new birth. Fellowship, however, is dependent upon obedience. John 6:36-39, John 10:28, John 5:24, 1 Pet 1:4-5.
9. A true child of God has two births; one of the flesh, the other of the Spirit, giving man a flesh nature and a Spirit nature. The flesh nature is neither good nor righteous. The Spiritual man does not commit any sin. This results in a warfare between the Spirit and the flesh, which continues until physical death, or the return of the Lord. The flesh nature of man does not change in any way with the new birth, but can be controlled and kept subdued by the new man. John 3:3-7, Rom 8:8, Isa 64:6, Eph 2:3, 1 Pet 1:23, 1 John 1:8, 1 John 3:9, Rom 7:15-25, Col 2:6-7, Gal 5:16-23.
10. There will be a resurrection of the saved and of the lost: of the saved unto eternal life and of the lost unto eternal conscious punishment. These two resurrections are separated by at least 1,000 years. 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Th 4:13-17, Dan 12:1-2,13, Mat 25:41-46, Rev 20:1-15, Mat 23:14.
11. We believe in the personal, pre-tribulational and premillenial return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Titus 2:13.
12. Satan is a real person, the author of sin and he and his angels shall be eternally punished. Ezek 28:15,17, Isa 14:12-15, 1 Pet 5:8, Eph 6:10-13, John 8:44, Gen 3:1-4, Mat 25:41, Rev 20:7-10.
13. God can heal but physical healing is not in the atonement. God heals miraculously today when it is His perfect will to do so. Healing cannot be claimed through the guarantee of the atonement. At times it is God's will for sickness not to be removed. II Corinthians 12:8-10, James 5:4-16.
14. The gift of tongues (languages) was a manifestation of the Spirit's power solely for the demonstration of God's wisdom, purpose and power in the establishment of the early church and always was in a language that was in use. We believe that tongues fulfilled its purpose in the first century and ceased to be used before the completion of the New Testament. We further believe that the modern tongues movement is not of God. Acts 2:16-18, I Corinthians 14:22.
15. The true child of God is not under the law but under grace - saved by grace and disciplined by grace. Rom 6:14, Gal 5:13-14, Titus 2:11-15, Psa 119:128-130, Eph 5:1, 1 John 3:1-3.
16. Repent (metanoeo) means a change of mind. Repentance in salvation means a change of mind from any idea of religion that man may have and to accept God's way of salvation. Repentance does not in any sense include a demand for a change of conduct before or after salvation. Matthew 21:32, Acts 20:21, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, Eph 2:8-9, Gal 3:10-12, Acts 16:25-31, Rom 11:29.
One of the counterfeits Satan is using today is the misuse of the word "repent". To insist upon repentance that in any sense includes a demand for a change of conduct either toward God or man is to add an element of works or human merit to faith. Penance is payment for sin. Penitence is sorrow for sin. Works add something of self in turning from sin. But repent (metanoeo) means a change of mind. Nowhere does Scripture use the phrase "repent of sin" to be saved.
17. It is every Christian's privilege and duty to make clear God's plan of salvation wherever and in whatever vocation he or she may be. Mark 16:15, I Thessalonians 2:4.
Wikipedia: 28% of Danish citizens polled responded that they "believe there is a God". Only 19% of Danes consider religion to be an important part of their life. Only 3% of the population regularly attend Sunday services.
A huge difference between Denmark and Idiot America: 28% of Danish citizens polled responded that they "believe there is a God". Only 19% of Danes consider religion to be an important part of their life. Only 3% of the population regularly attend Sunday services.
In Idiot America virtually everyone is a god-soaked moron.
Acceptance of evolution. On this chart Denmark is in second place while Idiot America is almost on the bottom.
In Idiot America virtually everyone is a god-soaked moron.
Acceptance of evolution. On this chart Denmark is in second place while Idiot America is almost on the bottom.
A young woman brilliantly finds more information to help impeach President Fucktard Trump.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) questions Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen on documents related to the President and his finances.
Jehovah's Witnesses are batshit crazy.
Today I had a conversation (about 10 minutes) with a Jehovah's Witness which is one of the Christian cults here in Idiot America. He wasn't very interested in evolution when I asked him about it. I suggested he should google "Wikipedia evidence for evolution" but he said he wasn't going to do that.
He talked about how Adam & Eve fucked up the magical paradise they lived in when they didn't obey the Magic Man.
I asked him "Do you believe you will go to heaven after you drop dead?" His answer surprised me. He said there is a heaven where the angels and God live but he's not going there. I forgot to ask him if he's not going to heaven why does he worship the god thing?
I looked it up when I got home. He thinks he's not going to heaven however he will live forever in an earthly paradise.
Right, that makes sense. It's totally insane but I think I get the logic.
Here is the bullshit I found at Wikipedia:
I looked it up when I got home. He thinks he's not going to heaven however he will live forever in an earthly paradise.
Right, that makes sense. It's totally insane but I think I get the logic.
Here is the bullshit I found at Wikipedia:
The 'anointed'[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians go to heaven to rule with Christ in the kingdom of God. They, with Jesus, will also perform priestly duties that will bring faithful mankind to perfect health and 'everlasting life'.[14] They believe that most of those are already in heaven, and that the "remnant" at Revelation 12:17 (KJV) refers to those remaining alive on earth who will be immediately resurrected to heaven when they die. The Witnesses understand Jesus’ words at John 3:3—"except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God"—to apply to the 144,000 who are "born again" as "anointed" sons of God in heaven.[15] They teach that the New Testament, which they refer to as the Christian Greek Scriptures, is primarily directed to the 144,000, and by extension, to those associated with them.[16] They believe that the terms "Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16), "little flock" (Luke 12:32), "New Jerusalem," and "the bride, the Lamb's wife" (Revelation 21:2,9) in the New Testament also refer to the same group of "anointed" Christians.[17][18][19]
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that being 'anointed' involves a personal revelation by God's spirit which "gives positive assurance of adoption" to the individual alone.[20] Members who claim to be anointed are not given special treatment by other congregation members.[21] However, only those in the anointed class partake of the unleavened bread and wine at the yearly commemoration of Christ's death, or Memorial.
The 'other sheep' and the 'great crowd'[edit]
Watch Tower Society literature states that Jesus' use of the term "other sheep" in John 10:16 was intended to indicate that the majority of his followers were not part of the 144,000 and would have an earthly, rather than heavenly, hope.[22][23] In the resurrection, those who died faithful to God are included in the 'other sheep' and will receive the "resurrection of the righteous" ("just" KJV) mentioned in Acts 24:15.[24] Those who died without faithfully serving God will receive the "resurrection of the ... unrighteous" ("unjust" KJV). They will be given an opportunity to gain God's favor and join Jesus' 'other sheep' and live forever in an earthly paradise.[25][26] Individuals unfavorably judged by God are not resurrected, and are said to be in Gehenna, which they consider to be a metaphor for eternal destruction.[27] Those of the 'other sheep' who are alive today, some of whom survive through Armageddon without needing a resurrection, are referred to as the 'great crowd'.[28][29]
Scotland
Scotland, the U.K.’s northernmost country, is a land of mountain wildernesses such as the Cairngorms and Northwest Highlands, interspersed with glacial glens (valleys) and lochs (lakes). Its major cities are Edinburgh, the capital, with its iconic hilltop castle, and Glasgow, famed for its vibrant cultural scene. Scotland is also famous for golf, the game first played at the Old Course at St Andrews in the 1400s.
Capital: Edinburgh
National animal: Unicorn
Currency: Pound sterling
Idiot America has something called "Crackpot Central" also known as the "Christian Creationist Discovery Institute". These stupid fucking assholes are a big part of the Christian war against teaching evolution. This is where millions of American retards get all their anti-science bullshit to defend their childish magical creationism fantasy.
Discovery Institute
| The divine comedy Creationism |
 |
| Running gags |
| Jokes aside |
| Blooper reel |
 | This page contains too many unsourced statements and needs to be improved.
Discovery Institute could use some help. Please research the article's assertions. Whatever is credible should be sourced, and what is not should be removed.
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The Discovery Institute (DI, not in any way associated with the Discovery Channel) is a non-profit religious "think"-tank notoriousfamous for its attempts to get intelligent-design creationism taught in American schools. It has set out many of its goals in the Wedge Document (1999). Ironically, DI has its headquarters in liberal Seattle, Washington.
The Discovery Institute is behind the growing number of "Academic Freedom Acts" being introduced in various state legislatures across the United States with varying degrees of success. These "academic freedom" statutes represent a more sophisticated approach to sneaking creationism into public schools than those advanced by Discovery Institute fellow Wendell Bird in the 1980s (prior to the founding of the Discovery Institute in 1990) by omitting any references to creationism whatsoever. Instead, the Discovery Institute proposed language for a new breed of "Academic Freedom Acts" in 2007.[1] This proposed model "academic freedom" statute made its way into a number of bills in various states, such as that in Louisiana (passed in the Senate, died in the House), which would permit teachers "to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories pertinent to the course being taught". As such, the Discovery Institute significantly broadened its program of attempting to permit schools to "Teach the Controversy", going well beyond the Wedge Strategy (solely directed to intelligent-design creationism) to other politicized fields of science to which right-wingers object, such as climate change.
The Discovery Institute attempts to inject intelligent design creationism into secondary education through the publication of various creationist textbooks such as Of Pandas and People (1989, the subject of the Kitzmiller v. Dover trial of 2005). Pandas, written in part by Discovery Institute fellows William Dembski and Jonathan Wells, was re-titled The Design of Life: Discovering Signs of Intelligence in Biological Systems in 2007 - presumably in an attempt to duck the shame attendant on the original name following the Kitzmiller case. It remains in print at least as of 2009. The Discovery Institute published Explore Evolution: The Arguments For and Against Neo-Darwinism in 2007. The DI toutsrepresents the book as "the first biology textbook to present the scientific evidence both for and against key aspects of Darwinian evolution".[2]
Contents
[hide]In their own words[edit]
The Discovery Institute describes itself as follows[3]:
“”The point of view Discovery brings to its work includes a belief in God-given reason and the permanency of human nature; the principles of representative democracy and public service expounded by the American Founders; free market economics domestically and internationally; the social requirement to balance personal liberty with responsibility; the spirit of voluntarism crucial to civil society; the continuing validity of American international leadership; and the potential of science and technology to promote an improved future for individuals, families and communities.
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However the vast majority of the material on their homepage seems to be associated with intelligent design and evolution. Furthermore, in their defense of the Wedge Document they are happy to support the statements:
“”Discovery Institute's Center ... seeks nothing less than the overthrow of materialism and its cultural legacies.
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“”Discovery Institute's Center ... wants to reverse the stifling dominance of the materialistic worldview, and to replace it with a science consistent with Christian and theistic convictions.
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Global warming denial[edit]
In line with the extreme wingnuttery that usually accompanies creationism, the Discovery Institute demonstrated Gore's Law by endorsing Global warming denialism.[4]
Senior Fellows at the Discovery Institute[edit]
- Bruce Chapman: President of the Discovery Institute and Chairman of the Board[5].
- Michael Behe
- David Berlinski
- Paul Chien
- William Dembski
- David DeWolf
- Michael Egnor (writes for their newsletter/blog)
- Guillermo Gonzalez
- Michael Newton Keas
- Michael Medved
- Jay W Richards
- Wesley J. Smith
- Richard Weikart
- Jonathan Wells
- Benjamin Wiker
- Jonathan Witt
See also[edit]
This is from a New York Times editorial about President Fucktard Trump.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Trump didn't expect to get the president job and he didn't want the job. He was disappointed when he won despite the odds. His wife was also disappointed.
What we have here is a moron president who knew he wasn't qualified for the job and he didn't want the job. He was only interested in the free publicity for his celebrity clown job.
If Trump is not impeached he most certainly will be defeated in 2020 unless the Democrats nominate an anti-business socialist idiot.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Gail Collins is the best columnist in the universe. Nobody else comes close. What she wrote about President Fucktard Trump and the asshole Republicans who defend the moron.
New York Times
Opinion
Trump’s a Guy Who’s Tough to Defend
They’ve got better things to do in Dripping Springs.
By Gail Collins Opinion Columnist Feb. 27, 2019
So. Michael Cohen started off his testimony by declaring that the president of the United States was “a racist,” a “con man” and a “cheat.” The Republicans who were supposed to be grilling him responded by saying … um.
Well, mainly they complained that the hearing was happening. (“I am appalled. We could be focused on actual issues that are facing America, like border security.”)
Nobody jumped up and yelled: “A racist? How dare you call this man a racist?” To be fair, one Republican committee member did demur, and brought in a black government appointee to stand there and look diverse.
But you couldn’t say there were a lot of expressions of shock. Nobody announced having it on good authority that all those checks Cohen got from Trump were not reimbursements for the Stormy Daniels payoff, but rather anonymous donations to an orphanage.
The Republicans simply argued, over and over, that the whole thing was a dumb waste of time.
“I talked to my beautiful wife back in Dripping Springs, Tex., just before the hearing. I said, ‘Don’t bother watching,’” said Representative Chip Roy.
The hearing was before the House Oversight Committee, which is, of course, now under new Democratic control. Cohen showed the members a $35,000 check that he said the president gave him as a partial repayment for the Stormy Daniels payoff.
Nothing better than an evidence exhibit. But the public is so inured to Trump scandals now there’s almost no way to raise new excitement about Stormy’s sex-with-the-future-president story. Unless Cohen could have demonstrated that his then-boss wrote “hush money” on the check memo.
Nevertheless, there are always new things to be learned.
For instance, Cohen testified about Donald Trump Jr.’s role in the payoff deal. In passing, he said the president thought his son had “the worst judgment of anyone in the world.”
Wonder how Junior reacted to that? This was presumably before Ivanka, who’s supposed to be the bright one in the family, denounced the idea of a guaranteed minimum wage because she felt all Americans “want to work for what they get.”
Cohen claimed that in all his years of serving as Trump’s hatchet man he never once heard his boss “say anything in private that led me to believe that he loved our nation or wanted to make it better.”
That could have been a cue for Republicans to offer up a multitude of examples to the contrary. But for the most part, all we got was one white male representative after another announcing that Cohen had to be ignored because he’s due to go to “prison for lying.”
Almost everybody who knows Donald Trump appears to be going to prison for lying. Or is awaiting sentencing for lying. Or is facing charges of lying. If you are a Donald Trump intimate and the federal authorities come calling, be careful to tell the truth. Or move to Papua New Guinea.
Even for the most jaded Trump watcher, there were parts of the Cohen testimony worth discussing. For instance, he said Trump threatened legal action to make sure his old high school, colleges and the College Board kept his grades and SAT score secret.
Certainly not a surprise that Trump doesn’t want to publicize the details of his academic career. But still a great question to keep harping on, if only because it will drive him completely nuts. Maybe every day the House Democrats could make a speech about it on the floor. And introduce a C student with a sense of humor who could announce he’s proud to be following in the presidential footsteps of intellectual mediocrity.
Cohen testified that Trump had him going back and forth with Forbes magazine in an attempt to get a good spot on the Wealthiest list. While simultaneously trying to push down the income he reported for tax purposes. Let’s hope the Democrats use it as another lever to get their hands on those tax returns. Truly that would be a development even better than calling Donald Jr. to testify about his role in the Cohen payments and his father’s assessment of his judgment.
We certainly know that Cohen is not … perfect. After all, he spent 12 years as Trump’s lawyer. Representative Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the committee, even brought up Women for Cohen, an account put up to promote his little-known role as a “sex symbol.”
But Cohen made a pretty good witness, looking appropriately miserable and answering questions convincingly, with some balance. He told the lawmakers rumors about a mystery tape showing Trump hitting his wife in an elevator were untrue and “in my opinion that’s not something he would do.” On the other hand, he said Trump did make him call Melania and lie about the Stormy Daniels unpleasantness.
While all this was going on, the president was in Asia, dining with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Previous negotiations with Kim have produced monster publicity and very little in the way of nuclear disarmament.
Nevertheless, Trump seems to believe this may get him a Nobel Peace Prize. He really seems to want that a lot. Maybe if the Nobel committee offered to trade it for his tax returns …
RELATED
Opinion | Michelle Cottle: Regrets, Michael Cohen Has a Few Feb. 27, 2019
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: ‘He Is a Racist, He Is a Con Man, and He Is a Cheat’ Feb. 27, 2019
Opinion | Peter Wehner: Republicans Sink Further Into Trump’s Cesspool Feb. 27, 2019
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Gail Collins is an Op-Ed columnist, a former member of the editorial board and was the first woman to serve as Times editorial page editor, from 2001 to 2007. @GailCollins • Facebook
A version of this article appears in print on Feb. 27, 2019, on Page A27 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump’s a Guy Who’s Tough To Defend.
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Opinion
Trump’s a Guy Who’s Tough to Defend
They’ve got better things to do in Dripping Springs.
By Gail Collins Opinion Columnist Feb. 27, 2019
So. Michael Cohen started off his testimony by declaring that the president of the United States was “a racist,” a “con man” and a “cheat.” The Republicans who were supposed to be grilling him responded by saying … um.
Well, mainly they complained that the hearing was happening. (“I am appalled. We could be focused on actual issues that are facing America, like border security.”)
Nobody jumped up and yelled: “A racist? How dare you call this man a racist?” To be fair, one Republican committee member did demur, and brought in a black government appointee to stand there and look diverse.
But you couldn’t say there were a lot of expressions of shock. Nobody announced having it on good authority that all those checks Cohen got from Trump were not reimbursements for the Stormy Daniels payoff, but rather anonymous donations to an orphanage.
The Republicans simply argued, over and over, that the whole thing was a dumb waste of time.
“I talked to my beautiful wife back in Dripping Springs, Tex., just before the hearing. I said, ‘Don’t bother watching,’” said Representative Chip Roy.
The hearing was before the House Oversight Committee, which is, of course, now under new Democratic control. Cohen showed the members a $35,000 check that he said the president gave him as a partial repayment for the Stormy Daniels payoff.
Nothing better than an evidence exhibit. But the public is so inured to Trump scandals now there’s almost no way to raise new excitement about Stormy’s sex-with-the-future-president story. Unless Cohen could have demonstrated that his then-boss wrote “hush money” on the check memo.
Nevertheless, there are always new things to be learned.
For instance, Cohen testified about Donald Trump Jr.’s role in the payoff deal. In passing, he said the president thought his son had “the worst judgment of anyone in the world.”
Wonder how Junior reacted to that? This was presumably before Ivanka, who’s supposed to be the bright one in the family, denounced the idea of a guaranteed minimum wage because she felt all Americans “want to work for what they get.”
Cohen claimed that in all his years of serving as Trump’s hatchet man he never once heard his boss “say anything in private that led me to believe that he loved our nation or wanted to make it better.”
That could have been a cue for Republicans to offer up a multitude of examples to the contrary. But for the most part, all we got was one white male representative after another announcing that Cohen had to be ignored because he’s due to go to “prison for lying.”
Almost everybody who knows Donald Trump appears to be going to prison for lying. Or is awaiting sentencing for lying. Or is facing charges of lying. If you are a Donald Trump intimate and the federal authorities come calling, be careful to tell the truth. Or move to Papua New Guinea.
Even for the most jaded Trump watcher, there were parts of the Cohen testimony worth discussing. For instance, he said Trump threatened legal action to make sure his old high school, colleges and the College Board kept his grades and SAT score secret.
Certainly not a surprise that Trump doesn’t want to publicize the details of his academic career. But still a great question to keep harping on, if only because it will drive him completely nuts. Maybe every day the House Democrats could make a speech about it on the floor. And introduce a C student with a sense of humor who could announce he’s proud to be following in the presidential footsteps of intellectual mediocrity.
Cohen testified that Trump had him going back and forth with Forbes magazine in an attempt to get a good spot on the Wealthiest list. While simultaneously trying to push down the income he reported for tax purposes. Let’s hope the Democrats use it as another lever to get their hands on those tax returns. Truly that would be a development even better than calling Donald Jr. to testify about his role in the Cohen payments and his father’s assessment of his judgment.
We certainly know that Cohen is not … perfect. After all, he spent 12 years as Trump’s lawyer. Representative Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the committee, even brought up Women for Cohen, an account put up to promote his little-known role as a “sex symbol.”
But Cohen made a pretty good witness, looking appropriately miserable and answering questions convincingly, with some balance. He told the lawmakers rumors about a mystery tape showing Trump hitting his wife in an elevator were untrue and “in my opinion that’s not something he would do.” On the other hand, he said Trump did make him call Melania and lie about the Stormy Daniels unpleasantness.
While all this was going on, the president was in Asia, dining with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Previous negotiations with Kim have produced monster publicity and very little in the way of nuclear disarmament.
Nevertheless, Trump seems to believe this may get him a Nobel Peace Prize. He really seems to want that a lot. Maybe if the Nobel committee offered to trade it for his tax returns …
RELATED
Opinion | Michelle Cottle: Regrets, Michael Cohen Has a Few Feb. 27, 2019
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: ‘He Is a Racist, He Is a Con Man, and He Is a Cheat’ Feb. 27, 2019
Opinion | Peter Wehner: Republicans Sink Further Into Trump’s Cesspool Feb. 27, 2019
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Gail Collins is an Op-Ed columnist, a former member of the editorial board and was the first woman to serve as Times editorial page editor, from 2001 to 2007. @GailCollins • Facebook
A version of this article appears in print on Feb. 27, 2019, on Page A27 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump’s a Guy Who’s Tough To Defend.
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Christianity is brain damage.
This bullshit is typical in Idiot America. What a stupid fucking asshole. This fucking moron is insane. He's a fucking terrorist. Christians should be put in prison.
I never met a Christian who wasn't a stupid fucking asshole.
"Jesus is God, and the evidence is the Bible."
"Jesus loves you and wants to bless your life freely. Most of all, Jesus wants you with Him forever, and not in hell. The truth is that every belief except one will lead to eternal torment in the lake of fire for every person. Because nothing pays for our sins except the death and blood of Jesus, the sacrifice of Jesus that is already accomplished by Him. Jesus loves you! The truth is that Jesus is God, and Jesus died on the cross to pay for all of our sins in full, and then Jesus resurrected from the dead. Nothing else pays for our sins, not works, not deeds, not religions. So the only way to heaven and to avoid hell, is by believing in Jesus for eternal life (John 6:47), without adding any of your own works (Romans 4:5). Believe in Jesus to take you to heaven, and you will be in heaven, no matter what, guaranteed. That easy, thanks to Jesus! Tell Jesus that you thank Him that you will be with Him in heaven when you die, because you believe in Jesus! It is too late to be saved, after death."
I never met a Christian who wasn't a stupid fucking asshole.
"Jesus is God, and the evidence is the Bible."
"Jesus loves you and wants to bless your life freely. Most of all, Jesus wants you with Him forever, and not in hell. The truth is that every belief except one will lead to eternal torment in the lake of fire for every person. Because nothing pays for our sins except the death and blood of Jesus, the sacrifice of Jesus that is already accomplished by Him. Jesus loves you! The truth is that Jesus is God, and Jesus died on the cross to pay for all of our sins in full, and then Jesus resurrected from the dead. Nothing else pays for our sins, not works, not deeds, not religions. So the only way to heaven and to avoid hell, is by believing in Jesus for eternal life (John 6:47), without adding any of your own works (Romans 4:5). Believe in Jesus to take you to heaven, and you will be in heaven, no matter what, guaranteed. That easy, thanks to Jesus! Tell Jesus that you thank Him that you will be with Him in heaven when you die, because you believe in Jesus! It is too late to be saved, after death."
Everything you always wanted to know about Jordan, also known as the "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan".
Why am I writing a post about Jordan?
Because I just played chess with someone who lives there, and I like to look things up.
Why is Jordan called the Hashemite Kingdom?
Jordan is called The Hashemite Kingdom, because it is ruled by the Hashemite dynasty, which claims descent from the Islamic prophet, Mohammed. The Hashemite dynasty itself is named after Mohammed's great grandfather, Hashim.
Jordan
Country in the Middle East
Jordan, an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River, is defined by ancient monuments, nature reserves and seaside resorts. It’s home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabatean capital dating to around 300 B.C. Set in a narrow valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs, Petra earns its nickname, the "Rose City."
Capital: Amman
Currency: Jordanian dinar
Continent: Asia
Wikipedia - Jordan
Jordan is a relatively small, semi-arid, almost landlocked country with an area of 89,342 km2 (34,495 sq mi) and a population numbering 10 million, making it the 11th-most populous Arab country. Sunni Islam, practiced by around 95% of the population, is the dominant religion in Jordan and coexists with an indigenous Christian minority. Jordan has been repeatedly referred to as an "oasis of stability" in a turbulent region. It has been mostly unscathed by the violence that swept the region following the Arab Spring in 2010.[11] From as early as 1948, Jordan has accepted refugees from multiple neighbouring countries in conflict. An estimated 2.1 million Palestinian and 1.4 million Syrian refugees are present in Jordan as of a 2015 census.[3] The kingdom is also a refuge to thousands of Iraqi Christians fleeing persecution by ISIL.[12] While Jordan continues to accept refugees, the recent large influx from Syria placed substantial strain on national resources and infrastructure.[13]
Jordan is classified as a country of "high human development" with an "upper middle income" economy. The Jordanian economy, one of the smallest economies in the region, is attractive to foreign investors based upon a skilled workforce.[14] The country is a major tourist destination, also attracting medical tourism due to its well developed health sector.[15] Nonetheless, a lack of natural resources, large flow of refugees and regional turmoil have hampered economic growth.[16]
The oldest evidence of hominid habitation in Jordan dates back at least 200,000 years.[21] Jordan is rich in Paleolithic (up to 20,000 years ago) remains due to its location within the Levant where expansions of hominids out of Africa converged.[22] Past lakeshore environments attracted different hominids, and several remains of tools have been found from this period.[22] The world's oldest evidence of bread-making was found in a 14,500 years old Natufian site in Jordan's northeastern desert.[23] The transition from hunter-gatherer to establishing populous agricultural villages occurred during the Neolithic period (10,000–4,500 BC).[24] 'Ain Ghazal, one such village located in today's eastern Amman, is one of the largest known prehistoric settlements in the Near East.[25] Dozens of plaster statues of the human form dating to 7250 BC were uncovered there and they are among the oldest ever found.[26] Other than the usual Chalcolithic (4500–3600 BC) villages such as Tulaylet Ghassul in the Jordan Valley,[27] a series of circular stone enclosures in the eastern basalt desert−whose purpose remains uncertain–have baffled archaeologists.[28]
Because I just played chess with someone who lives there, and I like to look things up.
Why is Jordan called the Hashemite Kingdom?
Jordan is called The Hashemite Kingdom, because it is ruled by the Hashemite dynasty, which claims descent from the Islamic prophet, Mohammed. The Hashemite dynasty itself is named after Mohammed's great grandfather, Hashim.
Jordan
Country in the Middle East
Jordan, an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River, is defined by ancient monuments, nature reserves and seaside resorts. It’s home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabatean capital dating to around 300 B.C. Set in a narrow valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs, Petra earns its nickname, the "Rose City."
Capital: Amman
Currency: Jordanian dinar
Continent: Asia
Wikipedia - Jordan
Jordan is a relatively small, semi-arid, almost landlocked country with an area of 89,342 km2 (34,495 sq mi) and a population numbering 10 million, making it the 11th-most populous Arab country. Sunni Islam, practiced by around 95% of the population, is the dominant religion in Jordan and coexists with an indigenous Christian minority. Jordan has been repeatedly referred to as an "oasis of stability" in a turbulent region. It has been mostly unscathed by the violence that swept the region following the Arab Spring in 2010.[11] From as early as 1948, Jordan has accepted refugees from multiple neighbouring countries in conflict. An estimated 2.1 million Palestinian and 1.4 million Syrian refugees are present in Jordan as of a 2015 census.[3] The kingdom is also a refuge to thousands of Iraqi Christians fleeing persecution by ISIL.[12] While Jordan continues to accept refugees, the recent large influx from Syria placed substantial strain on national resources and infrastructure.[13]
Jordan is classified as a country of "high human development" with an "upper middle income" economy. The Jordanian economy, one of the smallest economies in the region, is attractive to foreign investors based upon a skilled workforce.[14] The country is a major tourist destination, also attracting medical tourism due to its well developed health sector.[15] Nonetheless, a lack of natural resources, large flow of refugees and regional turmoil have hampered economic growth.[16]
The oldest evidence of hominid habitation in Jordan dates back at least 200,000 years.[21] Jordan is rich in Paleolithic (up to 20,000 years ago) remains due to its location within the Levant where expansions of hominids out of Africa converged.[22] Past lakeshore environments attracted different hominids, and several remains of tools have been found from this period.[22] The world's oldest evidence of bread-making was found in a 14,500 years old Natufian site in Jordan's northeastern desert.[23] The transition from hunter-gatherer to establishing populous agricultural villages occurred during the Neolithic period (10,000–4,500 BC).[24] 'Ain Ghazal, one such village located in today's eastern Amman, is one of the largest known prehistoric settlements in the Near East.[25] Dozens of plaster statues of the human form dating to 7250 BC were uncovered there and they are among the oldest ever found.[26] Other than the usual Chalcolithic (4500–3600 BC) villages such as Tulaylet Ghassul in the Jordan Valley,[27] a series of circular stone enclosures in the eastern basalt desert−whose purpose remains uncertain–have baffled archaeologists.[28]
 |
| Queen Rania of Jordan is greeted by refugees and migrants during her visit to Kara Tepe |
My favorite quote about chess.
"Winning or losing is not the main idea of chess at all. A chess game is in fact a friendly exchange of intentions, hidden in individual moves. You always have the choice either of putting into action your planned move, or of first calmly preventing the intended move of the friend with whom you are playing chess in this brief, finite moment of your life."
I play chess at https://lichess.org/ which is free, zero ads. Wealthy people pay the bills.
I never have to wait more than a few seconds to get an opponent. After the game in less than 2 minutes I can get a free computer analysis of what I did wrong and what I did right.
My opponents have been from almost every country in the world. We are all friends because we share a love for chess.
Lichess.org has websites for almost every country in the world and for other things. These websites are called "teams". My favorite is the atheist team.
What somebody wrote there:
The US, UK, and some Latin American countries seem to be secularizing at a rapid pace, and I expect these places will resemble mainland Europe in 30 years.
There are some logistical problems facing atheists though in the long term. Fact of the matter is, religious parents have more kids. Because of this, the spread of atheism is mostly caused by conversions. Radicalized religious followers are aware of this and are increasingly taking measures to brainwash their kids more heavily to prevent them from losing their faith later in life, and what we're seeing is a polarization in society. The moderately religious are disappearing, becoming atheists over time, and the radically religious are becoming MORE radically religious, and are becoming a larger percentage of the religious population... and there should be some concern paid to this.
In particular, Islam poses a major existential roadblock towards the secularization of the planet. Because this religion punishes apostasy with death, it retains and controls its members through fear much more effectively.
I play chess at https://lichess.org/ which is free, zero ads. Wealthy people pay the bills.
I never have to wait more than a few seconds to get an opponent. After the game in less than 2 minutes I can get a free computer analysis of what I did wrong and what I did right.
My opponents have been from almost every country in the world. We are all friends because we share a love for chess.
Lichess.org has websites for almost every country in the world and for other things. These websites are called "teams". My favorite is the atheist team.
What somebody wrote there:
The US, UK, and some Latin American countries seem to be secularizing at a rapid pace, and I expect these places will resemble mainland Europe in 30 years.
There are some logistical problems facing atheists though in the long term. Fact of the matter is, religious parents have more kids. Because of this, the spread of atheism is mostly caused by conversions. Radicalized religious followers are aware of this and are increasingly taking measures to brainwash their kids more heavily to prevent them from losing their faith later in life, and what we're seeing is a polarization in society. The moderately religious are disappearing, becoming atheists over time, and the radically religious are becoming MORE radically religious, and are becoming a larger percentage of the religious population... and there should be some concern paid to this.
In particular, Islam poses a major existential roadblock towards the secularization of the planet. Because this religion punishes apostasy with death, it retains and controls its members through fear much more effectively.
What somebody else wrote about the magic god fairy and the morons who think it's real. I'm adding this to my list of favorite quotes.
Not one atheist I know asks for evidence of God.
And since there is actually no evidence for the existence of any gods, any "evidence" presented is invalid.
What evidence do you have for God?
The Bible is not evidence.
People's beliefs are not evidence.
"But what else could create the universe/world/life" is not evidence.
-- poldi2
And since there is actually no evidence for the existence of any gods, any "evidence" presented is invalid.
What evidence do you have for God?
The Bible is not evidence.
People's beliefs are not evidence.
"But what else could create the universe/world/life" is not evidence.
-- poldi2
Christians belong in prison.
Brainwashing children to suck up the dead Magic Jeebus Man is child abuse. The child abusers belong in prison.
Without this child abuse the Christian death cult would go extinct. Christian scum know this. They know if they let their victims grow up before the brainwashing, their sons and daughters would never buy the bullshit.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
Imagine a Christianity Without Indoctrination
Suppose we re-categorized Christianity as an adult activity. It would be like smoking, alcohol, voting, driving, sex, marriage, and (in some states) pot—things that you must be mature enough to handle wisely.
How long would this adults-only Christianity survive? My guess is that, starved of its primary source of new members, it would die out within a few generations.
We all have inside us what could be called a BS Detector—that common sense that helps us believe as many true things and reject as many false things as possible. For example, present most American adults with a case for Islam or Hinduism or Sikhism, and they will be extraordinarily unconvinced in the same way that claims for miracle cures, alien abduction stories, and great deals on swamp land in Florida would typically be rejected.
As adults, we’re far better at sifting truth from BS than we were as children. And that’s why Christians must be indoctrinated as children, before their BS Detectors are mature. This is the idea behind the Jesuit maxim, “Give me a child until the age of seven and I will give you the man.”
(The full version ends with “… but give me the man, and he will say, ‘Dude, are you insane? Who would believe that??’”)
Getting a 50-year-old who’s never smoked hooked on cigarettes is like getting a 50-year-old who’s never heard of Jesus hooked on Christianity. It’s possible in both cases, but it’s far easier when you make the appeal early in life.
Imagine this conversation between the father of a 6-year-old child and the grandmother.
Grandma: “Little Johnny is old enough for me to take to Sunday School now.”
Dad: “You can take him when he’s 18, but I’d prefer he stay out of church until then.”
Grandma: “But 18 is too late! By then he’ll be set in his ways. He won’t accept the truth then.”
What kind of “truth” is it that must be taught before people are mature, before their BS Detectors are fully functioning? Grandma realizes that only before someone’s BS Detector is operating correctly can the beliefs of religion be put into someone’s head. This is a very poor stand-in for truth.
Many Christians will agree that Christianity needs access to immature minds to survive. But what does this say about the evidence behind the Christian claim that God exists?
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—
and you are the easiest person to fool.
— Richard Feynman
Without this child abuse the Christian death cult would go extinct. Christian scum know this. They know if they let their victims grow up before the brainwashing, their sons and daughters would never buy the bullshit.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
Imagine a Christianity Without Indoctrination
Suppose we re-categorized Christianity as an adult activity. It would be like smoking, alcohol, voting, driving, sex, marriage, and (in some states) pot—things that you must be mature enough to handle wisely.
How long would this adults-only Christianity survive? My guess is that, starved of its primary source of new members, it would die out within a few generations.
We all have inside us what could be called a BS Detector—that common sense that helps us believe as many true things and reject as many false things as possible. For example, present most American adults with a case for Islam or Hinduism or Sikhism, and they will be extraordinarily unconvinced in the same way that claims for miracle cures, alien abduction stories, and great deals on swamp land in Florida would typically be rejected.
As adults, we’re far better at sifting truth from BS than we were as children. And that’s why Christians must be indoctrinated as children, before their BS Detectors are mature. This is the idea behind the Jesuit maxim, “Give me a child until the age of seven and I will give you the man.”
(The full version ends with “… but give me the man, and he will say, ‘Dude, are you insane? Who would believe that??’”)
Getting a 50-year-old who’s never smoked hooked on cigarettes is like getting a 50-year-old who’s never heard of Jesus hooked on Christianity. It’s possible in both cases, but it’s far easier when you make the appeal early in life.
Imagine this conversation between the father of a 6-year-old child and the grandmother.
Grandma: “Little Johnny is old enough for me to take to Sunday School now.”
Dad: “You can take him when he’s 18, but I’d prefer he stay out of church until then.”
Grandma: “But 18 is too late! By then he’ll be set in his ways. He won’t accept the truth then.”
What kind of “truth” is it that must be taught before people are mature, before their BS Detectors are fully functioning? Grandma realizes that only before someone’s BS Detector is operating correctly can the beliefs of religion be put into someone’s head. This is a very poor stand-in for truth.
Many Christians will agree that Christianity needs access to immature minds to survive. But what does this say about the evidence behind the Christian claim that God exists?
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—
and you are the easiest person to fool.
— Richard Feynman
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