I was raised fundamentalist Christian, with my Dad quitting his job as a civil engineer to become a full-time Presbyterian minister. I will forever suffer from some degree of cognitive dissonance, since my baked in value system often runs counter to what I know to be reality. I was heavily indoctrinated with young earth creationism, noahs ark, and the rest of the Judeo-Christian mythology.

@Satch

I was raised Catholic which comes with it's own baggage. Evolution and allegorical interpretations fine but the pointed hat authoritarian is like a mini God. Everyday we swore allegiance to the flag and then the church

I HATE "religion". That's why I'm a follower of Jesus.

Well, an awful lot of the people who end up here via SLUG are typically the types to be drawn to a name like that ...
This started and still can be joined through IDW (Intellectual Dark Web) which attracts people that seem to be of a higher mental calibre and capacity generally.

@Bay0Wulf Elitist are we?

@TyKC
Oh ... now its “Elitist” to prefer to engage in civil discourse with people capable of doing so?
Well then, YUP ... I guess I fit into your version of the word.

@Bay0Wulf Is there actually anyone on this site who believes they are not capable of civil discourse? Who decides who is capable of civil discourse? You?

@TyKC
I don’t know what other people “believe they are...” capable of.
Further, I don’t care.

If they engage in discourse in a civil manner, I will on occasion engage in return.

Who decides what constitutes “civil discourse”?
Well, outside of the fact that there really does exist a “standard”, the answer is, for Me ... as far as I’m concerned ... Yes, I AM the Final Arbiter.

That doesn’t mean people aren’t “allowed” to post garbage. It simply means I don’t need to waste MY time on it.

I took it as a joke. What? Don't you have a sense of humor?

@JoeArrow Yes, I do have a sense of humor. I also know humor when I hear it or see it, that was not humor, it was a provocation. It was posted with the main purpose of getting a rise out of someone; well, it got a rise out of me. I am also certain that the fool got a rise out of God, He laughed, not at the cretin's foolish statement but the fool.

@JoeArrow Freudian slip I presume.

@rompinron1952 Freudian slip? No. A careful reading of his post rules that out. "Is this an ACTUAL free speech forum for people with real opinions?" This was a person sticking their big toe into the water to see if it might be a little too hot for him. The water, it turns out, was rather tepid, so he will feel quite comfortable in his foolish and slanderous remarks. Though he feels quite safe today and comfortable in his environment, it would be wiser on his part to look forward to a day that is coming when he will be begging for mercy and none shall be forthcoming. Just saying.

@lawrenceblair How do you know? God tell you?

@JoeArrow In defense of @lawrenceblair, the author of the post says in another comment that he was raised a "fundamentalist Christian," so he must know that using the name of Jesus as a form of exclamation in the way he did -- almost like a swear word -- is considered blasphemous by Christians. And he must also have known that calling Jesus a "bastard child" in the process would be seen as offensive as well. So, no one needs to have any special knowledge in order to arrive at the conclusion that he was attempting to be provocative. In fact, one doesn't really even need to know the author's claimed background. All one needs is a basic knowledge of the way his words were used in the context in which he used them. His question that immediately followed this exclamation, "Is this an ACTUAL free speech forum for people with real opinions?," can easily be seen, then, as basically asking, "If this is a real place for free speech, can I get away with saying the provocative thing I just said?"

This is apparently the way @lawrenceblair understood the author's words, and it is the way I understood them as well. I just didn't bother to respond directly to them because I saw them essentially as trolling, and I usually just ignore such things. It’s not that I don't find the words as offensive as @lawrenceblair finds them to be. I do. I just typically prefer not to waste time engaging with someone who likes to start conversations that way. I don't typically find them very interested in really listening to what others of an opposing point of view might have to say.

@KeithThroop "it got a rise out of me. I am also certain that the fool got a rise out of God, "
I was simply asking how he was certain that it got a "rise out of God" Did God tell him? So freedom of speech has an asterisk if it gets a rise out of a "fundamentalist Christian".

@JoeArrow The jerk has a right to say anything he pleases. So do I! I believe in freedom of speech, I also believe in the right to answer idiots! Is that clear enough. Your attitude seems to be that fools have the right to speak and their foolishness not be called on it. Why are you upset with me if that is not the case? Just asking.

@lawrenceblair You never answered my question. Did God tell you?

@JoeArrow No, my knowledge and common sense told me. By merely asking such a nonsensical question you reveal a lot about yourself. But I see no need to go into that at this time.

@lawrenceblair it's a logical question. We have a different view of what's nonsensical. I reveal that I don't share you're beliefs.

@Nealjoe "I reveal that I don't share your beliefs." No problem. I don't share yours either. Now, about the issue; the question coming from him is nonsensical because it is coming from a person who has a belief that I am some kind of fundamentalist hanging about in the woods twirling snakes. From him, it was not a question but a slam. Seems logical to me.

@Nealjoe "You never answered my question. Did God tell you?"

Answer: Yes. It's in the bible.

@ everyone else:
Free speach means you're allowed to say what you want, so long as it doesn't cause real damages to someone's character, reputation, or livelihood. That means idiots get their soapbox and people can refute their claims.

As for the original post. It was meant to ruffle feathers. Theirs no sense in saying otherwise. I found it offensive but, the only one you really have to answer to is Jesus himself. Good luck with that meeting.

@MichelleD Thank for the answer to a question that I asked somebody else. The Bible is written word. You didn't hear the voice of God. Did you? Some of us don't believe in Jeebus, so we know we won't have to answer to him. When the time comes of my impending death, the oxygen will leave my brain and I will...fade to black.

@Nealjoe what a depressing thought

@Nealjoe You wish.

@lawrenceblair No I actually wish there was a hereafter. Sadly there is not.

@Nealjoe How do you know?

@lawrenceblair You believe what you want to believe and I'll believe what I believe. It's unprovable in either case.

No, I generally don't post anything vulgar. I was just dipping my toes in the water, so to speak.

Sorry, do you need a safe space?

@JacksonNought
No JN simply pointing out that the world needs fewer people like ... you ... for instance.
Of course, that's simply my opinion.
As to a need for “Safe Spaces” is concerned, since you brought them up it seems they dwell in your mind ...

Personally I enjoy being immersed in the thick of the fray I just find that people who lapse into vulgarity ... especially with derogatory religious context ... especially for shock value ... to have relatively weak minds.
Therefore it leaves me unwilling to engage because I find it No Sport to Engage in a Battle of the Wits with an Unarmed Opponent.

@Bay0Wulf well fuck me sideways. you speak for the world? Damn. That's a hell of a position. The thing about free speech is that its free to be expressed in whatever form or manner that a person deems fit. Please. Just because you are sitting in a high chair, at the adult table, doesn't mean that you in fact have something more important to say then the next person. If you don't appreciate it, move along and find another post. It's that simple. If you are going to engage, engage not by claiming intellectual superiority, but by wielding it.

@Wolak
Nope ... wouldn’t fuck you any “ways” ...
Not even with Your Own Dick.
(Literally Speaking with all due Intellectual Superiority Attached Thereto...)

@Wolak "well fuck me sideways. you speak for the world? Damn. That's a hell of a position. The thing about free speech is that its free to be expressed in whatever form or manner that a person deems fit. Please. Just because you are sitting in a high chair, at the adult table, doesn't mean that you in fact have something more important to say then the next person. If you don't appreciate it, move along and find another post. It's that simple. If you are going to engage, engage not by claiming intellectual superiority, but by wielding it."

So you can say whatever you want but he can't? Let me know how that works... after you're done getting fucked sideways that is.

Blasphemy! Ooooh!

I wouldn't call it blasphemy, since its pretty much what orthodox Christians actually believe.

@Satch, @JoeArrow - You miss my point. It doesn´t matter if I think that Satch´s comment is blasphemous - none of us here have ever been Christians so we don´t have a dog in the fight - what matters is that ´Satch´evidently feels that what he said is blasphamous. Having a platform like Slug is a great gift to all of us, Snatch finally has freedom of speech and all ´Snatch´has sloshing around in his brain is a statement that he hopes will be offensive to someone. Of all the things he could have said, the best he could come up with is the sort of thing a ten year might say at the back of an RE class. The thing that really worries me is that he might actually think that he has expressed a ´real´opinion. @joearrow - you are absolutely right, in a nutshell yes - Christian doctrine does implicitly say that Jesus Christ was illegitimate as does the Talmud. Although, the geneologies in the ´gospels´attributed to Luke and Matthew are based on the idea that Joeseph was the physical father of Jesus - so there´s a bit of confusion there!

I was banned from Facebook/Instagram for my right wing 'views'. Twitter has shadow banned me also. It's hard being right wing these days.

GOD knows why

We have some hard core Leftists here who are determined to stay for whatever reason.
I tend to take them on and “call them” on their crap.
Mostly, once we figure out what they are, we tend to ignore them.
I don’t know of anybody who has been “banned for content” from here but I have completely “blocked” a few however,

We all have a “block” feature where we can selectively block everything coming from an individual.

"who are determined to stay for whatever reason..."

I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was a site only for Conservatives. Are we encroaching on your safe space echo chamber?

@JacksonNought
Oh ... No!!!
Not at ALL!!!

I simply enjoy making mockery of the crap you ... and other morons ... like to post.

Of ... twitter?
I don’t think that’s accurate but then, I never cared for twitter and the way it worked to begin with.

And in the best way!