And the “cultured bloke” thing! Cultured is a pretty relative quality. I imagine you could quite easilly delude yourself that you’re cultured living in Stratford. Get to New York, Paris or even Wellington and you could quite quickly find that you’re a bit of a hick. That’s because we all osmose our environment, and osmosing Stratford isn’t likely to turn you into Kenneth Clarke. And have you seen their bloody clock tower. It’s so embarrassing – the whole try-hard Shakespeare thing. What is it about small towns clutching at straws to get an identity.

Agri-christian, get down on your sorry knees and ask forgiveness for your arogance, ignorance, corniness and vanity.

And hey, it’s an american film, so he does get some in the end. Just a little spoiler to get you interested.

It’s kind of full of dick jokes, but you’re completely represented as the kind of guy who doesn’t appreciate them. It sort of makes out the other guys who aren’t virgins to be cursed with problems, and also wankers, so there’s got to be chord for you.

I do have to ask, are you a collector of any kind?

The only reason I can see for posting the entire article here is to ridicule with bells on. The article is much easier to read on the original site because of much better layout and formatting.

This Kiwiblog site has posted enough graphically offensive material that I read it with a browser that has the images turned off.

Um sorry, I am not owned by a supernatural being, and until some supernatural being asserts control over me directly and not through some other human, I’ll defer to personal sovereignty thank you.

“but what you describe was reality in New Zealand only 50 years ago.”

The weakest defence for anything is because “we always did it that way”. I agree people should respect each other, respect their lives and choices and that means you getting out of the way of consenting gay adults. Leave peaceful people alone AJ – then we can agree on something, that it is not your business to police how others run their lives as long as they respect the same right.

“I don’t think I would support legislating against heresy. But I probably would support legislating for respect, a virtue that permeates and transcends any and every religious dogma.”

You don’t THINK? Oh how gracious of you to defer to freedom of religion. You support legislating against blasphemy, which is not far different – the right to say that Christianity is nonsense. That is a right I want, the right to express an opinion that others find offensive. What does legislating “for respect”? How would you police that? How do YOU know what respect is for others, since you show little respect for gay and lesbian people living their lives in peace? Respect is about having an open mind and not assuming what or who people are and giving them the benefit of the doubt – it also means letting peaceful people live their lives. Your politics shows you want the state to force quite the opposite. You want to throw some in prison, not for hurting anyone else but because it offends your view of respecting THEMSELVES. In other words, a victimless crime, with you as the defining superdaddy of everyone.

“I thank God that conservatives breed far more proficiently than liberals, and pray that we have learnt from the 1960s and that sort of thing never happens again…”
We are not born Christians or conservatives AJ –it is something that is a choice, it requires people to do the one thing that separates humans from most other creatures – think. You have continuously put up straw men about respect and the state needing to use violence against people who have hurt no one, other than your own personal morality. Until someone touches you, or does something on your property that you disapprove of, it is none of your business. Morality does exist outside of any religious framework because it is rational and it is critical for survival.

Tell me how bad a world it would be if nobody initiated violence (I don’t mean consensual activity like boxing) or stole or defrauded? You would find a far better place if people concentrated on resisting violence, theft and fraud. Whether someone tells a joke about penises is pitifully irrelevant, when every few seconds someone somewhere is murdered and every second someone is raped.

AJ you, at best, know how you want people to treat you and act around you. Which is what respect is for you. Respect for me is something different from you in some, same in others (I’m sure neither of us want to be robbed).

Yes, ‘depravity’ has always been around. But I was talking about prudishness, an equally ancient idea. The two go hand in hand since it is your prudish standards that define what you consider to be depraved.

What is more modern is to tell people like you to get stuffed. Of course you prefer the more ancient time.

Your last 6 paragraphs are pure ad hominem. I see this as a sign that something is getting through, since it breaks your pattern of unfailing politeness. Now we get to see if the pattern of endless obtuseness will continue, or have you finally had enough of swimming against the tide? That’s a dick joke all by itself.

Right now I am feeling my patience tested in the extreme like never before. It is very hard to try my patience but you guys are being very successful…

Please don’t kill me.

Right now I am feeling my patience tested in the extreme like never before. It is very hard to try my patience but you guys are being very successful…

And if you think mine are the ideas that are in the past you really need to study history. It would give you perspective that is sorely needed. Sexual infidelity has lurked in the depraved corners of human existence ever since ever…

So ignorant… I can’t believe it… You guys are seriously ignorant with your “Christian” this and “Bible” that…

If you ever hear a message that challenges you morally you think you can’t just call it “religious” and escape into mind-numbing self-indulgence land…

I can’t believe you are calling ME obtuse…

You must be so terribly perverse to enjoy wasting peoples’ time like this again and again, spieling out crap that you expect to be taken seriously just because all your friends are doing it…

I thank God that conservatives breed far more proficiently than liberals, and pray that we have learnt from the 1960s and that sort of thing never happens again…

You guys are so marred it’s beyond belief…

So do you propose we do away with our judicial system and just live in anarchy?

I’m not proposing that, but then again, I’m not a Christian. I don’t have to base my entire life around a bunch of absurd, mistranslated bronze age superstitions.

address my argument point by point.

You don’t have an argument – just a belief that you are right and everyone else is wrong.

““you can’t deny that Kiwiblog attracts a wide cross-section of people”

Prove it.”

How about *you* prove it doesn’t? You can do some of the legwork you’re constantly trying to foist on others, like wading through the bible, or coming up with arguments to explain things because you don’t get them, or proving to you that you said something an hour or two earlier.

I don’t remember reading that obtuseness was a virtue anywhere in the bible. I certainly don’t remember it being elevated to the level of being a prophet as you constantly fantasize about. There is nothing prophetic about your prudishness, it merely hearkens back to the past, where most of your sentiments live.

http://matthew5-9.blogspot.com/2006/08/judge-not-lest-ye-be-judged.html

Watch out for the sin of pride mate.

You are right though about Christian and Islamic views of the body. “Your body is The Lord’s, your body is not your own. Therefore worship The Lord with your body”. Entirely consistent with Lockean private property rights too I must add.

Why do you, and so many others like you, think you can make wild statements without supporting them?

“”God’s” believers will enforce them on earth based, by and large, on no rational philosophy whatsoever.”

Bit of a broadbrush approach if you ask me. As for your interpretation of my political theory, I really haven’t decided fully where I stand on all that but what you describe was reality in New Zealand only 50 years ago.

“Alan Chesswas does not just pontificate about his religion and beliefs and encourage people to do the same, he supports violence to make people do the same or deter them.”

It’s not about forcing people to believe religious dogma. I don’t think I would support legislating against heresy. But I probably would support legislating for respect, a virtue that permeates and transcends any and every religious dogma.

“you can’t deny that Kiwiblog attracts a wide cross-section of people”

Prove it. How about we debate on the merits of the arguments put forward. Numbers mean very little when it comes to determining truth, especially in a mass-media indoctrinated society such as ours.

And if I sound like a lone voice in the wilderness I wouldn’t be the first. Humanity has a long history of isolating their prophets and missing the boat as a result. I’d seriously read up on a little history if I were you. There is nothing new under the sun. A people can only stand lawlessness for so long before they either reform or are conquered. Whichever happens The Good Lord has a habit of benefiting as a result. Prepare ye the way

Hey sorry Ollie, but I got to be true to who I am. Sorry if there’s a shame factor in that. I hope you understand. You know this is where our branch have always been at though right, it’s no surprise… And don’t worry this isn’t an everyday conversation for me! I use the blogosphere to vent my frustrations with the world so I can get on with everyday life when I’m not in cyberspace…

“I am glad the mainstream christianity does not even pretend to be so hardline and oppressive”

Which “mainstream” Christianity is that Clint? The handful of grey-haired old ladies that go to the essentially dead and gone Methodist Church down the road? Or the Young Labour Christian Socialists who call themselves Christian but haven’t stepped inside a church or read The Bible for years? You certainly wouldn’t be talking about Christians in Russia, China, Heartland USA, and definitely not Africa And you certainly wouldn’t be talking from a historical perspective. As I said, it is you who needs to get out more mate…

Danyl, you also need to read my exegesis of Matthew 7:1-5 (which is the “Do Not Judge” passage);

http://matthew5-9.blogspot.com/2006/08/judge-not-lest-ye-be-judged.html

Note that I said you “look like” a pathetic and immature piece of sub-humanity. I didn’t you “you are”, thus I leave it open for debate in case there is something I misunderstood. And I certainly haven’t condemned anyone to Hell or judged them as worse than anyone else, after all we all do things that make us look like “a pathetic and immature piece of sub-humanity”. It’s just that most of us appreciate others calling us on it when we do.

I am comfortable that I know a large enough cross-section of humanity to be confident that every decent and self-respecting person will avoid such immature forms of entertainment.

The number one movie in New Zealand is currently Jackass 2.

Now Danyl, re your statement “he’ll patiently explain that the Bible means whatever he wants it to mean”, I’d love to see you try and take me to the task on accurate biblical exegesis over this one!

The clear instructions not to pass judgement on others seem to have passed you right by.

[Women] who offend me I rebuke, for sure, but I wouldn’t proceed to DEGRADE them or women in general.

The penis is essentially a symbol of manhood, when you mock it or scorn it you mock men generally, and you look like a pathetic and immature piece of sub-humanity when you do.

Heh.

I am glad the mainstream christianity does not even pretend to be so hardline and oppressive. AJ is not only giving men a bad name, but everyday christians.