1 See? No comments. Nobody's shocked. Where's AI on this?

2 On other news: Finns arrest Satanists for practising their religion on Christian burial ground. I'm shocked! They weren't allowed to show off their religion by prancing around the area Christians consider their own. Don't say it's not the same thing, it is to Muslims, who now show-off minority religions are only trouble

3 Darn, 'know', not now...

4 So Christianity is a minority show off religion?? Also a law here not to be in a graveyard after dark (although it never stopped me & my sugar). Keeps down teenage pregnancy. Go back to the gulag thread.

5 Christianity in the Middle East is as much a minority show-off religion as Satanism is in Christian world.

6 I now find myself sorry I encouraged you to express your opinion. Most of old testament written in Iraq (during jewish bondage there). And just where do you think the city of Nazareth is?? Not in Saudi Arabia but definately in the middle east.

7 Howie: You've created a Frankenstein, old boy.

8 YBP: Yes and a hard headed one at that. We had a little argument on the Gulag thread as well. Can't say I'm not hard headed, But at least I don't pretend to understand Finland better than the Finns.

9 It is a minority religion and always has been in the Middle East area, even the Romans could convert Arabs to Christianity, and Jews have always been a minority everywhere, except perhaps in some areas in Israel, where the Palestinian populations weren't the majority since biblical time.

10 It is a minority religion and always has been in the Middle East area, even the Romans couldn't convert Arabs to Christianity, and Jews have always been a minority everywhere, except perhaps in some areas in Israel, where the Palestinian populations weren't the majority since biblical time.

11 Fine, I'll stop expressing opinions, see ya

12 So what? The very essence of liberty is that individuals and minorities be allowed to practice their faith.

13 Finn: Now you know how I felt when you started dogging America. I think you should express your opinion but should you upset me I'll call you on it every time. I was so pissed I was shaking. There is a lot wrong with this country but I love it with all my heart. That is why in 2000 years we'll still be here and be far ahead of Europe. We'll go on making mistakes an learing from them. Well go on picking up the good parts of other cultures. Here everyone has worth and value to the nation as a whole.

14 Darn... guess I'll keep stubbornly commenting if the verybigblogboss has taken an interrest. Because when you have minority religions yuo don't approve because they are just heretic versions of something in your own religion, (active Satanists in Christianity, active Christians in Islam) you are allowed stop them from messing around in places the majority thinks are too sacred for the heretic minority to ridicule with their presence.

15 Am I going to be the next one all rightist team up against now that greg is gone? I got a summer job and a lot of drinking, fishing, swimming and traveling to do, so I can't be as active as he was. Pick Improbulus.

16 You were actually so angry you were shaking? Lovely... I was getting a bit annoyed in the comment-gulag myself.

17 Sorry Finn I'm out of time. I'm not picking on you I was really upset.

18 Howie, make sure you notice how easy it was to make you calm down by making me look like a victim of censorship. (Fine, I'll stop expressing opinions, see ya)((not that it was an attempt to do so but anyway)) Even if it would be a crime against one of your collective souls main principles you shouldn't change moods that fast and easy.

19 That's because I believe in free speech. I was not calmed down.

20 Why not Finn thats what makes people interesting! Veeeeeeeeeery boring we would all be if our moods didnt change you should know that I thought you were 2 different people at one point because of your mood swings or maybe that was just your alter ego, A Finn ( the sober one) ;0)

21 Finn, you are so completely clueless regarding the history of the Christian faith that I'm completely aghast.

22 SPQR: Fin just likes hanging out with the grownups. He's in over his head and doesn't even know it. Comments like "show-off minority religions", caring more about a "few arabs" than a whole population of Russians, a sense of happiness when the twin towers came down, all show an adolscent, pre-programmed mindset. And then has the nerve to smugly criticize Howie on his reaction to all that BS. When he grows up and gets out into the real world and gets smacked around a bit, he may realize what kind of nonsense he's been touting here. Maybe.

23 I don't have a pre-programmed mindset and I'm just criticizing howies sudden loss of rage after the victimization. Speaking of pre-programmed mindsets, you all seem to have ones, since you always comment the same way, your comments are always on the same side of the issue and it's not fun stuff to read unless it is pointed at you as an insult. Predictable people are no fun at all. Plus Rusty seems like the only adult, some others are more like know-it-all students, perhaps at adult age, but just picking opinions and blindly sticking with them until their community at the study place changes it's mind. Sparky is always a good read though.

24 Finn: Has it occurred to you that we "comment the same way" and are here because we feel the same way about situations? It's not pre-programmed and on occasion some of those who seem to be on the "other side" of you have actually agreed with you. If we were pre-programmed this would simply not occur. Howie did not victimize you. You dissent on so many issues with mischaracterizations and incorrect history and get called on it. That is not being victimized. In that case you have essentially made victims of most of us. So much time is wasted here correcting you every time you change the course of the subject matter with more nonsense or level insults at our opinions. I stand by my characterization of you and your remarks noted above. If you're going to let a history of what happened between your country and some Russians, long before you were born, justify your remarks about not caring about them I feel sorry for you. If you felt a sense of happiness about 3,000 innocent people dying at the hands of some madmen, I feel sorry for you. If you feel it's necessary to point out that you feel some religions, namely Christianity, are "show-off" simply by virtue of their numbers in a given area, I feel sorry for you. You've displayed an intolerance here for far more things than anyone else here and nearly all of it is insulting toward us and our country without ever having lived here or known any of us. You've taken the general anti-American stance and adopted it as your own. Nothing original there. Just exactly HOW am I to feel about you? Other than you are a "minority show-off here", I find many of your comments repugnant. I'm supposed to sit back and take it? Uh ... that would be a No. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Right or wrong. Last time I checked, we were still free to be so. But that freedom or liberty is no guaranty that we won't be offended. And that goes both ways. Personally, I feel you clarified your stance here long ago. What's the purpose of re-affirming it over and over? If we're "no fun at all" unless you can use our viewpoints as an insult, it tells me much. I have never just "picked" a viewpoint and blindly stuck with it. My viewpoints are the result of many years of facing adversity and agreement, hard times and good times, and most of all - 50 years of life experience. I have raised children, owned businesses and thwarted various and sundry catastrophies in my life and come out okay ,and I don't take kindly to someone with a summer job telling me they know what's wrong with me. And to Rusty, I apologize if I've gone overboard here. I just had to get that off my chest. I will not address Finn again in the future.

25 Gee thanks guys....I'm so flattered by your support really. I'm goint to be pretty buried the next few days so I may not be out here much. I do have one thing I want to say today. I got home in time to catch the end of the News Hour on PBS. They were running in interview with the former editor of the Washington Post. Right after that they play photos of fallen soldiers who have died recently. There were 15 on there last night. In particular there were three in a row from the fine state of Mississippi. Other states as well but MS took it particularly hard on the chin and I just wanted to thank them for these fine young men's sacrafice for our country.

26 Oyster, my comments are usually just attempts to stir things up or simply say "No it isn't", because I have no real opinions on any of this, since it doesn't concern me and there's no point in making comments like "good for you, I don't care, see ya". If you take them personally instead of just thinking "What an immature idiot spamming with dumb ideas", I'm glad not everyone thought that yet. Ok ok you're all old people, I try not to imply otherwise. Good for you, I don't care, see ya.