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A Strange Aeon
Mar 26, 2010

You are now a slimy little toad
The Great Twist
i will post my own once i figure out how, or someone can post mine if they can, I couldn't figure out how to easily find it

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Nigmaetcetera
Nov 17, 2004

borkborkborkmorkmorkmork-gabbalooins
I don't know, I was probably talking about how great libertarianism and final fantasy 6 were.

redm
Feb 20, 2016


Sugartime Jones
I sent lowtax a creepy pm thanking him for all the weird goofy poo poo hes found on the internet then I got nervous and did something else because people were trying to break into my house.

Wall Balls
Jun 3, 2007

Spanish Castle Magic

This is a repost from my rant forum on my site and since I'm interested only in it being read, rather than advertising or shilling it out for hits, I'm going to just repost it here. Before I do let me give you a quick introduction.

I finally registered on the SA forums a week or so ago having been a loyal reader for a couple of years. I don't like the new design of the site, I want to kill it with fire, I liked my good-old Web1.0 scrolly site, give it back please.

I'm posting this here because you lot are smart, and as such, I have no issues with you telling me that you think I'm wrong with this pseudo-rant. This may also be preaching to the choir a bit and for that I sincerely apologize. I hope at least you get some enjoyment out of this. If you're one of those fellows who likes to Digg, the article also has a Digg page, do with it as you see fit - http://digg.com/general_sciences/At...you_intelligent

With that said and done, here goes.

"It's novello time, and it's about religion, so unless you're ready to deal with some views you may not agree with, switch off now. In the words of Illidan "You are not prepared".

Let's get this out here right now. I'm a 23 year old law graduate with an IQ of 155. My political beliefs are liberal and leftist, I listen to Metal and I enjoy violent movies, books and videogames, and I've been a Christian since birth. Baptised, confirmed of my own free will, son of a priest (who are pretty notorious for rebelling against their father's religious beliefs just for the sake of it). I'm part of the Anglican Church of England, which is pretty much the result of Henry the 8th getting pissed off with the catholics not allowing him to divorce his wife(s). We're the state religion of the UK, if you could even say the UK has one, we're pretty liberal about most things, women priests, gay priests, homosexuals in general, sex before marriage, contraception, we take the modern, reasonable way of looking at all of them. At the end of the day, the Bible taught us about forgiveness and being excellent to one another. It had a bit of a round-about way of doing it but what do you expect for a 2000 year old book written entirely by clerical males? It's gonna be a bit out of date, you've gotta read it in context.

I have no problems with anyone's beliefs. Be whatever you want, as long as you believe (or don't believe) for a good reason. But here's what I really don't like, trend-atheism/trend-theism (also referred to as e-atheism, since it seems to be most prevelant in the domain of anonymous blogspammers and Digg-users).

In my late teens, I spent a long time thinking. Yeah, just sitting around and thinking, thinking about faith. Thinking about what it is that I believe in. Rationalizing the various conflicts and contradictions that faith presents us with, looking at the viewpoints of other faiths, or those with no faith at all, taking into account the new things we discover every day and factoring in the influence of science. Some people would claim that, if I had indeed done that, I'd have come to the conclusion, as an intellectual, rational thinker, that God does not exist. They would of course, be wrong.

My beliefs center around several factors. Firstly, it is important for us as human-beings to realize our own limits, and the limits of our understanding. Centuries ago we believed the world was flat. "The Bible told us so!", would be the first cry. Wrong, it really didn't. In the Old Testament, Job 26:7 explains that the earth is suspended in space, the obvious comparison being with the spherical sun and moon. The Old Testament, you remember that one? The one with the fiery bushes, the pillar's of salt, the cool plagues and such? Even that managed to get it right. There's a few more references as well to the 'round' earth (and before you say anything, flat is not a shape, it could have been a flat octagon for all they knew) but I'm not going to go into that yet. We've had computers for less than a century, powered flight for just over a century and of course our amazing horseless carriages. Genetics, electricity, nuclear-bombs, toaster-strudel, the world is in the palm of our hands! And it didn't take us too long did it?

Reality-check, we're still primitives. In the great scheme of things this technology is a mere blip on the historical radar. We've got an awful long way to go before we're able to dissect and understand the mysteries of the universe. We haven't even put a man on Mars yet, let alone left our solar system to find out what exactly is out there. How can it be that we have suddenly, so recently, become so arrogant as to believe we know more than we really do? The Laws of Science are written by man, based on our understanding of how things work. They are theories that, while prove true today, may be debunked by another amazing discovery tomorrow. Which leads onto my next point.

Name this quote "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". Arthur C Clarke, physicist and author, smart fellow. It also hilights the point I'm making. Our understanding of the universe is peerless only amongst ourselves. We are not as smart as we think we are. Just as fire wowed the neanderthals, what would it take to wow us? What would make our jaws drop and our minds boggle? Well, any sufficiently advanced technology of course. And what is technology after-all? Man-made machines. The concept of technology is a human concept, a concept that may, in other parts of the universe, not even exist, replaced by something even more advanced than that, so advanced that we cannot comprehend it. Not surprising really as we mammals only use 10% of our brains.

So where am I going with this? Simple really, take yourself off of your high-horse, you, and the human race, is not as smart as it thinks it is. Now, open your mind a little, and let's explore some possibilities.



The definition of a God. Let us turn to the good book.

Wikipedia.

"God most commonly refers to the deity worshipped by followers of monotheistic and monolatrist religions, whom they believe to be the creator and ruler of the universe. Theologians have ascribed a variety of attributes to the various conceptions of God. The most common among these include omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfect goodness, divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent"

Hmm, a tall order one might think. Could such a being exist? Some argue that logically, he could not, however, there is very little logic in denying the possibility that a being or beings of such power and advancement exist that they could indeed, be considered 'God' within our definition. That's not to say that God is a small green alien with a flying saucer and a phaser though that would give some of the overzealous fundamentalists something to sweat over, much to our amusement. But what is this God? A creator? Sure, we create. We create technology, we're getting to the stage of being able to create life in one form or another, using the basic building blocks of nature. Could it not be surmised therefore that it is entirely within the realms of possibility that someone or something created those building blocks? Like a programmer creates a new program, someone must have also created the coding language in which he created it. We scramble for answers. We come up with theories. Some believe in the beginning there was nothing, which exploded. Some believe a man in the sky created it everything in 6 days and then mooched around on the 7th. Which is valid?

Neither, and both. They attempt to apply meaning to something where meaning may, or may not exist. Creationism and the Big Bang are in that sense, as bad as each other. They are both merely attempts for us to explain the unexplainable. The Big Bang contradicts our laws of physics (something most catalyse an explosion, therefore something must have been there in the first place, where did that come from, at which point your brain melts). The Creation Story contradicts our laws of physics (Same reasons, who created God after all?). Everything we've so far managed to come up with, from the sublime to the ridiculous, the complex to the simplistic, it's an exercise in desperate straw-clutching. At the end of the day, we don't know jack.

And that's ok. Someone once said that the journey matters more than the destination, it's not the winning, it's the taking part, at least ya tried sport. These explanations of where it all comes from, be they ancient or modern all boil down to the same need. To know. Who'd have thunk it, we've got brains for a reason, and they rather like being used. Those neurons like to be fired, the little grey matter likes a little exercise every once in a while. Just as the Creation Story was a way to explain an unexplainable concept, so is the Big Bang theory. If one were to compare the human mind to a computer, try feeding the Big Bang theory to the medieval man, and it's like trying to shove Bioshock into a Commodore Vic20. Good luck. And what will our children's children's children's grandchildren's children think of our Big Bang theory? My money's on exactly the same thing.

So what am I trying to tell you, stop asking questions, stop looking for answers and just believe whatever the hell suits ya? Absolutely not. Believe whatever suits you, but question it, never stop thinking, never stop asking or learning. In this day and age it seems people are way too willing to believe, or not believe. Belief, or non-belief should be a life-long arduous process and it should end involuntarily, when you fall over dead. Someone (there's a lot of talkative someone's aren't there?) once said 'Never stop believing', I say, "Never stop asking yourself what you believe, and why".

It's time to criticize, so let me load port and starboard cannon and fire a volley at both atheists and theists alike. Believing, or not believing, does not make you intelligent. Smart people do not come to a conclusion on the basis of insubstantial evidence. Smart people do not mindlessly attack other people's beliefs just because they don't conform to their own. Smart people do not assume that their own rigid, poorly formed definitions of logic and faith, reason and belief are mutually exclusive and that if one exists, the other cannot. Smart people think outside the box, not pick fights with those poor souls trapped in it.

What makes you intelligent, is knowing why you believe what you believe. Knowing that you are but one mind, and knowing that at any time you could be proven wrong, only for that person to be proven wrong ad infinitum as we as a race advance.

I suppose you're waiting for my personal beliefs, waiting for this to be some kind of sermon, preaching why my God is better than your God, or non-God. You'll be waiting a long time, because it's not coming. My personal beliefs are just that, personal, they're mine, they belong to me. You cannot take them away from me, only I can. What I can give you though, are my opinions.

Right now shots are being fired. They're not physical shots, they're bullets and shells of ignorance and bigottry. And it's no one-sided battle let me tell you that much. Factionalized camps everywhere you can imagine. Atheists, Theists, Satanists, Christians, Republicans, Democrats, Capitalists, Communists, every group you can imagine, all shouting 'Your God/Non-God sucks, mine is better!'. These days, the internet's become their battleground. So much for sharing knowledge, we're sharing ignorance.

The bigottry and the condemnation has to stop. The sad thing is, I'm having to condemn the condemners. Isn't it lowsy how you generally have to be a hypocrite in order to make a point these days? Food for thought. We can look at the extremes and see the simplistic, secular vs sacred, trend-atheists vs fundamentalist evangelical christians, the most common stereotypes. But in reality, it's so much more complicated than that. It's this stereotyping and narrow-minded attitude that prevents us as a race from achieving the greatness we can. I could make as many decrees as I wanted till I was blue in the face, and I'm going to just to let off a little steam mind you,

"Trend-atheist Digg users, shove your agendas where the sun don't shine, refusing the possibility of a supreme-being does not make you a genius or a radical thinker, it makes you a bloody sheep hiding behind a cloak of anonymity"

"Evangelical Fundamentalist morons, get your overly simplistic, judgmental, dogmatic Crayola God out of my face, you have about as much understanding of the universe as a wet lettuce. That does not make you holy, pure, or guaranteed a private booth at the big game in the sky, it makes you a bloody sheep hiding behind a cloak of propaganda that you only believe because you're told to"

Wow, that feels good, I can understand why you internet-bound condemners like it so much. Gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling doesn't it? What, I'm not allowed to indulge in such a guilty pleasure every once in a while? Play fair Wink

Where's my conclusion? Hell if I know. Did you have the mistaken impression this was some carefully constructed plea for tolerance? Absolutely not, it's an angry slap in the face to my peers. Wake the hell up and use your brain, because my God/Non-god/Explosion/Man-in-the-sky/Vic20 gave you it for a reason.

WB.

Enfield
May 30, 2011

by Nyc_Tattoo
i forget but i immediately got banned for trolling

symbolic
Nov 2, 2014

from one of the old CS:GO threads in Games

quote:

everything is default besides in-game DPI (1.95). Actual mouse DPI is set on 1000.

a hole-y ghost
May 10, 2010

Enfield posted:

i forget but i immediately got banned for trolling
hmm that makes you one of the few who can easily find their first post

Enfield posted:

Granted the dude is retarded but this isn't really helping you know what, gently caress it, these threads are boring without the morons.

Enfield
May 30, 2011

by Nyc_Tattoo
some things never change

Kuato
Feb 25, 2005

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I ATE THE WHOLE THING"
Buglord
I was afraid to post for a long time. I lurked for a long time before registering too. I'm still afraid to post and mostly lurk, this is my first post in 2016 FYI

a hole-y ghost
May 10, 2010

Kuato posted:

I was afraid to post for a long time. I lurked for a long time before registering too. I'm still afraid to post and mostly lurk, this is my first post in 2016 FYI
wtf happened to your kuato avatar

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum
gently caress if I know

VendaGoat
Nov 1, 2005

jackyl posted:

gently caress if I know

med school head
Apr 17, 2012
fuckin classic rootin tootin

Kuato
Feb 25, 2005

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I ATE THE WHOLE THING"
Buglord

a hole-y ghost posted:

wtf happened to your kuato avatar

It's a mystery

Principals Orifice
Aug 23, 2016

by Lowtax
i dont know about my very first but the first post I remember making was in some gbs news thread and I said "God I'm stoned" and got probated and told to post in byob

Beefeater
May 17, 2003

I'm hungry.
Hair Elf
Pretty sure it was a reply in a wrestling thread back when they were in GBS (SAS didn't exist yet).

Mariana Horchata
Jun 30, 2008

College Slice
ive never hit the post button, only reply

ROFLburger
Jan 12, 2006

Kuato posted:

It's a mystery

your av needs to come back

A Strange Aeon
Mar 26, 2010

You are now a slimy little toad
The Great Twist

Mariana Horchata posted:

ive never hit the post button, only reply

replies are fine

I didn't realize post history capped out at 1000--sorry everyone.

Maybe just post the oldest post you can?

here's mine, which is my first post, I think, since I only have 907 and this is the 907th:

A Strange Aeon posted:

Not to get in the way of all the holiday giving, but I had a question about MoO.

Basically, it looks like a sweet game, but I am horrible at it. Can someone give me a first 25 turn idea of what I'm supposed to be doing? I just got the news report and I'm in last place. So far, I've colonized two other planets, made a couple of fighters, found some planet where a "Guardian" blew the hell out of a scout...I guess I'm not sure how to read the tech screens and what not.

For instance, I wanted to research better ship weapons, so I put some points into that, but ended up researching hand lasers instead. I did browse the manual, but it's over 100 pages, so I'm thinking someone can give me some better hints on what I should be doing.

Dave_Indeed
Feb 22, 2004

by FactsAreUseless
My first post was about how OP of this thread is a stupid bitch whose going to get his rear end kicked if he doesn't shut his drat mouth.

Just kidding, it was about butts.

JiveHonky
May 12, 2001

by zen death robot
Grimey Drawer
i have no idea it was a long long time ago. i am 100% certain that it sucked though

Mozi
Apr 4, 2004

Forms change so fast
Time is moving past
Memory is smoke
Gonna get wider when I die
Nap Ghost
'come here, watson - i need you.'

Applewhite
Aug 16, 2014

by vyelkin
Nap Ghost
I don't remember what it was but I remember it was in Webcomics thread.

Vargs
Mar 27, 2010

probably some terrible garbage because I was an awful LP poster for the first few months I spent on SA

I can't even comprehend the idea of wanting to go into that subforum anymore and my posting quality has improved by at least 5% as a result

Rutibex
Sep 9, 2001

by Fluffdaddy
I posted a crude Photoshop of Sonic as a selectable character in the brand new GameCube Smashbrothers. everyone bought it and I derailed the thread for a good 2 pages

Dr. Faustus
Feb 18, 2001

Grimey Drawer
Whatever it was, the first reply was, "This poo poo sucks, you fag."

thathonkey
Jul 17, 2012
true story one of my first posts (maybe even the very first) was making fun of having to pay money for a lovely internet forum and lowtax banned me. this was like 16 years ago probably

Das Boo
Jun 9, 2011

There was a GHOST here.
It's gone now.
The first one I remember is drawing a guy goon as a dating sim animu girl.

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

Dr. Faustus posted:

Whatever it was, the first reply was, "This poo poo sucks, you fag."

I hope that was my first post

Guy Goodbody
Aug 31, 2016

by Nyc_Tattoo
I don't remember.

sluggo is mad
Jan 14, 2012

Buglord
how do i join goon squad?

Burt Sexual
Jan 26, 2006

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Switchblade Switcharoo
Is post history only available to plats? Upgrade now goons, tax is having a financial situation.

The_Book_Of_Harry
Apr 30, 2013

My dick next to a time stamped banana

Seriously

its all nice on rice
Nov 12, 2006

Sweet, Salty Goodness.



Buglord
On my first account, I wrote "first post!" at the beginning of my first post because I was excited to post.
Lowtax probated me because claiming the first post was probatable back then, the reason was "it's not even the first post!"

The_Book_Of_Harry
Apr 30, 2013

I was awarded "worst dick in FYAD"

Kitsunegari
Aug 5, 2013
I think it was in fyad

Burt Sexual
Jan 26, 2006

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Switchblade Switcharoo

The_Book_Of_Harry posted:

My dick next to a time stamped banana

Seriously

Seriously disappointed clicking that rap sheet. Liar

Principals Orifice
Aug 23, 2016

by Lowtax
i posted my dick but it was a good 2 years after I joined.

Hot Dog Day #82
Jul 5, 2003

Soiled Meat
It was something in FYAD I think. Back in my tender youth I had a summer where I was determined to be a forums superstar and posted there 24/7. Fast forward 13 years later (god I never felt more old than when I just typed that) and I only just recently dug myself out of having a negative post count.

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clam the FUCK down
Dec 20, 2013

Probably posted on goons with spoons. I'm currently not posting there because I'm dieting.
I miss bread thread.

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