Quote from: NicephorusThis is misleading as dating systems using the beginning of the world were common over a thousand years before that.  The later Romans and Byzantines used Anno Mundi or Etos Kosmou, estimating the beginning around 5500 BC.

Fair point. These must have have influenced any 'scientific' Christian approach.
And well done that was precisely your 1000th post.

And I was glad to read that she was a nice girl and i figure if you can be a fundamentalist of any stripe and still be a nice person there might be something left to save :-)

Quote from: AosFundy doesn't necessarily mean Young Earther, although they often do go hand in hand.
I think you have skewed idea of America- it is a huge place, and the coasts are VERY different from the interior. Church going is pretty common in the interior, not so much on the coasts (with the possible exception of the South East) both of the shows you mention are supposed to take place in the midwest- where church going is fairly common.

Actually, Family Guy is set in Rhode Island.

I had a couple of run-ins.  They make for amusing anecdotes.  Why, yes, I do feel like sharing!

WHEREIN DR ROTWANG! LEARNS AN IMPORTANT LESSON ABOUT PRETTY GIRLS

In high school (1988-1992), I was keen on those looseleaf binders with the clear plastic window in front.  Into one such binder, at one time, I had slid the Ghostbusters RPG player's guide.  It looked good, and Amber spotted it.

I dunno if her name really WAS Amber, but I think it was.  Amber was pretty; she was damn pretty.  Incredibly, she talked to me.  Weird!

When she asked me what was up with the Ghostbusters action in my binder, I just shrugged and explained.  "Oh," I said, "this is one of the books from my Ghostbusters role-playing game."

"Role-playing game?" she asked.  Carmine lips, golden blonde hair, talking to me. Asking about my interests.

"Yeah, you know," I continued.  "Sort of like Dungeons & Dragons.  This one's about, uh, Ghostbusters, obviously."

"Do you play Dungeons & Dragons?" asked the clear-eyed, fresh-faced upperclasman, in the bloom of youth's beauty, asking me about me.  

"No, I don't," I replied, truthfully.  

"Well, you shouldn't play it."

In my head, the sound of screeching tires, a car crash, a weird, cartoony BOI-oi-oinngggg -- !  "Uh...what?"

"Well", she said, walking with me (with me, you dig?), "the problem is that when you cast spells in the game, you're really casting spells.  Spiritually.  It invites demons."

Now...I knew she was Christian, but I never thought of her as, you know, weird about it. "Amber," I said, "I'm pretty sure that when you cast a spell in a D&D game, you really just say, 'Okay, I'll cast my fireball; what happens?'"

"No.  No, you're really casting spells, spiritually.  Don't play Dungeons & Dragons, OK?"

"Uhh..."  Oh, lovely girl, so kind, so sweet.  Talking to me...talking herself away.  "I'll...try."

We went to our respective classes.  I have no further memories of the girl.

On that day, Dr Rotwang!, aged 14, nerdy boy with big dreams and romance in his heart, learned this very important thing: Pretty is pretty, but sensible is better.

Quote from: WarthurActually, Family Guy is set in Rhode Island.

That's in the Midwest, isn't it?  I mean, it's not actually an "island", right?

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaThat's in the Midwest, isn't it?  I mean, it's not actually an "island", right?

!i!

Ah yes, Us Americans with no knowledge of Geography....

Not even our own.

Quote from: jibbajibbathat is quite interesting but surely you are neglecting the facts ...

with the archeological landmark event of the fall of Jerusalem (which has now been corrected to 588 B.C., instead of 586-587 B.C.) and counting backwards the prophesied number of years between this event and the division of Solomon's kingdom (390 yrs. + 40 yrs., according to Ezekiel 4:4-7), brings us to 1018 B.C.

From the end of Solomon's 40-year reign to the start of the Temple in the 4th year of his reign takes us back another 37 years to 1055 B.C.

From the start of Solomon's Temple "in the 480th year" (1 Kings 6:1) back to the Exodus from Egypt (hence 479 years previous) brings us to near 1534 B.C.

From the Exodus out of Egypt to Abraham's entering Canaan from Haran was exactly 430 years to the day (Gen 12:10/ Exodus 12:40/ Gal 3:17), thus around 1964 B.C.

Since Abraham entered Canaan at age 75 (Gen 12:4), he was born approximately 2039 B.C.

From Abraham's birth to Noah's grandson (Shem's son), Arpachshad's birth, 2 years after the Flood started, was 290 years (Gen 11:11-26), this places the onset of the Flood at around 2331 B.C. [definitely 4,300-4,400 years ago].

The genealogy of Genesis 5:3-32 precludes any gaps due to its tight chronological structure and gives us 1,656 years between Creation and the Flood, thus bringing Creation Week back to near 3987 B.C. or approximately 4000 B.C.

Therefore, the biblical age of the Earth (using Scripture itself as a guide) is 6,000 years !!

Surely no self respecting Fundamentalist can dispute this facts !

This is not a response to my post, so why bother to quote me? I am well aware of all the shit you cited. I am an archaeologist, after all. It is not relevant to the discussions as to weather or not all fundies are young earthers.

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaThat's in the Midwest, isn't it?  I mean, it's not actually an "island", right?

!i!

It is indeed an island, in Lake Michigan.

What, you want some more?  Still awake?  Okay...

WHEREIN THE DOC! USES KNOWLEDGE TO PUNCH IDIOCY IN THE ASS

Used to be, there was a comics/game/head shop in downtown Bloomington, IN.  25th Century Five-and-Dime, in the basement of the Allen building*.  I did a lot of hanging out there.  

One evening I went in and said hello to Mike Redman, owner and operator of the shop, and got to browsing.  Soon enough, a couple of boys and a couple of girls (mid-to-late-teens, teased hair, baseball caps, good-ole-boy stereotypes) rolled in.

"Where's your Dungeons & Dragons stuff?", they asked.  

"In the back, there," Mike replied.

"Well," said one of the guys, "How do you get started?"

"They want to play Dungeons & Dragons and summon demons," said one of the girls.  "we've heard..."

Of course, I was watching these fucktards like a hawk -- a hawk trying not to laugh.  Mike tossed me a look then, sort of conspiratorial, sort of pleading, as the kids kept talking.

"Hey," Mike said to me, "This is kind of your thing.  Think you can help them out?"

Of course, Mike.  I will help them all the way out.  "Sure," I replied.  Then, to the tittering youths, "Follow me.  You wanna play some D&D, huh?"

"Yeah," said one.  "If you guys summon a demon or something," said one girl, "I'm not responsible."

We got to the used game stuff.  "Okay," I said.  You guys are just starting out, so...you might need the Red Box, here -- then again, here's the Rules Cyclopedia.  This'll keep you playing for a long time."  I opened up the book and flipped the pages for them.  Their necks craned in.  

Their faces changed, like dropped puppets, from tittering to bored.  Throw  a plate of spaghetti at the wall and watch it slowly drip down -- just like that.

"Where's the satanic spells?"  Said one.

"Uh...none of those," I replied, flipping pages.  "Just the descriptions, here.  Tell you how many dice to roll, and so on -- you'll need a few sets of dice, too.  Up at the counter.  Three sets, maybe?"

I continued on autopilot for all of... dunno, 90 seconds, before they shrugged, sheepishly, and said, "That's okay."  I think they browsed for a couple more minutes and then tromped back up the steps to street-level.

"Thanks," Mike said, and I'm still not sure if he meant for helping or for getting them the hell out of here.

"No problem," I said.  I bought some stuff and left, too.

I wonder if I still see those doofuses, all grown up now?


COMICS NERDS:  Both Gene Ha and Art Lyon used to work there; that's how I met 'em.  Swank, no?

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaThat's in the Midwest, isn't it?  I mean, it's not actually an "island", right?

!i!

Boy, and I thought I was bad about geography.  

It is indeed largely not an island, but it's in New England, between Massachusetts and Connecticut.  It's one of the original 13 colonies.

Quote from: jgantsBoy, and I thought I was bad about geography.  

It is indeed largely not an island, but it's in New England, between Massachusetts and Connecticut.  It's one of the original 13 colonies.

And it's in Lovecraft Country!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaPalladium Fantasy, wasn't it?

I only wish my parents had taken more of an interest in my gaming, for good or ill.  To them, it was just something I did alongside my studies and athletics.  I guess I should have chosen a more poignant and undeniable cry for help like my sisters did. :haw:

!i!

Now that I've had a night to think about it I think it was called 'Arcanum' or something. I had a chance to pick up a used copy a couple of years ago, but since I had already learned the one clever RPG trick it was capable of teaching me, I didn't bother.

You could keep your XP to level, or you could sell it to be neat abilities (Feats, only before they existed...). Swank, no?

Young Earth is Ha Ha type stuff.

Plz leave your ridiculous religions at the door.

Quote from: BlackhandYoung Earth is Ha Ha type stuff.
 
Plz leave your ridiculous religions at the door.

It is Ha Ha stuff until you wake up and realize that they've done something like gained a majority of the local school board and decided not to teach evolution in school.

Yeah, I live in Oklahoma.  It's really bad here.  There are 30 churches in my pop. 15k small town.  

A guy whom I thought was my friend quit talking to me after he found out I was an animist and my roomate an atheist.  I had made no previous comment revealing my spirituality.

However, you can ignore these people for the most part.  The compromise here is that they teach evolution, but some of the teachers don't like it.  My children do not attend their classes because I'm a very loud and intimidating person.  The school board is afraid of mobs of folk like me, and there are a lot of us here.

Really it's fucking silly.  The earth is 5,000 years old?  Man has existed in his present form for ~100,000 years as the archaeologist can confirm.

The Gods put them here to test our faith.  And judgement.  And common sense.  No matter how you view your own personal god, I think we can all agree on this (except the mentally handicapped fundamentalists).  

I'm glad we have the young earthers to teach our children how not to be a fucking idiot, by setting a personal example and proving once and for all that in fact blind worship of silly man-made dogma is tantamount to spiritual and academic suicide.

Anyone with half a brain doesn't attend a christian church - even if they believe in the Christian God.

And while I might not be an atheist, at least my ex-roomate didn't try to fucking convince me I'm going to imaginary hell every 30 seconds.  We got along quite well.

The Christians!  We should line them up and start cutting off their heads, like they want us to.

Quote from: SpikeAh yes, Us Americans with no knowledge of Geography....

Not even our own.

Your cruelty shames us both.

Quote from: blakkieIt is indeed an island, in Lake Michigan.

Ah, okay.  So I was only half-wrong.

!i!