Reid Says Fiscal Cliff Plan is in GOP's Court, Rebels Are on Their Way to CAR's Capital, LA Collects Guns in Buyback, French Jobless Rate Increasing: P.M. Links

• Sen. Harry Reid has said that it is up to the Republicans to come up with a fiscal cliff plan that the president can sign. 

• Consumer confidence is down, thanks in large part to the fiscal cliff fiasco. 

• LA officials have collected 2037 firearms in their post-Christmas gun buyback program. Participants collected gift cards valued between $100 and $200 in exchange for handing in weapons. 

• Rebels are on their way to the Central African Republic's capital. 

• Matt Damon is giving up on politics, saying that the whole system is rigged. The system can't be that flawed, Damon admits to voting for Obama. 

• Six people have died in Poland after being poisoned by tainted alcohol. 

• The French jobless rate is up. Turns out increasing the minimum wage and the income tax rate for the wealthy isn't that great for job creation. Who knew?!

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sen. Harry Reid has said that it is up to the Republicans to come up with a fiscal cliff plan that the president can sign.

Anything with tax hikes and no cuts will work. He's flexible.

[Enough About Palin]

This fistfucker has not submitted a budget bill in years. Fuck is lying ass.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's up to the Republicans to come up with a budget he can submit.

[Enough About Palin]

No. They have passed budgets. It's Reid's job to pass a Senate version and then it goes to the conference committee and you can look up the rest of the process in Wikipedia.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's up to Senate Republicans to come up with a version he can submit.

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

Just like Dingy Harry said it was up to Romney to prove he hadn't evaded taxes?

[Marshall Gill]

I have been thinking for some time that this is the perfect solution. They can actually do some things which they feel need being done without having to take credit for it. Any compromise carries the weight of the terrible, terrible pain of "austerity" and would be unhelpful at the ballot box. This allows both sides to slightly kick the budget apocalypse down the road a few years.

[Anonymous Coward]

The Budget Control Act of 2011 was good enough for Obama before the election, but not after?

[A Serious Man]

Video: Shark tank explodes, flooding Chinese shopping mall with water and sharks.

[Fist of Etiquette]

What's worse, the first store flooded was the Chin's Frickin' Laser Emporium.

[Francisco d Anconia]

DO they have sea bass?

[Randian]

Are they ill-tempered?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The French jobless rate is up. Turns out increasing the minimum wage and the income tax rate for the wealthy isn't that great for job creation.

So, when this socialist is voted out, how long until the Frogs forget and vote another one in?

[grrizzly]

Everyone is a socialist in France. At least on the ballot.

[Fist of Etiquette]

They do seem to be driving the non-socialists out of the country.

[Corning]

That is not true.

The two presidents before the current one were not socialists.

[grrizzly]

C'est vrai. It's just Sarkozy's economic policies were to the left of Obama.

[Mad Scientist]

Of course they'll vote another one in. They'll claim this particular top man was flawed, but if they can just get the right top man elected...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Now that I think about it, the same can be said of the United States.

[Anonymous Coward]

At least they aren't embracing the Jacobins again.

[$park?]

When you've lost MATT DAAAMOOOOOON...

[Randian]

Sounds intrinsically paternalistic.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Rigged? Holy eff, his guys are still in power. What more does he want?

[Randian]

The United Arab Emirates funded the anti-fracking movie, but he has the audacity to talk about 'rigging'.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I still smile when I think about this.

[A Serious Man]

Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino make good movies about slavery, women hit the hardest.

[John]

Oh for the love of God. Every movie must include your pony or else!!

[Corning]

must include your pony

don't you mean 40 acres and a mule?

[Randian]

Seriously, stop reading Slate.

[nicole]

Hey, Randian, I'm not clicking through! Just for you.

[Randian]

Good! I mean, there's clicking on something once in awhile to get a good shot of Hate in, and then there's being addicted to the stuff.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I'm not so sure about that assertion:

"What a dumb article. Is it seriously necessary for every film that deals with empowerment to give equal time to the female counterpart heroes?"

The answer to your question in "XX Factor" land is always a resounding "YES!!!!" If you don't like it, stay out of Slate's special-pleading ghettoes. I generally do, unless I'm drawn in, as I was this time, by a headline I just can't resist.

I always regret it. That's another three minutes of my life that I'll never get back.

[invisible furry hand]

Seriously, stop reading Slate.

Even Prudie? Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I LOL'ed at this one:

In Django Unchained, Broomhilda barely gets to be a person at all. Much of the time we see her only as her husband Django imagines her, naked and radiant in a hot spring in winter, beguiling in a yellow silk dress...

But Django Unchained is more interested in her as an object of other people's desires than in the courage that leads her to keep reaching for own freedom.

Is this author not familiar at all with how nerds like Tarantino view women?

[CE]

Her name is Broom Hilda? Isn't that a comic strip witch character? And Slate expected her to be a feminist heroine?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Surely it's Brunhilde.

[C. Anacreon]

No, it really is Broomhilda, just like the comics character who is friends with a vulture and a troll (not Shrike, an actual monster troll.)

[John]

Matt Damon is giving up on politics, saying that the whole system is rigged. The system can't be that flawed, Damon admits to voting for Obama.

Even when you get the right people in charge, there is always some wrecker or saboteur who messes things up. If only we could do something about the wreckers and the saboteurs.

[Romulus Augustus]

Libertarians are wreckers.
Wreckers have mental health issues.
Those with mental health issues need to be institutionalized.
Therefore......................

[Silver Fox]

Even when you get the right people in charge, there is always some wrecker or saboteur who messes things up. If only we could do something about the wreckers and the saboteurs.

"If we could just get rid of Republicans and libertarians we wouldn't have this problem..."

[Ted S.]

So he's having Promised Land shelved? From the commercial, it looks to me like a political screed.

[Juice]

They had to change the entire movie because they realized all the anti-fracking stuff is fraudulent horseshit. So they changed to show that the anti-fracking activists were plant paid by the drilling companies to make anti-frackers look bad. Why would Matt Damon want to get out of politics after that?

[fish]

Why would Matt Damon want to get out of politics after that?

Because for years people called Ben Affleck the "stupid one". Now the roles have reversed.

[Anonymous Coward]

*In driest tones possible*

No. Please. Matt. Don't.

[CE]

Can't he just hang out at the capitol and get a job as a janitor and write his ideas on the senators' chalkboards?

[Aresen]

The French jobless rate is up.

How could they tell?

[NeonCat]

It's not August but there's still all these people milling about?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Are the Citro?ns burning yet?

[sloopyinca]

I thought they came off the assembly line that way.

[$park?]

Piers Morgan goes one step too far and insults the bible. Now he's really in for it.

"But you and I know the Bible is, in many places a flawed document," Morgan said ? a point of disagreement with Pastor Warren.

"My point to you about gay rights for example ? it's time for an amendment to the Bible," Morgan told Warren. "You should compile a new Bible."

"Not a chance," Warren replied. "I willingly admit, willingly admit that I base my worldview on the Bible which I believe is true. And my definition of truth is ? if it's new it's not true. If it was true a thousand years ago, it'll be true a thousand years from today. Opinion changes but truth doesn't."

Admittedly, Warren's comments make me cringe too.

[Randian]

I don't have a problem with Morgan on this one. Molding outdated mythologies to modern-day would have nothing but positive effects.

[$park?]

One does not simply update the Bible.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Of course you can. Just call it a "translation."

[Enough About Palin]

They did in about 1962, when they came out with the modified Revised Standard Version, the first ant-gay bible ever.

[Francisco d Anconia]

One does not simply update the Bible.

I think you can if you get a 2/3 majority vote of all Christians and it's ratified by 3/4 of the world's countries...

...or something.

[Corning]

Thomas Jefferson did it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible

[Marshall Gill]

One does not simply update the Bible.

I am an atheist brought up in a Baptist house and my wife takes the children to a Baptist church that uses something other than the KJV. I always tell the children when they recite verses that they have memorized that "JESUS SPOKE IN OLD ENGLISH!"

[Eduard van Haalen]

Would Morgan's amendments make the Bible better or worse?

"Thou shalt not defend thyself with scary-looking weapons. Far better to be killed, raped or robbed."

[Eduard van Haalen]

And God didst look up on the world and saw that it was *fabulous!*

And Adam and Steve he set in the garden, but they didn't like the decorating scheme, so God was like, "I slaved all over that decorating scheme for aeons, and you're bitching about it? Get out!"

...

And it shall be an abomination for a man to lie with a man without a reacharound...

And Jesus said, "for this reason a man will leave his parents or guardians and unite with his registered domestic partner..."

[Mad Scientist]

Adam and Steve are on it!

[Dr. Frankenstein]

Actually the New Testament does ask you to do just such a thing.

"Turn the other cheek" "And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well"

and too many others to mention.

[Eduard van Haalen]

But it doesn't say to grab people who defend themselves and put them in cages for several years.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

Not that I recall.

[Mechafenris]

Morgan's would include the 11th Commandment:

"Thou shalt not have automatic rifles."

And the 12th:

"Thou shalt sign a national registry for guns" So saith the Lord of Hosts.

[Fist of Etiquette]

He seems to have difficulty putting himself in the shoes of others. The lack of that quality can't make for a good interviewer.

[$park?]

"Why do you believe the Bible, are you stupid?"
"I'm not stupid, I just have faith that the teachings of Jesus are correct."
"Not stupid then, just wrong. OK, let's move on."

[Marshall Gill]

Which teachings of Jesus are incorrect? I am purely atheist but the NAP pretty much copies the Golden Rule.

One should not confuse the teachings of Jesus with those of his followers.

[$park?]

According to Msr Morgan, probably all of them.

[Killazontherun]

You don't need a rewrite. Emphasize the Gospels as the basis for a respectful treatment of gays, as well as being the basis of a nullification of the original covenant. Treat Paul as the interloper and reactionary throw back that he was.

[Killazontherun]

There was a reason the congregations he fumed over were doing their own thing and ignoring tradition. Nothing in Christianity before him told them that they need to respect it.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

One problem is that ignorants (of both a Christian and non-Christian variety) like to assume that there are pages upon pages of material regarding homosexuality in scripture, or that it is otherwise an integral matter upon which the entire faith rests. The entirety of what Paul wrote on homosexuality consists of at most two tweets' worth of verbage and is incidental to the point he makes in those passages, and nothing that he or any of the other canonical New Testament writers wrote in any way excuses or allows for the simply execrable behavior that many Christian perpetrate against homosexuals.

The model of behavior for a Christian is and always has been Jesus' treatment of sinners, which was entirely non-violent and mutual. Anything less is a failure on the part of that Christian.

[Randian]

It's still pretty clear that unrepentant gays don't get to go to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is a really shitty way for a God to act.

[generic Brand]

It's still pretty clear that unrepentant gays don't get to go to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is a really shitty way for a God to act.

But that's just it. Unrepentant anybody is unable to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And the sooner most "Christians" realize that and start worrying about their own lives the sooner everyone will be better off.

[sloopyinca]

Where are you getting that from? I'm sorry, but that's total bullshit. Do unrepentant blasphemers or adulterers also not get into heaven? How about unrepentant thieves?

You've been sold a bill of goods about Christianity that doesn't jibe with what I, a Christian, have been taught. As a matter of fact, I don't know a single soul that believes one must be repentant at the time of death to gain entry into heaven except a few very fundamentalist Catholics.

[generic Brand]

Are you replying to me or Randian, sloopy? I didn't think I said what you seem to be replying to, so not sure if I need to expand on anything.

[sloopyinca]

That was directed at Randian. Sorry for any confusion.

[sloopyinca]

By repentant above, I mean have a clean soul at the time of death. Acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior washes away all sin, whether it be theft blasphemy, not honoring your mother and father, homosexuality, murder, you name it.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Unrepentent sinners of any kind are not part of God's kingdom per Christianity, by their own volition. By that same token, anyone can rectify that situation through repentence -- not of particular sins or incidents in one's life, but of a lifetime and practiced lifestyle of sin and hurting others. Whether you believe that to be nonsense or not is up to you, but it is simply not the case that homosexuality or any other specific sin (or list of sins) is an integral part of Christianity. People who believe that to be the case (self-proclaimed Christian or no) are simply wrong.

[generic Brand]

The model of behavior for a Christian is and always has been Jesus' treatment of sinners, which was entirely non-violent and mutual. Anything less is a failure on the part of that Christian.

This is the critical part. The people who condemn homosexuality would be wise to check their own lives for sin, because the Bible also says that all sins are equal in the eyes of God. I know that I sin (sex with my girlfriend before marriage, lying, breaking the laws of man), therefore I have no right to judge another person. Even if I was sinless--which is impossible, because Adam and Eve in the garden cursed all of humanity to be born with the burden of sin--judgement lies with the Lord.

I have just as much disrespect for Christians who want to tell other people how to live as I do for statists telling me how to live.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I suspect that Paul's comments regarding homosexuality are rooted in 1) the general Hebrew distaste for homosexual behavior as defined in Leviticus; and 2) the cultural acceptance of it in the Greek and Roman worlds that he was proseltyzing in. It's not out of the realm of probability that a missionary of that time, especially one as well-traveled as Paul, would consider those attitudes to be hopelessly decadent and not to be emulated, especially by believers in the Hebrew god.

[generic Brand]

Can you expand on what you mean? I think I agree with you, but for some reason am not fully comprehending what you are saying. It's been a long day, I guess.

[Killazontherun]

I would need to brush up too to do a clarification any justice as I've been irreligious for a good while now. I'll point you to a really good book though.

The Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew

http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost....._rech_dp_5

[generic Brand]

Thanks Killaz, I added it to my book list. It touches on something that I have been curious about recently, namely how are certain biblical accounts found in most modern bibles and others are not (apocryphal texts in many Catholic bibles).

[Randian]

Eliminating the letters of Paul would require a bit of a rewrite, sorry to say.

[Lord at War]

Eliminating the letters of Paul would require a bit of a rewrite, sorry to say.

1 Corinthians verse 17

"Beware those with darkened skin that be fleet of foot."

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Exactly what do you think will make it into a revised version of the Bible or any other religious document?

More likely than not, it'll be bullshit about forced redistribution making it in and turning the other cheek or any other inconveniences that get thrown out.

[Randian]

I don't care what makes it in there. Christians can either change their beliefs or be inconsistent with the plain words they profess to believe in.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Why would that bother them now?

[Randian]

Well, yes, but I am saying that on this particular, finite point, Morgan is right and Warren is wrong.

[generic Brand]

What beliefs are inconsistent with what they profess to believe in?

All men have sin. The wages of sin equals death. Jesus Christ was sent to be the sacrificial lamb for all of humanity. Choosing to model your life after Christ and accept him as your savior will ensure that you receive eternal life.

Do not conflate the words and actions of humans with the Word of God, as many people like to do with the Westboro Baptist Church.

[Randian]

The Bible is extraordinarily clear on the point of homosexuality, so much so that I don't even feel the need to repeat what has been said about 10,000 times on the subject.

[generic Brand]

The God of the old testament was a god of retribution, judgment, and vengeance. The God of the New Testament is one of love and compassion. I don't think that can't be said enough, even though it has been said about 10,000 times before.

[Randian]

It's the same God, which means either God was wrong (which is not possible for a being possessing omniscience) or somehow you have to make the two Testaments consistent.

[Francisco d Anconia]

The God of the old testament...The God of the New Testament...

So did he just change his mind? Two different Gods? How does that work?

[generic Brand]

He didn't change his mind in the sense that we would think of it ("Hmmm, I was going to wear a blue shirt today but I'm really feeling this green one"), he just saw that having humans constantly sacrifice animals to atone for sins was not a permanent solution. Therefore he sent his son (the single perfect human) as the ultimate sacrifice for all of humanity.

That's really the best way I can describe it; apologies for not holding multiple doctorates in theology.

[Copernicus]

"he just saw that having humans constantly sacrifice animals to atone for sins was not a permanent solution. Therefore he sent his son (the single perfect human) as the ultimate sacrifice for all of humanity."

And your thesis is that sacrificing the one and only ever perfect human is a better system than sacrificing a goat?

"That's really the best way I can describe it; "

Next time, don't bother.

[sloopyinca]

He sent His son to die for the sins of mankind. He didn't change His mind, He just fulfilled one of the prophesies of the Old Testament. Jesus was a game-changer for what earned entry into heaven. God didn't change his mind as much as he changed the way sins would be forgiven and/or what would earn one entry into heaven.

[Francisco d Anconia]

So, being omnipotent and all, why didn't he just do it right from the get-go?

My grandmother always told me that God was never-changing (When it suited her argument).

Guys, not trying to be a dick. I've fought with this my whole life and I fell on the other side of the fence. Too many inconsistencies for me.

[generic Brand]

As I said above, I admit to not knowing all of the answers, I could research it a bit more and email you if you are really curious. But as sloopy mentioned, Jesus coming was prophesied (prophesized?) in the Old Testament, so I believe the way things happened were always a part of God's "master plan".

It doesn't mean the people in the Old Testament were any less saved because they had no way of accepting Jesus; it only means that once Jesus touched down on Earth, only through him could one now reach God. It's like OT time was all pony express, and Jesus was the advent of the telephone: a direct line to God.

[Copernicus]

" it only means that once Jesus touched down on Earth, only through him could one now reach God. It's like OT time was all pony express, and Jesus was the advent of the telephone: a direct line to God."

This is such a good analogy, really answers all the questions.

[sloopyinca]

So, being omnipotent and all, why didn't he just do it right from the get-go?

Because He chose not to. Although He did plan to all along, as prophesied in the Old Testament.

My grandmother always told me that God was never-changing (When it suited her argument).

God is constantly changing, IMO. Not sure where she got that from. Perhaps it's because God is constant in everything? Still, that doesn't mean He's never changing.

Guys, not trying to be a dick. I've fought with this my whole life and I fell on the other side of the fence. Too many inconsistencies for me.

I can understand that. Christianity is a faith and is not exactly built on the scientific principle (even though it is not at odds with it either). Not everyone accepts certain things on faith.

[Copernicus]

"God didn't change his mind as much as he changed the way sins would be forgiven and/or what would earn one entry into heaven."

Why?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

In what sense are "they" being inconsistent?

Regardless of one's beliefs regarding homosexuality, there is nothing internally inconsistent about Christian views on homosexuality and other beliefs intrinsic to the religion.

[Michael Ejercito]

I don't have a problem with Morgan on this one. Molding outdated mythologies to modern-day would have nothing but positive effects.

How did alcoholics' attempts to amend the Quran to make drinking alcohol a sacrament turn out?

[Romulus Augustus]

As I said on another post, why do intelligent people still believe this rot?

[generic Brand]

I openly admit that I do not know everything. But I am also intelligent enough to realize that there does not exist a scientific explanation for everything. And even if a scientific explanation does exist, it does not necessarily conflict with the teachings of the bible.

I have become more and more of the opinion that following Christ as one's personal Lord and Savior is perfectly coherent with being a libertarian. It only becomes a problem (and no longer Christian) when one uses force to make people live a certain way. God gives humans the freedom to willingly choose Him, knowing full well the potential consequences of not choosing him.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Agreed.

[Francisco d Anconia]

So you believe self sacrifice is a good thing then?

[Randian]

But I am also intelligent enough to realize that there does not exist a scientific explanation for everything.

Sure, except for the fact that science has been exceptionally adept at knocking down religious nonsense for thousands of years, but apparently it's going to stop doing so at some point in the future.

And proclaiming God of the Gaps is heresy.

[generic Brand]

I do not belong to any capital "C" Church, so any claims of "Heresy!" have no relevance for me. Obviously the need for community is great, but there is only one way to the Father, and it is not through the Church.

[Randian]

It's heresy by the standards of the Word.

[generic Brand]

Can you point to a bible verse/chapter?

[Randian]

Look, I am going to try to be nice for reasons unknown to me.

But it seems unrigorous and rather lazy to say "well, there are things that are unknown to me, ergo it makes sense to fill in those gaps with a Supreme Being".

Things are unknown to you because there are always new things to 'discover'. It's inherent in human knowledge as a system that not everything will be known. That doesn't require the creation of a Divine Being. In fact, a Divine Being essentially queers all knowledge, because said Omnipotent DB is capable of turning every scientific fact on its ear through 'miracles'.

[sloopyinca]

Seriously, Randian, there are more than one way to explain the things you don't understand. Why don't you stop being such a smug, judgmental prick and accept that there are those who do not share your "faiths" on explanations of the unknown and leave it at that...especially if it's people that don't infringe on your liberty.

You have faith that your explanations on the unknown will eventually be answered by "science". What makes your faith more valid than gB's? Or mine? Or anybody else that disagrees with your "faith"?

[generic Brand]

All right, I'm gonna come right out and ask what the hell is going on here. For the longest time I have thought you two were the same person, mostly because for whatever reason you both link to the same blog for your handles.

Do you guys know each other, or you are each other? Or is this just some cruel prank on innocent gB?

[sloopyinca]

I had never noticed that Randian linked to the S&J blog. Now if only one or two of us would start posting on there again...

No, we're not the same person and this is not a cruel trick. I'm not smart enough to pull that off although I did manage some good trolling last holiday season with "Slapdick McGee" until JJ (Gojira) outed me.

[$park?]

You have faith that your explanations on the unknown will eventually be answered by "science". What makes your faith more valid than gB's? Or mine? Or anybody else that disagrees with your "faith"?

Good call, sloop. I don't choose to believe in a Supreme Being of any kind but that doesn't give me any special insight into whether or not there actually is one. Let people believe what they wish to believe, especially if it has no real effect on how you live your life.

[VG Zaytsev]

Seriously, Randian, there are more than one way to explain the things you don't understand. Why don't you stop being such a smug, judgmental prick...

It's the cosmo way. Might as well ask a dog why it barks.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Yet somehow, it is not lazy to believe that science will, as a matter of course, disprove non-disprovable philosophies and religions.

As a Christian, I must say objectively that Buddhism holds up extremely well under scientific scrutiny and will likely continue to do so.

[Copernicus]

"I openly admit that I do not know everything".

It's not necessary for you or I or anyone to "openly admit" this. It is a 'given'.

"I have become more and more of the opinion that following Christ as one's personal Lord and Savior is perfectly coherent with being a libertarian."

Christ and his immediate followers are 'supposed' to be christians' role models. They "give no thought to the morrow". They didn't think about where their clothing or food or shelter would come from. They were beggars (moochers if you will). They sold everything and walked the earth. They sublimated their thoughts and liberty to a master. They did nothing productive except share the gospel. They believed the end was nigh, one of the many irrational (denial of reality) beliefs they held. Christ did not believe in justice on earth, thus condemning true Christians to oppression and suffering. He suggested turning the other cheek when assaulted, and by his example, suggested that a person should meekly submit to false arrest, imprisonment, beating, torture, and death by the state.

Stop me when i get to a libertarian idea....

[Red Rocks Rockin]

To be fair, they also used divine power to conjure up their tax payments instead of letting Rome take them from whatever fruits of their labor they produced, and Jesus specifically targeted tax collectors for ministry due to their greedy natures.

The Bible also points out the first "progressive Christian":

John 12:4-6--"4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said,5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?"6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it."

[generic Brand]

Hahaha, oh Judas. You would do so well in American politics, what with the thieving, betrayal, and lying.

[generic Brand]

Nothing about what Jesus and his disciples did conflicts with libertarianism. Just because you call them moochers does not make them so. They did not rely on welfare stolen from the workers like today's moochers. The Lord says that if you follow him he will provide for your needs. People freely donate their time and resources to support a cause they believe in.

[Copernicus]

Let's imagine the scenario:

Jesus: I am the one, believe in me or go to hell.
Person: Ok I believe.
Jesus: What's for lunch?

Sounds like the birth of the shyster televangelist.

I imagine a lot of the Jonestown inhabitants "freely donated" to Jim Jones's ministry too.

I just gave a bunch of examples that captured the essence of the Christian life and it is not libertarian.

Jesus and his gang were collectivists. They traded liberty and individualism to serve a master and become sheep.

[Anonymous Coward]

But you and I know the Bible is, in many places a flawed document

The Bible is, more accurately, a compilation of different documents by various authors.

My point to you about gay rights for example ? it's time for an amendment to the Bible

This called going from A to C without passing by B.

You should compile a new Bible.

I'm pretty sure Rick Warren is not in charge of the Bible. If he can read Hebrew or Greek, I'd fall over from surprise,

[Jersey Patriot]

If he can read Hebrew or Greek, I'd fall over from surprise,

I wouldn't. Evangelical seminaries teach quite a bit of Hebrew and Greek. The small-town pastor in my childhood church read both very well.

[CE]

I like the dueling Piers Morgan petitions:

70,000 signatures for deporting him from the USA back to the UK.

64,000 signatures in the UK for not letting him back in the country.

[Copernicus]

And considering the population of the UK, the 64K is much more impressive.

[Don Mynack]

Do Evangelicals follow the Geneva Bible or old King James version?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Rebels are on their way to the Central African Republic's capital.

Isn't that pretty much true of almost any African nation at any given time?

[A Serious Man]

Why does the Centra African Republic have such a lame name?

[NeonCat]

They knew there are lots of African nations few can spell, much less find on a map, so they wanted to make sure you could spell it and locate it?

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's like a generic African country name the writers of 24 came up with.

[fish]

I've been to Generic African Country.

[invisible furry hand]

According to the Onion's Atlas, it's so you don't have to spend big on brand-name African republics

[Lord at War]

Because "Bungle in the Jungle" is raaaaacist.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Consumer confidence is down, thanks in large part to the fiscal cliff fiasco.

Why the hell was it ever up?

[NeonCat]

HOPE?

[Silver Fox]

And [spare] change?

[Randian]

I typed 'Rock' into Spotify and got System of a Down.

Market failure.

[A Serious Man]

The most popular petition on the White House website is the petition to label the Westboro Baptist Church a hate group.

[$park?]

Michael Moore has some advice for gun owners.

"We're an awfully fearful country considering that, unlike most nations, we've never been invaded," he said. "Why on earth would we need 300 million guns in our homes?"

"I get why the Russians might be a little spooked (over 20 million of them died in World War II). But what's our excuse?" Moore said. "Worried that the Indians from the casino may go on the warpath? Concerned that the Canadians seem to be amassing too many Tim Horton's donut shops on both sides of the border?"

"No. It's because too many white people are afraid of black people," he said. "Period."

[Silver Fox]

Yeah we's all scared of the black men.

Or little kids.

Or something.

[Randian]

That's been his thesis since Bowling for Columbine.

[Silver Fox]

So I noticed.

It's all about race or gender or whatever with liberals, isn't it?

No other, more logical reason could be possible, especially in Moore's tiny brain.

[$park?]

More logical than racism? You must be dreaming.

[Silver Fox]

I'm sure that's what Moore would tell me.

[Mint Berry Crunch]

Can you blame liberals, though?

I mean, their 'race / gender / class' analysis was so successful in the Duke Lacrosse scandal.

Stick with what works!

[A Serious Man]

"We're an awfully fearful country considering that, unlike most nations, we've never been invaded," he said. "Why on earth would we need 300 million guns in our homes?"

I guess the War of 1812 never happened. No one has invaded the UK since 1066.

[Ted S.]

I suppose technically the Battle of Britain wasn't an invasion.

[R C Dean]

The Japanese invaded in WWII, you know.

And not just a couple of islands in Alaska. The Philippines was American territory.

[Aresen]

No one has invaded the UK since 1066

Uh, technically, William of Orange (1688) was an invader.

[Marshall Gill]

I was just discussing this an hour ago. There were multiple invasions of England during the Middle ages.

Hastings was simply the last successful one, in almost a thousand years. I wonder why?

[sloopyinca]

If only one of our resident trolls was on here to explain how the filthy Mooslims have successfully invaded England over the last decade.

[Jeff]

I hear that some white people are so afraid of black people that they hire full time bodyguards.

[fish]

That's only the morbidly obese who might blow out an artery if a brother walked in front of them.

Seriously though for all his obsession over black guys one could be forgiven for thinking Michael Moore wanted to try playing for the other "team".

[Eduard van Haalen]

Yeah, that's why Ta-Nahisi Coates' (sp?) believed in owning guns for self-defense - they were afraid of black people.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Coates' parents, that is.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

My father-in-law owns a gun (or two) because he still thinks his neighbors will try to break into his house. Like they did when he was a young man living in South Central LA. Or that the police will break into his house, arrest him and try to frame him for a crime he didn't commit. Like they did when he was a young man living in South Central LA. People arm themselves for self-defense, and against tyranny of the state.

Why is this so hard to understand?

[Silver Fox]

It doesn't sell as well as "they're all raaaaaaacist!" does?

[Pound. Head. On. Desk.]

we've never been invaded,"

Uh, Michael... the War of 1812? Capitol was burned? Battle of New Orleans? The Battle of Baltimore? Star Spangled Banner was written? Ring a bell?

[Romulus Augustus]

More like 48% of us are scared of the other 52%??

[CE]

I thought it was 47 and 53 percent?

[Caleb Turberville]

When Capitalism: A Love Story came out, I went to see the 3D re-release of Toy Story 1 and 2. A kid in the front row was dressed as Woody. It was really cute. Best act of protest against Michael Moore's corpulence I ever committed.

[Aresen]

"I get why the Russians might be a little spooked (over 20 million of them died in World War II). But what's our excuse?" Moore said.

The Russians also had a government that killed between 30 and 60 million of their own people, who were conveniently unarmed.

[Silver Fox]

Shush. Don't tell Moore that.

It might upset his up is down paradigm.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Which was just the latest in a number of opressions going back centuries.

I've never understood why people are so impressed with Russia, short of its gorgeous women in the pre-babushka stage. The country's entire history is one long series of authoritarian purges against its own people, most of whom were hardly in a position to resist.

[Xenocles]

Over 20 million died because they fought stupidly, with bull-headed determination from the leadership enforced brutally on the ranks. It's easy to lose a lot of people when the war takes place on your soil and you don't care how many you lose.

[Sudden]

Russia is an interesting case to bring up. Fairly strict gun laws, only 470,000 legally possessed weapons in a country of 143 million, and yet a murder rate 5x higher than the US.

[Juice]

Ok, Moore is being retarded here, but CNS News is being retarded right back. Witness this lovely non sequitur.

"This probably shouldn't come as a surprise to us as we are a nation founded on genocide and built on the backs of slaves," said Moore, a multi-millionaire filmmaker with an estimated worth of $50 million.

Moore continues

"We need a ban on automatic AND semiautomatic weapons and magazine clips that hold more than 7 bullets," Moore added.

Why 7? Why not 5? Or 3? Why do you want 7 people to die instead of 3, Michael Moore?

[Drake]

What size magazines do Moore's armed guards use?

[R C Dean]

"It's because too many white people are afraid of black people," he said. "Period."

He's so woefully ignorant that he doesn't know that's the reason most gun control laws were passed in the first place.

[R C Dean]

Forgot the punchline.

Proggy projection, once again.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why on earth would we need 300 million guns in our homes?

Might it have anything to do with having a federal government that now claims the legal power to detain citizens without habeas corpus on suspicion of terrorism?

No. It's because too many white people are afraid of black people

Is it my imagination or is Michael Moore-on defending Jim Crow?

[Generic Stranger]

Oh, hay, speaking of Fat Bastard, his bodyguard just got arrested for illegally carrying a gun in New York City.

I guess self defense is only for the elite, and not us proles.

[sloopyinca]

Dateline: January 20, 2005.

I hate the fat cunt but that's old news and we have plenty of new material to give him shit for.

[Generic Stranger]

Damn. The website I got it from was presenting it as new news.

Still, it's pretty indicative of the way these fuckers think. He hasn't changed his stance on gun control in the past 7 or 8 years, after all.

[CE]

The USA was never invaded? I guess Michael Moore wasn't around in 1812, huh?

[Silver Fox]

Michael Moore opens his mouth and stupid falls out.

[Brandon]

How does it feel to be beat by Sparky?

[Silver Fox]

It hurts a lot.

More than getting a pony would heal.

[Lord at War]

Would you accept a unicorn that shits Skittles?

[Caleb Turberville]

http://timesdaily.com/stories/.....old,200471

Five years after the Retirement Systems of Alabama (the public pension system for Alabama government employees) sank $600 million into a a mile long factor in northwest Alabama, the factor has employed only 150 of the expected 2,200 it was meant for.

[Caleb Turberville]

*factory

[fish]

Thanks for clearing that up. For a minute I thought that Bill O'Reilly might be expanding the "No Spin Zone" empire.

[Caleb Turberville]

Sorry, my keyboard has seen better days. The "y" key especially.

[Killazontherun]

Six people have died in Poland after being poisoned by tainted alcohol.

My niece got a Polish brand of vodka advertized as gluten free. I asked, shouldn't most vodkas be gluten free just by composition. Grey Goose cheats!, she answered. I've sampled maybe twenty different vodkas (still refuse to shop at the gov owned ABC stores, socializing at Christmas parties the past few weeks) since Thanksgiving. I'd say the stuff she has was the best.

But her gluten free beer tasted just like Zima.

[$park?]

You know what, I like Zima. And fuck you all for the persecution.

[Randian]

Can you even buy that stuff anymore?

[$park?]

I've seen it in a few places around here. Not in any of the smaller package stores though.

[Brandon]

I think they stopped making it in 08.

[Randian]

Sad. My first drink was one of those and a shot of Jaeger.

Man, it was great having no taste.

[Ska]

Imagine how much money could be saved if you could tolerate Olde English.

[sloopyinca]

Can you even buy that stuff anymore?

Not until the Idiocracy prophesy comes to pass. Than it'll be all you can drink.*

*Except for Brawndo, of course.

[Killazontherun]

If that's the case, I'll find out what brand that beer is next time I visit since Zima itself is hard to find.

[Killazontherun]

I'm sure you could recreate that taste with a rice based American lager that's weak on the hops mixed with ginger beer.

[Big Chief]

They are othering you.

[Ted S.]

Zima, because zhit happens.

[Zeb]

I wouldn't think that any gluten could come through the distillation, even if it were made with grain that has gluten.

[Killazontherun]

I wondered about that too. Gluten is a big pop fear (first world problems, right?) item now, and she tends toward the hypochondria.

[CE]

Problems white people have.

[wingnutx]

Nothing on Feinstein's pending AWB bill?

[Randian]

it's DOA, I'm sure.

[Ted S.]

which will leave her to pick up the pieces.

[fish]

it's DOA, I'm sure.

From your lips to gods ear!

[sloopyinca]

Sheriff in NC tells officers to "go out there and get me some of those taco eaters. DoJ is not impressed.

[Ska]

Man, I fucking love tacos. I'm just staying away from there entirely.

[Ted S.]

Anymore when I think of tacos, I think of the Hennifer Lopez episode of South Park.

Or, I should post this.

[Anonymous Coward]

Silly sheriff. The correct slur is "pepper belly."

[sloopyinca]

Sacramento police officer finally arrested for raping disabled elderly woman over and over again. His union has not made a statement, but his chief has said the officer's actions don't reflect the rest of his department.

[R C Dean]

Maybe not, but apparently they didn't bother the rest of the department much, either.

[sloopyinca]

When does felony embezzlement and a rock-solid paper trail of 36 thefts only get you 90 days in jail? Apparently when you're a cop in Half Moon Bay, CA, that's when.

[Silver Fox]

But there's no double standards for cops, tee-hee!

[Juice]

Damn, he stole from the police union? I'm surprised he didn't get the death penalty.

[fish]

It's early!

Hi Sloop how's the baby?

[sloopyinca]

She's sleeping like a little angel. That'll change in another 20-30 minutes though. Thanks for asking.

[Enough About Palin]

Thomas Sowell:

When I was growing up, an older member of the family used to say, "What you don't know would make a big book." Now that I am an older member of the family, I would say to anyone, "What you don't know would fill more books than the Encyclopedia Britannica." At least half of our society's troubles come from know-it-alls, in a world where nobody knows even 10 percent of all.

Some people seem to think that, if life is not fair, then the answer is to turn more of the nation's resources over to politicians -- who will, of course, then spend these resources in ways that increase the politicians' chances of getting reelected.

The annual outbursts of intolerance toward any display of traditional Christmas scenes, or even daring to call a Christmas tree by its name, show that today's liberals are by no means liberal. Behind the mist of their lofty words, the totalitarian mindset shows through.

If you don't want to have a gun in your home or in your school, that's your choice. But don't be such a damn fool as to advertise to the whole world that you are in "a gun-free environment" where you are a helpless target for any homicidal fiend who is armed. Is it worth a human life to be a politically correct moral exhibitionist?

http://townhall.com/columnists.....page/full/

[Apatheist ?_??]

Sorry, too much CULTURE WAR mixed in with his good points.

[Marshall Gill]

Read his book, Race and Culture. The way that people view things as a group is significant. At one point, the US actually had a KULTUR of Human Liberty.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Back when most members of Congress had served in the military, there was a reluctance of politicians to try to tell military leaders how to run the military services. But, now that few members of Congress have ever served in the military, they are ready to impose all sorts of fashionable notions on the military.

Nope. Civilian control of the military is the paper-thin barrier keeping us from being coming a military dictatorship. Now go back to grumbling about miss Matlock and leave the punditry to the non-senile.

[Heroic Mulatto]

*missing

[Redmanfms]

Non sequitur.

Civilian control is intended to be a tool in controlling implementation of military force, not telling the military "you must have X percent manning of Y interest group in any given field" or, "you must buy X weapon from Y supplier," which what he is arguing against.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Civilian control is intended to be a tool in controlling implementation of military force, not telling the military "you must have X percent manning of Y interest group in any given field" or, "you must buy X weapon from Y supplier," which what he is arguing against.

So the President has to have had military experience?

[VG Zaytsev]

The last president with active duty military experience was Poppa Bush. And he was less 'bloodthirsty' and less inclined to reckless military intervention than the 3 we've had since.

So there might be something to that.

[CE]

Of course, no one under 30 knows what you mean when you say words like "Encyclopedia" or "Britannica"...

[Ted S.]

Shouldn't it be Encyclop?dia anyway?

[sloopyinca]

What, are you picking up the slack while IFH sleeps on the bottom/wrong half of the world?

[Ted S.]

The title of the book is in Latin, not English.

[A Serious Man]

Blogger turns tables on the New York paper that published the location of gun owners, publishes the addresses of everyone who works at the paper.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I love that story.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a (post)Christmas miracle.

[sloopyinca]

NYPD officer sues city when a bullet he shot (poorly) at the range ricocheted and hit him in the chest.

There are no winners in this story, people. None at all.

[Mad Scientist]

"The [shooting] position was too close to the target stanchion ? that's why it reflected back at him," said the attorney, who neglected to mention that his client was apparently smart enough to have safety concerns but stupid enough to ignore them.

[CE]

Do you even need to practice shooting at targets 10 feet away?

[sloopyinca]

I do, but it's always with a .22 and the targets are the size of a nickel.

My question is: why would the range put a target of a dog up high enough that a ricochet would come back at the shooter. Shooting down at a 30 degree angle, which would be about right for a dog 10 ft away, would make any fragment ricochet downrange.

But don't worry. The taxpayers, by way of a settlement they have no part in negotiating, will ensure this man never has to fear another paper target in his life.

[VG Zaytsev]

My question is: why would the range put a target of a dog up high enough that a ricochet would come back at the shooter.

It was run by a dog lover.
Foreseeable consequences are not unintended.

[Ted S.]

You think they can hit puppies at further range?

[Sudden]

What about the bullet?

[Brandon]

It takes balls to even publicly admit to something like that. Wait, not balls, what's the word I'm thinking of...

[R C Dean]

A badge?

[Xenocles]

I feel like I sort of win for not being a New Yorker.

[fish]

There are no winners in this story, people. None at all.

Not true! I'm not going to read the story and yet I'm still laughing. I'm not a New Yorker so I'm not paying either!

What's not to like?

[A Serious Man]

Reddit infatuated over epic photobombing/optical illusion.

[Ska]

Imgur is infatuated with a Top Gear photobomb, but I like that one with the Asian chicks.

[Randian]

Reddit: bad Internet aggregator or Worst Internet aggregator?

[sloopyinca]

LAPD offering up gift cards to local grocery stores for people trading in guns anonymously. And in a rare instance that deserves to be pointed out, the commentators at PoliceOne get it right.*

*They tend to be good on 2A stories when there's an imminent threat of peoples' rights being stripped. Perhaps they are moral on this issue or maybe they know what's going to end up happening to them if they're charge with trying to confiscate our guns.

[A Serious Man]

One commentator is particularly astute:

I'd be interested to look at the statistics of stolen firearms immediately before these buy back programs. No questions asked? Joe Criminal can spend a couple days stealing guns, get his gift cards, and sell them at half-value for drug money. Way to go, California.

Unintended consequences, how do they work?

[Killazontherun]

Just being a cop weeds out the squeemish 'guns are yucky!' types. Once you get passed that barrier, you tend to think rationally about them and their usage.

The only cops who are anti-citizen ownership are the careerist in metropolitan departments and political appointees who mouth back what their dickhead bosses have to say.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Another Steaming Pile of Truth From Our Favorite Wymynist...

Those freedom-loving arsenal-builders love liberty soooooo much, y'all. The want to hump it, lick it, and most importantly, take it to the shooting range to share in the glory of the One and Only Real Liberty: the liberty to believe the gun industry when they tell you their products will deceive everyone else into thinking you're a tough manly man.

It's like she's peering into my soul...

[Mad Scientist]

Why is everything about sex with these types? It's as though they can't even conceive of the idea that owner a gun might not be phallic.

[Mad Scientist]

ownING....

[Redmanfms]

Why is everything about sex with these types?

"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."

That's why.

[Enough About Palin]

Sometimes a gun is just a gun.

[A Serious Man]

For her birthday yesterday my sister went to the shooting range with a few of her girlfriends and strangely enough, she had a lot of fun.

So why exactly must Marcotte, who clearly doesn't know jackshit about guns or gun culture, turn what is a non-gender issue into something that is supposedly the result of male insecurities?

[Francisco d Anconia]

WHen you don't have a rational argument that fits your emotional agenda... build strawmen.

[R C Dean]

Clearly, Marcotte suffers from repressed penis envy.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

When all you've got is a vagina, everything starts looking like a cigar.

[fish]

Amanda is devolving into a caricature of a caricature. Imagine if the high point in your life was getting fired from John Edwards presidential campaign you'd be bitter and twisted too.....maybe she deserve her own telethon? C'mon...who's with me?!

[Anonymous Coward]

The want to hump it

Is this what passes for acceptable writing at raw story?

The Constitution, of course, doesn't have any anti-American blather in it about due process or the rule of law

Anyone who voted for Obama has lost the privilege of citing due process or the rule of law as a concern for the duration of their pathetic TEAM-centric lives.

[CE]

You don't have to deceive anyone into thinking you're tough -- you own a gun. Being tough is irrelevant at that point.

[waaminn]

That looks like it might just work dude. Wow.

http://www.Privacy-OT.tk

[Enough About Palin]

waaminn? waamyns? womyns? WTF?

[A Serious Man]

A comet discovered by two Russian astronomers could be brighter than a full moon and the astronomical event of a lifetime when it passes by next year.

[CE]

Oh boy... don't tell the cultists and new agers...

[CE]

Comet Ison is making its first, and perhaps only visit to us. Its life has been cold, frozen hard and unchanging, but it is moving closer to the Sun, and getting warmer.

In glorious Soviet Union, comet finds you.

[Ted S.]

The last time they tried this, it was a dud.

[Ted S.]

As much of a dud as my previous link.

[A Serious Man]

Self-described 'Romanian Orthodox priests' produce steamy gay calender for new year. (photos probably NSFW).

[invisible furry hand]

what, looking at homoerotic photoss that don't reveal genitalia is NSFW? I don't want to live in this world anymore... the photo descriptions are choice ie.

"Father Igor is dedicated to Jesus his savior. Before discovering his devotion to the Orthodox religion, he was a lost soul -- addicted to fashion, luxury and Dolce & Gabanna."

[sloopyinca]

This is what a Christian calendar by Bruno would look like. It has to be an elaborate troll that HuffPo fell for.

[Auric Demonocles]

200+ comments and no complaints about alt-text? You people disgust me almost as much as Feeney.

[sloopyinca]

Don't blame Feeney. I hear it on good authority there was originally alt-text pertaining to a certain Senate Majority Leader and his predilection for newly-shorn sheep, but somebody in the editorial process nixed it.

[Auric Demonocles]

Then they should have replaced it with some alt-text explaining that the person responsible for the original alt-text has been sacked.

[sloopyinca]

They did, but the people responsible for the alt-text explaining that the others had been sacked have also been sacked.

[mad libertarian guy]

LA officials have collected 2037 firearms, most of them stolen, in their post-Christmas gun buyback program. Participants collected gift cards valued between $100 and $200 in exchange for handing in weapons.

Clarified it for you.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't that make the city of LA liable for conversion, as they have interferred with the actual gun owners' right of ownership?

[sloopyinca]

Why do you hate women and children, Anonymous Coward?

[Anonymous Coward]

We can't all be so lucky as to be laying the pipe to one of the five known libertarian women on Earth. Only the love liberty keeps me warm at night.

[R C Dean]

Good call, Coward. However, since the guns were destroyed, the rightful owner of any stolen guns wouldn't have any way to prove it.

[cmace]

source?

[The Late P Brooks]

I went to the range today. It was cold, and I couldn't hit for shit, but it was still worth it.

Take that, "moment of silence".

[Sevo]

"Six people have died in Poland after being poisoned by tainted alcohol."

Now one person dying is not good news by any means (unless that person is shithead), but I'd bet you can find six people dying from, oh, good booze most days, so I'm not sure what was intended.

[StephT]

Poland needs to enact some strict alcohol legislation. If it saves just one life it will be worth it.