One comment about love ...

Grr... Yes, I know how it's spelled. It's a typo. *sigh*

I wonder if colloquial usage of "beastiality" is sufficiently high to allow it as an alternate spelling yet? Upon checking just now, I was surprised to see that Google lists 2,450,000 hits for "beastiality", yet only 2,000,000 for "bestiality". With the adult entertainment industry's proclivity for using the spelling "cum" far more frequently than the correct "come", one wonders when the porn dictionaries will be amended and "bestiality" removed forever?

Merriam-Webster lists "Lite", "nite" and "thru" as valid alternate spellings to "light", "night" and "through" respectively, though it does not note that the use of these abbreviations makes the user look like a complete moron, which is in my opinion, a significant error on the part of the editors. A quality dictionary ought to point these things out.

Maybe you should use the OED rather than MW then.

Siobhan,

Didn't the OED once define the word 'pinta'?

But I do actually agree, the OED doesn't allow many of these outlandish spellings. Although I'm willing to bet 'alright' is in there somewhere.

Not to mention 'percent'.

Live and let live. Believe and let believe. Not one person despite their convictions can difinitively prove their way is THE way.

None of us will know until we die and even then thats questionable.

Beliefs are the one thing that has caused hundreds of millions of people to be persecuted, enslaved and murdered for, the number one offender being the Catholic church.. yes cringe if you must but the truth cannot be denied.

I prefer people state they "think" something or another because by nature thoughts can be changed once proof comes along.. "beliefs" are a whole nother nasty little bag of worms.

This is a bigoted view in itself, and typical thinking of apologists for the Soviet Union and China - which between them persecuted, enslaved and murdered a lot more people than the Roman Catholic Church ever managed.
Of course in the case of China, they are still doing it.

Okay my post comes a bit late but this fuker pisses me off I happen to be gay and a pagan with a over zealous Christain father who might I say Is a dumbass cus he doesn't even live by most of the shit he preaches as I am sure neither does this little Dip shit. I know quite a bit about the so called word of god but most peps take the bible way to literal the fact is that it was written by people who have free will as your precious little bible even says which means those disciples such as paul who deems gays as evil and sinners could have decided to write his opinion not fact if the bible is even fact.
Not one piece of that damn book was actually written by your great and mighty so unless is has words burings in flame as I read them I will just take it as another book that deserves its place in the most important place my trash. and How dare you JOn whatever the hell you are you refer to gays and somethin that doesn't deserve love you should you not nget love because your a asshole and are tryin to impose what you belive on others. Take your Bible spew back to your little hick vill And keep in your tiny small head of yours so us Peps with a actaul brain and can think for are selves can have space to breath in fact ya know what why don't you do us all a favor and just stop taking up our air.

P.S. I am sorry if I offend anyone except this Jon or whoever the hell this guy is and ALso a note to the lindens Sorry if I violated any rules btw My grammar and sppelin are off its late and I am pissed so

Good Lord, Sherpa... BREATHE!

You did count the slaughter of all native peoples on all seven continents who would not "convert" and the Crusades in your tally right David? Oh.. hehe I thought not.. recalculate please.

Because it's the best!

hehehe - couldn't resist.... that's how I'm going to remember it from now on..

Siggy.

Wow i guess my sister (torrid) was right about Second Life, Christianity is VERY frowned upon. I'm not posting this to back up the person who started the thread, but I read through some very hostile posts. I am no perfect person by any means and I do not live as i was taught to, but there are things that have stayed with me my whole life. If there is one thing I have learned when it comes to being a Christian is that having a quiet spirit and allowing others to see "God's Love" in you through the way you live, is far better than preaching hellfire and brimstone. People don't like to be told they are wrong or have things shoved in their face. We all as adults resent being treated as though we do not have a mind of our own. Yes we are taught that there is but one way and that way is God, but we are also taught to respect others. Just because I believe one way and someone believes another does not mean I criticize them and tear down their god or their faith. I suppose it is unfair to wish that people didn't make God or Jesus into the biggest joke in history because Christians in a way have asked for it. If only people truly understood that being a Christian means being humble, patient, loving, understanding, and turning the other cheek. Somewhere along the way, prejudice, judgement, harrassment, intolerance, ignorance, and violence got slapped onto the label of Christianity. I think it best to believe what you believe, live what you believe, and touch someone's life by showing that belief through kindness. Waving a bible in the air and condemning will get us nowhere, we were made in HIS image, but we are not HIM and therefore we do not stand in judgement of anyone. It is better to be a stepping stone than a stumbling block.

*Claps* Well said finally a person among the belief that is not crazy I salute you.

Great post Gwin. I know you speak more for the majority of Christians than Jon, and though my beliefs are different I have respect for yours because they are respectful. I think it's difficult for some of us who aren't a part of Christianity to get past the more vocal and judgemental minority. If you strip away the dogma and rhetoric and judge people by how they treat you... by their ethics, compassion, hopes and fears, and the way they honor those they love... then we are the same. It's a shame so many people let their religion or ideology blind them to that. Too often we feel embattled by those things instead of welcomed as an equal. It can build up to where it becomes hard not to paint with a broad brush.

Gwin, wow.

You rock.

Here's an editorial about the pledge of allegiance case being tossed out on a technicality yesterday. It's a perfect example of why so many people feel so bitter and under siege by Christians. For those who don't want to read it, here are a few choice bits...

"Some atheist California (no surprise there) had the audacity to challenge the words "under God" in that pledge. He had been backed up by the district court that has jurisdiction in what we all know is the Sodom of America"

and...

"What's this country coming to if we can't count on our top judges to stand up for God and country like good Christian soldiers and insist that every child in the nation pledge allegiance every day to our "one nation, under God"?"

and...

"For now, our children are safe from the humanists, communists and atheists in our midst, but for how long?"

You can read the rest here http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff06152004.html

Yes, by all means, let's save our children for the evil
humanists! If I was in the same room as the author I'd spit in his face.

I Like Jell-O

Uh, I'm fairly certain that editorial was intended as satire, Chip. If you look at some of Dave Lindorff's other editorials on CounterPunch, I think you'll see the tone is somewhat less... insane. It's a depressing realization that it's sometimes difficult to tell the difference between flag-waving fundamentalists and satirical parody of the same, though. I'm sure there's no shortage of people who would read such an editorial and risk snapping their necks from nodding in agreement.

what we need is to find a nice tropical island and banish all the humanists to thier wonderful little utopian paradise.

Hey, I'll move in if there's running water and a dsl hookup!

I don't even need the running water.