[Austin, TX] Church leaders accused in beating -- Boy in intensive care with kidney failure

The Houston Chronicle ^ | July 9, 2002 | Armando Villafranca

[strela]

Since I'm entertaining myself for a few moments by trying to inject into your brain the ability to distinguish between fact and speculation -- no, no, say nothing of it, it's altruism -- let's switch to the Socratic method:

Does the Socratic method include the ability to recognize the use of the common question mark? Must have been a different Socrates than the one I read about.

(For the clue impaired, yes, that was indeed a question I posted).

[Illbay]

Already did. Does that mean YOU'RE going to shut up?

[Illbay]

Was your sister in an "evangelical commune"?

No it was just a "church" in Alabama.

[strela]

I was simply refuting your claim that anti-Western fellings in Muslims was caused by poverty alone.

A claim which I never made. I never ever said that anti-Weatern feelings in Muslims were caused by poverty alone. There are many reasons under the sun why one person hates another; many are on proud display on FreeRepublic.

[RGSpincich]

If the facts are correct as contained in this article then I too will be outraged. Sometimes they (Self-professed religious types who overstep)starve the devil out of their children and sometimes they beat the devil out. Always abusing the child and always invoking a divine defense.

In this case, I am going to wait a day or two to see what develops.

[tracer]

Good call. You win the prize for that ever-so-rare ability to analyze a situation and recognize the absence of sufficient evidence to justify a conclusion.

Now let's kick back and watch the war of the creeds which is about to unfold.

"Blessed are the peacemakers".... 8~)

[strela]

Wow - four outraged posts to li'l ol' me. Do you get paid by the word?

[Minnesoootan]

By that logic,then he is old enough to understand that in the media rich environment of church bashing, taking a beating from the step ole man and filing a bogus civil lawsuit would be beneficial in getting a sports car when he turns 18 also....I'll wait for the evidence.

[OBAFGKM]

"I'm almost positive the Tamils are Hindus."

Almost to a man. It's the Buddhists who have been running the ongoing war of annihilation against them.

Don't get me wrong -- Hindu Tamil Tigers dish out at least what they take. But, Buddhist does not necessarily equal pacifist, and Sri Lanka has some pretty ugly ones.

[Freedom2specul8]

bump.....

[Destructor]

I saw this on the local news last night. Boy, they really worked that poor kid over!

[Taliesan]

that peculiar brand of pseudo-Christianity known as "charismatic" that relies upon demagogues and with "sheeple" congregations who can't act or think without leave from their overlords.

No, that's the wrong term. Actually, "charismatic" is a description of the worship style, denoting those groups who practice the spiritual "gifts" (greek: charismata) and principally the ecstatic ones, of prophecy and tongues.

There are charismatic congregations with authority structures like you describe, and there are charismatics in more mainline denominational authority structures.

[Minnesoootan]

Post 63 from Taliesan pretty much sums up what I read,same with you? ;-)

[stands2reason]

Hey! Don't let facts get in the way of a good bias!! ;-)

[Taliesan]

Does the Socratic method include the ability to recognize the use of the common question mark? Must have been a different Socrates than the one I read about.

(For the clue impaired, yes, that was indeed a question I posted).

Actually, the Socratic method doesn't imply anything in particular about the reading ability of the questioner.

That said, apparently I owe you an apology. You didn't, after all, see any evidence at all that the injuries were anything other than those described in the family's statements. Did you?

And since we're clearing things up: you didn't see any evidence at all in the article that indicated the congregation was refusing to cooperate with the police. Did you?

[stands2reason]

Yeah, those Christians have been threatening to kill the rest of us in the name of God, and....

Okay, maybe not. But they're very annoying and think they're better than everyone else, so that's good enough!! Round 'em up!! (/sarcasm)

[OBAFGKM]

"No it was just a "church" in Alabama."

Just curious -- did they do snakes?

[Taliesan]

Wow - four outraged posts to li'l ol' me. Do you get paid by the word?

No. I'm on salary.

Your posts simply caught my eye as an example of melodrama masquerading as thought. I thought I'd dissect it a bit. It's a hobby.

FWIW, I agree the beating was an outrage and should be prosecuted. But much of your reaction is irrational.

[Neenah]

There are evil, abusive people in every type of faith and non-faith as well. This is a tragic story, and the beaters should be taken out and flogged or worse, but for Illbay and his ilk to use this as an excuse for Christian bashing is vile.

What you said !

[Maceman]

Indeed. And, I wonder how long it will take the same posters who continually bay for Islam to be destroyed as a religion to call for the wholesale rounding up and internment of every Christian in Texas. Christianity - The Religion of Peace.

When millions of Christians around the world celebrate this atrocity, and Christian clerics give sermons praising this righteous beating of the blasphemer, and when repetitions of this action become widespread in churches and church schools throughout America, then you may have a point.

Until then, your analogy is pretty lame.

P.S. I am not a Christian.