Fox Reporter Shows Massive Anti-Islamic Bias

[EVT1]

You think the Fox reporter knows that Muslims believe in the virgin Mary and the second coming of Christ?

That there are Christians and churches over there- even in Iran?!  Of course not- because these assholes have no idea about religion other than Islam is the enemy and Jesus is Lord.  It is a lack of education- I doubt any of these morons could find the middle east on a map much less discuss the history of religion in the region- because that is where it all began.  Jesus does not have blonde hair and blue eyes- he probably looks like Bin-Laden. 

One question relevant now- why do the Christians in America support Israel so much when it is the Jewish people that consider Jesus a false prophet?  Yet the Muslims do not? 

IMO both camps are full of stupid people that if lucky can tie their shoes together.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 31, 2013 0:06:40 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

You think the Fox reporter knows that Muslims believe in the virgin Mary and the second coming of Christ?

That there are Christians and churches over there- even in Iran?!  Of course not- because these assholes have no idea about religion other than Islam is the enemy and Jesus is Lord.  It is a lack of education- I doubt any of these morons could find the middle east on a map much less discuss the history of religion in the region- because that is where it all began.  Jesus does not have blonde hair and blue eyes- he probably looks like Bin-Laden. 

One question relevant now- why do the Christians in America support Israel so much when it is the Jewish people that consider Jesus a false prophet?  Yet the Muslims do not?  .

that one always puzzled me too.  i bring it up at parties when i am drunk.  nobody wants to talk about it.

[mmhmm]

St. Mary's church in Tabriz, Iran is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world.  Iran has a lot of Armenian people and they are often Christian.  Unfortunately, these days things aren't particularly good for them in Iran.

St. Mary's isn't the only old Christian church in the country, it just happens to be the one I remember best.  I know there are others but I can't remember the names of them.

[Deleted]

Jul 30, 2013 22:08:58 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 30, 2013 21:48:53 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

They are more like different sects than different religions- a truly different religion would be Buddhism or Scientology .

And- all cars are basically the same-  they are not jets or tanks. 


They have their different beliefs- hence all of the fighting- but they are not fighting over which God it is- they are fighting over who has the correct interpretations and true prophets, etc.- which makes it all the more stupid to fight over IMO. 

this is precisely it.  but it is even more surreal than that: we (the One God folks) are arguing over a glass of water, or a mole of Argon.  something that is just ONE thing.  it is really f-ing bizarre and small-minded, imo.  and as i sit here tonight, i can only ask one question: WHY?

I find it ironic that you can give a lecture on arguing when you've amassed 22,000 posts arguing about minutia.  





 

[djAdvocate]

Jul 31, 2013 8:50:06 GMT -5 @davebo said:

Jul 30, 2013 22:08:58 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is precisely it.  but it is even more surreal than that: we (the One God folks) are arguing over a glass of water, or a mole of Argon.  something that is just ONE thing.  it is really f-ing bizarre and small-minded, imo.  and as i sit here tonight, i can only ask one question: WHY?

I find it ironic that you can give a lecture on arguing when you've amassed 22,000 posts arguing about minutia.  

 

and i find it odd that you think 56 words is a lecture.

look, i know that you love talking about me, dave- no matter how interesting the subject.  and i will admit that i am fascinating.  but, seriously, this obsession with all things dj is not healthy.  you need to find another hobby.  might i suggest learning the moon walk?  how about golfing?

edit: if it makes you feel any better, i am sure that your 1200 posts are all earth shattering, deep, and important. 

[mmhmm]

Jul 31, 2013 8:50:06 GMT -5 @davebo said:

Jul 30, 2013 22:08:58 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is precisely it.  but it is even more surreal than that: we (the One God folks) are arguing over a glass of water, or a mole of Argon.  something that is just ONE thing.  it is really f-ing bizarre and small-minded, imo.  and as i sit here tonight, i can only ask one question: WHY?

I find it ironic that you can give a lecture on arguing when you've amassed 22,000 posts arguing about minutia.  





 

davebo, people come to message boards to discuss various matters of importance to them.  Not all things are of equal importance to all people and we can't expect everyone to feel the same about every subject that arises here.  You may not agree with any number of posters; however, those posters have as much right to state their opinion, civilly, as you do.  While, to you, something may seem small and unimportant, it might be quite meaningful to someone else.  If you're not interested in what someone has to say, or in given subject matter, there's nothing to prevent you from simply skipping it. 

[mmhmm]

St. Mary's church in Tabriz:







There aren't any really good pictures of St. Mary's.   It's actually a huge area with lots of outbuildings and garden areas, but I was unable to find many pics on the internet, unfortunately.

There's a monastery in Azerbaijan that's breathtaking.  Lots of historical wonders in this small country.  It's a shame the political climate has made it impossible for those who really enjoy seeing these things.

[Deleted]

Jul 31, 2013 10:58:36 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 31, 2013 8:50:06 GMT -5 @davebo said:

I find it ironic that you can give a lecture on arguing when you've amassed 22,000 posts arguing about minutia.  

 

and i find it odd that you think 56 words is a lecture.

look, i know that you love talking about me, dave- no matter how interesting the subject.  and i will admit that i am fascinating.  but, seriously, this obsession with all things dj is not healthy.  you need to find another hobby.  might i suggest learning the moon walk?  how about golfing?

edit: if it makes you feel any better, i am sure that your 1200 posts are all earth shattering, deep, and important. 

Eh, don't flatter yourself...I don't read many of your posts 

I just found it funny that you, of all people, are wondering "WHY?" people bother arguing about anything related to religion... when you argue about pretty much everything on this board.  

To be clear, I don't really care for arguing much either because it doesn't solve much.  I'm all for finding common ground when it comes to resolving disputes, but not if it throws out the core belief that essentially defines your religion.   

[Virgil Showlion]

Jul 31, 2013 0:09:59 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 31, 2013 0:06:40 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

You think the Fox reporter knows that Muslims believe in the virgin Mary and the second coming of Christ?

That there are Christians and churches over there- even in Iran?!  Of course not- because these assholes have no idea about religion other than Islam is the enemy and Jesus is Lord.  It is a lack of education- I doubt any of these morons could find the middle east on a map much less discuss the history of religion in the region- because that is where it all began.  Jesus does not have blonde hair and blue eyes- he probably looks like Bin-Laden. 

One question relevant now- why do the Christians in America support Israel so much when it is the Jewish people that consider Jesus a false prophet?  Yet the Muslims do not?  .

that one always puzzled me too.  i bring it up at parties when i am drunk.  nobody wants to talk about it.

The US supports Israel for cultural, historical, and economic reasons, not just religious ones.

Personally I think you just use it as an excuse to get drunk.

[Opti]

I'm not going to comment too much on the rest of it, but I just found it funny that some of the posts are kind of minimizing the differences between religions by saying "Hey, it's the same God but they just have different beliefs and stuff". Yeah, and that's why there are different religions...because they have different beliefs. It's like telling a gearhead that all cars are the same because they have 4 wheels and an engine.



Your gearhead example though is a totally different thing. It would only be similar if all gearheads
were discussing the same exact car, of which only one was ever made.


A better example is all the creation myths and hypothesis that surround the Earth, Gaia, to my knowledge only exists as a single entity. Just because the Native Americans view it one way, Christians another, atheists another, Hindus yet another way doesn't mean there are multiple physical earths. There is only one. There is however multiple ways to look at it.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 31, 2013 12:30:03 GMT -5 @davebo said:

Jul 31, 2013 10:58:36 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

and i find it odd that you think 56 words is a lecture.

look, i know that you love talking about me, dave- no matter how interesting the subject.  and i will admit that i am fascinating.  but, seriously, this obsession with all things dj is not healthy.  you need to find another hobby.  might i suggest learning the moon walk?  how about golfing?

edit: if it makes you feel any better, i am sure that your 1200 posts are all earth shattering, deep, and important. 

Eh, don't flatter yourself...I don't read many of your posts 

i was exaggerating for effect.  did it work?

I just found it funny that you, of all people, are wondering "WHY?" people bother arguing about anything related to religion... when you argue about pretty much everything on this board. 

totally untrue.  most topics don't interest me.  you will find that i post a lot on a very few threads, and almost none on the rest.  you would know that if your read more of my posts. 

To be clear, I don't really care for arguing much either because it doesn't solve much.  I'm all for finding common ground when it comes to resolving disputes, but not if it throws out the core belief that essentially defines your religion.   

i am actually not interested in arguing per-se.  i am interested in competing perspectives.  i am interested in their logical underpinning.  iow, i am interested in understanding people.  others here like to argue, and when i engage them, i find it mostly irritating (when it gets emotional) and sometimes productive when it achieves the primary goal of greater understanding. 

edit: getting to the root of things and trying to understand people takes a LOT of posts.  it is much easier to just say things like: "poor people are lazy freeloaders" and walk away.  i never do that.  NEVER.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 31, 2013 13:30:35 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Jul 31, 2013 0:09:59 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

that one always puzzled me too.  i bring it up at parties when i am drunk.  nobody wants to talk about it.

The US supports Israel for cultural, historical, and economic reasons, not just religious ones.

Personally I think you just use it as an excuse to get drunk.

the last time i got drunk was November of 2004.  that should tell you how often i bring up that subject at parties.

i despise alcohol, truthfully.  that comment was made with a healthy dose of irony.

[Virgil Showlion]

the last time i got drunk was November of 2004. that should tell you how often i bring up that subject at parties.

i despise alcohol, truthfully. that comment was made with a healthy dose of irony.

Your brain cells thank you.

I've never been drunk. For some reason drinking to the point of intoxication, making a fool of myself, waking up the next morning with a splitting headache never appealed to me.

[mmhmm]

Aug 1, 2013 15:44:39 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

the last time i got drunk was November of 2004. that should tell you how often i bring up that subject at parties.

i despise alcohol, truthfully. that comment was made with a healthy dose of irony.

Your brain cells thank you.

I've never been drunk. For some reason drinking to the point of intoxication, making a fool of myself, waking up the next morning with a splitting headache never appealed to me.

I made the mistake once, Virgil.  As a stupid teen I once drank too much beer.  It was horrible.  Left a lasting impression, I guess.  I just don't care for the taste of any kind of alcohol, and I'm sure not interested in drinking until I lose control of myself.

[Virgil Showlion]

Aug 1, 2013 15:52:35 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Aug 1, 2013 15:44:39 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Your brain cells thank you.

I've never been drunk. For some reason drinking to the point of intoxication, making a fool of myself, waking up the next morning with a splitting headache never appealed to me.

I made the mistake once, Virgil.  As a stupid teen I once drank too much beer.  It was horrible.  Left a lasting impression, I guess.  I just don't care for the taste of any kind of alcohol, and I'm sure not interested in drinking until I lose control of myself.

I can claim to have mixed alcohol and "do not mix with alcohol" medication once. I'd say it was 'accidental', but the situation was that I'd taken the meds in the morning, the drink was in the evening, and I'd figured there wouldn't be any real effects with the two so far removed from each other.

In that case I got groggy and sleepy, and a friend of mine claims my speech was slurred. Like your experience, coming out of it was an exercise in "Who in their right mind would do this deliberately?"

[djAdvocate]

Aug 1, 2013 15:44:39 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

the last time i got drunk was November of 2004. that should tell you how often i bring up that subject at parties.

i despise alcohol, truthfully. that comment was made with a healthy dose of irony.

Your brain cells thank you.

I've never been drunk. For some reason drinking to the point of intoxication, making a fool of myself, waking up the next morning with a splitting headache never appealed to me.

i rarely feel any desire to be intoxicated.  i am attached to my wits.  but when i do, the bottle is the last thing i reach for.

[mmhmm]

Aug 1, 2013 16:01:25 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Aug 1, 2013 15:52:35 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

I made the mistake once, Virgil.  As a stupid teen I once drank too much beer.  It was horrible.  Left a lasting impression, I guess.  I just don't care for the taste of any kind of alcohol, and I'm sure not interested in drinking until I lose control of myself.

I can claim to have mixed alcohol and "do not mix with alcohol" medication once. I'd say it was 'accidental', but the situation was that I'd taken the meds in the morning, the drink was in the evening, and I'd figured there wouldn't be any real effects with the two so far removed from each other.

In that case I got groggy and sleepy, and a friend of mine claims my speech was slurred. Like your experience, coming out of it was an exercise in "Who in their right mind would do this deliberately?"

LOL, Virgil!  I definitely hear you!  Fortunately for me, neither of my parents drank.  My father got it out of his system before he married, according to mother.  Mother has never tolerated it well, and neither did I.  Besides, it tastes terrible!  I could never imagine doing something that would make me so miserable, and doing it purposefully!  I learned my lesson.

[Opti]

Well this ended up in an interesting place. I like alcohol in moderation. I am a foodie and like good wines, hard ciders, etc.


I noticed Aslan's PhD did concern a religious topic.
Interesting comments too.

He says he has 4 degrees, one in the NT. As Joe pointed out, his thesis for his first degree was on the Gospel. Where in the transcript does he claim that he’s a leading scholar of the NT or early Christian history? Where does he claim to even be a minor one? He only claims to have studied it a long time, assembled a book on the topic that cites many scholars in the field, and has multiple degrees in the field of religion.



Reza Aslan was a colleague of mine at UCSB’s Sociology Department. I later saw him moderate at UCLA between two very high standing government officials who requested him expressly. I can attest to the fact that he knows boatloads in the field of Religion, History of Religion, and Comparative Religion. The man is the real deal.

When obtaining his final PhD he was sort of railroaded UCSB’s Religious Studies Department. The Chair of his Dissertation committee had ties to Sociology, so Dr Aslan was switched over to the other field to complete his Dissertation. It was strictly political. The source of the friction was that after 9/11, Reza Aslan became a ‘go to interviewee’ on how to approach moderate Muslims. He had already written extensively on the subject, and Jon Stewart simply loved him as a guest. When Reza went back to his home department after his media tour, he was treated like a step-child know it all. The University had the good sense to shepherd him towards a department where he could finish his writing in peace. Which he did. End of story.

Bret L Thompson
MA Sociology, UCSB.

www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/07/29/digging-deeper-into-aslans-scholarship/

Some people think he should have better credentials or reported them by the letter accurate.
Some think the fact he was a Muslim was a legit topic to discuss on Fox. My guess is he was
so sick of that, he spun his qualifications the way he did in hopes of discussing the book
instead of his motivations for writing the book. Many PhDs are granted in one discipline but
actually concern one or more related ones.