That makes otherwise rational normal people* do utterly irrational crazy shit?

Just spent a perfectly pleasant family evening, completely impromptu, with some of my kids friends parents. Rocked up to pick the boy up from school, left their house at 8pm after dinner.

Really nice people. Normal.

Other than the religious mission they’re over here on. Checked the web page out. Reads like something from Viz. these people should be made to carry signs noting that they were brainwashed….

*ok they’re Yanks.

I predict at least 12 pages…

That makes otherwise rational normal people* do utterly irrational crazy shit?

Beer
Drugs
Envy
Women
Politics
Mountain Biking
Mid life crisis etc…..

Its not just religion

otherwise rational normal people

Seemingly rational normal people.

FTFY

Its not just religion

At least the things you mention are based on real things. 🙂

Beer
Drugs
Envy
Women
Politics
Mountain Biking
Mid life crisis etc…..

BASE jumping
High-wire walking across the Grand Canyon
Going over Niagra Falls in a barrel
Flying with a wing and a couple of jet engines strapped to your back.
Jumping out of a balloon 100,000 feet up…
Never heard of religion being the reason for these.
Strapping a bomb to your chest and detonating it in a crowded place, yes, I’ve heard of that…

I have heard of that being done without religion

Really nice people.

But that wasn’t good enough for you.

And you want them to “be made to carry signs noting that they were brainwashed”.

How nice of you.

Religious zealots are only good for one thing: a good trolling. You have to have a strong mind though, otherwise they might convert you. They invited you to to dinner, next it’ll be invites to spend all eternity with them in heaven.

As somebody wrote on here a few weeks back: it’s all about whose imaginary best friend is better than who else’s imaginary best friend.

Having been in a similar situation to the OP it is slightly irritating when you realise that all that being nice is not deployed because the people like you or find you interesting, but because they see you as potential convertees.

I thought the thread was going to be about Egypt.

They must sense the op as weak and see them as an easy conversion target. First he has the time, prob unemployed or low grade shift worker, to turn up at their kids school to collect their kid, why was the mother not doing this after all it is women’s work. They invite the op to theirs he accepts invite as he has no plans, this indicates no friends to have made Friday night arrangements with. They offer food op accepts as it saves using the food bank again. They will have had the op on their radar for a while, camelbaks are inconspicuous ways to carry propaganda or bombs quickly into built up areas.
Or
Your kids are friends, they are nice people in a new country trying to fit in (Arlington Road). Take them at face value, you probably liked them till you did your research.

I thought the thread was going to be about Egypt.

Lets take it there then, associated to the OPs question. I’ve been tracking the news as I’m sure a lot on here have and the one thing that I find quite shocking is the number of Egyptians (including the out going president) who state that they will lay down there life for their political religious views.

I appreciate we have it very good here by comparison but it seams that certain religious orders seem very happy to escalate political discourse to a matter of life and death almost immediately. No wonder it so difficult to reach understanding and compromise when the other guy says he’s willing to die to help win his argument…. 🙄

They must sense the op as weak and see them as an easy conversion target. First he has the time, prob unemployed or low grade shift worker, to turn up at their kids school to collect their kid, why was the mother not doing this after all it is women’s work. They invite the op to theirs he accepts invite as he has no plans, this indicates no friends to have made Friday night arrangements with. They offer food op accepts as it saves using the food bank again. They will have had the op on their radar for a while, camelbaks are inconspicuous ways to carry propaganda or bombs quickly into built up areas.
Or
Your kids are friends, they are nice people in a new country trying to fit in (Arlington Road). Take them at face value, you probably liked them till you did your research.

The impressive thing about your post is the time it was written. It implies you were sober or just getting home after an EPIC session.

Good effort. 7/10 for trolling.

Tsk, dogma eh? 🙄

you probably liked them till you did your research.

Sounds a bit like bikes (or lots of other things). You try it, like I but then read up and discover it gets bad reviews so decide to dislike it. They probably are just being friendly, there isn’t always an ulterior motive

OP, yes, those religious folk are an extraordinary group aren’t they? Spending quite a lot of time with some of their number recently due to family circumstances. One visits my Mum regularly and my Dad in hospital. He runs errands for my Mum, comforts here and even offers to cut her grass. He spends hours talking and helping us all. What is it about religion, eh?

(or perhaps, the religious bit is a red-herring?)

The impressive thing about your post is the time it was written. It implies you were sober or just getting home after an EPIC session.

A bizarre comment from someone who meets some people which they describe as “Really nice people. Normal.” and then goes on to insult them for being Yanks and apparently being brainwashed.

You were sober when you wrote that were you ?

OP, yes, those religious folk are an extraordinary group aren’t they? Spending quite a lot of time with some of their number recently due to family circumstances. One visits my Mum regularly and my Dad in hospital. He runs errands for my Mum, comforts here and even offers to cut her grass. He spends hours talking and helping us all. What is it about religion, eh?

(or perhaps, the religious bit is a red-herring?)
Care to ask those nice helpful folks their opinions on homosexuality, same-sex marriage, sex before marriage, and the thinking behind canonifying a pope who presided over A LOT of paedophilia and its subsequent cover-up by the Catholic Church, and then maybe posting their replies and rationale on here?

I think religion might figure quite highly in their answers.

There are always going to be ‘different’ people with strange values.

Tolerance is needed and a slap on a head if they go nuttier.

Care to ask those nice helpful folks their opinions on homosexuality, same-sex marriage, sex before marriage, and the thinking behind canonifying a pope who presided over A LOT of paedophilia and its subsequent cover-up by the Catholic Church, and then maybe posting their replies and rationale on here?

Most (well, actually, all) religious people I know are all in favour of same-sex marriage, and don’t have a problem with homosexuality or sex before marriage.

I know nice people. Some of them are religious. Their religion doesn’t turn them into bigots.

Care to read my bit in the ()?

In these cases, the answers may differ from my/your views, but that is their choice and I respect their opinion. On issues such as sexuality their reasoning is pretty clear and has been posted by their followers many times in here. No real need to repeat.

In my experince (including right now) their help and the help offered by non-religious people has been very beneficial, hence I would repeat the original question but with a different emphasis – what is it about religion?

Would I have got a better troll score if I had left out the second paragraph?

Most (well, actually, all) religious people I know are all in favour of same-sex marriage

not surprising really as the clergy are “married to church”…which represents god…who is usually represented as a bloke…so in fact same sex marriage has been practised for centuries 😀

I appreciate we have it very good here by comparison but it seams that certain religious orders seem very happy to escalate political discourse to a matter of life and death almost immediately. No wonder it so difficult to reach understanding and compromise when the other guy says he’s willing to die to help win his argument….

See, it’s the promise of the 72 virgins that tips the scale, because most of these zealot types just can’t get girlfriends… 😉

pacerc200 – Member
Would I have got a better troll score if I had left out the second paragraph?

Much.

For the record I have nothing against the folk in question. Genuinely nice normal people.

Other than the bit about the Lord helping them find a way to reduce printing costs. Hence the bemusement.

ernie_lynch – absolutely not.

Fizzicist. When you were round there, who brought up religion to talk about & how did you find out what religion they are?