my wife made me watch 5 minutes of Bill O'Reilly last night.

[maxsolomon]

the blowhard was answering a question from some brainwashed child-of-a-republican on separation of church and state. essentially, how come if we're secular, we say "one nation under god"?

his answer was that it's ok because "god is a belief, not a religion". if, for instance, we said "one nation under allah", that would be endorsing a religion.

my question to you, R/T DUers, is this:

is Bill O'Reilly really unaware that "allah" means "god", and that the 2 words would be interchangeable in that phrase, or it it a deliberate, pandering lie? and if it is the latter, who benefits?

[monmouth]

1. I know my snobbish little priest woud definitely be piqued....n/t

[SharonRB]

3. I don't know any rabbis who would like it, either. n/t

[niyad]

2. what was your wife punishing you for, to make you watch that cretin?

by the way, yes, falafel boy really is that stupid. I love pointing out to people that the "under god" part of that illegal loyalty oath called the "pledge of allegience" only came about in 1954, in part as a result of the mccarthy witchhunts.

[maxsolomon]

14. good question

look for my post in the couples/therapy forum...

[peacetalksforall]

4. All I can say is that I admire all Christians who make an effrort to learn

about the cultures and religions of other people. I more than admire those who are tolerant of people who are of other cultures and religions. I dearly LOVE those Christians who call those of other cultures and relgions - My Brother.

[SacredCow]

5. You have to remember....

Bill O'Reilly exfoliates with a Falafel. :eyes:

[Captain Angry]

6. Both.

He's an idiot, and he knows that his watchers are uninformed. They don't connect those dots.

Furthermore, we say "One nation under God" because fear of communism pushed legislators to add that phrase.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04E1DA153EF934A15755C0A9649C8B63

The United States Congress wanted to show that we were holier than the Godless Soviets. It was a way to whip up support for military spending and chest thumping. The Government could have made its case by showing the treatment of the Soviet people, or the other solid reasons that the Soviet form of communism was a bad thing and should be stopped.

But, Congress knows that most people will run in the direction they're told if the right phrases are used.

That's one of them.

[Warpy]

7. Answer: Bill O'Reilly is both ignorant and stupid

which means the ignorance is a permanent condition.

He's a typically choleric Irish blowhard, a type those of us who grew up in large extended Irish families know all too well.

The best thing to do with the Bill O'Reilly's of the world is to avoid them as much as possible. If one must invite them to a family function, make sure the alcohol runs out early, so he'll leave early. Then go get more for the rest of the crowd.

[redqueen]

8. A deliberate, pandering lie intended to prop up certain groups' agendas here. (nt)

[ixion]

9. we are a secular nation: see Freedom of Religion

and part of that includes the Freedom from religion, which is precisely what the founders meant. This was in response to the Church of England forcing people to believe what they said.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. I'm sure O'Reilly knows this

but it is not on his agenda to build bridges of understanding. Better to make people think that Muslims worship an idol or something other than God. After all, Communists are basically out of the picture, and the right wing needs a new bogeyman. They've chosen Muslims for this role.

[niyad]

11. dear falafel boy, I suggest you read, and TRY to comprehend, the treaty of tripli, 1789 or so.

[sandnsea]

12. More importantly, we didn't used to have a pledge n/t

[Popol Vuh]

13. How about the national holidays "Easter & Christmas" ?

Aren't they references to the christian bible as their logic is about Allah being reference to Islam? Then (according to their logic about Allah) wouldn't that mean these two christian named holidays should be renamed for what they really are (Spring Equinox day and Winter Solstice) without referencing any religion's name for them?

:shrug:

[Evoman]

15. The top five worst things in the world.

5)Water Chestnuts
4)Testicular elephantiasis
3)Bill O'Reilly
2)Cancer*
1)Being sexually assaulted by a Gorilla.**



*depending on the type of cancer, O'Reilly may be worse.
**depending on how good looking the gorilla is, O'Reilly may be worse.

[cyborg_jim]

16. As I understand it the gorrila is a gentler lover

[Evoman]

17. Yeah, but gorillas don't come with a loofah and falafel.

:scared:

[Bad Thoughts]

18. Deleted by author

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