No Topic Thread

[petesbrew]

What do you mean, Pete... because I'm of Iranian heritage? I drink beer too don't I ?

While I may not believe the real reasons behind christmas, it's still a great time of the year for kids to enjoy the simple thrill of receiving heaps of junk from a fat guy in a red suit - an innocent, harmless deception -, to catch up with friends & family, and basically to chill the **** out for two weeks (my place of work closes down, so Im a free man for this time).

Santa on a motorbike sounds like a great buzz for the kids, CM2.

Didn't you start the Dalai Lama thread? Can't tell as it seems to be deleted. oh well. I just assumed Santa would be the next on the list.
(Or do I have the wrong dude?)
Not having a go, just having a laugh, mate. Hence the cheers emoticon.... I thought that one cancelled out any ill feelings implied.
Didn't know your heritage, and really doesn't matter.... although have you got any Iranian Beer recipes? Uh oh Beer talk is banned here right.

Definitely a great time of year, and yeah the kiddies enjoy it, but trying to get a photo of our daughter with Santa is proving impossible.
Cheers, and enjoy those 2 weeks off.

 

[petesbrew]

Big, big smacks for LHBS owners who sell n00bs S-23 to make a Hobgoblin clone (also their first ever extract brew).

Did anyone else see that thread? Didn't have the heart to bring it up. I hope it turns out to his liking anyway.

S-23 for a hobgoblin? WTF?

 

[brettprevans]

now these are pipes fit for the iron 883

http://www.vanceandhines.com/products/spor...ublebarrel.html
http://www.vanceandhines.com/products/spor.../sstag-blk.html

 

[Renegade]

Didn't you start the Dalai Lama thread? Can't tell as it seems to be deleted. oh well. I just assumed Santa would be the next on the list.
(Or do I have the wrong dude?)

Yes that thread was deleted. Obviously it didn't meet the Moderater's high standards. The difference between the Dalai Lama & Santa Clause is that after around the age of 10, most people come to know it's a deception. And it doesn't cost $500 to sit on Santa's knee either. It would be OK if the old chinaman was simply a funny clown-like character we wheeled out once a year to entertain the kids (on CM2's motorbike perhaps) but the truth is more sinister than that.

There are no smiley emoticons accompanying this statement. Religious Fraud is a serious matter IMO.

 

[Adamt]

One could say Santa is a religious fraud as well.

 

[brettprevans]

whats the differance between santa and tiger woods? santa stops at 3 Ho's!!!!!!!

 

[petesbrew]

whats the differance between santa and tiger woods? santa stops at 3 Ho's!!!!!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Renegade]

One could say Santa is a religious fraud as well.

How so?

 

[brettprevans]

everything you need to know about Santa - here
none of this cookies and milk crap for me. A bottle of Dues left out for santa/me will do nicely thankyou

 

[Adamt]

Well, Christmas and Easter are about the only two "religious observances" on many Australian's calendars. Ask a child what Christmas and Easter means, I almost guarantee they will say something along the lines of "presents" and "chocolate", but the fat ones may say "turkey, potatoes, pudding, chocolate" and "chocolate".

Presents and chocolate eggs aren't religious, and neither are Santa Claus (as opposed to the actual St. Nicholas) and the Easter Bunny. Take them away and most of the kids wouldn't give a stuff about Christmas or Easter. Take the public holidays away and most of the working class wouldn't give a stuff either. You could argue that without Christmas (especially), there would be less ridiculous and unnecessary spending at retail outlets for useless, excessive shit and less debt, and a generation of adolescents without the "gimme gimme gimme" attitude, but I digress.

Santa Claus is a tool kept alive to get the kids excited and interested about Christmas, which leads to teaching children about the actual meaning behind the holiday (I have no huge problem with this). However, it's also a tool that is ridiculously exploited by the many areas of business, retail in particular.

So I guess you could say he CAN be portrayed as a fraudulent character who deceives people as to the real meaning of what is a religious holiday.

FWIW, I like Christmas as a time to catch up with family and friends I often don't see. I've got some younger cousins/2nd cousins that are just growing up. They love getting presents and singing carols, but I'm sure they have no idea what "good tidings" are. One gets spoiled unmercifully (coincidentally, he's a little shit too), which makes the other kids sad but anyway, they all seem to enjoy themselves.

 

[Renegade]

bottle of Dues left out for santa/me will do nicely thankyou

A bottle of Jews!? Are you German, perchance?

So I guess you could say he CAN be portrayed as a fraudulent character who deceives people as to the real meaning of what is a religious holiday.

But if Santa Claus masks the true meaning of Christmas (which I think is irresponsible, all kids should know the story of christ so they can make up their own minds) then he is more a non-religious fraud then, non? And generally, who cares, kids live in fantasy land so another fictional character does no harm.

The Dalai Lama on the other hand willfully deceives adults in the name of genuine faith and defrauds people for direct monetary gain. Anyway, why are we still talking about the fat old chinese prick ?

 

[Adamt]

Well, I think Santa Claus deceives kids in the name of genuine faith. It's a dumbed down version of religion anyway.



"Be good in life, follow these guidelines and after you die you'll be eternally happy in heaven. If you're a sinner, you'll burn in the brimstone of hell for eternity"
vs.
"Be good during the year, and you'll get presents at Christmas. Be bad and you'll get coal."


Not much difference, hey? A bit easier for the kids to see the a material reward though, rather than an unproven, hollow promise of life after death.

Note: Where has all the religious fear gone? You don't hear any of the italicised parts anymore.

 

[Adamt]

To bring this back off topic... I just had a coffee, and I nearly sharted.

 

[nathanR]

Christmas = beer , BBQ and taking the piss out of your Family after a coupple

I have banned pressents sick of exchanging presents that are under $50 that you dont want or need

 

[jonocarroll]

"Be good in life, follow these guidelines and after you die you'll be eternally happy in heaven. If you're a sinner, you'll burn in the brimstone of hell for eternity"
vs.
"Be good during the year, and you'll get presents at Christmas. Be bad and you'll get coal."

I have considered the consequences of not telling my future kids about Santa, and letting them find out about the story themselves, but I figure it will deprive them of the experience.

Similarly, I have considered the consequences of not telling my future kids about Jesus, with similar, yet somehow more morally ambiguous consequences.


I challenge anyone to convince me, using logical argument, and without starting a slinging match, that Santa does not exist, using the following single, and seemingly simple, condition:

1. You may only use arguments that can not be used analogously to argue the non-existence of a god or other holy figure. i.e. you cannot use arguments that upon replacement of the word 'Santa' with 'Jesus' or 'God' presents an argument considered to be reconciled with the Bible.

For example; "Santa couldn't possibly know whether every child on Earth is good or bad" is invalid, since supposedly we can and will all be judged at Armageddon.

The same method can be applied to prove that Santa is in fact God.

 

[brettprevans]

A bottle of Dues left out for santa/me will do nicely thankyou

A bottle of Jews!? Are you German, perchance?

fark. you and your obsession with the religion of Judaism!

fine i spelled it wrong...Deus



edit: time for a toasted sanga. salami, ham, mushroom and cheese.

 

[Renegade]

Ah DOUCHE ! Looks like a good bottle, whatever it is. Although i don't think I would enjoy Jewish beer or wine. :lol:

QB: On the contrary, I would say that Santa does exist. The perception of a child cannot be refuted. Somewhat less provable, but no less plausible, is the existence of God, being that the concept exists in the minds of many otherwise sane adults. It's the whole 'tree falling in the forest' syndrome.

God, however, cannot be seen by anyone, has never been seen by anyone (has he?) so it becomes murky. Santa on the other hand (to a child) is so real that you can sit on his knee, speak to him, pull his beard and receive real gifts at Christmas. So really, some might argue that Santa exists more than God does.

However the arguement can't be made for Jesus, who I am of no doubt was a real person, and whose example (teachings if you will) taught us all a set of moral & ethical guidelines for living. It's a shame that more people don't follow the teachings of Jesus, even if they aren't Christian. There's some good stuff to be gleaned from the Bible, as there is with the Koran (if you take out the 'God/Allah' references).

I wonder if Jesus let the village kids pull his beard back then ?

So, Renedade's pick

1. Santa - Exists
2. Jesus - Existed
3. God - unlikely
4. The Holocaust - Myth

 

[petesbrew]

Toasted Ham, cheese & chili jam sandwich. Yummo.
Work drinks tonight. The least I can pray for is Tooheys Old.... but the wine choice is always good.

 

[Renegade]

This year I have prayed to Santa for a bigger rod. He know's when I've been naughty :lol:

 

[brettprevans]

Toasted Ham, cheese & chili jam sandwich. Yummo.

hmm chilli jam. homemade?