Davey says (13:46):
ever think about where your seed could end up one day?

Tom0 :0Ð says (13:46):
in a tissue?

Ah. Debating religious topics online is one thing, but when you’re face to face with someone at your door (for 40 minutes) it’s another matter entirely. Not only are they imposing themselves and their religious opinions on you which, for some reason, they feel it their duty to do so, but they’re also trying desperately to undermine your own personal conviction in truth and reason at the same time.

And in your own home!

I just had two Jehovah’s witnesses at the door. An older guy and his daughter and her baby. I can’t say the baby was a Jehovah’s witness because she didn’t look old enough to decide for herself. But you know the type. Nice people, well dressed. Breath that smelt like soap.

Ordinarily I would have just said “no thanks” and closed the door when they asked if I was religious. But when I said no, the guy (who the entire discussion concerned — his daughter disappeared about 20 minutes in) rather jovially insinuated that I must believe in evolution.

I couldn’t just let him walk away.

I asked him what evolution had to do with anything, and stated that religion and evolution aren’t mutually exclusive, and it just went from there. I could see after a while that he wanted to leave, especially given that his daughter already had, but we both persisted.

We touched on many subjects, including the authenticity of the bible, and how it could have any factual bearing when it was heavily translated and based on second hand accounts (many of which came many years after the fact) of events the world has never since witnessed, and I even mentioned how the story of Jesus was based on Egyptian and other similar ancient tales. How “biblical science” has done nothing for the world, hasn’t cured disease or put a man on the moon, can’t be proven by scientific testing, et cetera, et cetera.

He did a good job of side stepping actually answering most of my questions. In fact, he said he was going to come back to answer some of them. Oh joy. He tried to give me a pamphlet, but I refused to take it, on the basis that neither of us would ever conceed to the other’s views. He repeatedly quoted passages from his bible, quoting several of Jesus’ philosophies. But he wouldn’t agree that many men have held the same philosophies independant of the bible, and instead avoided it.

I don’t know if he’ll come back, or if I’ll be here if he does. But he said he’d answer the question of why there is suffering in the world, and why God hasn’t forgiven the original sin, which he set up in the first place by bestowing man with human qualities (which let’s not forget are in his own image). Oh yeah, and about how much incest was involved in populating the earth after the garden of eden.

When asked, he said he didn’t reject science. But only said it was “interesting” when I cited examples of how light is the fastest thing known to man and how star light has taken hundreds of millions of years to reach earth, or how ancient tree rings date back over 10,000 years. I didn’t even mention fossil records!

There’s so much more that I could mention, and so much more I didn’t get to fit into the 40 minutes. But ultimately his conviction lies in religion and mine in a certain degree of rationality and scientific rigor — not that I can claim to be a scientific person by a long shot. The whole discussion is ultimately long and futile, and won’t result in any change in opinion.

He didn’t even answer the question about what right he had to preach door to door, even though he agreed when I said that I believed that finding religion was a very personal experience, and that I didn’t compel myself to go around forcing my views unless someone asked.

I do feel kind of humbled that when he asked what I thought was the solution to all the world’s problems, that I said the best answer would be to remove the religious element.

Ah, I could go on and on, but it gets us nowhere, and it pisses me off to think about how fruitless discussing it even is. I just wish I’d filmed it, for posterity.

Sad news to hear that George Carlin, one of the most outspoken comedians of life and language, died yesterday at the ripe old age of 71.

Famed for his frankness and discord with English, I can’t imagine he’d want his death put any other way. He didn’t meet his maker, pass away, or cross the great divide. He died.

His way with words and observational humour must have brought a smile to thousands if not millions of people. We’ll miss you, George, wherever you’ve gone.

^{If you’re confused about the Blink 182 song, read this.}