1. ELECTION DAY IN THE USA. GO VOTE.

Comment #278485 by Mr. Forrest on November 4, 2008 at 8:36 pm

Now I just hope obama can put enough slugs in the religious right to keep it down for a couple of decades. Creationism, education, tax-exempt status (ambitious, I know), abstinance only, homosexuality and freedom of speech. These are only some of the things i want to see him absolutely SLAM the bible thumpers on.

2. ELECTION DAY IN THE USA. GO VOTE.

Comment #278465 by Mr. Forrest on November 4, 2008 at 8:22 pm

GODDAMN!

McCain just fucking conceded... Suck it republicans!

MUHAHAHA.
So goddamn glad Obama won, it sends chills up my scandinavian spine.

3. The camp that 'cures' homosexuality

Comment #263535 by Mr. Forrest on October 11, 2008 at 3:58 pm

@ person:

Assume for a moment that this were a drug they were advertising. In that case they would be accused and likely convicted of false advertising and liable for medical malpractice suits.
Hell, this would be the case if they were mental health professionals.

So WHY is it that, because they are incompetent, we give them a free pass? Why?
Because they are protected by the unfounded respect we have for religion.
Now, coercion is definately hard to proove, but thats no argument against using existing law (against false imprisonment for instance) whenever appropriate.

Now I agree that the optimal situation would be if everyone was smarter than being duped into these kinds of things. BUT until that is the case I believe it is responsibility of the state to protect the gullible against this form of dangerous snake-oil.
Remember, people have become clinically depressed, even suicidal in the aftermath of these camps. Again, if this were a drug causing suicidal tendencies with no observable positive effects it would be banned in 5 seconds flat, why does the fact that its a camp make ANY fucking difference?

4. The camp that 'cures' homosexuality

Comment #263005 by Mr. Forrest on October 10, 2008 at 4:00 am

@ Shuggy:

Sorry to hear that you've been a victim of this movement. This neo-freudian therapy you speak of, was it performed by a licensed mental health professional?
If so, you may have grounds for a malpractice lawsuit, as attempting to change a patients sexual orientation is widely regarded as ill-advised, dangerous and unscientific in the mental health community (at least thats the case where I'm from).
I'm studying to become a psychologist myself, and it has been drilled into our heads OVER and OVER that this sort of thing is unethical as all fuck, as well as stunningly ineffectual or dangerous in many cases.

Sexuality is a massively complex phenomenon, but I am unconvinced that "ex-gay therapy" (God how I hate them for calling this therapy) has ANY beneficial effect on victims of sexual abuse. From the sound of it, all it does is induce feelings of shame, guilt and fear about the patients own sexuality.
These are the absolute last things a sexual abuse survivor needs, as they are often plagued by guilt, shame and fear. Feelings, which in many cases contributes to psychological disorders such as depression, chronic anxiety or fobias amongst others.

I agree completely that this is an malicious practice that needs to be stopped IMMEDIATELY.

5. The camp that 'cures' homosexuality

Comment #262530 by Mr. Forrest on October 8, 2008 at 8:48 pm

I feel a rant coming on.....
/rant

Jesus-mary-joseph-and-bloody-christ on an stick, what the hell are these guys thinking? This makes me so angry for SO many reasons.

This should be made a criminal offence. Forcing anyone to renounce their sexuality can only be considered immensely damaging to a persons psychological well-being.
And theres a real double standard here as well (unsurprisingly, really). If ANY member of APA (american psychologists association) were to indulge in such activities theres every chance in hell they'd be excluded, sued, jailed or all of the above. And I would applaud this heartily, we cannot allow people in positions of authority (be it based on reality or doctrine) to abuse those in their care.
This is disgusting and the research shows it to be a horrid idea leading to sexual dysfunction, depression and suicide, if this were a drug it would be banned so fucking fast it would make your head spin.
Furthermore I seriously carry a grudge towards these people for using the word psychotherapy to describe this vile, bigoted and dangerous practice. This is NOT psychotherapy, it is cult-style brainwashing. Psychotherapy relies on a coorperation between a licensed and qualified mental health professional and his/her patient, as well as informed consent in all but the most severe cases. This FILTH realies on inducing emotional stress, physical exhaustion, guilt, fear, shame and a powerful group pressure dynamic. It is in a word fully and completely unetical from any mental health perspective.

FUCK 'EM, persecute to the fullest extent of the law, and if there isn't a law for it, MAKE ONE!
The bigotry/stupid/abuse/insert derogatory term here IT BURNS!

GAH.... fucktards

/rant off

6. Pastor Michael Guglielmucci spun gospel of lies

Comment #235591 by Mr. Forrest on August 23, 2008 at 8:48 am

That guy sure isn't firing on all four cylinders, i'd like to crawl inside his head for a day and see what the fecking hell is going on in there.

Oh and... psychiatry and psychology are both medical sciences.

7. Religion out of medicine, a new message for Ontario doctors

Comment #233335 by Mr. Forrest on August 19, 2008 at 5:50 pm

Everyone is entitled to their opinions I guess.

But if I had to choose I would choose the doctor who bases decisions on FACT every fucking time, and I find NOTHING wrong with any government forcing doctors to ignore medically irrelevant information, in order to protect its population against potentially life-threatening nonsense. In fact I count on it to do exactly that as part of the service that government provides for its people. If you dont like it, vote for "faith-based" politicians.
Until then, the medical profession will be stronger for having thrown off the chains of ignorance and religious favoritism.

8. Religion out of medicine, a new message for Ontario doctors

Comment #232435 by Mr. Forrest on August 18, 2008 at 5:52 am

I find it interesting to note that the abolishment of personal bias from medical diagnosis and treatment is treated as if the doctors would now be free to cut up their patients at will with scalpels or conduct horribly unethical research.

THIS IS NOT THE CASE!
All this legislation would do, as I see it, is to throw out considerations that have NO medical value. Would you want your doctor to decide your treatment based on his interpretation of The lord of the rings, Sherlock Holmes or the latest episode of The Simpsons?

I sure as hell wouldn't, and thats because I want advice not rooted in fiction but in FACT. and the only facts that matter in medicine should be MEDICAL facts. We dont build rockets or cars based on fiction, why should we treat diseases on that basis?

What this is, is the typical "you can't be good without religion"-fallacy.

9. Religion out of medicine, a new message for Ontario doctors

Comment #232136 by Mr. Forrest on August 17, 2008 at 4:38 pm

This is really rather simple:

1. Any political, religious or other opinion should be kept out of any medical treatment/recommendation. The doctor has NO right to base his treatment of medical conditions on such opinions.
2. The sole basis for medical treatments/recommendations is and should be medical knowledge.
3.If a patient desires a treatment detrimental to their wellbeing or general health, the doctor should have the option or even the duty to object to any such course of action, to the point of not performing said treatment.
4. If multiple treatments are possible, the doctor has the obligation to explain each one to the patient, including risks and benefits and include their own recommendation. When this has been fully done, the patient should be given the choice of treatment, including the right to refuse treatment. In emergencies where informed consent is not possible the doctor should always use the treatment likely to yield the best results.

5. In the case of minors the parents should decide. HOWEVER if the parents choose a treatment likely or certain to cause harm to the child the doctor should have the right to overrule their wishes. (no more JW children dying due to the stupid fucking superstition of their parents without being given the chance to live)

At least thats how I see it, comments?

10. Pastors Challenge Law, Endorse Candidates From Pulpit

Comment #197235 by Mr. Forrest on June 21, 2008 at 12:16 pm

I hope the IRS smacks those silly church-people so hard, they'd say it was gods punishment.
Little greedy fuckers can have freedom of speech when they pay their damn taxes like the rest of us. Until then they should shut the fuck up, ON EVERY TOPIC.

11. Muslim countries win concession regarding religious debates

Comment #196384 by Mr. Forrest on June 19, 2008 at 8:43 pm

What a useless organization the U.N. is rapidly becoming. So much waffle, so little substance.

12. Oystein Elgaroy - the Christian defender who became an Atheist

Comment #195448 by Mr. Forrest on June 18, 2008 at 8:39 am

This story does highlight something both interesting and amusing. Perhaps the "fleas" - the writers who piggy-back of the success of Dawkins and others in an attempt to both rubbish his arguments and make money, are not parasitic after all, but actually help the case through their poor writing and vacuous arguments.

Perhaps they should be encouraged?

I tend to think of them in terms of bacterial, viral and fungal infections being handled by the immunesystem. At some point identification, response and extermination of these infections become a simple matter since we build up bullshit immunity.

13. Oystein Elgaroy - the Christian defender who became an Atheist

Comment #195316 by Mr. Forrest on June 18, 2008 at 4:04 am

But since I am a cosmologist, I would like to make a few comments about the so-called fine tuning argument.

Thank you for clearing that one up. What "clearthinker" (an oxymoron if ever there was one) was obviously trying for retorically was to make the scientific explanations for the state of the universe sound less plausible by:
A. Asserting that there was no evidence
B. Using the mindboggle effect that the sheer scale and complexity of the universe entails to make God seem like a plausible explanation.

You just shot that right out of the sky, kudos.

I must say I like your screenname, even if it is on the mythical side. I always massively preffered norse mythology to christian mythology for two reasons.
1. Nobody ever tried to tell me Odin was real
2. The norse myths read like the sort of stories you tell in a tavern whilst getting drunk most of the time, what with crossdressing gods, drunken brawls with all manner of beasties and seductive lovegodesses planning and scheming.
Come to think of it thats exactly why I love greek, egyptian, south american and "native" mythology in general. Dues to the very fact that its so very colourful and fantasy-based.

Guess I can only really enjoy dead religions and myths, I wonder why...

14. Oystein Elgaroy - the Christian defender who became an Atheist

Comment #195105 by Mr. Forrest on June 17, 2008 at 6:26 pm

Robaylesbury... while you're probably right that tank means well, he just effectively asked whom ever he was adressing, im assuming the norwegian guy, to ignore his own reasoning and return to a totalitarian cult that makes a mockery of human intellect and dignity.

And why?
Due to a basic one-two combo know as the Standard Religious Emotional Appeal (SREA):
A. God is awesome!
And
B. You'll burn FOREVER if you don't!

How anyone remains calm in the face of this I literally cannot understand. I might sound very angry to people, but consider this: Would you give up this dgree of mental, intellectual, emotional and, quite often, economical freedom, based on what can only be described as the most pitiful of drivel that the human mind has EVER created?

As for tank himself, I feel sad for him he has failed himself in such a profound way by falling to religion and/or never shaking the indoctrination of youth. I pity him even as he angers me.

Angry atheist... Hell yeah because it's an appropriate emotion when faced with such bald faced lying and blatant manipulation.

15. Oystein Elgaroy - the Christian defender who became an Atheist

Comment #195098 by Mr. Forrest on June 17, 2008 at 6:01 pm

Don't be an apostate. It is not to late, as long as you draw breath, to turn around and praise God, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the one and only Almighty God.


Take care to not venture so far in your thoughts of folly and evil. This is not a game. It will determine where your soul will rest in eternity.
Come to Jesus Christ and praise his name. Belief, Praise, Repentance and Love will do wonders for you.

Please change your minds, please look into the truth and re-discover how awesome Jesus Christ is and what you can accomplish with Him working through you. You know, in your heart, it is true.

May God bless you and keep you.

POES LAAAAAW TIIIIMME!

the fundy mind in action:
1. Read or partially extract all non-useful information/arguments from a given text.
2. Disregard empirical evidence
3. Disrespect the subject of the article by making it clear that you haven't got the SLIGHTEST idea about him, his reasoning or his mental/emotional state.
4. Make lowbrow irrational emotional appeal overwhelmingly likely to fail due to 3.
5. Make what would be, and rightly should be, considered very crude and intolerably arrogant, sadistic and quite frankly disturbing allusions to hellfire and brimstone.
6. Finish off by blessing people, something that has no benefit and makes you look like the enormously inflated and arrogant cockjockey you truly are.

Did I miss anything?

16. They prayed to cast Satan from my body

Comment #147085 by Mr. Forrest on March 19, 2008 at 7:07 pm

Well fuck me, I think I may have to fly to australia, track these people down and execute them in cold blood. There are no words to describe this sort of behaviour adequately. The people involved in this should be jailed, beaten or shot. Depraved, corrupt, sadistic, idiotic, malevolent, abusive, heartless, manipulative, powermad, diabolical fucking swine they are.
None of the should get anything less than 10 years of hard time and a permanent ban from ever working in any therapeutic capacity.

17. George Scales, War Hero and Generous Friend of RDFRS

Comment #111594 by Mr. Forrest on January 15, 2008 at 4:58 am

Dear Mr. Scales

Those of us born in freedom and peace owe your generation a debt that can never be repaid. The best we can do is to honour the sacrifice of veterans such as yourself and those who remain buried on the battlefields of Europe (and indeed the world over). Had this sacrifice not been made my country might still be lingering under Nazi or Soviet oppresion.

It is my intention never to relent in the battle (cultural as it may be) against oppression, be it political or theocratic. If we stand our ground now, we may never have to sacrifice our lives like so many of your brothers in arms did.

My hopes for a speedy recovery that you may stand with us for another while.

Allan Skou (Denmark).