Stupid Fundy Cubemate

[Amethyst]

So my stupid fundy cube mate starts yet another religious debate this afternoon, because he's talking about churches to the liberal Catholic who I was hoping was agnostic who likes to debate. Well, we end up debating for a while. Then he brings up what I think is the only reason he is still believing at this point:

 

"Jesus is the only one who died for your sins."

 

I brought up the point that there were other pagan deities that were similar and that the religion of Zorastrianism was similar. He still refuses to accept it but...argh...I think if I can prove that false, I may hit a home run.

 

Does anyone have any good website links? Preferably not on atheist web sites, because I'm sure he'd take those with a grain of salt.

[Brother Jeff]

Hey Sister Amethyst,

 

This is a good site:

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~pgwhacker/ChristianOrigins/

 

Also, go to http://www.religioustolerance.org and search their site for "zoroastrianism". They have some great information available.

 

Of course, my glorious site is available, but I'm one of those horrible atheists.

[Amethyst]

Thanks. I've looked into those. I'm afraid he's so fundy that at this point, nothing I do will be able to convince him that he's wrong. I only hope that with time, he'll allow himself to question again. He said there was a point in his life when he was not Christian, so I think there's a chance that he can go back to that point.

 

Oddly enough, he said his mother was a United Church of Christ member. They're really liberal, and he's the opposite. It was some former roommate of his who talked him into attending some ultra fundy church. He said he realized that wasn't good and that most of the people there were bigots, but he goes to this Evangelical church now that I've heard is very cultlike. And I even heard that from Christians!

 

Really, at this point I don't care if he deconverts entirely. I just want him to start thinking for himself and quit wearing his religion on his sleeve at work. I could live with a liberal Christian cube mate. I'm just really sick of his fundiness.

[Amethyst]

It was a really slow day, since it was the Friday before a long weekend and a lot of people took the day off. So my fundy cube mate & I were talking about the hurricane, and he asked, "Who told those people to go to the superdome in the first place?"

 

I said, "Well, wasn't it the city officials?"

 

He kept debating that point (probably for the sake of debating) and refused to believe it without documentation.

 

I said, "If you're so skeptical about that, why in the world do you blindly believe other things without proof?"

 

He said he had no idea what I was talking about.

 

[Onyx]

Sometimes, the office can be so grating.

 

That's why I'm not going to work in a boring company box.

[Amethyst]

Sometimes, the office can be so grating.

 

That's why I'm not going to work in a boring company box.

 

Unfortunately, not all of us have a choice. I have to pay rent somehow. And it's not that terrible a job, I just wish I didn't have to share a cubical with a guy who can be such an idiot.

[Asimov]

Unfortunately, not all of us have a choice.  I have to pay rent somehow.  And it's not that terrible a job, I just wish I didn't have to share a cubical with a guy who can be such an idiot.

 

Hehe, there's not much you can do with this guy except fuck with his mind or ignore him.

[Amethyst]

Hehe, there's not much you can do with this guy except fuck with his mind or ignore him.

 

The former can be so very entertaining sometimes.

[spamandham]

I just wish I didn't have to share a cubical with a guy who can be such an idiot.

 

You may have to share a cube with him, but you don't have to have small talk. That part is up to you. I'm not saying you should be rude, but you can always change the conversation back to work or "go to the bathroom" everytime his inanities start to bug you. Personally, I think I would fuck with his brain (unless he's the boss's son).

[Amethyst]

He's not the boss's kid. That was one of the interns who got laid off.

 

I know I don't have to talk to him, but it drives me nuts to sit in a cube all day and say nothing to anyone, not even "hi, how are you?" My work is not exactly very stimulating intellectually.

[spamandham]

He's not the boss's kid.  That was one of the interns who got laid off.

 

I know I don't have to talk to him, but it drives me nuts to sit in a cube all day and say nothing to anyone, not even "hi, how are you?"  My work is not exactly very stimulating intellectually.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, you could always just take control. Pick a topic you want to argue about ahead of time, get all the facts in order, and then divert anything s/he brings up toward that topic. By the way this technique works with any topics.

 

For example, familiarize yourself with the nonexistence of the city of Nazareth in the first century and get all your ducks in order. Then when s/he starts talking about how evolution is a religion (or whatever), just say "hmmm, I think I've heard that, but you know what I find really interesting? According to archaeology, there was no Nazareth in the first century..."

[Amethyst]

The problem is that he'll just keep debating for the sake of debating if we start one. And he'll bring up religion at some point. And he won't do any homework on his own time outside of work, so if I bring up a point, I have to be prepared to send him the links or he won't believe me.

 

[Ms. K]

The problem is that he'll just keep debating for the sake of debating if we start one.  And he'll bring up religion at some point.  And he won't do any homework on his own time outside of work, so if I bring up a point, I have to be prepared to send him the links or he won't believe me.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

He won't believe you anyway, because he's invested in his fundie lifestyle.

 

Of course, that's when I would smile sweetly, and say in my most condescending tone of voice, "Of COURSE you don't believe. I wouldn't expect you to be able to think critically."

 

And leave it at that.

 

But then, I'm not a nice person, more often than not.

[SkepticOfBible]

The problem is that he'll just keep debating for the sake of debating if we start one.  And he'll bring up religion at some point.  And he won't do any homework on his own time outside of work, so if I bring up a point, I have to be prepared to send him the links or he won't believe me.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, I rekon since he is hell bent on debating on you. You need to arm yourself with good material. I highly recommend the following site for you.

 

 

Agnostic Review of Christianity[

 

The reason why I recommend this site cause i believe this is one of the best counter apologetic site. It uses a bible to disprove the christian unlike other sites which talk about No God/God situations.

 

These were some the most important things I learnt from this site

 

1)There is nothing in the old testament which states that the king messiah would require 2 trips to fulfill the covenant

2)The New Covenant talks nothing about worshipping a human sacrifice as God

3)There isn't anything in the entire Old Testament about an expected king Messiah ending God's Law.

 

I hope you like this site

 

Plus there was this other guy who asked about links to help him in debates

Links

 

Pritish

[Amethyst]

Thanks. I sent the link to him. I wonder if he will have the guts to read it?

[Guest aexapo]

It was a really slow day, since it was the Friday before a long weekend and a lot of people took the day off.  So my fundy cube mate & I were talking about the hurricane, and he asked, "Who told those people to go to the superdome in the first place?"

 

I said, "Well, wasn't it the city officials?"

 

He kept debating that point (probably for the sake of debating) and refused to believe it without documentation.

 

I said, "If you're so skeptical about that, why in the world do you blindly believe other things without proof?"

 

He said he had no idea what I was talking about.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The other point is, especially when debating the reality of current events, is that many of these people can't fathom events that aren't played on "THEIR" media.

 

A good reply to someone like him (and I've used it before) when they doubt specific truths in the news is to say something like:

 

"Well, I'm sure they didn't say it on FOX (or Limbaugh), but it was on all the news channels."

 

Two possible suggestions about using this statement --

 

#1) don't alter it to say "all the OTHER news channels," because that would credential Fox undeservedly,

 

#2) and this could lead to such a reply by him: "Well, why wouldn't they say it on FOX/Limbaugh if it were true?" Which prompts you to explain how both of those entertainment forums are propaganda podiums for the right-wing agenda, and not mediums simply retelling the news or encouraging independent thought.

 

On matters in the news you can't avoid discussing with him, check mediamatters.org which DAILY lists the descrepancies and lies "reported" by the entertainers on Fox "News" Channel, and send him the links to those issues he's fooled about. Media Matters pretty much follows the ENTIRE Fox "News" lineup, as well as the radio programs of Limbaugh, Hannity, etc.

[Amethyst]

I don't think it had anything to do with FOX. He'll believe things that are in Wikipedia, for example. But yeah, I see your point.

 

And then today, we somehow got onto the tangent of is it fair to punish everyone for the acts of one person? His entire argument was, "Well, I can tell them to stop doing it, so I'm respsonsible for their actions, so I should be punished if they do it."

 

I said okay, what if you tell them, and they beat you up and still do it? Should you still be punished?

 

He didn't say anything. I asked him if he got my point. He said he stopped paying attention!

 

Either he has severe ADHD, or very selective hearing. My vote is for the later. This is why I hate debating with him. He'll bring up a point, but his argument will be lousy, and then he won't listen to anything I say, even though I am sitting right across from him in the same cubical. He is such a typical fundy.

[Amethyst]

I am seriously considering complaining to the boss about my cube mate. Today a co-worker stopped by and it was clear that my cube mate had gotten him to read his friend's essay on Christianity. (The equivalent of passing out Chick tracts.) So if he starts getting more people to read it, I will definitely say something to the boss about my cube mate using the workplace as his own personal pulpit.

 

[Caretaker]

Do it.

[Ouroboros]

I am seriously considering complaining to the boss about my cube mate.  Today a co-worker stopped by and it was clear that my cube mate had gotten him to read his friend's essay on Christianity.  (The equivalent of passing out Chick tracts.)  So if he starts getting more people to read it, I will definitely say something to the boss about my cube mate using the workplace as his own personal pulpit.

I recommend you check into the company policies first, because if it clearly states you're not allowed to preach or spread religion, then you have him nailed.

[Alice]

If I was in your situation - I wouldn't go to my boss. If the time spent on non work activity really troubled me - and I was confident that I didn't spend company time day dreaming or socialising or reading something that interested me but had nothing to do with my job - I might ask my co-worker if it was theft to use something that belonged to the company when it wasn't part of the job and profitted the company not.

 

But I wouldn't really want to go down that road - coz I day dream, and read stuff and talk about my kids and other things that interest me ... I think it equals up OK though - because I 'work' on my own time a lot too. In fact I try and keep my work place owing me - not the other way around, it's my choice. I have co-workers who no way do this and they 'waste' a lot of company time. That's their choice.

[Curtdude]

God, Amethyst, this cube mate of yours is like Paul's "thorn in his side." My sympathies for sure.

 

If some one in my office started doing that, I'd have a fit.

 

Is'nt this the same guy who brings up religion all the time, and you think also may be a closet case?

 

Groan.

[Amethyst]

Yeah. Today was the last straw. I finally talked to my boss and told him what was going on. Said it wasn't anything personal, my cube mate was just driving me nuts. My boss is moving my cube mate near his immediate supervisor, so I finally get a cube of my own now.

 

W00T!

 

[Ouroboros]

Yeah.  Today was the last straw.  I finally talked to my boss and told him what was going on.  Said it wasn't anything personal, my cube mate was just driving me nuts.  My boss is moving my cube mate near his immediate supervisor, so I finally get a cube of my own now. 

YAY! Good for you!

[Dark Helmet]

Yeah.  Today was the last straw.  I finally talked to my boss and told him what was going on.  Said it wasn't anything personal, my cube mate was just driving me nuts.  My boss is moving my cube mate near his immediate supervisor, so I finally get a cube of my own now. 

 

W00T!

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

RAmen!