EDIT:
So, there's been a few mentions of my avatar lately. Is there anyone here who's not a sockpuppet who is offended by my profile picture? I am sincerely curious, because if it were offensive, I would gladly change it. I didn't think it was or intend it to be a provocative picture - I just thought it was kind of pretty.
So, if it does bother you guys, let me know so I can change it to something more appropriate.
Thanks!
So, we've all seen the insanity that has been our good friend Terry over the past few days.
At my count we have 4 separate Terry accounts posting on our blog.
I would encourage my fellow atheists to not respond to him(as someone else so nicely suggested). We don't want to feed into, encourage or worsen his psychosis.
The question for today is:
Do religious doctrines have the power to drive someone insane, or do they merely attract those who may already be mentally unstable?
Is a belief in God a stabilizer at this point, or does it only add to the psychosis that already exists?
Love to hear your thoughts, guys.
PS. Yes, I realize that this is a bit of an over-simplification...
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Repent Sinners!!!
ReplyDeleteYou have been warned time and time again. You will have no excuse when you die.
You will burn in Hell with one another without the Love of God.
Here's an "thought" for you Maragon. Why does your boyfriend look at other women ... all the time?
ReplyDeleteI will tell you Sweetie! He wants a real woman, with real breasts, and a real body! Plastics do not cut it HOney. You are so stuck up, and self centered that it turns him off. Big time!
Get a clue, take back the body that God gave you! Be satisfied with that and think about someone but yourself.
Free advice from a Counselor.
I left a comment on the otehr thread before I say this one.
ReplyDeleteReligions always prey on the vulnerable, soup kitchens make a fertile recruiting ground.
We've seen what happens to some people when their personal issues override their fear of Hellfire.
It is also normal to project your perceptions onto others. Crooked people think everyone is on the make, trustong people think everyone is honest and often get ripped off.
Our man accuses people of being gay, of being wrapped up in the occult, of military cowardice.
He naturally assumes the world is like him. he naturally assumes that atheists, without the contrilling fear of jesus indulge in whatever degradation and inhumanity suits them.
If ever there was a positive use for religion, it's to make up for the inadequacy of state mental health policy and keep otherwise dangerous people occupied. Better to be promoting crap videos than threatening sexual abuse anyday.
If there were ever an obsessive/compulsive personality, it would be Burton.
ReplyDeleteI have to wonder just what the fuck he thinks he's accomplishing.
I think it's somewhat like alcoholism. The individual is predisposed be unstable much like one can be predisposed to alcoholism. When the religion is missing, there's less chance of the instability turning up, just like someone predisposed to be alcoholic who doesn't drink won't become one.
ReplyDeleteHes not trying to accomplish anything, he's just lashing out.
ReplyDeleteWhat will be intersting will be to see if he tries to rationalise his behaviour against christian principles, any hint of remorse.
or he may just make like it never happened.
Maragon,
ReplyDeleteYou didn't title this post. Perhaps you should title it, "Terry Burton, Exposed" just to rub it in a bit.....
But maragon is trying NOT to taunt him.
ReplyDeleteGiven the nature of his 3 replies, wasted effort it seems.
I guess, if you grow up in a mentally stable environment, either religious or not, you don't turn insane just because of some things you hear.
ReplyDeleteMost Christians I know are perfectly sane and some of them found a great strenght in their believe. But most Christians I know are Catholics, Lutherans or Calvinists and they are that because they grew up with it.
I'd never thought I'd say that one day, but they are moderate and open to reason. Sometimes they have strange opinions about moral, but they'd never go further than "I don't think you should do that" (well, most of them)
It might be a completely different thing with these reborn Christians. As far as I understood, they all had a kind of vision that opened them for the lord...
I can't see the difference between a vision and a halluzination and so far I haven't found anybody who could tell me.
And if somebody who is on the edge of a psychosis comes into a church where people encourage his halluzinations he's lost.
Turds,
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea what shit you have stirred up by disrespecting these people. There are rules to live by and there are things you don't do. You started this war,
and now we will finish it.
You will burn in HELL for your crimes .......atheists. You deserve the pain and suffering for eternity.
Have you looked at his blogs? I only clicked on a couple, they are not the workings of a sane person.
ReplyDeleteI am feeling sorry for him, he really needs professional help.
Tillia,
ReplyDeleteMy family is mostly Catholic with an Episcopalian exception for one group. They make sense and don't try to shove religion in anyone's face. I would say most of them don't know that I'm an atheist, but I think they have the notion that I don't go to church.
I really don't have much experience with born again Christians in my personal life. There was a point in my childhood when I lived in Texas and participated in a Baptist choir, but that was just for the singing aspect.
The entire point of being a born again is that you were a Christian and then strayed away from the faith. I don't think it is a coincidence that they have "visions" of Christian imagery similar to near-death experiences. No one matches the fervor of the born again Christian in my book.
Atheists,
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea what you have stirred up by disrespecting and harassing these people. Using high tech devices to ‘blast’ people across their IP address is illegal.
Yes, you can do jail time for it, or worse.
There are rules to live by and there are things you don't do.
You started this war,
and now we will finish it. Threatening people at Ray’s blog, impersonating, and sending ‘hate’ mail is also unlawful conduct.
Those activities have been reported to the proper
authorities. Expect to see the
law - knocking at your doors.
This lawlessness will no longer be tolerated. You will be punished.
Cease your activities immediately.
dale,
ReplyDeleteI personally called your wife and told her about your affair with Weemaryanne.
How do you like those apples buddy?
Yeah, she knows about your adventures in Canada. She seem like a good person. What did she ever see in you Nazi ?
Terry aka The Man gibbered:
ReplyDelete"Atheists, You have no idea what you have stirred up by disrespecting and harassing these people."
Even Terry recognises that he has a multiple personality disorder!!
I am so shitting my pants.
Cool - I now have a stalker!
ReplyDelete---
This response could be long, because I've written a lot on the issues exposed by this particular topic.
First of all, certain psychoses (sp?) gravitate towards structure. You can say what you want about the credibility of that structure, but institutionalized religion provides it. It claims to know the unknown, to explain the unexplainable, and chart a path towards a goal that would be attractive to almost everyone on the planet.
In addition to this, religion often preaches to those most in need. Those aware of their mental ilnesses may feel an increased need to be loved, or cared for, or at least to know they have a support system.
As described above, I think it helps explain why you find people in serious need of a reality check hanging around relious groups
But - I think the implied question is whether illogical belief systems attract people prone to being illogical. I would say no, or at least, no more than other entities which provide the same things.
You can find plenty of fruitcakes in positions of political power; conspiracy theorists aren't known for being particularly sane. Heck, radical/fundamentalist organizations of any kind (political, nationalistic, ideological, etc) appear equally to attract the mentally unstable.
An unrelated note.
ReplyDeleteTwo Jehovah's Witnesses just stopped by my house. They gave me some literature. This shit is a hoot! Did you know that earth has a fever?
A brief overview seems to indicate that "the bible says this is what will happen, so it will happen."
Terry constantly refers to his having been a counselor.
ReplyDeleteI have to wonder if this is a case of transference where Terry has been in counseling for so many years he fancies himself having learned to be a counselor.
It is a very safe bet that he has had to have professional help to get along.
I don't know how this is done in the US, but would it be possible to call the police in Key West and ask them to go checking? He seems to be in real trouble at the moment.
ReplyDeleteHe would try to do the same to all of us, obviously, but I could stand a little chat with some policemen about my mental health if it would keep Terry from driving his car in this state of mind.
Maybe all this is just a desperate cry for help?
Tilia, I;m not sure that he is still in Key West. He supposedly moved a couple of months back.
ReplyDeletekeywesthaven1@msn.com (Terry) said...
ReplyDelete"dale,
I personally called your wife and told her about your affair with Weemaryanne.
How do you like those apples buddy?"
Terry,
I know you didn't call my wife because if you had she would have told you that Wee and her and I are a threesome, if you get my drift.
There's nothing finer in life than heading out on the town on a Saturday night with a beautiful gal on each arm!
I hope you are proud of the spectacle that you are making of yourself. Ray absolutely cringes everytime he sees a comment of yours come through.
One question. Since your eyes don't both look in the same direction, which one do you actually see with? And what is that condition called?
Ummm...wow, just wow.
ReplyDeleteDale mentioned transference...I'm starting to wonder about a LOT of the claims Terry has made. Maybe he was kicked out of the military for being mentally unstable. Maybe he is gay and hates himself for it. I'm not insulting, I'm serious.
In all my years on the net I've never seen someone go off the edge like this before. I hope he doesn't hurt himself or someone else.
"First of all, certain psychoses (sp?) gravitate towards structure."
ReplyDeleteA twenty year counselor doesn't know how to spell psychosis? Very curious that, very curious indeed........
@ MacGyver Jr
ReplyDeleteI just hope he doesn't live close to some of you guys, then.
Would he listen, if Ray told him to see a doctor?
I would also suggest that, especially in our past, religion was a survival mechanism. It provided a physical support group, and standards of right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhen life got tough, you could rely upon the group you belonged to; religion helped organize and fund social structures (education, disaster relief, construction, etc). These things (in the US at least) are now taken for granted - the gov't helps build schools and roads, and the emergency services will put out fires and keep you safe(ish).
As such, religion "in civilized society" has become much more about spirituality, and less about survival; the support group is primarily a social institution now.
In the context of this newer role, I think it's easy to dismiss religion as merely a source of wacky beliefs. It certainly can be that, but I feel it's unfair (and perhaps illogical) to ignore the fact that it helped stabilize society at some point.
Assuming you buy this argument, you could very well make the case that we don't necessarily need religion any more. While that certainly might be true of its role in stabilization, it feels to me (at least here in America) that there's still an unfulfilled need for community; society doesn't feel very friendly these days.
I wont babble any further. In short, I think religion still has utility, even though its area of "expertise" has changed. However, I don't think this excuses the anti-intellectual paradigm it readily advocates.
dale said: A twenty year counselor doesn't know how to spell psychosis? Very curious that
ReplyDeleteThe real Whateverman posted that (and was trying to spell the plural of the word). I can barely provide counseling for my own decision-making processes, let alone advising other people.
The fake me: http://www.blogger.com/profile/09130668015379989408
The real me: http://www.blogger.com/profile/14458601080799278850
---
nonmagic said: In all my years on the net I've never seen someone go off the edge like this before.
I agree. I've seen plenty of crazy web behavior before, and none of it was like this. I do suspect Terry of taking (or needing to take) medication...
Burton is supposed to be living around Lexington now. And I don't guess Ray cares about him. The post in which I invited Ray's readers to check out Burton's recent comments wasn't allowed through. But it isn't surprising, is it? Ray Comfort uses Terry Burton to promote his bullshit, attack those who disagree with him, and if Burton hurts himself or others, what's it matter to Ray?
ReplyDeleteRufus, did your post include URLs and such?
ReplyDeleteAs much as I dislike Ray, I suspect that he really doesn't read very much of what his fans write. I'll bet the presence of an "HTTP" will trigger his Spidey Sense and result in deletion of your post.
You should really try again, if possible. Terry's gone off his nut...
PS. I'm still in self-imposed exile from Ray's little fun house. Otherwise, I'd make the post myself...
Is Ray aware of how far off the deep end Terry has gone? Ray should really speak to him and see that he gets some help. For a born again evangelical christian to spout such filth means either:
ReplyDeletea. he's not a True Christian
b. he left the fold
c. he's had a mental breakdown
d. all of the above
Actually Milo, evangelical Christianity and being accepted into heaven are fully consistent with Terry's behavior. All he has to do is apologize for his sins each day.
ReplyDeleteTerry can lust after Maragon and use profanity and threaten people all he wants - as long as he apologizes.
God, it seems, only cares for repentence, not the sin itself. Quite the racket, if you ask me...
Whateverman:
ReplyDeleteNo, I didn't use any URLs. I just mentioned The Raytractors, which Terry Burton has done himself, and that was allowed. I did try again. I copied and pasted Burton's post from this thread, where he calls Maragon a tease and a slut. That probably won't make it. I also included the ID number from Man With a Badge and all the other profiles he's been using. I'm thinking about emailing Ray at Living Waters. He doesn't bother me, and he doesn't particular scare or worry me. I'd just like Ray and his followers to see the real Terry Burton. Of course, like I wrote before, I'm sure some of them will just blame us. If Burton hurts himself, or especially others, I'll never let up on Ray.
It's a good effort on your part, Rufus. I have no doubt that we're getting ready to get blamed for everything bad in Terry's life, right down to him stubbing a toe.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to whip up a collage in homage to our lovable fruitcake, and post it on my blog. Even if Ray doesn't care to do anything about Terry, at least the evidence will be available for those who do...
ReplyDeleteMaragon,
ReplyDeleteI think your profile photo is beautiful and if I were you I wouldn't change it no matter what anyone else thought. Being beautiful is not inappropriate.
Rufus,
ReplyDeleteI have some very provocative photos that I've considered using for my avatar, one of which I used on my now defunct blog for awhile. I think the human body can be a very beautiful thing and shouldn't be hidden just because of antiquated mores. Due to some of the fruits in the fruit basket, however, I think it's best I never show more than what I have on my avatar now.
Burqas are for the birds. :p
Whateverman
ReplyDeletesilly me..Christians are forgiven not perfect! How could I forget?
Maragon,
ReplyDeleteYour picture is fine. I found your first one more artistic, but this one is nice anyway.
G.E.
nonmagic:
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you at all. I wouldn't blame you or anyone else for not using any actual photo at all. Too many folks out there like our buddy Terry.
My post which included Terry Burton's post referring to Maragon as a tease and slut went through at Comfort's. I'm surprised, but it may end up being removed. We'll see. And see what the reaction is.
ReplyDeleteAnd look at Burton's latest posts, on Ray's latest thread. Talking about no abuse or hatred. He's completely lost touch with reality.
ReplyDeleteMaragon,
ReplyDeleteRegarding your photo, I commented that it was good to see you again instead of Terry Burton's photo. I'm pretty sure that you took it as I meant it - complimentary but not salacious. I'd rather look at an attractive woman than a crazed fundie, so that's all there is to that.
I say if anybody's offended, then they seriously need to get a grip.
I look at an avatar as exactly that: some representation of the intelligence behind the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy harmless eye candy, but it in no way changes the way I treat your arguments. You could actually be a hose beast in reality, and I still wouldn't care: you're judged solely on what you say, and how you say it.
You could have a "Whateverman Sucks" hat on, and if you wrote intelligently, I still wouldn't be insulted enough to say anything about it.
The only people who are insulted by it are those who disagree with what you say.
Geez, the way we're writing this stuff, you'd think that Maragon had her bare breasts pressed up against a piece of glass.
ReplyDelete"Lance Christian Johnson said...
ReplyDeleteGeez, the way we're writing this stuff, you'd think that Maragon had her bare breasts pressed up against a piece of glass."
Then there'd be something to be excited about, at least.
Kentucky Fried Movie!
ReplyDeleteWe need total concentwation
Kentucky Fried Movie. I haven't thought of that in years. Wow!
ReplyDeleteIt was obviously the, er, mention of the bodily features pressed up against the glass. Catholic Schoolgirls in Trouble, anyone?
ReplyDeleteSorry - y'all started this :)