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Our story thus far:
“you much hold Him in high regard and believe in Him too...you have capitalised his name.” - hollyPR (1/16/2004 5:59:14 PM)
“I capitalize God. I capitalize Barney (meaning the purple dinosaur) and Sponge Bob too. I do it because it's grammatically correct, not because they're real.” - *puddles* (1/16/2004 8:46:21 PM)
“^I like the above note. :) I tried to go for a while without capitalizing god and it was weird. Grammarians! Likewise with the word atheist...I'm never sure. I mean, we capitalize Christianity and Islam, so shouldn't we get equal treatment? But then it looks all floofy and self-important. ‘I'm an AAAAAAAtheist.’” - Aardvarks The Word (1/16/2004 8:55:33 PM)
“RYN: I'm thinking maybe we ought to write it gOd to emphasize the big nothing at the center of the concept. What do you think?” - Atheist Under Ur Bed (1/17/2004 12:56:16 AM on Aardvarks The Word’s diary)
“RYN: I think the gOd concept is BRILLIANT. In fact, I am going to try and do that for as long as possible. And until I get sick of spell check b*tching at me.” - Aardvarks The Word (1/17/2004 12:43:34 PM)
“You're using g0d!!!! Yay! I'm so happy. It's like our own little club lingo and it's slowly catching on. Woop-woop, everybody say, hoot hoot!” - Aardvarks The Word (1/20/2004 12:38:30 AM)
“Re: gOd - Every time I see it like that, I ignore the g and just think ‘Odd.’ We totally should have bracelets though. Then we'd be cool. - Prufrock (1/20/2004 12:54:13 AM on Aardvarks The Word's diary)
“I think im gonna jump on this ‘gOd’ band-wagon. *Begins to praise hallucinations to fill the empty void in my life*” - Xoozanthellae (1/20/2004 8:26:26 AM)
Now, on with today’s exciting episode in the continuing battle between superstition and enlightenment!
The current rule seems to be that it’s proper (and almost mandatory) to capitalize the first letter of gOd when referring to the Judeo-Christian deity but not proper to capitalize it when referring to the Greek gOds or any particular gOd of other people. This rule confers an unearned legitimacy and status on the Judeo-Christian deity.
I believe it’s time for us to change this rule. I believe that unless Jewish people or Christians can provide us with logic and evidence that proves their deity is somehow more sensible, more real, or more likely to exist than the thousands of other deities people have invented over the ages, their deity should not be taken any more seriously or accorded any more respect than those of others. Objective investigation of religious issues demands a level playing field. It’s time for the Judeo-Christian deity to lose his unfair advantage.
Indeed, given the many years and centuries that the Judeo-Christian deity has enjoyed that unfair advantage, I believe some penalty is in order - not to punish that non-existent deity or his followers but to re-establish the proper degree of skepticism with which we ought to approach any mention of the divine. Although intellectual skepticism might be adequately re-asserted by a simple change from God to god, I believe more than that is needed to re-assert skepticism on the emotional level - the level theism and religion alike seem to draw much of their strength from. In other words, I believe we need to strip God of its undeserved and unfortunate connotations.
In order to achieve these goals, I believe it’s time we atheists started writing and thinking in terms of gOd - a word that emphasizes the big nothing at the center of the concept it represents.
Although this may seem to be an unprecedented suggestion in its details, it is hardly unique in its general approach. Many Jewish people and others aware of the power of language seem to have historically refused to mention the name of their deity at all. When pressed, they have often resorted to dodges and halfway measures, such as G-d. If religious people can manipulate the way they represent their deities in order to reflect and foster their belief in, awe of, and submission to those deities, it seems only far that we atheists be permitted to use gOd as a way of reflecting and fostering our belief that gOd is a meaningless, empty concept that too many people have been tricked into respecting and taking far more seriously than it deserves.
Furthermore, if we atheists are expected to respectfully maintain our silence while Muslims open and close their communications with intrusive, distractive, and irritating rote phrases such as “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet,” it seems only fair and proper for us atheists to expect them to respectfully maintain their silence as we begin using a term that’s in accord with our deepest beliefs.
Words are powerful things. We shouldn’t allow others to dictate to us how they must be used. We especially shouldn’t allow others to dictate such things to us when it’s clear that they do not have our best interests at heart.
So: gOd.
In the beginning, gOd said...
Jesus, the son of gOd...
gOd save the Queen...
In gOd we trust...
One nation under gOd...
So help me, gOd...
It’s time that this empty lunacy be exposed for what it is, wherever and whenever it pops up.
Let’s see how fast we can spread the word and stop the madness.
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When will the gOd memes end???!!! Hahaha. At least this is one I can find amusement in.
I think the "O" should be a "0". :D
[Blue Morpho]
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1/20/2004 2:25:21 PM
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Hm.
I've always capitalized the name of any deity, regardless of my belief or unbelief in their reality.
[Fourth Row]
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1/20/2004 2:29:00 PM
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*claps*
as for the whole gammer thing, they capitalize God (or gOd if you perfer) since, in this case your refering to ONE whatever you want to call it. they don't capitalize gods, since there is more then one (not a proper name). but if your refering to say.... Thor, you would capitalize Thor, since your refering to one (proper name and all).
[Petalwing]
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1/20/2004 2:31:25 PM
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oh and one more note on the whole not speaking the name of your gOd thing.
one of the ten commandments states not to take the lords name in vain. this can be taken in many forms really, but the part that i find the funniest about it is gOd's "true" name is "Jehovah". yet there's an entire sect who named themselves after him, taking his name in vain everytime they menchen their religon.
[Petalwing]
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1/20/2004 2:34:18 PM
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Dear Blue Morpho: Seems I no sooner suggested gOd here than you came along with your heretical and schism-inducing g0d. If this were a church instead of a forum of reason, I'm afraid I'd have no choice but to condemn you and throw you out. Instead, I hereby recognize your right to belittle and diminish silly ideas and concepts any way you choose. May the best meme win! [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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1/20/2004 2:34:30 PM
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"they capitalize God (or gOd if you perfer) since, in this case your refering to ONE whatever you want to call it."
That makes sense until one remembers that Christians never refer to "The God of the Polynesians" - it's always "Their god - our God." [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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1/20/2004 2:41:33 PM
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I never had any trouble with lumping all the gods into one uncapitalized word. But I do like the way this came into being and wouldn't mind even going so far as to express it as just 0 for nothing, naught, zero. [bd]
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1/20/2004 2:42:10 PM
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They also capitalize some collective groups (Congress, the Rolling Stones), so why not extent the courtesy to the Gods? Because they don't feel like it and it doesn't reinforce their idea that their gOd is special. [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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1/20/2004 2:42:58 PM
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Ah, but if we reduced things all the down to just O or 0, bd, how would we distinguish gOd from some politicians I could mention? [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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1/20/2004 2:44:36 PM
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g0d... gOd... hmmm... 0 for zero; O for ought.
Yeah, it's nothing no matter how you write it. I'm down with that. [MegaLady]
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1/20/2004 2:47:00 PM
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I think this whole arguement is really very silly. You capitalize God because you are refering to it as a noun. Its the same way as with Congress and such. Plain and simple its purely grammatical and it seems to take away from what seems to be an attempt to appeal to people's reason. It takes away from any validity you might have in your arguements to stoop down to silly things like gOd. [long gone]
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1/20/2004 3:04:25 PM
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and by the last sentence I meant the spelling not the being(or non-being) [long gone]
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1/20/2004 3:04:55 PM
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"They also capitalize some collective groups (Congress, the Rolling Stones)"
these collective groups have been given proper names, hence why those are capitlized. gods is not a proper name since, unless your talking about one set of gods in particular, could be any set, norse, greek, roman, cletic, whatever. in theroy, if you were to say "The God of the Polynesians" and grammatically correct.
[Petalwing]
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1/20/2004 3:09:40 PM
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not to say that christian's don't try and give their gOd more importance, but every religon trys to. *shrugs*
[Petalwing]
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1/20/2004 3:11:41 PM
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Eee. This reminds me of Tir-na-nOg.
Maybe I've just been reading too much Celtic stuff, though. :D [John Donne]
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1/20/2004 3:14:06 PM
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Dear long gone: I've now posted over 1200 entries here. I think they have thoroughly, completely, logically, and empirically disproved the idea that gOd exists or that the idea of gOd deserves any kind of respect whatsoever. Please read them before rendering a judgment on the appropriateness of this particular entry. Thank you. [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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1/20/2004 3:15:06 PM
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Hey! I think gOd is good - uh, the word, uh, version of the word. Smile. Seriously though, it's a good idea IMHO. [NotHiding]
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1/20/2004 3:31:35 PM
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What would zEus and V_shnu think? [Zombywoof]
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1/20/2004 3:35:30 PM
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Did you see the story about the exorcism death? http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/01/20/child.death.ap/index.html [Deve]
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1/20/2004 3:44:39 PM
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right even if a person exists or doesn't exist it's still a name and should still be capitalized. I can't think of who said that but good job! [Smile_GOD_luvs_u]
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1/20/2004 3:52:36 PM
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I'm in favor of just god if you don't wanna capitalize it. Doing too much will result in it not being used widely (another example: feminists using "wimmin" or "womyn"... they have a social point to make but has little effect on the masses." [MadCockatiel]
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1/20/2004 4:13:24 PM
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auub: so now we are not only limiting what people can think, we are also trying to "correct" a spelling, and, due to your notes, trying to limit who can say what about your entries? now, yes, you could choose to just delete the notes you dislike, and i appreciate the fact that you don't, but people are entitled to whatever beliefs they want, including criticism of entries and religion. You are [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 4:23:06 PM
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I have read a great deal of your entries and I still stand by my previous statement. [long gone]
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1/20/2004 4:23:38 PM
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such a big advocate of either absolute freedom of religion, and yet you don't advocate the speech that is included in this. i don't understand. People thinking whatever they want and sharing those beliefs has led to advances in several fields, most often for the better, and yet you want to limit that? Radicals introduce new ideas; it's up to the mainstream to decide to adopt them. Limiting speech [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 4:25:55 PM
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and abolishing religion sounds an awful lot like what happens in books like Fahrenheit 451 and others with a similar plot. for some reason, my memory fails me on the names of those books, but regardless, you still sound like the whole Big Brother thing. Apparently, you not only have different religious beliefs, but different political ones as well. interesting to say the least. [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 4:29:41 PM
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I like the gOd idea, I'll see if I can spread it. Using a zero is just poor grammer though...*looks at others with shame*...
[joemissinghisjay]
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1/20/2004 4:30:15 PM
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sorry, above i meant "either the absolute freedom of religion or the abolishment of it." [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 4:30:29 PM
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lol...do they really need to be distinguished from one another? [bd]
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1/20/2004 4:38:47 PM
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i'm glad that rules don't change as often as people's moods. if it did, anytime the Democrats and Republicans argued, we would have to decide whether or not to capitalize them. And if some animals died from an oil spill, then we wouldn't capitalize corporation names for awhile and start capitalizing certain animal names, in respect for those who died. And maybe we should start capitalizing words [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 4:39:35 PM
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I actually like the g0d idea, but I'll probably continue to capitalize for the reasons quoted earlier: When used as a proper noun it oughtta be capitalized. It's too bad that's how the Christians look at the word, but while they do I'll go with the current grammatical style. [MegaLady]
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1/20/2004 4:40:51 PM
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like Homosexuals, Mentally Challenged, and Rapist because they are a legitimate group of people, while refusing to capitalize words like communism, fascist, and hitler because we don't like them. If you don't like this new rule, then hey, don't make the english rule deciders mad or they might start erasing letters from your name. this whole thing is a joke, but what can you do? [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 4:41:58 PM
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osucollegekid is still talking, eh? Anyway...
First "Bruce Almighty" and now g0d. A person might think you got nothing better to do than nitpick. ;-)
KIDDING! Have a cookie. Would you like chocolate chip or peanut butter? [MegaLady]
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1/20/2004 4:44:13 PM
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Or we could write it in 1337 speak!
60|> 5|_|><0r5
106|< 0\/\/|\|2 60|>
Im too lazy to translate, but if you can figure it out then you get a cookie. [Xoozanthellae]
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1/20/2004 4:50:20 PM
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I have read many of your entries and none of them have proven that God doesn't exist. All they have done is proved how closed minded you are.
"logic and evidence that proves their deity is..."
Many people have tried, but you do not listen, and you come up with gooblie gook that at times seems very unlogical and you seldom seem to answer questions that people have for you. [Frogdancer]
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1/20/2004 5:39:21 PM
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AUUB: My version is the right version! I intend to start a movement against you and your version, and we will war over it for centuries to come! You are totally unlogical.
[Blue Morpho]
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1/20/2004 5:49:31 PM
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[osucollegekid]: Who’s this “we” you’re referring to?
How are your thoughts being limited in any way? Please take a moment to consider the sheer physical impossibility of that statement. Nobody is capable of limiting your thoughts, to my knowledge. Do you know of some strange and fascinating thought-controlling technology that the rest of us have heretofore been unaware of? Do share!
[Blue Morpho]
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1/20/2004 6:05:40 PM
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Besides; coming from someone who seems to throw capitalization around at will, I don’t see how anyone can take your arguments on it seriously.
[Blue Morpho]
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1/20/2004 6:06:21 PM
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Hmmm... Blue Morpho's got you on that last one, osucollegekid. [MegaLady]
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1/20/2004 6:37:09 PM
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I have been using a 0 and not an O. But in my font they are almost indistinguishable...I'm still thinking we should make little friendship bracelets. And t-shirts. And earrings! And panties with it printed on the hiney! [Aardvarks The Word]
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1/20/2004 7:11:10 PM
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"Many people have tried, but you do not listen, and you come up with gooblie gook that at times seems very unlogical and you seldom seem to answer questions that people have for you." What what what? *kick in the shin* Dumb@ss, don't open your mouth if such vile untruths are going to spill out.
Jeez, no one is MAKING anyone use g0d, we're just advocating it. Why is that so wrong? Do the theists [Aardvarks The Word]
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1/20/2004 7:15:55 PM
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feel threatened by a little word change? And yes, osucollegkid, grammar rules change with the times. Pick up any 19th century novel and you will find G_d, Madam ____, the town of _____, everywhere. Do we do that anymore? Nope. Now you'll also find ppl, BTW, RYN, leet (or 1337), LOL, BRB as everyday expressions and alterations of normal words. It happens. Get used to it. Embrace g0d or not. Up to u [Aardvarks The Word]
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1/20/2004 7:17:34 PM
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SUUB: *cookie* I didn't think this would stir up so much sh*t. Honestly, I thought it wouldn't even register on the map. Look at all the mayhem! It's fabulous! [Aardvarks The Word]
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1/20/2004 7:19:09 PM
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[Aardvarks The Word]: Howdj'ya get to be so cool, huh?
Y'know, I spell the word "gray" with an "a", but I'm not at all threatened by those who spell it "grey".
[Blue Morpho]
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1/20/2004 7:20:50 PM
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Now see? OSUck has done riled up Aardvarks The Word to where s/he can't even spell AUUB.
There, there... *cookie for ATW* [MegaLady]
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1/20/2004 7:22:56 PM
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goodness, half of that crap about changing things was supposed to be a joke. i know grammar rules change with the times, but they don't change all of the time or at the whim of some disgruntled people. i know that people use abbreviations, but that doesn't make them right. people use drugs; are they good just because they are used? no. i'm just going to sit back and laugh at the absurdity of this. [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 7:34:03 PM
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i'm not saying that thoughts are being limited; some people just wish that they were because "it would lead to a better society and world." I referring to the apparent hatred some people have towards those who choose to have hope in an afterlife and hope that there is a reason behind why some events happened. Please let me apologize for putting all my eggs in one basket. [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 7:37:33 PM
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And didja hear about the yokel in Winston-Salem NC who's running for Congress who put up a granite monument to the Ten Commandments in city hall? He put his name on a plaque on the monument to make sure he got the press coverage. The thing to remember about WS NC is that non-smoking areas in restaurants are considered unpatriotic. In Tobacco We Trust. Also, Rabbis say there are 613 commandments. [Deve]
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1/20/2004 8:15:41 PM
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Huh huh huh, it just hit me. osucollegekid's abbreviation is O-SUCK. You know, I kinda wish he had gone to Indiana State...it would have been more telling...
Ahh, abbreviations are good.
It's almost enjoyable to watch him dig himself even deeper, isn't? Oh and thanks for the cookie! I need one after the day I had. [Aardvarks The Word]
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1/20/2004 8:51:58 PM
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OK, from now on we are brothers. When will we have a family get-together? [YAH]
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1/20/2004 9:02:23 PM
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osucollegekid: I haven't seen anywhere that AUUB has seriously advocated the banning of freedom of speech or religion. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure how you arrived at that conclusion, although I'm usually pretty good at figuring out where you pull the irrelevencies and misunderstandings that make up most of your rebuttal posts. S/he has always had an uncensored note board as far as... [theox]
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1/20/2004 9:14:52 PM
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I'm aware. I do find it interesting that your groups of choice for recommendation for capitalization include gays, the mentally challenged, and rapists. Was that intentional? I also think your comparison of the use of abbreviations to the use of illicit drugs was note-worthy. Should ASAP and RSVP be considered in this group, or are they perhaps like tobacco-a culturally accepted tradition?
[theox]
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1/20/2004 9:19:34 PM
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Personally, I consider God to be a proper name, and god to be a descriptor. I continue to capitalize God, when referring to the Christian god, partly for ease of communication and partly because I think it's amusingly conceited that their god is named God, something along the lines of having a dog named Cat. [wingèd medusa]
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1/20/2004 9:35:43 PM
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I think it's funny that some people think that changing how words are used will prevent people from being able to think of things, as OSU is suggesting. I think George Orwell was proven wrong about that. Not that how words are used can't have a small effect on how people think about it, but it simply doesn't limit people's ability to think about things. [Masked Media]
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1/20/2004 9:51:34 PM
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HAHAHAHAHHAHAH I LOVE YOU AUUB!! I DO I REALLY DO!!!
praise gOd for AUUB!!
[blondiekt]
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1/20/2004 10:19:27 PM
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What I find the most interesting here is the notion that everyone has that all of these religions of 'the bible' are monotheistic. 'You shall not worship false gods.' If there is only one God - how can you? Also, who is Dagon, Baal, etc? Oh well...another thing that makes me scratch my head and shrug I guess.... [Chevalier]
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1/20/2004 10:36:22 PM
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goodness, this whole thing is making me sick. several times auub has mentioned how a lack of religion would result in the betterment of humankind, and now, by trying to restrict what people can say in the notes left his/her diary based on whether or not they have read the 1200 entries. this looks like restriction/abolishment of religion and free speech to me, but maybe i'm just hallucinating. [osucollegekid]
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1/20/2004 10:37:46 PM
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^ OSU must have lower admissions standards than even USC.
[theox]
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1/20/2004 10:54:22 PM
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I just wanted to say that I am from near Winston Salem North Carolina and I can tell you that it is not considered unpatriotic to have non smoking sections. That is just as silly as this whole debate about how God should be written. [long gone]
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1/20/2004 11:01:19 PM
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[osucollegekid]: Please don't tell me that you are seriously comparing the use of abbreviations to the use of heroin. That's the most ridiculous thing I've read... Well, since the last time I read one of your notes.
[Blue Morpho]
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1/20/2004 11:26:04 PM
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Dear Frogdancer: You say "you seldom seem to answer questions that people have for you."
In an entry I posted on Jan. 9 I spent a lot of time responding to your comments. In the course of that, I asked you about 16 specific questions. You didn't even try to answer *any* of them. Instead, you called them "pretty dumb." [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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1/20/2004 11:57:19 PM
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Perhaps you'll answer this one: Why do Christians like you keep holding others to much higher standards than they hold themselves? [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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1/20/2004 11:58:36 PM
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RYN: Reader's Digest August 2003, p 122. It has both pro and con for it - so nothing conclusive. It does ask an interesting question though about what/when is 'death'. We can't define life OR death adequately - makes you wonder why we bother to debate anything else ;) [Chevalier]
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1/21/2004 12:07:37 AM
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RYN: I posted a response - had to split it into two entries - goofy character count. My real answer is 'How the heck would I know?' - but I find trying to prove the unprovable highly entertaining. If we didn't ponder goofy things we wouldn't be human. [Chevalier]
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1/21/2004 12:09:31 AM
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RYNRMN: Nope. (I admit that I'm a little irked by it, but only because it brings back bad memories of sTuFf lIkE tHiS.) Just pointing out that changing the capitalization still won't help you escape the cultural/allusive influence of the divine and/or supernatural, in a weird, roundabout, non-Christian way. ;) [John Donne]
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1/21/2004 12:32:02 AM
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Jesus Fucking Christ osucollegekid. AUUB isn't restricting speech here. You can spell gOd however yOu want. It seems to me that free speech applies to changing the spelling as much as it does keeping it the old way if you choose. No one's forcing anyone to do anything. [Prufrock]
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1/21/2004 12:49:16 AM
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RYN: Words well spoken my brother.. But I like to have a get together on the Mall in Washington DC sometime, isn't that where historic meetings take place? [YAH]
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1/21/2004 12:52:53 AM
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"i'm not saying that thoughts are being limited; some people just wish that they were because 'it would lead to a better society and world.'" Um, yeah. You and pretty much every other theist in the world. I know that's not what you were referring to. But quite frankly we've all had to live by theist rules for way too long. We have legitimate reasons for wanting change. [Prufrock]
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1/21/2004 12:58:56 AM
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You have fairy tales that have inspired more hate and fear than anything else in history. Discrimination against almost any group can be traced back to theists' silly superstitions, particularly Christianity. And then you wonder why we might be a bit angry? At least we don't start wars to solve our problems. We just start jokes. [Prufrock]
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1/21/2004 1:02:49 AM
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Does anyone else shake their head sadly when they see Frogdancer calling other people close minded? Pot, meet Kettle. Kettle, Pot. [Prufrock]
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1/21/2004 1:05:42 AM
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AUUB: It's much calmer over at my diary if you ever feel the need to escape this madness :-) [An Atheist]
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1/21/2004 1:13:51 AM
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Dear AUUB - I think Reilly's note to me is in regard to Judeo-Christian faiths only. She is Jewish but does not practice the religion, however she is a theist. She's also a good friend because she says exactly what she thinks and is honest about her views and feelings. [NotHiding]
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1/21/2004 1:22:44 AM
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*blinks* All of this just because of a letter? je$u$! ^__^
Here, AUUB, have a cookie. And, perhaps, a valium? How do you handle this?? >.< [mangum]
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1/21/2004 1:28:14 AM
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Ok, so good gOd, what the hell do we call jEsus? or jes0s? jeebus? jes-s? j-sus?
I kinda like j-sus. j-sucks doesn't work but it's close.
Have a great day [A Thinking BUM]
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1/21/2004 1:28:19 AM
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No fair using Jeebus. That's mine. And I stole it from the Simpsons fair and square. And jes-s looks too much like Jesse to me, which will undoubtly cause my undue mental anguish. But that's just me.
How about J-dawg, or J-WHO-vah? [Prufrock]
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1/21/2004 1:38:19 AM
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Froggy, Froggy, Froggy, how many times must you be told that it is NOT the responsibility of an atheist to prove the NON-existence of gOd. It is the responsibility of the theist to prove the existence of his/her gOd because he/she is the one who BELIEVES in gOd. [NotHiding]
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1/21/2004 1:45:06 AM
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the whole god-GOD thing....it is grammer thing now too with me [Native Woman]
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1/21/2004 5:53:48 AM
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1) That's exactly what went through mind when I read it (black vs. gay, that is)
2) I like kicking people.
3) I didn't call OSUCK anything, I called Frogdancer a dumb@ss. Which he/she is if they think you "rarely reply to notes" and don't back up anything you say.
4) Withholding apology, but taking cookie anyway. Hey, I'm not a nice person, I never pretended to be. [Aardvarks The Word]
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1/21/2004 8:38:59 AM
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RYN: Yes, and that makes it even more repulsive and sad the huge number of books I've personally seen at my bookstore about how liberals and atheists are removing our freedom of speech by forcing us all into some kind of political correctness trap so we can't even think our own thoughts! It's funny because I've never heard PCness mentioned by anyone not bashing it. [Masked Media]
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1/21/2004 8:48:51 AM
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And honestly saying something differently doesn't prevent you from thinking the same old thoughts. As you say in the entry, it can have a small emotional effect, but it can't prevent you from thinking something. Or even from saying something. It's more of the double-standards and hypocrisy we've seen so often, such as that G. Gordon Liddy book and Persecution by Limbaugh. [Masked Media]
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1/21/2004 8:50:44 AM
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What's even more sad, though, is the extent to which these people control the discussion-- the terms and the expectations. No, we're not allowed to get angry because it just proves that we are persecuting them. And if we try to change the lexicon, as you have here, then we're just nitpicking and being strident and proving them right. [Masked Media]
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1/21/2004 8:52:17 AM
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And what's worse, even people who don't agree with the G. Gordon Liddy's and so on will shrug off the vilest abuses of those sorts and reprimand the people that they do agree with for even the faintest hint of similar tactics, as some of your note-leavers do here. This double-standard, I think, is what got Howard Dean. [Masked Media]
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1/21/2004 8:54:41 AM
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I suppose the strongest thing and also the weakest thing about our side is this: we don't enforce monolithic culture, we disagree with ourselves, sometimes loudly. This is because, unlike what osucollegekid is saying, we don't enforce any speech codes-- like how you never delete any note, even the most abusive, and Christians often delete notes all the time even the most benign-- [Masked Media]
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1/21/2004 8:56:35 AM
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much less do we enforce any thought-codes. So we do often end up seeming to fight amongst ourselves over little things, and end up not being as effective as we could. I wonder what we could do to get all our like-minded people at least facing in the same direction. [Masked Media]
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1/21/2004 8:58:38 AM
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Let me try to be objective for a moment here. There's two aspects to this controversy, the grammatical one and the cultural one. Let's start with the first (and I hope I get this right, since english isn't my first language). Capitalizing God is the same as capitalizing any other noun such as, for instance, Father. When is it right to do this? When you are replacing the actual name with the noun. [mangum]
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1/21/2004 11:17:30 AM
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i.e.: "Because Father said so." (1) If you are just referring to it but not replacing its name, then its not capitalized. "Because my father said so." (2)
Now, this can only be used if the context allows it (if everybody addressed knows who it is that you are implicitly talking about). You wouldn't use (1) when talking to your boss (unless he happens to be blood-related to you). You'd use (2). [mangum]
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1/21/2004 11:21:17 AM
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So that's the grammatical aspect. When members of any faith refer to their god as God and they are not doing so in the proper context, it's just as wrong as using (2) with your boss. Not even realizing how wrong this is, is a sign of how little this people care about everybody else around them. So spelling God as g0d is a little form of payback - put them in their place somewhat. [mangum]
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1/21/2004 11:24:21 AM
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Re: Hugs & Cookies
You're right. Let us not lower ourselves to that level. I can accept that your version is right for you (even if mine is the true version). ;)
[Blue Morpho]
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1/21/2004 1:11:55 PM
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*gasp* No new entry from AUUB?! *faint*
[MegaLady]
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1/21/2004 1:45:51 PM
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blonde and logic do not compute [scottish freya]
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1/21/2004 2:36:10 PM
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I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR KICKING HIM!
in fact i will kick him again.
*kicks osucollegekid again*
i'm going to make my own bunches of cookies so ha! [ihate George W. Bush]
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1/21/2004 2:48:19 PM
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Dear ihateGeorgeW.Bush: Now, now - play nice. I try to run an orderly establishment here - one that's respectful of all people. If you *must* kick something, please kick the ideas and dOgmas that deserve it. [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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1/21/2004 3:13:23 PM
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jesusf.ckingchristtapdancingonadeadcat
So much drama over gOd...Which, might I add, is good.
Not so much the drama, but the point which caused the million note debate
I like what you've got to say, as well as how your present it.
[Dicentra Spectabilis]
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1/21/2004 3:33:39 PM
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Dont worry, due to the rampant idiocy I will have to release Village Idiots a bit early maybe, decorated in awards and everything. So keep yer boots shined for the moment. There will be plenty a kicking to do then.
Cheers! [Xoozanthellae]
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1/21/2004 3:37:37 PM
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you're so rightfully scornful of religious people and the self-righteous, but ignorant, doctrines they try to inflict upon the rest of us.
but perhaps give God a chance. it's a shame that He is represented by such stupid and spiteful people.
[Hicks]
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1/21/2004 3:50:20 PM
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God....the last measure for scaring children into behaving.... [SmartAsk24]
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1/26/2004 11:35:12 PM
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exactly!
[saveherashes]
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1/31/2004 7:50:40 PM
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I haven't been to court and I haven't seen people getting sworn in on TV in a L-O-N-G time...are they still saying"DO you solemnly swear to tel the truth, the whole thruth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" Or have they changed that? And are you still required to swear on a Bible? [Mica]
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3/29/2004 8:44:51 AM
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Well, here's a first. I find myself agreeing with Hicks! There is hope in the world. (-:
Perhaps some (people's) concepts of God are empty, but not all. Whilst there is much to disagree with in Paul's writings, his description "God in whom we live and move and have our being" is far from empty. In fact, saying God is everything that IS is probably one of the FULLEST conceptions of God. [BeetrootChessElf]
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5/29/2004 3:02:39 AM
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There are grounds (even from modern science) for believing in the interconnectedness of everything, so God conceived as "the all" - and an all embued with some kind of inherent "intelligence" (of which we have only a limited understanding) would seem a worthy God IMO. [BeetrootChessElf]
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5/29/2004 3:05:02 AM
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not that this is entirely new information, but the fact that it was capitalized did trick me. I feel ashamed, sort of, that I was ever that naive. [The Strange Little G]
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9/28/2004 8:37:29 AM
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Our deepest beliefs? Er... no... my deepest beliefs, I'm sure, have nothing to do with whether there is a g0d. I don't walk around thinking about it. Well, not when I'm in a good mood. These days, I pretty much only think about g0d and all that other crap when NATHAN or Kagome brings it up. And I'm always surprised to hear it mentioned. Isn't that cute? ... [The Strange Little G]
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9/28/2004 8:57:46 AM
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Have all of you nothing better to do than attack Christians? If this is all you can do with your life then you need some help, ne? Useless arguing will get you no where. You want to try to convince people there is no God. Do you think us Christians are as willing to accept your ideals? You aren't going to accept ours anyway. Why rant about atheism? [Mewdy]
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11/3/2004 10:06:26 PM
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It has nothing to do with which is real or not, but simply grammar. God, is capitalized because that's his name (a noun). The word gods, isn't capitalized because it's an adjective, but the names of the Greeks gods are capitalized. [Ambassador4Christ]
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1/23/2005 6:59:54 PM
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How in the heck did I ever miss this entry? ;^)
Eric [EWS]
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4/6/2005 2:09:44 PM
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I have to point out the reason why the Christians capitalized God for their god and lower case for gods and goddesses. The lower case was for a variety of gods/goddesses. That wasn't meant to call them by name. Now, God, is the name Christians gave to their god. They don't know the true name of this god, so they just call him God. It is a name. You always capitalize names. I was Christian once. [The Horseman]
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7/10/2005 11:59:51 PM
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Though I totally approve of the gOd or g0d. That works for all gods. [The Horseman]
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7/11/2005 12:00:52 AM
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Sorry! g0d, I can't help that I haven't been reading your diary forever. You are my little librarian, and if you want to be influential, you will obviously honor my requests ;o)
Anyway... The new capitalization is cute, I've now found myself confused to what I should and shouldn't capitalize. I dunno if I like g0d though...we'll see. [Jeffaphonic]
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7/27/2005 12:51:03 AM
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I had to come find this entry...I saw the coolest Tshirt today that said "WWZD?" on the front. One the back it said, "Hurl lightening bolts at the first wisenheimer who chose to defy him." I thought it was hilarious...What Would Zeus Do...heh...
[Mica]
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7/29/2005 11:02:40 AM
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shouldnt you do something with the word Jesus as well then? jeSus or something lol - sorry having a little fun with this one [bavmotors1]
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10/4/2005 3:29:48 PM
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This was awesome ;) gOd is a good idea! [Dictynna]
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2/8/2006 6:27:54 AM
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Ahh, that explains everything. I like it. I like it a lot. It's true that I capitalise Superman and Barney too, that's a good response, but I like the nothingness in the middle g0d thing! I thought maybe it was a nerdy thing, like n00b and other online geekisms. I now understand. [*Sprog*]
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3/22/2006 12:01:05 PM
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"Dear long gone: I've now posted over 1200 entries here. I think they have thoroughly, completely, logically, and empirically disproved the idea that gOd exists or that the idea of gOd deserves any kind of respect whatsoever. Please read them before rendering a judgment on the appropriateness of this particular entry. Thank you"
Yes, your 1,200 entries in a stupid internet diary have changed the course of the world by disproving God exists...you're right. Absolutely. [AppleGirl]
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1/8/2007 8:49:06 AM
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argh, enough with the "Judeo-Christian diety"....they are Not. The. Same. So stop lumping us in with all of those other people you're on a rampage against. And I don't give a crap how you write it. If it makes you feel happy inside to write it with an O or an 0 or a Q or whatever in the middle, GO FOR IT. I spell it G-d, but guess what? I'm not offended! Imagine that! Tolerance for others! [Finding.Myself]
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4/13/2007 8:10:22 PM
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Pardon me for leaving notes on your OLD entries AUUB, but, I think that a lot of these are just BRILLIANT, like "gOd" for example.
“RYN: I'm thinking maybe we ought to write it gOd to emphasize the big nothing at the center of the concept. What do you think?” - Atheist Under Ur Bed (1/17/2004 12:56:16 AM on Aardvarks The Word’s diary)
Your best grammatical idea EVER. You should reintro this. [Mikey76500]
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9/19/2008 8:23:14 PM
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Dear Mikey76500:
Thanks for sharing your love of gOd with me. :-) [Atheist Under Ur Bed]
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9/19/2008 9:39:38 PM
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Hey again. I was just reading back on some of your old entries, and due to the volume of notes, I didn't look to see if this particular point had been addressed. But whether or not you believe in God or any Greek (or any other kind of) god, the reason we capitalize the Judeo-Christian God is because it's a proper noun. We call Him God, that's His name. However, for a Greek god, it's an adjective. [California Christian]
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1/9/2009 3:17:51 AM
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This is because Greek gods (and other gods) have proper names (e.g. Zeus, Apollo, et al). This is God should be capitalized, and Greek god should not. [California Christian]
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1/9/2009 3:18:34 AM
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OOoooo this is great stuff! [An Atheist]
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4/18/2009 12:10:59 PM
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It's funny to think that I have been writing g0d or gawd for the last almost 6 years... I have become so used to it that seeing "God" seems odd and wrong to me. lol. Good going with this one, it stuck, some of my more skeptical friends have even caught on to it. :) [Guns4Toys]
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12/24/2009 12:28:10 AM
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