Joyous joy, all is well. I have tricked one of the nation's most
pedigreed
Evangelicals into a public debate, which will kick off with each of us
agreeing to post a quote chosen by the other, and the entirety of the
debate
will be posted on both venues as well. I have already felt him out in a
little skirmish and he is entirely by-the-numbers and easily corralled.
Now
I remember why I do what I do. It is for this. And here is the quote that
he
will be compelled to post on his influential Christian outlet (of course
he
will expect me to quote an atheist delivering some stupid bon mot, but
instead I will quote the first proclamation made on behalf of modern
Christianity after it emerged into its current form, made by the Emperor
of
the Roman Empire Theodosius I - the Edict of Thessalonica:
EMPERORS GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN AND THEODOSIUS
*AUGUSTI<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_(honorific)>
*. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OF
CONSTANTINOPLE<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople>
.
It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to our
Clemency and Moderation, should continue to profess that religion which
was
delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle
Peter<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle_Peter>,
as it has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now
professed
by the Pontiff <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope>
Damasus<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Damasus_I> and
by Peter <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Peter_II_of_Alexandria>,
Bishop
of Alexandria <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_of_Alexandria>, a man
of
apostolic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle_(Christian)> holiness.
According to theapostolic
teaching<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Age> and
the doctrine of the Gospel <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel>, let us
believe in the one deity of the
Father<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_the_Father>,
the Son <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_the_Son> and the Holy
Spirit<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Spirit>,
in equal majesty and in a holy
Trinity<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity>.
We authorize the followers of this law to assume the title of
Catholic<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic>
Christians <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christians>; but as for the
others, since, in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that
they
shall be branded with the ignominious name
ofheretics<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heretics>,
and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of churches.
They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of the divine
condemnation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_judgment> and in the
second
the punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will
ofHeaven<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven> we
shall decide to inflict.
That's what's going to appear on a major Christian website that also
serves
as a major node of the worst portion of American fascist Christian
commentary. I wish I could conduct the entire debate on top of you.
On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 11:07 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
wrote:
Oh, sweetheart. I can't wait till you get here. I feel so jaded and I
never
even knew what the word meant until recently. The very concept of a
flawed
institution depresses me, and all I see are flawed institutions. I want
to
concentrate on you instead of things that hurt me merely by my examining
them. I want to lay around and draw pictures.
On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 7:43 PM, Emma Allan
<emilieduchatelet8@gmail.com>wrote:
and another night without you. You're lovely and gorgeous and sweet.
Also
very very VERY clever (and funny - I read your piece on Palin as
Margaret
Thatcher - that was genius Barrett - really witty and well executed,
perfect. You're so talented. Then I found one about Jesus running for
office, again utterly splendid in every respect) I'm actually really
sort
of
honoured to know you - no seriously - before you collapse into guffaws
-
I
am. I do think you're wonderful and its marvelous to be able to talk to
you,
like this. You've been through so much and still come out of it a
brilliant
person. I admire that. I admire you. And love you. And I LOVE this
internet.
X Emma X
--
Regards,
Barrett Brown
512-560-2302
--
Regards,
Barrett Brown
512-560-2302