Retribution

[SIZE=1]My friend has self-taught himself Japanese since freshman year of high school. He's now entering college. He knows a fair amount now -- [url]www.aozoranoeizou.net/bbs[/url] check that out, and just look at the forum titles. Hell, I don't even know what they mean, I just kinda remembered where everything was.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I listen to Toxic. So sue me if the beat is great and it sounds delicious. >:3 I don't care if Spears sings it. It sounds good, and I'm willing to look past the "OMGBRITNEYWTF" label.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]This is sort of a forum game, but it doesn't entail building off the last person's post. This is more of a: Make up a poem on the spot about whatever you feel like, and post it. Try not to think about it too hard -- this is supposed to be fun. I'll go first. [b]Oppress[/b] I am king, you are slave. I am king, you are slave. I am god, you are knave. I am god, you are k n a v e s l a v e s e r f t r a s h undermyfeetyouwill crum p lle annn d be oppressed like the dust in your mouth wanting water but you cant get up to drink out of your own cyanide infested well to die in the same dust that haunts your mouth. Oppressed.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Hm. I used to be all for it, but I decided to stop recently (two months ago). I download a few songs here and there, like R@R, to get a feel for the band. After that step is completed, I go to a CD store and buy the CDs from which I sampled the songs.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Break']What if God didn't create the universe and we didn't have any decent technology way back when and we needed an explanation and we created religion to account for these mysteries such as rainbows and earthquakes?[/quote] [SIZE=1]That's just as possible as what I suggested. I mean, I believe that what I said was right, but we don't know who is ultimately correct until we die.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][center][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/1nerissa.png[/img] (by Imi) [SIZE=2][b]Welcome to GFX Club Class![/b][/SIZE][/center] I have created this to provide a more apparent means of improving, and voicing your questions to me and everyone else. With that being said, you will have a few rules to follow. [SIZE=2][b]Guidelines[/b][/SIZE] [b]You can elaborate on my responses.[/b] I encourage everyone to elaborate on my answers to various questions ? I?m not God, so I don?t get everything right. If you feel there?s something that could be said better, or something I completely omitted, mention it in your post. It will only help. [b]No one is ?wrong.?[/b] Art is extremely subjective, and as a result, we cannot rule out others opinions as ?wrong? ? they?re contributing their perspective. Please listen to everyones words, and treat them respectfully. [b]After I move on to another topic, do not answer questions to previous topics.[/b] There?s a reason I move onto another topic, that reason being I feel we have said everything that needs to be said. You can request that I bring up the topic again via PM, but you must provide a reason why ? I don?t want to keep running over the same information. [b]Go ahead! Post your images if you have a question, so we can analyze it more accurately.[/b] Don?t be shy, no one will flame your work. We?re all still obeying OB?s Rules. By showing your work and asking ?Does this show color unity?? Again, it?ll only help us. However, do not post randomly on a topic we?re not currently discussing. That counts as spam. [SIZE=2][b]Misc Stuff[/b][/SIZE] Since I do not have Paint Shop Pro, I cannot answer those types of questions that are exclusively PSP. An example would be "Okay... so how do I add words?" which I could not answer, as I have no idea how to do that in PSP. Therefore, Imi has volunteered to answer those questions for you. [SIZE=2][b]Lesson: Making an Abstract Signature[/b][/SIZE] ? Requested by Doc Now, obviously, this is a rather challenging lesson to write, but I?ll do my best. But instead of walking you through one of many different paths, I will arm you with several strategies and how to utilize tools to create an abstract signature. First off, I?m going to tell you the tools you?ll probably use to make an abstract signature. [b]Rectangular/Circular Marquee:[/b] This is a very versatile tool. You can add a border with the rectangular marquee, or use it to slice up a background and re-lay it to make interesting patterns. The circular marquee has similar uses, be it cutting up shapes, [url=http://img161.echo.cx/img161/1696/flowertech1cq.jpg]filling in areas for a certain effect[/url], or any other interesting variation you can come up with. [b]Move Tool:[/b] This is primarily used to move around your brushing, or adding a stock onto the background. [b]Crop Tool:[/b] Use this at the end, or towards the end of your project. Crop the interesting part, so that you cut off the fat, so to speak, of the banner. [b]Lasso Tool:[/b] You will use this to extract textures from other pictures for use. By dragging it in a circle around the desired, area, you can select the brush you will use. (see next tool for further information). [b]Brush Tool:[/b] Nearly indispensable for this project. If you wish, you can download brush packs to make your life A LOT easier. If you do that, you really don?t have to read anything here ? you?ve got it covered. However, you can make your own brushes. Take a picture with a lot going on in it (not your main picture), and go to Image > Adjustments > Levels. Drag the black or white tabs on the outermost extremes, until the picture gets grainy, where you can extract good textures from it. Once you do that, use the [b]Lasso[/b] tool to select the area. Then, go to Edit > Define Brush. Save it under a name that vaguely describes it, and under the brush tab (upper menu), at the bottom, your new brush should be there. [b]Smudge Tool:[/b] This works in a similar fashion as the brush tool, but you use the brush to smear the existing designs. This is very useful in abstract signatures, [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/mechinfinity/abstract1tag.jpg]smearing a brushed pattern[/url]. [b]Text:[/b] Pixel art is very popular with abstract work, but I prefer Arial. It is usually used in league [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/mechinfinity/science.jpg]with an outer glow effect[/url] to stress its presence, lest it be lost within all the motion and detail of the banner. As for [b]filters[/b], they are easier to use, but harder to get a desired effect. I usually duplicate my main layer, and use motion blur at a very high distance to obscure the picture. Then, I blend my unmodified image, which gives things a nice motion effect. Different pixelation effects give the image a tech like feel, but a [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/mechinfinity/blueav.jpg]properly placed lighting effect[/url] can change things from bland to dynamic. But don?t overuse this ? it gets tiresome, and repetitive. Most importantly, however, is that you add appropriate [b]color[/b] to your brushing, to emit a certain emotion. In Photoshop, hitting ctrl + b will bring up a color balance. Play with that until you get something you?re pleased with. Blending different layers with harmonious and contrasting colors will have many different, and sometimes, unexpected results. Now, feel free to ask questions, add your personal strategies, or present some work for critique. Make sure those images are coherent, and that you are asking something specific -- not "how do I make this better." Thanks.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][b]Breaking News![/b] [b][1][/b] There is an [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=48847&page=1][b]Official OtakuBoards Graphics Tournament[/b][/url] starting up, and I hope to see everyone from the GFX Club participate in it! It will not only be good practice, but a fun way of sizing up your abilities ? don?t rule yourself out of the running before you even sign-up; half the battle is in the mind. Good luck, and see you on the battlefield. [b][2][/b] You all may be wondering why you joined the GFX Club. [I]Did I join to get better? We sure aren?t doing anything to accomplish that! Maybe it?s kind of a clique??[/I] You?re right in thinking these things ? I have been lazy with the Club. But I plan to change that shortly. Starting very soon, I will be holding a GFX Club Class in a separate thread labeled: [b][u][GFX] Class time[/u][/b] In this class, I will address questions and concerns expressed to me via PM, and you will have ?class time? to ask questions related to the topic at hand. I think this would be a great way to learn new techniques, and strengthen your weaknesses. Of course, this will be club exclusive, so if you aren?t in the club as now, feel free to sign-up. Further rules and instruction of the Class will be located within the thread.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed']Ok, than man Created religion. See what I'm trying to make you figure out? That means that Religion is a creation of the Human imagination. Get it now? By the by, I didn't mean that 'God' is a narcissist, it was an analogy to point out that either, A, God is flawed or, B, he was created by man.[/COLOR][/quote] [SIZE=1]Is it in the realm of possibility that neither are correct? What if God created the universe, and we created religion to worship him? I don't understand why you have to rule out that possibility.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed] Nay, they are horrible examples of Humanity. They are perfect examples of what a sickness Religion can become in the wrong hands; and there is nothing preventing it from falling into the wrong ones, as Catholisism (Pre-Reform, at least.) and Islam can attest. The Inqusitioners vain bigots in the name of Christianity. I know that post-reform Catholisism has significantly improved in this area (Though I would still like to see them be a little more librel on a few wee things, like condoms and homosexuality) but that's not my point. As for the Crusaders, trust me, the Peasents Crusade and the Knights Crusade were both faught to take back the holy land and convert or kill all of Muslimdom. The Muslims were just lucky that The Peasent Crusade, The Knights Crusade, and the Kings Crusade were all terribly planned, formed of mostly untrained rabbel of zealous idiots, and that the Bubonic Plauge was thinning their numbers. It was a war faught in the name of Conversion of the Muslimdon. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Alright... so religion can be a very dangerous weapon. That doesn't prove [i]at all[/i] that God is not real, or that His intentions are evil, or that He ordered massive slaughter in His name. [QUOTE][COLOR=DarkRed] Ahuh, this goes on to prove my point that just because somone Sins (No matter how horribly or routinely) he/she is still a Christian. Hitler was a Christain. A good Christian? Nope. The person who expelled the Jews, a Christian? Yes. A good one? Well, depending on who you ask, yes and no. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] And? So Hitler was a Christian. That doesn't make him right. These wicked people are Christians in name alone -- they do not carry out what Jesus wanted for them to do. However, I'm willing to argue that they were not Christians. [quote name='Juke Box Hero']By initiating a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, one becomes Christian. This is done through a prayer that outlines the following perspectives/beliefs- yes I am a sinner, yes you (the person of Jesus Christ), have died and rose again to pay for those sins, I am sorry for those sins and asked to be washed clean in your blood.[/quote] These sinners did not initiate a personal relationship with God -- Hitler surely did not beg for repentance, and I have serious doubts about any sincere confessions from Inquistors. If we're running with JBH's definition, that would mean Hitler was not a Christian. He called himself one, but only for the purpose of uniting his country.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Heh. Thanks, Cheezy. I know how that can go -- typing out something long and really thought out, only for the browser to backfire, and then you kinda... have to redo the entire thing. I feel your pain. So anyway, here's another picture I whipped up. It's another prototype layout design... tell me what you think. [b]A - Layout Prototype[/b] [url]http://img247.imageshack.us/my.php?image=layoutblackwhite7hn.jpg[/url][/SIZE]

[quote name='Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed']The Inqusition was, by all means, a way of spreading Christianity. They were torturing people and forcing them to become Christian or they would basically burn them to death (Or some other form of torture) so yes it was a way for them to spread Christianity.[/quote] [SIZE=1]Yes and no. I know for a fact that the Spanish Inquisition was done for a slew of reasons, alot of which were political. I will not deny that there were religious reasons behind it as well, but one of the main reasons the Spanish Inquisition started was to expell the Muslims from Spain. It was called the Reconquista, which was more of a political war, rather than religious war. The Muslims had controlled the country for a few centuries, and slowly, the Christians pushed them out through alot of bloody war. I'm sure you can see this wasn't done to convert them. Once Spain was controlled by predominantly Christians, Queen Isabella did indeed kill or expell a huge number of Jews. She did indeed claim that it was "because Christ demanded it." But you must see, that she did not represent Christianity in a just light. I'm not sure how many times I need to say it -- people like her use the religion as a means of mass-justification. It was a way to unite the majority of her country, and she was fanatical in doing so -- expelling the Jews crippled the Spanish economy. [QUOTE]The Crusades may have been faught over the Holy Land, but they were also faught to spread Christianity to the Muslim World. They had no intention of stopping after they took Jerusalem, they were going to convert or kill anyone who was not Christian. Don't froget, one of the Crusades was nothing but a Peasent Rabel of brainwashed fools spread the word of their God to the rest of the world. The other, more orginised, Crusades filed suite. Trust me, the peasents in the first Crusade, they sure as hell didn't have any sinister plot; they were dumb as ****. The Knights Crusade? Again, despite the name, made up mostly of peasents. The only Crusade that might have had sinister motives you speak of was the Kings Crusade, lead by Richard the Lionheart and a few other kings.[/QUOTE] I'm going to lump this all together, as it's the same answer, no matter how many examples of Christian cruelty. The people who tortured and killed in the name of Jesus Christ were completely wrong in doing so -- Christ would not want it that way, and I hope that's abundantly clear through reading what He taught. The people who did such cruel things used religion as a means of justification, and were not following the 'true message.' Juke Box Hero's explaination is pretty good in this case.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed] If I left my house, and my house belonged to me, was filled with my stuff, had my name on the Deed, than yes I'd be mighty pissed if they wouldn't leave. But the thing is that the Caananites (Oh, and by the way, the only cultur that Isreal was promised to was the Bedouin) had lived there for a few centuries. They had built their own cities and grown their own crops. The Isrealites themselves were just intruders in somone elses home, the Bedouin people were the only natives to the area, the Isrealites calling it their Promised Land is the equivilent of North Americans saying they are the natives of North America. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]The Bedouins were nomads. Therefore they had no native land. [QUOTE][COLOR=DarkRed] So, what, is God some immature 5-year-old? Can't stand a little free will? In other words God is nothing but a Tyrant, if you don't do what he wants to kills you, correct? [/COLOR][/QUOTE] Oh! Yeah! Of course that's correct! Go outside and shoot someone, I promise you that God will not smite you. God can stand a little free will... it has to do with before and after Jesus was crucified. If you want to learn more about how His crucifixion, death, and ressurrection affected things (or what I believe happened, at least), then read up on it. It's too lengthy/complicated to get into detail here. Really, I don't understand the accusation -- you know this isn't true, so I don't see why you'd bring it up. If God wanted to kill people for doing immoral things, I'm betting alot of people would drop dead instantly after they did them. That's not the case. [QUOTE][COLOR=DarkRed] I've said this once before, I think, but I'll say it again. What gives you the right to judge who is a Christian and who isn't? As far as most people are concerned, Christianity is defined by the belif that God is almighty and Jesus is his son, or somthing along those lines. The Inquisitioners were Christian in their mind without a doubt. The Cursaders, well, they were just trying to take back Jerusalem and the Holy Land because they couldn't hold it from the Islamic Warriors. What about the exile of all Jews from England by the mouth of the Archbishop of Canterbury? What about the fact that Jews were treated as second-class-citizens all across Christendom during the Middle Ages? The hardships of the Jews and the hands of the Christians goes back much further than Hitler. And even then, Hitler was Christian beyond a shadow of a doubt. Read Mien Kompf or listen to his speeches, he may not be your vision of the Perfect Christian but he was most certainly a Christain. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] You know what? You missed my point. Perhaps I was wrong in judging who was Christian or not. I'll tell you this, which was the meat of my paragraph: God wasn't commanding people to go start the Crusades or the Inqusition -- that was human free will. You should know this better than most -- you're atheist, so to you, there's no possible way any 'God' told anyone to do anything, because 'God' is imaginary. [QUOTE][COLOR=DarkRed] And I think your blind, immature, and ludicrous for thinking that you have the right to judge who's a Christian and who isn't.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] Again, a good point here. But Jesus said that (I'm paraphrasing here) if you don't walk the path He laid down, no matter what you believe, you're still not a 'true Christian.' I sure hope the Son of God's word is a bit more legit than mine to you.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Oh-ho! I definitely missed this one... I should've posted earlier. [b]Hack Helba[/b] comes to mind first. I mean, every season needs the guy who all the girls angst over, and who is the source of most of the cat fights. Heh. Perfect man for the job. [b]Kitty[/b] she's kind of given, if Hack is in the house. She practically is adjoined at the hip to him =P, and besides, Kitty's funny and energetic. The perfect person to do all the work in the house and bounce off the walls with energy to spare. [b]Sean[/b] Just because he's... Sean. I mean, c'mon, Sean's the man. Everyone needs one of those chill types that gets along with everyone, and he's your man. Haha. [b]Imi/ULX[/b] You can't drive a chisel between them, so let them BOTH on board! They're both awesome -- the week I've known ULX, and the months I've known Jamie let me know that they're both too awesome to pass up. [b]Rising Sun[/b] Cause I need someone to ridicule me about my music taste. And he'd be practically the only person I could win against in a fight. >_

[QUOTE=Chaos]So, because he was a newscaster...we must respect him? I fail to see the point there. And Mitch is entitled to his opinion, and at least he was honest about it. And he is right; people die all the time, and going quietly at your home isn't all that bad. Sure, he will be missed by friends and family, but just because he had a position on TV doesn't mean we need to celebrate him. More on to the point, I read about this around midnight when I saw it on AOL's HomePage. Can't say I really paid too much attention. I basically went "Oh, he died, eh? Sucks." and logged into Guild Wars. Sure, he was a respectable man, and some people probably idolize him, and he'll be missed...but you know what? It doesn't go much further than that for me. Had he done something more other than report news, I might be a little more inclined to read deeper into it, but that's as simple as it is. Hell, people are more worried about the Discoverer's day-long delay than Jennings.[/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Yeah, I had the same reaction as you, Chaos. I looked on MSN.com (homepage), saw he died, and immediately went to OB. I'm not really phased by his death at all. However, I do respect him, and you kind of get accustomed to newscasters. Now that he's gone, I'm going to have to put up with some noob. Heh. Not that I watch the news that often.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Ahh... it's finally up. I hope I don't die early. I can post fairly frequently ? my school starts back up on September 2nd, and the first week or so won?t be too taxing. [B]Code Name / Call Sign:[/B] Dust, I reckon that's what they called him in them stories. [B]Gender:[/B] Quite a man, I'd say [B]Location:[/B] Th? Wild, Wild West [B]Age:[/B] Bout 34, 35. That boy ne?er really told no one. [B]Personal Appearance:[/B] [url=http://www.bpib.com/art2/images/Astarita/gunslinger.jpg][link][/url] Now, lemme tell yall, Dust is the gritty, sharp-eyed, gunslingin? Desperado. His eyes stare Lincoln straight off the penny, and he always shaves his face, with a purty dull knife though. Anyway, he?s bout five ten or so, with some long, scraggly mop on the top o? his head. Sandy color, gets in his surious eyes a lot. [B]Personality/Behavior:[/B] I can?t stand the sound of butchered English. It feels like someone?s shooting a magnum in between my ears, but prolonging the pain. The kind that of pain makes you want to wring someone?s neck. Anyone?s neck. Violently. ?I?ll take a shot o? whiskey. Clears up the ?ol mind, I swur. Oh, ey. Wus yer name, partner?? That man grinned such a yellow smile, and took a swig of whiskey to drown out his acrid breath. I turned my head a bit, trying to inhale a bit of fresh air before facing him again. After a few seconds, he lost interest in me, and went back to taking more shots from an increasingly worried barkeeper. At this point, I just wanted to go somewhere civilized, a place where people spoke English, and not some butchered vernacular. Yes, I find it quite odd that a man growing up in the ?Wild West? would become so eloquent. It must?ve been the books I read ever since I was a child. Lovely books, Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, The Odyssey, educational and cultured to the last drop. ?Allllright,? he took a moment to allow for a hiccup before continuing his mangled sentence, ?thas ?bout nuff o dem damn ducks? I?ll blow?em clear outta the skyyyyyy,? he drawled. I did not pay him much attention until he drew a pistol and aimed it at my stomach. I think there would be no moment more fitting than this to say, I?m a very quick draw with a small temper. I pulled the trigger twice, the barrel pointed at his chest. He flipped backwards, and blood flitted everywhere. Cue exit, stage left. [B]Personal History:[/B] So like I was saying, I don?t like slang, which seems to be some sort of curse, as I?m living out here in the West. Maybe explaining how I became such an English fanatic, or why I?d take to written English as opposed to the spoken word would be a good place to start. ?Ma?a?.a?.,? the sounds were slow and reluctant. ?Ma?aama?? And a smile of satisfaction spread across my face. My parents were pleased. ?Oh wow honey, that?s amazin?!? My mother, speaking with that god-forsaken drawl. She was excited, and clapped my tiny hands for me. ?Yeh? boy?s a real genius. Speakin? this young ?n all. I reckon kids ne?er spoke this early. He?s what? Bout seven months?? And my father. He was more educated, and left me with my grammar and syntax. I suppose I owe him a ?thanks.? ?Mama! Mama!? I spoke those words with sureness, declaring to the world that I would one day speak. One day very soon. So, now that you?ve seen my family, let me take you farther ahead. ?Father, what does [I]maiden[/I] mean? And what?s a [I]rapier[/I]?? Inquisitive, as always. My father gave me one of those answers that left me swimming around, looking for something more precise. ?A maiden?s a lady, and a rapier?s a sword. We don? use them no more ? we got guns.? He turned back to his dinner. I sat there on the wooden floor, gazing intently into my first Shakespearean read. Hamlet. I think that?s what inspired me to pick up a revolver and work on my aim a few years later. That?s a much more interesting story, but not by much. ?So, I hold it like [I]this[/I], and? wait, could you repeat that?? That?s me again, holding the revolver loosely and completely wrong. My mother corrected me; surprisingly she had better aim than my father. ?No, no, child. Like [I]this[/I].? She tightened up my grip, leveled off the aim so I was pointing at a scarecrow?s head, and moved my thumb to the hammer. ?Now, push that down, there you go, and pull the trigger.? I pulled did as I as told, and with curious success. The bullet went through the scarecrow?s left eye, spewing hay out of the back of his head. ?Damn good aim, there. Or luck. Take a shot at the right eye. Betcha can?t hit that! But first, reload, then cock the hammer.? She smirked at me digging into my pocket for the second bullet. I withdrew it, licked my chapped lips, thinking over the steps she?d given. Then I loaded up, drew back the hammer, took aim, and pulled the trigger. In two seconds. ?Mary, Mothera?what the hell was [I]that[/I]? I ne?er seen such a sight? thas real talent.? Indeed it was, as I had gained quite a reputation only a year later. I was thirteen years old, and just embarking on my journey that would last the rest of my life. Getting rich off of bets with shady types, and occasionally, saving the day. [B]Special Skills or Abilities:[/B] Having practiced only gunplay and reading in all my years, I am the most skilled person I know in both areas. It would not surprise me if a scholar were more educated than I, but I plan to die before I meet one with a quicker draw and a finer aim. I have realized that I can draw so quickly because of unrivaled reflexes and mental coordination. In short, I'm an extremely fast thinker with really, really short reaction times. My mother, as well as countless others moments before I shot them, told me that I have unheard of aim, and I can draw a gun faster than God could smite me. And I figure that to be about right ? I?ve escaped death numerous times, all thanks to my itchy fingers and quick wrist. As that hick said in the beginning, my eyes are sharp enough to kill the ladies, and turn a stone heart into holy water.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed']Which message is that? I've read the bible and I've come back with many messages. Some times I get the feeling that God is a very bad entity (He repetedly orders people to kill in his name, or turns people into salt, or tries to wipe out the entire human race ((So far as I know, Satan never even came close to thst))) and that God wants to either convert or kill everyone not Christian, even if he maskes it instead of the obviousness of this message prevaliant in Islam and a few other religions. Other times I made out with an impression that God wants to spread peace and love (Which, I have come to conclude, means converting or killing everyone not Christian) so I don't really know what to think of Christianity and it's foundations. Maybe you should make clear which message you refer to.[/COLOR][/quote] [SIZE=1]In the Old Testament, he orders the Israelites to take back the Promised Land. The Israelites told the Canaanites to leave, but they stayed, and so they waged war. This is the equivalent of you leaving your house for a number of years, and return to it to see other people living in it. You tell them to leave, but they refuse, even upon sight of the deed. So, you take them to court, just as any person would. Going to court and waging war are analogous in this case, because in the Israelite's position, no court was going to move an entire nation. As for the people into salt. God sent a messenger to the city, pleading with them to repent, to stop of their wicked ways. They basically told the messenger to go **** himself, and continued to do so, even after the messenger told them they would die for doing it. So... what happened? God killed them. Yes, very brutal, but this is because Jesus had not died for their sins yet, and so there was no real forgiving nature to God at that point. I don't really expect you to fully understand the Jesus dying for sins though... God never said to kill anyone not Christian. The Bible was written during Judaic times, when Christianity was just a sect of Judiasm. And I'm certain he didn't tell Jesus and the disciples to go kill others in his name. If you speak of the Inquisition or the Crusades, that was people justifying murder through God. They did not act as Christians, and marred Christian reputation as a result. I thought that this was pretty much clear, that God didn't condone mass murder of Jews or Muslims or Gentiles -- men did that. I don't understand at all when you mean "Spreading peace and love means killing everyone." As I said, God doesn't murder people in order to spread his word. It's humans, twisting the message to fit their wicked ends, like Hitler. Do you honestly think that God condoned the mass genocide? If you do, I find that completely blind, immature, and ludicrous. Christianity's foundations are the Ten Commandments, and the Sermon on the Mount. I trust you know what the Ten Commandments are. As for Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is preaching the most essential message that we need today. Here, read up. [QUOTE=Sermon on the Mount][SIZE=1][B]The Beatitudes[/B] 1And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [b]Believers Are Salt and Light[/b] 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. [b]Christ Fulfills the Law[/b] 17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. [b]Murder Begins in the Heart[/b] 21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. [b]Adultery in the Heart[/b] 27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not commit adultery.' 28But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. [b]Marriage Is Sacred and Binding[/b] 31 "Furthermore it has been said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. [b]Jesus Forbids Oaths[/b] 33 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' 34But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37But let your "Yes' be "Yes,' and your "No,' "No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. [b]Go the Second Mile[/b] 38 "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. [b]Love Your Enemies[/b] 43 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. [b]Matthew 6[/b] [b]Do Good to Please God[/b] 1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. [b]The Model Prayer[/b] 5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8"Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. [b]Fasting to Be Seen Only by God[/b] 16 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. [b]Lay Up Treasures in Heaven[/b] 19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [b]The Lamp of the Body[/b] 22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! [b]You Cannot Serve God and Riches[/b] 24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. [b]Do Not Worry[/b] 25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31"Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or "What shall we wear?' 32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. [b]Matthew 7[/b] [b]Do Not Judge[/b] 1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. [b]Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking[/b] 7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. [b]The Narrow Way[/b] 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14Because arrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. [b]You Will Know Them by Their Fruits[/b] 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them. [b]I Never Knew You[/b] 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' [b]Build on the Rock[/b] 24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." 28And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.[/SIZE][/QUOTE][/SIZE]

[QUOTE=AzureWolf][COLOR=blue]#3, you don't know if you've been picked or not, though. It's more than likely that Syk3 has picked members with good taste such as yourself. I wretch at the thought of people unlike you moderating it. "Oh, I really like the picture he used: doesn't matter if he just cropped it onto a premade background." XD Anyway, how are the rounds themselves performed? A picture is given and an order? That is, "here is a picture of Nash, make a wallpaper out of it." Or is it like, you just make graphics?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I believe that it's more theme-oriented. So it's more like ... "The theme's water, now run with it." Hope that helped.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed] Considering that the only word of God is the Bible, there is literally nothing else to base Christianity on. Therefore, anyone who is basing Christianity on the Bible is basing their religion on a book that is also flawed. By this logic, Christianity is in fact flawed, no? [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I will concede, and admit that Christianity might be flawed -- I have no idea. But I do not think the flaw of the Bible is great enough to put a red stamp on Christianity and label it obsolete, flawed, and useless. I'm sure there will always be a slight flaw on anything humankind does; we aren't perfect, so of course following Jesus' exact words is impossible. All we can do is try our hardest, to lessen the degree of error we create, by following the law He gave. I do not think the entire Bible is a sham, or too flawed to use -- I believe it's message is the most important, and not the mechanics by which everyone tends to get caught up in.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed] There's one big flaw with your logic. You said it yourself, to CHRISTIANS, Hell is real. To the rest of us (That is to say, to Athiests) Hell may be nothing but an old childrens tale. But no one, NO ONE, (Ok, except maybe Scientologists. But they're nuts) can deny that cancer exists. And what if, perhaps, your religion was wrong. What if your metaphorical 'Cure for cancer' was infact just a a plesebo (SP?) drug that did nothing to stop cancer, and that the Cure for Cancer was on the path that you lead them away from. People can decide for themselves without missionaries kicking down their doors. (And I would know. 10 times a month those buggers show up, practically kick in my door, and make me listen to their boring lectures. I called the police a couple of times.) [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]But don't you see? You missed the whole point. The point they were trying to make is that: [B]If you have the cure, why not share it?[/B] Picking apart the minor details is pretty irrelevant in this case, as it doesn't really prove anything. They were pointing out that if you think the cancer exists, why not share the cure; nothing about if hell exists to athiests or not. [B]It is a percieved cancer, that someone is apparently not aware of -- so they want to alert you of it and try to help.[/B] Yes, you're right -- people can definitely decide without people kicking down your door, so to speak, but that doesn't mean they can't casually talk to you about it. And if you don't want to hear it, that is just as well.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed] Than, by definition, all Christians (True Christians) are Facists. They are all guilty of 'Gentle Genocide.' Even if the intentions are good, that's notihng but imposing one's will on others. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]... Wow. [B] What are you talking about?[/B] I mean, "true Christians" aren't forcing ideas down your throat, or forcing you go to go church against your will. A "true Christian" lets people make the choice, which is why I'm at a complete loss at understanding why you said Christians 'impose one's will on others.' They suggest that you convert, but they don't impose it upon you. I'm taking a stab in the dark and staying your view on what a true Christian actually is, is skewed. Facists? Again, I have zero clue what you mean. It's a free-will thing. I don't feel like reiterating it for the trillionth time here. As for the whole "if Christianity is right, all others are wrong," we will never know for sure. Again, you're basing this assumption off what is written in the Bible -- a historical document written by men. While I believe they were inspired to write, their message contains a 'human taint' if you will, carrying bias of the times. It was written in a time where there was very little to no tolerance, and of course this will carry over.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Baron Samedi][size=1] Ba-dum ching. Beat me to it. Tony is right. There is nothing to say that God isn't a scientist, as such, who actually made the Earth in the manner believed by evolutionary scientists. Now, that'd be a nice compromise. And, just for another example of evolution, but on a smaller level than Tony's, think about all the super-resistant viruses sweeping our hospitals.[/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I hate to be the 'Amen Chorus' so to speak, but Generic and Baron are right. It makes me cringe when people suggest that God and science cannot co-exist, and such thinking is what spreads across the "You Christians think..." board. It sucks to be grouped automatically with stereotypical Christians, but enough of that. Super-resistant viruses are a perfect example of evolution right under our noses. By using the same antibiotics, the viruses adapt and become extremely resilient -- to the point where doctors will soon be scrambling to find new cures to infections and whatnot. That's why we don't use as much Penicillin, because many viruses are now immune to it. If that's not proof enough of evolution, I don't know what is.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][B][i]AIM Chat[/i][/B] [B]Helba:[/B] Propaganda? I had to look up the definition. [B]Retri:[/B] LMFAO [URL=http://img38.imageshack.us/my.php?image=propagandaround31up.jpg][IMG]http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8884/propagandaround31up.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Bombs away.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Generic NPC #3']This is basically how life is general, honestly. There's always people you might respect or dislike or whatever else to different levels depending on how well acquainted you are with them.[/quote] [SIZE=1]You beat me to the punch. I was thinking while reading this, that there are the popular people who are the hub of their group of friends and shine brighter in the social arena, making them a natural sun.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][B]I would like to enter the Official OtakuBoards Graphics Tournament.[/B] I hope that this tournament is the largest yet in OB history, as the first annual Official Tournament. Good luck to all![/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]My favorite songs from DDR are [b]Tsugaru[/b] and [b]Butterfly[/b]. I can't really recall if "Tsugaru" is what the song is actually called, but it sounds distinctly asian, and the background shows samurai and ninja fighting one another.[/SIZE]