real community

[Bishop]

I find dudeism to be more of a religious community than a religion. It supports the atheists and the saints, alike. I've been ill for three years, in a world of pain. I spend most of my time in a kind of solitary confinement. The last time I tried to use an Internet forum or chatroom, it was so full of assholes and know-it-all jerkoffs that I swore it off. Dudeism gives one a chance to be social, yet not have to get in a argument every five seconds. I've found this good company only among drunken bums and mental patients. Both of those could use some easy-going ethos. There should be a dudeist program for the neurotic and the poor. So they can feel like real people again. Give 'em Leaves of Grass poems instead of Christian pamphlets. Prescribe some grass and some good music instead of antidepressants. Share a bottle. Tell the judges and the politicians: Well, that's like, you know, your opinion, man. And when a cop asks for your identification, tell him that he needs a warrant to search your mind. There are way too many reactionaries out there trying to kill the poor and eat the rich. I prefer a vat of chicken salad and a couple bottles of cheap Australian red wine.

[FuckinA]

Well, good thing you found others dudeists man! Welcome to the forum!
You don't have to fear any real arguments here, because of the "well that's just, like, your opinion, man" ethos we got going on here.
We don't have to stress out if somebody goes all Walter on our asses, cause that's the jin to the jang (or something).
Anyway, good thing you're here, and bars over there -->
That's it, wraps 'er all up. Take it easy, man!

[meekon5]

...I've found this good company only among drunken bums and mental patients. Both of those could use some easy-going ethos...

I thought this was a bunch of drunken bums and mental patients?

(Am I in the wrong place again?).

Actually I found similar with anarchist sights years ago. They'd be full of twelve year olds just swearing at anyone who posted anything. No clue about anything, the interent is full of cleft assholes.

[Rev. Ed C]

It is great that people come here to discuss ideas, as opposed to shouting them so people can hear them above the general din that goes on in forums.  This really is like an actual forum, for which the computer message boards were named after, a bunch of learned mutually-respecting guys standing around tossing ideas back and forth.  Kind of like a laid-back debating society.

That's why I describe myself as a Dudeist philosopher, because I see myself as a Greek philosopher for my time and place.  Tackling the questions of today about life, society and whathaveyou, and this is the place to share my ideas and have people build upon them.

Of course, as I was telling Meekon and Klaus the other week, sometimes I think this is more like a Lodge, and the Dudely Lama is the Grand Poobah!

[not_exactly_a_lightweight]

What a great thread!  I feel - whats the word...  complimented?

one can express independent thought and not be bashed.

I feel that I was referred to by my President a little over a year ago in his inauguration:
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers."
That non-believer word also left me feeling acknowledged, (if not complimented by His Reverency, Bishop) and accepted somewhat. He actually said it, he didn't just slip it under the door. Am I wrong?

[meekon5]

...This really is like an actual forum, for which the computer message boards were named after...

Actually the forum are named after the Forum Romanum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_(Roman)). The Forum was a meeting place for free Roman citizens to duscuss anything (please note the designation of Roman Citizen, not the Women, or the Slaves, or the foreigners). Net forum are somewhat more democratic, but still a development of the idea of a place to meet and put forward your ideas freely.

[Matt the Walrus]

Ya, this is the first forum that I've been able to stand posting on for an extended period of time, pretty rad.

[Rev. Ed C]

Well, I got the spirit of the concept right, but once again I've fallen a foul of the Roman/Greek thing.  I knew Forum was latin, but I'd somehow convinced myself they must have stolen it from the Greeks

[meekon5]

Well, I got the spirit of the concept right, but once again I've fallen a foul of the Roman/Greek thing.  I knew Forum was latin, but I'd somehow convinced myself they must have stolen it from the Greeks

To be honest the only original idea the Romans had was a paid professional army, more or less everything else (the roads, etc etc) were stolen from the Greeks, Egyptians, the Arabs.