Atheists, what would make you change your mind?

[Whitney]

I vaguely knew this girl who actually used the pull-out method as birth control, and was convinced it was just as good as the pill!

I've also known people who thought it was a valid form of birth control.  I had to explain to them that pulling out can work but isn't near as effective as condoms nor does it protect them against STDs.  The person didn't understand that sperm could be released prior to ejaculation.

Basically, sex ed here isn't abstinence only in all schools, but they teach it in a way that makes it seem like you are a terrible person if you don't abstain plus don't tell anyone where to get condoms or how they are used.

My church had a better sex ed class than my school...that's sad.  Of coarse, my church's sex ed class was only good because my mom was involved in teaching the class (weird for me at the time) plus the other parent in charge was also fairly liberal.  They demonstrated, using some sort of sex-ed demonstration unrealistic penis, how a condom works.  I can't remember if planned parenthood was mentioned in that class of if it was just something I found out about at a different time from my mom.    Either way, it's really bad when a church does a better job teaching sex-ed than a public school system.

[Whitney]

ok, i will try to keep it neat in future.

The reason I type as I do is because, just before I got set up on the internet, I was reading a book about it - about chatrooms in particular-  admittedly it was a children's book.   Anyhow, it said that lack of correct punctuation is quite common in chatrooms, and often deliberate, and that it is considered bad manners to correct another user on this point.

So I have lapsed into the habit myself.   Also, I write this way when 'texting', and so do most people I know.

That book was correct about most chat rooms (even though the ones I tend to visit have a lot of users who are picky about spelling and grammar...just because the type of people there).

But, there is a difference between chat rooms and forums.  Chat rooms are programs where everyone is chatting live so the screen scrolls posts as you are sitting there.  Where forums are meant for longer posts that don't get scrolled off the screen.  So, in a chat room each post will be about one or two sentences long and quickly typed...but in a forum the person has time to compose their post and they are often in paragraph format.  

Since large paragraphs can be hard to read, it's common to break them up into smaller blocks.  Capitalization is just helpful in keeping track of where a sentence begins within a block of text.  Spelling and grammar isn't of utmost importance in a forum, but a post filled with such errors tends to not be given as much weight as one which was properly checked.  Basically, proper forum etiquette follows similar rules as if you were writing an informal letter to someone.

I'm not great at spelling and tend to have a lot of typos, so I use the Google toolbar to run a spell check prior to submitting most of my posts.  There are other programs which can do the same.  So, MommaSquid wasn't trying to be rude, things are just a little different in forums than in chat rooms.

[MommaSquid]

MommaSquid wasn't trying to be rude

I was trying to be helpful, of course!  


(If or when I decide to be rude it will be obvious.)    

[McQ]

ok, i will try to keep it neat in future.

The reason I type as I do is because, just before I got set up on the internet, I was reading a book about it - about chatrooms in particular-  admittedly it was a children's book.   Anyhow, it said that lack of correct punctuation is quite common in chatrooms, and often deliberate, and that it is considered bad manners to correct another user on this point.

So I have lapsed into the habit myself.   Also, I write this way when 'texting', and so do most people I know.

That book was correct about most chat rooms (even though the ones I tend to visit have a lot of users who are picky about spelling and grammar...just because the type of people there).

But, there is a difference between chat rooms and forums.  Chat rooms are programs where everyone is chatting live so the screen scrolls posts as you are sitting there.  Where forums are meant for longer posts that don't get scrolled off the screen.  So, in a chat room each post will be about one or two sentences long and quickly typed...but in a forum the person has time to compose their post and they are often in paragraph format.  

Since large paragraphs can be hard to read, it's common to break them up into smaller blocks.  Capitalization is just helpful in keeping track of where a sentence begins within a block of text.  Spelling and grammar isn't of utmost importance in a forum, but a post filled with such errors tends to not be given as much weight as one which was properly checked.  Basically, proper forum etiquette follows similar rules as if you were writing an informal letter to someone.

I'm not great at spelling and tend to have a lot of typos, so I use the Google toolbar to run a spell check prior to submitting most of my posts.  There are other programs which can do the same.  So, MommaSquid wasn't trying to be rude, things are just a little different in forums than in chat rooms.

(to be read with tongue in cheek):

Of coarse, laetus, spell chequers don't all ways ketch everything. LOL!

See your pryor post for the "of course/coarse" that your spell cheque mist!
;-)

[Court]

And, abstinence only education, promoted mainly by christian parents, is adding to an increasing rate of unwed teenage mothers.

And here in the lovely state of Texas, abstinence-based sex ed is a euphemism for non-existant sex ed (at least, in my experience)...I knew several people personally who didn't know the first thing about birth control or where they could get it if their parents were too strict. It's insane. I vaguely knew this girl who actually used the pull-out method as birth control, and was convinced it was just as good as the pill!

Are you kidding? Growing up in my small town, we had full-fledged sex ed. Hell we learned about labias and hymens and STD's and condoms (they had a room of 11 year old boys putting condoms on this phallic things) and how you can't tell who has AIDS or STD's by just looking at them. I find it ironic that you live in the Big D and didn't receive such education.

Oh, I live in a small suburb around Dallas, so that probably helps. I think it's pathetic. My sexual education was all self-motivated, and that shouldn't happen.

[TwistedPriest07]

And, abstinence only education, promoted mainly by christian parents, is adding to an increasing rate of unwed teenage mothers.

And here in the lovely state of Texas, abstinence-based sex ed is a euphemism for non-existant sex ed (at least, in my experience)...I knew several people personally who didn't know the first thing about birth control or where they could get it if their parents were too strict. It's insane. I vaguely knew this girl who actually used the pull-out method as birth control, and was convinced it was just as good as the pill!

Are you kidding? Growing up in my small town, we had full-fledged sex ed. Hell we learned about labias and hymens and STD's and condoms (they had a room of 11 year old boys putting condoms on this phallic things) and how you can't tell who has AIDS or STD's by just looking at them. I find it ironic that you live in the Big D and didn't receive such education.

Oh, I live in a small suburb around Dallas, so that probably helps. I think it's pathetic. My sexual education was all self-motivated, and that shouldn't happen.

Shoot, I was home-schooled by fundies. You know what my sex ed consisted of? "If you have sex before you're married, your wiener will rot and fall off. Not might, it WILL! So you better stay good and virgin until you're married!"

[Whitney]

This thread was getting really long and went off topic a while ago.  So, I split it off as an abortion/sexuality thread located here:

http://www.happyatheistforum.com/ftopic112.html

[SomewhereInND]

What would it take?

Simple question, my answer really doesn't matter to you does it?

What would it take for you to believe in Santa Clause?

[elliebean]

Simple question, my answer really doesn't matter to you does it?

If the OP is still checking on this thread four and a half years later, I'd say it must matter quite a lot to them.

[SomewhereInND]

If after 4 1/2 years the original poster does not understand the obvious answer to his/her question, which has been answered many times, then, my answer or anyone elses answer really doesnt matter does it?

So, let the OP figure out the obvious figure out the obvious answer,   OP, please answer my question...what would it take for you to believe in Santa Clause?

[SomewhereInND]

I vaguely knew this girl who actually used the pull-out method as birth control, and was convinced it was just as good as the pill!

I see a problem,  she wasn't in charge of pulling out.

[McQ]

Not sure what makes anyone think the OP is still checking this thread. We haven't seen the OP in years. As far as I can tell, this thread was resurrected because SomewhereinND posted a message that is unclear and kind of non-directional (as in, who the heck is he asking, and why the heck does he say "my answer doesn't really matter?")

[Whitney]

the OP doesn't even have an account here anymore...the OP is the reason I no longer delete accounts if people ask me (created sock puppet after asking account to be deleted and it was a huge pain in the ass proving the connecting since it caused me to lose the user associated IP info).  

Even if the OP were still around I wouldn't expect her to understand how to tie a shoe let alone any philosophical idea.

[Recusant]

 It was a delight reading a thread from the earliest days of HAF!

[SomewhereInND]

Not sure what makes anyone think the OP is still checking this thread. We haven't seen the OP in years. As far as I can tell, this thread was resurrected because SomewhereinND posted a message that is unclear and kind of non-directional (as in, who the heck is he asking, and why the heck does he say "my answer doesn't really matter?")

You come across as an angry individual,  are you?

My answer didnt matter,  infact I didn't even give my answer.   Others gave obvious answers,  I was trying to help the OP, or anyone else who had the same question.

Instead telling you my opinion, I tried to provide a way for these individuals to answer their own question.  I could have expressed my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions.....oh wait.....maybe you dont......What have you heard about other peoples opinions?