[Astorian]

It's worth noting that there's been PLENTY of racial diversity in television's leading dramatic shows over the last ten ears. There have been black doctors on 'E.R.' and 'Chicago Hope,' black lawyers on 'The Practice' and 'L.A. Law,' black cops on 'Third Watch' and 'NYPD Blue,' etc. The all-white' shows that many black people complain about are all sitcoms, like 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends.' But let's face facts: if those sitcoms added black actors to the cast, black Americans would be just as outraged! Think about it- suppose that the role of Kramer on 'Seinfeld' had been given to a black comedian. Black activists would be screaming that 'Kramer is a latter-day Stepin Fetchit, a crude, unforgivable, racist stereotype!' Or suppose the role of Joey on 'Friends' had gone to a black actor. Joey is a dim bulb, so black activists would be FURIOUS that a black man was being portrayed negatively. The fact is, the essence of comedy is stupid people saying and doing ridiculous things. But black activists are so oversensitive and quick to complain, white poducers are terrified of casting black actors in potentially degrading comic roles.

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Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

The simple answer is yes. A Catholic can marry a member of another faith. There are usually a few conditions. If a Catholic wants to marry a Jew (or Protestant, or Hindu, whatever) in a Catholic church, the couple will have to confer with the Catholic's pastor. During an interview, the Catholic will generally be asked if he/she intends to do everything possible to raise any future children in the Catholic faith. If the answer is 'yes,' there usually won't be any difficulty in getting authorization for a valid, sacramental, Catholic wedding.

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Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

In reality, Islam is the predominant religion among white Arabs in northern Africa, but it is not now, and has NEVER been the primary religion of black, sub-Saharan Africans. Very, very few of the black Africans sold into slavery in the Americas were ever Moslems. Most of them were pagans who practiced various spirit-oriented religions. White slaveowners imposed Christianity on their slaves, but were only partly successful. Many slaves held on to their pagan beliefs, and others mixed those pagan beliefs with Christianity. Haitian Voodoo and Cuban Santeria are good examples of how African slaves combined Christianity with ancient spirit religions. So, it's rather amusing to me when I see black Americans embrace Islam as a way of 'reclaiming' their African heritage. First, because their ancestors were NOT Moslems, and second, because white, Arab Moslems were very active in the slave trade! Indeed, in some parts of Africa, Moslems are STILL selling black men and women as slaves. My advice: embrace a religion ONLY if you have studied it, and have concluded that its doctrines are true. Do NOT embrace any religion, simply because you think (wrongly) that it was the religion of your ancestors.

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Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

The Church teaches that sex is sacred and should be saved for a committed relationship, but the average person (including many Catholics) ignores the Church's ideals and just wants to know how far he/she can go without technically breaking any rules. It's this kind of silly thinking that leads many Catholics to think they can engage in ANY sexual activity short of vaginal intercourse and still remain 'virgins,' technically. This is what happens when people worry too much about the letter of the law and not about the ideals behind the law.

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Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

I appeared on 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' a few months ago. For the record, I was never the quickest in the 'Fast Fingers' round, so I never got to answer any questions, and never won any money. I CAN tell you this, firsthand: the test is done completely over the telephone, and the contestant coordinators have NO idea whatsoever what color the person taking the test is! So, if there are few black contestants, it is NOT because the producers refuse to accept them. It's either because black people don't try to take the phone test, or they don't do well when they do call. The way it works is this: when people call the toll-free number listed at the end of the show, they get a recorded message with 3 questions. EVERYONE who answers all 3 questions right is put into a computerized random drawing, and 40 of them are selected each day for a playoff round. Those forty people call a special, secret phone number, and answer 5 new questions, as quickly as they can. The ten finalists who answer the most questions in the fastest time make it to the show. Unlike 'Jeopardy' or other game shows, 'Millionaire' picks people PURELY based on how they do in the phone tests. They NEVER see contestants face to face until the contestants arrive at the studios in New York. So, how can the producers be racist, if they don't even know the color of the people they're flying into NEw York??? (Now, the phone test DOES ask our gender. So, apparently the producers ARE trying to get more female contestants.) Are there things the producers could do to get more black contestants? I suppose so. Maybe they could add more questions about rap music, or black authors, or black history. But it is completely unfair to suggest that the producers are racist. Anyone who passes the test gets on. My guess is, puzzles and trivia are something that appeals primarily to nerdy white guys (Yes, I'm one of those!). Women in general are not as interested in trivia, and neither are most black people I know.

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Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

White Castle is a chain of fast-food restaurants, popular in the Northeast and Midwest. They serve TINY hamburgers, grilled with onions. The burgers are addictive, and they're so small you can't help eating a dozen at a time. But White Castle lovers call the burgers 'belly bombers' for a reason. They're delicious going down, but you'll be burping them up for hours!

User Detail :  

Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

This is an interesting question, because it is not just idle speculation: There is a strong chance it will happen soon. John Paul II is in poor health and may not live much longer. Now, in the past, most of the cardinals were Italian, which meant that only Italians were elected Pope. But over the past 30 years, Popes Paul VI and John Paul II have appointed numerous cardinals from the Third World. Indeed, there are several prominent African cardinals who will be strong candidates for the papacy when the next election comes about. (By the way, there is also a prominent contender- Cardinal Lustiger- who was born Jewish!) A black African pope would not bother me in the least. It might shake up some of the blue-collar white Catholics I grew up with, but they'll just have to get over it.

User Detail :  

Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

It's strange that so many black Americans embrace Islam as a way of reclaiming their "African" roots, because Islam is not an African religion at all. Islam is an Asian religion, just as Christianity is. Moreover, virtually none of the black slaves brought to America were Moslims. The great majority practiced traditional African pagan/ spirit religions. When you look at Voodoo in Haiti or Santeria in Cuba, you see how many African slaves learned to mix Christianity with their traditional paganism. Even today, Islam is not the dominant religion in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria is one of the few black African countries in which Islam is the dominant religion. Interestingly, Catholicism is growing rapidly in Africa. It's ironic that so many black Christians in America are turning to Islam, at the same time that millions of black Africans are embracing Christianity!

My feeling is, study Islam and Christianity, then decide whether you believe the basic teachings of either religion. Embrace a religion because you believe in it, not because you think (wrongly) that it was the religion of your ancestors.

User Detail :  

Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

I don't mean to discourage you from embracing Judaism, if that is truly what you want to do, but VERY few Jews will accept someone who believes in the divinity of Jesus as truly Jewish. To most Jews (and to nearly ALL devout Jews), once you proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, you have renounced your Jewish heritage, and embraced a false religion. I do not endorse such sentiments. I can respect messianic Jews. AFter all, the earliest Christians, like Peter, were Jews who contined to attend the synagogue, obey the kosher laws, and circumcise their children. I merely warn you that most JEws will not accept you as genuinely Jewish if you believe that Jesus was the son of God.

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Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

Why is water (which is essential for life) free, while diamonds (which aren't necessary for anything) cost a fortune? Why are doctors paid less than NFL quarterbacks? Why is a gallon of Coca-Cola more expensive than a gallon of gasoline? The answer is, we live in a society with a free-market economy, in which people and products are worth whatever people are willing to pay for them. Even if a nurse's job is more important than, say, Mel Gibson's job (acting) or Mark McGwire's job (baseball), the fact is, there are plenty of people who can do a nurse's job (or learn to do it), while there are very few people who can attract millions of people to the box office the way Mel Gibson can, or hit home runs the way Mark McGwire can. It all comes down to supply and demand. Now, if this strikes you as unfair, how would you like to fix it? You want the government to regulate how much people get paid? (Russia tried that system, and it didn't work out too well.) The only way this will ever change is if women stop becoming nurses and take up plumbing. Then, when the supply of nurses drops, employers will have to pay more to attract them.

User Detail :  

Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Astorian]

The people who should be protesting against The Siege are not Arab-Americans, but rather the U.S. Army. Arabs are, on the whole, portrayed as decent, ordinary, innocent people. The U.S. Army, on the other hand, as embodied by Bruce Willis, is portrayed as a bunch of fascists and bullies, eager to take absolute power and do away with our constitutional rights.

User Detail :  

Name : Astorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

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