u/Euphoric-Bat7582

I’m going deer hunting with my cousin for the first time later this year. Took a couple classes at a range and loved it, so figured I’d buy my own gun.

The advice I’ve always heard is that you should handle and shoot a certain model before buying it. I’m looking at the Savage Axis 2 .308, but nowhere around me has it as a rental. The people I’ve talked to all said it’s a good starter gun and enough for what I’m looking for, but I don’t wanna buy one just for it not to “fit” well.

I felt good with the .308 I shot with, but failed to ask what manufacturer and model it was.

I’ve heard this from a fair amount of atheists before, and I’m seeing it more now with Disclosure Day out (haven’t seen it so no spoilers please — and this post isn’t about the movie).

The thing is I’ve never known another Christian IRL, even fundamentalists, who has this fear. I’ve never even heard “there is no intelligent life out there because the Bible doesn’t allow it.” And I grew up in a church so fundamentalist that the elders thought God put dinosaur bones in the ground to “test true believers.” I’ve even known some to say discovering intelligent life would support the evidence for God (not saying that’s true).

So where does this idea come from?

(I hope it’s clear but either way: I do not deny science, am not a fundamentalist, and am incredibly frustrated by fundamentalists. It was an example to demonstrate that even the dumbest Christians don’t have an issue with it.)

This is admittedly probably a poor comparison, but for example: the word “patriot” in the U.S.

Most of us are patriots in the sense that we want what’s best for the country. Some have a broad view of what “patriotism” means and what a “patriot” is. Some say only their side can be patriots, the other side says “no it’s actually us,” rinse and repeat.

In a similar vein, are most Israelis broadly “Zionist” in some sense, but different groups argue over what “real Zionism” means today? Or is “Zionism” like “the American dream,” something that is part of our collective cultural memory and reality but has little practical relevance in government or day to day life?

(Again, I know “patriot” isn’t a perfect comparison because Zionism obviously has much deeper historical, religious, and political meaning. It’s the best comparison I thought of.)