Confused about religion

snood;-

Try 497 in Roget.Get a little style.

If it is a healthy attitude to think you are free you then are saying that the bulk of European and American literature is unhealthy because most of it concerns itself with the conflict between individual freedom and the demands of society.We could start with Don Quixote and work up.Flaubert and Hardy are probably the easiest to follow and the first half of Catch 22.

spendius.

Frank:-

I heard that orange juice,being acidic,is a touch tough on the joints but I don't know if it's true.

spendius.

Live to be:-

Reading posts which go in one ear and out the other seems a bit like digging holes and filling them up again.Why do you denigrate yourself in such a shameful manner?

Islam isn't dead.Christianity isn't dead.They are only the two mightiest civilisations on earth.Isreal may well have oil for all you know and are keeping it in reserve for when the others run out and they can charge (50+X) dollars a barrel for it.

spendius.

Frank:-

In the event that orange juice is bad for you then I damn near did you a favour by causing you to damn near spit it out.

spendius.

I've got a twenty on the Jains. The odds are about 75-1 against them being right, but if they are, I'll make some tidy coin.

Dang, spendius - I find I'm forced to agree with Frank (which is enough to make anyone spill their morning beverage) here...

What the Hell are you talking about?

Good Lord snood:-

The young students I used to perform in front of would write 1000 word essays on stuff like that.And in the introductory aspects of the course at that.

Anyway I'm glad I have brought you and Frank closer together.That's a plus surely.

spendius.

Pay up cav:- they have no chance.Your bookie was a bit stingy.Only 75!!That's stealing.

spendius.

There is a putative philosophy channel under Cambridge Budget Scoffing.It might help if you checked out post No 1110159 on that.

spendius.

They are the "only" the two mightiest civilisations on earth? Well, I am sorry, but I have to disagree with you. These religions were manipulated from the time of their inceptions to divide, conquer and control humanity. There were more advanced civilisations, much bigger than Islam and Christianity put together on this planet long, long before their time. Why should we be thought that our human civilization began with Islam/Christianity? Perhaps we are shifting more toward some conspiracy theories

It's okay, I have a side bet on the Cathars which will pay out 10000-1 if they were right, and 5000-1 if it's simply proven they still exist. There's also a double down if the Grail is actually found.

cav;-

I'm only a bit clued up on heretics.I know the heresies a lot better.

Were not Cathars the ones who abhorred sex?Or was that the Albigensians?If it was the first you have lost that bet too.They do still exist though but under a multiplicity of names but you won't be able to prove it.Try Foucault's Pendulum on the bookie.He might pay up but I rather doubt it.
Einstein found the grail.With a little help from his friends.

Have you any good tips?Do they do spread betting in Toronto?That is good fun if you have stalwart nerves.

spendius.

live to be:-

Nah!No conspiracy theories here.It's all out in the open.We are scientists.

Which civilisations do you mean?Not that Atlantis tomfoolery I hope.That stuff isn't out in the open.
Not the Aztecs surely.

There's nothing new in the idea thar religions are about manipulation and control.That is their primary reason for being.You might as well criticise the throttle on your bike on those grounds.Or your manipulation and control of it.
It might serve your purpose if you read up on how Christianity and Islam emerged from that seething nest of wild cults and madmen which predated those two momentous events.Suppose they hadn't?
No don't-it might scare you.
Truth to tell the gestation is still ongoing.

spendius.

The Cathars were pretty much the mystical missing link between Christians, Kabbalists, Zoroastrians, and the Templar Knights. They really pledged to not enjoy anything in life, poor sods.

Betting houses in Toronto are not nearly as popular as massage parlours, strip clubs and Chinese restaurants. All in all, it's a healthy community.

cav:-

Presumably they enjoyed not enjoying.They enjoyed being approved of by their God who was very real to them.Poor sods.

spendius.

Spendius

A long while back, I wrote:




Why not deal with that?

What is the single most significant point of contention between us right now?

I think it was more blind acceptance than enjoyment, but it's a moot point really. Neither of us were there to witness their experience.

Frank:-

I thought I'd dealt with that with the Frank Harris anecdote.

But if you persist I would say that a big difference between us,perhaps the only one,is depth and breadth of reading experience.It possibly isn't quite sporting of me to say that because reading is my hobby and golf is yours and you are fully entitled to have made such a choice.However,this is a philosophy forum.I feel sure you could putt me in my place on a golf course.My literary practice provides me with an advantage over you in this milieux so that when you slice a sentence out of bounds I notice it just as easily as you would if I hooked a drive into the bushes in a golf setting.Lola,who I presume you have heard of,has no trouble at all with my posts.Her literary practice is at least the equal of mine and possibly more so if you will allow my Orwellian usage.With Lola I could have finished that sentence on "mine" with no further explanation.People who are widely read have modes of stripped down prose where a simple allusion can conjure up in a similar reader a range and subtlety of meaning which would by-pass a non reader.Two cricket fanatics,and I'm one,can discuss a Test match in a way that others just would not be able to follow.Maybe two golf fanatics could do the same although golf is a much simpler game than cricket.If I had more time I would try to satisfy a crazy ambition of mine which is to bring the USA into the Test match fold.I think you only embarked on the full toss pitch in order to be different from your Mother country and to provide a game which is understandable to kids.
We speak a different language actually and I make no claims about which is best.Horses for courses.
The ordinary language of day to day discourse does not lend itself to philosophy.Insults among philosophers,and they do insult each other,would pass un-noticed in secular company.

But you're a game old bird and no mistake.My judgement of people generally boils down to who I would prefer to have for company behind enemy lines and you are not crossed off on that yet.OK?

spendius.

Well cav:-

I think they probably enjoyed the thought that they would spend eternity in heaven and the rest of us in damnation.They may well have thought that there were too many people.
Whatever they thought the Pope couldn't allow them to continue expanding because he would have had no army nor servants.
The Greek Gods are supposed to have discussed the liquidation of the human race on the grounds that we were incorrigble assholes.The clinching argument for not doing was that if they did they would have nobody to worship them and nobody to laugh at and nobody to aggravate.
I'm glad I wasn't there.It must have been as grotty as grotty gets.

spendius.

Well, Spendius...it sounds as though you suppose the major difference between us is that you are more intelligent and more bookish than I...although you certainly needed a lot of words to make that minor point.

That can be cleared up easily enough, Spend...because there is almost no indication that you are, in fact, more intelligent. Frankly (the only way I work)...I would take an intelligence test against you for a decent sized bet...and even if I lost, I doubt it would be a runaway.

And as for "bookish"...I would bet my house that you have not read more of substance than I.

My nickname was Professor in grammar school...and I lived up to it. Quite independently of my grammar school chums, I was given that sobriquet while in military service. I've tested as high as the 98th percentile in several intelligence tests. My personal library is extensive...much to the shagrin of my wife. And I am intelligent enough not to post garbage with pretence comments about hiding my erudition...as you did.

In any case...since even if it were so...this would be a fairly minor difference...and certainly doesn't account for the fact that you have become a gnat.

Why don't you call on your intelligence...and see if you cannot get past this childish nonsense?

And if possible, perhaps you can come up with whatever is second most important difference between us.

This one was a joke...and I'd really like to know what separates us.


Sounds as though Lola has been in touch with you.

Lola has lots more class than you, Spend...and lots more than me. She is one classy dame. In fact, it is only because she has mentioned to me that she sees value in some of the things you say that I am spending this time trying to figure out what in hell all this bullshyt is about.

Of course, you may simply be an obstreperous coot who cannot help himself. In which case, you have my sympathies....and no further explanation is necessary or called for.