Posts by DJS

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

Morpheus,

The data suggests correlations to both. Researchers identified the correlation between intelligence and a lack of religiosity nearly a century ago; this is nothing new and easily googled. What the data suggests is that contributing factors to secularism and atheism are: intelligence, a rational personality, education, prosperity, culture. However, if prosperity is factored out, intelligence, rational personality and education will still be factors correlating to secularism and atheism. If education is factored out, intelligence and a rational personality will still be factors.

In other words, intelligence and personality (rationals who primarily make decisions based on an analytical, thinking process), based on a lot of studies, seem to be primary drivers of whether someone is religious. Most of us already intuitively know this. Intelligent people who rely or make decisions primarily on their feelings are more likely to be religious. That isn't surprising either; believing is one step up from Emotions, which is the lowest rung on our evolutionary ladder. Feelings are all that are required to believe.

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

Freemind: "Hodson and Busseri (2012) found in a correlational study that lower intelligence in childhood is predictive of greater racism in adulthood, with this effect being mediated (partially explained) through conservative ideology. They also found poor abstract reasoning skills were related to homophobic attitudes which was mediated through authoritarianism and low levels of intergroup contact."

Lower intelligence is also a factor for religiosity. In a meta-analysis of 63 studies (The Relation Between Intelligence and Religiosity), Zuckerman, Silberman and Hall showed a significant negative association between intelligence and religiosity. The association was stronger for for religious beliefs than religious behavior. Three possible interpretations were discussed. First, intelligent people are less likely to conform and, thus, are more likely to resist religious dogma. Second, intelligent people tend to adopt an analytic thinking style, which has been shown to undermine religious beliefs. Third, several functions of religiosity, including compensatory control, self-regulation, self-enhancement, and secure attachment, are also conferred by intelligence. Intelligent people may therefore have less need for religious beliefs and practices.

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

As usual, LisaRose is right: "Nonsense, there is the little matter of the constitution." If you all have been paying attention the past 50 years, you will notice that the SCOTUS has given more and more power to freedom of speech. Society, on the other hand, has evolved to have its own say about freedom of speech.

FIFA, the NFL, NBA, Duck Dynasty network, NBC, Cisco, Nike, etc. all have anti-hate speech policies. These aren't criminal issues, which would be ridiculous in addition to unconstitutional. But the same courts have determined that a business, for example, has a right to be the type of business it wishes. The aforementioned businesses profits hinge on having as wide of a market as possible. Any employee or representative of the business who hurts that image and that market can legally be subject to business imposed penalties.

It is almost a certainty that these policies are in writing and vetted by legal. And it is almost a certainty that every large or major company where all those on this site work also have written policies against hate speech and discrimination. Penalties can mean termination of employment, for example.

It is an effectively beautiful process in a democracy. It's essentially the same things we tell Perry and the other x-tian haters; have your say in your religious temple of choice and you are free as a bird to hate, hate hate as Taylor would say. Taking it into the public carries with it some consequences. And that is most excellent.

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

Perry,

The bigger question is why do you have so much hatred in your heart for those doing no wrong and harming no one. Why do you wish to tell a woman what she should do with her body? Why do you want to make and enforce rules about what a woman does with her own body? Why do you care what consenting adults do in their bedrooms - or the glass elevator on the outside of the Westin (ok, maybe that's a bit much, I will promise not to do that again)?

Why do you care what society eventually determines to be a legal marriage arrangement? If a man with many wives was ok in your cherished bible, why wouldn't a woman with many wives be just as acceptable? Aren't you being more than a bit hypocritical? And really, if polygamy is eventually legalized, why would you care?

Why do you continue to use loaded, pejorative, sinister sounding nouns and adjectives to describe what society views as either normal, personal and none of your business and for which the courts and legal system have decided is none of your business? You love using words like sodomy due to its biblical and judgmental authority you think it gives you. That is an old, antiquated, meaningless word.

Why do you have so much hatred? Live your life and keep to the laws and rules you wish to follow. If you believe that we heathens and cretans are going to die at the Big A or be punished by your mean-spirited, petty little god because of how we view our private parts then fine. Believe with your whole heart, soul, mind and spirit. But keep quiet about it.

34

Do you ever feel strangely drawn towards Conspiracy Theories?

by JW_Rogue in

after mentally awakening to the idea that jws don't have the truth i strangely found myself delving into all encompassing conspiracy theories.

not that i believed them but something about them seemed quite fascinating.

i was especially drawn to the idea of a new world order/one world government.

DJS

No.

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

Thanks VI. Dear god, Tom Delay is an atrocity. I can't believe this fool was the Fmr. US House Majority Leader. What is that, 2 spots from the Presidency?

Can he actually believe this shit, or is it just for the homies?

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

Perry suffers from what i'm going to call Angry Old Christian syndrome. It is similar to Angry Old White Male Syndrome, a recognized syndrome that includes old white men who are angry that the world isn't like it was when white man ruled everything and women, blacks and other minorities knew their places.

It isn't enough for angry old white men that the vast majority of CEOs, Congressman, Mayors, Ministers, etc. are white males. They are angry because anyone else has moved up and they can no longer be the superior force and assist in subjugating everyone below them.

Angry old Christians have the same issue. It isn't enough that they continue to be the dominant religion and influence society at a major level. No. They want it to remain as it has, when X-tianity ruled everything and was allowed to impose its views and rules onto everyone.

What Perry or any other theist wants to believe is A-OK with me. But when they try to impose their own brand of hate, their own religious views, and their own fucking opinion onto others, then, Houston, we have a problem. So Perry, please, by all means, continue to believe what you believe. I would prefer that you keep your hate filled views to yourself or share them within the domiciles of your religion. I used to say to share them without your own home, but that is child abuse.

AOWM and AOC have a lot in common. Both of them are T-Rexes walking. And that is most excellent.

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

LoveUnit: "But why do want to start a thread about this? The big problem with appealing to scripture, Perry, is that it cannot be established as the word of God."

Because Perry is full of hate; he has found someone who shares similar hate - Jah and his son. And even better, those 2 justify Perry's hate. Hating others makes Perry feel better about himself. Tearing others down builds Perry up. Denigrating them elevates him. He can claim the moral high ground, the superior position, the favored son. A lot of times x-tians, especially dubs and ex-dubs, continue to act this way, in spite of rational evidence, because they were never allowed, or able, to achieve anything.

They have a high school education and a ho-hum job with a ho-hum life. Psychologists call it leveling.

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

Perry (Rumpelstiltskin), for your viewing pleasure:

July 1, 2015: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has deemed state employees exempt from granting same-sex couples with marriage licenses if it violates their religious beliefs. Conservative lawmakers in Tennessee have started drafting legislation that would protect religious leaders from being forced to preside over same-sex marriages. Utah and Mississippi are considering doing away with state-issued marriage licenses, while county clerks in Kentucky and Alabama have already taken it upon themselves to stop granting licenses altogether.

While such pushback looks poised to provoke legal action, constitutional law expert Greg Magarian, a professor of law at Washington University, said that most of these state efforts are “the political equivalent of temper tantrums,” attention-getting yet extremely difficult to implement.

“You can stand in the corner and hold your breath until you’re blue in the face, but people in your state will still be signing up for Obamacare, only now you’ve given the authority over it to the federal government,” Magarian said. From a political perspective, he said, daring the federal government to takeover a long-held state responsibility like marriage would be “a strategically stupid move.”

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

DJS

coalize,

Thanks again. I do not understand why people care about others' sexual preferences. Most top flight researchers suggest that our sexuality is a moveable scale anyway, depending on lots of factors. When a non-theist makes statements about genetic links, it bothers me because it seems an attempt to justify being gay, which establishes a 'moral' link between the two. Being gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender or all of the above, for a while or forever, does not need ANY justification from ANYONE.

It's no one's business, especially Perry's.