Posts by DJS

68

Please vaccinate your children

by Viviane in

and remember your boosters as adults!.

currently there is a measles outbreak in the u.s. the outbreak is clustered into communities where parents choose not to get their children vaccinated.

vaccination works primarily on herd immunity.

DJS

Thanks enigma, that was worth resurrecting this thread. Why does it seem that so many ex-Dubs are drawn to conspiracy theories and issues such as the anti-vaxxers (rhetorical question)? As Simon noted 5 months ago, those who have discovered, developed, evaluated and researched vaccines have decades of experience in the field, advanced degrees in the field of study and want the same thing we all want. They arent' sinister people who are trying to harm others.

OTOH, the anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists are typically individuals with a high school education and no specific knowledge or experience in the areas they criticize. And their mothers' internet accounts.

17

Captive virgins, polygamy and sex slaves: What marriage would look like if we actually followed the Bible

by Captain Schmideo2 in

jw
friends

a friend linked this on his facebook page, sharing:http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/captive-virgins-polygamy-and-sex-slaves-what-marriage-would-look-like-if-we-actually-followed-the-bible/one quote that stood out for me:"granted, sometimes even decent people do get sucked into a sort of text worship that i call bibliolatry, and bible worship can make a persons moral priorities as archaic and cruel as those of the iron age tribesmen who wrote the texts.

(i once listened, horrified, while a sweet, elderly pair of jehovahs witnesses rationalized the old testament slaughter of children with the same words nazis used to justify the slaughter of jewish babies.

)"

DJS

But many who call themselves Bible believers are simply, congenitally conservative – meaning change-resistant. What really concerns them is protecting the status quo, an ancient hierarchy with privileged majority-culture straight males at the top, which they justify by invoking ancient texts.

JK, I could have written that. Actually I did (not that one but one just like it). Thanks.

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

GreatTeacher,

Well stated. However, with most things it isn't really necessary to make up our minds quickly. Things are complicated, and the more we study and research the better we understand. The 'evidence' is always going to be the best empirical data available at the moment. Once that changes based on more and better studies and understanding, intelligent people with rational personalities are much more likely to shed the old and embrace the new.

Religious people and those inclined to make decisions based on feelings and emotions, OTOH, have their tiny little furry feet deeply and firmly stuck in concrete. Regardless of any new evidence, they aren't changing.

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,

A few years ago I taught an ethics class at one of our local colleges. One of the tools I used to get the students to think was the 5 step ladder I have mentioned on this site. If the lurkers and posters would change from making decisions based on feelings, what they think, what little experience or anecdotal data and the one dimensional, confirmationally biased 'knowledge' they have obtained and strive to acquire a 360 knowledge and understanding of the world we live in and REQUIRE evidence before committing or making decisions, they would improve their lives.

Too many close their minds once they develop strong feelings about an issue, and they won't let the facts or the evidence change their minds. The only things they consider confirm their biases. Take Perry, for example. He routinely goes out and finds what he thinks is evidence to support his hate filled, right wing, jesus loving views. It is extremely unlikely that he ever researches counter augments. The problems with that are obvious, not to mention that he is preaching to people who have already considered his arguments and that data, and we have rejected it.

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?