What's on your mind today?

[Icarus]

I read some more of the Morman book today. It is composed largely of batshit crazy stuff. OG is correct that one must be clinically insane to believe that the text is an actual account of the miraculous works of JC.

The followers of that faith may be way out in theological left field but they do know how to make money. Lots of money. The church owns vast areas of Florida, used mostly as ranch land. Sometime in the past they owned controlling interest in United Airlines. They were smart enough to bail out before United began to lose money. The church owns many other substantial properties and business entities. I did not read that in the book.

OK I am through with the whole affair. No more reading that book. The next time a pair of the mission boys (they always travel in pairs) rings my doorbell, I will be inclined to rip 'em a new one, because I know what's in their book. The missionaries are not always 19 year old boys. About two years ago I was working outdoors and a pair of young women, on bicycles, showed up in my driveway. They were LDS missionaries, prim and proper. 

[jumbojak]

The bicycles always creep me out. Not sure why...

[Davin]

I read some more of the Morman book today. It is composed largely of batshit crazy stuff.

It's not batshit crazy stuff, it's actually a fuckload less crazy than the bible. I think that it's made up bullshit, but to say that it's batshit crazy is very wrong. It looks like the Book of Mormon was written with specific intent, to get people to trust in the Mormon church and to not doubt or question.

Take the first four sons of Lehi: Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi, which are pretty much the main focus of first bit of the book. They are used as examples, the older two sons are bad and disobedient, the younger two are good and obedient. The examples are numerous, but the intent seems very clear, Joseph Smith wanted obedient followers, so he filled the book with all sorts of examples of it being bad to question and to lack faith, and examples of it being good to blindly follow along.

OG is correct that one must be clinically insane to believe that the text is an actual account of the miraculous works of JC.

While I am a fan of using hyperbole myself, you have to be clinically insane to go around saying that people that peacefully contribute to society and are not a danger themselves or others, are clinically insane.

The sad and scary reality is that people that believe in religious texts are not insane. I know that it's very scary to some people to understand that they too are susceptible to the same thinking problems as people that have found and hold on to religious beliefs. But we are all subject to same thinking errors as these religious people. That's why we humans have defined fallacies, we wouldn't need fallacies for the rest of us if only insane people fell for these logical illusions.

Further, I'd say that writing religious folk off as crazy, misses the reality and serves no purpose other than to bolster ones ego and to further strengthen the Us vs. Them chasm.

[Icarus]

Your points are taken, Davin.  I admit to having violated the rules of political correctness.

Mormans, Christians, and Muslims do have a capacity for suspension of disbelief that is apparently a immovably permanent part of their psyche. Others of us can read a novel or see a movie and practice suspension of disbelief for entertainment purposes. Normally, we do not   believe that Spiderman or James Bond actually exist.

"The chains men bear they forged themselves. Strike off the chains and they will weep for their lost security" : James Passmore,
Australian philosopher


"When one person suffers from delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion". Robert M. Persig, Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

"There is so much in the bible against which every instinct of my being rebels, so much so that I regret the necessity which has compelled me to read through it from beginning to end. I do not think that the knowledge I have gained of its history and sources
compensates me for the unpleasant details it has forced upon my attention" Helen Keller

"He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; he that dares not reason is a slave." William Drummond

"Religion is comparable to a childhood neurosis".Sigmund Freud

And one more thing....."Never eat yellow snow." Anonymous

[Davin]

Your points are taken, Davin.  I admit to having violated the rules of political correctness.

I don't give a fuck about political correctness.

Mormans, Christians, and Muslims do have a capacity for suspension of disbelief that is apparently a immovably permanent part of their psyche. Others of us can read a novel or see a movie and practice suspension of disbelief for entertainment purposes. Normally, we do not   believe that Spiderman or James Bond actually exist.

It's not just religious folk, it's all of us. Their brains and our brains work the same way. It's like we're the same species of animal. You're trying to create a difference between them and us that doesn't exist. Yes, religion is a delusion, but so is thinking that religious people are significantly different than the non-religious in any way other than what they believe.

The problem is not a suspension of disbelief, and it's not that theists are significantly different than us who are atheists. The problem is the same problem we must all face, that we have to understand logical fallacies, not just their names, but why they are fallacies. Blaming things that are not the actual problems, helps no one.

Have you ever admitted that you were wrong? If you do not, in earnest, admit that you make mistakes, then you are in the same box that you are prone to put religious people into.

[Buddy]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

[OldGit]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

Perhaps he's a Mormon.

[Tom62]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

Perhaps he's a Mormon.

or a Moron 

[xSilverPhinx]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

Perhaps he's a Mormon.

or a Moron 

Or both.

[Tank]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

What a twat!!!!

[Crow]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

I was going to say first year means nothing as long as you can pass the year the next years are where it actually counts. But then I remembered the US has a totally different structure and I have no idea how it works and most likely very bad advice.

[Siz]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

Perhaps a clue as to why vacations are taken during vacations...?!

[xSilverPhinx]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

So...what did you say to him?

[xSilverPhinx]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

What a twat!!!!

Out of curiosity, what's worse, a 'twit' or a 'twat'? 

[Buddy]

My speech professor literally tried to tell me to cancel my trip because we have a tiny speech to do on the 24th. Wat.

Perhaps a clue as to why vacations are taken during vacations...?!

Our thanksgiving break is next week too plus I don't have class on Mondays so I'm only missing one day. This speech is only 5% of our overall grade so I think I'll choose my vacation over that.

So...what did you say to him?

I didn't say anything. She already doesn't like me because disability support wouldn't let her fail me due a missed speech caused by a bad medication reaction. She is going to let me video tape it and email it to her for 75% credit so whatever.