The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

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tiltbillings
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The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by tiltbillings »

You can read the story,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =102005062" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
but listening to it adds to its impact
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/med ... =102322562" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
Mawkish1983
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Mawkish1983 »

Having a big family is 'stupid'?
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puthujjana
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by puthujjana »

"They speak about, 'If everyone starts having eight children or 12 children, imagine in three generations what we'll be able to do,' " Joyce says. " 'We'll be able to take over both halls of Congress, we'll be able to reclaim sinful cities like San Francisco for the faithful, and we'll be able to wage very effective massive boycotts against companies that are going against God's will.' "
<irony> :clap: </irony>


:arrow: "Every Sperm is Sacred": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUspLVStPbk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Once you understand anatta, then the burden of life is gone. You’ll be at peace with the world. When we see beyond self, we no longer cling to happiness and we can truly be happy."
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genkaku
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by genkaku »

Did you ever notice -- or am I just imagining? -- that as soon as anyone brings a 'meaning' to things, the trouble begins?
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Rui Sousa
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Rui Sousa »

Mawkish1983 wrote:Having a big family is 'stupid'?
The article is not just about big families, it is mainly about why those families are big.
With Metta
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Rui Sousa
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Rui Sousa »

puthujjana wrote: "Every Sperm is Sacred": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUspLVStPbk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:rofl: :twothumbsup:

The Meaning of Life's script
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Rui Sousa
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Rui Sousa »

I couldn't resist and quote Monty Pythons end of the "Every Sperm is Sacred" sketch:
DAD:
I can't keep you all here any longer! God has blessed us so much, I can't afford to feed you anymore.
NIGEL:
Couldn't you have your b**** cut off?
DAD:
Hohh, it's not as simple as that, Nigel. God knows all! He'd see through such a cheap trick. What we do to ourselves, we do to Him.
GIRL:
You could have had them pulled off in an accident.
CHILDREN:
[talking]
DAD:
No. No, children. I know you're trying to help, but, believe me,...
CHILDREN:
Ohh...
DAD:
...me mind's made up. I've given this long and careful thought, and it has to be medical experiments for the lot of you.
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Bhikkhu Pesala
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

Visākhā

Visākhā had ten sons and ten daughters, each of whom had a similar number of children, and so on down to the fourth generation. Before her death, at the age of one hundred and twenty, she had eighty four thousand and twenty direct lineal descendants, all living.
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Ceisiwr
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Ceisiwr »

The womb is such a powerful weapon; it's a weapon against the enemy," Campbell says.
ROFL :rofl: :rofl: :jumping:
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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Dan74
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Dan74 »

Check out how 10% of population of China has surnames Wang or Chen! Now they are not necessarily from the same two families, but there had to be an explosion there somewhere. While the majority of the surnames have died out!
_/|\_
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Mawkish1983 »

Rui Sousa wrote:
Mawkish1983 wrote:Having a big family is 'stupid'?
The article is not just about big families, it is mainly about why those families are big.
I'm sorry, I don't really get it. I think you think the family's intentions are misplaced... but it's what they believe and I don't think they're necessarily harming anyone. I'm sure there are examples where Christians think our intentions are misplaced (like vegetarianism, for example, whilst not 'required' it's practiced widely).

Just my opinion... but I don't get it :s... why are they 'stupid'?
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Ceisiwr
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Ceisiwr »

Hi Mawkish


Nothing wrong with wanting a big family and if there religous belief is that they should then no one should tell them different, as long as they are going to be responsible in caring for so many kids


I think there "stupid" because some of them seem to be using their family size to wage some kind of battle

"We look across the Islamic world and we see that they are outnumbering us in their family size, and they are in many places and many countries taking over those nations, without a jihad, just by multiplication," Campbell says.
And
The womb is such a powerful weapon; it's a weapon against the enemy," Campbell says

So its silly in a sense that some are letting their religous fever and paranoia lead them to think that by having a big family they can somehow lead the world (or at least USA)

Metta
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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Fede
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Fede »

Nowhere, is Christian religious zeal and fanaticism practised in such an overt way, than in America.
I apologise to my good american friends, I mean no offense to them, but some American Christian attitudes are not only laughable, but they defy belief....!
I occasionally view the American Christian Channels on Sky, and it would be hilarious if it didn't actually sound so dangerous.
Fanatical doesn't cover it...
"Samsara: The human condition's heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment." Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Eat, Pray, Love'.

Simplify: 17 into 1 WILL go: Mindfulness!

Quieta movere magna merces videbatur. (Sallust, c.86-c.35 BC)
Translation: Just to stir things up seemed a good reward in itself. ;)

I am sooooo happy - How on earth could I be otherwise?! :D


http://www.armchairadvice.co.uk/relationships/forum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Rui Sousa
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Rui Sousa »

clw_uk wrote:(..)I think there "stupid" because some of them seem to be using their family size to wage some kind of battle(..)
Thank you clw_uk, that is exactly my point.

Instead of having children our of compassion, for example to give a big number of beings the opportunity to be raised in a loving and caring family, which I would be fine with, they are posing their children as little soldiers in a war against the infidel.

Monty Python sketch is satirizing having a bunch of children because "god wants to" and then failing to provide proper feeding, but all is ok because that is God's will. Personally I don't think there is anything wrong with having a huge family, as long as the mother can conceive without health risks and there hte ability to provide care for the children, but comparing the womb to a weapon seems to me as something as nonsense as Monty Python can be.
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Mawkish1983
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Re: The never-ending capacity of religion making people stupid

Post by Mawkish1983 »

All good points, but what about 'Religion making people stupid'? Do you REALLY think that's the case? :s

Correlation is not causation.
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