A final non-sequitur thought.jerawolfeDecember 22 2009, 13:01:10 UTC
Vestigial organs are one of the greatest arguments for biological evolution. Why would any creator who created creatures that do not mutate and change include organs that serve no purpose? If your answer is “To build faith,” as in God is testing us, I will request you do not respond with such. I have a very low tolerance for such idiotic rationalization to deal with facts that don't fit in with a world view.
Regardless if biological evolution is the original genesis of mankind or not, society does evolve. And often laws and understandings of right and wrong, once enshrined as law, are never addressed and remain in practice long after the need for those rules have passed.
Let us take “Kosher” foods, for the Jewish community. They are not allowed to eat certain foods, the foods being considered unholy. Many of these foods, however, are also quick and dangerous carriers for food borne illnesses. With the advent of proper hygienic practices and refrigeration, this is much less a concern.
Yet the practices still go on. That is the problem with morality, or black and whites. If you set a standard that makes some actions or behaviors out to be 'a bad idea', one should also understand the reasons of why that is a bad idea. If you don't readily see them, I have no problem keeping them, perhaps you don't have all the information yet. But by all means, it is most likely unwise to enforce this baseless rule set upon others, and expect them to adhere to it.
~Jera
Note: I know I mentioned the Jews twice, and do not think me prejudiced against them. But I spent most of my life practicing an Abrahamic faith. The Jews proscriptions against certain foods may no longer be relevant, or as relevant, as it once was. But they were practicing both care in food preparation and basic hygiene long before the importance of either of these were understood and validated by science. I find this to be an admirable trait that shows they were a very wise people in this regard.
Re: A final non-sequitur thought.raccaldin36December 23 2009, 00:40:49 UTC
Responding just to this non-sequitur thought; I'm at work and I need to re-read your other responses before I say anything.
This is why I distinguish between truth and morality. The ritual of kosher is powerful, and it's not actually bad for Jews. It's an agent of community--these other people who follow the same rules for eating as I do. That makes it an actively good thing.
It only becomes bad when you stuff the practice down someone else's throat. When you take a personal (or communal truth) and make it moral (societally enforced).
There's nothing wrong, for instance, of taking a morning jog every day. And maybe a couple other people do it with you. Maybe you're all doing it because your phys. ed. teacher told you to when you were a kid, and that's the only reason you do it. There's no substantial difference, there, from religion or faith.
Regardless if biological evolution is the original genesis of mankind or not, society does evolve. And often laws and understandings of right and wrong, once enshrined as law, are never addressed and remain in practice long after the need for those rules have passed.
Let us take “Kosher” foods, for the Jewish community. They are not allowed to eat certain foods, the foods being considered unholy. Many of these foods, however, are also quick and dangerous carriers for food borne illnesses. With the advent of proper hygienic practices and refrigeration, this is much less a concern.
Yet the practices still go on. That is the problem with morality, or black and whites. If you set a standard that makes some actions or behaviors out to be 'a bad idea', one should also understand the reasons of why that is a bad idea. If you don't readily see them, I have no problem keeping them, perhaps you don't have all the information yet. But by all means, it is most likely unwise to enforce this baseless rule set upon others, and expect them to adhere to it.
~Jera
Note: I know I mentioned the Jews twice, and do not think me prejudiced against them. But I spent most of my life practicing an Abrahamic faith. The Jews proscriptions against certain foods may no longer be relevant, or as relevant, as it once was. But they were practicing both care in food preparation and basic hygiene long before the importance of either of these were understood and validated by science. I find this to be an admirable trait that shows they were a very wise people in this regard.
Reply
This is why I distinguish between truth and morality. The ritual of kosher is powerful, and it's not actually bad for Jews. It's an agent of community--these other people who follow the same rules for eating as I do. That makes it an actively good thing.
It only becomes bad when you stuff the practice down someone else's throat. When you take a personal (or communal truth) and make it moral (societally enforced).
There's nothing wrong, for instance, of taking a morning jog every day. And maybe a couple other people do it with you. Maybe you're all doing it because your phys. ed. teacher told you to when you were a kid, and that's the only reason you do it. There's no substantial difference, there, from religion or faith.
Reply
Leave a comment