Atheism: the antithesis of cynicism

[_Chap]

What? Numbers 31:

31:14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
31:15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
31:17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
31:18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Sounds like a pretty clear instruction to me. Or do you mean that Moses was not acting as God's mouthpiece on this particular occasion?

Buffalo was arguing that God commanded slavery to Israel. He had only two possible translations that could have supported that. The other 8 of the most widely used showed different.

I was responding to this exchange:

Nevertheless, I did show where god told his servants to make sex slaves of young girls.

If this is your position, then you are claiming God made this a command. Your own words betray you. I showed that He did no such thing. You're wrong again.

You don't think that the instruction "But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves" does not amount to an instruction to take these girls as what we would nowadays call 'sex slaves'? Is it that you think they would not be slaves, or that they would not be called upon to provide sexual services for their masters?

Well, perhaps you are more optimistic about male human nature than I am. Ancient slavery was not an institution that set much bounds over what one might do to one's human female property.

[_Hoops]

wrong post

[_Chap]

wrong post

So, no reply to me on this thread. I can deal with that.

[_marg]

Can someone find me a/the scientific explanation for the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you help/serve people?

It is my belief “hatersinmyward” that the term “warm fuzzy feelings” is one that is encouraged by the LDS church ..and that members are encouraged and expect to have “warm fuzzy feelings” at times such as reading the Book of Mormon , praying and perhaps charity work…of which the church encourages such feelings and to talk about them in those terms.

I personally would not describe helping someone as giving me a “warm and fuzzy” feeling. I’m not sure what I would describe as eliciting such a feeling. If “warm and fuzzy” simply means feeling good and highly contented..then the examples I gave in a previous post would apply.


So I did a google search and came across this site http://www.ldsfamilyfun.com/fhe/fhelessons.htm at which there seems to be a heavy emphases on discussing “feelings” for LDS family home evening lesson plans. Here is a quote from a lesson given in

Lesson Plan: “Behold Thy Mother!”

“This school year we will be working on a Warm and Fuzzy Book of writing.” Mrs. Taft announced.
“When you hear the words warm and fuzzy, what do you think of?”
The class threw out their ideas; puppies, kittins, blankets, etc.
“Now, when you think of these warm and fuzzy things, how do they make you feel inside?”
“Happy, good, cheerful, loved,” the class responded.
“These warm and fuzzy feelings are what I want you to write about. Your first assignment is to write
about your earliest, warm and fuzzy memory,” Mrs. Taft said. “I’ll read the first line of my earliest,
warm and fuzzy memory that I wrote when I was your age as an example.” Mrs. Taft opened a worn
and yellowed booklet and began to read, “When I was just a toddler, I remember my dad picking me
up and gently rubbing my hand across his beard. It would tickle and make me laugh.”
Mindy loved to write. When she got home she hurried to the kitchen, where Mother was singing while
she peeled potatoes. Mindy loved the atmosphere that Mother’s singing brought to their home. Mother
could even get the children to stop fighting and burst into laughter when, in her exaggerated opera voice,
she would sing, “There is beauty all around, when there’s love at home.”
“How was your first day of school as a fifth grader?” asked Mother.
“It was great! This year, each of us gets to make a Warm and Fuzzy Book, filled with our own stories!”
“That sounds fun. When do you start?” Mother asked.
“Tonight. Our first assignment is ‘My First Warm and Fuzzy Memory.’”

On the exmormon board someone yesterday posted these links to a talk by Prof. Bloom on what makes people feel pleasure. I believe this relates to what I was wanting to get at.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/27/bloom.pleasure/

Paul Bloom:
In my book, I proposed that this essentialism not only influences our understanding of the world, it also shapes our experience of the world, including our pleasures. The enjoyment we get from something is powerfully influenced by what we think that thing really is. This is true for intellectual pleasures, such as the appreciation of paintings and stories, and it is true as well for pleasures that seem simpler and more animalistic, such as the satisfaction of hunger and lust.

(Another site with same talk)
http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_bloom_the_origins_of_pleasure.html

It is my belief that a reason why Mormons likely feel “warm and fuzzy” feelings (i'll asume they do) for example when reading the Book of Mormon, during prays, due to charity work…is because the individual has been conditioned from a young age to experience such feelings and even if they don’t feel anything they likely feel pressured or obliged to say they do.

So if you believe you are supposed to have such feelings at particular times, it may very well be that’s the reason you do, by being preconditioned to expect such feelings. I personally do not describe good feelings as “warm and fuzzy”. I’d describe drinking a glass of wine or two as eliciting warm fuzzy feelings. That’s why I don’t accept the assumption that everyone or even most people..experience a physical reaction of a “warm and fuzzy” feeling for helping someone.

[_Quasimodo]

So if you believe you are supposed to have such feelings at particular times, it may very well be that’s the reason you do, by being preconditioned to expect such feelings. I personally do not describe good feelings as “warm and fuzzy”. I’d describe drinking a glass of wine or two as eliciting warm fuzzy feelings. That’s why I don’t accept the assumption that everyone or even most people..experience a physical reaction of a “warm and fuzzy” feeling for helping someone.

I do, every time I go out of my way to help someone in need, expecting no reward. I think many (maybe most) feel this way as well. I'm agnostic and don't ascribe these feelings to any "other worldly" sources.

Humans have been social animals as long as they have existed. My own view is that the care for members of ones tribe, village, etc. has always been a deep instinct in humans. Any anthropologist would tell you this. Altruism has been an important element human survival since before the times of Neanderthals.

People who don't have concern for others are often called sociopaths.

[_Milesius]

The dark ages were caused by barbarian invasions, not Christianity

Redundant.

Not at all, which you would know, if you were not a noxious mediocrity with just enough of learning to misquote.

[_Milesius]

Some owned slaves and some gave up slavery based on their religious principles.

Which religious principles are those? They're certainly no where to be found in the Bible. The Bible is pro-slavery from beginning to end.

Galatians 3
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave[g] nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Have that read to you as many times as it takes.

Modern science arose in Christian Europe.

Buffalo isn't an intellectual, he just feigns being one on message boards.

The Greeks, using basic scientific principles, determined the shape of the earth long before the Christians were around, and while Hebrew prophets were certain through revelation that the earth resembled some sort of giant souvenir snow globe.

The knowledge acquired by some bright pre-Christian Greeks and others is irrelevant to the fact that I stated, which is that modern science arose in Christian Europe.

And after your humiliation regarding Deutero Isaiah, I wouldn't talk about faux intellectuals if I were you. Just saying.

You can add that delusion to your stockpile, Dunning-Kruger exemplar. You claimed:

That [i.e., Deutero Isaiah wasn't written by Isaiah], of course, is disputed.

Not by any serious scholar.

Which is manifestly false. The humiliation is entirely your own.

[_Milesius]

Do not pretend that you know what you are talking about because you do not.

Unable to form a coherent argument, again?

The pot reproaches the kettle.

[_Milesius]

You are like a pez dispenser of incurable stupidity/nonsense.

Your personal testimony is noted and just as quickly discarded.

Your inability to argue your way out of a paper bag is also noted.

Perhaps I should be more charitable with you, since you clearly lack the native intelligence to reflect on the limits of your seriously circumscribed intellect.

[_Milesius]

Milesius,

I used to be a Christian, but eventually stopped believing.

What is your most compelling argument which might persuade me to once again become a believer?

Okay, I suggest reading the Gospels, especially John. If you were once a Mormon, then you need to know that Mormonism is counterfeit Christianity. We can discuss further when you have finished.