Dakryn's Batshit Theory of the Week

[damnromulans]

I'm more than aware that there has been some manhandling by the church going on for some time now, but my response to Prismatic Sphere was mostly just reactionary, as in "Why go so out of your way to be (unsuccessfully) controversial and edgy at Christmastime when you could just enjoy either time off work or holiday pay?"

And look at the pagans now. A bunch of fat druids dancing around Stonehenge, they've become.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Co-opting ancient and thoroughly pagan practices was the modus operandi of the Catholic church, to solidify control with minimal resistance.

Agreed, except there was a lot of resistance.

 

[Dak]

Agreed, except there was a lot of resistance.

Well initially it was minimal, within Rome. It met heavy resistance upon expanding past the collapse of Rome and into formerly uncontrolled areas.

 

[Cythraul]

The claim that Christians stole the holidays Christmas and Easter from pagans is an example of either sloppy writing or sloppy thinking. Early Christians appropriated certain traditions and symbols into quite different holidays, which hardly amounts to theft of a holiday. Why does anybody care about this anyway?

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

It represents the danger of Christianity (or rather, people claiming to be Christian, I suppose), due to the fact that most of the syncretism was done via force/persecution using ill-gotten power.

 

[Cythraul]

It represents the danger of Christianity (or rather, people claiming to be Christian, I suppose), due to the fact that most of the syncretism was done via force/persecution using ill-gotten power.

Or it represents the danger of any human institution that seeks to become hegemonic. I don't see how it tells against Christianity in particular.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Because Christianity perpetrated the things I said.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

Dude, just give it up, you're done

 

[Einherjar86]

I dunno man, coming first at something usually means you have claim to it.

No, I believe it doesn't mean that at all, especially with something as superfluous as a holiday. If we are objective, impartial observers we have to conclude that since religion is something internal to human consciousness, and thus has no abstract pristine essence, then there is no original or "correct" religion; and if holidays come from religion, then there can be no logical argument that proves a certain culture is entitled to one holiday. People can simply change religions and celebrate said holiday, if they choose. This undermines the entire idea of religion being something independently true.

 

[Cythraul]

Because Christianity perpetrated the things I said.

I understand that. My point was merely that it's not a mark against Christianity (or even religion in general) that doesn't also apply to a number of other human institutions (ones which we very well may find highly valuable overall). I'm saying this because a lot of times people point this stuff out about Christianity, or religion in general, to somehow show that it's in some way uniquely evil. But it's not as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Einherjar86]

^Agreed.

 

[Dak]

The claim that Christians stole the holidays Christmas and Easter from pagans is an example of either sloppy writing or sloppy thinking. Early Christians appropriated certain traditions and symbols into quite different holidays, which hardly amounts to theft of a holiday. Why does anybody care about this anyway?

I care because of my "religious" beliefs. V5 cares for obviously different reasons, and I agree with your rebuttal to those.

I prefer "co-opted" to stolen, it wasn't stolen since people can still celebrate Winter Solstice and Ishtar/Asherah without throwing on a Jesus topping. Jesus + paganism = paganism, which is one of the reasons I went round and round with V5 about how I can claim to not be a Christian despite believing in "Christ".

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

What does your equation mean?

 

[Einherjar86]

Sorry to venture off-topic, but this is an interesting article:

http://www.thepointmag.com/archive/why-conservatives-should-read-marx/

It's from a journal that was started by three doctoral students at UChicago (so don't be startled by the Leftist bias).

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

relevant

 

[Badbird]

It doesn't matter unless the salary cap is government imposed. Whatever rules the league agrees on are fine.

Which the Salary Cap is not goverment imposed. It has a idea similar to Keynes

 

[Einherjar86]

relevant

All of that is true, but has nothing to do with the legitimacy of religion or of a holiday.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

sigh

 

[Einherjar86]

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

pretty good album