On Sun, 27 Jul 2014 08:26:11 +0100, Stephen wrote:

>>> As you know it was also a metaphor. Churches, hospitals. Apples,
>>> oranges.
>>
>> Well, yeah, but it's an interesting question as a non-metaphor.
> 
> True. But that is how we are distracted.

It happens.  Squirrel! ;)

>> I've reached the point of being an atheist with the point of view that
>> "if there is a supernatural world, and a deity that judges you when you
>> die, then if that deity's judgment is based not on you being a good
>> person but based on how much you worshiped the deity without evidence -
>> well, fuck 'em."
>>
> How childish and trivial for a supernatural being to put worship of them
> self above everything else. (Gives you real confidence in the
> afterlife.)

Bingo. :)

>> I'd rather be a good person than waste my life worshiping something
>> just to have a shot at beating Pascal's Wager.
>>
> Yes, I'll live by my conscience and let others play with those who have
> nothing else to do but think about the number of angels that can dance
> on the head of a needle.

Yep.  As long as they're not affecting the lives of others around them in 
a negative way, I generally don't care.  The problem is that a lot of 
these nitwits *do* affect the lives of others around them in a negative 
way - like insisting that science classes "teach the controversy" of 
evolution vs. creationism - as if creationism is anything like science.

Or that anyone other than nitwits like Ken Ham think that creationism 
*is* a valid theory of how the world works, especially young earth 
creationism.

If they want to believe that, fine.  But when they're people who sit on 
the Texas Board of Education (which for reasons of scale ends up deciding 
what's in science textbooks across the United States), then I have a HUGE 
problem with them.

> On the other hand. The mythology opens up boundless opportunity for
> stories.

True, and mythology recognized as mythology is a pretty cool thing.  But 
I wouldn't dream of thinking that the Arthurian mythos are a basis for 
defining a morality.  They're pretty good, especially when retold by 
Monty Python (just came back from watching that in the cinema, in 
fact). :)

> Have you read any of Charles Stross's Laundry series?

I haven't, but I think I might have to. :)

> Where his protagonist is not the BOFH but the Sysop fighting the forces
> from Hell. Quite funny and the Tech bits don't jar.

*Definitely* have to check it out. :)

>>> Bitter! Moi?
>>
>> Nah, I'm not seeing you being bitter *at all* about it. ;)
>>
>>
> But I am Jim. I am.

You are?  It's not really coming through. ;)

Jim



-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

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