[OT] Benefit and belief [was Re: Suggested coding style]

[Devin Jeanpierre]

> Forget money, or even the love of money. The idea that one mustn't
> criticise another person's beliefs is the root of all evil.

This was a technical discussion, and calling the bible a joke was not
necessary at all. It creates a hostile atmosphere.

Can't you pick somewhere else to attack Christianity?

Devin

On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 9:14 PM, Steven D'Aprano
<steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info> wrote:
> DevPlayer wrote:
>
>> On Sep 27, 10:25 pm, alex23 <wuwe... at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> And like the Bible, the Zen was created by humans as a joke. If you're
>>> taking it too seriously, that's your problem.
> [...]
>> Calling the Bible a joke is used to hurt people, not enlighten them.
>> Those words show bitter arrogance, not constructive critism as it
>> ignores how others feel about that book. What benefit to others is
>> gained by calling someones belief a joke?
>
> It is the same benefit as the little boy who pointed out that the Emperor
> was not wearing any clothes. (In real life, the story was called "The
> Little Boy Who Said The Emperor Wasn't Wearing Any Clothes, and Got
> Arrested and Thrown in Prison Together With His Parents for Insulting The
> Emperor".)
>
>
>> To put the "believers" minds
>> straight? I think not. I think the unsensitive person who attackes
>> others beliefs, even if illogical or unrealistic, is after some kind
>> of self grandizement or to illude themself into thinking "they know
>> the truth of the universe" and should attack others to prove they do.
>
> There is a difference between attacking ideas and attacking people.
>
> "The Bible is a joke" attacks the idea.
>
> "Insensitive people after self-aggrandisement deluding themselves" attacks
> the person.
>
> We live in a world where religion is privileged, where governments pander to
> the most sick and twisted, hateful, bigoted beliefs because of religion,
> where organised conspiracies to support and protect child molesters and
> sexual predators are nevertheless looked up to as sources of morality.
>
> There are some ideas that are simply incompatible with civilization, and the
> idea that religious beliefs should be beyond criticism is one of them.
> Forget money, or even the love of money. The idea that one mustn't
> criticise another person's beliefs is the root of all evil.
>
>
>
> --
> Steven
>
> --
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
>