Freethought & Rationalism Archive

RobertE · 07-22-2002, 11:56 AM

Was cruising through the radio wasteland of central Illinois yesterday and caught this little gem of wisdom on a religious radio broadcast. Some nutbag quoted a study done by a "secular social service agency" that showed infants and toddlers are not born with good behavioural skills (DUH!) as "proof of man's fall from god's grace". Seems the reason my three year old misbehaves and generally acts like a little savage is all because of original sin. All was apparently perfect in the garden of eden and before temptation, man had no concept of rebellion, evil, and criminality. If only Adam hadn't eaten that apple, maybe my toddler wouldn't throw a fit when it's time for bed.

Sheez. What else do the uber religious attribute to the myth of Adam and Eve? Hemorrhoids?

Toto · 07-22-2002, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RobertE:
...What else do the uber religious attribute to the myth of Adam and Eve? Hemorrhoids?

Women's monthly periods ("the curse") go back to the Fall. But hemorrhoids were a separate punishment from YHWH for misbehavior (see 1 Sam. 5:8-9 tumors = hemorroids.)

07-22-2002, 12:27 PM

Wordsworth's Ode on The Intimations of Immortality has it otherwise. We start off good and get corrupted. I don't really buy this either.

Quote:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But he beholds the light, and whence it flows,
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature's Priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.

I do prefer this, however, to the original sin version.

RobertE · 07-23-2002, 05:07 AM

Forgot about the menstruating thing. Funny, but all female mammals menstruate. I suppose man was pretty naughty to go picking at the tree of life, but why did the big Kahuna feel it necessary to curse every mammal as well?

Oooo. There's one to ask the creationist nutbags.

DRFseven · 07-23-2002, 06:00 AM

Quote:

I suppose man was pretty naughty to go picking at the tree of life, but why did the big Kahuna feel it necessary to curse every mammal as well?

Well, they do have sex outside marriage. And some are sexually promiscuous.

brighid · 07-23-2002, 06:10 AM

Well, I have had the terrible experience of having to be in the same room with some people�s children. Original sin has nothing to do with it � It�s called POOR parenting!

DRF - And there are homosexual ones too

!

B

babelfish · 07-23-2002, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RobertE:
...

Sheez. What else do the uber religious attribute to the myth of Adam and Eve? Hemorrhoids?

Well, apparently, A & E were directly responsible for a little thing called "death." It's all their fault not only that we humans all die, but apparently also that lions on the savannah hunt gazelles and wolves bring down elk on the tundra and disease-causing microbes enter our bodies and parasites live on and in us.

All because those two idiots couldn't keep their teeth off the forbidden fruit. I am so mad at them!

PopeInTheWoods · 07-23-2002, 06:25 AM

Savage Toddlers, sounds like a great name for a rock band....

Dark Jedi · 07-23-2002, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PopeInTheWoods:
Savage Toddlers, sounds like a great name for a rock band....

you forgot the <Dave Barry> tags...

Oresta · 07-23-2002, 08:21 AM

Quote:

DMB: Wordsworth's Ode on The Intimations of Immortality has it otherwise. We start off good and get corrupted. I don't really buy this either.

Rousseau and even cynical Mark Twain (as in Huckleberry Finn) believed in the born-basically-good model. While all this makes for good literature, I'm with you on this, DMB. We are born with inclinations and potentials (nature) and learn to be good or bad (nurture). But, hell, you already knew that.

07-22-2002, 11:56 AM	#1
RobertE Regular Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: St. Louis Posts: 116	Savage toddlers... Was cruising through the radio wasteland of central Illinois yesterday and caught this little gem of wisdom on a religious radio broadcast. Some nutbag quoted a study done by a "secular social service agency" that showed infants and toddlers are not born with good behavioural skills (DUH!) as "proof of man's fall from god's grace". Seems the reason my three year old misbehaves and generally acts like a little savage is all because of original sin. All was apparently perfect in the garden of eden and before temptation, man had no concept of rebellion, evil, and criminality. If only Adam hadn't eaten that apple, maybe my toddler wouldn't throw a fit when it's time for bed. Sheez. What else do the uber religious attribute to the myth of Adam and Eve? Hemorrhoids?

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07-23-2002, 05:07 AM	#4
RobertE Regular Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: St. Louis Posts: 116	Forgot about the menstruating thing. Funny, but all female mammals menstruate. I suppose man was pretty naughty to go picking at the tree of life, but why did the big Kahuna feel it necessary to curse every mammal as well? Oooo. There's one to ask the creationist nutbags.

07-23-2002, 06:10 AM	#6
brighid Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: somewhere in the known Universe Posts: 6,993	Well, I have had the terrible experience of having to be in the same room with some people�s children. Original sin has nothing to do with it � It�s called POOR parenting! DRF - And there are homosexual ones too ! B

07-23-2002, 06:25 AM	#8
PopeInTheWoods Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Rochester NY USA Posts: 4,318	Savage Toddlers, sounds like a great name for a rock band....

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