Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Panta Pei · 02-25-2002, 09:54 PM

There's that pesky fixation with 'closed systems' emerging from Amos(tm) again

hinduwoman · 02-27-2002, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RyanS2:
Very interesting. I wonder though, for people who are just accident prone, are they considered to be constantly punished by the gods?

Well not unless they have sworn the oath.
But if you are in a serious injury every week then it would be concluded you have done some really bad things in previous life. then you should hold sacrifices and do lots of good deeds to avert calamity both in this life and next.

hinduwoman · 02-27-2002, 04:21 PM

However joking apart, I would really like to hear some ideas on this.
All I can think of is atheism is like a waterdiving, and give professional immunity from wrath of gods. that is how the verse reads in context. But it is pretty bizzaire.

theophilus · 03-19-2002, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hinduwoman:
In classical India there were ordeals to establish a person's guilt, if normal methods fail. One of them is the ordeal by oath:
" the accused would swear by the gods that he is innocent. If within three weeks of his swearing the oath, no calamity befalls him then he is to be judged innocent. If calamity does fall on him, then he is guilty.
But this oath is not to be administered to an atheist. In the case of an atheist such an ordeal is invalid."

does this mean gods cannot punish atheists?

Interestingly, the water ordeal (the accused has to hold his breath for a certain period of time) cannot be given to professional divers or fishermen, and the fireordesl cannot be applied in the case of firewalkers and conjuerers.

so is this recognition that atheists by virtue of their disbelief are immune from god?

No, just evidence of a false beliefe system.

Eudaimonist · 03-19-2002, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by theophilus:
No, just evidence of a false beliefe system.

Yeah, atheism is better.

Godless Dave · 03-20-2002, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Orpheous99:


In anicent Rome men would swear an oath by holding their testes as in saying that if I'm lying that you can cut them off. This is where they get the term testify from.

If we still had this punishment for perjury, I think Bill Clinton would have thought twice before lying under oath! Nothing like going after a man where it counts.

I'm trained as a linguist so I'm always wary of "folk etymology". I had heard this explanation for the origin of "testify" before but I would need to consult a really good Latin or English dictionary before I accept it.

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02-25-2002, 09:54 PM	#21
Panta Pei Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: in the middle of things Posts: 722	There's that pesky fixation with 'closed systems' emerging from Amos(tm) again

02-27-2002, 04:21 PM	#23
hinduwoman Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: India Posts: 6,977	However joking apart, I would really like to hear some ideas on this. All I can think of is atheism is like a waterdiving, and give professional immunity from wrath of gods. that is how the verse reads in context. But it is pretty bizzaire.

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