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 Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:59 pm
So I went to church this last Sunday because my family still wants me to go, and I was listening to the homily. Yes, that's right. I was listening. If I can't choose where I am, I'll take that opportunity and squeeze all the meaning I can from it.
Anyway. So in this homily, the priest mentions something about how only humans have memories that they use to govern their actions aside from instinct, or collect things like books in libraries and sculptures in museums. Then he goes on to say that this is why we are very special in "God's" eyes. More important than animals, even.
That was when I almost screamed in fury. First of all, his logic was faulty - we know elephants have memories, and even birds can collect things with a purpose! Secondly, I am extremely adverse to the idea of human superiority. Just because we can recognize our own speech and brand of intelligence doesn't mean we are better than apes or the most annoying housefly.
Who's had to deal with someone like that? Didn't you just want to smash them?
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 2:10 pm
I have to attend church too (reluctantly).
To be on topic, I never had any pastor or sunday school teacher telling me much about animals and how humans are superior to them.
BUT ...
These things have made me mad:
1.) Everyone is a sinner, sins are punished by death unless you ask Christ for forgiveness then you'll live eternally with him.
2.) Homosexuality is a sin.
3.) Those that accept Christ are guaranteed a spot in Heaven.
4.) Their way is THE RIGHT WAY! (GRR!)
5.) WE MUST READ THE BIBLE AND FEED ON ITS WORDS!
6.) WE MUST GO TO CHURCH AND WORSHIP THE LORD BECAUSE HE THE CREATOR!
there's probably more ...
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 2:20 pm
tearingXheavenXdown So I went to church this last Sunday because my family still wants me to go, and I was listening to the homily. Yes, that's right. I was listening. If I can't choose where I am, I'll take that opportunity and squeeze all the meaning I can from it. Anyway. So in this homily, the priest mentions something about how only humans have memories that they use to govern their actions aside from instinct, or collect things like books in libraries and sculptures in museums. Then he goes on to say that this is why we are very special in "God's" eyes. More important than animals, even. That was when I almost screamed in fury. First of all, his logic was faulty - we know elephants have memories, and even birds can collect things with a purpose! Secondly, I am extremely adverse to the idea of human superiority. Just because we can recognize our own speech and brand of intelligence doesn't mean we are better than apes or the most annoying housefly. Who's had to deal with someone like that? Didn't you just want to smash them? Yeah, his argument makes the implicit assumption that intelligence necessarily trumps all other traits, which coincidentally just so happens to be our specialty field of expertise! How convenient! Make a human try and run faster than a cheetah however, and he fights a losing battle. Interesting that he left that little detail out... This is typical of Christian preachers. What I find ironic though is how much they tell us that we're so special and significant that the universe was created just for us, yet at the same time apparently we're so horrible and sinful that the only thing we deserve is infinite punishment. Really? What kind of brilliant deity would create an entire universe just for beings that he finds absolutely despicable--enough so that they should suffer for all eternity? We're the most special beings ever, but at the same time we're still nothing but scumbags and dirt.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:55 pm
This is probably why I would require physical restraint in a church, to keep from caving in the preist's skull with the candleholder, or lighting the church on fire.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:57 pm
im so glad ive never been to a church
if i heard something like that...
lets just say, it would not be pretty
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:12 pm
In 9th grade, we were required to take a career class. The teacher was an outside contractor with the school, and the guy pissed me off to no end. First of all, he constantly told us that our parents lied to us when they say we could do anything we wanted. He told us some stupid story about how dogs can't fly and birds can't dig or something-The point was that you can't do what you weren't made to do. He seemed to believe that we were each designed for a specific career.
And yes, he brought up the "superiority" of humans over other animals. I think that's bullshit, just because how exactly do you judge one's superiority? But he insisted that no other animals feel love or have morality or believe in God. It's been shown that pidgeons are superstitious, and dogs clearly show love not only to their own, but also to humans. Of course, he said that that was only because I give them food. But I say that's the case with ALL love. You only love things that can do something for you. I've never heard of someone loving someone who only ever hurt them.
I was constantly arguing with that guy in that class. It sounded to me like he had just failed too many times in his life and figured that something must be wrong with his design.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:27 pm
Thankfuly, pastors down here are not THAT cocky.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:09 pm
tearingXheavenXdown So I went to church this last Sunday because my family still wants me to go, and I was listening to the homily. Yes, that's right. I was listening. If I can't choose where I am, I'll take that opportunity and squeeze all the meaning I can from it. Anyway. So in this homily, the priest mentions something about how only humans have memories that they use to govern their actions aside from instinct, or collect things like books in libraries and sculptures in museums. Then he goes on to say that this is why we are very special in "God's" eyes. More important than animals, even. That was when I almost screamed in fury. First of all, his logic was faulty - we know elephants have memories, and even birds can collect things with a purpose! Secondly, I am extremely adverse to the idea of human superiority. Just because we can recognize our own speech and brand of intelligence doesn't mean we are better than apes or the most annoying housefly. Who's had to deal with someone like that? Didn't you just want to smash them? Most animals would kill us hand-to-hand XD When my parents made me talk "CCD" or w/e they said that and i stood up and began arguing with the instructer XD
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:30 pm
Pretty much all phenomena that are classified as "human specific" can be seen in the animal kingdom. Maybe not to the degree that it is present in humans, but at least in its rudiments, and it would be pretty easy to see how evolution could lead to us.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:47 pm
Interesting point. He does seem pretty annoying... Good thing I gave up Church D:
Although... I have to confess... I've killed my fair share of houseflies.
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Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:55 am
alteregoivy Pretty much all phenomena that are classified as "human specific" can be seen in the animal kingdom. Maybe not to the degree that it is present in humans, but at least in its rudiments, and it would be pretty easy to see how evolution could lead to us. Exactly. heart
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Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:39 am
Ugh I hate when they make humans seem superior. Just the other day my friend was arguing with her mother that humans are animals too and her mother kept saying that humans aren't animals because they are more "civilized" than animals.. (Civilized? Humans in most cases that I've witnessed are much more brutish than any animal I've seen...) Then her sister came in saying humans can't be animals because they are smarter. (How exactly do we know that for sure? If apes and dolphins could do the things humans could they'd definitely have a lot of people out of business...) stressed Seriously I wanted to explode on these people..
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Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:40 pm
To quote the late and great Douglas Adams:
"It is an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much -- the wheel, New York, wars and so on -- whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man -- for precisely the same reasons."
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:07 pm
Why don't you suggest that he brings the whole church group on a trip to a zoo and pull a prank on him and leave him in a tiger/lion/jaguar's cage and see if he's still so high and almighty... twisted
He'll probably end up shitting his pants.
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