Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 40 Local time: 3:46 AM Location: Texas
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 5:33 pm Post subject:
Something I have always felt was quite wise. _________________ "If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats." Richard Bach
Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 2066 Local time: 4:46 PM Location: In space, with a traffic cone
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 9:00 am Post subject:
Quote:
The snake was milked and it's mouth sewn shut. Does this change any minds?
Nope. I would consider sewing an animal's mouth shut and teasing it to be cruelty. Are they so devoid of anything interesting in their lives that they have to resort to this? I am sure they sincerely believe it will bring the child good luck, but they are sincerely wrong. It's just another silly superstition, but trying to explain that to them would have less results than expounding on general relativity to a brick wall. Makes me wonder how such notions ever developed. _________________ Kryten: Don't you believe that God exists in all things? Aren't you a Pantheist?
Lister: Yeah, I just don't think it applies to kitchen utensils. I'm not a Fryingpantheist.
Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 2754 Local time: 4:46 AM
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 9:04 am Post subject:
Cel wrote:
Ok here is my take on this. There is absolutely nothing wrong with most of it. First of all if the snake is incapable of biting the child it is in no real danger. Second of all most of the incidents involving snakes are because people react ignorantly, negatively, and with fear to them which makes the snake strike them. But third and most importantly this is something that is cultural and of NO concern to those outside of the culture. I have always held the belief that no matter what, no culture has the right to interfere with the development or customs of another culture. So to me this may be slightly weird but in no way is it a bad thing or something to be condemned. The only thing I see a problem with is the cruelty to the animal that is quite apparent. I do not condone animal cruelty in ANY shape, form, or fashion.
Out of curiosity, how do you feel about female circumcision?
Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 40 Local time: 3:46 AM Location: Texas
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject:
I personally think it is horrid in the extreme. However in a cultural way of thinking it's not my place to say anything about it, it does not take place in MY culture. That was the whole point of what I said. I do not judge the cultural actions of other people, that is not only rude but also narrow minded. All cultures have things in them which appall other cultures. I am sure there are things we do in our culture that would turn the stomachs of some other cultures as well. _________________ "If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats." Richard Bach
Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 2754 Local time: 4:46 AM
Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 2:38 pm Post subject:
Cel wrote:
I personally think it is horrid in the extreme. However in a cultural way of thinking it's not my place to say anything about it, it does not take place in MY culture. That was the whole point of what I said. I do not judge the cultural actions of other people, that is not only rude but also narrow minded. All cultures have things in them which appall other cultures. I am sure there are things we do in our culture that would turn the stomachs of some other cultures as well.
I'm okay with being rude and narrow minded in these cases. I don't think it is okay to mutilate babies or children for any reason. This includes things that happen in my culture as well. The point to female circumcision is to destroy the girls sex drive. Am I an asshole to want to eliminate that from the world? You betcha! And I am just as much an asshole about it with male circumcision and babies getting their ears pierced. It is a disgusting and harmful practice and if it is the need of a culture to engage in harmful and violent acts against children to maintain it's integrity, then I am all for that culture disappearing.
I agree with Cel on certain points, but would like to point out that it is not in the snake's culture to have it's fangs removed or it's mouth sewn shut, it's the humans'. Just like it's not in the girls' culture to be circumcised, since they probably have no control over it. Basically I'm saying that I think that voluntary cultures should be respected. Personally, I think babies and snakes are cute together, as long as the snake's harmless to begin with.
Joined: 17 May 2007 Posts: 469 Local time: 3:46 AM
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:27 pm Post subject: Re: Idiotic Hindu custom
CousinoMacul wrote:
This is unbelievable! From the video description:
4bond1981 wrote:
I am proud of my country but there are some practices which I condemn, and this is one of them. It is beleived to be luck for a baby if he/she is touched by the snake on the head. So whos the sufferrer??? is the big question, can you tell???
Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 2701 Local time: 4:46 AM Location: The Caribbean
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:32 pm Post subject: Re: Idiotic Hindu custom
Tormentor wrote:
CousinoMacul wrote:
This is unbelievable! From the video description:
4bond1981 wrote:
I am proud of my country but there are some practices which I condemn, and this is one of them. It is beleived to be luck for a baby if he/she is touched by the snake on the head. So whos the sufferrer??? is the big question, can you tell???
Yeah, this god damned milk snake sure was hurting that baby!
It's a cobra.
And now that I think about it, these people who put their child in that video obviously had little to no faith in their beliefs, otherwise they would not have sewn the snake's mouth shut.
Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 891 Local time: 3:46 AM Location: Canada
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:33 pm Post subject:
I see nothing wrong with the video. The snake is rendered harmless and the baby is safe.
I could have a bias though as in my culture we have cock fighting, Bull fighting, running of the bulls etc.
Anyone who is a fan of horse-racing couldnt see much of a problem with this either I imagine as the fate of a horse with a broken leg isnt any better than that of the snake in the vid. _________________ Composite things are like dreams. Fantasies. Bubbles. Thoughts. Like a dewdrop and a flash of lightning. A new dress and a burning tire. Waves of sand and sinking ships. The shadow of a statue, and an entry in a diary. A brain tumor and an ice cream sundae. We are thus to be recorded.
Joined: 17 Feb 2007 Posts: 2138 Local time: 3:46 AM
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:34 pm Post subject:
Cultural Relativism is disgusting.
I'm ethnocentric and wouldn't have it any other way. _________________ “Here, here's American Gladiators. Watch this, shut up, go back to bed America, here is American Gladiators, here is 56 channels of it! Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together and congratulate you on the living in the land of freedom. Here you go America - you are free to do what well tell you! You are free to do what we tell you!” ~ B.Hicks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNOPu_wU6hs
Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 891 Local time: 3:46 AM Location: Canada
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:52 am Post subject:
A_Atheist_named_Christian wrote:
Isambard wrote:
I could have a bias though as in my culture we have cock fighting, Bull fighting, running of the bulls etc.
The people in those events are able to CHOOSE.
Not to mention that they know how to walk.
The baby can do neither of these things.
Not to mention that the animals you are talking about are to some extent domesticated.
The cobra isn't.
There almost 0 harm to the baby. The animals Im talking about ARNT domesticated. They are bred for the sole purpose of being as aggressive as possible and before the event they are pissed off additionally for good measure.
The cobra cant do much to the baby (as you can see in the vid) but rampaging bulls can trample and gore anyone who is either too slow, or walks out of their house at the wrong time. _________________ Composite things are like dreams. Fantasies. Bubbles. Thoughts. Like a dewdrop and a flash of lightning. A new dress and a burning tire. Waves of sand and sinking ships. The shadow of a statue, and an entry in a diary. A brain tumor and an ice cream sundae. We are thus to be recorded.
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