The Wow I Can't Believe That News Story Thread

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Zhanteimi

Nah. I just don't bang my head against a brick wall. I explained ex cathedra. You either understand it or you don't.

You didn't explain why a Pope would say something that isn't ex cathedra. Seems a pretty obvious question that any Catholic with a brain would ask.

[Zhanteimi]

Because he has a mouth.

[The Batlord]

So why should you assume that when the Pope claims to be speaking ex cathedra that he just doesn't assume he's speaking ex cathedra while he's actually just being a blowhard?

[Anteater]

Originally Posted by elphenor

this is a bit like saying because The New Testament tells us Jesus set some rules regarding slavery you must be OK with slavery as well

Muhammad did brutal and socially unacceptable things by present day safe Western standards

but to completely separate the historical figure from the time period, place, and his mission is pretty disingenuous

besides being a prophet does not mean everything you say is the word of God, it means God tells you some stuff to say

Slavery as a practice is condemned on at least two separate occasions in the New Testament. Just because you read a parable where slaves got beaten or something doesn't mean much.

My criticism of Muhammad isn't disingenuous, because unlike Jesus he's a terrible role model AND a pedophile...yet still serves as the focal point for the entire Islamic faith across all denominations. If adherence to Muhammad and acknowleding his "perfection" as a human being and as Allah's #1 prophet wasn't the crux of the entire freakin' belief system in the present day, maybe you would have a point. But that isn't the case, seeing as millions of people follow him as we speak.

[Zhanteimi]

He has to put on his Pointy Hat of Pronouncing, take his Quarterstaff of Heretic Smiting +6 in hand, sit in his Chair of St. Peter, and say that he's saying something ex cathedra for it be him saying something ex cathedra.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Anteater

Slavery as a practice is condemned on at least two separate occasions in the New Testament. Just because you read a parable where slaves got beaten or something doesn't mean much.

My criticism of Muhammad isn't disingenuous, because unlike Jesus he's a terrible role model AND a pedophile...yet still serves as the focal point for the entire Islamic faith. If adherence to Muhammad and acknowleding his "perfection" as a human being and as Allah's #1 prophet wasn't the crux of the entire freakin' belief system, maybe you would have a point. But that isn't the case, seeing as millions of people follow him as we speak.

I don't think most Christians know much about Jesus beyond the greatest hits and I imagine most Muslims are the same with Mohammed. For the casuals it's just a guy to see as a paragon, not someone to follow word for word.

[Oriphiel]

Originally Posted by Anteater

irregardless

[Zhanteimi]

Originally Posted by elphenor

but in both the middle east and Europe adulthood was considered to come much earlier as people were dying at 30

This is a myth based on people not understanding how life expectancy is calculated. It doesn't mean people died at 30. It meant that there was a high infant mortality rate. If you made it past childhood, the likelihood that you would live past 30 was high.

[Zhanteimi]

Some 12-year-olds are nubile.

[OccultHawk]

Originally Posted by Zhanteimi

This is a myth based on people not understanding how life expectancy is calculated. It doesn't mean people died at 30. It meant that there was a high infant mortality rate. If you made it past childhood, the likelihood that you would live past 30 was high.

There was a higher mortality rate every step along the way