What some people will do in the name of religion!!!

[Thorne]

Ran across this story today. My only feeling was, "Why am I not surprised?"

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,1956283.story

MADISON, Wis. - Two children and their mother lived for about two months with the decaying body of a 90-year-old woman on the toilet of their home's only bathroom, on the advice of a religious "superior" who claimed the corpse would come back to life, authorities said Friday.
. . .
The boy at the house told a detective he had considered running away because he was uncomfortable with the situation. He said Bushey told him that demons were trying to make it look as if Middlesworth wouldn't come back to life, and that if she were to be discovered he and the girl would have to go to public school and get jobs because Middlesworth paid the bills.

If you believe that sort of thing, the last one to return from the dead was Jesus. But he only took 3 days!

Isn't superstition a wonderful thing?

[MasterIS]

oh what can I say, atleast it gives hope in some hopeless situations.

[Euryleia]

How does anyone get so sick that it seems like a good idea to live with a dead body?

[Isabelle90]

How does anyone get so sick that it seems like a good idea to live with a dead body?

Could living with a dead body make a person sick as well???? Yuck!

[Thorne]

Could living with a dead body make a person sick as well???? Yuck!

Most definitely! The chemical and biological decay of the human body generates some extremely toxic by-products. Plus, any parasites which have been living in or on the body will immediately begin looking for new hosts.

[mkemse]

between this story and the Father in Austria, what in the #$^@, has this world come to??

[MMI]

Hope in hopeless situations?

FALSE hope!

Accepting that there are people who are naive enough to believe such reassurances, how evil must you be to encourage it?

[ObjectivistActivist]

Accepting that there are people who are naive enough to believe such reassurances, how evil must you be to encourage it?

Incredibly so, and proud of it besides.

[Thorne]

Accepting that there are people who are naive enough to believe such reassurances, how evil must you be to encourage it?

Can it be considered evil to take advantage of stupid people? Morally wrong, yes. Obscene, certainly. Evil? No, I don't think so.

[icey]

the guy who came out with that crap is deranged or dillusional, and most people wouldnt take something like that seriously in modern society, maybe the woman in question is not stupid and maybe has a mental health problem and/or is vulnerable in some way?...there's a big difference.

[MMI]

I didn't say "stupid", I said "naive". There's a difference, and it's not one of degree.

"Morally wrong" and "obscene" in the sense you have used them are synonymous with "evil", although you might say there is a difference of degree.

[Merle]

I didn't say "stupid", I said "naive". There's a difference, and it's not one of degree.

"Morally wrong" and "obscene" in the sense you have used them are synonymous with "evil", although you might say there is a difference of degree.

But isn't this arguement a matter a degree in of itself? These people took someone's word - someone who took on a religious profession (Actually, is religious consultant is a profession?) which is all a matter of trust and faith- and they, well, took faith in his words - which is what they're suppose to do. Mayhaps when it happened, they didn't have the luxury of stepping back and taking a breather to look at the big picture.

I am curious though, as to how they have been able to physcially and lawfully keep a dead body that long. I would think the smell along would have alarmed the neighbors, or even just people they interacted with since the smell would stick with them. And I assume they would be able to bathe because that's where the dead body is. *shudder*

[TomOfSweden]

I read a funny quote by Daniel Dennett yesterday. It was on the question of "Do you think religion is the greatest threat to rationality today". And his answer was, "No. I think things like substance abuse and various compulsive behaviours impair our ability to reason rationally. The difference is that when it comes to religion we hold up its irrationality as a virtue. This is where its danger comes in."

What I liked about it was that he compared religious faith with substance abuse and treated it like a mental handicap/deficiency. He he, snicker. I think we, (atheists) need more of that attitude. If religious feel like we're feeling sorry for their impediment it might make them less bold stating and accepting their silly theories. Like this theory of the granny coming back to life. he he he. It's so laughably dumb.

I don't think it would hurt if people felt the need to ask the question, "and this opinion is based on what exactly?" a bit more often.

edit: the exact quote is, "only religion "honours the disability".

http://education.guardian.co.uk/high...275634,00.html