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[Frumple]

Yeah, like... if you want to throw shade at dawkins, there's plenty of material. The Selfish Gene was one of the handful of things he did that was actually pretty solid. Just go after one of the myriad easier targets -- the guy's kind of an asshole, there's plenty to choose from.

[MaxTheFox]

It's to deflect the traditional criticism of a naturalist world view - that the world loses the sense of wonder if you explain it all in purely physical terms.

It still does to me even if I concede that he's right about memetic propagation.

[McTraveller]

Different topic: local weather.  We currently have about 4" (10cm) snow on the ground, and it's about 20°F (-7°C) out.  Tomorrow it's supposed to hit almost 50°F (10°C), then rain 1" (2.5cm), then give us up to 7" (18cm) snow culminating in a low temperature Thursday night/Friday morning of 6°F (-14°C).

We're going to get massive snow melt and runoff, plus a drenching of rain (we have a local flood warning), then followed by tons of warm snow, which will then promptly get pretty well frozen.

My yard is already pretty saturated and tends to get significant standing water if it rains 1" in a day, so given what's already there plus snow, we're going to have probably several inches deep of what will effectively be slush in my yard.

And we don't even live in a flood zone - I feel bad for the low-lying areas around here.

I'd rather it just stay below freezing and get 17" (43cm) snow instead of 1" rain + 7" snow... sadly we're just a smidge too far north for the way the fronts are going...

Spoiler: genes (click to show/hide)

I don't see where there was an invocation of author's death?  Also The Selfish Gene being taught in schools isn't new - I had it in high school... more than 2 decades ago.

[Il Palazzo]

I don't see where there was an invocation of author's death?

Didn't you all learn in literature class in school that it doesn't matter what an author intended from a work

This streak of literary criticism is called 'the death of the author', after the seminal essay.

[McTraveller]

Oh hah maybe I wasn't paying attention that day, didn't read that essay, or I just forgot it.  I thought you meant literally invoking an author's death.   

[feelotraveller]

(

Oh hah maybe I wasn't paying attention that day, didn't read that essay, or I just forgot it.  I thought you meant literally invoking an author's death.   

Death of the author, death of god... someone's got to get their ducks in a row. 

Without the notion of authorial intent god does nothing to underpin morality (or a sense of wonder in the natural world, or...),

[voliol]

(

Oh hah maybe I wasn't paying attention that day, didn't read that essay, or I just forgot it.  I thought you meant literally invoking an author's death.   

Death of the author, death of god... someone's got to get their ducks in a row. 

Without the notion of authorial intent god does nothing to underpin morality (or a sense of wonder in the natural world, or...),

I thought the deal with most religions (or at least the book-centric abrahamitic ones) was that they claimed to know the authorial intent of god?

Different topic: local weather.  We currently have about 4" (10cm) snow on the ground, and it's about 20°F (-7°C) out.  Tomorrow it's supposed to hit almost 50°F (10°C), then rain 1" (2.5cm), then give us up to 7" (18cm) snow culminating in a low temperature Thursday night/Friday morning of 6°F (-14°C).

Those are some crazy swings, be careful going outside so you don't slip on the snow/rain when it freezes.

Here in Sweden we've had it really warm (meaning + degrees C day and night) and rainy, despite the middle of February usually being prime winter. I can't say for you, but it really feels like global warming is messing things up.

[McTraveller]

Death of the author, death of god... someone's got to get their ducks in a row. 

Without the notion of authorial intent god does nothing to underpin morality (or a sense of wonder in the natural world, or...),

I thought the deal with most religions (or at least the book-centric abrahamitic ones) was that they claimed to know the authorial intent of god?

That's my point in a roundabout way:  There is either authorial intent and we should strive to match that, or it's wholly up to interpretation and authorial intent is not really relevant. It can't (shouldn't?) be both when it comes to "science books" or religion.  There's also the general tendency of humanity to glom onto the most popular interpretation of a work, and not care about the rigor of interpretation which lead to that particular interpretation.

Biblical works are subtly different; there's a long historical battle over if the Bible is the literal words of God, or is instead divinely inspired.  There's a long history that it's the latter; it is my understanding that the "literal words" view is relatively new in a historical context (and is often foolish, because that view tends to be linked to a specific translation which isn't even the original language.)

Pickiness over exact words is also how you get downright stupid things like the recent news about someone in the Catholic Church leadership saying that "thousands" of baptisms are invalid because the priest used a single wrong word (I'm hoping the Pope will step in and comment on that one, in a sensible way).  This flies in the face of everything Christ taught... it's just sad and will alienate people rather than set them free.

[dragdeler]

Set them free? Are we including a free baptism to every execution now?

[Dunamisdeos]

Biblical works are subtly different; there's a long historical battle over if the Bible is the literal words of God, or is instead divinely inspired.  There's a long history that it's the latter; it is my understanding that the "literal words" view is relatively new in a historical context (and is often foolish, because that view tends to be linked to a specific translation which isn't even the original language.)

While the organized religion side of Christianity has fought over this for generations, because we will generally fight over absolutely anything that can be fought about, the usual doctrine that I hear about the Bible is that they are one and the same in a practical sense. God did not literally float down here to put pen to some pages, but did have a direct hand in it via divinely influencing the folks that wrote it. The word inspiration is intended in the "directly influenced by an outside source" meaning. It is therefore irrelevant as to whether or not he legit wrote it word for word. Word of God either way.

The "correct" way of handling a conflict between oneself and scripture is that if you believe that it is divine in any capacity, and something you believe does not jibe with scripture, then your understanding or interpretation is at fault, not the divinely omniscient book. These days it feels like the majority of American Christendom believes that theology peaked in the 50's and any attempt to think otherwise is an affront, since clearly God created the Bible with the specific intent that it lead up for thousands of years in order to benefit boomers, aka the REAL Christians.

I'd heard about the baptism thing, but haven't looked into the details at all. Baptism is a public affirmation of one's belief, not a thing you can get of the shelf that has to be sold by an ordained priest. That part is merely tradition, albeit strong tradition, the idea being that you'd generally want someone in a position of theological authority to perform it on account of its personal importance. Silly if the church is declaring baptisms "invalid" over something like that.

[hedgerow]

I lead like fourteen independent ventures over the last three years and I got suspended on Facebook for trying to get a woman tonight.

I never get to get with a woman.  It's weird.  I think I've enjoyed three women for like three weeks in seven years.  And I didn't invite a single one of them over, but for some reason they are usually infected.

But like, that's not my fault!  And I got suspended just trying to do it.

I mean, the years add up.  What's the fiscal figure attributed to that kind of work ethic?  I remember all of last year being a nonstop exercise in convention and design, technique and marketability, usership and ESPN politics.  I recall the entire escapade being an escapable phenomenon.  I remember all of that effort being thrown in the dirt, and it was never actually dealt with.

That same thing that refuses to knock on my door and talk to me is trying to charge me for a prostitute.

This was the twenty-fourth consecutive Valentine's Day I've had to spend alone.  And I don't even abuse them.

[heydude6]

You okay dude? This is your second weird post. I know Valentine's day sucks, but it would help if you could post more coherently.

[EuchreJack]

You okay dude? This is your second weird post. I know Valentine's day sucks, but it would help if you could post more coherently.

All of hedgerow's posts are weird.  Leave them alone.

Facebook sucks.  Perfectly valid to be upset about Facebook.

[hedgerow]

You okay dude? This is your second weird post. I know Valentine's day sucks, but it would help if you could post more coherently.

All of hedgerow's posts are weird.  Leave them alone.

Facebook sucks.  Perfectly valid to be upset about Facebook.

I've tried messaging women on the same P2P ISP connection for seven years and somehow it ended up getting me a diagnosis before it got me Action.

Yeah, you gotta stop.

[MaxTheFox]

Biblical works are subtly different; there's a long historical battle over if the Bible is the literal words of God, or is instead divinely inspired.  There's a long history that it's the latter; it is my understanding that the "literal words" view is relatively new in a historical context (and is often foolish, because that view tends to be linked to a specific translation which isn't even the original language.)

While the organized religion side of Christianity has fought over this for generations, because we will generally fight over absolutely anything that can be fought about, the usual doctrine that I hear about the Bible is that they are one and the same in a practical sense. God did not literally float down here to put pen to some pages, but did have a direct hand in it via divinely influencing the folks that wrote it. The word inspiration is intended in the "directly influenced by an outside source" meaning. It is therefore irrelevant as to whether or not he legit wrote it word for word. Word of God either way.

The "correct" way of handling a conflict between oneself and scripture is that if you believe that it is divine in any capacity, and something you believe does not jibe with scripture, then your understanding or interpretation is at fault, not the divinely omniscient book. These days it feels like the majority of American Christendom believes that theology peaked in the 50's and any attempt to think otherwise is an affront, since clearly God created the Bible with the specific intent that it lead up for thousands of years in order to benefit boomers, aka the REAL Christians.

I'd heard about the baptism thing, but haven't looked into the details at all. Baptism is a public affirmation of one's belief, not a thing you can get of the shelf that has to be sold by an ordained priest. That part is merely tradition, albeit strong tradition, the idea being that you'd generally want someone in a position of theological authority to perform it on account of its personal importance. Silly if the church is declaring baptisms "invalid" over something like that.

Honestly though, I agree. Literalism leads to shit getting wack.