Hum! A difficult problem. On the one hand I'm generally speaking against the death penalty, but on the other hand, the Saudis have got a point here. One set of superstitious idiots persecuting another; what's an atheist to do?
As a side note, you would think a psychic would have seen this coming.
Posted by C3PO the Dragon Slayer (Member # 10416) on :
You're actually considering cheering for someone who is going to execute a human being for the moral equivalent of a small Ponzi scheme or misleading election campaign: lying to the masses about one's one ability to improve their lives and making false promises? What about the superstitious element takes away your "generally against the death penalty" default?
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
What exactly is the the Saudi's point that is worth making?
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
quote:What about the superstitious element takes away your "generally against the death penalty" default?
They're religious, and the world would be vastly improved by their immediate deaths, far in excess of any harm done by killing them.
It's a pretty, well, awful way of looking at things, but it's not very difficult to understand as a framework at all.
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
quote:Originally posted by Rakeesh:
quote:What about the superstitious element takes away your "generally against the death penalty" default?
They're religious, and the world would be vastly improved by their immediate deaths, far in excess of any harm done by killing them.
It's a pretty, well, awful way of looking at things, but it's not very difficult to understand as a framework at all.
Well, to be fair, their religion has degenerated into something pretty goshdarn repugnant. It's not like he's saying this about dkw or kateboots.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Well, he's not saying this about them now,, no. He has in other times and places, though, if not about those two specifically. Or rather offered up the choice between forced conversion or death, if his will had its way in the world.
The question remains, though: are these people so awful that the benefit gained from killing them all outweighs the costs of doing so? But talk is cheap when there's no chance of one's suggestions ever being carried out.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
quote:Originally posted by scholarette: What exactly is the the Saudi's point that is worth making?
Why, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live", of course. How could it be otherwise?
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I hear by move to define "witch" as "pompous atheist".
Can I get a second?
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Second!
That makes it okay, then! Yay!
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
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