Traditions, ideals, and norms of men.

[PlasmaAstralProjection]

In remembering the a video titled "Peter Singer - The Genius of Darwin: The Uncut Interviews - Richard Dawkins" I just kept on thinking about Petter Singers comment. What it was was that Singer said when the Greeks first came over here they asked the Indians, or at least a certain tribe of Indians what they did with their dead. And they said we eat them. (I guess they were really utilitarian. Meaning they didn't want to waste the body. As we know they used all the bones and flesh of animals that they killed. Besides they believed the soul moved on anyway I am sure, unlike the Greeks.) And so the Greeks were horrified at what the Indians did that with their loved ones bodies. So then the Indians asked the Greeks what they did their dead. and they said they burned their bodies. And so the Indians were horrified that they would do such a thing, and I guess waste their bodies like that. LOL The moral that we can all gain from this I think is that our cultures, traditions and societies all have these ideals that and barriers to what they think has to be true and not, but that doesn't make it necessarily so. And what may be a good idea in one culture, may be a bad idea in another. So what makes one way better than another? That depends, but I tend to side toward utilitarianism while helping the poor. It's just very practical. Though their may be a line to draw. I also side on Humanism. This is not meant to be a conversation about Utilitarianism or humanism. Just to get you thinking about what ideals, traditions, and norms you think are so important. Though I know a lot of you guys here at this forum have already broken many of those norms and broken the barriers of illusion that come from society. Let's not forgot what caused our growth from the beginning.

BTW if you want to see the video by Singer and Richard Dawkins it's here. I am not a particular fan of Dawkins BTW. Though I think he still adds value to the world. The Greek Indian part is at 22:40 I think it is.

Peter Singer - The Genius of Darwin: The Uncut Interviews - Richard Dawkins
http://youtu.be/GYYNY2oKVWU

Peace

[Xanth]

Normal is only what is socially acceptable at any point within any particular group of individuals.

Take Astral Projection for example...
Within the confines of The Astral Pulse, it's a perfectly normal thing to discuss.
Now, discuss it with your neighbour.  You'll probably get a few raised eyebrows.

Let's expand that now to the concepts of "good" and "evil".  Two mere labels... yet *EVERYONE* has formed some kind of ideal about what is good and what is evil. 

Perspective.  It's all about perspective. 
It's amazing how everyone lives within the confines of their own world, yet nobody really realizes this.

[PlasmaAstralProjection]

Funny thing I remember talking to my brothers friend a Rock 'n' Roll type of guy that plays in a band and he's telling me about this friend that said that could astral project. LOL no kidding. Sometimes you might be surprised who is in the know but more often than not your going to get the evil eye. LOL

[Volgerle]

Dawkins makes my hair stand on end. I cannot even watch his videos anymore. 

[PlasmaAstralProjection]

Dawkins makes my hair stand on end. I cannot even watch his videos anymore. 

I admit that I have lost some respect for Dawkins ever since he worked to ban consciousness talks at TEDx.