Fine tuning specifics: Reasons for God (Introduction)

by dhw, Wednesday, May 03, 2017, 13:03 (2761 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

TONY:(quoting) "No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it."
dhw: I’m surprised you are focusing on the author(s) rather than on the content of the message, but since both of you have such fixed views about the truth, perhaps you would prefer to ignore that. (Yes, Tony, I am tweaking your beards! )
TONY: Well, we all three definitely fit into the category of the first two sentences. Fortunately the three of us at least openly admit that we do not comprehend.

Agreed. Why do you confine the three of us to the first two sentences?

dhw: I have the utmost respect for people with religious beliefs, provided those beliefs are not harmful.
TONY: Harmful is a funny topic. Harmful to whom and under what circumstances? […]
dhw: Any religious belief that leads a person to cause physical or mental damage to others is what I mean by “harmful”. For example, I am opposed to a belief that drives someone to plant a bomb or crash a truck or plane in the hope that God will reward him for killing infidels. I have no doubt that you will feel the same way.

TONY: Here in the U.S., and in much of the so-called civilized world, it is considered harmful to spank a child. Now, the bible says that sparing the rod spoils the child and that a father that does not discipline his son actually hates him. So, the question is, do you consider something like spanking to be 'harmful'? And before this gets derailed, I am not talking about beatings. Just good old fashioned spankings.

Ah Tony, you are embarking on an endless game. Why is corporal punishment “the” question? I gave you clear examples of beliefs I considered harmful, and I assumed you would agree. But of course there are grey areas, and so now you can go through every instruction (and individual interpretation of every instruction) in the bible to see whether I consider it harmful or not! However, since you believe corporal punishment to be “the” question, I will give you my purely personal opinion. We never spanked our children, but I’d say that whether spanking is a “good” form of discipline or not depends on the nature of the offence, of the child, and of the spirit in which it is carried out. Assuming that correction is essential, if you spank your children because they do not respond to verbal admonitions, reasoning or, as generally sufficed in our family, an angry flash from the eyes of my beloved late wife, I shan’t have any less respect for your belief in God and in your own interpretation of his wishes.