It is surely a universal proverb across cultures that “that which is said, cannot be unsaid”. It has been used in English language literature for decades, is a common expression among Slavs, has a German counterpart, and has spread across Asia. I would assume that the Africans, Polynesians, and Native Americans are all familiar with the concept.
Variations include: ‘engage your brain before you open your mouth’ and ‘If you do not speak they may think you a fool, but if you speak they will know.’
People can believe whatever they want, as long as they keep it to themselves. It is when they start pressuring others to join them that society has involvement. Christianity was flourishing on its own, and then it became the state religion of the Roman Empire and everything went pear-shaped. That why there is are bureaucratic levels in the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Religion probably is a force for good on its own, but sooner or later, they all want political power, and the corruption sets in.
]]>Yeah… I have seen some truly amazing things, and some truly amazing people! But sadly, they are in a minority. *sigh*
“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.”
— Omar Khayyam (translated by Edward FitzGerald)
People who understand that verse (whether they know it or not), only get one half of it. they may understand that “What’s done is done. What is said is said. And there is nothing that can be done to change that fact” (unless you are a GOP or one of their myriad fawning mindless zombies, etc), but it also contains a warning. “Consider what you are about to say or do! Because no matter what you do or say after, it cannot be undone!” Very few people stop and think.
I sometimes wonder why we have a brain capable of considering consequences etc. People rarely do, at least not until it’s too late to do anything about it. *shrug*
]]>Ohhhh… I am having rapid palpitations thinking about it! 😯 I can do this! Care to join me Bryan? You too can be a Prophet! You just have to be… prophetic! and we can have the Magic penguin as our idol (What do ya think Badtux?) 😉 LMAO
Of course… we would have to give up honesty, rationality, reality, honor, morals and ethics… But they are the sacrifices that must be made to become a Great Religion(tm)! A small sacrifice for all the moolah and babes we could ever want! 👿
People seem to forget that *ALL* religions were created by Humans!! I don’t give a rat’s what they may actually *believe*! ‘Faith’ is just another word for ‘hope’!
And, people truly are stupid (for the most part)! If I wanted to do a truly honest buisness, I could make a hand mirror with the inscription: “Your problem is right here! LOOK!” It would never sell. truth never does! But… *sigh* People won’t pay for truth, they pay for fantasy, escape and “Someone to blame!”(tm)
]]>Money is important for religion as is obvious from every religious broadcast you see. Every one of them includes a request for donations to continue their important work of asking for more money. You can’t expect people to believe a poor man wandering around in a bathrobe and preaching to anyone who will listen. It would be impossible to have a religion based on a premise that ridiculous. 😈
]]>Anyway, I was going to add (to follow up from your reference Bryan):
Curious how we have gone from killing, looting, pillaging and generally making lives of ordinary people miserable by the fire and the sword, to the boardroom and the courts!
Meeeh… It would have been better as a single post! *sigh*
I’ll go get my glasses… 😉
]]>And so it goes.
]]>Well, it sort of started with the Knights of Teutonic order deciding to set up shop in my family’s homeland, Prussia, and spread with blood and fire, the standard method. After a few centuries a lot of people forget these antecedents.
I would like to thank you, Steve, for alerting me to Jams’s passing. He has been on an intermittent hiatus, so it didn’t occur to me it might be something more serious.
]]>Which groups would those have been?
And how was it transmitted?
]]>– Badtux the Irreverent Penguin
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