A thought about thought crime.

[ShaMan]

ShaMan's Thought Crimes for Today... So Far...

Murder
Adultery
Gluttony
Pride
Theft

And the day is still young

I wish I had an advocate - someone who could stand in the gap for my thought crimes (sin)

[Esquilax]

I guess the general rule is that if it sounds ridiculous or evil when taken literally, it's not really meant to be taken literally. Despite the fact that the most devoutly extremist followers will take it literally because that's just how they roll.

So, basically, let's approach the subject as simple-mindedly as the most extreme fundamentalists so that we can point our fingers at everyone who is not a fundamentalist and laugh because we think they're being simple-minded.

I think it's more that, given the sheer number of different and mutually exclusive interpretations, and in the absence of any source that clarifies the true intent of the text, the only truly reliable thing that we have is the words on the page. If it's metaphorical language, how would we know? And further, how would we know which metaphor we're supposed to apply?

[Anomalocaris]

Let's hope it works with paying rent as well

I thought about doing it, hopefully my landlord will think that's fine

I tried that with my tuition once.

They withheld registration till I paid. I got stick with a 7am class. Who teaches fluid dynamics at seven in the morning?!?

The one who contemplates the convection currents in his morning coffee. As TA of a class I had to stand in multiple times for a lazy (good, he is retired) professor at 7:45am in the morning. If you think taking notes at 7am is hard, try teaching a class without making a fool of yourself when you yourself had hardly taken any notes and barely squeaked by in the class as an undergraduate, and has since essentially forgotten everything.

[Tonus]

If you want to find God in your heart He will meet you 1/2 way.

My duodenum?

[Mudhammam]

I think it's more that, given the sheer number of different and mutually exclusive interpretations, and in the absence of any source that clarifies the true intent of the text, the only truly reliable thing that we have is the words on the page. If it's metaphorical language, how would we know? And further, how would we know which metaphor we're supposed to apply?

I see that as more the fault of our analytical minds--which interpret and inevitably subject everything into terms consistent with our prior percepts and concepts--rather than with any particular text in-of-itself. I mean, in all works of poetry and fiction, there is no single character that is going to resemble anyone else's conception; interpretations will differ with as many different minds cognizant of the story. To blame an author for taking artistic license in his or her use of metaphors, without seeking to understand the historical context, or how the audience of that time period would have likely understood it, or to ignore the very nature of mind and subjectivity (why must only one interpretation be "the correct one"?), seems to me lazy and disingenuous.