tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post2904257372728853402..comments2024-03-26T19:47:09.310+08:00Comments on Lao Ren Cha - 老人茶: Taiwan, in an Atheist's EyesJenna Lynn Codyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04032277820150000198noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-69918547767974966212012-10-17T00:33:26.944+08:002012-10-17T00:33:26.944+08:00'Is toleration not enough?'
Yup.
'Mu...'Is toleration not enough?'<br /><br />Yup.<br /><br />'Must they also be respected even by those of us who don't believe such "powerful forces"?'<br /><br />Nope.FTNMhttp://fromthenightmarket.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-18518526036270322462012-10-16T22:51:40.784+08:002012-10-16T22:51:40.784+08:00"These are powerful concepts which deserve re...<i>"These are powerful concepts which deserve respect..."</i><br /><br />Why?<br /><br />Is toleration not enough? Must they also be <i>respected</i> even by those of us who don't believe such "powerful forces"?Mike Faganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08745281285031316740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-1253175670380022892012-10-16T18:03:10.070+08:002012-10-16T18:03:10.070+08:00The French writer, Edmond de Goncourt, was well kn...The French writer, Edmond de Goncourt, was well known for his great skeptical quote "S'il y a un Dieu, l'athéisme doit lui sembler une moindre injure que la religion." (“If there is a God, atheism must seem to Him as less of an insult than religion.”). Most atheists I know are so because of their informed experience with religion rather than from purely philosophical reasons.<Marcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-48170470631801632662012-10-16T08:51:49.270+08:002012-10-16T08:51:49.270+08:00Good post - a lot hear that I can identify with: B...Good post - a lot hear that I can identify with: Being married into a Taiwanese family, I've always been amazed by the inclusiveness and the way they are happy for me to participate in the rituals even though they know a don't believe a jot of it.<br /><br />The most amazing experience was being asked to actively participate in a large funeral procession for my wife's grandma in her Jameshttp://thewritingbaron.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-23223053698539810082012-10-07T01:14:04.394+08:002012-10-07T01:14:04.394+08:00Blob,
There is, apparently (pdf), a considerable ...Blob,<br /><br />There is, <a href="mises.org/journals/jls/17_3/17_3_3.pdf" rel="nofollow">apparently</a> (pdf), a considerable difference between the writings of the early Confucians and the later Confucians which is significant in that some elements of Laozi's writing seem to be derivative of the early Confucians.Mike Faganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08745281285031316740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-84273199978500755002012-10-06T23:59:20.341+08:002012-10-06T23:59:20.341+08:00blob - I'm practically (though not exactly) qu...blob - I'm practically (though not exactly) quoting from something I read on Confucian philosophy way back in college. For me, it does sum up a lot of Confucian teachings. Some of the other bits are OK (I quite like his proverb that a tyrannical government is worse than tigers attacking), but at its heart it doesn't resonate with me the way Laozi and Zhuangzi do. <br /><br />Plus, not Jenna Lynn Codyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04032277820150000198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-52885299575379569162012-10-06T23:54:04.863+08:002012-10-06T23:54:04.863+08:00Among other things, Confucius advocated that peopl...Among other things, Confucius advocated that people be principled, educated, humane and compassionate, and that they follow proper procedure (The details of what he said are of course highly specific to his time period.)<br /><br />You wrote "dance to music the same way everyone else does, with the same steps in the same order, for a harmonious society". I would not call that a fair blobOfNeuronsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-54914052278792266422012-10-06T18:41:34.702+08:002012-10-06T18:41:34.702+08:00Hitchens said religion was "our first attempt...Hitchens said religion was "our first attempt at philosophy" and although he was referring to American society, I think it's also true of many individuals who, for one reason or another, aren't especially well read. <br /><br />That being said, Christians and other religious people certainly do not have a monopoly on either ignorance, prejudice or bigotry.Mike Faganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08745281285031316740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-49526293622867618252012-10-06T11:19:27.384+08:002012-10-06T11:19:27.384+08:00I think that is more or less exactly what I said, ...I think that is more or less exactly what I said, but it was years ago - the wording might have been slightly different!<br /><br />MKL - the thing is, plenty of people I know in Taiwan do decide to take a vacation rather than visit their parents on CNY or do other things that seem like shameful faux pas: I think there's more leeway than many Westerners realize to do those things in Taiwan, Jenna Lynn Codyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04032277820150000198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-3811296869527874722012-10-05T23:27:00.765+08:002012-10-05T23:27:00.765+08:00I see the Taoist beliefs more like superstitions -...I see the Taoist beliefs more like superstitions - they tell you what you should or should not do, they are usually related to good luck, good business, good health or good relationships - very practical, but not too intrusively moralistic. I believe it's the Confucian beliefs, that are serving a similar role like the Church is in the West, a moral institution that is. Imagine, if you had TGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15796150972580581810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321329750397667796.post-35796241309289820772012-10-05T20:13:13.094+08:002012-10-05T20:13:13.094+08:00"Like that one Western couple I was chatting..."Like that one Western couple I was chatting with awhile back - I said something about the fat, laughing Buddha - and the guy said "well you know he isn't real, right? You know there's only one true God and it's not him?" and I was all..."uh...there is no non-awkward way to respond to that"."<br /><br />PLEASE tell me that's actually what you said, Brendanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00847368266562961223noreply@blogger.com