Penelope wrote:Blimey Tom!!!

I think those fundamentalist women were making things up!!

Frank missed out on the "be fruitful and multiply" part. Now tell me that grandchildren aren't a compensation for sore knees

Grandchildren are a compensation for everything....they help to make life meaningful....

I wish our new one would get a move on and come out and make life meaningful......'cos her Mum doesn't care anymore...if she gives birth to a set of saucepans....so long as it comes out...and soon.

I'm something of a nervous wreck at the moment....waiting....

I suppose that's why I'm distracting myself by wittering away on here.

You are good....thanks all.

TH
Frank, if you examine the statistical evidence, you will find that that women in fundamentalist denominations have more satisfying sex lives than the liberated and liberal. True in all religions generally, I think. Fundamentalist husbands are taught to place the wife's happiness ahead of their own. "Ladies first," as the saying is.

I have never heard of a study like that before… and it flies in the face of the normal Christian teachings that state that the man is the head of the family with the woman coming second… if at all… Pardon the pun…

I also think it is very possible that they are answering from ignorance... having sex with only one person is hardly a good sample group... or possibly lying… it is their wifely duty to support their husband (dictated by god) according to their religion.

It also seems unlikely considering that the religious have the highest divorce rates.

But even assuming it as true, sighting a small group of Christians hardly supports the general view that “believers have more fun”.

I should not even need to mention the billions that prescribe to the Muslim teachings which are far more restrictive… they also count among your “believers”.

TH
Frank missed out on the "be fruitful and multiply"

Your proposal that this is a free pass in the Christian religion to have sexual fun is quite wrong… that quote is a rather transparent attempt by the church to breed more Christians… and is at least partly responsible for ideas like “masturbation is sinful”.

In addition, it does not cover the young unmarried people who want to have sex for fun and not for procreation.

See the details of the abstinence program if you want to see how they suggest you handle unwed sexual urges.

You will not find any fun their either…

Later

Penelope
I think Tom means that we have more 'Joy'....

it is the difference between 'joy' and 'pleasure'.

Yes, but what makes you think that “believers” as a whole have cornered the market on joy?

I get joy from my family… my close friends… playing with my nephew… kittens and puppies… I am moved by a stunning work of art or a sunset… I am joyful of my life my wife and my many memories and accomplishments.

I don’t walk around all day with a giant grin on my face like an idiot, but I am in touch with and at peace with myself… I know of very few religious people who can truthfully make that claim…

You may still be right… but I certainly do not see any evidence for it.

Later

Frank:

I didn't for one minute say that believers had the monopoly on joy.

I said:

There are fun atheists. There are fun believers....they don't usually happen to be in Church.....is all.

And indeed one of the most delightful and joyous people I have ever encountered was Richard Feynman.

I don't think orthodox religion is very joyous at all. In fact it is one of the factors which causes me to have visits from the black dog of depression.

So you see, I don't go around with a big grin on my face either. But I do think that I recognise a certain 'lightness of being' in some people.

Maybe it's just the chemicals in our brains.....but when you say you can look at a great work of art and feel joy.....then I can recognise that joy although my own experience of it might come from listening to great music.....It is the same recognisable inner light though. And it is more than just 'pleasure'.

If you look at the faces of those demonstrating fundamentalist muslims which in a few minutes of ill-judgement, I posted on my blog......not much inner light there.....

I apologize if it seemed like I was putting words into your mouth (or in this case writing)… I misunderstood your statement.

Now I see that we actually agree...

Later

Frank:

Now I see that we actually agree...

Yes Frank, we agree on everything except the 'source' of the joy.

Penelope
Yes Frank, we agree on everything except the 'source' of the joy.

That is good enough for me…

Later

Bulletproof...the name of a very special horse that I owned, that had the misfortune of always hurting himself and coming very close to death twice before the age of 4.
Hence, because he was so strong willed and was a fighter, he was saved from the knackers and seemed to be "bulletproof"

This is the way that I want to live my life, by being strong willed and always fighting adversity...which seems to be an ongoing theme in my life

As far as anonymity...I try to be completely anonymous on the internet, as I've been stalked in real life once and cyber stalked once as well....lucky me!!

my real name is Jennifer

Chris OConnor wrote:What does your BookTalk.org name mean?

I made a blog back in December and I was searching for a name and I was looking around my room and I saw a red Solo cup. It kind of just stuck, ha!