# Ask The Patriotic American Intellectual Conservative Christian **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 9, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234 "2010-02-09T03:41:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/201 "2010-02-12T17:32:46Z")
> [@Curtis Lemay](#): > > God said it is a sin (ie “abusers of themselves”) and thus I follow Him. FYI, this is not in the Bible. The Bible does not condemn masturbation, or mention it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/202 "2010-02-12T17:42:17Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > How can it be controlled? It’s a biological impulse, not a conscious act. > > One can choose not to be a glutton, but one cannot choose not to be hungry. One can’t choose not to be hungry but you can choose whether to eat a bowl of soup or fifteen Big Macs. Also in a diet you can choose to skip junk food although you may naturally crave it-same concept here. > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > FYI, this is not in the Bible. The Bible does not condemn masturbation, or mention it at all. Jesus said it is preferable to even cut off your right hand rather than have it cause sin. Hmm what is generally considered sinful that you cand do with your right hand. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/203 "2010-02-12T17:44:44Z")
I don’t know about you guys, but I tend to scan down the responses in a multi-response post, and skip the quote boxes, so it reads like a single answer from the OP. That is, unless I can’t figure out what the response by itself. This can sometimes be amusing, especially when the topic shifts suddenly: > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > All humans naturally want to lie to hide embarassing secrets or attack people they hate. That is why humans are not perfect and thus sinners. Lust cannot be compeltely overcome but it can be controlled. > > I accept scientific theories such as evolution or the Big Bang-but also acknowledge God is behind it. > > If God exists than certainly He must have revealed His truths-ie in one of the religions. > > I struggle with my faith like many other Christians do. > > God said it is a sin (ie “abusers of themselves”) and thus I follow Him. > > He also built up the Strategic Air Command as a general and helped build up America’s massive air power. This is how you know God is on your side. (N.B. not giving you a hard time **Curtis** , just laughing at how it came across when I read it.) ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/204 "2010-02-12T17:49:32Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > One can’t choose not to be hungry but you can choose whether to eat a bowl of soup or fifteen Big Macs. Also in a diet you can choose to skip junk food although you may naturally crave it-same concept here. > > Jesus said it is preferable to even cut off your right hand rather than have it cause sin. Hmm what is generally considered sinful that you cand do with your right hand. :dubious: Don’t you need your right hand to work the mouse? :dubious: Seriously, I’d like to see an actual anti-masturbation citation. Less seriously, after which, I’d like to see a mashup with the Song of Songs, preferably as a rap, or else as a Hank Williams style country tune. No rush. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/205 "2010-02-12T18:07:54Z")
The Bible says that people who work on Sunday should be killed: > [@](#): > > Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. – Exodus 35:2 **Curtis LeMay** , have you been doing your Christian duties under Exodus 35:2? If not, why not? If your answer is that some parts of the Bible need to be modernized (i.e., isn’t it nice to have hospitals staffed on Sundays?), then can you really object when some people say that other parts of the Bible need to be modernized too, such as the bits about homosexuality? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/206 "2010-02-12T18:08:42Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Jesus said it is preferable to even cut off your right hand rather than have it cause sin. Hmm what is generally considered sinful that you cand do with your right hand. :dubious: You really think that’s what Jesus was talking about? The Bible does not say that masturbation is a sin. The Bible does not say anything about masturbation at all. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/207 "2010-02-12T18:31:33Z")
Are you an A.I.? If not, do you know any A.I.s? (And if yes, can I get their e-mail?) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/208 "2010-02-12T18:32:55Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Jesus said it is preferable to even cut off your right hand rather than have it cause sin. Hmm what is generally considered sinful that you cand do with your right hand. :dubious: WooHoo!!! I do it lefty!!! Later guys… ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/209 "2010-02-12T18:36:01Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > You really think that’s what Jesus was talking about? > > The Bible does not say that masturbation is a sin. The Bible does not say anything about masturbation at all. It’s been a while since I read it, but isn’t there something about not spilling your seed on the ground? I always thought that meant masturbation. ---
**Author:** ![adhay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/210 "2010-02-12T18:48:45Z")
> [@Alan\_Bird](#): > > It’s been a while since I read it, but isn’t there something about not spilling your seed on the ground? I always thought that meant masturbation. Me too, but [WIKI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onan) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/211 "2010-02-12T18:49:19Z")
> [@Alan\_Bird](#): > > It’s been a while since I read it, but isn’t there something about not spilling your seed on the ground? I always thought that meant masturbation. That’s the story of Onan (Genesis 38:8-10) in which God kills a dude named Er for being “wicked” (exactly how is not specified). God then orders Er’s brother, Onan, to go sleep with Er’s wife and knock her up to give Er an heir. Onan pulls out porno style, “spilling his seed” on the ground because he does not want to sire any children he cannot legally call his own (any child conceived with his brother’s widow would be the legal child of his brother). God then kills Onan for disobeying him. Onan’s offense was in not impregnating his brother’s widow, as ordered by God, but this passage has been oft interpreted as an admonition agains any kind of non-procreative sex. That’s not in the text, but it’s fairly commonly taken that way, and “Onanism” is sometimes used as a euphemism for masturbation. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/212 "2010-02-12T19:27:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > That’s the story of Onan (Genesis 38:8-10) in which God kills a dude named Er for being “wicked” (exactly how is not specified). God then orders Er’s brother, Onan, to go sleep with Er’s wife and knock her up to give Er an heir. Onan pulls out porno style, “spilling his seed” on the ground because he does not want to sire any children he cannot legally call his own (any child conceived with his brother’s widow would be the legal child of his brother). God then kills Onan for disobeying him. > > Onan’s offense was in not impregnating his brother’s widow, as ordered by God, but this passage has been oft interpreted as an admonition agains any kind of non-procreative sex. That’s not in the text, but it’s fairly commonly taken that way, and “Onanism” is sometimes used as a euphemism for masturbation. Ah, got it now. Thanks for the clarification. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/213 "2010-02-12T19:28:19Z")
But if you’re gonna obey Genesis, you’ve got to obey the OT, which includes Leviticus, so…good luck, and don’t eat any rock badgers. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/214 "2010-02-12T20:31:33Z")
**Hi Curtis,** How do you determine which portions of the Bible to obey or take as literal interpretations and which portions to ignore as “not word of God”? ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/215 "2010-02-12T20:37:02Z")
You know, **Curtis** , I don’t think we’ve really interacted before, but I’ve always enjoyed reading your perspective because you’re coming from somewhere most of us are already past. It’s always neat, to me, to see people develop into adults and watch them form their opinions of the world. I absolutely mean this sincerely. One thing you might want to consider in your responses in this thread is that your rather pat, one-line responses to complex and nuanced questions actually undermine your credibility in everything you claim to be in the OP. You’ve declared your stance and your worth in that stance, but have done nothing substantive to back up that declaration. You’ve given some in-depth responses in Great Debates, for example. If you’re not prepared to give the same depth in this thread, it would be better for you to disengage from it. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/216 "2010-02-13T08:52:52Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Jesus said it is preferable to even cut off your right hand rather than have it cause sin. Hmm what is generally considered sinful that you cand do with your right hand. :dubious: Generally considered sinful by whom? I think you’re mixing up what you think the Bible says and what some misguided religious leader might say. Really, many, if not most, adults stopped telling that to kids years ago when it became obvious that not only wasn’t it true, but that it was normal and healthy, and something that most, if not all, adults do.I will bet you that any adult who says it’s sinful is probably doing it the most, while feeling shameful because somebody ignorantly taught them as children that it was a sin. (People used to think that if something was too pleasurable, then it must be a sin.) If your back itches, do you scratch it? It’s pretty much the same type of thing. I think that you have far too good a brain not to question things more. “Faith” is often another word for “belief in something that your brain tells you is not so.” You must trust your brainpower and logic more than you trust your adherence to faith. This board should be teaching you that feelings and faith on topics are not the same as well-researched and tested results. Q. Do you not agree that children can be taught to believe in things that aren’t true? Q. How shall they discover for themselves what is true and what isn’t? Q. If the Bible said that 2+2=5, would you have faith that it’s true? Or would you use your own brain to reason out the correct answer? ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/217 "2010-02-13T16:24:42Z")
Curtis: If you could choose one, or two, or three historical figures to sit around and have a chat with, who would you choose? And what would you want to talk about? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/218 "2010-02-14T02:01:00Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Don’t you need your right hand to work the mouse? :dubious: > > Seriously, I’d like to see an actual anti-masturbation citation. > > Less seriously, after which, I’d like to see a mashup with the Song of Songs, preferably as a rap, or else as a Hank Williams style country tune. > > No rush. What Jesus said is pretty logical through inference but… Corinthians I 7:9 > [@](#): > > But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. > [@Spiff](#): > > The Bible says that people who work on Sunday should be killed: **Curtis LeMay** , have you been doing your Christian duties under Exodus 35:2? > > If not, why not? > > If your answer is that some parts of the Bible need to be modernized (i.e., isn’t it nice to have hospitals staffed on Sundays?), then can you really object when some people say that other parts of the Bible need to be modernized too, such as the bits about homosexuality? That’s part of Mosaic Law along with kosher dietary rules which no longer apply to Christians. > [@B.Serum](#): > > **Hi Curtis,** > > How do you determine which portions of the Bible to obey or take as literal interpretations and which portions to ignore as “not word of God”? Mosaic Law for instance. > [@needscoffee](#): > > Generally considered sinful by whom? I think you’re mixing up what you think the Bible says and what some misguided religious leader might say. Really, many, if not most, adults stopped telling that to kids years ago when it became obvious that not only wasn’t it true, but that it was normal and healthy, and something that most, if not all, adults do.I will bet you that any adult who says it’s sinful is probably doing it the most, while feeling shameful because somebody ignorantly taught them as children that it was a sin. (People used to think that if something was too pleasurable, then it must be a sin.) If your back itches, do you scratch it? It’s pretty much the same type of thing. > > I think that you have far too good a brain not to question things more. “Faith” is often another word for “belief in something that your brain tells you is not so.” You must trust your brainpower and logic more than you trust your adherence to faith. This board should be teaching you that feelings and faith on topics are not the same as well-researched and tested results. > > Q. Do you not agree that children can be taught to believe in things that aren’t true? > > Q. How shall they discover for themselves what is true and what isn’t? > > Q. If the Bible said that 2+2=5, would you have faith that it’s true? Or would you use your own brain to reason out the correct answer? 1. Yes. 2. What do you mean? Please elaborate. 3. God would not lie to us like that-there is no direct factual error in the Bible if one recognizes certain passages are symbolical. > [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Curtis: > > If you could choose one, or two, or three historical figures to sit around and have a chat with, who would you choose? And what would you want to talk about? HP Lovecraft, Abraham Lincoln, and a great theologian-maybe Jonathon Edwards and I’d like to talk about History, politics, and theology. ---
**Author:** ![FalseMirage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@FalseMirage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalseMirage)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/219 "2010-02-14T02:19:18Z")
Why does this thread contain so many unanswered questions? ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234/220 "2010-02-14T02:34:38Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > 1. God would not lie to us like that-there is no direct factual error in the Bible if one recognizes certain passages are symbolical. Hey, same with the Koran and the Jataka and the Bhagavad Gita. Excellent, well done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-patriotic-american-intellectual-conservative-christian/528234.md?page=12)