(bolding mine)
Since you’re so big on spelling and all, I thought you might like to know the word you’re looking for is hypocrisy .
Oh, and you can defend the OP’s outrage when you’re prepared to let someone cut off your balls.
(bolding mine)
Since you’re so big on spelling and all, I thought you might like to know the word you’re looking for is hypocrisy .
Oh, and you can defend the OP’s outrage when you’re prepared to let someone cut off your balls.
Sorry- express your disdain for the OP’s outrage, I meant.
I’m disinclined to join a thread that has already fallen prey to Godwin’s Law, but I thought I’d that the premise – that organized groups are castrating orphans and selling the results to willing buyers – sounds like an urban legend to me.
The sad part of this is not that there are individuals without any moral compass but that they were likely made this way. I suspect that moral perversity this deep must be taught.
Who, me?
If the shoe fits, wear it. Cutting bits off kids without their consent is cutting bits off kids without their consent, whether you’re talking about re-assigning intersex newborns in a sterile surgical theater in the USA or castrating orphans in Africa. If it’s bad for them, it’s bad for us.
It’s a pity Godwin’s law got invoked so soon. The discussion of moral relativism was getting interesting.
GaWd, please, please stop and think about what you’re saying.
People are cutting the testicles off orphans. Without the orphans’ consent. Without the benefit of anesthesia. For profit. And you’re crying ‘cultural relativism’.
The folk beliefs that led to this practice may well fall under the umbrella of cultural relativism, but the practice itself does not. It is a horror and an atrocity in any culture, and it should be stopped.
You obviously have a pet peeve, and have some difficulties with perspective.
Oh wow, that unspeakable Nazi thing is a real heavy mojo. Why do you feel the mere mention of out common Nazi history should destroy any discussion? There is nothing mysterious magic about the Nazis that they should never be mentioned. On the contrary, it is of the greatest importance that we never cease talking about them, that we never forget. Nazi atrocities taught humanity a moral lesson we must remember, and one I find very apt to this discussion. As far as I’m concerned Godwin’s law deal mostly with situations of Nazi name calling. The way you choose to wield it reminds me most of Faulty Towers’ “Don’t Mention the War”.
However there is almost nothing of interest in discussing with people whom hold to some kind of nearly absolute moral relativism. It’s like solipsism, fairly interesting for five minutes – then you realise you’ll never get any headway, and are left pointing out inconsistencies. And just how interesting is that? Like for all extremists, the best way to deal with them is fun and ridicule.
Earth to Achilles. Earth to Achilles. In your attempt to keep your mind open, you have allowed your brains to fall out. Repeat, YOUR BRAINS HAVE FALLEN OUT! Please correct this condition immediately.
Well, even if it is, the other side of the continent has heartwarming stories like [url =http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/11/1076388395599.html]this one–completely verified and just as sad. Child mutilation is wrong, and I’m a little nauseated to imagine that there are actually people out there willing to defend it.
[sub]how embarrassing…[/sub]
From the Daily Rotten on February 14,2004
I don’t suppose there is a connection though. Would the harvest of testicles and epidermises be a cultural trait to be ascribed to North Americans as well?
Well, here’s a new thing: I’m agreeing with Shodan. Wonders never cease.
Nor, apparently, does man’s ability to commit attrocities in the name of profit and/or superstition. Actually, after stories like the one about men raping infants because it was supposed to cure AIDS, I’m not terribly surprised by this. What is surprising though, is that a Doper I respected is actually defending this. That’s one of the more fucked-up things I’ve seen lately.
Call me a bad person…
But my culture IS superior to any that encourages the genital mutilation of children, especially the genital mutilation of children for fun and profit.
At the risk of being accused of having an axe to grind, I want somebody, anybody, please to answer me this question:
why is it worse what these people are doing to these orphans, than what is done in America in the name of culture, etc.? Why is this worse than gender reassignment of children born intersex? Why is it worse than infant circumcison of boys (or girls, in locations where they are not protected)? What makes this worse? Is it because the entire scrotum and testicles are removed? Is it because it’s done under primitive conditions? Is it because being children, they cannot consent (unlike the castrati - who at least agreed to it in the hopes of retaining valued singing voices)? Is it because they’ve already lost so much (being orphans after all) that it’s an inconceivable injustice to inflict yet more loss on them? Why is this form of genital mutilation/alteration worse than any other kind?
I think it’s all the same: horrible. I don’t see how any of it can be defended.
Male and female circumcision belong in the same category like firecrackers and atom bombs do; sure they both go booom but surely they hardly comparable. I have my foreskin last I checked (lemme just see – yup still there), and while I’d rather keep it attached I don’t at all get the reverence some Americans without seem to imbue it with.
Besides the infinitively smaller consequences, male circumcision (and even female for that matter – while still abhorrent is nothing compared to this) and gender reassignment, even though you personally may not agree, are performed for the perceived benefit of the child – whereas the things being spoken of in the OP, if true, won’t benefit the child in the least, on the contrary it’ll leave them dead - after long hours of torturous pain and fear I’d imagine. Also as an extra weight of awfulness, the fact that the recipients of the stupid magic organ charms, won’t gain anything by it. They’re not just cruel, but incredible stupid too.
I don’t know that the castrati (if you’re talking about the middle age or renaissance singers) were able to consent in any meaningful way since I believe the operation would have had to be made long before adulthood. That they’re children, unable to consent of course makes for all the difference in the world. If you, as an adult, want to sell your private parts to a witch doctor, by all means go ahead (go without head). If you want to steal somebody else’s private parts, go put a bullet in your head
Well, female circumcision is against Federal law (and 16 State laws as well) because it’s barbaric. Male circumcision, though unnessecary, is harmless. It is not mutilation, despite the hysterics you hear from some folks.
If you can’t see where what’s going on in Africa is worse, what with the orphans being mutilated and actually dying as a result, well then there’s not much to say for you.
Because most of the orphans die dumbfuck.
Also, the American practices are done, at least ostensibly, to help the child. The Africa orphans are getting the chop (and I do mean chop! ) so the “choppers” can make themselves rich, & promote a useless superstition. It probably will kill the child, and cannot help the person who buys it.
It seems to me that Gawd and Achilles are child hating (if they’re not even comfortable condemning people who forcibly castrate orphans),anti-gay(since, if they feel unable to condemn the castration of infants on grounds of cultural relativism they must surely be unwilling to condemn the house of Saud when it beheads gays) misogynists (who wouldn’t dream of raising their voices in protest when women are stoned to death for adultery in Nigeria).
Why are we even pretending to entertain their ideas, folks?
I’m starting to feel very “whoooshed” on this thread. Children are having their sex organs removed and are then left to die of shock, blood-loss, and infection. I can’t believe any sane person would defend such an activity so I’m left believing that Achilles and GaWd are simply trying to impress everyone.
Regards
Testy
Is there yet any corroboration of this accusation? I don’t want to seem unduly cynical, but the nuns are the local representatives of one of the major competitors for the religious dollar. Belladonna’s story has a pretty clear “market share” motive too.