# Opinions that others would find blasphemy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452 "2013-11-21T17:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/41 "2013-11-22T18:43:15Z")
The U.S. will not be able to maintain its status as a great power unless we have the courage to almost completely overhaul our current system of government. To remain great, we should be working on creating the greatest system of representative democracy possible. This will require some unconventional thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/42 "2013-11-22T19:50:15Z")
I believe that all religions & churches should be taxed. Going back 7 years would be the legal limit, but that is SO letting them off the hook. I believe that individuals can’t have “Double Rights” under the constitution. My blasphemy is that I feel people surrender all of their personal constitutional rights once they accept the corporation’s rights by sitting on a Board of Directors. It makes me feel better about their bloated 7-figure salaries for meeting just one Tuesday a month and doing little else. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/43 "2013-11-22T20:06:50Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > I believe that all religions & churches should be taxed. Going back 7 years would be the legal limit, but that is SO letting them off the hook. That’s not blasphemous, merely stupid and petty. If you lived in a state that introduced a sales tax or an income tax for the first time, would they or COULD they tax you on income you’d earned during the seven years before the income tax was imposed? Or would/could they charge you sales taxes on all purchases you made during the previous seven years? Of COURSE not, and you’d scream bloody murder if they tried. Well, your idea is just as dumb, since it serves no purpose except pusnishing institutions you don’t like. In any case, churches get NO tax breaks that aren’t equally available to all non-profit groups, religious or secular. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/44 "2013-11-22T20:19:35Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > My blasphemous opinion is that our founding fathers didn’t design our government to be efficient or to help people. They designed it to pit ambitious men against one another to control the mischief one man can get up to. I’m pretty sure this isn’t blasphemous at all; rather, it’s mainstream acknowledged American history, as was explicitly argued by Madison et al in 1787, when the new constitution was being debated. See Federalist #10. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/45 "2013-11-22T20:27:05Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I’m pretty sure this isn’t blasphemous at all; rather, it’s mainstream acknowledged American history, as was explicitly argued by Madison et al in 1787, when the new constitution was being debated. See Federalist #10. (Missed edit window.) ETA: Federalist #10 and #51. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/46 "2013-11-22T20:38:02Z")
I suspect that the most beneficial exercise a person can do is brief, light exercise after eating. It knocks back a person’s blood sugar, minimizing all the damage that blood sugar spikes and crashes can do. I suspect that over time, when done consistently, this kind of exercise would be more beneficial than the currently recommended amount and intensity of cardio. Not that both of them together wouldn’t be stellar. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/47 "2013-11-22T20:47:01Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Property is theft And owning pets is slavery. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/48 "2013-11-22T23:30:10Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > And owning pets is slavery. Damn right. My dog makes me wait on her hand and foot. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/49 "2013-11-22T23:37:30Z")
I look forward to an age of robot friends. A lot of people find that pathetic or creepy but the reality is people in general are fucked up and robots would be a nice change of events. Robots will be designed to have amazing social skills, be programmed to have empathy and will be extremely intelligent and insightful in the coming decades. People can be full of drama, unreliable, judgmental, boring, self absorbed, cruel, etc. Usually not all at once, but I’m getting more and more disappointed the older I get. So yes, I look forward to a time when my best friends are robots I bought. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/50 "2013-11-22T23:41:47Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Religion is to blame for the majority of societal injustice. Not trying to start a debate here, but I don’t know if I agree with that. Authoritarian personalities, when they become religious, usually end up acting like dicks (Muslims have Islamist militants, Christians have abortion bombers and the religious right). But that is more about authoritarian personalities than religion. Jimmy Carter is religious and he doesn’t contribute to social injustice. Also other ideological constructs like nationality cause a lot of injustice too. And poverty/lack of education too (the world has gotten a lot more just as we’ve gotten more educated, wealthier and more connected). ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/51 "2013-11-22T23:45:10Z")
I’m Catholic and I would rather the Sunday sermons be about helping the poor and assisting others than about “being one with God” (whatever that means), “holding Jesus within our hearts” (ditto), and the symbolism of washing feet. I also don’t think that unmarried men who have taken a vow of chastity are not qualified to tell me about sex and the consequences thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/52 "2013-11-23T00:24:48Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I look forward to an age of robot friends. A lot of people find that pathetic or creepy but the reality is people in general are fucked up and robots would be a nice change of events. Robots will be designed to have amazing social skills, be programmed to have empathy and will be extremely intelligent and insightful in the coming decades. People can be full of drama, unreliable, judgmental, boring, self absorbed, cruel, etc. Usually not all at once, but I’m getting more and more disappointed the older I get. > > So yes, I look forward to a time when my best friends are robots I bought. Sort of the way some people’s sole social interaction is posting on message boards- better that than nothing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/53 "2013-11-23T00:51:03Z")
I don’t believe in God. I’m blaspheming like a Mo-fo!! Is there any other way? ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/54 "2013-11-23T00:57:09Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > To be fair, it depends on the ingredients. Some people insist it ain’t casserole unless it includes cream of mushroom soup ( :barf: ) That post was inspired by a lunch I attended this past Monday…the majority of the dishes were casseroles, and every last one appeared to contain cream-of-_something_. There were only three plain vegetables available – one dish of string beans, and two dishes of butter beans (with ham). On the topic of religion, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are some mainstream religions whose believers actually enjoy the thought of various groups of people being condemned to some sort of eternal damnation. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/55 "2013-11-23T01:35:28Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I also don’t think that unmarried men who have taken a vow of chastity are not qualified to tell me about sex and the consequences thereof. You don’t think they’re not qualified? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/56 "2013-11-23T01:35:47Z")
The Prophet Mohammed, Peace Be Upon Him…had Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. An anxiety disorder that affects perhaps 3% of adults, worldwide. And, obviously, nearly two thousand years ago, would have been completely undiagnosed and untreated—save for perhaps interpreting it through [lens of religion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrupulosity). And that’s not a “Ha, Ha, look at the stupid ancient brown guy, he’s praying five times a day” crack. I feel _sorry_ for the poor man—that’s a _horrible_ condition to have to suffer from, and he, personally, actually seemed like a nice guy. And a _great_ man, really, in terms of accomplishments. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/57 "2013-11-23T02:00:06Z")
> [@AdmiralQ](#): > > If your child or children are on public assistance and you get pregnant again, you should be forced to have an abortion and/or sterilized. Actually I have mentioned before that I would be perfectly good with putting everybody on birth control and making them demonstrate fiscal ability and a license showing they have passed a parenting class before having kids, and I really do think that getting married before the age of 25 is a bad thing. And yes, if I had a daughter I would have taken her to a gyn for her exam and prescription for the pill at the onset of puberty. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/58 "2013-11-23T03:44:35Z")
Quote function isn’t working. **Rancloth:** > [@](#): > > ``` > The Prophet Mohammed, Peace Be Upon Him...had Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. An anxiety disorder that affects perhaps 3% of adults, worldwide. And, obviously, nearly two thousand years ago, would have been completely undiagnosed and untreated—save for perhaps interpreting it through [lens of religion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrupulosity). > > ``` Actually OCD is [no longer considered an anxiety disorder in the DSM V](http://pro.psychcentral.com/2013/dsm-5-changes-obsessive-compulsive-and-related-disorders/004404.html): > [@](#): > > According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the publisher of the DSM-5, the major change for obsessive-compulsive disorder is the fact that it and related disorders now have their own chapter. They are no longer considered “anxiety disorders.” This is due to increasing research evidence demonstrating common threads running through a number of OCD-related disorders — obsessive thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/59 "2013-11-23T04:46:10Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I look forward to an age of robot friends. A lot of people find that pathetic or creepy but the reality is people in general are fucked up and robots would be a nice change of events. Robots will be designed to have amazing social skills, be programmed to have empathy and will be extremely intelligent and insightful in the coming decades. People can be full of drama, unreliable, judgmental, boring, self absorbed, cruel, etc. Usually not all at once, but I’m getting more and more disappointed the older I get. > > So yes, I look forward to a time when my best friends are robots I bought. [This is already available!](http://www.gizmag.com/roxxxy-us7000-sex-robot/14063/) Although depending on your budget, you might need to wait a few more years until the price starts to come down. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452/60 "2013-11-23T06:28:43Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > You don’t think they’re not qualified? 😕 I was in a hurry - thanks for catching that! :o Anyway, no, they are not qualified to make _decisions_ for us regarding sex, children, even how to treat each other. We appreciate the guidance, but the decisions are up to us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-that-others-would-find-blasphemy/674452.md?page=4)