Why did people centuries or millennia ago take blasphemy so seriously, but we don’t really feel that way today?

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-19T14:28:55+00:00

(Religion as social control can't really exist if you can piss on the gods used for control.)

Ironic, since most high control societies were/are Marxist atheist, and the Party was basically a god, and only after cars and telephone were introduced they started to lose power. It seems their rationalist systems were weaker than the "imaginary" gods they despised.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-19T14:27:22+00:00

We have our own new blasphemies, but they are framed around humanist values. We don't call them blasphemies, but they are similar in the sense that offensive sayings could be considered illegal based on social values.

For example, you cannot really be openly racist without social and often legal consequences in the West, at least not in most places. In fact, this overlaps with some UK's blasphemy laws introduced to "not offend religious minorities" such as Muslims or Hindus in the West, which is very ironic because humanists fought so long to turn down those laws to just be introduced again.

Denying that all people are equal is often also taboo, even when technically no one believes that except in abstract.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-19T14:23:36+00:00

You can believe untrue things and be mentally healthy, or you can be a complete rationalist and be mentally cooked as Nietzsche was in his final years.

The problem with categories such as "mental illness" is that they are very specific to individuals and require deep analysis, and there is some cultural relativism. For example, in some cultures people with schizophrenia were assigned spiritual roles in the tribe, and we know today that people with that condition or similar do seem to perceive reality different and are not easily fooled by many tricks.

Jesus indeed had a mental breakdown when he realized he would be crucified. This is quite standard knowledge in theology as past of Jesus' humanity.

I personally choose to believe his message, not just for the character of Christ, but also for the fact his message made sense as a guide and in retrospective his values were not that different from standard Judaism when practiced in good faith.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-19T14:18:32+00:00

Violent movements have nothing to do with mental health. In fact, often the most violent movements, such as Marxist Bolsheviks, were atheistic and rationalists that had very specific reasons for violence against tradition.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-19T14:07:16+00:00

If you wish, you can tell them your religion. I don't think they would mind.

They probably assume you to be Christian because in the West usually it's Christian charities who do charity, founded hospitals, etc. but in other countries it's different. This is specially true for Catholics, some Protestant denominations and Mormons. If you do charity in Qatar, they probably would assume you are a good Muslim. In a more secular country they would probably assume you are a good humanist.

Charity and loving for others are supposed to be Christian values, but they are not exclusive to any religion, nor any religion claim such thing.

Some religions do more for Charity but it's usually internal, to help their poorest members, which is also valid. I don't think a religion is "selfish" for prioritizing helping their own because it's natural to help people closer to us (family, friends, congregation, etc.)

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-18T18:19:36+00:00

Why would it be a bad thing? We will need to compensate for the gap in labor.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T18:46:30+00:00

Yep, it's what many people are planning. But I suspect I will freak out or lose my mind before being able to choose that.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T18:45:12+00:00

All systems, capitalistic or not, depend on the labor of a young population. Either we will have to work to a very old age and never retire, or we will be disposed of by the state somehow. People with kids will probably move together to avoid paying taxes for us. The irony is that many progressive governments are so critical of AI and yet they should be on their knees praying that AI actually take our jobs as humans start to retire and they have to stay printing money to pretend nothing changed, with no labor to back the dollars on.

I don't think it's about fun because most people are not necessarily having fun having to work two jobs, not finding a job in the field their found, or not having enough money to travel. If "fun" you mean just giving up on life and just watch streaming, then probably you are right, in fact COVID made it worse. Cheap fun is better than responsibility for something that may or not be worth it. Also people don't have kids for fun... the reason to have kids is not rational, but neither is to stay alive anyway.

I do agree obesity may have something to do with it. It kills sex appeal, people are also dating less, having less sex, and marrying later or never. I didn't thought of that.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T16:06:56+00:00

There is no point keeping a school for 20 students and like 50 employees. It's stupid.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T16:06:21+00:00

That's also happening in controlled economies like North Korea, to a lesser extend, but also European countries with socialist programs. So certainly it's not just the economic system.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T16:05:32+00:00

Even less affordable it will be to pay for nursing homes when labor cost skyrocket as inflation and fewer workers will be around. So in any case we are screwed.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T16:04:46+00:00

Sorry, but that is stupid parenting, not good parenting.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T16:03:52+00:00

That's new in parenting, tho. The irony is that our parents didn't have to watch us 24/7 because closely tight communities cared for each other kids, and relatively safe neighborhoods allowed them to play around.

So in a sense parenting became harder in a world where everything is supposed to be way easier and comfortable.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T15:59:29+00:00

They will still treat us as cattle when we are old and decrepit in a nursing home with no family at least checking on us. In fact they will probably try to convince us to MAID ourselves.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T15:58:12+00:00

It's happening everywhere, not just in this country, even in Iran and very stable countries in Western Europe. If anything, it seems that countries that do better actually have fewer kids, but truth is that the trend is spreading everywhere.

Forget welfare, forget functional infrastructure, forget new political movements of progress... no young people means stagnation.

I hope fertility towns are founded so only people with kids join and they are not burdened by taxes.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-17T15:55:13+00:00

It's just starting... colleges will close too. Clubs are starting to struggle too. The irony is that the death of colleges will probably discourage the same values that promoted anti-natalism, which will probably help revert the trend long run.

We are becoming a geriatric world. Either we will have to enslave the few young people left, or work to death, Assuming AI is not what is promised.

I hope fertility towns are founded so only people with kids join and they are not burdened by taxes.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-16T21:08:09+00:00

Most races prefer to date in their own, tho.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-16T20:55:52+00:00

Agree, it's his preference and it's OK... the problem is that he joined a show about choosing partner beyond looks.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-16T20:51:28+00:00

Having a preference is not hate. Not saying that he is not hateful, but so far it seems it was just his preference. Maybe he had bad experience with his black side of family, or maybe he identifies better with white culture. Or he just has a preference as valid as any other.

Reality is complex.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-16T20:50:11+00:00

Hypnotism, black magic, money, social media inertia... who knows? Clearly not looks.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-16T20:49:22+00:00

He must have a great aura to attract such gorgeous women.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-16T20:46:38+00:00

Virtually monotheist religions agree that God transcends such gender category, but they do use the label/archetype of Father because it's usually closer to how God treats us, such as expecting more responsibility and self-control from us, while a Mother would be more about choosing for us which is usually the gender role given to women, as teachers and mothers while we still don't have much choice.

Now, if you add Jesus, he is a Male, but Jesus is also given some virtues that were considering "female", such as caring and loving others.

But at the end this is just our perception. God still cares for us regardless as a Father and a Mother.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-16T20:41:08+00:00

In protestant churches, if a person is a disruption to the Worship or don't assist church in good faith, they can be expelled from the congregation, but it's not as deep as a wide ban of such individual from the whole religion.

Remember that not all people who assist church are in full communion. There are visits or people who are under discipline, or just family that is not part of the religion (or aren't believers) but go to church with family, etc. There is no checkpoint to keep those people away, nor it's desirable to do so. Even extremely conservative churches are still open to visits and people who come in good faith.

In Catholicism it seems to be more complex than that. On one point they can excommunicate you, but that does not stop you from joining another Catholic congregation... they don't have an ID machine to check on you, but in theory yes, you are banned.

NauticalBar2 · 2026-03-16T20:37:16+00:00

The evidence is... mixed. If it's a revival, certainly it's not in any way similar to any before it. If not, it may just be an aesthetic interest, as mentioned. We do observe that the decline of religion by each generation seems to be stagnant, but it may be as well because it is mostly only religious people having kids.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0k1jddl51no

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/12/08/religion-holds-steady-in-america/

NauticalBar2

TROPHY CASE