Is Religion Ridiculous?

David Horowitz's NewsReal Blog ^ | December 4, 2010 | Walter Hudson

[The Comedian]

I have yet to discover any sort of middle ground between jumping the chasm and falling to your death.

Here we founder on the rocks of metaphor. "falling to your death," eh? It does happen.

You lost me.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Gene Eric]

Thank you for your comments and welcome to FR.

[dr_lew]

You start with physical death as the basis of a metaphor for the end or demise of more abstract constructs: “The death of an idea”, “the death of a business”. These referents of the metaphor have been called metaphrands, so what is the metaphrand in your case? A spiritual death, I guess. But spiritual life is advocated to be something TRANSCENDING physical death, so when you say “falling to your [spiritual] death” I guess you mean “Really really really really REAL death” as Ernest might say.

But what did you use to express this? The metaphor of physical death ... falling to death, which holds special terror to many, grounded in millions of years of evolution. So how can this be anything other than really really really really REAL death after all?

I just don’t think these airy rhetorical flights can ever get away from it.

[jmacusa]

Well thank you very much.

[The Comedian]

You start with physical death as the basis of a metaphor for the end or demise of more abstract constructs: “The death of an idea”, “the death of a business”. These referents of the metaphor have been called metaphrands, so what is the metaphrand in your case? A spiritual death, I guess. But spiritual life is advocated to be something TRANSCENDING physical death, so when you say “falling to your [spiritual] death” I guess you mean “Really really really really REAL death” as Ernest might say.

I didn't start with physical death as the basis of a metaphor, I used the term "death" to define the termination of a quickened or potentially quickened state.

But what did you use to express this? The metaphor of physical death ... falling to death, which holds special terror to many, grounded in millions of years of evolution. So how can this be anything other than really really really really REAL death after all?

You're externalizing. And making a lot of assumptions as to the perceptions of the audience which, coincidentally, I don't think I share (because your assertion is somewhat cloudy).

I just don’t think these airy rhetorical flights can ever get away from it.

Yup. You lost me again. I try to avoid rhetoric. I was describing a metaphysical certainty.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Gene Eric]

If you haven't visited this thread, you may find it interesting:

One Mediator Between God and Men: CHRIST JESUS

The thread illustrates through flailing contradictions why Christianity is not subordinate to, or defined by one's religion.

[jmacusa]

Thanks again I’ll check it out.

[Joya]

Thank you for the ping.

Here’s a link to a wonderful site,

http://www.andiesisle.com/creation/magnificent.html

[Quix]

thx thx

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[metmom]

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