There is no surprise that ZJ has become an RUclips star. The man addressed every single point (real time) with absolutely astoundingly remarkably responses. Both TTA and ZJ are both a valuable asset to humanity. I hope you both keep on promoting rational thinking and sane perspectives. May the flying spaghetti monster bless you both with his noodley appendage. =P
To paraphrase you "The worst: arrogance masquerading as humility" Is perhaps the phrase of the century- it cuts through it all and exposes that dark heart of religion. I've muttered these words to myself-- good to see others proclaiming it.
Yo ThinkingAtheist loving this podcast because it talks about broader subjects. I would like to request you put the podcasts in a playlist on your channel. It makes em easier to find.
Finally listened to the whole thing. I don't understand why there are people complaining about the caller Dustin, almost as if they think he shouldn't have called. Personally, I think the more we engage with our ideological opponents the better, because just doing circle-jerk isn't going to get us very far.
@xephyr1000 People always mention the roads! They were built so the legions could march as quickly and easily as possible throughout the Empire, not to benefit the people they conquered. Civilians used them as well but that wasn't their primary purpose. Some are still in used today, paved over with modern materials of course. There seems to be a relationship between Christianity and Mithraism. Mithra's Temple stood exactly where the Vatican now stands, Mithra's priests were celebate, etc.
@xephyr1000 This is just to say what a joy it is to have a courteous, civilised dialogue on RUclips! My experience in the main has been exactly the opposite. Take care.
The rights of an American citizen are not anyone's to give or withhold. The Constitution is predicated on rights being intrinsic to one's humanity and its role is merely to protect them.
@colourmegone Another thing that your post reminded me about is the latest episode of "Wonders of the Solar System" where the host was speaking of the four main moons of Jupiter being named for king of the gods, Jupiter's lovers and he proceeded to list them as Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede... I chuckled knowing that Ganymede was a male and that Jupiter was essentially the Roman equivalent to Yahweh.
I think stereotyping, hating people on the basis of being simply different or because someone said so, or there is a big group of people who say so is an evolutionary trait (and I believe professionals on the field would probably agree). It's imprinted into the back of our minds. But it's also a cultural thing and a religious thing. One would have to be a fool to think that it solely stems from religion, but it's a huge source of it.
@2pacndr Progress, as a social condition, is that which promotes the well-being and advancement of the human condition. Not just procreation. Societies show progress when they embrace tolerance and acceptance and cooperation rather than intolerance, division and rejection.
Dustin @55:00 "We've given you everything you've asked for. We've given you freedom of speech. We've given you freedom of religion. We've given you civil unions." - How arrogant can you get? They weren't yours to give!
29:40 No homosexuals in Iran. Reminds me of Robin Williams (I think) who was once asked why there didn't seem to be many comics in Germany. His instant response was "Maybe you killed them all."
@ZJemptv I asked my BFF and he said, "Well, I'm gay by choice in the sense that I've accepted who I am, and if tomorrow someone announced they had invented a pill you could take to become straight, I can't imagine that I would do it." In that sense, I can follow. Besides, he's a beautiful person and I'm glad he wouldn't feel compelled to change. The evidence that homosexuality is hardwired into the brain demonstrates clearly that being gay is as normal as being left-handed is. continued
I am a huge fan of thethinkingatheist; however, honestly I usually put on the podcasts while I am going to bed, turn down my computer volume, and fall asleep. Not this time. I am kinda pissed. This podcast is so interesting. I have a gay brother, twin brother. I could not go to sleep. Thanks for the podcast. I hope I don't fall asleep at work tomorrow.
I remember coming across Zinnia's videos randomly. Looked like a woman so I thought 'Cool, a female atheist. Let's watch.' Then the voice. My only reaction was 'Oh.' Then again when you're among the fandom part of the internet you kind of get used to people like this. I find it rather humorous that the yaoi community is much like the religious. If you're not a yaoi fan and even argue against it, they claim you're homophobic. I love that, especially when the anti-yaoi happens to be gay.
For me, living in Sweden, where being religious is the exception (I'd guess about 10% are religious here, but I might be wrong), this whole thing about not being afraid to tell people that you are an atheist is very hard to understand.
Haha that's similar to how I told my mom I was an Atheist. We were filling out scholarship apps and I checked the box for "Atheist/non-believer" under the religion section without thinking.
You can see how easily the conversation can go to civil rights, gay rights, and so on when discussing theism. Its not Atheists causing unequal rights, thats for sure.
@Skullpudding Thanks, that's a decent answer. It's how the belief is manifested through action and thought that makes the difference. So by that logic, if the quality of my life and the lives of the people around me are enriched by my belief, then it's okay even if it's not strictly true? It's a slippery slope, but at some point I think you can't use truth as the only benchmark of what's good in life. We're not computers, after all.
I love how that 'feminist' seemed to forget that in some cultures women are dominant... Fail on her part for thinking misogyny is a human trait as it's culturally variable
@colourmegone My favorite recent movie that exemplifies the mysogyny and hatefulness of Christianity is "Agora" which, of course was somewhat enhanced, but still based on evidence concerning Hypatia and the Christian destruction of the Library of Alexandria.
@dogsneedpleasureto I absolutely agree with you. I had problems to express it clearly enough, because I'm not a native English speaker and the 500 character limit of RUclips sucks. But you explained the facts perfectly. Thanks for that!
my computer crashed recently and I lost my bookmarks, there was a really good site debunking creationist arguments and I cant remember what it was, can anyone help me please.
Sometimes being an atheist can be hard, but being gay and atheist must be really challenching, I mean it takes a los of energy traying to defend one of the two... I really hope that in the close future people get more open minds, at least my studens seems to be more open that their parents in both topics, I'm an optimist
@megoofychick "if being gay is a choice, don't you then also believe that you have no more claim to exceptional recognition than someone who is into, say, polygamy?" Here's my perspective on it. It being a choice would not make one any less deserving of the same respect and legal recognition extended to everyone else. "If it's not an objective circumstance, why would anyone sympathize with or support your choice?" The best answer would probably be: because there's no reason not to.
If I, or anyone, could "choose" what gender we're sexually attracted to, why stop at just the gender why not also the ugly, the octogenarian, whatever? We'd never have a problem getting laid.
@ZJemptv continued ...demonstrates clearly that being gay is just as normal as being left-handed is. And given that every gay person I've ever known has said it's not a choice, I'm convinced that it generally isn't. I'm, personally, not about to quit supporting gay rights. I'm not saying it would be *right* for support to wane, but only observing that I think it would. Bigotry based on race or gender, for example, is clearly unfair; those are things that a person can't change... continued
@Hooya2 The jizyah only applies to "People of the Book", which refers to the Bible, Jews and Christians. They're to be given the choice of conversion, paying the jizyah (which is actually an ongoing tax) and being submissive to Muslims, or death. There's no such loophole for atheists, polytheists, etc.
@colourmegone Oh indeed I am aware that they were built primarily for the expressed purpose of allowing the Roman armies to travel more efficiently and be more able to do battle, and my comment about the taxation was tongue in cheek. Still, as you noted, they were also used by civilians, and for the purpose of traveling dignitaries and the expeditious collection of taxes throughout the empire.
@JamesMorlan Yes, the world of DNA is not always black and white. You refer to Klinefelter's syndrome, the Y chromosome results in development of a male. Chimaerism also occurs, so someone is formed from two distinct sets of DNA, sometimes opposite genders, can result in a hermaphrodite, both sets of genitals. Gender assignment surgery is sometimes applied when they're a baby, keeping the more complete set of genitals, long before they discover if their brain thinks they're male or female.
@mordinvan So you think we haven't given our own language enough of a beating? We need to start in on others? I'm open to the idea, but can you recommend a good one?
@megoofychick "People will generally gladly fight for the rights of those subjected to bigotry on the basis of objective circumstances." Totally. But conversely, people will still be bigoted against others on the basis of unchosen attributes, and the lack of choice does little to deter them. Blacks were still hated for being black, despite not having chosen it. (And if they did choose it, would that make racism any more acceptable?) It seems like an awful reason: they can't help being black?
The distortion on you audio makes you sound like a robot. ^_^ Anyway, there is too much in here to comment properly in just 500 chars. But it was a grate show. Thanks for doing it.
@EcstasyOfApostasy A person, who is able to CHOOSE to be gay isn't gay, but bisexual (which many people are, according to Kinsey), because that person has the option to switch between being attracted to males or to females. Gay people, as well as straight people aren't able to switch over to be attracted to the gender, they weren't attracted to before. But I agree, it doesn't matter whether sexual orientation would be a choice or not, when discrimination is concerned.
This was a fun interview except that the host did not quite seem to understand that ZJ is not just a "pot stirring" persona but, is using the expression ZJ used, one that many people "appreciate" in and of itself. Zinnia reminds me of Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane only even smarter and bolder.
@hiruc I don't agree with the guy you're responding to, but there's a culture in the Himalayas where women can take several husbands but not the other way. Look up "polyandry" on wikipedia to answer your question.
Hey, any chance you will ever get your podcast on itunes? I find it so much easier to keep track of all the podcasts I enjoy by that method and your show breaks this trend. It would be great if you could add this onto there.
@2pacndr "So much for the genetic theory." You can't draw a conclusion from one single sample. According to a study at Humboldt University Berlin, there is a probability of 72 %, that if one twin brother is gay, the other one is gay too. With nonidentical twins it's 33-50 %. This is a significant correlation: With two non-related people the percentage would be below 1 %.
Having lived in several different countries outside the US, I've seen some very different ways that people react to homosexuals. There is the standard teasing because of being different, maybe some bullying by dysfunctional people, but generally the reactions, if any, are no where near as heated as what is seen by christians in the 1st world, and certainly muslim fundamentalists. Generally, from what I've seen, hetero men, and women, react to a homosexual, if at all, as funny or odd, compared to the predominate ways people behave. To them, its funny to see a guy act feminine, and funny to see a girl act masculine, and that's about it. Considering the way gays are treated elsewhere in the world, particularly where religion is the rule, getting teased a bit for being different is pretty harmless. People tease people for all kinds of reasons. I think it makes most people stronger in some ways. Ironically, well, predictably, in these places, the local christian missions went out of their way to make the gays' lives miserable. So much for open arms. The locals were fine the way they were before modern religion showed up.
I had to roll away (I'm in a wheelchair lol) from this podcast more than once while Justin was yammering. Finally, I just started forwarding through until I didn't hear him, anymore.
@megoofychick "The danger in presenting homosexuality as a choice is that support from non-homosexuals would likely wane." Why should it, though? Why does that make it any less deserving of support and of equal legal recognition? If it is a choice, it is everyone's freedom to exercise that choice. After all, homosexuality being a choice would likewise imply that heterosexuality was also a choice. Would this, too, erode support for heterosexuals? If not, why?
@colourmegone That is not to say you are wrong about the Roman Empire's very true propensity for collecting gods for all the lands that it conquered. Rome was very much *into* pluralism where religious beliefs were concerned, just so long as the subjects recognized the Ceasar as divine as well and showed him the proper respect as a god. They did indeed bring "all the gods home to Rome." The Jewish god was of no exception to this practice, though I don't think they quite comprehended Judaism.
@83N170 What about people who have an extra chromosome, so they wind up with XXY? What gender do you consider them? You should look up the statistics on babies born with obscure genitalia. There's much more to sex than just our genes. Look up information on the medical phenomena of intersex. Sexual reassignment surgery is about aligning one's outward presentation with the sense one has of one's self in one's mind when the two differ. Listen to the podcast - ZJ commented on this.
Isn't love really just personality and taste compatibility with the addition of loyalty gained over time? Why would you need to view it as something spiritual?
We are actually programmed, by evolution, to listen to advice from figures of authority without question when we are young. Mamma says to baby dont go to the edge of the cliff. Let's just say it doesnt end well for the one who doesnt listen
@FluffyFeralMarmot Prior to understanding that a person's brain has a gender, when infant males encountered complications following circumcision, doctors amputated the genitalia. The parents were advised to raise the child as a female and refrain from mentioning the amputation. Yet the children still displayed typical male traits and, once they were old enough to express it, reported that they felt male. continued
@2pacndr "I have not spoke about my views on love at all" That's exactly the point. You do not relate love to homosexuality, although this is the most important aspect of it. And there are a lot more studies indicating that sexual orientation is influenced by biological factors. For instance, the probability of giving birth to a gay son increases with the number of male kids already born, which indicates influence in the womb.
@colourmegone They evolved from Polytheists to Henotheists who accepted that other gods existed, but forbade the worship of those other gods, even the spouse of Yahweh, Asherah (who is mentioned specifically). Over time they adopted the concept of Monotheism, possibly through exposure to Egypt which briefly TRIED to enforce Monotheism on all Egyptians and their conquered subjects until it was overruled by the priests and polytheism was re-established. Egyptian faith lasted at least 4000+ years.
@gauharjk LOL... And you're pointing that out in relation to Sura 9? That's not a wise move. According to tafsir and strong aHadeeth, Mohammad was the agressor, ordering Pagans to be killed. The Sura begins, "A declaration of immunity from God and His apostle to the idolaters with whom you have made agreements" and includes the infamous "Verse of the Sword" in Sura 9:5. And I think everyone should read it, in its entirety and in context, so they can see exactly how "peaceful" Islam is.
@mordinvan I think a better response would provide a functional, gender-neutral substitute, but that's an entirely hypothetical situation. I don't know enough about linguistics to know if it could even happen.
@2pacndr Humans are animals. The etymology for animal is ''animalis'', which means ''with soul''. It is commonly used to describe objects that moves on it's on, or that makes the illusion it is doing so. Humans are mammals, mammals are vertebrates, vertebrates are animals. The term you are looking for is ''beast'', even people use the ''animal'' instead ''beast'' often.
@xephyr1000 They took the images from the major temples and transported them back to Rome. It was a way of saying "You, your country and your gods now belong to Rome" and they meant it literally! I didn't mean to imply that they were nice guys who embraced foreign cultures. The peoples they conquered were subject to taxation (WITHOUT representation), enslavement or anything else the Romans cared to do, including shipping them off to be killed in the Games. The Roman Empire was not pretty!
@2pacndr You made two assumptions in your comment: #1) that I am a gay proponent and #2) that gay people and gay proponents want to do away with gender roles all together. First, if I am anything, I am pro-human. Don't isolate me to a single cause. I do not favor gays over any other lifestyle, I simply realize that each individual is unique. And I also know that gender roles are completely arbitrary and serve no purpose other than to make certain people comfortable in their judgments.
The Thinking Atheist quoted Quran's chapter 9:3 to stigmatize the religion of Islam. But does he have any idea of the historical context of that chapter? Quran is basically Question-and-Answer type of revelation. So, you have to take into account the context of any Surah in the Quran to actually understand why such a question was asked and answer given.
@megoofychick People are born with the capacity for religion, with a sense of awe, and an ability to connect with the divine. Culture largely dictates how that manifests. One isn't born with innate language abilities, but all humans have the capacity...the biological imperative...the learn. You can say that language is simply vocalizations to assist humans with coordinated behavior and mate selection. But how does that explain Shakespeare, Abe Lincoln, or Metallica?
@2pacndr Consider what you are saying. Enticement implies temptation. People can only be tempted by something they want - that's why it is a temptation. If you don't want it, you're not tempted. If it's a choice between a lesser of two evils, then it's coercion. You simply can't entice a child to eat broccoli if the child doesn't like broccoli, yet it sounds like you think it's easier to get them to have sex with animals if they don't want to.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Big love to ZJ and Seth! 'Huge fan. I finally listened to this back-log and feel better for it.
There is no surprise that ZJ has become an RUclips star. The man addressed every single point (real time) with absolutely astoundingly remarkably responses. Both TTA and ZJ are both a valuable asset to humanity. I hope you both keep on promoting rational thinking and sane perspectives. May the flying spaghetti monster bless you both with his noodley appendage. =P
To paraphrase you "The worst: arrogance masquerading as humility"
Is perhaps the phrase of the century- it cuts through it all and exposes that dark heart of religion.
I've muttered these words to myself-- good to see others proclaiming it.
Another excellent podcast from TTA. I look forward to the next addition.
ZJ is in many ways a truly fascinating person.
Awesome as always. You do the best interviews and have the best guests of any atheist program out there.
Yo ThinkingAtheist loving this podcast because it talks about broader subjects. I would like to request you put the podcasts in a playlist on your channel. It makes em easier to find.
Great interview with ZJ. An hour well spent. I can't believe I somehow missed this for almost a month....
yussssss. Was browsing through this account's podcasts and saw ZJ on here. So excited to watch this--I'm a huge fan of her. :D
Great Guest, Great host, Great show.
thanks for hosting ZJ, it was quite interesting
Amazing job, Zinnia. There are MANY people who love you!!!
I just have to say, bravo. I like your show and your style
I was tuned in. It was good.
Finally listened to the whole thing. I don't understand why there are people complaining about the caller Dustin, almost as if they think he shouldn't have called. Personally, I think the more we engage with our ideological opponents the better, because just doing circle-jerk isn't going to get us very far.
This interview led me to checking out ZJ's channel, and it's great!
I love this podcast
@xephyr1000 People always mention the roads! They were built so the legions could march as quickly and easily as possible throughout the Empire, not to benefit the people they conquered. Civilians used them as well but that wasn't their primary purpose. Some are still in used today, paved over with modern materials of course. There seems to be a relationship between Christianity and Mithraism. Mithra's Temple stood exactly where the Vatican now stands, Mithra's priests were celebate, etc.
@xephyr1000 This is just to say what a joy it is to have a courteous, civilised dialogue on RUclips! My experience in the main has been exactly the opposite. Take care.
The rights of an American citizen are not anyone's to give or withhold. The Constitution is predicated on rights being intrinsic to one's humanity and its role is merely to protect them.
@colourmegone Another thing that your post reminded me about is the latest episode of "Wonders of the Solar System" where the host was speaking of the four main moons of Jupiter being named for king of the gods, Jupiter's lovers and he proceeded to list them as Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede... I chuckled knowing that Ganymede was a male and that Jupiter was essentially the Roman equivalent to Yahweh.
wow, ZJ interviewed, I gotta take a look at this channel
I think stereotyping, hating people on the basis of being simply different or because someone said so, or there is a big group of people who say so is an evolutionary trait (and I believe professionals on the field would probably agree). It's imprinted into the back of our minds. But it's also a cultural thing and a religious thing. One would have to be a fool to think that it solely stems from religion, but it's a huge source of it.
@2pacndr Progress, as a social condition, is that which promotes the well-being and advancement of the human condition. Not just procreation. Societies show progress when they embrace tolerance and acceptance and cooperation rather than intolerance, division and rejection.
Dustin @55:00 "We've given you everything you've asked for. We've given you freedom of speech. We've given you freedom of religion. We've given you civil unions." - How arrogant can you get? They weren't yours to give!
29:40 No homosexuals in Iran. Reminds me of Robin Williams (I think) who was once asked why there didn't seem to be many comics in Germany. His instant response was "Maybe you killed them all."
@ZJemptv I asked my BFF and he said, "Well, I'm gay by choice in the sense that I've accepted who I am, and if tomorrow someone announced they had invented a pill you could take to become straight, I can't imagine that I would do it."
In that sense, I can follow. Besides, he's a beautiful person and I'm glad he wouldn't feel compelled to change.
The evidence that homosexuality is hardwired into the brain demonstrates clearly that being gay is as normal as being left-handed is.
continued
I am a huge fan of thethinkingatheist; however, honestly I usually put on the podcasts while I am going to bed, turn down my computer volume, and fall asleep. Not this time. I am kinda pissed. This podcast is so interesting. I have a gay brother, twin brother. I could not go to sleep. Thanks for the podcast. I hope I don't fall asleep at work tomorrow.
I love that over-the-top intro :)
I'm so jealous. You're lucky to have her on the show, she's awesome. She's lucky to be on your show. You're awesome!
I remember coming across Zinnia's videos randomly. Looked like a woman so I thought 'Cool, a female atheist. Let's watch.' Then the voice. My only reaction was 'Oh.'
Then again when you're among the fandom part of the internet you kind of get used to people like this.
I find it rather humorous that the yaoi community is much like the religious. If you're not a yaoi fan and even argue against it, they claim you're homophobic. I love that, especially when the anti-yaoi happens to be gay.
For me, living in Sweden, where being religious is the exception (I'd guess about 10% are religious here, but I might be wrong), this whole thing about not being afraid to tell people that you are an atheist is very hard to understand.
Haha that's similar to how I told my mom I was an Atheist. We were filling out scholarship apps and I checked the box for "Atheist/non-believer" under the religion section without thinking.
Zinnia is really good!
@OnTheFritz602 God, I thought he would never quit talking.
You can see how easily the conversation can go to civil rights, gay rights, and so on when discussing theism. Its not Atheists causing unequal rights, thats for sure.
@Skullpudding Thanks, that's a decent answer. It's how the belief is manifested through action and thought that makes the difference. So by that logic, if the quality of my life and the lives of the people around me are enriched by my belief, then it's okay even if it's not strictly true?
It's a slippery slope, but at some point I think you can't use truth as the only benchmark of what's good in life. We're not computers, after all.
I love how that 'feminist' seemed to forget that in some cultures women are dominant... Fail on her part for thinking misogyny is a human trait as it's culturally variable
@lazyperfectionist1 Its the best response anyone who's trying to bring awareness to our societies failings with gender could give.
@colourmegone My favorite recent movie that exemplifies the mysogyny and hatefulness of Christianity is "Agora" which, of course was somewhat enhanced, but still based on evidence concerning Hypatia and the Christian destruction of the Library of Alexandria.
"Do I call you 'he' or 'she?'"
"Just pick one."
That's an interesting answer.
I can't find the tribute to Hitchens, could anyone please link it? Regards
I always start to giggle when I hear the famous words of Jim Carrey "And the truth shall set you freeee..."
@dogsneedpleasureto
I absolutely agree with you. I had problems to express it clearly enough, because I'm not a native English speaker and the 500 character limit of RUclips sucks. But you explained the facts perfectly. Thanks for that!
my computer crashed recently and I lost my bookmarks, there was a really good site debunking creationist arguments and I cant remember what it was, can anyone help me please.
@EnXess yeah? name three of the cultures you mention, please.
On the same note, have you ever heard of Peter David?
@megoofychick thankyou, talkorigins was the one I used to look at, I will have a look through ironchariots. Cheers
@BloodPuls3 Not to be rude, but...just exactly what are you wtfing about?
That was a great show; do you get many angry religious callers, TTA?
Sometimes being an atheist can be hard, but being gay and atheist must be really challenching, I mean it takes a los of energy traying to defend one of the two... I really hope that in the close future people get more open minds, at least my studens seems to be more open that their parents in both topics, I'm an optimist
@megoofychick "if being gay is a choice, don't you then also believe that you have no more claim to exceptional recognition than someone who is into, say, polygamy?"
Here's my perspective on it. It being a choice would not make one any less deserving of the same respect and legal recognition extended to everyone else.
"If it's not an objective circumstance, why would anyone sympathize with or support your choice?"
The best answer would probably be: because there's no reason not to.
If I, or anyone, could "choose" what gender we're sexually attracted to, why stop at just the gender why not also the ugly, the octogenarian, whatever? We'd never have a problem getting laid.
Indeed!
@ZJemptv continued
...demonstrates clearly that being gay is just as normal as being left-handed is. And given that every gay person I've ever known has said it's not a choice, I'm convinced that it generally isn't. I'm, personally, not about to quit supporting gay rights.
I'm not saying it would be *right* for support to wane, but only observing that I think it would. Bigotry based on race or gender, for example, is clearly unfair; those are things that a person can't change...
continued
Yeay... GO ZJ!
@Hooya2 The jizyah only applies to "People of the Book", which refers to the Bible, Jews and Christians. They're to be given the choice of conversion, paying the jizyah (which is actually an ongoing tax) and being submissive to Muslims, or death. There's no such loophole for atheists, polytheists, etc.
@colourmegone Oh indeed I am aware that they were built primarily for the expressed purpose of allowing the Roman armies to travel more efficiently and be more able to do battle, and my comment about the taxation was tongue in cheek. Still, as you noted, they were also used by civilians, and for the purpose of traveling dignitaries and the expeditious collection of taxes throughout the empire.
@JamesMorlan Yes, the world of DNA is not always black and white. You refer to Klinefelter's syndrome, the Y chromosome results in development of a male.
Chimaerism also occurs, so someone is formed from two distinct sets of DNA, sometimes opposite genders, can result in a hermaphrodite, both sets of genitals. Gender assignment surgery is sometimes applied when they're a baby, keeping the more complete set of genitals, long before they discover if their brain thinks they're male or female.
@mordinvan So you think we haven't given our own language enough of a beating? We need to start in on others? I'm open to the idea, but can you recommend a good one?
@berkinbuoy nice, why did you comment?
@AaronAlwaysWins
if i choose to be your slave, is that wrong?
@megoofychick "People will generally gladly fight for the rights of those subjected to bigotry on the basis of objective circumstances."
Totally. But conversely, people will still be bigoted against others on the basis of unchosen attributes, and the lack of choice does little to deter them. Blacks were still hated for being black, despite not having chosen it. (And if they did choose it, would that make racism any more acceptable?) It seems like an awful reason: they can't help being black?
The distortion on you audio makes you sound like a robot. ^_^
Anyway, there is too much in here to comment properly in just 500 chars. But it was a grate show. Thanks for doing it.
@EcstasyOfApostasy
A person, who is able to CHOOSE to be gay isn't gay, but bisexual (which many people are, according to Kinsey), because that person has the option to switch between being attracted to males or to females. Gay people, as well as straight people aren't able to switch over to be attracted to the gender, they weren't attracted to before.
But I agree, it doesn't matter whether sexual orientation would be a choice or not, when discrimination is concerned.
This was a fun interview except that the host did not quite seem to understand that ZJ is not just a "pot stirring" persona but, is using the expression ZJ used, one that many people "appreciate" in and of itself. Zinnia reminds me of Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane only even smarter and bolder.
thinking atheist sounds like axl rose
@hiruc I don't agree with the guy you're responding to, but there's a culture in the Himalayas where women can take several husbands but not the other way. Look up "polyandry" on wikipedia to answer your question.
Hey, any chance you will ever get your podcast on itunes? I find it so much easier to keep track of all the podcasts I enjoy by that method and your show breaks this trend. It would be great if you could add this onto there.
@2pacndr
"So much for the genetic theory."
You can't draw a conclusion from one single sample. According to a study at Humboldt University Berlin, there is a probability of 72 %, that if one twin brother is gay, the other one is gay too. With nonidentical twins it's 33-50 %. This is a significant correlation: With two non-related people the percentage would be below 1 %.
@Paulwhoisvegan
The Christian was rambling?
Having lived in several different countries outside the US, I've seen some very different ways that people react to homosexuals. There is the standard teasing because of being different, maybe some bullying by dysfunctional people, but generally the reactions, if any, are no where near as heated as what is seen by christians in the 1st world, and certainly muslim fundamentalists. Generally, from what I've seen, hetero men, and women, react to a homosexual, if at all, as funny or odd, compared to the predominate ways people behave. To them, its funny to see a guy act feminine, and funny to see a girl act masculine, and that's about it. Considering the way gays are treated elsewhere in the world, particularly where religion is the rule, getting teased a bit for being different is pretty harmless. People tease people for all kinds of reasons. I think it makes most people stronger in some ways. Ironically, well, predictably, in these places, the local christian missions went out of their way to make the gays' lives miserable. So much for open arms. The locals were fine the way they were before modern religion showed up.
That Justin guy from Ohio is definitely condescending.
Way too long winded as well.
I had to roll away (I'm in a wheelchair lol) from this podcast more than once while Justin was yammering. Finally, I just started forwarding through until I didn't hear him, anymore.
@megoofychick "The danger in presenting homosexuality as a choice is that support from non-homosexuals would likely wane."
Why should it, though? Why does that make it any less deserving of support and of equal legal recognition? If it is a choice, it is everyone's freedom to exercise that choice. After all, homosexuality being a choice would likewise imply that heterosexuality was also a choice. Would this, too, erode support for heterosexuals? If not, why?
@colourmegone That is not to say you are wrong about the Roman Empire's very true propensity for collecting gods for all the lands that it conquered. Rome was very much *into* pluralism where religious beliefs were concerned, just so long as the subjects recognized the Ceasar as divine as well and showed him the proper respect as a god. They did indeed bring "all the gods home to Rome." The Jewish god was of no exception to this practice, though I don't think they quite comprehended Judaism.
@ShellySummers thanks... could you help me? I'm looking to make a video on discrimintion of TG people.
@83N170 What about people who have an extra chromosome, so they wind up with XXY? What gender do you consider them? You should look up the statistics on babies born with obscure genitalia. There's much more to sex than just our genes. Look up information on the medical phenomena of intersex. Sexual reassignment surgery is about aligning one's outward presentation with the sense one has of one's self in one's mind when the two differ. Listen to the podcast - ZJ commented on this.
@DreamwaIker Neither am I, but I think I may have played too much shadowrun.
Dammit. My network connection prevented me from attending this one!
Isn't love really just personality and taste compatibility with the addition of loyalty gained over time? Why would you need to view it as something spiritual?
@100PercentGreen And btw... I'm in full agreement on the rest of your comment.
We are actually programmed, by evolution, to listen to advice from figures of authority without question when we are young.
Mamma says to baby dont go to the edge of the cliff. Let's just say it doesnt end well for the one who doesnt listen
@FluffyFeralMarmot Prior to understanding that a person's brain has a gender, when infant males encountered complications following circumcision, doctors amputated the genitalia.
The parents were advised to raise the child as a female and refrain from mentioning the amputation. Yet the children still displayed typical male traits and, once they were old enough to express it, reported that they felt male.
continued
@ab0kanal
And what's the difference between choosing to be bi and choosing to be gay?
@2pacndr
"I have not spoke about my views on love at all"
That's exactly the point. You do not relate love to homosexuality, although this is the most important aspect of it.
And there are a lot more studies indicating that sexual orientation is influenced by biological factors. For instance, the probability of giving birth to a gay son increases with the number of male kids already born, which indicates influence in the womb.
@colourmegone They evolved from Polytheists to Henotheists who accepted that other gods existed, but forbade the worship of those other gods, even the spouse of Yahweh, Asherah (who is mentioned specifically). Over time they adopted the concept of Monotheism, possibly through exposure to Egypt which briefly TRIED to enforce Monotheism on all Egyptians and their conquered subjects until it was overruled by the priests and polytheism was re-established. Egyptian faith lasted at least 4000+ years.
@gauharjk LOL... And you're pointing that out in relation to Sura 9? That's not a wise move.
According to tafsir and strong aHadeeth, Mohammad was the agressor, ordering Pagans to be killed. The Sura begins, "A declaration of immunity from God and His apostle to the idolaters with whom you have made agreements" and includes the infamous "Verse of the Sword" in Sura 9:5.
And I think everyone should read it, in its entirety and in context, so they can see exactly how "peaceful" Islam is.
@mordinvan I think a better response would provide a functional, gender-neutral substitute, but that's an entirely hypothetical situation. I don't know enough about linguistics to know if it could even happen.
@2pacndr
Humans are animals. The etymology for animal is ''animalis'', which means ''with soul''. It is commonly used to describe objects that moves on it's on, or that makes the illusion it is doing so. Humans are mammals, mammals are vertebrates, vertebrates are animals. The term you are looking for is ''beast'', even people use the ''animal'' instead ''beast'' often.
@xephyr1000 They took the images from the major temples and transported them back to Rome. It was a way of saying "You, your country and your gods now belong to Rome" and they meant it literally! I didn't mean to imply that they were nice guys who embraced foreign cultures. The peoples they conquered were subject to taxation (WITHOUT representation), enslavement or anything else the Romans cared to do, including shipping them off to be killed in the Games. The Roman Empire was not pretty!
@velourea we don't actually have any gods, and the proper term would be 'nonzero probability' and yes it can do anything given enough time.
@2pacndr You made two assumptions in your comment: #1) that I am a gay proponent and #2) that gay people and gay proponents want to do away with gender roles all together. First, if I am anything, I am pro-human. Don't isolate me to a single cause. I do not favor gays over any other lifestyle, I simply realize that each individual is unique. And I also know that gender roles are completely arbitrary and serve no purpose other than to make certain people comfortable in their judgments.
The Thinking Atheist quoted Quran's chapter 9:3 to stigmatize the religion of Islam. But does he have any idea of the historical context of that chapter?
Quran is basically Question-and-Answer type of revelation. So, you have to take into account the context of any Surah in the Quran to actually understand why such a question was asked and answer given.
@megoofychick People are born with the capacity for religion, with a sense of awe, and an ability to connect with the divine. Culture largely dictates how that manifests.
One isn't born with innate language abilities, but all humans have the capacity...the biological imperative...the learn. You can say that language is simply vocalizations to assist humans with coordinated behavior and mate selection. But how does that explain Shakespeare, Abe Lincoln, or Metallica?
Is the Saw guy the host?
Zinnia Jones IS GREAT!!!!
He/She is one one my favorite RUclipsrs.
- a heterosexual male.
"You are not the minority anymore.." "but, true, you are the minority..." Great.
good work
@2pacndr You got any evidence to show that that is true? Or is it just your phobia speaking?
@2pacndr Consider what you are saying. Enticement implies temptation. People can only be tempted by something they want - that's why it is a temptation. If you don't want it, you're not tempted. If it's a choice between a lesser of two evils, then it's coercion. You simply can't entice a child to eat broccoli if the child doesn't like broccoli, yet it sounds like you think it's easier to get them to have sex with animals if they don't want to.
@FluffyFeralMarmot Is there a man here somewhere claiming to be a woman?