Religious/Aspie views on vices

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I thought of something interesting. Without naming any particular religion or their veiws, I know that some religions or groups have a lot to say about many vices (including ANYTHING sexual, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, other substances, swearing, gambling, hedonistic or "wild" behaviors, etc.). These things are often labelled as "sins". Then again, I noticed that myself and other Aspies despise such things because they are considered "social" or "popular". Is there a link between Asperger's and religion here? I understand that many people turn to religion because they can't fit in or have nowhere else to go. Not saying that anyone in religion has mental issues (although there are many that do) but I was just wondering if there is some sort of connection with that wondering that there may be "something else out there" and that "common pleasures are just plain wrong".

Seems implausible.

History and anthropology shows pretty well every society approves some behaviors and abhors others. The ancient Persians were shocked at the indecency of the Greeks. So would most modern Americans be. Tribe A is shocked at Tribe B because their women wear long hair and they eat grubs. Bribe B is shocked at Tribe A because their men are circumcized and they cut down the sacred tree for firewood.

Some "sins" work to stop the spread of disease (no eating pork, no adultry, etc) and others work to keep society a somewhat domectic place (no random murder, no coveting).

The idea that pleasure is wrong can often be attributed to the gnostic rise of thought in the early centuries AD. The idea that souls and bodies are seperate was taking hold at the time and many came to the conclusion that if they ignored the physical world (did not desire or need it) it would give their contrasting spiritual side more room to grow and prosper.

The gnostics were stamped out pretty hardcore in the forth century, but you can see how the ideas shaped western religious thought, even still. These ideas, as far as I can see, last well into the late medieval times with Descartes and his peers ('animal messengers' ideas) and don't really fade until the mechanistic universe paradigm takes hold.

The position of the text is that these things should be avoided not because it hurts God(you can't hurt God), or because it is for God or the religions benefit, but because of your benefit and the benefit of others who may be affected by it.

But if you use... then use responsibly and in moderation. And if you do sin, don't carry the lord's name in vain while using via wearing your religiosity on your sleeve or while being a representitive of God.

Kids are such joys, but then many parents take the approach of using a scare figure like the boogieman or whatever to threat kids if they do something wrong, rather than talk to them about the consequences of doing that thing wrong. They also invent Santa Claus to make sure the kids also get to do good stuff, instead of teaching the kids why they should be doing that "good stuff".

Of course, we do this because we believe that kids can't reason or understand actual arguments that justify why they shouldn't do somethings and why they should do other things. We consider them to be brainless.

Sins of a religion is what happens when an adult man seems to need that sort of logic as well. "You avoid having two girlfriends or else you go to hell". Rather than " if you do it it will be a huge mess up and it is not going to end well". Of course, many of the sins taught by religions are actual things that it is for your own good that you should not do. However, religions were invented so that people don't have to explain to you why they are wrong.

The problem comes once you finally realize that you are a grown up man and you start making your own calls about certain choices. Because although religions were probably right in the "Don't kill", "Don't steal" things. There are many other things that are blurry at best and there are also "sins" that are actually not that wrong. We can eat pork now that we know that it should be well-cooked. We could get stem cell treatment (if it actually worked). We can have sex before marriage if we make sure to be responsible (and that is surely possible now that we have invented contraception). Many of us have also evolved over that whole idea that infidels should be killed.

So, with time, society and technology advance and we get better knowledge about what actions are truly bad for you and which aren't. If only religions weren't written in stone. The reason you shouldn't steal is because it disrupts society in a negative way and not because you will go to hell. You shouldn't sleep with your best friend's wife not because god would send you to hell but because you three will end up in a bad situation once he finds out, and he will. You shouldn't kill not only because if we were all allowed to kill society would return to jungle times but also because you will have to live with it and it will mess you up. Etc.

I bring up again my African friend.

The two families -

"Telling stories by day is bad Karma and Taboo and the cows will all die"

"Telling stories by day will let the cows eat Omulosi's millet fields and if that happens you get whupped".

Religious or not - some people will treat children and adults as equal humans and will do right because they see the reason or feel its rightness.

Religious or not - some people will treat children and adults as low potential ignoramuses and will do what the book says - neither more nor less - because the book or the guru says it.

I am an Aspie who cherishes his own vices.

ruveyn

It's inevitable that people will do them. As long as it's not harming or defrauding anyone else, leave people the hell alone.