Is the oldest profession prostitute or preacher?

I get your point and I agree why prostitution is called the oldest profession and I do admit that prostitution as a phenomenon (but not as a profession) may be as old as it gets.

That argument is based on faulty reasoning; you are looking the phenomenon thru our norms and traditions. The idea that a man has to ask permission from a woman with whom he is going to have sex is quite a recent invention. Even if one wasn’t allowed to take any woman in his own tribe, one could always raid the neighboring tribe and steal their daughters as future wives/sex slaves. Why would one pay for something that one could just take?

As a profession prostitution would have required some amount of stability from the society, some surplus goods, some amount of morality, some amount of gender equality, some amount of labor division etc. Such a society would be rather developed and most likely have already invented some other professions, before establishing prostitution a as profession would be possible. Also, there must have been a shortage of suitable slaves.

That’s why I wrote it in Greek, you angles have funny way of converting names. We call him Hesiodos.

 

No, I'm not assuming that a women's permission necessarily had to be obtained, though it certainly would be helpful. It's also probable that males were limiting access to female recreation, too. So available females were likely to be limited, even back into pre-human times.

 

Re: Of Paladins and Prostitutes

But isn't that the way religion works?

Take a little bit here and a little bit there of the old religions that might be useful in controlling the masses and call it a "new" religion.

Of course you would need to incorporate parts of the old religion to make the new religion a weeee bit more palatable to the people you would be selling the new religion to.

I mean, how better to control someone than to have them believe there is an "all seeing and all knowing" magic eyeball in the sky?

Personally, I believe there is a "God". I just don't believe he needs someone in the church business to get his message to me.

This is of course just my personal current belief and I do respect everyone's choice of faith.

 

Oh great! Another thread split!

Religion seems to be a matter of opinion and personal needs. If it works for you, then it is probably valid. The point is it's a matter of faith.

Religious beliefs don't have to be justified based on logic and facts. Anyone who professes atheism is also expressing a belief based on faith, as is their right.

Most religions seem to be intelligent, honest, perceptive people trying to explain poorly understood things based on the knowledge of their day.

An example might be when people ask me about chi, or ki, at my karate school. I tell the new students that it works if you act as if it works. It's probably not be an accurate description of what is actually happening. Breath control is an important part of martial arts and sports (though not self-defense). A deep, insightful understanding of the underlying biomechanical processes is not necessary. To me, it is only peripherally some sort of religious belief.

 

I have to say that what Gaear said is profound wisdom and I have decided to convert to Gaearism.

What time are the services and will there be pie?

I like pie!

 

The only time I've ever gotten into discussions about the truth of some religion (I'm atheist but could be wrong) is whenever someone tries to prove their religious beliefs to me. Rather than asserting my own belief, I simply point out the incompleteness of their proof with a few pointed questions, which generally baffle true believers in whatever, and has no effect, other than to irritate them and increase the general volume and decrease the personal space.

I have given up even on this, what I thought mild, approach. Religion is, in my opinion, a conversation topic to be avoided.

But sometimes I can't resist. Can't help myself.

 

I read a article once which said religions spread just like a virus.

The sad thing about religion is when it goes from a code to live by, or a belief system,
which helps you through this crazy mixed up thing we call life, and becomes a form of social control.

 

A personal code to live by IS a form of social control.

 

I think both instances illustrate that someone who tries to assert the truth of any belief which is faith based (and my atheism falls into that category), can be easily frustrated in argument. It's pretty much the easiest argument to defeat. Doing so, though, is no way to make friends.