100 college things 70: another gem from "technopoly"

[alexseanchai]

The form of a question may ease our way or pose obstacles. Or, when even slightly altered, it may generate antithetical answers, as in the case of the two priests who, being unsure if it was permissible to smoke and pray at the same time, wrote to the Pope for a definitive answer. One priest phrased the question "Is it permissible to smoke while praying?" and was told it is not, since prayer should be the focus of one's whole attention; the other priest asked if it is permissible to pray while smoking and was told that it is, since it is always appropriate to pray.

And this, gentlefolks, is why more than half of the US population is pro-life and more than half is pro-choice.

Comments

[silveradept]

That would do it, yes. Aren't people supposed to be controlling for that sort of thing when they poll, though?

[alexseanchai]

Supposed to, I'm sure. Actually doing it?

I may burn this book when I'm done reading it. This is not a drill. Commercializing Christmas is cultural rape, you see. And it's more important to have a "national culture" than to have a culture in which women, people of color, queer people, et al participate. Or so the author says. Well, to hell with this author.

[silveradept]

To the Darkness Beyond Time with them - it sounds like jingoistic claptrap, even if there are a few nuggets of wisdom in the by accident.