Delta comments on Mere Messiahs - Less Wrong

42 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 02 December 2007 12:49AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (83)

Sort By: Old

You are viewing a single comment's thread.

Comment author: Delta 22 November 2012 11:33:46AM 2 points [-]

I'd say the same applies to Catholics' aggrandisement of the Virgin Mary. Catholics are supposed to try to emulate someone whose virtue was so great before she was even conceived that she was born free from original sin (something no-one else can claim according to the appaling original sin doctrine). She then receives messages from god, bears his child (becoming both virgin and mother, a combination of virtuous states no-one else can achieve) and is bodily claimed into heaven. Isn't a human being who actually struggles with temptation, someone who overcomes actual weaknesses and flaws a better and more useful role model and example than this super-powered, divine intervention-fuelled juggernaut of unmatchable virtue? What can those seeking how to be good learn from someone to whom the mere notion of being bad is completely alien?