Background info: a splinter group, which broke off from the LDS (“Mormon”) church ~100 years ago, refusing to give up polygamy, has been in the headlines over the last year; their leader was sentenced to life in prison for rape of teenage girls he took as plural wives.
And apparently the rape wasn’t even just statuary. It also had other people present. Creepy. (Incidentally, 12 is preteen!)
According to numerous critics and outside observers, the imprisoned FLDS leader has sometimes acted through his brother Lyle and other times has spoken directly to his congregation over the phone from prison. He recently banned many of the things his followers enjoy: bicycles, ATVs, trampolines, even children’s toys. But the sex edict reaches into the bedrooms of all his devoted followers.
That really seems like a self sabotaging religious doctrine! I’m surprised that the number leaving is so low!
Out of curiosity, what exactly is it about this comment that is prompting people to upvote it. I ask because it is currently my most upvoted comment, whereas other comments that I put far more effort into languish at zero karrma?
My usual interpretation is that most users don’t read more than a fraction of the threads, and there’s a wide readership variance between threads, so a mildly interesting comment on a popular thread will get more upvotes than a very interesting comment on an unpopular thread. The karma score of all the comments in that thread encourages that interpretation.
More generally, I think you’ll do better to consider it evidence against the theory that karma actually measures anything particularly well, than to consider it evidence towards a theory that there’s some particular thing that comment particularly well exemplifies which LW users particularly want to see more of.
And apparently the rape wasn’t even just statuary. It also had other people present. Creepy. (Incidentally, 12 is preteen!)
That really seems like a self sabotaging religious doctrine! I’m surprised that the number leaving is so low!
So am I, which means its time for both of us to revise our models.
The Shakers managed to maintain a stable membership of over a thousand for almost a century despite a blanket prohibition on sex.
Are the FLDS folks planning to adopt kids?
They might have trouble doing it legally.
Out of curiosity, what exactly is it about this comment that is prompting people to upvote it. I ask because it is currently my most upvoted comment, whereas other comments that I put far more effort into languish at zero karrma?
That sort of thing happens.
My usual interpretation is that most users don’t read more than a fraction of the threads, and there’s a wide readership variance between threads, so a mildly interesting comment on a popular thread will get more upvotes than a very interesting comment on an unpopular thread. The karma score of all the comments in that thread encourages that interpretation.
More generally, I think you’ll do better to consider it evidence against the theory that karma actually measures anything particularly well, than to consider it evidence towards a theory that there’s some particular thing that comment particularly well exemplifies which LW users particularly want to see more of.
Or, third option, many are remaining but not obeying the edict.
Bets on claims of virgin/spontaneous births arising from the sect?
In an age of available DNA testing, I expect such claims to be rare indeed.