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I'm kind of wondering out loud here. Did evolution produce part in the brain which produced only a thought that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead? It's all an illusion?
I like to think that all mankind have an innate desire for some higher power because our very cells, genes, whatever experienced God with our first parents, Adam and Eve. From then all that information was transferred to each generation in our cells/brains/whatever. Those who think they don't have this in their being may have learned how to shut that voice off. Or there is just so much crap going on in their lives that the primal information gets overwhelmed to where it can't talk to the individual. What do you think?
I'm kind of wondering out loud here. Did evolution produce part in the brain which produced only a thought that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead? It's all an illusion?
Organisms started cooperating. Cooperating organisms had a survival advantage. Cooperating organisms evolved a moral code followed by all to ensure best possible cooperation and therefore best chances of survival. Rudimentary versions of these moral codes can be observed in animals such as bonobos and mongooses. Altruism in animals - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Those codes were incorporated into judicial systems ensuring that those who didn't follow the codes were suitably punished which of course prevented antisocial behavior. They were also incorporated into religions where those who didn't follow the moral codes were suitably punished with eternal hellfire. Same principle, same results. Less antisocial behavior, higher likelihood of survival. Religion had an advantage though. It played on the survival instinct in us all and promised us eternal survival if we followed the moral codes. Which is why religion became so widespread. The promise of more to gain if we followed the codes and worse punishment if we didn't ensured better adherence to the codes. So religion is a logical result of evolution.
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I like to think that all mankind have an innate desire for some higher power because our very cells, genes, whatever experienced God with our first parents, Adam and Eve. From then all that information was transferred to each generation in our cells/brains/whatever. Those who think they don't have this in their being may have learned how to shut that voice off. Or there is just so much crap going on in their lives that the primal information gets overwhelmed to where it can't talk to the individual. What do you think?
Except for the supernatural stuff you are on the right track. Many brains are more or less wired for religion. Perhaps you can look at it as a fork in the road. People who are logically inclined such as many atheists take the left road understanding what I have explained above, people who are religiously inclined take the right road. Unfortunately some people are so thoroughly religiously hardwired that they have followed their road to a point that they can't see the left road and have forgotten that a left road paved with logic and reason even exists. But deep down there's a core of logic and reason which strives to shine through and causes terrible confusion, hence for instance all the different creation scenarios, some of which try to fuse logic and reason (evolution) with belief in creation by deities creating a terrible mess in the process.
Which stories? Like the entire world being flooded (by water that just ... materializes out of nowhere, then just disappates, back to ... nowhere)? Like all the animals of the world being held on the ark (how did those koalas get from Australia to board the ark, not to mention the penguins -- nearest ones to the Middle East are in southern Africa -- and bison from North America and so forth)? Seas being parted? People turning into columns of salt? The Earth, halting in its rotation? Whales swallowing people who survive the ordeal?
And that's just the beginning of the stories in it that are "so believable" ...
The bible is believable to many because it embraces and makes relevant much older, deeper philosophical ideas and archetypes that are often very difficult to put a finger on but are extremely important to the human experience nevertheless.
People need to realize it's those archetypes and philosophies that "ring true" and are of real importance, not the fluff and fairy tales they are wrapped up in. To embrace a literalistic interpretation (with OR without belief) of the bible is to take the low perspective and deny oneself the true meaning and value of book.
But of course the Bible is hardly the only source of such insight!
I'm kind of wondering out loud here. Did evolution produce part in the brain which produced only a thought that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead? It's all an illusion?
It's certainly something that occurred to me right back when a poster raised the evolutionary advantage or religious faith. I am also inclined to see fear of death, the dark, the unknown and curiosity, patriotism and dancing as evolved instincts which are part of our survival - make-up.
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I like to think that all mankind have an innate desire for some higher power because our very cells, genes, whatever experienced God with our first parents, Adam and Eve. From then all that information was transferred to each generation in our cells/brains/whatever. Those who think they don't have this in their being may have learned how to shut that voice off. Or there is just so much crap going on in their lives that the primal information gets overwhelmed to where it can't talk to the individual. What do you think?
We have an innate desire (that's the way I'm inclining) to see patterns where there aren't any, meaning where there isn't any and a destiny mapped out for ourselves where there isn't any. Thus we still believe in astrology, Natural disasters as some sort of instructive lesson and the delusion that it always rains when we want to go out and there's never a cab about when you need one. We are very good at deluding ourselves.
It takes the effort of a few simple experiments to show that we are misinterpreting the data. It is up to the individual whether they listen to the results or dismiss it and just go with their particular brand of delusion.
..... On the world stage of "What Rates VS What Doesn't"....BIBLE/CHRISTIANITY has been seated in office for thousands of years.
In recent elections...Atheism comes in just trailing FSM, slightly ahead of IPUs, and has never been a factor. .....
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Originally Posted by GldnRule
..... In the Arena of World Influence "Belief in the Bible & Christianity" has been the Grand Champion for thousands of years... .....
The truth is that you have to combine all 30,000+ versions of Christianity to make Christianity larger than Islam (combining the few variants). In terms of influencing the governments of the world, I think you are overstating the impact of Christianity. There are several countries on the globe that have Islamic governments, with HUGE religious influence within their governments.
We have an innate desire (that's the way I'm inclining) to see patterns where there aren't any, meaning where there isn't any and a destiny mapped out for ourselves where there isn't any. Thus we still believe in astrology, Natural disasters as some sort of instructive lesson and the delusion that it always rains when we want to go out and there's never a cab about when you need one. We are very good at deluding ourselves.
It takes the effort of a few simple experiments to show that we are misinterpreting the data. It is up to the individual whether they listen to the results or dismiss it and just go with their particular brand of delusion.
Do you think though that a few astrologers got it right? Some are very good at it. Not that I would go to an astrologer.
On another funny note, these fortune tellers set up a sign for a meeting in a town that said: "Meeting called off due to unforeseen circumstances." Serious.
Not long ago here in Michigan there were a bunch of fortune tellers who were going to descend upon Lapeer, Michigan, but the town fathers said NO to the event. So the fortune tellers were upset. Well if they could really tell the future why were they upset? They would have told those town fathers that "We knew you wouldn't let us have our meeting in the first place" if they could foretell the future. Right?
Originally Posted by Na'vi Pathetic really isn't it, or is that you, oops.
You said I don't know the English language very well. But you asked a question without putting a question mark (?) at the end of your sentence. And you are mixing up your "it" with "that" in your sentence.
Now then, I'm not sure what you mean by "Pathetic really isn't it." Could you elaborate so I can know what you are trying to communicate? Thanking you in advance.
One of the things Navi was probably referring to as "pathetic" in your posts was when you said:
"A goatherd is not a shepherd and a shepherd is not a goatherd. A shepherd herds and takes care of the goatherd."
You don't make any sense when you say that a shepherd herds and takes care of the person that herds goats (goatherd).
The truth is that you have to combine all 30,000+ versions of Christianity to make Christianity larger than Islam (combining the few variants). In terms of influencing the governments of the world, I think you are overstating the impact of Christianity. There are several countries on the globe that have Islamic governments, with HUGE religious influence within their governments.
Fact is...Theism (God Belief/God Exists Concept) is the most powerful and world/people influencing thing/entity/concept EVER...and Christianity is like the President & CEO, while Islam is the second in command.
And though this bothers the adherents to the concept: Atheism isn't, has never been, and probably never will be, much of a factor.
That IS the way it IS, that IS the way it has been, and that IS the way it IS going to be.
See, it doesn't matter whether the Bible & Christianity (or any other religious text or concept) is believed by the people who do because they are "real" or "fake"...the fact is, they ARE believed. Thus, the influence is the same...regardless of the doctrines and stories actually being true or not.
I gave a "paper currency" analogy once: It's REALLY only paper and ink, and has no actual TRUE or intrinsic value. But as long as people BELIEVE/PERCEIVE it has value...it REALLY DOES have value.
And THAT is what REALLY counts in this world: What people BELIEVE/PERCEIVE.
And most don't sweat headtrips about whether something passes the muster of the Scientific Method, pure logic, pure reason, empirical proof, or objective facts...none of that means squat when it comes to real influence in this world. What people BELIEVE is what matters to them, and thus motivates/influences them.
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