Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Religion and Spirituality
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 06-30-2015, 12:54 PM
 
Location: Dallas,Texas
1,379 posts, read 1,753,307 times
Reputation: 1482

Advertisements

I see no evidence to suggest that beliefs in the supernatural are anything besides being brain based and not connected to any reality. Humans have all sorts of thoughts that are not based in reality, why should religious beliefs be any different? This explains why there are so many conflicting religions and beliefs surrounding them and also why there is such a variety in the beliefs. Beliefs that are manufactured by human brains and imaginations. Anyone want to agree or disagree?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 06-30-2015, 01:12 PM
 
21,893 posts, read 19,034,671 times
Reputation: 18007
You are using part of your capacity. And you are neglecting to use a whole other portion of capacity that you have.

It is like living in a house that contains within it a room filled with gold and treasures. You are not only unwilling to open the door and enter the room and claim the treasures, you deny the very existence of the room. That is your choice. You have free will.

Last edited by Tzaphkiel; 06-30-2015 at 01:29 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-30-2015, 01:50 PM
 
Location: USA
4,747 posts, read 2,329,483 times
Reputation: 1292
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan2008 View Post
I see no evidence to suggest that beliefs in the supernatural are anything besides being brain based and not connected to any reality. Humans have all sorts of thoughts that are not based in reality, why should religious beliefs be any different? This explains why there are so many conflicting religions and beliefs surrounding them and also why there is such a variety in the beliefs. Beliefs that are manufactured by human brains and imaginations. Anyone want to agree or disagree?
Probably the greatest demarcation between "ancient times" and "modern times" has been the recognition in modern times that things occur in our universe for perfectly natural reasons, rather than for supernatural reasons. This demarcation is a fairly recent occurrence actually, having taken effect basically only in the last three centuries or so. In a universe perceived to work for purely supernatural reasons, the only options open to humans were to pray, hope, and go along with whatever ride the supernatural forces had in mind. If the universe works for perfectly natural reasons however, then those reasons can become known, and once known, be utilized to our own purposes. We are now free to chart our own course, within the limitations imposed by the existing natural laws. We refer to this utilization today as "technology."

One of the features inherent in technology is the unequivocal observation that it actually works. Unlike supernatural cause, technology is not an unfounded assertion because we all live with technology on a daily basis. We are now surrounded by hard evidence that the universe works for natural reasons, and that these reasons, once understood, can be employed for our own benefit.

What is NOT obvious, however, is that the ancient concept of supernatural forces has any actual meaning or effect on the operation of the universe whatsoever. Based on what we know today, the entire concept of supernatural forces was manufactured in the minds of our ancient ancestors as a result of their profound ignorance of the natural forces that the universe actually works in accordance with. A good deal of that ignorance still pervades today, unfortunately. Ironically, it typically pervades quite prevalently among individuals who have managed to become proficient at using the modern technology, but who, in large part, have no real understanding of the science that allows the technology to operate. Ancient ignorance and superstition die hard. Part of the reason for this is that understanding science can be hard. It's much easier to simply conclude that "God did it."
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-30-2015, 02:18 PM
 
28,432 posts, read 11,476,496 times
Reputation: 2070
eveything is brain based.
It has nothing to do with god or no god.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-30-2015, 02:21 PM
 
Location: Texas
44,256 posts, read 64,082,245 times
Reputation: 73913
I was reading something that talked about how we evolved to prefer a religious existence. Because of the advantages of that kind of belief system to an individual and to a society (structure, support, sense of comfort and control, etc). So over time the people who believe in that kind of stuff propagated more so than the people who did not gain the societal advantages of it. It's kind of funny that believing in religion is part of a human beings' evolution. Hahaha. Religion and evolution. One and the same.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-30-2015, 02:40 PM
 
Location: USA
18,423 posts, read 9,048,002 times
Reputation: 8462
Quote:
Originally Posted by stan4 View Post
I was reading something that talked about how we evolved to prefer a religious existence. Because of the advantages of that kind of belief system to an individual and to a society (structure, support, sense of comfort and control, etc). So over time the people who believe in that kind of stuff propagated more so than the people who did not gain the societal advantages of it. It's kind of funny that believing in religion is part of a human beings' evolution. Hahaha. Religion and evolution. One and the same.
I have heard that theory as well. Essentially, people who have the ability to "believe what they know ain't so" can better cope with life and therefore have a survival advantage. Even today I'd be willing to bet that the religious have more children than the non-religious, due to the false hope that religion gives. Anyone have any data on birth rates vs. religion?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-30-2015, 02:54 PM
 
28,432 posts, read 11,476,496 times
Reputation: 2070
you guys mean people are thinking up stuff that we do is some how based on evolution/natural selection, no way.

everything we do is based on the brain, how does it prove no nothing again?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-30-2015, 03:06 PM
 
Location: USA
4,747 posts, read 2,329,483 times
Reputation: 1292
Quote:
Originally Posted by stan4 View Post
I was reading something that talked about how we evolved to prefer a religious existence. Because of the advantages of that kind of belief system to an individual and to a society (structure, support, sense of comfort and control, etc). So over time the people who believe in that kind of stuff propagated more so than the people who did not gain the societal advantages of it. It's kind of funny that believing in religion is part of a human beings' evolution. Hahaha. Religion and evolution. One and the same.
I don't see this as an evolutionary process at all, but instead the natural outgrowth of human intelligence, inquisitiveness and observation at work. Imagine for example, witnessing a massive tornado. Now imagine that you are completely ignorant of things like barometric pressures, the effect of cold dry air on warm humid air, and pretty much ANYTHING else concerning the natural forces here on Earth at work. With no other way to interpret a tornado, a big scary supernatural monster would be the obvious conclusion. Ancient peoples all over the world, with no means to understand the natural processes at work, can be can be excused for reaching the conclusion that supernatural forces were at work. There is far less excuse for this sort of supernatural ignorance today however.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-30-2015, 09:20 PM
 
Location: Texas
44,256 posts, read 64,082,245 times
Reputation: 73913
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tired of the Nonsense View Post
I don't see this as an evolutionary process at all, but instead the natural outgrowth of human intelligence, inquisitiveness and observation at work. Imagine for example, witnessing a massive tornado. Now imagine that you are completely ignorant of things like barometric pressures, the effect of cold dry air on warm humid air, and pretty much ANYTHING else concerning the natural forces here on Earth at work. With no other way to interpret a tornado, a big scary supernatural monster would be the obvious conclusion. Ancient peoples all over the world, with no means to understand the natural processes at work, can be can be excused for reaching the conclusion that supernatural forces were at work. There is far less excuse for this sort of supernatural ignorance today however.
Evolution comes in because those people who are able to take comfort in a supernatural explanation were ones who were able to survive better. This was passed on, etc.

Oh, of course you'd have to be a blithering moron now.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-30-2015, 10:16 PM
 
Location: USA
4,747 posts, read 2,329,483 times
Reputation: 1292
Quote:
Originally Posted by stan4 View Post
Evolution comes in because those people who are able to take comfort in a supernatural explanation were ones who were able to survive better. This was passed on, etc.

Oh, of course you'd have to be a blithering moron now.
There is now an entire sub culture made up almost exclusively of Christian conservatives that contend, quite seriously, that dinosaurs never existed. According to them, dinosaurs have been entirely fabricated by scientists. Blithering morons still abide.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6bM-FHdBfY

My first question upon watching this was, is this for real, or is she putting us on? The possibility that there are people living among us that are really this dumb is depressing. But then I watch the video of the crazy Christian lady and my question is answered.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOpva_iit-8
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Religion and Spirituality
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top