norton65ca Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 lol, I'm also getting ready for a day at the office, but I'll be online this evening, birds are chirping here, it's early in the morning as I write this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 I don't think we are hardwired to believe/worship one thing or the other, not like we are hardwired for language etc I think it has more to do with us being death aware. We stand alone in that respect. We know we are going to die, and for many years that has proved a troublesome thought. Most human behaviours can come down to being death aware, ambition being an example. We want to do something with our lives, because we know we have only x amount of time. No other animal has made this jump, and it is this which religion initially helped with. I do however think some people have a greater... Predilction for worship. I'm unsure if that behaviour is biological or not, but I know a lot of people side with the idea of a 'religion' gene. Dawkins (among others) was perceptive imo when he said that religion was probably a "memeplex" made up of a combination of different psychological biases. I'm inclined to believe that these factors play important roles in determining people's genetic susceptibility to religion: 1. Intensity of fear of death 2. Propensity towards / Level of need for worship of authority figures 3. Inclination towards independence of thought (nothing to do with belligerence) 4. Propensity towards attribution of sentient qualities to inanimate objects (e.g. believing that there's a sheep in the sky when it's just a cloud shaped like an animal) 5. Level of scepticism / Level of tendency towards deep thought List is by no means exhaustive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 From past threads that I've read on this forum about this topic (while I was a believer and since...), It's a pretty hostile crowd from the perspective of the believer, so I would think it would take a fairly enthusiastic and knowledgeable Christian to declare himself. (By knowledgeable, he'd have to be prepared both biblically speaking and specifically in apologetics.) This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 BOF wrote: Sorry to hear that Baz. Same here, good luck hope you get there in time. Yeah, thanks for that. Just got back, probably seen him for the last time. Hopefully you'll spare him that speech. He never went to church, I really don't know what he believes is about to happen to him. He isn't really lucid any more, if he was, well I don't think I'd have the stomach to have that conversation with anybody staring the great abyss so starkly in the face. I just think goodbye's and memories would be the line of conversation more appropriate to that situation TBH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Feelings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Feelings? What do you mean, mine? Now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Sorrow, pain, sadness, also guilt that I didn't visit him as much. I'm pretty sure they're all very common feelings we all have at these times. It's hard to process death. I guess I should feel happy for the life he has had. He's lived to a grand old age, 4 children, countless grandchildren, great grandchildren. It's as nature intended, the genes go on, the process continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Hmmm, I don't know what to say other than "I'm sorry for your loss and I feel a little bit of it too, but it sounds like you are already getting over it which is a good thing" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awol Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 From past threads that I've read on this forum about this topic (while I was a believer and since...), It's a pretty hostile crowd from the perspective of the believer, so I would think it would take a fairly enthusiastic and knowledgeable Christian to declare himself. (By knowledgeable, he'd have to be prepared both biblically speaking and specifically in apologetics.) Or, secure in the belief that their souls will be saved anyway ( :winkold: ) why bother engaging in the thread equivalent of trench warfare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 10, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 10, 2012 From past threads that I've read on this forum about this topic (while I was a believer and since...), It's a pretty hostile crowd from the perspective of the believer, so I would think it would take a fairly enthusiastic and knowledgeable Christian to declare himself. (By knowledgeable, he'd have to be prepared both biblically speaking and specifically in apologetics.) Or, secure in the belief that their souls will be saved anyway ( :winkold: ) why bother engaging in the thread equivalent of trench warfare? Because if you don't keep shooting at the enemy, your trench will soon be theirs ;-) (And once a year during Yuletide we can meet in the middle for a game of footer ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Religion is only there to make people fear and to keep people under control, start wars and such. I found it hard studying law and realising I had to get people to swear an oath to some imaginary man/beast/thing. I'd get the piss taken out of me if I told people to swear on Harry Potters life they would not lie. **** stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Obama now openly supports gay marriage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norton65ca Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 great news. the forces arrayed against this progressive step (even it may have been a cynical bit of political posturing) are firmly rooted in fundamentalism. This reactionary mob will stop at nothing to ensure their particular version of morality is enforced. There are people on the fundie side of things that promote "theonomy" or Christian Dominionism, which if you look into, are really quite frightening, to say the least, and these nutters have the ear of very powerful and influential people in America. Look up Gary North for example, a leader in this movement. Theonomy presents a version of government founded on biblical principles, including such delightful things as the death penalty for blasphemy among other fascinating ideas. These people are serious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumerican Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Wouldn't the death penalty for blasphemy fly in the face of "thou shall not kill" ? Basically ignoring the far more severe commandment to uphold a petty one ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endof Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 No religion=No war Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Basically ignoring the far more severe commandment to uphold a petty one ? Blasphemy is the unforgivable sin, it's obvious it's by far the more severe of the two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted May 11, 2012 Author VT Supporter Share Posted May 11, 2012 No religion=No warSorry, but that is untrue. Religion is frequently used as the pretext for war, but it's rarely the real reason. War is usually about resources - land, water, oil - and general tribal/nationalistic rivalry. Sometimes at the behest of a powerful dictator, but always with the complicity of the military/industrial complex. But I agree that if there were no religion they'd have to be a bit more cunning in finding ways to get the cannon fodder onside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 There will always be war. Also, a right-wing christian is a paradox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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