I never really doubt many of us in here have them Pat. We have perhaps proved better at accepting this than being able to explain the tenets - even when we squabble it's pretty clear that's what we are doing, rather than learning to hate our differences, or finding ways to create such hate in a sect.
On 10 Feb, 13:12, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > On 10 Feb, 04:50, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > This is an extract from a recent article. > > The details surrounding the emergence and evolution of religion have > > not been clearly established and remain a source of much debate among > > scholars. Now, an article published by Cell Press in the journal > > Trends in Cognitive Sciences on February 8 brings a new understanding > > to this long-standing discussion by exploring the fascinating link > > between morality and religion. > > > There is no doubt that spiritual experiences and religion, which are > > ubiquitous across cultures and time and associated exclusively with > > humans, [actually something similar seems to have been observed in > > chimps] are ultimately based in the brain. However, there are many > > unanswered questions about how and why these behaviors originated and > > how they may have been shaped during evolution. > > > "Some scholars claim that religion evolved as an adaptation to solve > > the problem of cooperation among genetically unrelated individuals, > > while others propose that religion emerged as a by-product of pre- > > existing cognitive capacities," explains study co-author Dr. Ilkka > > Pyysiainen from the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. Although > > there is some support for both, these alternative proposals have been > > difficult to investigate. > > > Dr. Pyysiainen and co-author Dr. Marc Hauser, from the Departments of > > Psychology and Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, used > > a fresh perspective based in experimental moral psychology to review > > these two competing theories. "We were interested in making use of > > this perspective because religion is linked to morality in different > > ways," says Dr. Hauser. "For some, there is no morality without > > religion, while others see religion as merely one way of expressing > > one's moral intuitions." > > > Citing several studies in moral psychology, the authors highlight the > > finding that despite differences in, or even an absence of, religious > > backgrounds, individuals show no difference in moral judgments for > > unfamiliar moral dilemmas. The research suggests that intuitive > > judgments of right and wrong seem to operate independently of explicit > > religious commitments. > > > "This supports the theory that religion did not originally emerge as a > > biological adaptation for cooperation, but evolved as a separate by- > > product of pre-existing cognitive functions that evolved from non- > > religious functions," says Dr. Pyysiainen. "However, although it > > appears as if cooperation is made possible by mental mechanisms that > > are not specific to religion, religion can play a role in facilitating > > and stabilizing cooperation between groups." > > > Perhaps this may help to explain the complex association between > > morality and religion. "It seems that in many cultures religious > > concepts and beliefs have become the standard way of conceptualizing > > moral intuitions. Although, as we discuss in our paper, this link is > > not a necessary one, many people have become so accustomed to using > > it, that criticism targeted at religion is experienced as a > > fundamental threat to our moral existence," concludes Dr. Hauser. > > > I tend to see religion much as I would view political correctness - > > that is, peevish, hostile, posturing pretense to be on the moral high > > ground. Even Orn, who is a splendid example of the opposite most of > > the time, lapses to this and so do I. I'm sure he won't take offence > > and think I'm merely pointing to difficulties, not accusing him. Any > > quest for origin is fraught with self-deception and the struggle to > > sort wheat from chaff. > > > I'm not looking for religion, but radical, practical changes in > > society, the way we live and could live - this, of course, sounds > > rather religious! > > Yup, it sure does. But only if people live like that religiously, > i.e., devoutly. The problem, of course, is what are the tenets OF > your 'practical changes to society' and 'the way we...could live'? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
