That may have been the start of it Neil, who knows for sure? My best guess would be that the concept of a creative higher form of life arose from the need to answer certian questions and a lack of understanding of what we would now call science.
On 11 Feb, 11:43, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > Bees and other social insects operate forms of social hygiene amidst > something like consensus achieved through communication. Something > like this is what I had in mind over the issue of 'origin'. I think > it turns out rather as Slip suggests above, a code of petty regulation > (I'd guess at 'manners' here) and yet no ability to deal with scrote > who spoil everyone else's day in the park (to the extent we don't go > anymore). > > On 11 Feb, 10:33, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Let me intriduce you then to a relgion that preaches all paths are > > valid, that has no presitly class and lets any memeber male or female > > if of a high enough compatancy perform relgious service. A faith that > > activly does not go out to preach nor convert, who's teneant include > > service to the greater community and an image to be maintained > > expressly for the porpouse of being easily identified so that people > > can approach one of us and ask for help. Help that our dogma > > vertualiy garentee's that we must give. > > > Yes I'm talking about Sikhs. > > > On 11 Feb, 03:16, fiddler <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I think that all people have equal value in terms of their intrinsic > > > > worth, which also implies that all should have the same rights under > > > > the law and in society. > > > > This is impossible in societies that allow religion to determine when > > > some people have more worth than others. The abrahamic cults all > > > depend on being the "right" path. When some people are going to be > > > "saved" and some are following sharia, they must -of necessity- tell > > > others that they aren't as "saved" or that they aren't following > > > sharia correctly. When homosexuals have the same rights as christians > > > and muslims or atheists can legally hold office in every American > > > state, I'll be impressed and perhaps view these divisive and exclusive > > > little clubs in a slightly better light. > > > > > One of the goals of an improved society should be to provide support > > > > and stimulus for each individual to develop his or her capacities, and > > > > to find a way to use those capacities to earn a living. I do not see > > > > how this could be done without some sort of educational system that > > > > teaches people how to develop character, resolve conflict, and > > > > collaborate, along with arts, sciences, literature, history, crafts, > > > > and so on. > > > > Unfortunately, most societies are under the burden of supporting > > > bronze and iron age superstitions that determine science to be evil, > > > conflict to be necessary, history to be personal only, crafts to only > > > be legitimate when in support of theology, and character to be > > > something that must be subverted to some fictional construct; all the > > > while the act of ignoring knowledge is held up as some sort of twisted > > > ideal. > > > > >(http://fullcirclelearning.org/default.aspx) > > > > Please note the dearth of religious organisations that support this. > > > The Baha'i are present, as nearly always, in support of human rights > > > and education. While I'm not a great fan of superstition, or belief in > > > the anthropomorphic representation of it, the Baha'i are often located > > > at the front of humanitarian rights and deserve respect for this. > > > > I'm not sure why you posted this in this particular thread, however. > > > It could stand on it's own and doesn't seem to address the thread > > > title. > > > > On Feb 10, 6:12 pm, 1CellOfMany <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On the other hand, different people have> different skill sets, > > > different approaches to life, different cultural > > > > backgrounds, etc. There are some people who have the skills and > > > > character to be leaders, and others who would prefer to follow, and > > > > not have to worry about "the big picture". There are some who love to > > > > use there minds and consider abstract concepts, while others consider > > > > such activities a waste of time and prefer to "get things done." In > > > > short, each person has strengths and weaknesses, in their potential > > > > and in there actual condition. > > > > One model that is already being tried with notable success > > > > > is based on incorporating character-education/self-mastery, > > > > peacemaking skills, as well as local and global service into the > > > > curriculum. > > > > > On Feb 10, 8:12 am, 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'?- > > > > > Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- 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]. 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