They serve an evolutionary function.
We are evolved beings, and as such we function in a lean-mean way. That is, there is an evolutionary economy in our anatomy, physiology, social nature and way of thinking. It is all geared to survival and continued growth (in numbers). All that still...
The concept of a major woman-led society in prehistory is contoversial. Anthropologist M. Gimbutas popularized the concept but the anthropologist consensus seems to be that there has never been a woman-run society.
The pro-woman-run sociey evidence is the following:
(1) Ancient mythology...
We all know there is a vast difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The older one is the Judaic Bible. It recounts the history of an historically obscure, monotheistic tribe which, in Numbers, Deuteronomy and other parts describes their invasions and slaughtering of the men...
One reason is that the idea of us "descending from monkeys," as the clergy likes to put it, seems demeaning and denigrating. It seems to deny our role and importance in the universe.
Another is that without faith, we are led to believe our existence is without purpose.
Without faith, we lack a...
We do not have moral systems because they are imposed on us. We have them because we are social beings. We evolved as small-group primates through millions of years of evolution. In order for such social groups to function, each member had to have evolved in him or her a set of innate...
Dawkins says Christians believe this? Is he right?
The famous Richard Dawkins describes Christians as ones who believe that "the Inventor of the laws of physics and programmer of the NDA code decided to enter the uterus of a Jewish virgin, got himself born, then deliberately had himself...
Social theorists sometimes refer to East Asian Marxism as a "secular religion." What reason could social sciernce academics have for referring to it that way?
Even more interesting is that even "Secular Huanism" can also be referred to as a secular religion. Could it be because both are...
Legal codes and doctrinal-moral systems were developed several thousand years before the Old Testament was developed, so how could anyone credit morals to the Bible? Even the Ten Commandments evolved from Babylonian commandments, such as those of Hammurabi. Indeed, most of the Biblical...
See it happening with gold. For about the last three years, wherever you drove, shops, stores, businesses of all kinds blatently advertised "We Buy Gold!." All over the country people who became unemployed and those behind in their morgage sold what gold they had to help them survive.:facepalm...
Why does everyone think of mystery, magic, and myth when they think of religion, old or new?
Christianity and Islam were considered to be far advanced over the old beliefs of the day from one to two millenia ago when they spread over the continents. So unscientific doctrines, mysticism and...
I started up a facebook page and found it shows I speak German when I do not. I had tried to say "I have access to German" as my wife speaks it but Facebook extracted the one word, German, and dismissed the rest. Then, it refused to give it up. So, now my friends, who know I do not speak German...
Let us say that the direction society goes is generally driven not so much by the more apathetical majority but rather the more militant minority. That said, I would say that it is the militantly faithful Christians and the hard right among the Libertarians who drive the direction the Republican...
He can look ahead and see his whole life before him and it somehow seems so drab, so meaningless. His parents may hold religious beliefs, but he is educated enought to dismiss huge spirits floating down from "heaven" and the like. He is not going to be suckered into believing in dreams and...
Do we need a religion pushing us towards a "rivers of blood"war of Armagedon so Christ can come walking through the sky to "save" us by setting us up in his kingdom? Would we want to be ruled by a king, one who would show no religious tolerance? Aren't the people in much of the world seeking...
Do you really think it would be easy?! People are now more familiar with science, so you could not fill it with new made-up myths if you expect it to be successful. It would have to be rational so people would believe it.
So, what would you put in it?
If you draw a blank, this might...
It seems to me that the only "purpose" we can have is one we set up for ourselves. Include me in the Non-Theists and one who does not see us as serving the purpose of some diety.
In order to have your own "purpose," one needs goals and one serves that purpose by achieving them. I set out when...
Christianity and the other old religions are not incidential or unreal; they serve a role in the evolution of human society and the accumulation of the human heritage. Their history is of appearing, then finally fading out and being replaced by another and newer religion. The old Babylonian and...
The Jewish books of the Old Testament generally picture their being more than one god. In most of the Biblical books, they are referred to far more than The. Down below are thirty places in the Old Testament that refer to their being more than one god---references which mean...
It is no longer popular in churches to emphasize BLOOD, but it most certainly was emphasized in churches until a generation or so ago. Why? The reason comes right from the scripture. There is so much emphasis on it that people indoctrinatede with it feel vacant without it and "thirst for...
I know that evolution raises some questions which Intelligent Design is said to answer, but with all your permission I have some questions that perhaps you I.D. experts can answer for me. Since it explains things, I hope to learn more about what and how it explains things.
First of all, I...