But this isn't an empirical finding. It's folklore.
If I promoted a theology based on The Chronicles of Narnia or The Silmarillion I'm sure you wouldn't take me seriously -- because they have no empirical support.
Before you can quote The Bible as an authoritative historical or metaphysical work you need to provide evidence that it's true and reliable.
I Don't see how this follows. How did you come to that conclusion?
No. I'm asking you to use the intelligence Nature gave you. To believe what is well evidenced, and to hold what isn't as undeternined -- pending evidence.
You are squandering God's gift of intelligence.
What about testing and peer review?
People speculate all the time, and come up with all kinds of theorems, educated guesses, and pure speculations. It's how these ideas are processed that make or break them.
Einstein's theories began as theorems. It was only after they were peer reviewed, and tested that they were found to be accurate and predictive.
Most theology isn't even testable, it's not based on reliable observation, it's not predictive or even falsifiable.
The Bible isn't a textbook, it's not a book of facts. Beliefs derived from it are faith based, not fact based.
We're using the term civilized in completely different senses. You're using it colloquially, to mean proper behavior according to your personal, Christian standpoint. I'm using it as a technical, anthropological term for a major cultural strategy.
It's you who want to take us backward, into a theocratic, authoritarian Christian Republic.
Aren't we still "sacrificing" our children on battlefields all over the world? Aren't we essentially indifferent to the welfare of children -- and adults, for that matter -- after they're born? Aren't many Christian denominations strong supporters of legislation to cut back on social safety nets, welfare and training programs, maternal leave programs, &c?
This love of foetuses and indifference to people strikes me as somewhat schizophrenic and hypocritical.
True. And a lot will also kill, abandon or eat their babies if they're inconvenient to maternal or group welfare.
FYI: Civilization is a culture type. A culture is a broad, learned, survival strategy. There are different major types: Hunter-gatherering, horticulturalist, pastoralist, agricutural, civilized, &c. A civilization has certain, definitive features: permanent towns/habitations, surplusses, a division of labor, with specialization -- including 'religious' specialists; a social hierarchy, a writing system, monumental architecture.
Child-care practices are not definitive of "Civilization."
Frankly, back to the stone age" is beginning to sound like a good idea, considering that our present 'civilization' seems unsustainable. Didn't stone age people have rich, happy lives?
