by DannyBloem 113 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Nicely expressed FunkyDerek. Differential reproduction (or "survival of the fittest") very likely helped in establishing our cooperative behaviours etc. But its not the "code" by which we all make choices and decisions.
I think its important to help people understand the distinctions you made. No one is advocating social darwinism here.
Differential reproduction (or "survival of the fittest") very likely helped in establishing our cooperative behaviours etc.
I have no problem with qualified, broad statements such as above, but as with all things, it's worth maintaining a skeptical attitude especially to the more specific hypotheses. Some (especially media) sources seem inclined to treat every EP hypothesis as fact. But I'm getting off topic...
Our species' great cognitive achievement was not the evolution of a legion of idiots savants, but the evolution of cortical plasticity, which enables the brain to reorganize itself in response to changing epistemic demands. In this respect, the brain is very similar to the immune system, which manufactures antibodies as needed in response to changing pathogenic demands.(6)
Several problems with this. First, Buller sets up a straw man argument presenting his opinion of the entire field as somehow "factual". EP is a highly diverse sub-discipline, with a vast amount of controversy and competing arguments, as with any healthy scientific and vigorous research arena. Second, his statement regarding the importance of "cortical plasticity" holds no water in the field of evolutionary neurobiology. The evolution of the brain by necessity requires SUB-CORTICAL plasticity, to precede cortical plasticity. Cortical plasticity can only be achieved by sub-cortical alterations during the ontogenesis of neural development, a fact he seems to ignore. Third, the analogy to the immune system betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the evolutionary process in general. Immune reactions emerge in response to pathogenic threats. Evolutionary change occurs randomly, due to genetic shuffling, over thousands of generations. The environment itself plays no role in this, because if the prerequisite adaptive potential is absent, the organism and its species will simply become extinct in the presence of an environmental threat. Finally, the legion of "idiot savants" comment is just silly. No serious evolutionary psychologist would argue for a completely modular brand of neural or psychological evolution. The organism adapts as a functional whole, not in a piecemeal fashion. His complaint is merely descriptive in that he suggests the lack of a grand "unifying" theory of EP somehow invalidates the evidence and theories supporting the evolution of particular components of human behaviour and thought.
sceptic
You went off "Half Cocked"
Nobody gets their morality solely from a book, that's a ridiculous idea.
Did I say I got my morals "solely from a book"? I said from God. You haven't answered my question yet!
Are you saying you are using your own standard?
Let's simplify, and say there are two ways to learn morality:
I don't care how you think you learned morality, I want to know where do the concepts of right/wrong, good/evil come from (in an atheist universe) if not from God?
Where do my morals come from?
I'm not talking about you personaly. You did not invent these concepts, I want to know who invented right/wrong, good/evil.
How do you make a moral judgement about a situation for which the Bible says nothing, or is not clear? I guess you are completely stuck? (of course I don't believe that)
You are making my point! You don't need the bible.
Why - when I am an atheist with (apparently) no morals, do I find it offensive and prejudiced to describe whole groups of people as possessing a negative character?
I never did anything of the sort.
When I went to a JW district convention - the main thought running through my head was 'I have never been so insulted in all my life'. This was because all the way through it was implied that someone who is not a JW must completely lack any morals.
I'm not a JW, and I would never say such a thing!
Who is lacking morals in this situation?
You have jumped to conclutions. I believe many (if not most atheist) are very moral, but how? I want you to tell me how it is possible that good and evil came from nothing.
Tell me why an atheist thinks pedophilia is wrong. The pedophile says he thinks it's good!
D Dog
Evanescence
Look closer at the scripture
20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. This scripture condemns the idea of "Sola Scriptura" that is to interpret the bible on your own. If anything it supports the Church magisterium.
And here is more scriptural proof
1 Corinthians
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.
Mathew 18:15-17
15: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Did the Holy Spirit tell you that? Careful!
Only the Catholic Church can make the claim of being the One Holy Apostolic Church. Only the Catholic Church can trace it's history back to the early Christians
. That simply is not true! Can you tell me that the "Catholic Church" has not changed at all? Is it the same church that it was 2000 years ago? I say it's not the same as it was 50 years ago. Besides all denominations say that (not that it matters). D Dog
Where does morality come from?
What is that voice in our head?
Where does that come from?
Why do we balk at doing a bad think a hurtful thing?
That is not genetics!
Know one knows our private personal thoughts!
This is uniques to an individual!
This is not generic!
This is one of the many proofs of God!
An Almighty maker!
Not Satan whom is a creation of God!
Satan will get his in the final Judgement!
Simon
Amen God BLess
DD
Can you tell me that the "Catholic Church" has not changed at all?
Well, can you say that the bible and bible message hasn't changed since it's beginning????
S
Deputy Dog:
Tell me why an atheist thinks pedophilia is wrong. The pedophile says he thinks it's good!
I think child sexual abuse* is wrong because it harms a child. Why do you think it is wrong?
*"Pedophilia" is a tendency, not an action.
"Tell me why an atheist thinks pedophilia is wrong."
DD, this comment is even more ironic given the amount of pedophilia in organized religion. What is the logical reasoning behind
this question? Do you honestly think a person NEEDS some mythical deity to tell them it is WRONG to violate the rights and dignity
of another human being, in particular, a defenseless and naive child? This is ridiculously offensive to common sense. Newflash DD:
Do you know how many murderers and serial killers were staunchly religious believers??? Shall I begin with BTK , Andrea Yates
and John Wayne Gacy? Did having religious beliefs prevent any of these psychopaths from performing their deeds?
