The Science of Religion-recent Economist Article (page 4)

garybuss

You wrote: "Why do antelopes stand together in herds,"

Those aren't antelopes, they're trees. I hope ya never decide to build a log cabin.

I remember one time in early 1966 when I was living in Vermillion South Dakota and working nights in the bakery there a couple Witnesses decided to follow me. They staked out my house and decided they'd watch my car. It didn't take me long to notice them and at first I was upset. After I thought about it a while I decided I liked it. They watched my car when I slept days and when I'd walk to work, they'd watch my car all night. It was like I had a private security guard.

The moral is, they weren't watching what they thought they were watching.

Dogpatch

wow, how much of this story is true, Gary?

...

garybuss

I'm not sure a house can be built by stacking antelopes. For example, how would you find the door handle?

The stake out story is all true. The Vermillion congregation was a branch of the Yankton, SD congregation. The boss of Yankton Witnesses was Lance Roberts. He didn't like me and he ordered Merlin Marvin from Vermillion to stake out my place and try to catch me doing something they could disfellowship me for.

Marvin probably watched my car for a month while I worked and slept. Finally I asked Roberts for a meeting with him. I read Watchtowers for a solid week before the meeting. Every thing Roberts said, I'd refer him to a recent Watchtower, or I'd ask him what he thought about numerous articles and he hadn't read a single one. I was only 21.

Roberts told me he'd tell Marvin to quit watching my car and he begged me for forgive him for not reading Watchtower magazines. He told me he didn't have time.

dawg

Dodpatch asks....

"Interesting on the increased-decrease note of yours—do you have any examples of what you mean? (no trolls here please to hijack this, not a flame post please)".

I was trying to make a joke of sorts, I was thinking about those who speak in tongues, or handle snakes hooping and hollering... or the same in politics, people defend unusually crazy things in the name of party or country. The comment was totally unscientific and probably best left unsaid.

"Or is it the other way around, that primitive tribal cultures, already functioning the same as a cult by their overpowering need to survive, create their own religions as a manifestation of their POWER (or perceived power) and as a tool merely to increase their already existing power? I think “religion” is a scapegoat, it is the fancy garment of a control freak or freaks".

I think religion, or any social order (political) helps in "primitive tribal cultures". I think it hurts as a society advances to the point we have as a modern society. Look at religion and it's impact today. But I'll take the same view of politics when it becomes a religion. Look at all that's done when people lose their logic in the name of any cause. I think "logic" itself will become the new cause, we will celebrate pragmatism one day. I have no causes I have to defend, once the logic has been shown to me then I'll act on it.

"Yes, Dawg, I agree with the above. Not sure it has to prove anything, what do you mean Dawg? I’m not sure what I was trying to prove, mostly interesting observations". :-))

I wasn't saying you were trying to prove anything dogpatch... I say this from the bottom of my heart, I really love you and think what you've done with your life is admirable... you are a brave and intelligent person... I found no fault in what you said and always wish you the best on your journey..

Dogpatch

Gary sez,

he begged me for forgive him for not reading Watchtower magazines.

there are worse crimes i suppose, such as not underlining them before you read them.

Dawg,
we were havin' sum fun at yer expense. We love you.
Come visit Gary and I next Tuesday at:
www.ArmageddonOkies.com
fer our April Fools launch, which will be, of course, quite minimalistic fer a spell.
Dogz

garybuss

Dawg, Good posts! I think I might have had some of that repression in my genes. In the Kingdom Hall where I grew up we had a three fingered piano player and a Dutch guy with no voice box from smoking since he was in diapers and he didn't have a top lip from having it blown off during a welcome home party from the army by an exploding cigar.

The only song we could all get together on was "Rejoice!" and the Hollander would sit behind me and sing, but he'd say "Redoith!" and then snort. I didn't dare look at my brother because if I did we'd both start to laugh.

veradico

I am surprised they didn't investigate a link between language and religion. Gods often seem to me to be metaphors, or, rather, that particular class of metaphor called the personification, that have gotten out of hand. We look at the sea or the sun, a mountain or a river, and it produces in us a sense of awe. We drink a cup of wine, and it produces in us a sense of well-being. From experiences like that it's easy to make a leap from "that whatnot influenced me like a person" to "that whatnot is a personality, an independent agency." Metaphors and personifications are little stories, and little stories cannot help but become more complex over time.

BurnTheShips

So in these cases, they only exist because the political structure allows them to exist. So, for that reason, focusing just on the impact religion may have on evolution doesn't make sense; as we all know they go hand in hand. It depends on the culture and the religion...just ask the followers of Jim Jones, Heavens gate, and David Koresh if you need examples... they are all dead and thus aren't contributing to the gene pool... Religion had an adverse effect in these cases

Cellular mitosis is a good thing. We need it. When it gets out of whack however its called cancer.

Burn

dawg

Gary, we had a man that couldn't sing in our Hall also, he got close to the mike and sang out of tune, the whole audience got off key... me, 18 years old couldn't contain my laughter.

The Science of Religion-recent Economist Article

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