Posts by Saename

9

Dawkins v Haidt on Evolutionary Advantage of Religion

by cofty in

dawkins uses an interesting analogy comparing religious instincts to a moth's attraction to a candle flame.. dawkins describes religion as an accidental byproduct of a whole range of psychological predispositions such as a child's instinct to believe and obey its parents - he might have mentioned hyperactive agency detection as well.

this is almost certainly true but is religion more than that?

dawkins declines to speculate on whether the byproduct - religion - is an evolutionary advantage, only that the instincts which resulted in religion were advantageous.

Saename

This is also a disagreement I had when I was reading The God Delusion. It doesn't seem to be the case that religion wasn't advantageous at all. I agree that it was likely a by-product, but I do think it served an advantage to humans as a social species at the dawn of civilization. And while I'm not sure whether it still serves a purpose, I do think it shouldn't serve a purpose (or in other words, we shouldn't use it for a purpose.) Ever since the Enlightenment, we have evolved intellectually and started to obey reason as the foundation for truth. The problem with religion is that it fosters faith, and faith is unreliable; it's the antithesis of reason. While it can lead to truth, or to goodness, however you may define it, it does so by accident more often than not, and it also leads to the opposite, which in and of itself is a valid reason to oppose religion. This is to say that unjustified belief shouldn't have a place in determining truth ever since we have found scientific (Enlightenment) and logical (4th century BCE) ways to do the same much more reliably.

Now, I do wonder what Haidt's take would be on that. You say he believes it still serves a purpose. But does he think it should serve a purpose? I didn't even know what his position was on the origins of morality until now, so I do wonder what he has to say about that. But for now, I'm too busy reading other books, unfortunately. I wish I could just eat books in order to absorb their knowledge. I once saw a movie where a kid could do that. Indeed, this would be an amazing ability, assuming that eating books wouldn't bring other disadvantages, such as health issues.

180

What is the most bizarre counsel you received as a JW, from a JW?

by Funchback in

there were many addressed to me.

for example, i once had a sister tell me i was gambling because i liked playing skill crane (the machine where you have to try to pick up prizes like stuffed animals) at the arcade.

i then fired back a her: "you saw the r-rated movie 'backdraft.

Saename

I was told that masturbation will make me abusive of women―not only in the sense that I will see them as sexual objects and approach them as such but also in the sense that I will physically and emotionally mistreat and taunt them.

56

Would You Outlaw Jehovah's Witnesses If You Had Your Way?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i still believe in freedom of religion even if i disagree with the beliefsof the religion.

what about you?.

Saename

I wouldn't outlaw them, but I would take away their tax-exempt status for numerous violations of human rights.

Edit: I would do the same to other religions that violate human rights. I can't single out just one of them for two reasons. Firstly, it is a double standard I cannot legally and logically allow. Secondly, it feeds the persecution complex of the religious people who are affected by my decision to take away their tax-exempt status.

4

Calendar of Jehovah God

by Saename in

it's so stupid i think it infected me with its virus: pagan practices.

check the subheading "calendar.

".

Saename

It's so stupid I think it infected me with its virus: Pagan Practices. Check the subheading "Calendar."

13

Tattoo Time

by freemindfade in

getting the second tattoo soon, in a long line of many to come!

any of you other sinners getting ink'd on a regular basis?

.

Saename

stan livedeath, I think your tattoo says, "No Regert" instead of, "No Regret"...

Anyway, I'll be getting a tattoo some day, too. Just don't know when. I don't know yet what it will even be, so I still have to figure this out—although I do know I'll have it on my chest. But I don't think my tattoo will be a word; I'm more interested in symbols.

For those who say a tattoo is forever, I know. I want to do this. I want it to be a symbol of my change. In the past, I used to be very naive. I believed the Governing Body was the authority on everything—religion, history, science. That no longer is the case. Today, I'm so rational I'm a pain in the ass.

James Mixon, whatever one were to say about that, it would be mere speculation. We don't have any evidence. Maybe Joseph was Jesus' father. Or maybe she had an affair. Probably the latter since we know that Mary and Joseph had a fight because of her pregnancy. Maybe Joseph chose to forgive willingly? Maybe he wasn't fed with any excuses? Who knows... Either way, he likely was not told that Mary was impregnated by God since our earliest accounts do not have the virgin birth story. Somehow he chose to forgive her for her affair.