The crucial difference between science and religion is that science scraps ideas that are demonstrated to be implausible.
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Morality Gene?
Nicholas Wade of NYT online reviews Jonathan Haidt's views of morality in The Happiness Hypothesis and articles in Is Do Unto Others Written in Our Genes?:"Where do moral rules come from? From reason, some philosophers say. From God, say believers. Seldom considered is a source now being advocated by some biologists, that of evolution."
I consider Haidt's definition of morality too broad to truly reflect do-no-harm and justice-for-all morality because Haidt has included moralistic conservative attitudes in his definition.
Haidt's article in Edge has evoked considerable criticism because he misrepresents religion as the route to morality and makes unfounded criticisms of the New Atheism.
Reactions to Haidt's article: on Edge by Michael Shermer, David Sloan Wilson, Sam Harris, and PZ Myers . Bulldust about atheism and morality . Haidt Hype . Misunderstanding the New Atheism . NewScientist "If morality is hard wired in the brain - What's the point of Religion?" . The Altruism Equation . Evolution for Goodness Sake . Evolution of Morality .
Fear of Forbidden Fruit
We humans have all inherited remnants of the "reptilian brain", by which I indicate the autonomic/emotional core that is found throughout the animal kingdom.
The apes that ultimately evolved into humans enjoyed survival advantages over those of their cousins who had not inherited genes for the Great NeoCortical Leap Forward. That is, in hominid evolution, those apes with the greatest cognitive advantage were able to survive, proliferate, and outnumber their rivals.
The persistence of religion, despite the far greater explanatory power of scientific knowledge, relies upon this emotional side of human nature. However, those who wish to impose their religious views on society are also well aware that the Idea of God must be instilled into children while they are still stuck in the magical-thinking stage. Let any child, even a child of average intelligence, grow to adulthood before attempting to convince them that some old book holds more "Truth" than empirical facts, and that mind will most likely have escaped religion's clutches. Only early indoctrination can keep the synagogues, mosques, and churches filled with individuals willing to put an inculcated obsession ahead of humanity.
Catch ‘em young and many of them will never outgrow magical thinking because some are not genetically endowed with the cognitive powers to overcome illogic. Religionists seem unwilling to grasp the fact that atheists have escaped religious indoctrination through the operation of critical thinking rather than that atheists are victims of scientific cultism, naturally immoral, or incapable of emotional response.
Religionists, however, are scared of scientific knowledge because, at some deep level that they are too scared to admit, science refutes the creation mythology in Genesis. Religionists are so scared of knowledge that many, such as the creationist family in "God's Christian Warriors", are home-schooling their children to ensure that they cannot bite the forbidden fruit of secular knowledge. If the facts supported religionist beliefs, then creationists would not need to attack or defend against knowledge.
Sites Elsewhere : Great NeoCortical Leap Forward : Catch ‘em young : The persistence of religion : Absolutist Fears : Reptilian Brains and Magical Thinking
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