Comments on: Origin of Religion - Part IV: Explanation http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/ Helping Mankind Overcome Religion Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:39:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Pixelation http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/#comment-246 Pixelation Tue, 14 Jun 2005 02:26:10 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/#comment-246 Delta, Religion <i>doesn't</i> have all of the answers and I'm sure most philosophers know it. The problem is that people aren't asking the right <i>questions</i>..

Delta,
Religion doesn’t have all of the answers and I’m sure most philosophers know it. The problem is that people aren’t asking the right questions..

]]> By: I Am http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/#comment-237 I Am Mon, 13 Jun 2005 15:46:23 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/#comment-237 Delta: When I say tools, I'm not talking about autoclaves and micropipettes. I'm talking about intellectual tools like deductive reasoning. I should have made that clearer.

Delta:
When I say tools, I’m not talking about autoclaves and micropipettes. I’m talking about intellectual tools like deductive reasoning. I should have made that clearer.

]]> By: Charles Watkins http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/#comment-236 Charles Watkins Mon, 13 Jun 2005 15:15:19 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/#comment-236 The ancient Greeks did not think of their gods as spiritual beings that actually made crops grow, lightning strike, etc. The gods were more of a cognitive and linguistic device. As we say "it is raining" without personifying "it" they thought "zues throws thunderbolts". They were more like our Jack Frost and Uncle Sam than Jehovah and Jesus. Saying "God created the universe" does not really explain anything. It just opens the question as to what created God.

The ancient Greeks did not think of their gods as spiritual beings that actually made crops grow, lightning strike, etc. The gods were more of a cognitive and linguistic device. As we say “it is raining” without personifying “it” they thought “zues throws thunderbolts”. They were more like our Jack Frost and Uncle Sam than Jehovah and Jesus.

Saying “God created the universe” does not really explain anything. It just opens the question as to what created God.

]]> By: Delta http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/#comment-234 Delta Mon, 13 Jun 2005 15:08:51 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/06/12/origin-of-religion-part-iv-explanation/#comment-234 Oh yes, the greater and lesser vehicles, I remember reading about that when I tried to educate myself a little on buddhism back in the old days. While I definitely agree that religion gave early man explanations to calm them, I don't really like saying that it was somehow a precursor to science. I don't think it would have been impossible for prehistoric man to just look at the volcano and say "hmm...well, I'm not sure, let's try to think about it." I believe you can have science without the tools that scientists have at their exposal today. It's simply a method for finding out the truth in the things. Hell, there may have been scientists within the caveman community but were simply discredited by the religious leader who "had all the answers". In some sense, we're still in this situation. Most of the country doesn't believe in evolution, although scientists really don't debate it at all. Religious leaders <i>still</i> have all the answers. They've had them for thousands of years.

Oh yes, the greater and lesser vehicles, I remember reading about that when I tried to educate myself a little on buddhism back in the old days.

While I definitely agree that religion gave early man explanations to calm them, I don’t really like saying that it was somehow a precursor to science. I don’t think it would have been impossible for prehistoric man to just look at the volcano and say “hmm…well, I’m not sure, let’s try to think about it.” I believe you can have science without the tools that scientists have at their exposal today. It’s simply a method for finding out the truth in the things. Hell, there may have been scientists within the caveman community but were simply discredited by the religious leader who “had all the answers”. In some sense, we’re still in this situation. Most of the country doesn’t believe in evolution, although scientists really don’t debate it at all. Religious leaders still have all the answers. They’ve had them for thousands of years.

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