rebelnerd

I've seen some stuff on epileptics having extra activity in their temporal lobes after seizures. At the same time as this increased activity, they also experienced profound (seeming very real to them) religious feelings. So I believe there is some truth to the brain chemistry influence.

One of the beliefs I've held for a long time is that religion arose out of a fear of death. I think most humans (at least myself) would like to continue to exist after this life has passed. Given the choices of:

a. Death and becoming worm food. It's over and you're not even aware it's over.

or:

b. Life and existance continues after death in a spiritual and/or other plane.

I think most humans would choose b, including myself. The small problem is that I have yet to see or experience anything that would convince me of another plane of existance, an opnipotent diety, or any other supernatual phenomenon.

Just my two cents.


Filo

[ June 12, 2002: Message edited by: Filo Quiggens ]</p>

The Messiah

Filo

As an extension to your point about life after death. I think without the idea of a God one is forced to accept the futility of existence. If there is no afterlife, no grand plan or superior being then ultimately, when asked what is the point of all this activity one must conceed that there isn't one. There can be many alternative views about how to look upon the time you have to live and how to approach it but these are considerably more difficult to describe and process than the all encompassing mystery of an ephemeral deity.

Baloo

Well, I'll admit right-out that I put the "nearly" in there as a "safety" word - in case Joe "technically speaking" Schmoe showed up. But if you measure dependency in terms of "length of time prior to independence", I guess we probably do top the charts. I'd be curious to see what the E/C experts think.

Npower101

Must you people answer with 9 paragraph articles instead of just a few sentences? Its insanity for a person to read all this(take about 10 minutes per page) so they can post. <img src="graemlins/boohoo.gif" border="0" alt="[Boo Hoo]" />

Jamie_L

Umm... Some of us like a more in depth dialogue. Sometimes it does get carried away, but that's when I bail on a thread. You and others are welcome to do likewise.

There, that was only 3 sentences. Okay, 5 if you count these last two.

Jamie

Aquila ka Hecate

NPower101:

Interests: Nothing Really

Basic Beliefs: Athieism

Troll Alert

Godd

Hi Typhon -
I suspect it's all about need, as you first describe. I wouldn't personally put too much stock in causality based on correlation alone, as the book's science suggests:

"Researchers Newberg and D'Aquili used high-tech imaging devices to peer into the brains of meditating Buddhists and Franciscan nuns. As the data and brain photographs flowed in, the researchers began to find solid evidence that the mystical experiences of the subjects "were not the result of some fabrication, or simple wishful thinking, but were associated instead with a series of observable neurological events," explains Newberg. "In other words, mystical experience is biologically, observably, and scientifically real.... Gradually, we shaped a hypothesis that suggests that spiritual experience, at its very root, is intimately interwoven with human biology."--Gail Hudson

It appears to be an interesting read though -
anyone read it?

Methos

I think it's all about the theists transmitting their wants into truth. If they want something bad enough and believe in it, then it becomes true. I want to win the lottery and date a supermodel, but wanting them to be true doesn't necessarily make them so .

Eric

Ryanfire

Understanding is our emotions, feeling, thought, logic, reasoning, intuition, knowledge, wisdom, perrception, and tolerance.

In the case of Religion:
Faith in itself is an emotion and not full understanding. Emotion can work against all of the above. Religion equates faith = truth. Religion dictates by faith, how your logic works. I don't see any religious people questioning gods existence, or asking for his proof, they feel they already have proof from one simple human emotion. Faith is definately not understanding, which is why I feel religious people fall way short in in the quest for truth and knowledge. Even in a quest for a "god".
They gather all their thoughts and feelings from a "bible" based on human interpretations. Humans are not god, so how can they tell us what god really is. Humans have made a god because they aren't strong minded enough to believe in themselves, and they aren't strong enough to push the limits.

It's our lack of understanding that limits the world. Science will lead the way, it's the only true path to understanding, not a limited religious system of faith. You can't put a limit on life and existence. That to me is the biggest mistake of man.

[ June 13, 2002: Message edited by: Ryanfire ]</p>

rebelnerd

I agree with your points. I choose to use what time I have for constructive purposes. I also get some personal satifaction knowing that if I choose to do something for the benefit of others, I am doing it because I want to, not "really" doing it to pay off some afterlife blackmail.

I think most believers in sky daddys or gods are dishonest with themselves and others. I have met some who have had sincere beliefs (meaning not doing it just to avoid the "death" penalty) my father was one I can think of and I respect their viewpoints, though I disagree with them. Most of the fundys IMO are just religion-bots who are too afraid to think it through.


Filo

[ June 13, 2002: Message edited by: Filo Quiggens ]</p>