Eh... This sort of thing is one-sided and is as bad as the religious nuts (like that atrocious Westboro group). Modern social science easily reveals that religion provides many positives for individuals and society. Of course, religion can yield numerous negatives. It's no different than any other element of a social system, e.g. politics, social stratification, ethnicity, or where one dwells in a city ("which side of the tracks you live on").
I'm not one who likes complexity being simplified to appeal to the sorry masses, which is just what this YouTube provides.
I'll live my life without intellectual blinkers and shackles. TYVM.
You may not have been around my journal long enough to figure out I'm very much anti-theist. I view it as not only harmful to individuals, but as detrimental to our advancement as a species.
I "worship" only knowledge and innovation. Neither one of those things can reach their full potential in a world where children ask "why are things this way?" and parents answer "because God did it".
How small minded they are. How arrogant to presume a cosmic entity favors them over any other group.
I give polytheistic faiths a bit more leeway. Monotheism is the worst of the lot.
I don't think that religion necessarily involves "intellectual blinkers and shackles." In fact, a majority of great intellectuals who've made renowned, if not historic, contributions to the arts, literature, engineering, and science have been rather religious individuals.
I suspect we're in agreement about organized religion, which tends to be a sort of lunch menu system (i.e., "religious leader feeds me X, I embrace and spit out X without question."). But, individually embraced religion that is delved into with critical assessment and self-reflection can be empowering, enlightening, and inspiring.
Religion itself is not the issue, to me. Rather - the issue is as you say, "small minded people." This same issue comes to play with any sweeping assertion, such as asserting that those who are religious live life with "intellectual blinkers and shackles." ;-)
I "worship" only knowledge and innovation. Neither one of those things can reach their full potential in a world where children ask "why are things this way?" and parents answer "because God did it"
Precisely. Religion -- if its implications are taken seriously -- can cut off logical inquiry in every field, by making its adherents already imagine they already know the answer.
Humanity cannot progress as long as these supernatural shackles hobble us. The fact that 90%+ of our species believes this nonsense is my #1 argument against hominid 'intelligence'.
Eh. I called crap on most of the "uber species" thing.
The only thing we really have going for us is our large brain (and that was a double edged sword before modern medicine. large cranium does not like to fit through small birth canal. Our young are born pitifully weak and helpless, and the bones of their skulls aren't even fused because they have to squish a bit to survive birth and not kill their mother). No natural weapons, no fur or blubber layer, etc...
We were fucked until that first inventor made a pointed stick.
The rest, as they say, is history. -
Also have to point out that we evolved as omnivorous hunter-gatherers, not predators. The writer has a lot of their science and science fiction wrong as well.
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I'm not one who likes complexity being simplified to appeal to the sorry masses, which is just what this YouTube provides.
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You may not have been around my journal long enough to figure out I'm very much anti-theist. I view it as not only harmful to individuals, but as detrimental to our advancement as a species.
I "worship" only knowledge and innovation. Neither one of those things can reach their full potential in a world where children ask "why are things this way?" and parents answer "because God did it".
How small minded they are. How arrogant to presume a cosmic entity favors them over any other group.
I give polytheistic faiths a bit more leeway. Monotheism is the worst of the lot.
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I suspect we're in agreement about organized religion, which tends to be a sort of lunch menu system (i.e., "religious leader feeds me X, I embrace and spit out X without question."). But, individually embraced religion that is delved into with critical assessment and self-reflection can be empowering, enlightening, and inspiring.
Religion itself is not the issue, to me. Rather - the issue is as you say, "small minded people." This same issue comes to play with any sweeping assertion, such as asserting that those who are religious live life with "intellectual blinkers and shackles." ;-)
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Precisely. Religion -- if its implications are taken seriously -- can cut off logical inquiry in every field, by making its adherents already imagine they already know the answer.
(if not taken seriously, then what's the point?)
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=0_o=
I disagree.
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http://imgur.com/gallery/hINj1xf
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The only thing we really have going for us is our large brain (and that was a double edged sword before modern medicine. large cranium does not like to fit through small birth canal. Our young are born pitifully weak and helpless, and the bones of their skulls aren't even fused because they have to squish a bit to survive birth and not kill their mother). No natural weapons, no fur or blubber layer, etc...
We were fucked until that first inventor made a pointed stick.
The rest, as they say, is history.
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Also have to point out that we evolved as omnivorous hunter-gatherers, not predators. The writer has a lot of their science and science fiction wrong as well.
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That said, a disturbing amount is institutional and deeply routed :/
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