Religion

longship

(40,416 posts)

6. That's a very good question.

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 11:35 PM

Jan 2014

If one looks through politics, religion, culture, and the written word through the ages, one realizes that these things have been ever present.

Why would one segment, a belief in gods, be able to stake a claim on them? The answer I would suggest is political power, which seems to be ever present in human endeavors.

Beyond that, the only answer I might have is that these are vestiges of inherent human nature, or maybe an evolved trait of life in general. Not that I am an advocate of evolutionary psychology, but in spite of its problems it at least has a semblance of an explanation.

More research may tell. I think Dawkins' meme may be a very important contribution to this.

Otherwise, the burden of proof rests on those who claim that they have an answer. I don't think anybody does least of all the theists, who seemingly claim that very thing.

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how does atheism/materialism account for [View all] arely staircase Jan 2014 OP

It doesn't. But neither does religion. longship Jan 2014 #1

Do those things exist? rug Jan 2014 #2

They exist... rexcat Jan 2014 #3

Can a subjective thing have objective realty? rug Jan 2014 #4

Objective as in a group consensus? TheBlackAdder Jan 2014 #61

Objective as in observable from the outside. rug Jan 2014 #62

Who observes it from the outside, as a neutral with no predispositions? TheBlackAdder Jan 2014 #63

Ok, this is apropos. rug Jan 2014 #65

That's a pyrhhic answer: if all the world is a delusion, then of course EVERYTHING cancels. Brettongarcia Jan 2014 #149

Your last two words are superfluous. rug Jan 2014 #150

Not entirely. We need to make this explicit Brettongarcia Jan 2014 #153

Except the subthread was not discussing religion at all. rug Jan 2014 #155

If all the world is a delusion, then there's no point in ANY discussion Brettongarcia Jan 2014 #159

I agre . . . . rug Jan 2014 #163

For beauty... rexcat Jan 2014 #75

though beauty especially when it comes to art often lacks consensus nt arely staircase Jan 2014 #137

That's a very good question. longship Jan 2014 #6

Well, leaving out atheism for the moment, the OP asked if materialism can explain it. rug Jan 2014 #7

What is bioelectric function? longship Jan 2014 #16

From the Encyclopaeda Britannica TexasProgresive Jan 2014 #19

Well, I said I'm no scientist. rug Jan 2014 #24

they are called human emotion edhopper Jan 2014 #5

I didn't say atheism doesn't accept emotions arely staircase Jan 2014 #8

what does religion say about them? edhopper Jan 2014 #9

too much for me to try to post from my phone arely staircase Jan 2014 #11

your question seems to imply that religion has an answer that is any more edhopper Jan 2014 #13

not just religion but philosophy and art arely staircase Jan 2014 #20

Philosophy and art are not excluded in a materialist outlook muriel_volestrangler Jan 2014 #21

What does "sacred" mean edhopper Jan 2014 #25

even if one accepted nothing supernatural arely staircase Jan 2014 #52

So you are talking about things edhopper Jan 2014 #70

in the Emile Durkheim since of sacred vs profane. arely staircase Jan 2014 #90

well its an interesting dicotomy edhopper Jan 2014 #92

well put arely staircase Jan 2014 #139

"I am asking what explanation materialism/atheism can give for their existence" NoOneMan Jan 2014 #74

The list contains emotions and desires Theodis Jan 2014 #28

I keep going back to you statement that "feelings are never wrong". cbayer Jan 2014 #31

So the feelings of a stalker edhopper Jan 2014 #38

Oh, I don't mean wrong in that way. My apologies. cbayer Jan 2014 #41

Yes edhopper Jan 2014 #43

Those are not feelings Theodis Jan 2014 #99

Can you give an example by what you mean edhopper Jan 2014 #102

There are basic feelings Theodis Jan 2014 #146

That comes under the category of psychology edhopper Jan 2014 #147

I hear you, but it's a fun topic Theodis Jan 2014 #171

Don't I know it! edhopper Jan 2014 #173

I am not sure what that means edhopper Jan 2014 #34

And the opposite may be true as well. cbayer Jan 2014 #37

I don't think that is true. edhopper Jan 2014 #42

I don't know. I can think of situations where it might be best cbayer Jan 2014 #45

Yes edhopper Jan 2014 #68

Glad to hear it! cbayer Jan 2014 #71

Agreed and I would add Theodis Jan 2014 #100

What does edhopper Jan 2014 #101

"Feelings" - emotions - are a form of conscious experience and don't have "rightness" or "wrongness" Warren Stupidity Jan 2014 #49

why are you equating atheism to materialism? ArcticFox Jan 2014 #10

no. though they overlap somewhat. more of an either/or question. nt arely staircase Jan 2014 #12

Don't know for sure but I would guess LostOne4Ever Jan 2014 #14

Yes. Your "guesses" are a great summary. DreamGypsy Jan 2014 #17

Or, Mel Blanc on the Jack Benny program. longship Jan 2014 #35

Thats probably where I got it LostOne4Ever Jan 2014 #106

Oh cool LostOne4Ever Jan 2014 #105

From my point of view these are on the money... uriel1972 Jan 2014 #18

good post nt arely staircase Jan 2014 #138

How does religion/spiritualism account for tennis... DreamGypsy Jan 2014 #15

Unless you're asserting that these things skepticscott Jan 2014 #22

No kidding and materialist science has come up with Warpy Jan 2014 #76

We can begin by looking at one of these things, say love. Jim__ Jan 2014 #23

Great question and really interesting thread so far. cbayer Jan 2014 #26

Not speaking as a scientist okasha Jan 2014 #91

I guess I wonder if there are animals that create just for pleasure. cbayer Jan 2014 #93

Probably. okasha Jan 2014 #95

All part of the human experience. JNelson6563 Jan 2014 #27

Unlike religion which makes up answers for everything, science explains what it can on point Jan 2014 #29

Lol. What evidence do you have that science is on the way to explaining all cbayer Jan 2014 #32

See other answers for example pathways. My hostility is towards the pushing of on point Jan 2014 #40

I think most here will agree that pushing one's religion down someone's throat is wrong. cbayer Jan 2014 #44

Expect bs to be called until and unless you produce evidence on point Jan 2014 #46

IMO, there will never be evidence to either prove or disprove the cbayer Jan 2014 #47

God could prove it. JoePhilly Jan 2014 #50

I'm not going to debate the existence of non-existence of god with you. cbayer Jan 2014 #53

Holding a belief in something not true in reality is the DEFINITION of delusional on point Jan 2014 #55

But first one has to show that it's not true. cbayer Jan 2014 #58

So you wouldn't consider it delusional skepticscott Jan 2014 #64

Sorry but you have it backward. If you assert something, YOU have obligation to show it to be true on point Jan 2014 #69

We were talking specifically about delusions. cbayer Jan 2014 #72

If there's no point in arguing the existence of god(s), there's no point in listening to religions muriel_volestrangler Jan 2014 #56

Don't listen to them. Who said you needed to? cbayer Jan 2014 #59

A recent experiment with small monkeys would indicate that they do. Two Nay Jan 2014 #30

+1, The field of comparitive Psychology provides numerous examples. JoePhilly Jan 2014 #36

Why do bees commit heroic acts? JoePhilly Jan 2014 #33

How do you see that as heroic as opposed to purely reflexive? cbayer Jan 2014 #39

When a bee lands on you, does it always sting you when you move? JoePhilly Jan 2014 #48

I guess I see where you are going here. cbayer Jan 2014 #51

Each species has its own unique elements. JoePhilly Jan 2014 #67

Actually, science explains it quite nicely skepticscott Jan 2014 #79

Exactly, science continues to identify JoePhilly Jan 2014 #88

Read an interesting theory that a hive is actually one organism, in a sense. Can be seen as a whole. pinto Jan 2014 #89

recent studies suggest many of these traits exist in other animals rurallib Jan 2014 #54

I think both of those things are unanswered questions at this point. cbayer Jan 2014 #60

It really is sad skepticscott Jan 2014 #94

The brain. Duh. -eom gcomeau Jan 2014 #57

The question is how, not where. Duh. -eom rug Jan 2014 #66

"The brain" is the answer to both. DUH. -eom. gcomeau Jan 2014 #77

Ok, "How do I turn on the faucet?" rug Jan 2014 #78

Pathetic analogy fail... gcomeau Jan 2014 #80

It wasn't an analogy. rug Jan 2014 #81

Go look up "analogy" gcomeau Jan 2014 #82

Go look up "how". rug Jan 2014 #83

The video... gcomeau Jan 2014 #84

It wasn't an analogy. rug Jan 2014 #85

I refer you to post 82. -eom gcomeau Jan 2014 #86

We don't need to know all of brain structure; we can see it from ANIMAL BEHAVIOR Brettongarcia Jan 2014 #148

I particulary admire their sculpture. rug Jan 2014 #151

Which some have derived, in stories about learning from animals Brettongarcia Jan 2014 #152

You're drawing a lot of unsupported conclusions from this. rug Jan 2014 #154

Religion in animals IS somewhat speculative; thanks for possibly relevant illustration though Brettongarcia Jan 2014 #156

It was too cute to pass up. rug Jan 2014 #158

So art would be impossible with out God? edhopper Jan 2014 #161

The topic is the material explanation of the abstract, such as art. rug Jan 2014 #162

Okay edhopper Jan 2014 #164

Finally: just as there is a material explanation for art,so also for "love" and elements of religion Brettongarcia Jan 2014 #165

What is it? rug Jan 2014 #166

Brettongarcia edhopper Jan 2014 #167

No, he made a suggestion. rug Jan 2014 #168

So you don't think evolution can explain edhopper Jan 2014 #169

It hasn't been demonstrated. rug Jan 2014 #170

There are several posts here explaining it edhopper Jan 2014 #172

Interesting thread. I think love, hate, friendship, jealousy, heroism, narcissism, beauty, etc. pinto Jan 2014 #73

Well phil89 Jan 2014 #87

Do you think atheists/materialists don't experience emotions? n/t trotsky Jan 2014 #96

The question was whether you can explain it on a material basis. rug Jan 2014 #97

What is the religious explanation for them. edhopper Jan 2014 #98

That's an entirely different question. rug Jan 2014 #108

Evolution edhopper Jan 2014 #110

How does evolution generate emotions? rug Jan 2014 #111

Emotions are a physical response to stimuli edhopper Jan 2014 #112

Resulting in the "The Thinker", Moby Dick and Beethoven's Fifth? rug Jan 2014 #113

Are those the results of emotion. edhopper Jan 2014 #114

They would be piss poor art if they weren't. rug Jan 2014 #115

I then explained how they could come into being edhopper Jan 2014 #116

Ok. I'll find the answer elsewhere. rug Jan 2014 #118

I don't think you'll find an answer to: How does materialism account for these things? Jim__ Jan 2014 #120

Does religion give any explanation for these things? edhopper Jan 2014 #122

I wouldn't know. Of course, if the question is serious and you are interested in an answer ... Jim__ Jan 2014 #123

I am curious where you think they come from. edhopper Jan 2014 #129

I stated my opinion in post #23. Jim__ Jan 2014 #130

Sorry, didn't see it edhopper Jan 2014 #131

OK. Thanks. Jim__ Jan 2014 #145

I suspect you're right. rug Jan 2014 #124

Meaning you're going to ignore the one just provided to you directly? -eom gcomeau Jan 2014 #121

"How'd you like the movie?" rug Jan 2014 #125

So that's a yes then... gcomeau Jan 2014 #126

Was that a yes? rug Jan 2014 #127

Am I distracting you from recess? -eom gcomeau Jan 2014 #128

Evolution. rug Jan 2014 #135

Another yes then... gcomeau Jan 2014 #140

Are you waiting for the answer to change? rug Jan 2014 #141

No, I don't have that level of expectation from you at this point. gcomeau Jan 2014 #142

Would you like the last word? rug Jan 2014 #143

Sure. gcomeau Jan 2014 #144

It's all neurotransmitter and synaptic weights. Shivering Jemmy Jan 2014 #103

Evolution. Act_of_Reparation Jan 2014 #104

Science/materialism doesn't fully, and neither does religion LeftishBrit Jan 2014 #107

for the record I am a Christian who accepts the science of biological evolution arely staircase Jan 2014 #136

Atheism is the lack of a belief in a god or gods. Iggo Jan 2014 #109

I don't know about that. cbayer Jan 2014 #117

Why can't you just accept what people say about their beliefs, or lack thereof? trotsky Jan 2014 #119

LOL. Humanist_Activist Jan 2014 #133

You are calling me a bigot? Where do you get bigotry from my post? cbayer Jan 2014 #134

Are those things supposed to be magic? n/t Humanist_Activist Jan 2014 #132

Evolution, my friend. longship Jan 2014 #157

In the same way all other animals do. Your question shows a profound ignorance of atheism and ladjf Jan 2014 #160

And a propensity to stir shit up. 2ndAmForComputers Jan 2014 #174