Comments by EG

1. Scientists Draw Link Between Morality And Brain's Wiring

Comment #43361 by EG on May 21, 2007 at 7:20 am

Perhaps someone here can help clarify something for me. With this talk of morality, I find the article interesting. However, Richard, in his book River Out of Eden (p.133), says that in this universe there is "no evil and no other good." Is he really saying what I think he is saying? Good and evil don't exist? I haven't heard his further explanation of this writing. Help me to understand if I have misunderstood. Thanks.

2. Manufacturing belief

Comment #42418 by EG on May 18, 2007 at 7:16 am

thanks again for the response. we would then expect to see all red and purple flowers (closest to IR and UV)? the later pressures then (those that produced orange and yellow flowers) i'm assuming would have to have been later on.

3. Manufacturing belief

Comment #42416 by EG on May 18, 2007 at 7:09 am

thanks for the response. I can definitely see that an understanding of cause and effect in the natural world can provide an advantage. i'm still not so sure how/why the jump from #4 to #5 necessarily arises (and why those who had that survived and those who didn't did not).

also when you say that ancestor worship is dead, do you mean not widely practiced or non-existent? it still is a prevalent part of the shinto religion of the populous country of Japan.

I'll leave it at that. don't want to bog things down here.

4. Manufacturing belief

Comment #42395 by EG on May 18, 2007 at 6:46 am

Honestly, I don't think a case can be made that religion is the result of evolutionary selection, rather more a by-product of it.

I'm a bit curious as to what the difference is exactly. How are these distinctions made?

5. Christopher Hitchens to God: Drop Dead

Comment #42006 by EG on May 17, 2007 at 12:41 pm

Dower, thank you for the kind remarks. Certainly, intellectual honesty has to be a part of the search for what is true. If I really am deluded, I would want to know it. Part of the reason why I like this forum is that so many issues with religious belief that are tough to deal with are presented here. If faith is going to be put to a test, here would be a place to do it.

6. Christopher Hitchens to God: Drop Dead

Comment #41930 by EG on May 17, 2007 at 10:10 am

@Dower

Yes, I have read that as well. He definitely has impressive credentials and is very informed about what he discusses in that work. There was, however, no real point where I could stand up and say "There's the death blow to Christianity right there." I get the feeling that his publisher picked out the title because most of the verses he discusses in there weren't really quotes of Jesus.

7. Christopher Hitchens to God: Drop Dead

Comment #41919 by EG on May 17, 2007 at 9:50 am

I'm a Christian and I have Hitchens' book on reserve at the library. Looking forward to reading it. Sounds provocative.