While Muslim Egyptians prayed today, Christian Egyptians formed human chains to protect them. Solidarity, strength, and co-existence.This moved me. And then a momentary flash: Where are the atheists in all this? And then I realized: Atheism is a luxury affordable only to those whose lives are stable and prosperous.
At risk of launching myself into some philosophical screed, I like to remember that spirituality and a religious sense evolved in the human brain because in the primal forest it accrued advantages. That we think we no longer need it doesn't mean we no longer need it.
11 comments:
My question is, who says that spirituality and religious sense evolved as you say?
I do.
And while I was thinking about this a few years ago, I happened to find (and buy and read) this book:
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
by Daniel C. Dennett
It posited the mechanism whereby my musings could be actualized. It sets forth a fair enough working theory for me.
Everything we are comes down to electrical pathways and connections. Our brains, as vast computer-y sorts of things, are amazingly adapted to patterns and puzzles -- survival capability, innit.
When we do not recognize something, our brains derive a *something* to make sense of it. Thus was spirituality born -- the brain concocting connections to make sense of the unsensible.
The more we learn, the less spiritual our experiences.
Religion is the binding that puts our spirituality to work into a codified framework.
Or not. Haven't read any books on the matter, aside from general and historical books on Christianity.
Also death. I'm as godless as they come and yet... and yet sometimes I find myself talking to my mom and raising my eyes to the sky. For a second I think maybe someday I'll see her again EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NUTS.
But I can see designing an entire system around this fantasy in order to comfort peeps because it's just fucking heartbreaking on a daily basis otherwise.
You doubtless missed the occasion a week or so ago when, following threats and violence directed towards Egyptian Christians, prominent Muslims formed a human shield for them at their prayers.
The way you report it, it's not a quid pro quo, and only reflects well on the Christians. In truth, the initiative came from the Muslims.
Too many references to list. Take your pick:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=egypt+christian+human+shield\&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=dded8f20a6bb9442
or
http://tinyurl.com/62p4wbx
PS: Your ideas on evolution are nuts. Beliefs are not a question of evolution.
Well, it's been said before. (Atheists/foxholes) But aren't even atheists allowed to backslide occasionally?
As for religious sense not being a question of evolution, I think it would be wrong to dismiss the idea out of hand, especially when dealing with the human brain. Studies of twins separated at birth infer that some fairly subtle thought processes may be influenced by genetic factors.
I can't swallow the idea that blogging is just like reporting, which would be too much like work.
I was not talking about belief, but faith; and what moved me was not the quid pro quo, but love.
It's nice to know that people can take the high road once in a while, even if it requires a certain set of circumstances. Kind of like the movie, Independence Day, when all the people of the world worked together to kill the aliens.
I love it when atheists condescend about my "comforting fantasy" and talk like I'm either an idiot or a lunatic. Because I bet you'll all be less smug when I'm eating unlimited cheesecake in the clouds and you're all chained to Satan like Princess Leia to Jabba the Hutt, except you won't even have gold bikinis. Neener, neener!
(The smiley is understood, right? Because I don't even believe in hellfire, seriously.)
Smiley? As in "no eternal cheesecake"?
No, you know, like how putting a little semi-colon winkie at the bottom of a rude comment makes it okay that it's rude.
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