tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post5107967926372201803..comments2023-10-24T04:29:23.693-06:00Comments on Atheist Ethicist: Democratic Forum on Morals and the Common GoodAlonzo Fyfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687777216426347054noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-4453774930488569292008-09-18T09:46:00.000-06:002008-09-18T09:46:00.000-06:00Excellent writing, probably not as successful as a...Excellent writing, probably not as successful as a speech. I had to start skimming once to ship analogy began just to keep reading. The problem with this is that pure science doesn't have much regard for the general good. Social Darwinism, survival of the fittest, weak people and animals die off, the strongest and most adaptable survive. Science does not call for goodwill. Religion typically does, at least the "Big Three" as one person referenced.<BR/><BR/>As for coogan's comment about prayer as a placebo effect, do you feel the same about meditation? Thoughtfulness? Self-examination? This is essentially what prayer is or seems to be, if you take away the ritualistic repetition prescribed in the Catholic doctrine to keep the clergy in the power position between God and the "common-folk".<BR/><BR/>I know my response is a bit late, but this was just recently forwarded to me =DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-80188320622947540592008-08-28T14:58:00.000-06:002008-08-28T14:58:00.000-06:00Excellent! Cectic recently had a comic I think ill...Excellent! <A HREF="http://cectic.com/167.html" REL="nofollow">Cectic recently had a comic</A> I think illustrates the disconnect some religious folks have about the nature of "god's intent for us."<BR/><BR/>I had this discussion with my wife (an avowed God believer) last night. Her point is God (capital G) gave us big brains--why don't we use them to the best of our abilities? I'm pretty sure there is no deity, but I'm right there with her on the using our brains part.<BR/><BR/>Prayer is the placebo effect. Worthless as a tool for survival. Any other reliance on "faith" instead of ourselves, in my opinion, is also worthless.<BR/><BR/>Facts are god's native language. The universe is not trying to deceive us--that's only us doing that.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://rlaenterprises.net/blog/" REL="nofollow">My blog, FWIW</A>Cooganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10149418862293622850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-1457866297923080312008-08-27T16:52:00.000-06:002008-08-27T16:52:00.000-06:00I agree, this is a good post, but some of its dire...I agree, this is a good post, but some of its directions seem misguided and pander to religious aims.<BR/><BR/>For example, holding up science as a way of "growing more food" and "finding more water" simply facilitate the population explosions that have been mandated by Christian, Judaic, and Islamic injunctions that men and women reproduce. <BR/><BR/>There is an objective obligation to species continuance to limit population to the available resources. The Big Three religions ignore this, yet it is simply irrational to do so.<BR/><BR/>We should feed the people who are here now, but we should not continue to destroy the Earth so as to keep increasing our population in the future. Species crash when they exceed the limits of their environments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-22628385005435574822008-08-27T12:29:00.000-06:002008-08-27T12:29:00.000-06:00Great arguments. But that's not how life actually ...Great arguments. But that's not how life actually works. If it were, you'd be out feeding the poor rather than arguing your points.<BR/><BR/>(If you don't respond to this I'll assume you're out feeding the poor, in which case I'll look sheepish.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-84227778099411438512008-08-27T10:42:00.000-06:002008-08-27T10:42:00.000-06:00A splendid post, Alonzo! I'm putting a link to it ...A splendid post, Alonzo! I'm putting a link to it on Stephen Law's blog, where another of those interminable discussions about whether or not Christianity is "true" is rambling on.anticanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18135207107619114891noreply@blogger.com