Busting the blank slate

Originally posted by josephw
I knew you'd say that.

Don't blame God for what we do. We made this bed. Now we have to sleep in it.

Damn that Adam and Eve. What were they thinking?

Originally posted by josephw
[b]I really don't want to believe.

I wonder what neural circuit produced that.[/b]

Did you not read my post? I think I explained that I find the idea of a supernatural thing abhorent. That's why I don't want to believe.
Of course, I recognise that's not good enough, so I use science as a basis to help support my belief.

Originally posted by karoly aczel
I cant believe you're not grateful for all science has given us...

Bigger bombs. Concrete covering everything. Wires stung out all over the landscape. polluted rivers, lakes, and skies. etc. etc. etc.

Nature is beautiful. Man is ugly.

Originally posted by josephw
Bigger bombs. Concrete covering everything. Wires stung out all over the landscape. polluted rivers, lakes, and skies. etc. etc. etc.

Nature is beautiful. Man is ugly.

Its a work in progress, why not get more positive!!

Originally posted by josephw
Bigger bombs. Concrete covering everything. Wires stung out all over the landscape. polluted rivers, lakes, and skies. etc. etc. etc.

Nature is beautiful. Man is ugly.

We are nature, we are part of the fabric of this planet.

I thought God created man in his image, are you saying God is ugly?

Originally posted by amannion
Did you not read my post? I think I explained that I find the idea of a supernatural thing abhorent. That's why I don't want to believe.
Of course, I recognise that's not good enough, so I use science as a basis to help support my belief.

I read your post.

It's too bad you feel that way. I mean about God. You don't know Him. If you did you'd change your mind.

Originally posted by Proper Knob
We are nature, we are part of the fabric of this planet.

I thought God created man in his image, are you saying God is ugly?

Gonna get stupid now are you?

When did you rise to the level of defining what we are? Do you think you're God?

Originally posted by josephw
Gonna get stupid now are you?

When did you rise to the level of defining what we are? Do you think you're God?

How is claiming that we are part of nature stupid? I've lost you.

Are we part of life on this planet? Are we part of the natural world? If yes is the answer to both questions then i would say that qualifies us as part of nature.

I'm not defining what we are, and even if i was i don't think you have to be God to do that. Just a little intelligence will do.

Originally posted by Proper Knob
How is claiming that we are part of nature stupid? I've lost you.

Are we part of life on this planet? Are we part of the natural world? If yes is the answer to both questions then i would say that qualifies us as part of nature.

I'm not defining what we are, and even if i was i don't think you have to be God to do that. Just a little intelligence will do.

The part about God being ugly was stupid.

Maybe you live in a city. If you ever get to spend much time in the country on a farm you'll learn the difference between nature and man.

It's not the same as what's on TV.

Nature has natural rhythms and doesn't deviate to far from it. Man on the other hand runs rampant destroying everything in sight.

Originally posted by josephw
The part about God being ugly was stupid.

Maybe you live in a city. If you ever get to spend much time in the country on a farm you'll learn the difference between nature and man.

It's not the same as what's on TV.

Nature has natural rhythms and doesn't deviate to far from it. Man on the other hand runs rampant destroying everything in sight.

Maybe you live in a city. If you ever get to spend much time in the country on a farm you'll learn the difference between nature and man.


I live in the countryside.

Originally posted by PBE6
I just re-read a 2002 interview with experimental psychologist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker by Reason magazine, in which he discusses his book "The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature" (recently published at the time):

http://reason.com/archives/2002/10/01/biology-vs-the-blank-slate/

I have also read the book and found it to be ...[text shortened]... /pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/books/tbs/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blank_Slate

Isn't it widely recognized that our genes affect our behaviour? Even if this is not deterministic and nurture also plays an important role, it still would not be blank slate.

(should I read the article first? 😵 )

Originally posted by PBE6
I just re-read a 2002 interview with experimental psychologist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker by Reason magazine, in which he discusses his book "The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature" (recently published at the time):

http://reason.com/archives/2002/10/01/biology-vs-the-blank-slate/

I have also read the book and found it to be ...[text shortened]... /pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/books/tbs/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blank_Slate

Can you explain why the "noble savage" myth plays a big part in religion? I see it as almost the opposite for many (proselytizing) religions.

Originally posted by josephw
I knew you'd say that.

Don't blame God for what we do. We made this bed. Now we have to sleep in it.

I most certainly did not make this bed so don't include me in your collective 'we'. Either this bed came about by chance ie it just is, or God made it and put me in it, or possibly some alien came up with it, or maybe some mythical Adam and Eve brought it about, but whatever the alternative you choose, if God exists, then he put me here and supposedly could have chosen to put me somewhere else, so if God exists, I can put some of the blame on him.

Originally posted by josephw
Concrete covering everything.

I think I pointed out to you before that that seems to be only the people where you live. Here in Africa, we don't cover everything in concrete.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I think I pointed out to you before that that seems to be only the people where you live. Here in Africa, we don't cover everything in concrete.

We just convert it all into golf estates.