(March 9, 2010 at 10:33 pm)AngelThMan Wrote: As I stated, different species of animals have individual traits of intelligence, but man has them all. The intelligent traits exhibited by animals are all geared towards survival. Man has a grasp of art, language and understanding like no other animal. Can we talk about the significance of man's superior intelligence rather than the limited intelligence of animals, please?

Man has them all? We're judging intelligence by how close animals are to us? Do you not see how intelligence could be advantageous for survivability? We have come to the point that as a whole, we cannot survive with the animals naturally. We'd go extinct pretty quickly without tools and intellect. Understanding of art, emotion and other traits you attribute to intelligence is very present in other animals, particularly mammals, some are smart enough to recognize and acknowledge the concept of their own mortality and how their actions affect others. We are not far off from that.

We are at the point where we can destroy our own species and our environment. This could either prove very productive or disastrous, as we still have some very primitive instincts that don't translate well when you're dealing with high powered weapons. We have small frontal lobes and an over-active adrenal gland, which makes us easily irrational and agitated, much like a chimp with a hissy fit. Most enjoy conformity and find solace in having things decided for them. It's funny that most people denying evolution are the ones who exhibit traits of more primitive species.

Mankind is but a flash in the pan when compared to all the life that has been on the Earth. The very argument that we are so intelligent that it had to have been a divine creator that willed us into existence is an argument from ignorance and personal incredulity. It ignores the facts of where the species actually originated, and proposes a magical explanation because it coincides with a certain groups' beliefs.

It's quite sad.

Quote:but man has them all.

You don't know a lot of people, do you?

(March 9, 2010 at 8:24 pm)AngelThMan Wrote: Lastly, only humans worship God. Not only does this point towards a unique brand of intelligence, but it is also significant with respect to our status as the dominant species.

Because people worship an invisible sky daddy, this somehow qualifies as a "unique brand of intelligence"?

Pardon me while I do this....



If anything, it qualifies as a unique brand of ignorance. Why did people come to believe in gods? Because they were unable to explain natural phenomena. Ancient people had no idea what caused the sun to rise and set, what caused the seasons to change, what caused lightning, what caused an earthquake, what caused disease, etc, etc.... They invented gods as a means to explain these things in a manner they could understand. How this is "significant with respect to our status as the dominant species" completely escapes me.

(March 10, 2010 at 12:42 pm)Thor Wrote:

(March 9, 2010 at 8:24 pm)AngelThMan Wrote: Lastly, only humans worship God. Not only does this point towards a unique brand of intelligence, but it is also significant with respect to our status as the dominant species.

Because people worship an invisible sky daddy, this somehow qualifies as a "unique brand of intelligence"?

...If anything, it qualifies as a unique brand of ignorance...

So because you think religion is stupid you cannot appreciate the enormous brain and thought capacity required to form such a concept?

(March 10, 2010 at 4:10 pm)AngelThMan Wrote: So because you think religion is stupid you cannot appreciate the enormous brain and thought capacity required to form such a concept?

You missed my point. There IS NO THOUGHT in such a concept! It's the most brainless explanation for anything. Instead of trying to figure out what lightning is and what causes it, you simply say "God is angry and he is throwing thunderbolts!" That's easy! You don't have to do anything to come up with that idea. "God did it!" explains absolutely anything. Experimenting, testing hypotheses and trying to determine what causes lightning is hard. THAT requires "enormous brain and thought capacity"!

AngelThMan Wrote:So because you think religion is stupid you cannot appreciate the enormous brain and thought capacity required to form such a concept?

It likely requires very little brain capacity (in comparison to what we would call advanced brain functions) to form such a concept... hence you can see small children (read: 4-5 Earth years, maybe earlier) with god concepts. At the most... it takes little more (if any more) than the ability to have language. I have no idea what it takes to form a god concept at the least... but it has been demonstrated already that we are not the only species with language.

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(March 10, 2010 at 4:30 pm)Thor Wrote:

(March 10, 2010 at 4:10 pm)AngelThMan Wrote: So because you think religion is stupid you cannot appreciate the enormous brain and thought capacity required to form such a concept?

You missed my point. There IS NO THOUGHT in such a concept! It's the most brainless explanation for anything. Instead of trying to figure out what lightning is and what causes it, you simply say "God is angry and he is throwing thunderbolts!" That's easy! You don't have to do anything to come up with that idea. "God did it!" explains absolutely anything. Experimenting, testing hypotheses and trying to determine what causes lightning is hard. THAT requires "enormous brain and thought capacity"!

Actually, it does require thought (else it couldn't be a concept...). Just probably not much of it

(March 10, 2010 at 4:30 pm)Thor Wrote:

(March 10, 2010 at 4:10 pm)AngelThMan Wrote: So because you think religion is stupid you cannot appreciate the enormous brain and thought capacity required to form such a concept?

You missed my point. There IS NO THOUGHT in such a concept!...

Since you don't think there is though in such a concept, then you must think it is possible for animals to form the concept of religion.

(March 10, 2010 at 4:32 pm)Saerules Wrote: Actually, it does require thought (else it couldn't be a concept...). Just probably not much of it

True. Guess I should have said "hardly any thought" instead. I'll have to be more careful around here.

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(March 10, 2010 at 4:47 pm)AngelThMan Wrote:

(March 10, 2010 at 4:30 pm)Thor Wrote:

(March 10, 2010 at 4:10 pm)AngelThMan Wrote: So because you think religion is stupid you cannot appreciate the enormous brain and thought capacity required to form such a concept?

You missed my point. There IS NO THOUGHT in such a concept!...

Since you don't think there is though in such a concept, then you must think it is possible for animals to form the concept of religion.

What would lead you to this conclusion?

Quote:So because you think religion is stupid you cannot appreciate the enormous brain and thought capacity required to form such a concept?

Just think of what humanity might hace accomplished it it hadn't wasted its time thinking 'goddidit' was an acceptable answer to every question.

I'm not surprised, given your obvious bias, but you seriously overrate religion.

Maybe the thought expended on religion is what developed thinking enough to create scientific study.