Don't worry Minimalist, I think you are much smarter as well.

Or do you disagree? Is there nothing special about human cognition? Are humans not unique amongst all other living things when it comes to levels of self awareness and ability to have abstract thoughts?

(April 24, 2010 at 7:17 am)Pippy Wrote: Don't worry Minimalist, I think you are much smarter as well.

Or do you disagree? Is there nothing special about human cognition? Are humans not unique amongst all other living things when it comes to levels of self awareness and ability to have abstract thoughts?

Nope, not unique. But we are quite good (in my experience), and generally much better than most.

Ah, not good or bad. Just unique.

I think all animals and anything that counts as alive is far more complex and aware and capable than we have been taught. In fact, I think we humans are far more complex and aware and capable than we have been taught.

I have many friends that are animals. I pet them and make sure they have water. I also have that are trees. They grow leaves and shit. Pretty cool.

(April 24, 2010 at 4:40 am)Saerules Wrote:

(April 23, 2010 at 4:03 pm)The_Flying_Skeptic Wrote:

(April 23, 2010 at 3:19 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: That would be him making himself

are you saying that God's windpipe and esophagus run different tubes? are you saying that God doesn't starve or take a shit? I can't believe people describe something so poorly understood, something that's only vaguely described, a god, as 'perfect'. How could you expect anything after death when all you know is our dependency on matter?

Why would 'God' have a windpipe or esophagus? Silly flying skeptic

Starving would necessitate a need for nutrients. Why would 'God' not be self sufficient?

Shitting assumes that there is waste within 'God'... why would there be waste in 'God'?

That we don't know what is "perfect" and thus argue against a 'God' being so is an argument from ignorance.

i always have to delete your useless tigers. I guess you could say that my questions were somewhat of a metaphor on how we don't know what is perfect and how all of our understanding on matter that we shouldn't be so keen on believing in an afterlife that abandons matter. Someone said that if God made us with different tubes for the windpipe and esophagus etc. then their god would essentially be creating 'himself', perfect.

"shitting assumes that there is a waste within good"
i was just saying that as an atheist looking at creationists beliefs... we share the same disgusting characteristic as every other animal, we get rid of waste, yet they believe we are special. We all enjoy sex, yet we are expected to go to an afterlife where we don't have sex? - my stream of consciousness on an immaterial afterlife

I know you resent implications that your god is a fuck-up, Pip. Fortunately, I don't care what you resent! You see, I don't blame a non-existent god for those fuck-ups.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-marcu...10082.html

Quote:Imperfections riddle the body as well; the human spine supports 70% of our body weight with a single column, where four might have distributed the load better (greatly reducing the incidence of debilitating back pain), and the human retina is effectively installed backwards, with its array of outgoing neural fibers coming out of the front rather than the back, saddling us with an entirely needless blindspot.

(April 24, 2010 at 5:32 am)KichigaiNeko Wrote:
Bananas!! So THAT is your secret Sae??

I too have recently developed a love Bananas, and (thanks for the warning) will be keeping the kleptomaniacal bastards tied up in my kitchen!!

"Nature always finds a way..." -Jurassic Park

Quote:Excellent points raised but still doesn't support humans as being anything more "special" than a microbe.

Still pissed off that the playground is in the sewers!!

Humans don't have to be more special than anything else... but do you see any other creatures on earth with advanced science? I'd call that pretty special

---

(April 24, 2010 at 4:17 pm)The_Flying_Skeptic Wrote:

(April 24, 2010 at 4:40 am)Saerules Wrote:

(April 23, 2010 at 4:03 pm)The_Flying_Skeptic Wrote:

(April 23, 2010 at 3:19 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: That would be him making himself

are you saying that God's windpipe and esophagus run different tubes? are you saying that God doesn't starve or take a shit? I can't believe people describe something so poorly understood, something that's only vaguely described, a god, as 'perfect'. How could you expect anything after death when all you know is our dependency on matter?

Why would 'God' have a windpipe or esophagus? Silly flying skeptic

Starving would necessitate a need for nutrients. Why would 'God' not be self sufficient?

Shitting assumes that there is waste within 'God'... why would there be waste in 'God'?

That we don't know what is "perfect" and thus argue against a 'God' being so is an argument from ignorance.

i always have to delete your useless tigers.

But I like them

Quote:I guess you could say that my questions were somewhat of a metaphor on how we don't know what is perfect and how all of our understanding on matter that we shouldn't be so keen on believing in an afterlife that abandons matter. Someone said that if God made us with different tubes for the windpipe and esophagus etc. then their god would essentially be creating 'himself', perfect.

That's a possibility... though I don't see how having separated ones would make us perfect :S

It's a matter of an individual's faith... though I don't believe there is such a thing as an afterlife, I can still wear an apologist hat if I see reason to

Quote:"shitting assumes that there is a waste within good"
i was just saying that as an atheist looking at creationists beliefs... we share the same disgusting characteristic as every other animal, we get rid of waste, yet they believe we are special. We all enjoy sex, yet we are expected to go to an afterlife where we don't have sex? - my stream of consciousness on an immaterial afterlife

And those people are silly, imo I don't disagree, though I could pull on the sexy theist hat again if you like

All the same in order to achieve perfection trial and error must occur.

(April 24, 2010 at 6:07 pm)Hopppppppp Wrote: All the same in order to achieve perfection trial and error must occur.

Not necessarily

Perfection can occur the very first time... or it may never occur And perhaps it is in-fact impossible

Actually..... you'd expect 'god' to get it right the first time, wouldn't you?

I mean, if he's a bumbling fool who needs trial and error why call him 'god?'[/u]

Everyone and Everything deserves a second chance. Are there not things that you wish you could repeat.Then are there not things that you wish you could do over and you get the chance to.On your second attempt do you not feel more satisfied of the end result?