Non-literal atheism?

[stonedape]

That's all good and well, but you know what? Well more than 99% of all species that have ever lived have gone extinct, and there's not much reason to doubt that we will escape those grim odds. All the self-congratulation on our creativity strikes me as whistling past the graveyard.

Indeed, as the global-warming issue illustrates clearly, our creativity might well be our downfall.

Also, the fact is that humans evolved from predecessors which presumably didn't have our creativity. That, in itself, illustrates the plasticity of the process of discovery, and even more the fact that while we may now be at the apex of mental creativity, our place is not assured.

Natural selection kicks ass. We would be arrogant to assume we are exempt from its demands.

However, the bison are still about 99% reduced from historic levels, the aquifer under the Plains is being depleted faster than it is being replenished, and if you think the land is being "cured" of drought, go to California or central Texas and run some numbers.

"With great power comes great responsibility"
-Uncle Ben
This is why I asked if infinite expansion of creativity was sustainable without moral objectivity. Morality is another imaginary construct we have to inform with the facts, just like science and technology. It's supposed to evolve and adapt with us.

Selfishness, irresponsible and oppressive nihilism is too beneficial to short term gains. It creates an unsustainable condition. Morality is contagious. This is why I am disgusted by the concept of moral relativity. It creates a vortex of monkey see+monkey do=monkey approved. It's too vulnerable to depravity.

The frustrating part about religion is it's a natural adaptation we developed to combat nihilism with fiction. Unfortunately this fiction has been used as a powerful weapon of nihilism to stunt our moral development.

Right now our moral adaptation to the environment is being repressed by nihilism. The creationist movement is a hit job against scientific literacy, bankrolled by privileged scientifically literate polluters.

The false promise of eternal salvation is all that stands in the way of our eternal salvation. The truth is we are born into the result of mankind's moral efforts. It's important to leave this world better than we found it. The real afterlife is what you teach others throughout your lifetime. That moral foundation is passed on generation, after generation and contributes to our survival.