Creation/evolution3

[Davka]

I was a born-again evangelical Christian for 18 years, from age 27 to age 45.. Looking back, I believe that I had a psychotic break, triggered by too much LSD over too many years. However, my 'conversion testimony' was not significantly different from others I heard during that time.

I suspect that a lot of 'born-again' experiences are similarly triggered by a mental breakdown of some sort. It is extremely common to hear people say that they had hit rock bottom, were at the end of their rope, were up against the wall when they had their "come to Jesus" moment. Our brains can and do play some pretty weird shit on us when our lives are threatened.

Of course, after the initial breakdown, joining a church will surround you with people who reinforce your delusion. Everything about church structure is designed to keep the break from reality internally consistent, so as to prolong it.

Frankly, I think religion evolved as an answer to existential fear. Facing one's own inevitable demise is not easy, and would have been harder for those distant ancestors who first saw a pile of bones and thought "that will be me some day." How do primitive societies fend off deep depression brought on by existential fear? Tell stories about life-after-death!

/ crackpot hypothesis

One could force that square peg into my situation if the only thing that has ever happened to me was bad. However I clearly share many many impossible good things that happen as well. Which completely destroys your assumptions.

Nope.

Not even close. Lots of good things happen to all sorts of people. End-of-the-rope testimonies aren't the only kind of testimony, but they're very common.

And I didn't write any assumptions. I wrote what I suspect about a lot - not all - of born-again conversions. My conversion wasn't bottom-of-the-barrel exactly, but the first year or two afterwards i was convinced that i was being led by god, and that all the good things in my life were a result of that.

In retrospect, there were a few pretty noteworthy coincidences. But nothing even approaching the status of a miracle, or an "impossible" good thing.

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Love is completely material. It's a set of physical triggers with a physical effect on our physical brains.

To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This

You can also read about the chemistry - literal chemistry - of love. It's a fascinating subject. There are a pretty significant number of studies and experiments designed to determine what love is.

Nothing mysterious here, sorry. You'll have to look for another argument from I-don't-understand-this-therefore-god.'

That's not true. Certain aspects of love (Eros/storge) do indeed have clear triggers and chemical changes, but not all. Agape and phila are a choice and not a feeling.

Agape and phila - the parts where you feel things - are simply biochemical impulses in our brains, triggered by our decisions & actions. The choice itself is the result of a thought process - more biochemical impulses. All emotions, all human impulses, all choices and thoughts and irrational sensations - everything we experience is perfectly explainable in terms of physical phenomena. No paranormal or supernatural explanations are needed.