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Quote:Biologist E. O. Wilson, who is known as the “the father of sociobiology,” said recently that the Earth was suffering “the death of a thousand cuts” because of religion.
In the most recent issue of New Scientist, Wilson explained that his next book would look at the future of humans and the Earth.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist warned that people had not yet realized that the “tribal structure” had been destroying the planet by “a thousand cuts,” according a partial transcript obtained by the International Business Times.
“All the ideologies and religions have their own answers for the big questions, but these are usually bound as a dogma to some kind of tribe,” he said. “Religions in particular feature supernatural elements that other tribes – other faiths – cannot accept … And every tribe, no matter how generous, benign, loving and charitable, nonetheless looks down on all other tribes. What’s dragging us down is religious faith.”
“Humans everywhere have a strong tendency to wonder about whether they’re being looked over by a god or not. Practically every person ponders whether they’re going to have another life,” Wilson continued. “These are the things that unite humanity.”
But he said that the “transcendent searching has been hijacked by the tribal religions.”
“So I would say that for the sake of human progress, the best thing we could possibly do would be to diminish, to the point of eliminating, religious faiths. But certainly not eliminating the natural yearnings of our species or the asking of these great questions.”
Wilson, who was raised as a Baptist in Alabama, has said that he “drifted” away from Christianity, but he doesn’t refer to himself as an atheist.
“I’m a scientist,” he told the magazine.
I couldn't agree more.
He who loves God cannot endeavour that God should love him in return - Baruch Spinoza
RE: Famed biologist says religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated
January 28, 2015 at 9:54 pm
Just keep them from positions of power, and that will probably be enough to at least make them a lot less harmful. Anyone who tries to run on "religious values" should be shut down. Keep it private. If you want to believe in gods, that's fine. Just don't force your beliefs on others, or try to use the government to convert or privilege your religion.
Poe's Law: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing."
RE: Famed biologist says religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated
January 28, 2015 at 10:03 pm
first off get rid of all religious power institutions and go on from there heck churches are closing more than they are opening so its a good thing were in the first world.
Quote:Biologist E. O. Wilson, who is known as the “the father of sociobiology,” said recently that the Earth was suffering “the death of a thousand cuts” because of religion.
In the most recent issue of New Scientist, Wilson explained that his next book would look at the future of humans and the Earth.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist warned that people had not yet realized that the “tribal structure” had been destroying the planet by “a thousand cuts,” according a partial transcript obtained by the International Business Times.
“All the ideologies and religions have their own answers for the big questions, but these are usually bound as a dogma to some kind of tribe,” he said. “Religions in particular feature supernatural elements that other tribes – other faiths – cannot accept … And every tribe, no matter how generous, benign, loving and charitable, nonetheless looks down on all other tribes. What’s dragging us down is religious faith.”
“Humans everywhere have a strong tendency to wonder about whether they’re being looked over by a god or not. Practically every person ponders whether they’re going to have another life,” Wilson continued. “These are the things that unite humanity.”
But he said that the “transcendent searching has been hijacked by the tribal religions.”
“So I would say that for the sake of human progress, the best thing we could possibly do would be to diminish, to the point of eliminating, religious faiths. But certainly not eliminating the natural yearnings of our species or the asking of these great questions.”
Wilson, who was raised as a Baptist in Alabama, has said that he “drifted” away from Christianity, but he doesn’t refer to himself as an atheist.
“I’m a scientist,” he told the magazine.
I couldn't agree more.
We don't have a good scientific understanding of what religion does for humanity. It's unwise (not to say unscientific) to assume its all bad and needs getting rid of. We simply don't know.
MM
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions" - Leonardo da Vinci
"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
RE: Famed biologist says religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated
January 28, 2015 at 10:22 pm (This post was last modified: January 28, 2015 at 10:23 pm by Mudhammam.)
(January 28, 2015 at 10:05 pm)ManMachine Wrote: We don't have a good scientific understanding of what religion does for humanity. It's unwise (not to say unscientific) to assume its all bad and needs getting rid of. We simply don't know.
MM
Whatever good comes out of it is predicated on delusion and faulty reasoning. There may be a context in which this is beneficial, but that could not possibly render any particular religious dogma a thing-in-itself good as we might reasonably consider reasoning that leads to tentative knowledge or conditional truth to be good as a thing-in-itself
He who loves God cannot endeavour that God should love him in return - Baruch Spinoza
RE: Famed biologist says religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated
January 28, 2015 at 10:37 pm
I agree with him but only in the context of educating people about religion. It probably won't be long before a fundy sees this and screams bloody murder about liberals in their ivory towers wanting to ban religion.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
RE: Famed biologist says religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated
January 29, 2015 at 3:48 am
I think there's evidence to support it. I mean if you look at the world, the most prosperous regions are the areas which are far more lax on religion - western Europe, Australia, Japan, Canada and increasingly South Korea. Conversely the most religious countries are generally poorer with more extreme human rights abuses. I don't think that's a coincidence.
There are exceptions of course, namely the communist or ex-communist countries, but I guess those are special cases.
RE: Famed biologist says religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated
January 29, 2015 at 3:51 am
Yeah NJ there is definitely a difference between the countries where atheism is an informed, logical view on the existence of gods and those where it's just another way the state has to control you.
"Every luxury has a deep price. Every indulgence, a cosmic cost. Each fiber of pleasure you experience causes equivalent pain somewhere else. This is the first law of emodynamics [sic]. Joy can be neither created nor destroyed. The balance of happiness is constant.
Fact: Every time you eat a bite of cake, someone gets horsewhipped.
Facter: Every time two people kiss, an orphanage collapses.
Factest: Every time a baby is born, an innocent animal is severely mocked for its physical appearance. Don't be a pleasure hog. Your every smile is a dagger. Happiness is murder.
Vote "yes" on Proposition 1321. Think of some kids. Some kids."
