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Religion
In reply to the discussion: Do primates practice religion? [View all]trotsky
(49,533 posts)36. Well put. And we can look at many things that clearly conferred an evolutionary advantage...
or enhanced group cohesion, like rape, multiple mates, racism/xenophobia, genocide, etc. We see this kind of behavior throughout human history - but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who says that because it's so common, and may have contributed to our development as a species, that we should find it useful or something to be promoted/celebrated today.
We have to use our position now to apply reason and observation to these behaviors and determine which of them truly provide an overall benefit to us today, and which we might better off leaving behind.
I don't think it's fair, as many seem all too willing, to declare religion off-limits to this kind of analysis and discussion.
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OK, the title may miss the point, but the book and the review are not about humans.
cbayer
Jun 2013
#6
Evidently we don't share a common definition of the term "biological evolution"
Fumesucker
Jun 2013
#49
Purpose implies intelligence, evolution certainly has effects but it is not intelligent
Fumesucker
Jun 2013
#28
Purposeful trial and error has a lot higher success rate than does evolution
Fumesucker
Jun 2013
#34
I don't think you can identify an 'optimal state of information' for a species
muriel_volestrangler
Jun 2013
#60
What I'm refering to is units of cultural information acting as genes.
napoleon_in_rags
Jun 2013
#62
Hope you are able to find it. I am on a road trip and would like to find it on audio.
cbayer
Jun 2013
#13
Thinking about religion rationally, and religiousity being innate are not mutually exclusive.
Warren Stupidity
Jun 2013
#10