The brain is your best argument against believers
September 22nd, 2009
I remember one of the first knock punches I landed in a argument I had with a “spiritualist”. (Quite frankly I’m not sure what he believed, but it wasn’t of this world.)
“If there is no supernatural world”, he said, “how do you explain things like love?”
“Oxytocin.”, I replied.
One of the keys, I think, to defending atheism and skepticism is to read into the amazing research done in the exploding discipline of neurology. It can be used without much effort to knock down the arguments like the “good Samaritan”.
Here’s just a taste of some of the things that beleivers constantly attribute to a god:
Altruism: Caused by the vegus nerve
Love: Caused by the oxytocin and vasopressin.
Empathy: Created by mirror neurons.
September 23rd, 2009 at 3:38 am
Those who believe in the supernatural are not much different from children, in that they want an answer…NOW. Brain chemistry is something that we’re just beginning to understand. We won’t have proper answers to a lot of human behavior until we have a better understanding of that chemistry. Perhaps in a few decades…or centuries. But as Robert Heinlein said, “Damn it, we’re TRYING!”
But the supernatural-believers don’t want to wait. They are willing to settle for an answer *now*, regardless of how unsatisfactory that answer may be in the long run.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
It doesn’t help any that “god did it” (and similar excuses) is no explanation of anything. It is a mantra to be chanted by the willfully ignorant who do not wish to even try to find out what may influence something. Any number of imaginary and untestable excuses can be proferred; the Flying Spaghetti Monster is happy to take all credit for good things. Some people might prefer more ancient superstition and select Abraham’s god – but why not choose even more ancient superstition and say Horus did it instead?
December 31st, 2009 at 1:56 pm
In my dealings with atheists, I almost never come across one who is not sancitimonious, pietistic and paternalistic. They often, almost without exception, vilify faith. Atheists, however, have such a strong faith that makes them unbearable to debate. It takes faith to believe there is no God, despite the evidence. Design in nature, as opposed to disorder; the presence of good; the knowledge of right and wrong all point to a universal Law Giver.
You know, I admire your faith. I have all this evidence for my faith, but you believe despite the evidence. Good for you! (Now it’s my turn to be sanctimonious.)
January 1st, 2010 at 9:17 am
The reasoning above is from a non-ape, created in the image of God.
January 10th, 2010 at 6:10 am
@CS Brownwell,
in my dealings with religious people, i’ve come across some who are perfect normal and pleasant, and some who make wild generalisations and vilify others whilst accusing them of the very same thing.
if the presence of good is evidence of god, there is evil in the world too… wtf was god doing? was the lazy bugger taking a cig break or something? or did he just want to make things interesting by creating a few bad people?
February 7th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
God did not create evil. He created the choice to love. There is no love if there is no possibility of evil. Mankind actualized the evil when we chose evil over the love of God. Evil exists because we made the wrong choice. He has made a way for you to be part of the redemption of creation. It is simple, all you have to do is to accept the love and Lordship of Jesus in your life and you are assured an eternity of bliss. But if you reject Jesus, God will oblige you of your choice and you will live forever in eternity without God. From the descriptions of an eternity without God, it will be horrible indeed. What you do here and now will echo in eternity. You have a choice before Jesus returns. You can choose an eternity of absolute happiness, or choose a life of sin and reject an eternity with God. The choice is yours. God will not force you, he will honor your choice. Jesus is coming soon, so you don’t have long to make the choice. We are not guaranteed tomorrow.
February 8th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
@ CS Brownwell,
I wish to think that most people have realized this ‘choice’ is not a choice at all but a ‘threat’.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Call it what you like, he is only “threatening” to give you what you ask of him: an existence without him. God is a gentleman. He is not going to push his way into your life and his dignity and glory will not permit him to be a genie who will grant your every wish. But he set the laws in place and there are consequences to violating those natural laws. Like walking off of a cliff will make for a bad day, sexual promiscuity has natural consequences (VD, pregnancies, ruined relationships, etc.) Drunkenness leads to poor choices which might have severe consequences. I suspect the difficulty in your choosing to trust in God might be more from an unwillingness to change your lifestyle than from a truly intellectual problem. Not that I’m accusing you of any of those vices I mentioned, it’s just that giving certain lifestyle choices seems to be the sticking point for many, including Aldous Huxley.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:05 am
Actually, I am fully willing to change my lifestyle. And I actually changed it from being a Christian.
Believe in the supernatural, presents far more questions than it answers. No matter how difficult a problem we face, inserting God into it, raises an even larger problem explaining what ‘God’ is.
It just raises more questions than it answers, and thus I find it very difficult to be an answer for anything.
Thanks for your comments CS Brownwell. You’re views are always welcome on this site.