Darwin

[Loki]

The converse is true.

Ah I see, my apologies. And yet, Loddfafner has a good point above, namely that religious people are not necessarily less promiscuous - they are only more secretive and sneaky about it. Not even religion is strong enough to kill man's inherent sexual desire.

Well, this opens up a new can of worms really as it deals with the social effects of Darwinism. Though I consider myself a Darwinist, I can't say that he's had a good effect on our society, as his contribution to the Death of God has led to a loss of our Christian identity, which was our identity for hundreds of years. This loss of identity has not been helpful as it's been replaced by nihilism.

What is "good"? Is it not the truth? Or is it the make-believe Matrix world? I myself prefer as much reality as possible for my human brain. It frees the mind.

[Joe McCarthy]

I think there is actually a correlation. I bet there are more adult bookstores per square mile in regions with a high concentration of Christian fundamentalists than in areas thick with secularist liberals. All that preaching only intensifies the lure of the forbidden.

By such logic the Bible Belt should look more like Amsterdam than Amsterdam does.

[Loki]

By such logic the Bible Belt should look more like Amsterdam than Amsterdam does.

I think the Bible Belt is probably rougher even than Amsterdam, only behind closed doors.

[Joe McCarthy]

Ah I see, my apologies. And yet, Loddfafner has a good point above, namely that religious people are not necessarily less promiscuous - they are only more secretive and sneaky about it. Not even religion is strong enough to kill man's inherent sexual desire.

I don't see any real evidence for this. I think it is mostly a rationalization by hedonistic secularists to try and feel good about themselves. If nothing else, religious cultures keep such behavior in the shadows, which itself is a good thing.

What is "good"? Is it not the truth? Or is it the make-believe Matrix world? I myself prefer as much reality as possible for my human brain. It frees the mind.

I think Nietzsche touched on this once. What is good and what is true are not necessarily the same thing. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to see why.

[Loki]

I don't see any real evidence for this. I think it is mostly a rationalization by hedonistic secularists to try and feel good about themselves. If nothing else, religious cultures keep such behavior in the shadows, which itself is a good thing.

...

I think Nietzsche touched on this once. What is good and what is true are not necessarily the same thing. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to see why.

What is inherently so "evil" about sex, though? Sex toys in a grocery store. So what? It's part of life, part of who and what we are - beings who are born with the primary goal to have sex and procreate. Everything else is of secondary importance.

[Joe McCarthy]

What is inherently so "evil" about sex, though? Sex toys in a grocery store. So what? It's part of life, part of who and what we are - beings who are born with the primary goal to have sex and procreate. Everything else is of secondary importance.

Such open displays of sex are not going to be seen by adults alone. Even if one believes there's nothing inherently wrong with pornographic materials, it's still usually seen as a given that children should be shielded from such things.

In effect, Europeans have gone so far as to think it's okay for kids to look at porn. America is a long way from that.

[Óttar]

If nothing else, religious cultures keep such behavior in the shadows, which itself is a good thing.

Why is suppressing sexual desire good? Sexual frustration IMO leads to negative behaviour and neurosis.

[Loki]

Such open displays of sex are not going to be seen by adults alone. Even if one believes there's nothing inherently wrong with pornographic materials, it's still usually seen as a given that children should be shielded from such things.

In effect, Europeans have gone so far as to think it's okay for kids to look at porn. America is a long way from that.

Well, most people in the UK are in effect atheists, and we still can't buy dildos in grocery stores. Amsterdam is unique, even in Europe. Hop to Copenhagen and it's entirely different.

[Joe McCarthy]

Why is suppressing sexual desire good? Sexual frustration IMO leads to negative behaviour and neurosis.

When we were sexually 'repressed' we had a much lower illegitimacy rate, and much less of the problems that accompany it. As Augustine said, a man has as many masters as he has vices. I don't think sexual 'liberation' has been very liberating.

[anonymaus]

It seems to me that Darwin's argument has no consequence for faith except for its most stunted and primitive manifestations.

Darwin held back publication of his works because he and his very religious wife knew they would intellectually devastate religion. The reaction to Darwin was never very reasoned or intellectual, but emotional: just like every major argument for religion since.

Darwin wasn't just broadly correct, but so specifically correct that his theories about very particularly evolved creatures--of whom he had no direct knowledge--are still being proven today; it wasn't even two years ago when one of his bizarre sounding predictions (an insect with a massively long protuberance for feeding on very deep and narrow flowers, if I recall correctly) was proved to exist.

Scientists apply vigorous testing to their theories and do everything possible to prove them wrong, and then have their peers pick through and criticize their every idea and test result. Religious "thinkers" are navel gazing ninnies whose idea of peer review is to surround themselves with likeminded people and have an intellectual circle jerk.

Religion has survived mostly on the inculcation of its stupidity into the minds of frightened children, and the--now thankfully unfashionable--politeness of its enemies.

No serious person believes it and anyone who does cannot be trusted to have an honest discourse on the subject.