Great discussion about religion

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
by Daniel C. Dennett

CrazyNeutrino said:

Great discussion about religion

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
by Daniel C. Dennett

you tube discussion

In this interview with Bill Moyers, Dan Dennett delivers a sharp and clear synthesis of a library of evolutionary, anthropological and psychological research on the origin and spread of religion.

CrazyNeutrino said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Great discussion about religion

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
by Daniel C. Dennett

you tube discussion

In this interview with Bill Moyers, Dan Dennett delivers a sharp and clear synthesis of a library of evolutionary, anthropological and psychological research on the origin and spread of religion.

I found it a very interesting conversation

may need to watch it again, to get bits I may have missed

I liked the stop thinking segment

and I liked the stop parents passing down religion to young people segment

and I liked the please explain your God segment

good interview

I wonder how many religious ideologies have stopped politicians thinking on specific matters

I’m not suggesting they stop thinking altogether, although some of us get that impression, just that on some matters, they appear to stop thinking, their religious ideology has already spoken what is right and wrong on certain matters

worth a watch

I would like to hear his opinion on human rights violations that happen across all religions

And perhaps a move to religious reform by embracing the mentioned issues in his book as well as to incorporate the UN charter on human rights in all religions.

I liked the hypocrisy segment as well.

>and I liked the please explain your God segment

I haven’t seen it yet, but if you deconstruct most religious believers’ ideas about their God, you find they contain virtually zero information. Just a few vague assertions that peter out into blank mysticism very rapidly.

Bubblecar said:

>and I liked the please explain your God segment

I haven’t seen it yet, but if you deconstruct most religious believers’ ideas about their God, you find they contain virtually zero information. Just a few vague assertions that peter out into blank mysticism very rapidly.

That’s pretty much what he was suggesting, I think.

You know my (devil’s advocate) opinions by now. I’m not convinced that religion actually exists. Three of my latest realizations are:

The stepped pyramids of mesoamerica are grandstands for watching sporting events.
The word translated “angel” actually means “spy”.
The Oracle of Delphi was a successful peddler of political influence.

mollwollfumble said:

You know my (devil’s advocate) opinions by now. I’m not convinced that religion actually exists. Three of my latest realizations are:

The stepped pyramids of mesoamerica are grandstands for watching sporting events.
The word translated “angel” actually means “spy”.
The Oracle of Delphi was a successful peddler of political influence.

By sporting events, don’t you mean ritual execution spectator sport?

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

You know my (devil’s advocate) opinions by now. I’m not convinced that religion actually exists. Three of my latest realizations are:

The stepped pyramids of mesoamerica are grandstands for watching sporting events.
The word translated “angel” actually means “spy”.
The Oracle of Delphi was a successful peddler of political influence.

By sporting events, don’t you mean ritual execution spectator sport?

No. I mean mock battles and football-like games. The spectators sat or stood on the steps looking down on the sporting event in the plaza below.

The executions had the same cause as they do in modern society – capital punishment for crimes committed. For non-payment of taxes the punishment was the execution of a family member of the offender, often a daughter.

mollwollfumble said:

You know my (devil’s advocate) opinions by now. I’m not convinced that religion actually exists. Three of my latest realizations are:

The stepped pyramids of mesoamerica are grandstands for watching sporting events.
The word translated “angel” actually means “spy”.
The Oracle of Delphi was a successful peddler of political influence.

Religion and mass spectator sports serve much the same purpose.

But sports avoid most of the undesirable side-effects.