Bill, you make a classic mistake, and one that others far smarter than I have thoroughly debunked: that of concluding that science generally, and evolution through natural selection in particular, is a religion. It is emphatically not. But, as your argument wanders away from your initial and very much mistaken assertion, and does not depend upon it, there seem little point in attempting to educate you about it here.
I’d be interested in their case. Based on an academic definition of science and religion, I imagine you are quite right, and the distinction is probably enlightening
I understand the idea of evolution as a "popular religion" in the sense that it is accepted uncritically by a dominant proportion of liberals. Is that what you meant?
Meanwhile, you might check out "The Demon-Haunted World' by ace debunker Carl Sagan.
No, the Social Darwinist world view is the abomination. Isaiah was simply voicing God's view of the arrogance of all morally bankrupt humans who worship themselves instead of the Creator of the Universe.
Here are some quotes by erudite writers that clearly expose the pernicious Social Darwinist ROT destroying the fabric of our society:
"The American idea, meanwhile — descended from slavery — was just the opposite: only the strong should survive, and the weak should perish. Therefore, nobody deserved anything at all — even the basics — because human life had no inherent or intrinsic worth. Only the strong deserved such things — and they were the ones who could dominate and exploit and control everyone else." -- Umair Haque
"Trump’s failure to go strong with masking, “lockdowns,” and invocation of the Defense Production Act (to order the mass manufacture of medical supplies) reflected not only his desire to keep the economy going (ironically enough since failure to undertake proper public health measures deepened the economic impact of the virus) for his re-election but also his rejection of science and his racist, Social Darwinian, and pre-genocidal approval of how COVID-19 especially killed the old, the infirm, the poor, and the nonwhite and how the virus initially targeted big multiracial urban and Democratic areas." -- Paul Street February 7, 2021
AGelbert NOTE: "Free-dumb", as described below by Paul Street, is indistinguishable from Social Darwinism in action:
"America became obsessed with free-dumb: the idea of freedom as the removal of all restraint, the right to harm others, the ability to do anything you please, no matter how destructive, toxic, foolish, or inane. Americans — in the vast, vast majority — think of freedom in a way that by now the rest of the rich world and much of the poor one regards as dangerously backwards. Freedom is the right not to ever have to cooperate, to invest, to act for the common wealth or common good. Why is America the only rich society in the world that doesn’t have effectively any public goods? No functioning healthcare, retirement, higher education, and so forth? Because of free-dumb. “I won’t pay for their healthcare, education, retirement!!” Why not? “They’re weak! They’re liabilities and burdens!! They cost me money!!” But wait, don’t you understand that means you won’t have those very same things yourself — because such social institutions are for everyone? “I don’t care! I won’t reward weakness and laziness! Such people need to be punished! And I should be free not to have support the weak!”" -- Paul Street February 7, 2021
"Environmental decline is a threat to the everyone. If people conceived of themselves as members of this community, rather than as self-interested individuals, then ending environmental decline might take precedence over individual self-realization. Before dismissing this formulation as utopian, we, the people, do constitute the community that is threatened by environmental decline. The social tension here isn’t between individual and group interests. It is between people who understand themselves to be members of a community and those who don’t. While granting differences by class on the road to environmental Armageddon, ‘we’ are the community that will be annihilated. In this sense individualism is the ultimate authoritarian conceit." -- Rob Urie February 12, 2021
"Look at our world, our country, our interactions with each other… … this is not the mark of a healthy society, and if these are the self-appointed leaders of this flaming meteor… ... it’s time to move on... ... Let’s relegate these fools to history. They perpetuate a narrative that it is right to behave in a strictly selfish, exploitative manner towards all. We simply can’t survive it any longer. Things will change because they have to -- Kathleen Wallace
So then, Rex Payne, do you agree that human society MUST embrace Ethical Behavior as the indispensable condition (sine qua non) in order to survive and overcome, the ABOMINATION of Social Darwinism?
If not, you can stop reading now. If so, please read on. All people of good will who truly want to change things for the better should ponder the words below, of Spiros Zodhiates, seriously, prudently leaving aside preconcieved (i.e. formed BEFORE having the evidence for its truth or usefulness) notions of the Gospel of Luke. Ethical behavior is not optional for people of good will, PERIOD.
Spiros Zodhiates,Th.D, wrote the folllowing introduction to the Gospel of Luke in the 1988 edition of the Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible. Notice the contrast of the behavior of Jesus with what the "modern" Social Darwinist (See; "Apex Predators") empathy rejecting, morally bankrupt, "might equals right" worshipping ideology:
"The Most Beautiful Book Ever Written"
The Gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as the long awaited Messiah of the Jews and also the Savior of all mankind. Special emphasis is placed upon the kindness of Jesus toward women, the poor, the outcasts, the weak, and those who were suffering in different ways. In addition, the book is filled with expressions of praise and prayer. Luke's account had a universal appeal, aspecially to the Gentiles. Jesus is presented as the perfect Man who is truly interested in every person on earth, no matter what his station in life. Luke was aimed at the Greek mind, and therefore had to be written in a comprehensive, logical, and orderly manner. There are portions of the book which approach Classical Greek Literature. Luke has been called "the most beautiful book ever written."
There is little doubt that the author was Luke, the "beloved physician" (Col. 4:14). From the context of this passage we learn that Luke was "not of the circumcision" and, consequently, he may have been the only Gentile writer of the New Testament. Paul refers to him as his "fellow worker" in Philemon 24. Several pasages indicate that he was a close companion to the Apostle during the missionary journys of the book of Acts. He was with Paul until the very end (II Tim. 4:11). Judging fom the style of his Greek, we surmise that he was the most cultured of all the writers of the Gospel.
Since tomorrow is Christmas, this graphic with a quote from Luke is appropriate.
Substantiation of the assertion that politics has become disconnected from economics, and thus from the popular will: https://unherd.com/2022/12/civil-disobedience-is-coming/?tl_inbound=1&tl_groups[0]=18743&tl_period_type=3&mc_cid=47c6e52662&mc_eid=990d2b7c3e
Bill, you make a classic mistake, and one that others far smarter than I have thoroughly debunked: that of concluding that science generally, and evolution through natural selection in particular, is a religion. It is emphatically not. But, as your argument wanders away from your initial and very much mistaken assertion, and does not depend upon it, there seem little point in attempting to educate you about it here.
I’d be interested in their case. Based on an academic definition of science and religion, I imagine you are quite right, and the distinction is probably enlightening
I understand the idea of evolution as a "popular religion" in the sense that it is accepted uncritically by a dominant proportion of liberals. Is that what you meant?
Meanwhile, you might check out "The Demon-Haunted World' by ace debunker Carl Sagan.
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. ~ Isaiah 41:24
Then is not the Lord God, who hath chosen His people, an abomination?
No, the Social Darwinist world view is the abomination. Isaiah was simply voicing God's view of the arrogance of all morally bankrupt humans who worship themselves instead of the Creator of the Universe.
Here are some quotes by erudite writers that clearly expose the pernicious Social Darwinist ROT destroying the fabric of our society:
"The American idea, meanwhile — descended from slavery — was just the opposite: only the strong should survive, and the weak should perish. Therefore, nobody deserved anything at all — even the basics — because human life had no inherent or intrinsic worth. Only the strong deserved such things — and they were the ones who could dominate and exploit and control everyone else." -- Umair Haque
"Trump’s failure to go strong with masking, “lockdowns,” and invocation of the Defense Production Act (to order the mass manufacture of medical supplies) reflected not only his desire to keep the economy going (ironically enough since failure to undertake proper public health measures deepened the economic impact of the virus) for his re-election but also his rejection of science and his racist, Social Darwinian, and pre-genocidal approval of how COVID-19 especially killed the old, the infirm, the poor, and the nonwhite and how the virus initially targeted big multiracial urban and Democratic areas." -- Paul Street February 7, 2021
AGelbert NOTE: "Free-dumb", as described below by Paul Street, is indistinguishable from Social Darwinism in action:
"America became obsessed with free-dumb: the idea of freedom as the removal of all restraint, the right to harm others, the ability to do anything you please, no matter how destructive, toxic, foolish, or inane. Americans — in the vast, vast majority — think of freedom in a way that by now the rest of the rich world and much of the poor one regards as dangerously backwards. Freedom is the right not to ever have to cooperate, to invest, to act for the common wealth or common good. Why is America the only rich society in the world that doesn’t have effectively any public goods? No functioning healthcare, retirement, higher education, and so forth? Because of free-dumb. “I won’t pay for their healthcare, education, retirement!!” Why not? “They’re weak! They’re liabilities and burdens!! They cost me money!!” But wait, don’t you understand that means you won’t have those very same things yourself — because such social institutions are for everyone? “I don’t care! I won’t reward weakness and laziness! Such people need to be punished! And I should be free not to have support the weak!”" -- Paul Street February 7, 2021
"Environmental decline is a threat to the everyone. If people conceived of themselves as members of this community, rather than as self-interested individuals, then ending environmental decline might take precedence over individual self-realization. Before dismissing this formulation as utopian, we, the people, do constitute the community that is threatened by environmental decline. The social tension here isn’t between individual and group interests. It is between people who understand themselves to be members of a community and those who don’t. While granting differences by class on the road to environmental Armageddon, ‘we’ are the community that will be annihilated. In this sense individualism is the ultimate authoritarian conceit." -- Rob Urie February 12, 2021
"Look at our world, our country, our interactions with each other… … this is not the mark of a healthy society, and if these are the self-appointed leaders of this flaming meteor… ... it’s time to move on... ... Let’s relegate these fools to history. They perpetuate a narrative that it is right to behave in a strictly selfish, exploitative manner towards all. We simply can’t survive it any longer. Things will change because they have to -- Kathleen Wallace
So then, Rex Payne, do you agree that human society MUST embrace Ethical Behavior as the indispensable condition (sine qua non) in order to survive and overcome, the ABOMINATION of Social Darwinism?
If not, you can stop reading now. If so, please read on. All people of good will who truly want to change things for the better should ponder the words below, of Spiros Zodhiates, seriously, prudently leaving aside preconcieved (i.e. formed BEFORE having the evidence for its truth or usefulness) notions of the Gospel of Luke. Ethical behavior is not optional for people of good will, PERIOD.
Spiros Zodhiates,Th.D, wrote the folllowing introduction to the Gospel of Luke in the 1988 edition of the Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible. Notice the contrast of the behavior of Jesus with what the "modern" Social Darwinist (See; "Apex Predators") empathy rejecting, morally bankrupt, "might equals right" worshipping ideology:
"The Most Beautiful Book Ever Written"
The Gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as the long awaited Messiah of the Jews and also the Savior of all mankind. Special emphasis is placed upon the kindness of Jesus toward women, the poor, the outcasts, the weak, and those who were suffering in different ways. In addition, the book is filled with expressions of praise and prayer. Luke's account had a universal appeal, aspecially to the Gentiles. Jesus is presented as the perfect Man who is truly interested in every person on earth, no matter what his station in life. Luke was aimed at the Greek mind, and therefore had to be written in a comprehensive, logical, and orderly manner. There are portions of the book which approach Classical Greek Literature. Luke has been called "the most beautiful book ever written."
There is little doubt that the author was Luke, the "beloved physician" (Col. 4:14). From the context of this passage we learn that Luke was "not of the circumcision" and, consequently, he may have been the only Gentile writer of the New Testament. Paul refers to him as his "fellow worker" in Philemon 24. Several pasages indicate that he was a close companion to the Apostle during the missionary journys of the book of Acts. He was with Paul until the very end (II Tim. 4:11). Judging fom the style of his Greek, we surmise that he was the most cultured of all the writers of the Gospel.
Since tomorrow is Christmas, this graphic with a quote from Luke is appropriate.
https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-071222123421-21211440.jpeg
God Bless you, Rex Payne.