The Dawning of the Sea Otters!!!!

Go God Go
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

Wiiiiiiiiiiii! How did I miss this? Thank you, Cristina, thank you!


Full episode here.


© Bright Nepenthe, 2010

Frans de Waal: Morals Without God?

Frans de Waal's wonderful column Morals Without God? How primate behavior sheds light on the origins of our sense of right and wrong, in yesterday's New York Times is a must read. Among quotes of interest:

"Why not assume that our humanity, including the self-control needed for livable societies, is built into us? Does anyone truly believe that our ancestors lacked social norms before they had religion? Did they never assist others in need, or complain about an unfair deal? Humans must have worried about the functioning of their communities well before the current religions arose, which is only a few thousand years ago."

And the thought provoking:

"... the building blocks of morality are older than humanity, and  we do not need God to explain how we got where we are today. On the other hand, what would happen if we were able to excise religion from society? I doubt that science and the naturalistic worldview could fill the void and become an inspiration for the good. Any framework we develop to advocate a certain moral outlook is bound to produce its own list of principles, its own prophets, and attract its own devoted followers, so that it will soon look like any old religion."

You can take a glance at the premise that lead to this discussion in this video trailer of his discussion with Robert Wright about morals, religion and primate altruism.

© Bright Nepenthe, 2010

You go Richard!

© Bright Nepenthe, 2010

Quo Vadis?

Attribution Unknown

I have been rather astonished to have received negative emails about my blog titled "Persecution". Why, you might ask, were these correspondents critical? Was it criticism from an Islamic readership? From, in general, an Iranian readership? Oh no, my friends... I have received two negative emails from individuals who identify themselves as atheists. 

Let me clearly, and for the first time on this blog, elucidate my perspective.

You get to believe what you want. 

I get to believe what I want. 

As long as we are good and moral and do no harm and try, as we can, to do some good, we're just fine.

No right beliefs. 

No wrong beliefs. (Unless we're talking stoning or similarly heinous actions on our fellow humankind...)

You don't tell me what to believe and guess, what? I don't tell you what to believe!

This blog is totally self-centered. I'm telling you what I think or what I'm reading about or about what shocks or delights me.

I am not telling you I'm right and you're wrong.

I am not telling you what to think and I'm certainly not telling you what to believe or not believe. (Unlike a certain correspondent, I might add...)

What matters is what you DO. Are you kind? Do you try to do good?

In what way can I possibly criticize a practitioner of any faith who is a good person? Hmmm? This I would like to know.

I can criticize policies in the Catholic church that have led to decades, if not centuries, of abuse and coverup of abuse. I can criticize Sharia law that seeks to stone people, or counts a woman's worth in every way as less than a man's. I can say that any belief that judges another as making them somehow less than deserving of certain fundamental human rights is a wrong-headed one.

But I want someone to tell me how it is that any belief that helps someone get over the loss of a parent, a child or through dying of cancer or some other terminal disease is to be mocked or criticized by me? 

There is simply nothing, nothing, that gives me the right to mock another person's beliefs if it helps them get through this hard life and if they are decent and caring human beings.

Whatever gets you there, to being stable and kind and decent, it's good. It's better than good. It's FINE.

So to sum it up definitively:

You get to believe what you believe.

I get to believe what I believe.

We both act like decent and moral human beings who treat every living soul on this planet as if they deserve respect, kindness and even if we disagree with them, not derision.

Let's check out that First Amendment freedom of religion thing, shall we? Hmmmm. Maybe instead of religion, the Founding Fathers actually intended your right to freedom of belief.

I'm giving them the benefit of doubt.

But then what can I say? 

I'm just like that.

© Bright Nepenthe, 2010