Comments on: Natural Selection and Eugenics, part 2 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/ Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:32:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Kren http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-52738 Kren Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:12:46 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-52738 No Way:... I really think that we get confused with higher agenda's when we think about the MEANING of life. If you believe in evolution and track life back you'll find that the meaning of life WAS life itself. A mere replication of itself, as it LIVED so to speak. You can ask yourself... does a PLANT have a meaning to its life? The only answer you can get is .."yes... it provides seeds or spores... that's what it lives to do. However, intelligence, is a wonderful thing. Not only can we ASK what the meaning of life is... we can also answer. A crackhead may say "crack". A writer may say writing. A working man with a family may say... "my children.". A singer may say.. "when I start singing and that crowd goes freakin NUTS!!". It may be the case, that none of those spell "meaning" to you... but there are ENDLESS examples... A teacher may say.."When that ONE kid who I thought would never learn this thing... LEARNED it". Case in point... this "MEANING" of life.... it ISN"T just life itself... it's passing life itself on. There are also things we do like helping people and making life for them and/or ourselves more enjoyable. No Way:…

I really think that we get confused with higher agenda’s when we think about the MEANING of life.
If you believe in evolution and track life back you’ll find that the meaning of life WAS life itself. A mere replication of itself, as it LIVED so to speak.
You can ask yourself… does a PLANT have a meaning to its life?
The only answer you can get is ..”yes… it provides seeds or spores… that’s what it lives to do.

However, intelligence, is a wonderful thing. Not only can we ASK what the meaning of life is… we can also answer.

A crackhead may say “crack”.
A writer may say writing.
A working man with a family may say… “my children.”.
A singer may say.. “when I start singing and that crowd goes freakin NUTS!!”.
It may be the case, that none of those spell “meaning” to you… but there are ENDLESS examples…
A teacher may say..”When that ONE kid who I thought would never learn this thing… LEARNED it”.

Case in point… this “MEANING” of life….

it ISN”T just life itself… it’s passing life itself on.
There are also things we do like helping people and making life for them and/or ourselves more enjoyable.

]]> By: Eric http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-49176 Eric Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:45:06 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-49176 Ashlea said "By eliminating a God and a creator, you really do eliminate the value of human life." Does it matter which God you eliminate? Zeus? YHWH? Loki? Kali? Baal? Michael Jordan's 'Encyclopedia of Gods' has over 2,500 entries. I suspect Ashlea would not expect us to worship them all. Ashlea said “By eliminating a God and a creator, you really do eliminate the value of human life.”

Does it matter which God you eliminate? Zeus? YHWH? Loki? Kali? Baal?

Michael Jordan’s ‘Encyclopedia of Gods’ has over 2,500 entries. I suspect Ashlea would not expect us to worship them all.

]]> By: DB http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-43883 DB Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:55:34 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-43883 You can't fathom it just as (I assume) you can't fathom how atheists can lead moral lives without god. You don't understand atheists. Who cares if life has a purpose or not? Do you need to have a purpose just to be good? I lead my life the best way possible irregardless of the end reward for doing so. I think that is a bit more sincere than needing something like god to prove your life is worth it and thus acting that way. You can’t fathom it just as (I assume) you can’t fathom how atheists can lead moral lives without god. You don’t understand atheists. Who cares if life has a purpose or not? Do you need to have a purpose just to be good? I lead my life the best way possible irregardless of the end reward for doing so. I think that is a bit more sincere than needing something like god to prove your life is worth it and thus acting that way.

]]> By: No Way http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-43879 No Way Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:12:13 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-43879 "By eliminating a GOd and a creator, you really do eliminate the value of human life. — I disagree, and such a thing has never been proved.” OK, I'll admit I do not think it has ever been proven. Got a question though. What are some possible "meanings" of life, or "purposes" of life without God? I just can't fathom what it would be. And seriously, can we not do this whole circular "the meaning of life is life itself" crap. I can only accept that when we have other things that have the meaning of themselves "the meaning of pencil is pencil itself". “By eliminating a GOd and a creator, you really do eliminate the value of human life. — I disagree, and such a thing has never been proved.”

OK, I’ll admit I do not think it has ever been proven. Got a question though. What are some possible “meanings” of life, or “purposes” of life without God? I just can’t fathom what it would be.

And seriously, can we not do this whole circular “the meaning of life is life itself” crap. I can only accept that when we have other things that have the meaning of themselves “the meaning of pencil is pencil itself”.

]]> By: Pedro Timóteo http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-42036 Pedro Timóteo Fri, 02 May 2008 03:28:06 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-42036 Thanks to you both for the tip about the disappearing RSS feed; it was due to the upgrade to WordPress 2.5.1. Apparently, it had <a href="http://wordpress.org/support/topic/172697" rel="nofollow">this bug</a>, which I've just installed the fix for. Thanks to you both for the tip about the disappearing RSS feed; it was due to the upgrade to WordPress 2.5.1. Apparently, it had this bug, which I’ve just installed the fix for.

]]> By: Ted Goas http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-42024 Ted Goas Thu, 01 May 2008 21:56:49 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-42024 "By eliminating a GOd and a creator, you really do eliminate the value of human life. --- I disagree, and such a thing has never been proved. You’ll note that virtually everyone who says "without God, life is pointless" is a believer… and if they were right, then atheists would be sad, nihilistic, suicidal people who saw no point to anything." So true, Pedro. I've heard many theists make this argument. "If we don't believe in the same God YOU believe in, we have nothing?" Come on! Can't some theists fathom that we don't blindly agree with their personal beliefs? Is everyone outside of their belief system immoral and utterly screwed? BTW, your RSS disappeared for me too (iGoogle). “By eliminating a GOd and a creator, you really do eliminate the value of human life. — I disagree, and such a thing has never been proved. You’ll note that virtually everyone who says “without God, life is pointless” is a believer… and if they were right, then atheists would be sad, nihilistic, suicidal people who saw no point to anything.”

So true, Pedro. I’ve heard many theists make this argument. “If we don’t believe in the same God YOU believe in, we have nothing?” Come on! Can’t some theists fathom that we don’t blindly agree with their personal beliefs? Is everyone outside of their belief system immoral and utterly screwed?

BTW, your RSS disappeared for me too (iGoogle).

]]> By: Ross http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-42015 Ross Thu, 01 May 2008 14:53:12 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-42015 Hey Pedro, what happened to your RSS feed? It disappeared for me all of a sudden and I thought Way of the Mind died! Hey Pedro, what happened to your RSS feed? It disappeared for me all of a sudden and I thought Way of the Mind died!

]]> By: DB http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-42005 DB Thu, 01 May 2008 08:55:05 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2008/04/30/natural-selection-and-eugenics-part-2/#comment-42005 This "Hitler worshiped Darwin's theories" argument is quite overplayed, and since Expelled, it has even gotten the Holocaust Museum rejecting the claim. Surely, they, who maintain the history of the holocaust, would have a valid opinion on this. It is a sad connection Stein tried to make to justify his irrational view that Evolution is evil. By connecting Darwin to Hitler, he has misled countless creationists with an asinine assumption. These are the same people who call Hitler an Atheist disregarding his writings, and Einstein a believer based on a few of his mis-quoted quotes. If it's a PR game they are playing, ok. But they cannot honestly believe this crap. This “Hitler worshiped Darwin’s theories” argument is quite overplayed, and since Expelled, it has even gotten the Holocaust Museum rejecting the claim. Surely, they, who maintain the history of the holocaust, would have a valid opinion on this. It is a sad connection Stein tried to make to justify his irrational view that Evolution is evil. By connecting Darwin to Hitler, he has misled countless creationists with an asinine assumption. These are the same people who call Hitler an Atheist disregarding his writings, and Einstein a believer based on a few of his mis-quoted quotes. If it’s a PR game they are playing, ok. But they cannot honestly believe this crap.

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