Posted on 09/28/2009 8:33:23 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
Are humans born to cheat? What do Americans think about marital infidelity? Those who oppose the practice of adultery often base their arguments on religious prohibitions. Others, confident that religion is worthless, or worse, turn to science to support their contentions that monogamy is not biologically “natural.”
The ABC News television program Nightline is currently running a series on the Ten Commandments that “explores the biblical commandments from [a] modern-day perspective.”[1] The fourth installment of the series looked at...
(Excerpt) Read more at icr.org ...
Ping!
I haven’t read the article, but the title begs the question: “How can science trump morality?”
It does if the married researcher has a thing for his cute assistant.
Science can explain why we have the urge. But that’s not justification. Unless you think humans are no more evolved than paramecium.
Conceivably science alone can justify anything. The Nazis used science to justify murder. Science in the absence of morality is the Road to Hell.
Of course humans are born to cheat. And to lie. And steal. And murder. It’s called original sin. How we control those base impulses is what counts. Obviously some of us are having better success than others.
Humans are born to sin. There’s only one treatment to help with that.
Let’s see...does it fall under a “Thou shalt not”? Hmmm...looking...looking...Well! There it is! “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. Looks pretty black-and-white to me.
And the score...The Lord Almighty, 1.....assorted blasphemous fools, zippo.
No, but that won't stop people from trying (and claiming to have done so).
Science tells what the world _is_. Morality says what the world _ought to be_. Studying the first can never get you to the second, as I've seen even thoughtful atheists admit and agree.
I thought the goal was NOT to behave like animals.
ping to self
I wasn’t aware that science answered morality’s questions. One is based in fact. The other is founded on faith.
Science is itself based on faith.
It’s an excuse.
“man is merely an ape without fur” ???
You creationists kill me daily making a cartoon version what you oppose and knocking it down. Creationists that only read creationist sources, will swear this nonsense that you make up, is really in science class. Please creationists, read your kids textbooks and see if it really says “man is merely an ape without fur”
You cant be this gullible.
you nailed it!!!
I haven’t read the article, but the title begs the question: “How can science trump morality?”
_______
When you do read the article, you will find that there is nothing in said article to suggest that ‘science does trump morality’, there is nothing is said article to suggest that science justifies adultery, in fact, I really cannot find the point of the article at all.
Biological underpinnings to our behavior is NOT a logical precedent to adultery being a biological imperative.
Scroll to the 5:00 mark or you can watch it all!
Chimpanzees have no concept of property, and don’t live under the rule of law.
Speaking from the perspective of a seasoned, but recovered cheater, there is no justification for it, least of all some biological predisposition.
If we take it to an extreme and suggest that the emotional and social baggage could be dispensed with as society “matures,” there are logistical issues that would come into play.
If I fooled around on my wife (even with her permission) and eventually decided I liked my new partner better, my old partner because a financial burden I have no real reason to hold on to.
Inevitibly, even if the impulse to feel rejected or hurt in the case of casual sex outside the marrige was removed from the scenario, it’s unrealistic to imagine that logical consequences of this behavior would not leave emotional and financial scars in the long term.
The fact that this is even being debated blows my mind. The future these people would have for us is one where everybody is in it for himself, and the nuclear family is reduced to an anachronism.
I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m ready to shuffle loose this mortal coil, I want it to be with my devoted family at my bedside, and bathed in the satisfying glow of a life well-lived.
So let's not hear any sniveling from the the evos on this simple matter they must certainly agree with.
Ideas have consequences dontchaknow...
::laughing::
Watch the Democrat leadership and all liberals (even on Free Republic), as they show the most vigor and fanaticism when attacking traditional American conservative morality, also known as biblical morality.
Thanks for the ping!
Science doesn’t “justify” anything, it only observes and attempts to understand and explain it.
In the case of sex and ‘adultery’, the only factor of vital importance to biology is the continuation, or not, of the species. Period. All other social and philosophical implications of ‘when’, ‘where’, and ‘with who’ falls under the softer social sciences. But again, science is not there to make the rules, only to observe and explain the results.
also laughing.
At your statement “After all, if there is no God there is no morality”.
Evos most certainly will NOT agree with you, because your the statements you use to support your conclusion are cartoonish and silly.
being faithful requires character...believe me...I know
it does not come natural to me....whew
but you do what is right
Sure does.
I mean, haven’t we learned anything from the gay-lesbian community? They’ve preached the “born this way so it’s okay” doctrine for years!
So, yeah, if we can show that we’re born to cheat... let the fun begin!
Can’t wait until someone also finds out we’re born wanting to have relations w/ animals too...
(/sarcasm, in case anyone really needs to ask)
Please creationists, read your kids textbooks and see if it really says “man is merely an ape without fur”
You cant be this gullible.
**********************************************************************
Wait until they actually open a philosophy book, and find out that Plato once described men as “featherless bipeds”. In their world, that signifies Plato having believed that men were merely birds without plumage.
What can be said? Folks have to break their own chains, imo, and never like to be disabused of their illusions by others.
“Conceivably science alone can justify anything. The Nazis used science to justify murder. Science in the absence of morality is the Road to Hell.”
Well, you’re sort of missing the point here. Science is, by its nature, Amoral (emphasis added). Capitalism is the same. It might be wise to contrast ethics and morality, but that is a discussion for another time.
Science really doesn’t make moral judgements. If you want to immerse yourself in a moral environment, then go to church more often. Don’t make science out to be something that it is not, and never was. A religiously “moral” science would still support the Earth at the center of the universe.
Well put.
Ok let me rephrase, humans can use science alone, without morality, to justify anything.
Science is like a gun, alone it doesn’t kill, but in the hands of bad people, it can.
Morality shows us what is good.
Our duty is to select what is good from within the limits of the possible.
we’ve had an entire closet industry devoted to this since the 1950’s...abusing “scientific research” for the purpose of excusing sh***y human behavior. The results are more than evident in any inner-city neighborhood you choose.
(So, Professor, are you saying that since we have this genetic predisposition, we should throw away thousands of years of Human Civilization and go back to living as the cavemen did?
Yes, yes, that’s EXACTLY what I am saying!....)
Same old crap used in the 60s a poster popular then was “If it feels good do it,any wonder so many std’s are gaining ground.
==Please creationists, read your kids textbooks
We have indeed been reading our children’s science textbooks, and not only do they suggest that we evolved from slime, and that man descended from apes, but many of them have continued to perpetuate century-old Temple of Darwin frauds right up to the present day:
http://www.evolutionnews.org/2007/05/the_textbooks_dont_lie_haeckel_1.html
Science is not morally agnostic. It requires morality to function properly. Nor can the assumptions that make science possible be justified on scientific grounds.
Of course humans have a built-in propensity for cheating. It's part of what's called “sin”.
But does having the desire to do something justify doing it? Even without reference to God, what justifies harming another human being, especially by betrayal?
If there is no morality, and it pleases you, then there is nothing standing in your way.
I read a very good book on genetics which makes the claim that there is a genetic basis for monogamy. To develop our big brains required lots of protein, but hunting was largely hit or miss. Males would hunt while women gathered, and the couples that shared had a steady diet that also provided high amounts of protein and they evolved into us.
Personally, I believe God’s word over what human science can discover, but I found this to be an interesting point.
Folks like you give Christianity a bad name.. God gave us brain to think.. Not to be blind followers..
Triple G, There is nothing in Mr. Thomas’ latest article that even merits dissection. He should probably have taken the day off instead.
“Science is like a gun, alone it doesn’t kill, but in the hands of bad people, it can.”
Agreed. Seems like I read something about this in the Bible’s first book. Since we’re irrevocably saddled with that pesky knowledge thing, we’d better learn how to use it rather than getting “all wobbly” when its findings don’t match up with our current religious presumptions. Suck it up and don’t whine about it. It’s part of God’s plan.
God knew we’d run up against these dichotomies. How we handle it determines what kind of stewards we are, as we’re “passing through”. A religious life is not for sissies (nor should it be). Some can handle it, some can’t. You didn’t choose the knowledge option. It’s one of God’s mandates. Learn to live with it.
It’s the Adam and Eve SINdrome.. Adam blamed Eve instead of telling her to put down the damn apple..
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.
"Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Psalm 2:1-4
To me, these two passages pretty well sum up what's gong on
“Science is not morally agnostic.”
I disagree.
“It requires morality to function properly.”
I understand what you’re saying. I don’t understand what basis you have for saying this.”
“Nor can the assumptions that make science possible be justified on scientific grounds.”
What are the unstated “assumptions” that make science possible? This statement doesn’t even make sense, unless you expand on it.
The problem is science is not intended to give your life meaning. You have to do that for yourself.
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