Does God exist? (8 Viewers)

[Enteebee]

Woah, wait. It's never 'survival of the species'. Animals act for their own benefit (or rather the benefit of the genes), not for the 'species'; there may be species-level benefits of individual action, but we're essentially the only animal that can comprehend the concept of 'for the species' (and generally not very well).

It is the survival of the species which determines which species survive, i.e. Some individuals in the species may be worse off by some genetic trait, such as self sacrifice to save others, yet the species as a whole will be more likely to survive and thus that gene will be more likely to survive.

For instance take mothers protecting their young or people from a tribe, or family (who are likely to share a lot of common dna) protecting each other.

I think you essentially agree with me, but seem to think I was claiming species know that they are helping out other members of their species... I don't believe this to be the case.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/...on_shifts_his_position_on_altruism_in_nature/

 

[Enteebee]

I think this is wrong...

Evolution is Natrual Selection. Natural selection is the survival of the fittest, in that the more offsprings are going to come from the stronger INDIVIDUAL. It is these offspring of ONE individual that makes up the spieces thus making it stronger.

This is analogus to our society helping the disabled, where we showcase altruism. However in nature, the disadvantaged organism will be less likely to reproduce and other organism of the same spieces will not help that disabled organism... thus altruism is not displayed.

Ofcourse being science as it is, everything must have exceptions, as pogintly pointed out with the ant example. It is true that some spieces of ants display altriusm for the "clan."

However generally speaking, altriuism is a normal characteristic of evolution...

This propagate us to a logical explanation of altriuism in humans...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_selection

 

[Lukybear]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_selection

You truly cannot claim that this is altriusm, as in non self based altriusm. We cannot claim that an ant's actions of kin selection is truly altriusitic as we do not know the all stimulants of his actions...

However that being said the keyword in the article is "some." Not all spieces exhibt this altruistic characteristic.

Some organisms tend to exhibit strategies that favor the reproductive success of their relatives, even at a cost to their own survival and/or reproduction. The classic example is a eusocial insect colony, with sterile females acting as workers to assist their mother in the production of additional offspring. Many evolutionary biologists explain this by the theory of kin selection.

 

[Enteebee]

lol wot

 

[sthcross.dude]

You truly cannot claim that this is altriusm, as in non self based altriusm. We cannot claim that an ant's actions of kin selection is truly altriusitic as we do not know the all stimulants of his actions...

However that being said the keyword in the article is "some." Not all spieces exhibt this altruistic characteristic.

This kid is right, although the "not all species" part is irrelevant.

Look up altruism. The animal altruism Chadd describes is not really consistent with definition (1). This concern for others is what most people take altruism to mean and it is not really possible for animals, especially ants, to have such feelings. The ants are simply acting out of instinct with no understanding that their behavior is helpful to the ant community.

Altruism =

1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others

2. Animal Behavior. behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.

 

[Josip Broz Tito]

God does exist. What you have to question instead is: what is God?

 

[nikolas]

A fictional character?

 

[fernando]

God does exist. What you have to question instead is: what is God?

illusion ftw?

 

[Enteebee]

Look up altruism. The animal altruism Chadd describes is not really consistent with definition (1). This concern for others is what most people take altruism to mean and it is not really possible for animals, especially ants, to have such feelings. The ants are simply acting out of instinct with no understanding that their behavior is helpful to the ant community.

It is not really possible for anything to be 'truly' altruistic by that definition imho, unless you mean that to be altruistic is to 'feel' although you are doing something selflessly, while your feelings of such selfishness and indeed your feeling of self-determination is really a by-product of 'instinct'.

edit: This is to say that the only difference between the 'altruism' of an ant, and that of a human is that one is capable of internalising and rationalising their instinctual desires, however this makes their continued acting out on these desires imo no more selfless than an ant. Just because you are capable of internalising these desires however does not give you control over them...

It is impossible for a human being with the desire to be altruistic to not act out on this (if at all possible) unless they have a competing desire, both of these desires however are coming from the same source. For someone to choose for instance to act on their altruistic desire against a non-altruistic one is no more selfless than someone else who does not, they are both merely slaves to their desires.

 

[Kwayera]

Indeed. And actually, a lot of human altruism (in fact most of it) can be explained as a form of sex selection; being altruistic, particularly in males, is essentially a sign of being very fit (posessing a lot of resources; i.e. being able to give resources (materials or effort) to individuals related or not with no apparent benefit). The fitter you are, the more 'resources' you have, and the more 'costs' of being altruistic you can soak up by being balanced by the benefit of that altruism in attracting females. This is generally subconscious.

Here's an example. Anyone (especially males) ever give blood and then wear that little sticker they give you?

 

[Пaтpик]

I've read some of these comments and some (like the one above) make absolutely no sense!!!
Only God would understand what ur saying!
In response to the original question - yes God does exist!

 

[7oas7y]

I believe a greater being exists, though I do not believe that it is the "god" that christians make it out to be. God passes judgement right? Wanna see some Judgement? Christians are stupid.

 

[Пaтpик]

I believe a greater being exists, though I do not believe that it is the "god" that christians make it out to be. God passes judgement right? Wanna see some Judgement? Christians are stupid.

Christians are stupid???
Christianity is has world's LARGEST number of followers!
Its more likely that you are stupid than the entire Christian population!!!!!!!!!!

 

[veloc1ty]

Trolls don't even try any more.

 

[fernando]

Christianity is has world's LARGEST number of followers!

just because a millions of people across the globe believe in a FAITH does not mean it's true.

 

[fernando]

Trolls don't even try any more.

second.

 

[Josip Broz Tito]

leave Patrik alone

 

[hermand]

i don't believe in organised religion, because it's way too strict, brainwashing and demeaning to those that partake in it. it pretty much just says to people unless you're perfect then you're not good enough.

as to the does god exist, i believe that this can't just be it. there's too much intelligence in the world and we don't completely understand where thoughts and memories come from, something in that tells me that there's got to be more to life. [not sure how that makes sense =SS]. or maybe i'm just an unrealistic idealist because that's what i want it to be.

 

[Darnie]

i don't believe in organised religion, because it's way too strict, brainwashing and demeaning to those that partake in it. it pretty much just says to people unless you're perfect then you're not good enough.

I think that that comment is cliche', sorry. i go to church most sundays and i dont ever feel i'm being brainwashed, or demeaned. They show us what we should be doing, but they don't force us to. We are given free will to decide what we want to do, really.

and the whole idea of christianity is that we are never going to be perfect, but that's ok, jesus is here to save us.

 

[hermand]

I think that that comment is cliche', sorry. i go to church most sundays and i dont ever feel i'm being brainwashed, or demeaned. They show us what we should be doing, but they don't force us to. We are given free will to decide what we want to do, really.

and the whole idea of christianity is that we are never going to be perfect, but that's ok, jesus is here to save us.

no, that's fine. i can understand that people like going to church etc. just through my life experiences i feel that that is what it seems to be to me. i suppose i actually only have a problem with catholicism, as i went to a catholic school for four years and wasn't catholic. i didn't take it very well to be told that i wasn't a good person just because i wasn't catholic. i dislike being told how to live my life also.

hmm, but the thing i don't get is why do you have to compare yourself to perfection? that would just depress me, as i think the point in life is to just be the best person you can be, and if that's good enough to keep you happy then that's fine.

just out of curiosity, what denomination of christianity are you?