Religion As A Virus Of The Mind

[Quantum Windbag]

And the premise behind the selfish gene is gradually being discredited discredited.

--

You can quote from Dawkins all you want, every time you do I will use science to refute your attempts to defend his idiocy. Just because I know he is wrong does not mean I base that knowledge on religion, but feel free to keep making a fool out of yourself as you make assumptions about my intent.

I did not say the god gene hypothesis was sound science. You are yet again arguing with yourself.

I did quote an author who referenced Dawkins.

I have no idea why you keep ignoring what others say. Maybe it's a quirk of your personality. But i don't care. Below is what was posted way back...

The British scientist Richard Dawkins coined the word "meme" in The Selfish Gene (1976)[1][4] as a concept for discussion of evolutionary
principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena.

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Dawkins is NOT trying to discredit religion although in some ways that can be the message taken away by a look at memes as a concept, but you see it that way. Why? I have no idea, but memes is an explanation ::: as a concept for discussion of evolutionary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena.

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good bye


​

Memes are not an explanation, they are an exercise in self absorption.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

I am sure some people thought He was, but that does not make it true.

I said thinking. Since I am an atheist I would never think god was on anyones side.

Being a Christian I just try to be on his side.

rally round the fag, rally round tha fag///

 

[uscitizen]

Watch the bird Dante, much more enlightning.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Why? I like attacking Dawkins, and his stupid ideas. The man is doing more to hurt science than most creationists, and needs to be attacked every time he opens his mouth., If you do not like me attacking him stop mentioning his name.

way

to

hijack


a ..






thread

And every one here knows you would never hijack a thread.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Memes are not an explanation, they are an exercise in self absorption.

Cher: Ms. Stoger. That machine is just a lawsuit waiting to happen.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

And every one here knows you would never hijack a thread.

I am usually in threads I've started.


Cher: Miss Stoeger, I would just like to say that physical education in this school is a disgrace. I mean, standing in line for forty minutes is hardly aerobically effective. I doubt I've worked off the calories in a stick of Carefree gum.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I said thinking. Since I am an atheist I would never think god was on anyones side.

Being a Christian I just try to be on his side.

Yeah good way to avoid burning in a like of fire for all eternity

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJOZp2ZftCw"]YouTube - Snowball (TM) - Another One Bites The Dust[/ame]

some would say proof of the existence of god.

I wanna bird that can dance like that My cats would love it.

Mine too.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

If you do not want to discuss things why the fuck do you post on a discussion board? If you want to control a conversation perhaps you should get a job as a professor at some university that stifles free speech, or start your own board where you can delete anyone who does not follow whatever rules you have. Trying to do it here is only going to piss you off because no one here is going to listen to you.

not pissed off. just posting in-kind. bullshit draws bullshit.

intelligent discussion that avoids the sophomoric shit you bring is a rarity.

I have had continuing threads without this type of bs.

You were always absent.

You had a chance.

keep jerking......


I'm bored.

thank you

You still here?

How many times have you said goodbye? Do you expect me to feel sorry for you if you do it enough?

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Watch the bird Dante, much more enlightning.

[youtube]Rm_jU0b5Hgw[/youtube]

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

saying good bye to someone who misinterprets even the term 'goodbye'

• (informal) catch you later, bye, bye-bye, ciao, sayonara, see you, so long, ta ta, toodle-oo, TTFN, ttyl

good bye

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

[youtube]a30E1UQrIPc[/youtube]

 

[CurveLight]

The analogy is really weak because the "copy me" followed by "threats and promises" observation is not endemic to religion by any means. There is not a single area of life void of that mantra and the author is trying to segregate people of faith from people in general as a method of demonizing what comes down to a world ethos that is simply different than agnotics or atheists.

Religion is the institution of trying to defend the indefensible. That is a neutral definition because it applies to what can be seen as good or bad and distinguishes people of faith from others without stigmatizing them.

Some memes are almost entirely exploitative, or viral, in nature, including chain letters and e-mail viruses. These consist of a “copy-me” instruction backed up with threats and promises. Religions have a similar structure...​

One must keep the context of the whole post, and especially the context of the paragraph, up front when trying to invalidate the analogy.

What exactly did the author say that I agreed with in the OP? The author is NOT "trying to segregate people of faith from people in general as a method of demonizing" them. That is the conclusion you have jumped to without fully understanding what was written. The author is discussing memes, and the survival of a memeplex.

The argument I agree with does not invalidate challenge or your argument. Your argument is actually a much broader one about human nature and not religion as a meme.

Would you say you think religion is NOT exploitative or viral in nature?

Would you argue religion does NOT work on promises and threats?

Religion As A Virus Of The Mind: I didn't know Dawkins used this analogy. I am impressed with the succinctness of the analogy as I admire and agree with it's simple profoundness of meaning: "Religions are viruses of the mind."

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here we have an interesting contextual discussion of...

Memes are habits, skills, songs, stories, or any other kind of information that is copied from person to person. Memes, like genes, are replicators...Large groups of memes that are copied and passed on together are called co-adapted meme complexes, or memeplexes.
---



Some memes are almost entirely exploitative, or viral, in nature, including chain letters and e-mail viruses. These consist of a “copy-me” instruction backed up with threats and promises. Religions have a similar structure and this is why Dawkins refers to them as ‘viruses of the mind’.

Many religions threaten hell and damnation, promise heaven or salvation, and insist that their followers pass on their beliefs to others. This ensures the survival of the memeplex. Other viral memes include alternative therapies that don’t work, and new age fads and cults.

Relatively harmless memes include children’s games, t urban legends and popular songs, all of which can spread like infections.

http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/memetics/about%20memes.htm

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​

Religion is being demonoized at it gets compared to alt therapies that don't work, fads, cults, and urban legends. Look at the example of the 6 year old being sent to a nun. He's victimizing her as a method of slamming religion and if you can't see that you're either dishonest or lack the ability.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Religion is being demonoized at it gets compared to alt therapies that don't work, fads, cults, and urban legends. Look at the example of the 6 year old being sent to a nun. He's victimizing her as a method of slamming religion and if you can't see that you're either dishonest or lack the ability.

Religion is being compared to other things in a context dealing with how memes work.

Some memes are almost entirely exploitative, or viral, in nature...these consist of a “copy-me” instruction backed up with threats and promises...Religions have a similar structure...

what exactly in the above can you point to that is demonizing religion?

you didn't answer the questions either:

Would you say you think religion is NOT exploitative or viral in nature?

Would you argue religion does NOT work on promises and threats?
​

---

as far as the child/nun story goes,

If you tell her about witches changing princes into frogs she will believe you. If you tell her that bad children roast forever in hell she will have nightmares. I have just discovered that without her father's consent this sweet, trusting, gullible six-year-old is being sent, for weekly instruction, to a Roman Catholic nun. What chance has she?

the Catholic faith is demonizing itself, but this is a thread that dealt with an article from a writer who referenced Dawkins and like somebody else here you are stuck on Dawkins to the full exclusion of the content of the Post/OP.

I can see where maybe you missed the link to the article in the OP for some reason the link on the bottom was NOT highlighted.

Religion As A Virus Of The Mind: I didn't know Dawkins used this analogy. I am impressed with the succinctness of the analogy as I admire and agree with it's simple profoundness of meaning: "Religions are viruses of the mind."

---

here we have an interesting contextual discussion of...

Memes are habits, skills, songs, stories, or any other kind of information that is copied from person to person. Memes, like genes, are replicators...Large groups of memes that are copied and passed on together are called co-adapted meme complexes, or memeplexes.
---



Some memes are almost entirely exploitative, or viral, in nature, including chain letters and e-mail viruses. These consist of a “copy-me” instruction backed up with threats and promises. Religions have a similar structure and this is why Dawkins refers to them as ‘viruses of the mind’.

Many religions threaten hell and damnation, promise heaven or salvation, and insist that their followers pass on their beliefs to others. This ensures the survival of the memeplex. Other viral memes include alternative therapies that don’t work, and new age fads and cults.

Relatively harmless memes include children’s games, urban legends and popular songs, all of which can spread like infections.

about memes

----------------------------------
​

you have taken Susan's writing and totally ignored it. It is what the OP is about.​

 

[Avatar4321]

There is an old saying:

Great minds think alike and fools never differ.

Seems appropriate in this thread...

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

There is an old saying:

Great minds think alike and fools never differ.

Seems appropriate in this thread...

read the first page watch the thread deteriorate.

look at the names of those who take it down

 

[syrenn]

There is an old saying:

Great minds think alike and fools never differ.

Seems appropriate in this thread...

read the first page watch the thread deteriorate.

look at the names of those who take it down

 

[Quantum Windbag]

There is an old saying:

Great minds think alike and fools never differ.

Seems appropriate in this thread...

read the first page watch the thread deteriorate.

look at the names of those who take it down

Things happen like that on a lot of threads, the good ones survive despite the behavior of posters.

Why are you crying because your thread was faulty?

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

There is an old saying:

Great minds think alike and fools never differ.

Seems appropriate in this thread...

read the first page watch the thread deteriorate.

look at the names of those who take it down

Things happen like that on a lot of threads, the good ones survive despite the behavior of posters.

Why are you crying because your thread was faulty?

increasingly the more intelligent and the more interesting poster are just leaving threads that are hijacked. many spend less time here. there are cycles sure, but there are also things that try men's souls. hard to be loyal to things when surrounded by white noise.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

increasingly the more intelligent and the more interesting poster are just leaving threads that are hijacked. many spend less time here. there are cycles sure, but there are also things that try men's souls. hard to be loyal to things when surrounded by white noise.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

increasingly the more intelligent and the more interesting poster are just leaving threads that are hijacked. many spend less time here. there are cycles sure, but there are also things that try men's souls. hard to be loyal to things when surrounded by white noise.