This tale begins with Dr. Michael Blume, an evolutionary biologist who writes Homo religiosus — The Natural History of Religion. His early studies focused on “neurotheology,” or the myriad ways in which naturally evolved aspects of brain-mind give rise to supernatural beliefs. His current studies focus on the second pillar of evolutionary success — reproductive [...]
Tags:Bristol University·Craig James·Damascus Road Conversion·Daniel Dennett·Explaining Religion Conference·fertility·Homo religiosus·memes·memetics·Michael Blume·mind virus·neurotheology·Pauline moment·Ralph Tanner·reproduction·reproductive fitness·Richard Dawkins·Sue Blackmore·The Biology of Religion·The Meme Machine·The Religion Virus·The Social Ecology of Religion·Vernon Reynolds·virus of the mind
When attempting to determine whether something is “natural ” (vis-a-vis yesterday’s post on Catholicism and homosexuality) one good way of investigating the issue is to use the genealogical method. So far as I can tell, there are no hunter-gatherer or pre-Neolithic societies that had taboos against homosexuality. We can therefore trace the history of the [...]
Tags:Assyria·Assyrian Empire·Aztec sacrifice·Babylolian captivity·Catholicism·Christians·demographics·demography·early Christianity·Egyptian captivity·fertility·group size·Hebrews·homosexuality·India's sacred cow·Jewish diaspora·Jews·Judaism·Levant·Lost Tribes of Judah·marriage·Marvin Harris·Mesopotamia·Michael Harner·Mormons·natural law·persecution·pork eating proscription·procreation·prohibition against homosexuality·Ralph Tanner·ritual regulations·same-sex preference·sin of sodomy·slavery·sodomy·taboo·taboos·The Social Ecology of Religion·Vernon Reynolds·warfare
