The God Virus: Rational vs Biological Immune System

25 Responses to “The God Virus: Rational vs Biological Immune System”

  1. jrspl Says:

    2:10 HIV is a retrovirus – it uses RNA to store it’s genetic code

  2. tdp1909 Says:

    @TooferMan: True, nor unfry an egg.

    Ironically it’s a bit like the whole ‘New Heart’ thing that Jesus witters on about; once you see the World through Atheism, then the ‘voice’ of God goes mysteriously silent, never 2 return…

  3. TooferMan Says:

    @TDP1909… no, you cannot put the toothpaste back into the tube.

  4. harvellt Says:

    Is there any information in the book about the case (it seems common in my area) of people growing up with little to no religion and living some what troubled lives. Then as young adults (20-30) “finding” god as a cure for all there problems? AAs christian themes ect.?

  5. harvellt Says:

    Some psychology is good research psychology can be good but its mostly just an application of anthropology on modern culture so i guess its not really psychology.

    I do agree this guy is stretching its a nice metaphor but this guy takes it too far with not enough data I feel, but then again I’m trying to be a physicist so I feel that way about most research

  6. surlagachette2 Says:

    It uses “shocking” “controversial” language to sell. Nothing more. But i still think the metaphore still can be intresting as internally in the atheist community to understand religions though

  7. De4sher Says:

    key metaphors my ass.
    this is extremely unscientific. i hope this guy doesn’t get public, ii don’t want to be accused of his mistakes and obvious lack of research.

    psychology isn’t really good science, and he sux

  8. 99minerkc Says:

    I agree! If they have been deluded for that many decades, can you imagine what a mental blow it would be to find out they were wrong? They would totally ignore any solid proof as it would totally devastate them and I mean totally! o.O So yeah, let them live their delusion!
    peace to you.

  9. surlagachette2 Says:

    Pascals wager is stupid. But think about someone that has wasted theire whole life on a lie. It takes a lot to accept it. And maybe it´s not the best for somone of that age. Let them live in theire delusion.

  10. 99minerkc Says:

    My father-in law has said to me “what will you do without the hope of the lord etc, etc, etc, etc. lol. I know that many old people pull the Pascal’s Wager routine as I guess they figure “what the hell have I got to lose” I was just wondering if you might go down that path upon death-I wonder if I will. Anyway, who really knows as that’s in the future.

    Peace

  11. 99minerkc Says:

    My father-in-law(age 73) was all but dancing around my living room yesterday saying in a voice loud enough to make sure I heard it that a long time non-believer who had 2 strokes, was hospitalized and in I think critical cond. “gave his heart to the lord!” cont:

  12. x86freak Says:

    Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise. ~Rorschach

  13. tdp1909 Says:

    @99minerkc: As long as I’m not senile or insane then I think the wishful thinking is resistible.

    Besides, Death isn’t that scary – as one of the speakers says on ‘Dark Side of the Moon’:
    “…And I’m not frightened of dying. Why should I be? There’s no reason for it.”

    My Old Man is falling for the lame-arsed logic of Pascal’s Wager, but its only himself he’s fooling…

  14. 99minerkc Says:

    @tdp1909, The question is, when your old and your heal is failing(on your death bed so to speak)will you still be able to deflect the virus or will you succumb to it’s powerful tug of wishful thinking?

  15. Irgamerhearmerawr Says:

    Agreed.

  16. tdp1909 Says:

    I find my old religion still gives the odd tug & sometimes I wish it were true…

    However once the bubble has burst it cannot be remade & every pillar I rebuild crumbles with a couple of broadsides of reason.

    Although the truth is tough, I’d take it over comforting lies any day.

  17. notbendable Says:

    Matt has a nice head.

  18. deauvillimus Says:

    @theshadeofwify:
    Lets hope so!

  19. stenokhoria Says:

    Great clip!

  20. theshadowify Says:

    @deauvillimus I dont think you can get reinfected, you got an immune shot of atheism.

  21. MrJBoma Says:

    This is nothing but the theory of memes proposed by Richard Dawkins. Just as biological data is propagated through the passing on of genes, cultural data is passed through memes. Religion is a meme, and the variations of religion are alleles of the meme. Just as genes are selfish (another Dawkins-ism) and seek to propagate even if it causes harm to its carrier, so too are memes selfish.

  22. bmw5234 Says:

    Yeh…you could even say all the pastor boys had a keyhole…that they could inject their DNA into…lol.

  23. KemaTheAtheist Says:

    I would expect that it is more likely unless they find elsewhere the things that religion does provide… like a sense of comfort and community. These things are available elsewhere, but they’re readily available through church.

    If someone really needs that comfort when a family member dies or something I could see that resurgence is more likely than in someone who was raised atheist and know where to get that from outside of church.

  24. sk8progression Says:

    classic

  25. endergt Says:

    Sounds like this guy took Snow Crash too literally… but still, interesting…

Leave a Reply