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Subject: Yes


Author:
JeffF
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Date Posted: 15:32:59 07/19/01 Thu
In reply to: Forest 's message, "Re: Egos" on 14:27:44 07/19/01 Thu

Yes, that was much clearer and you can see that I had figured out a good part of where you were going.
Certainly I concede that belief in a higher power does not in any sense by itself lead to morality. Hell,ancient religions believed in gods of war which didn't exactly lead to kindness to your neighbor. :-)

I'm also willing to concede that man might not necessarily be superior to the cardinal, the cat or the turtle, but I draw the line at pit bulls, roaches and mice, all of which man is surely superior to.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: lol


Author:
Forest
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Date Posted: 16:24:51 07/19/01 Thu

Another rephrasing just because I need the practice:

just because there is no one better than you, does not mean that you are better than everyone else. . .you, me, man, woman, humans, other animals. . .


[> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: What about?


Author:
JeffF
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Date Posted: 06:28:58 07/20/01 Fri

Plants, flowers and trees? How far do you want to take this idea? Do you think it's possible that man is no better than the cactus?
[> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: better? or


Author:
Forest
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Date Posted: 17:38:41 07/20/01 Fri

different?

Here's something I JUSt came across in my reading last night and it is SO on point!:

"The Catholic Church. . . saw the universe as vertically arranged bvetween heaven and earth. From this perspective, it made sense to speak of "higher" and "lower" forms of life, with humans being closest to the deity. Via philosophy, this way of thinking permeated all of the social sicences and humanities, where it still lingers, even though biology has made it absolutely clear that the idea of a linear progression among life forms is mistaken. Every organism fits on the phylogenetic tree without being above or below anything else. Biologists make distinctions betweeen organisms that do well or are extinct, that are specialized or generalized, or that multiply slowly or rapidly, but they never look at one organism as a model that others strive for or that is inherently superior."

from The Ape and The Sushi Master, by Frans DeWaal pp.81-82,


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