Re: Origin of Religion

From: joedees@bellsouth.net
Date: Thu 26 Dec 2002 - 04:00:52 GMT

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    > At 02:22 PM 24/12/02 -0500, you wrote:
    > >At 07:51 AM 12/24/2002 -0800, you wrote:
    > >
    > >
    > >>A CONVERSATION WITH | DAVID SLOAN WILSON
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>The Origin of Religions, From a Distinctly Darwinian View
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>
    > >
    > >I'm in agreement with Wilson on religion. Although I'm an atheist,
    > >I'm a 'nice atheist' and don't regard religion as parasitic. I'll
    > >have to take a look at this book.
    >
    > I have been thinking about this a *long* time. While I think
    > "religions" are helpful symbiotes, they evolved from dangerous,
    > sometimes fatal cults which *are* memetic parasites. (Typically takes
    > about 300 years.)
    >
    > The evolution of parasites into symbiotes is a common story in
    > evolution so this is not a surprise.
    >
    And sometimes it happens in reverse (Wahhabism).
    >
    > Keith Henson
    >
    > >By way of connection, Wilson wrote a highly critical review of 'The
    > >Meme Machine' that appeared in Science in July of 1999. Lee Alan
    > >Dugatkin, whose 'Imitation Factor' concerning cultural inheritance in
    > >animals received some attention on this list last year, earned his
    > >PhD studying under Wilson. From what I can gather, Dr. Wilson is
    > >well regarded within the field of evolutionary biology.
    > >
    > >Ray Recchia
    > >=============================================================== This
    > >was distributed via the memetics list associated with the Journal of
    > >Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission For
    > >information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing) see:
    > >http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
    >
    >
    > ===============================================================
    > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
    >

    =============================================================== This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing) see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit

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