From: eradm@brahms.Berkeley.EDU (Erik Radmall)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: Re: The origin of Religion
Date: 4 Nov 92 15:01:44 GMT
Reply-To: eradm@brahms.Berkeley.EDU (Erik Radmall)
Organization: Xerox

In article <1992Nov04.111929.318@bmerh85.bnr.ca>, dgraham@bmers30.bnr.ca (Douglas Graham) writes:
|> In article <1992Nov3.143652.21335@spectrum.xerox.com> eradm@brahms.Berkeley.EDU (Erik Radmall) writes:
|> >My opinion is that man has an innate mythic consciousness. It is composed of
|> >archetypical symbols that are deep rooted in man's psyche. Though the
|> >precise nature of these symbols differ from person to person, they are
|> >similar enough to allow some kind of a canonical form via religion.
|> 
|> This sounds like something Jung might have written.  It's always sounded very
|> fishy to me.  Where does this mythic consciousness come from?  Do apes have it?

Yup, it is Jungian -- the depths of the subconscious have yet to be plumbed. For
example, tests were done with freshly hatched chicks. A cardboard cutout of a bird
was pulled on a wire above the chicks to cast a shadow the chicks could see. If
the cutout was pulled in one direction, the "wings" seemed to be toward the back
of the "bird", so that it resembled a goose in flight. This had no effect whatsoever
on the chicks. However, when the cutout was pulled in the other direction, the shadow
resembled that of a hawk. The chicks scattered to the four winds whenever this shadow
passed over them. Somewhere in their fresh little brains was a program that responded
predictably to this goose/hawk shadow. How can humans, who are far more evolved than
chickens, have escaped instinctual programming? It would seem that humans should get
not only their own form of programming, but a lot of vestigial programming as well.
IMHO, this mythic consciousness is nothing more than a manifestation of eons of
piled on programming, distorted just enough to fit into the conscious mind.

|> 
|> >Although
|> >I have no evidence to the contrary, I will disagree on the point that children
|> >brought up without a religion will naturally tend towards atheism. The great
|> >need for one to attach meaning to one's own life would naturally lead to the
|> >creation of _some_ type of metaphysical ideology. Atheism, it would seem, is a
|> >conscious choice by an individual to subdue this innate realm of psychic
|> >reality.
|> 
|> I think that human beings have certain emotions, which, if left untamed
|> via critical thought, will lead to magical thinking.  But I see no need
|> to talk about archetypal symbols and innate realms of psychic reality.
|> Calling it fear of the unknown seems much clearer to me.
|> 
|> >Note that I do not equate "pure" atheism with a total renunciation of that
|> >which is metaphysical. Life itself is still _the_ great mystery that can have
|> >no complete explanation (not that it necessarily requires one).
|> 
|> What's the mystery?

The fact that you are able to write this, and I am able to read it.

|> --
|> Should the human race not be extinguished by a nuclear war, it will degenerate
|> into a flock of stupid, dumb creatures under the tyranny of dictators who rule
|> them with the help of machines and electronic computers.  This is no prophecy,
|> just a nightmare.  -- Max Born.   **** dgraham@bnr.ca    My own opinions. ****

-- 
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J. Erik Radmall                    | Xerox Corp.
eradm@brahms.wbst845e.xerox.com    | Knowledge-Based Systems Competency Center
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