Atreyu wrote:I see no improvement in intelligence, wisdom, or morality, only in knowledge and technology. Morality is a bit debatable, but overall I'd say basically we're no more "moral" than our ancestors. They just played a little more rough, that's all.
Note these definitions:
Note this research on intelligence:
Is human intelligence declining, or are IQs on the rise? A new study conducted by psychologists at King’s College London suggests that we’re getting smarter, but just how much smarter depends on what part of the world you’re talking about.
To conduct the study, published in the March-April 2015 issue of the journal Intelligence, the researchers looked at 64 years of IQ score data for more than 200,000 people living in 48 countries. Overall, they found that
global IQ scores have risen by an average of 20 points since 1950.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/0 ... 92758.html
I don't deny as the average person is more intelligent, they could possibly be more intelligent in committing evil. But that is NOT the point. The point is there is an increase in the average intelligence since our stone age ancestors.
As for morality there are lots of evidence to show the average 'level' of moral quotient has risen. Note my example of the UN resolution to ban slavery and slavery [in the strictest sense] has reduced all over the world.
As for wisdom, this capability increased with experience, morality and reasoning over time. I can't find any research on this but the point is humanity on average is much wiser not to detonate nuclear bombs arbitrary as they understand mutual assured destruction [MAD].
I believe it is not healthy to be pessimistic and thinking humanity is doomed despite the evidence.
Based on real evidence and trends I am optimistic humanity is on a progressing trend in all aspects of life.
Spectrum wrote: Had humanity not progressed at all, humanity could have been wiped off by some epidemic disease like flu, smallpox, ebola, plague, etc. Bateria and viruses has a greater cycle of mutations to adapt to threats and we have to be one step ahead.
I don't consider "survival" to be progress. That's merely perpetuating the species, ideally so that it can make progress. But the perpetuating part in and of itself is not progress. As you said, microbes continue to mutate, and we always have new threats (AIDS, Zika, Ebola, etc) which require new antidotes. How is this treading water progress? It's just a constant ongoing battle, much like the war against computer hackers, in which each side continues to develop new strategies and tools which keep the status quo in place. No progress here.
I did not equate "
survival" to be 'progress' in this case.
Note the definition of progress above.
The point that humans are reducing the numbers of deaths due to small pox, plague, AIDs is obviously a sign of progress as defined.
Spectrum wrote: If we do away with theistic ideologies, then there is no potential at all for a nuclear war based on immutable commands from an illusory God.
True, but so what? There are scores of other reasons why we might have future nuclear war ---> competition for dwindling resources, desire for military and economic supremacy, or even just a terrible accident or misunderstanding. Is the current North Korean crisis have anything to do with a theistic ideology? How about the Cuban missile crisis in 1962? Was that about some theistic ideology?
I have stated this many times, I will repeat;
1. Humanity must address ALL evils in the world.
2. To be effective we need to break down the total evil into manageable categories, i.e.
- 2a - Secular based evils
- 2b - Religious related evils
I am not denying secular based evils exist and they must be addressed appropriately.
Since this is Religious Forum, I am presenting the solution for religious-based evils.
Don't be fooled into idealism just because no one's pushed the button in the 70 yrs or so since Nagasaki. We've come close many times, are currently in a crisis now, and the truth is that only the fact of mutual annihilation and an aversion to killing millions of civilians have prevented a minor nuclear war from going down since then. You really have to be idealistic to think that we'll get rid of all nukes before some jerk off decides to push a button or two.
I am being very practical. I don't deny the possibility but I am confident on the secular side, the secular and others are wiser from the Nagasaki/Hiroshima experience. What is going on with North Korea is merely sable-rattling and the possibility is very slim they will go all out into a full nuclear war.
I want to highlight again, while the secular are likely to play safe due to fears of Mutual Assured Destruction, the theists [especially Islam] will not hesitate to go all out for a nuclear war since either way they will go to Paradise as martyrs with greater rewards from their God.
When pushed into a corner, the Jews and Christians will ignore MAD since they will assign it as God's Will and they will go to heaven regardless.
Agree??
I don't see you countering this point.
Not-a-theist. Religion is a critical necessity for humanity now, but not the FUTURE.