A Last Word On Hitchens

[poliphilo]

I spent much of yesterday on Hitchens' website. I think he's doing important work. Someone needs to be knocking religion- and he's good at it. But only up to a point. The debate never gets much more sophisticated than "So where did Cain's wife come from, eh?"  He's a clever person of limited culture- with a layman's understanding of Victorian science- butting against positions that became untenable a hundred and fifty years ago. It's a weary old war and I withdrew from it a while ago, but I'm glad there are still people out there in the field, bashing away.

Comments

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Actually, there is a theory kicking about, these days, that religion may have been the impetus for civilization as we know it. A growing body of evidence seems to imply that, contrary to conventional wisdom, agricultural may have arisen in support of organized spiritual activity and not the other way around.

So, there may be good reason why religion has been an inseparable part of society and often remains so today.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's interesting.

If you can direct me to the evidence I'd be very grateful.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Göbekli Tepe

It's an article crafted for popular consumption, yet still lays out the gist of the idea. I found out about it through this site, just recently, but precisely when and in what context escapes me now.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you. That's fascinating.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

For someone accustomed to the idea of a neolithic agricultural revolution, one that supposedly made us what we are today, I think this is just mind-blowing.