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Theistic Evolution?

SkepticThinker

Veteran Member
Okay I already said neurologists can "Map"the brain. They cannot however say what activated the neurological response because they cannot detect the mind.
It is like a motorcar; an external source must turn the ignition key; Place the car in gear and then depress the accelarator pedal to get it going. The car is not capable of doing this.
Of course you could equip the car with an AI (Artificial Intelligent Computer) yet again the car needs this external source.
But they can say what activated a neurological response. It is done using an MRI, fMRI, PET scan, CT scan and a whole host of other testing methods.
 

Ouroboros

Coincidentia oppositorum
It has already been acknowledged that fraud is committed in all walks of life.
Agree.

But fraud in some instances doesn't mean there's a bigger fraud going on. Just because Piltdown man or such were hoaxes made by some misguided people doesn't mean evolution in general is wrong or a fraud. To make that leap is just as wrong as making a leap that the Noah's Ark fraud somehow would prove Christianity wrong in its entirety. There are deceptive people in all areas of life and all categories of ideologies, thoughts, philosophies, religion, and science. No doubt about it. The good thing with science though is that the frauds are discovered and exposed by other scientists, and those who committed the frauds tends to be shunned from the scientific community.

Also, if you take the Piltdown man and some of the other hoaxes, the other side to the story is that we today have several thousand artifacts in form of bones and skulls that are not fakes. So the old fakes from 100 years ago don't really matter since we today have all the true bones that we need.
 

Theunis

Active Member
I don't know what this is supposed to do with anything.

The fact of the matter is, we can look at human brains to see how and why specific neurological responses are activated. The "mind" is detectable.
It is relevant whenwe know the source of the stimulus. i.e a physical stimulus such as a pinprick or mild electrical shock etc, These are things based on learned experience. but there is still no clue how the mind causes a reaction, such as changing the physical structure of the brain.

Who has detected the mind ?
 

SkepticThinker

Veteran Member
It is relevant whenwe know the source of the stimulus. i.e a physical stimulus such as a pinprick or mild electrical shock etc, These are things based on learned experience. but there is still no clue how the mind causes a reaction, such as changing the physical structure of the brain.

Who has detected the mind ?
You said this:

"Okay I already said neurologists can "Map"the brain. They cannot however say what activated the neurological response because they cannot detect the mind."
I responded by pointing out that we can say what activates neurological responses in the brain."

And now you want to say it's irrelevant?

We can see what happens in the brain when a person is experiencing a wide variety of emotions, and how they respond to external and internal stimuli (in real time); we can lesion animal's brains to determine how such changes affect behavior, and we know that damaging the brain will also damage the mind. We can watch and measure how a drug or a disease can change the physical structure of the brain. And we have no evidence of minds existing without brains to power them. So I would say the mind is detectable.
 

Theunis

Active Member
So does fraud carried out in the name of your religion discredit the entire religion?
Stop phaffing, Allow me to repeat what I said elsewhere - All realities are my reality.
You said this:

"Okay I already said neurologists can "Map"the brain. They cannot however say what activated the neurological response because they cannot detect the mind."
I responded by pointing out that we can say what activates neurological responses in the brain."

And now you want to say it's irrelevant?

We can see what happens in the brain when a person is experiencing a wide variety of emotions, and how they respond to external and internal stimuli (in real time); we can lesion animal's brains to determine how such changes affect behavior, and we know that damaging the brain will also damage the mind. We can watch and measure how a drug or a disease can change the physical structure of the brain. And we have no evidence of minds existing without brains to power them. So I would say the mind is detectable.
You only see the end result of the usage of the brain, You do not see who or what sits at the console.
 
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SkepticThinker

Veteran Member
Somehow only the first half was posted. I have edited my response, apparently while you reply beat me to the post.
My question was in response to an entirely different post in which it was posited that a few instances of fraud in the scientific community somehow discredited all of evolutionary theory. So I asked you if fraud committed in the name of the religion would discredit the entire religion.
You only see the end result of the usage of the brain, You do not see who or what sits at the console.
I'm not sure what you mean by this.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
You only see the end result of the usage of the brain, You do not see who or what sits at the console.
But you do. You implicitly claim to see well enough to know that there is a "console" - that there's an external agent of some sort directing the "machine", rather than the machine just doing what it does. How did you gain this insight?
 

Theunis

Active Member
But you do. You implicitly claim to see well enough to know that there is a "console" - that there's an external agent of some sort directing the "machine", rather than the machine just doing what it does. How did you gain this insight?
The console is a figure of speech.
Yet I have felt the spirit move to beyond time and space.
Yes there are autonomous functions built into the "machine" and even here the mind can control them.
 

Theunis

Active Member
My question was in response to an entirely different post in which it was posited that a few instances of fraud in the scientific community somehow discredited all of evolutionary theory. So I asked you if fraud committed in the name of the religion would discredit the entire religion.

I'm not sure what you mean by this.
Please I have already said that the question is directed at evolution fanatics and those who regard evolution as the final say in the matter.

You said "So does fraud carried out in the name of your religion discredit the entire religion?"
You specifically said "Your religion" and my response was "All realities are my reality" .
This also indicates that I am open-minded and that I embrace the Universe as it is.

Please go back and read what I said regarding what is acceptable to me. It i quite obvious that you either missed it or that you are ignoring it.
 

SkepticThinker

Veteran Member
Please I have already said that the question is directed at evolution fanatics and those who regard evolution as the final say in the matter.
And I directed it back at you to make a point.
You said "So does fraud carried out in the name of your religion discredit the entire religion?"
You specifically said "Your religion" and my response was "All realities are my reality" .
This also indicates that I am open-minded and that I embrace the Universe as it is.
It sounds like more of a non-answer to me.

Please go back and read what I said regarding what is acceptable to me. It i quite obvious that you either missed it or that you are ignoring it.
That is possible. It's also possible that you haven't made it clear enough or you are obfuscating the point.
 
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