> > > Original Sin is the one Christian > > > dogma anybody can verify for himself: read the daily headlines. > > > Is it memetic or genetic? > > I'd say genetic is to original sin as memetic is to personal sin.
Original Sin depends on the premise that the Bible or Christian teachings have a reasonable or proper standard of morality. The fact that people can't live up to the unattainable standards of the Bible doesn't prove that the Bible is the objective standard of morality. It just begs the question of whether the Bible's standards of morality are right. I disagree with the moral system laid out in the Bible, therefore why would I worry about accusations of "original sin" or any of behaviors described by Christians as sin? If you disagree with Muslims or Mormons about morality, you wouldn't worry about how many people are able to live up to their standards of morality. I guess I should say whether it's "original" or genetic or memetic are moot if we can't all agree on an objective standard of morality. If some group of Christians interprets the Bible as saying that it's evil for humans to breathe, then it's genetic for humans to be sinners according to that interpretation (another subjective moral system), because respiration is reflexive and genetic. Whether a certain behavior is perceived as moral, the choice of one moral system or another, is partly memetic and partly personal. A person would have to grow up isolated from all human contact to avoid receiving some ideas on morality from others. And even if we hear memes from other people, we're capable of agreeing or rejecting those claims, so there's always a personal element. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "A Civil Religious Debate" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/a-civil-religious-debate?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
