Ridiculous Project

[beso]

This project plans to send copies of texts to the Moon for preservation. They are starting with a copy of the Torah. I can't think of anything more worthless to preserve or to represent humanity to any future space travellers.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22229702.500-earths-backup-sending-religious-texts-to-the-moon.html#.U38jS_mSxfM

[beso]

I bet some Muslim countries have a high rate of "teenage pregnancies" too. They just don't count them because they were "married women".

At least in most western countries the teenage girl had a choice about it.

[naomi24]

Khandro, why disingenuous? Including your extended post wouldn’t have changed your message in the slightest – and since you now, contrary to your original statement, seem to be saying that the decline in religion isn’t responsible for the increasing birth rate, I’m at a loss to understand why teenage pregnancy in the UK is relevant to this discussion at all. What are you actually talking about?

[solvitquick]

Dear Naomi,
You say "Khandro stop being daft. You know as well as everyone else that people living in countries with strong religious traditions are often uneducated and ...". Wow, whatever your follow-up that's a real bloomer for Chelsea week, Naomi.
What about the USA, Italy, France, Germany and the U.K.? Are they and others low on religion, uneducated or both?
Please do not insult my intelligence by claiming I have left out the rest of your quote to be biassed. That opener can stand alone!
Khandro is far from "daft" indeed is a credit to AB.
Regards,
SIQ.

[jomifl]

SIQ, as a general rule countries with lowest levels of education and highest poverty have the highest levels of religious belief. The US is an exeption and bucks the trend and there are a few counties where the converse is true. The countries with the highest intelligence and lowest religious belief are Japan and the scandinavian countries. Representatives of the opposite end of the spectrum are in North Africa particularly the North West .You can get all this information from the UN website.

[solvitquick]

Ty jom, but I don't believe Naomi's opener holds water as your own post proves despite your intention. No use quoting excetions and the converse being true - they don't prove a rule quite the opposite.
This is not a big issue and no doubt Naomi can answer for herself.
Kind regards,
SIQ.

[solvitquick]

Jom,
Sorry, correction: "exceptions".
Also I am seldom convinced by a statement: "As a general rule". It always highlights the fact that a "but" or "however" is coming up as indeed your post indicates.
SIQ.

[naomi24]

SIQ, //I don't believe Naomi's opener holds water ...//

You don't? Take a look at much of Africa, much of Asia, and much of South America.

[Khandro]

jomifl; You seem to imply; low education + high poverty = religious belief,
and perhaps further, that more education + affluence = atheism. Is that correct?

[solvitquick]

Dear Naomi,
Ty for your reply. I see no reason to get into a tit-for-tat debate of examples. I still don't see your opening statement as a golden rule by any means. If you do, so be it, but lets end this aspect now shall we?
It reminds me of the "debate" on QI about "I before E except after C". This was once a golden rule but is now removed from the school curriculum because of the high number of exceptions.
With Kindest Regards,
SIQ.

[naomi24]

SIQ,// I see no reason to get into a tit-for-tat debate of examples//

Then why cite examples, and I quote // the USA, Italy, France, Germany and the U.K. //?

//lets end this aspect now shall we?//

You began this aspect – but oops, silly me. Let us not tell it as it is. That may well expose religion for the shameful blight on this planet that it really is.

[jomifl]

Khandro, I am not implying anything, but statistics do strongly suggest what I stated above. What is cause and what is effect is up for debate. It may be that being indoctrinated with religious dogma at an early age impedes the development of the critical and analytical faculties of the brain. It may on the other hand be that less intelligent people are happy to go for the easy option so that they don't have to bother to think. I couldn't possibly say what the answer is since the stats. available don't enable further analysis.

[solvitquick]

Dear Naomi,
Sure I started it with examples which challenged your opening statement. You have replied with examples which I presume are part of the basis of your contention.
Now I say let's call it quits - agree to disagree about the validity of your opening statement.
That weems fair and civlised to me.
I don't understand your point about the shameful religious blight on this planet as I agree with that 100%. You know that I am an anti-religious atheist if you have read my posts over the years.
Sleep well,
Kindest Regards,
SIQ.

[Khandro]

jomifl; You say you are not implying anything, but I think you are, viz. people upholding a religion are somehow less intelligent (perhaps than you?) but religion and intelligence are quite different things; there are the intelligent religious, just as there stupid atheists and vice versa.
The atheist wishes to neatly divide between things which can be 'proved beyond all doubt' , and an 'unthinking blind faith', the reality is, that the best stuff goes on outside of both these places.

[naomi24]

solvitquick, no I will not agree to disagree on the validity of my opening statement. There is no question that what I said is accurate. See Birdie’s link.

[Arksided]

I'm really looking forward to seeing A ' McDonalds sign on the Moon. At least I'll know where I'm at... religiously.

[jomifl]

Khandro, how can you know what an atheist thinks? As for my implications, I would guess that it is more likely that the less intelligent embrace religion more readily than the intelligent, rather than that religion damages the brain by denying it the opportunity to develop normally in a rational world instead of having it's development stunted by trying to make sense of the irrational(religion). Perhaps both of the above possibilities operate..

[atalanta]

The connection between religion and the birth-rate is not so much a direct connection. It is more the connection between religion and male supremacy. In religions which believe men are superior to women, men are expected to be in charge of their wives' fertility, not the wives themselves.

[Khandro]

jomifl; // I would guess that it is more likely that the less intelligent embrace religion more readily than the intelligent//
Then how is it that the most intelligent race on Earth define themselves by their religion, - the Ashkenazy Jews, per capita, by far the highest number of Nobel prize-winners, chess grand-masters and intellectuals in academic life?
Not to mention the worlds of law, literature and music.

[jomifl]

An interesting point Atalanta, I suspect that the Abrahamic religions at least are really just a means of justifying male dominance over women. That is why most of the religious 'laws' favour men and disadvantage women. Islam is an extreme example f this principle at work.