Re: virus: Are we the gods of Nature?

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>From: "Tim Rhodes" <proftim@speakeasy.org>
>To: <virus@lucifer.com>
>Subject: Re: virus: Are we the gods of Nature?
>Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 09:24:10 -0800
>Reply-To: virus@lucifer.com
>
>Bob G. wrote:
>
>>Are we the gods of Nature?

Tim:
>Yes, if there are any. ;-)

I have no problem with being the "god of Nature",

I just want to be clear that this is their hidden assumption about human beings.

Bob G:
>>A question:
>>
>>It seems like Brodie (in his book "Virus of the Mind")
>>and Bloom (in the book "the Lucifer Principle") are
>>saying that Mother Nature and her son Natural Selection
>>are stupid and going senile and it is up to
>>us humans to take over their job of evolution and
>>become the Masters of the Universe if you will.

Tim:
>"Masters of Ourselves" is more correct, I suspect.

Sounds good…very good.

Bob G:
>>This seems strange to me.
>>
>>I mean why not just let evolution and Natural selection
>>do their work?

Tim:
>Ask a stegasaurus why.

Cute.

But not a sufficient answer (for me at least).

It assumes that to be "alive" is better than or more desirable than being "extinct"….

I guess what I am getting at is that regardless of the attempt to deny God (I’m atheistic, by the way) and to deny purpose to the universe, we as humans STILL have a hidden purpose and value system IN OUR MINDS and it is constantly expressing it self (although with great subtlety).

I think there is an empirical basis to ascribe purpose to the universe.

I think there is a basis for "absolute" values in the universe.

The locale of purpose and values is in the human mind (Brodie might say a "level 3" human mind)

and purpose/values DO exist as a reality.

Your speech reveals them.

Bob G:
>>Why try to interfere with it by proposing the concept of
>>"selfish-genes" and selfish-memes"?
>>
>>I mean if genes and memes are selfish so what? Why
>>should that disturb us? After all its "just the way things
>>are" the natural course of evolution.

Tim:
>So is the extinction of species.

Again...this statement imposes the value system that "to exist" is somehow *better* than being "extinct"…I mean do you want a stegosaurus living in your back yard?

…according to your value system the dinosaurs should still be here…for "to be" is better that "not to be".

…..or is that the question?

Bob G:
>>Why try to fight it?

Tim:
>Enlightened self-interest.

?

So now I am a Buddha?

Bobby G

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