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> > When religion is denounced as a glorified computer virus,
>
> It is not. *Any* idea (meme) is a 'glorified computer virus'.
> Religion is not denounced for that reason... it is denounced for
> all the standard reasons - all memetics does is explain why some-
> thing so silly as religion (according to all the standard atheist
> reasoning - nothing new) can stay in existence: because it is an
> entire meme-complex: with built-in survival requirements (e.g.
> "spread the word", "have faith despite appearances", etc....)
I've seen fanatic religion with "let appearances shape your faith."
> > the meme theorists are themselves putting forward a mystical
> > argument. Just like Christians, they're claiming that the Word
> > can control the real.
>
> What is "mystical"? Either an argument works or it doesn't.
> Quantum mechanics works, even though it seems "mystical".
> Would Mr. Barbrook agree that 'people act according to various
> beliefs they accept'? If so, then the identical statement
> 'people act according the various memes which they host'
> should also be accepted.
Mathematics is Very Mystical. Tell me [without going circular, or
stopping at the mathematics level] how Voyager__ could exploit math to
fly by ALL 4 gas giant planets! Sure, there's a lot of technology in
use--but no math, no 4 gas-giant flyby.
Quantum mechanics looks mystical because it must be worked in highly
abstract math.
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> > It is no accident that meme theorists cannot construct a materialist
> > analysis of religion. Your belief, Aaron, in demonic possession by
> > memes is a way of denying the Promethean power of humanity.
>
> Mr. Barbrooks commits a cardinal sin of purporting that he knows what
> Aaron believes. As stated above - Mr. Barbrooks doesn't seem to know
> what he's talking about.
Mr. Barbrooks is quoted as committing Classic Thought Distortion #6: Mind
Reading. Only verifiable telepaths [COUNT: 0] can have any veracity
using that wording.
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/ Towards the conversion of data into information....
/
/ Kenneth Boyd
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