Our Christmas episode begins, appropriately enough, with an uplifting breakdown of the story of Rudolph, a tale about a bunch of proto-Nazis whose demand for hegemony is outweighed only by their cold heartless pragmatism (who knew?). We then reminisce about how rad the ‘80s were, what with the whole Cold War and whatnot. We then take a few calls about religion: Do our bad deeds really make us hell-worthy? Do you have to confess every last sin we commit? And would we prefer God not to exist, and if he didn’t, what would we do? Our “Feeding Friendsy” highlights the irony of feminists for Trump, while our “Dick Move, God” segment introduces us to a man who’s both “after God’s own heart” as well as after the king’s hot daughter, and he’s got a sack of wiener-bits to prove it. Christian is biebered by unwanted residue clouding his eyesight, while Jason’s bieber reveals how envious he is of celebrities.
Also, the Island of Misfit Toys is a metaphor for Auschwitz. Seriously.
Podcast #248: Friendship and Deconstruction
Podcast #176: Frank Talk on Franken
Podcast #492: Aging Comics, Brats, and Politics
Podcast #426: Self-Love, Rapture Anxiety, and Pastor Jack’s Off
There are a few fairly compelling theories about how ethical behavior and a conscience could have evolved. The basic idea is that humans have higher survival rates when they cooperate and form interdependent social groups, and in order to do that they have to have a sense of right and wrong. That’s the nutshell version.You can flesh it out more and explain how this fits into the whole evolutionary progression. For example, leaving the trees and becoming bipedal had a number of advantages but it shortened the gestational period (smaller pelvis = smaller and less developed baby at birth) which lengthened the period when kids are dependent, which increased the need for cooperative tribes, etc. And looking at non-human animals, you can see that in species that benefit from cooperative behavior there is more seemingly altruistic or at least not purely selfish behavior.
At the end of the day I think these theories are really interesting but none of them are probably going to change a persons inclination to believe in god or not.
I have grave concerns about the Seahawks in the playoffs. It hasn’t been a pretty season.
This is exactly what I was saying, just not as eloquent. 😉
I think you’re right. =)
How does altruism fit into that theory? A young fireman giving his life for an elderly cripple does nothing to advance society. If anything it’s counter productive.
If there is no meaning to life, we must find our own meaning for life.
Also, the best nuclear disarmament movie is Superman IV, in which Superman literally gets a GIANT NET, puts all of the nuclear missiles in it, and throws it into the sun.
Also, animals have developed cooperation to further ensure their own survival. Lions and wolves hunt cooperatively, chimps work together communally for survival and defense, ants, bees…