Quote Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro View Post
Depends on the animal.

Intelligence is the defining human factor.
Well, beating an amoeba in intelligence will hardly make intelligence a remarking trait that makes humanity special so I'll think I go with the most intelligent animals, like dophins, apes, parots, crows (they're surpricingly intelligent) and simular.

How much more intelligent must humans be to be special compared to the rest of the animals? Do they need to break the average human intelligence or simply to most stupid humans? Is there's an average amoung the specie or only the most brilliant mind that's needed?

Personally I would go with the complex language, but like with all human traits, the basic framework excist in other animals, only expressed much stronger in humans.

Are blue whales special because they're huge?

Quote Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr View Post
If there is no more reason to believe in God than pixies or leprechauns or whatever, then it is a great coincidence that He has so many followers.

When I was an atheist I thought religion was stupid, but at least I admitted there was something behind it, even if it was just an evolutionary function.
So does Shiva. Pixies and leprechuans have the downside of actually needed to leave some physical proof behind, at least occationally.

Anyway, the elusivness of the gods by being poor of true supernatural miracles leaves at least the religion and science free from eachother. If the way any god work is thruogh natural means, then science works great to describe the world, no matter the existance of any god. The downside is of course proving that they exist, but it's fairly certain that they don't plan to make it easy on that matter.

btw, self-restraint is the framework whom Stoism stands on. Without it, you're slave under your passions. And animals do show self-restraint for other things than food, it's just that it's the easiest and most non-personal thing to test.

Did you know that (at least some) religious experiences seems to be located into a speciffic center of the brain? For whatever reason, but it certainly indicates that religiousity has an evolutionary function.

Seamus, evolution and big bang theory thrown together?