Now don't go blaming Ann for my mental wanderings. I'm not the literal one.

"God preferred a good fatty mutton. And being a vegetarian makes you a sneaky murderer. It's all right there in Cain & Abel"

DUDE!...seriously that was hilarious....i'll be "borrowing" that line.

Wifezilla also provided us with this gem:

http://wifezillasway.blogspot.com/2...ates-carbs.html

Getting back to the literal interpretation for a minute, something just occurred to me. While botanically, grains are fruits, what we commonly think of as fruits are mostly from perennials - they grow on trees and bushes that have the deep-rooted resources to produce something big and sweet and disposable. Annuals typically put their effort into producing a lot of seeds and making them not so tasty - which is why grains need so much processing to be made edible. But if Adam and Cain are plowing the earth, and earning their food with the sweat of the brow, I think that's a strong sign that they're not getting their food from orchards or vineyards. They're growing annuals, which need to be re-plowed and re-planted every year.

well...I am no longer tied by that evil curse god cast upon adam and eve!

is it safe to say we are the chosen few? lol

sounds like you all would enjoy this book: The Science of Good and Evil. http://www.amazon.com/Science-Good-...p/dp/0805075208

I'm on board with the symbolism that leaving the garden is like leaving the hunter gatherer lifestyle... I just think humans came up with that concept and a deity didn't dictate it!
I also think that a poor diet can lead people to be delusional!! (ie, magical/religious/superstitious thinking so prevalent in the "modern" (grain-carb & high carb eating) world.

I am also aware that people think atheism in the Snooty anti-Religion... hmmn. interesting thread!

You never really know where these threads are going to go...LOL

Well technically Cap was citing القرآن‎

I was raised with that idea, and it may be true, but I've seen how people act without religion. One thing I think I was wrong about is that believing something impossible doesn't prevent you from thinking rationally. You don't have to be closed-minded to be religious.

The symbolism of the first few chapters of Genesis gets a very interesting spin in Daniel Quinn's novel "Ishmael." I've only read the Wikipedia synopsis so far, but it gets the important ideas across:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael_%28novel%29


I agree with both of those ideas!

I've seen how they act WITH religion, I haven't been too impressed, frankly. Seem like when you can refer to something supposedly infallible you can justify all kinds of behavior.

That's true too. Conversely, I would say that believing something impossible is also no excuse to stop thinking, or caring.

I think that has to do more with how you're brought up than your belief in the supernatural. I know quite a few non-religious people who are very caring people, I'd lump myself in the category too. Why? Because we're humans, social creatures, caring about one another is part of what makes our society work, like other social animals. To some extent it's a genetic trait to care about our "tribe" but I think caring about others outside our tribe requires training. Whether that's indoctrinated in you via a religion or other ways I don't think matters.

I'm not religious, why pick on me?

Seriously though; I agree - the majority of atheists are at the very least as "moral" and humane as theists.

LOL! It took me awhile to resolve that humor. Good one!