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Member (Idle past 326 days) Posts: 10333 From: London England Joined: |
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Author | Topic: Do Animals Believe In Supernatural Beings? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
If and when we develop a sufficiently sophisticated common language between humans and another animal species we may then be able to find out whether or not they believe in supernatural beings. Until such time though, we ain't got a clue unless someone can show some way simply through observation what exactly each critter is thinking.
Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
No.
We have firm and conclusive evidence that members of the group Homo have had and many still have beliefs in Supernatural Beings. We do not have that at all for any other species. Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
And my answer is "No."
Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
Because no evidence has been presented that indicates exactly what any critters other than Homo species think.
Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
You are, of course, free to think anything.
Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
I would have to examine the specific evidence to see if I would accept the conclusion of supernatural belief even in homo erectus.
And yes, I would require even greater evidence to extend that to Australopithecus. And honestly, I really don't much care if you believe my answers are trite, often trite is the best response to pointless questions. Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
I have not yet seen any evidence that much extends beyond Homo sapiens sapiens quite honestly, and even much that I hve seen that asserts earlier Homo sapiens sapiens might hold supernatural beliefs I find unconvincing.
The pointlessness or otherwise of both the questions and the answers is best judged by those other than the questioner or the answeree. I suggest you bear that in m ind in your responses. Whatever. If you follow back this conversation you will find that I made a general response in the thread in Message 84. I stand by that post. Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
Okay. Whatever. See Message 84.
Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
And it could also indicate an almost unlimited number of things all unrelated to the supernatural.
Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined:
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An awful lot of the speculation.
For example, elephants standing around a dead companion, even fondling the bones of a long dead elephant could be related to sorrow, or joy, or negotiations of changing social order or scents or ... we really have no clue. Even with the species we know best, speculation related to a belief in the supernatural is often a real stretch. For example even finding items buried with people does not really support a belief in the supernatural. It can be explained by many other factors. Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
We can explain what they are doing, but not what they are thinking.
Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
That they are kneeling with their hands pressed together and making quiet noises; we can't go much further than that. We can look at their next acts and see if that tells us more but that's about it.
For example if immediately after that behavior they always go out one a coordinated hunt we can assume that whatever they were doing was related to the hunt. We could even be very wrong about that though. Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
So, you agree that we could identify if animals were behaving irrationally (as opposed to 'hunting', etc.). Not quite. I'm not even sure we can apply the term "irrational".
So my 'speculation' would mean that we should see chimps behaving in a manner as if there was an unseen chimp. e.g. Leaving favourite chimp food in a tree which no chimp eats. Again, I would not go as far as to say why they did that or that it implies any particular belief system.
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
Because it is unidentifiable even in humans.
There are atheistic pastors and people that follow all the rituals and still not believe. Sometimes (pretty often) their motivation is family peace, what someone else believes, comradeship or social networking, the food, fear or custom. Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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jar Member (Idle past 100 days) Posts: 34140 From: Texas!! Joined: |
But it is not belief. The topic is "Do Animals Believe In Supernatural Beings?"
In addition even there all you are doing is ascribing YOUR beliefs to other critters. They could have entirely different beliefs yet exhibit the same behaviors. Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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