Science Challenges Religion On Woman's Sinful, Sensual Nature

Social scientists continue to build the case that humans are more often wired for altruism than to be selfish. Today’s Science Daily News features Social Scientists Build Case for ‘Survival of the Kindest’.

Last week, we touched this same subject — with different researchers — in Science Redefines Innate Human Behavior. There’s no doubt that brain science and endocrinology are helping us understand what it is to be human, with far-reaching implications.

If human beings aren’t fundamentally ‘bad’ but ‘good’ instead — or at the least, significant numbers of us are biologically ‘good’ — humanist and secularist values ascend in importance.

Sensual awareness is a key part of humanism, which requires us to be open to receive information and experience through our senses. Think of it as perception and awareness of our surroundings by listening, smelling, seeing, tasting and feeling.

Perhaps the fundamentalist whip isn’t required to keep large numbers of women and men ‘in line’ after all.

In contrast to “every man for himself” interpretations of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychologist and author of “Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life,” and his fellow social scientists are building the case that humans are successful as a species precisely because of our nurturing, altruistic and compassionate traits.

They call it “survival of the  kindest via Science Daily

Scientific research adds an immense update of new understanding about humanity that religion cannot. We are not suggesting that religion and science are fundamentally opposed to each other. But science seeks to confirm what monotheism alleges: that humans are as fundamentally “sinful” because Eve couldn’t control her mind, lacked self-discipline and succumbed to the devil’s sensual offering of the apple.

What if neuroscience demonstrates in a wide range of studies that our physiology is typically prewired for goodness and benevolence?

It’s my personal belief that — especially among women — guilt and self-loathing over our allegedly sinful nature may prevent us from maximizing our spirituality. Living in a dutiful state of existence that’s monitored and guided by men to insure our salvation, potentially keeps women from expressing our inherently positive nature through self-love and caring for others.

It’s my fervent hope that science will prove — not by reading the ancient documents created by men living in ancient patriarchal cultures — but by showing us evidence of how our brains and body work before social conditioning, that women aren’t fundamentally immoral, as monotheism asserts.

Readers can surely understand that this is a very frightening possibility to established interests. Guilt and inferior status are heavy jokes on humans, especially if they aren’t deserved.

If women embrace an essentially positive nature and self-love, rather than living always with an essentially sinful nature, our vital signs will be a whole lot better. Our cortisol levels (stress hormones) will go down and I wager you $10,000 that we won’t eat as much.

I argue that the obesity epidemic in America is lodged in this self-loathing mindset and not only in lack of exercise and the fast-food industry.

via Flickr’s 5348 FrancoSelf-love isn’t to be feared in some narcissistic vision of “women gone bad” around the world. Studies already document that women who love themselves take better care of others. It’s guilt and lack of worthiness that is the destructive feeling, not self-love.

Among Catholic women, the most-often reported sin is pride. And the Vatican agrees. The dictionary carries multiple definitions of pride including “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority” but also self-respect and self-esteem.

The idea that we actually are good girls in our natural state of being and don’t require the supervision of male religious leaders to find our own positive humanity, upsets the whole world system. I repeat that I do not reject the importance of spirituality in our lives. My views can easily be taken out of context on this subject.

What if we are naturally religious and inclined to embrace a positive spirituality and desire to lead a good and honorable life, without being monitored by men?

Trust me, that many good men see women in just this beautiful light. they don’t believe that we’re inherently immoral and require them as chaperones.

In reality, many Modern men feel sad and guilty themselves over what global institutions have done to women. These guys hope that science does contradict beliefs about female nature and men’s, too.

We must ask theologians to explain religious teachings within the actual discoveries of modern-day science. Religious teachings can’t only rely on what was written 2000 or more years ago. If they do, then smart people must seriously consider the lack of any rational evidence in their belief systems.

For certain, there are religious leaders who say that everything is unknoweable, that humans are parasitic, depraved creatures, and science should be banned from the earth. We have hot spots around the world where this is the key message of religion. Because human life and Mother Earth are of so little consequence, the idea of blowing up the world is not a problem.

Many people believe that any form of scientific investigation is heresy and an example of ‘man’s arrogance’. I’ve been reading much on this topic lately and understand better why secularism is reviled by fundamentalists of every religion.

It’s progressive thinkers who understand that change must come to the world, especially for women. Read yesterday’s Women in Gulf States Key to Natonalisation via The National.

via Flickr’s Steve took itPersonally, I believe many theologians fear such a reconciliation of religious teachings and scientific discoveries about how human nature really works and the contributions that women should make to 21st century life.

Embedded in the very concept of ‘truth’ is that there’s nothing to fear. Truth isn’t fundamentally arrogant; it’s technically amoral and without values.

It’s people who heap the values and meaning on ‘truth’. I’m far more interested in our natural state before all the human improvement societies get involved.

Religion, social systems, government, culture, education, marriage and family units all exist to manage the ‘truth’ of human nature  … whatever it is. 

Those systems don’t fall apart, if we discover than humans aren’t as fundamentally bad as we’re led to believe. We just have a new project on our collective hands, focused on harnessing the world’s goodness in a truly messed up world.

A basic premise of Cultural Creative thinking embraces human goodness and spirituality.

Traditionals tend to put God in charge of everything, and Moderns definitely do say that God isn’t part of their conscious daily life. He’s sort of hanging out on the sidelines — which isn’t to suggest that many Moderns aren’t exemplary people. Yet they are more materialistic, me-centered and less spiritual.

Remember that social research says that Cultural Creative values are on the ascendancy and women are 65 percent of the Cultural Creatives. CC’s remain a minority at 30-35 percent of the global population. But we are rising. (Smart Sensuality women are Cultural Creatives with style and a positive sexual vision.)

We’re so convinced of our evil nature, that it may not be possible to reprogram this way of thinking about ourselves for hundreds of years … maybe thousands.

I say that there’s no time like the present to face a global exploration of what it really means to be human. The answers may not be half as bad as we fear.  Anne

Science Redefines Innate Human Behavior

Karen Armstrong’s Wish for Charter of Compassion Comes True

Comments

[JJM]

Women "funadamentally immoral"?

"But science seeks to confirm what monotheism alleges: that humans are as fundamentally “sinful” because Eve couldn’t control her mind, lacked self-discipline and succumbed to the devil’s sensual offering of the apple."

You have it wrong. And its clearly because you don't understand the Bible at all. Just because Eve was the first human to commit Sin doesn't make her inheritely immoral or lack self-discipline. The message it relays has more to do with the deceitful nature of evil. God wasn't pleased. But if you have done your Bible studies you will already know that Jesus Christ saved us from the Old Testament. Forget Eve.

You will never understand or follow the ways of God until you let go of science. We are to live "in this world" not "of this world". We can't escape evil society. But we do have the ability (thanks to God) to live a humble, giving life without any need for admiration from others. Or to participate in any part of society that leads us to Sin. So the next step is to know what is sinful. Most modern things are. Living a life without God causes you to constantly "buy" your way through life, seeking neverending answers. And you will never be satisfied. But a true God seeker, and follower will go to his/her grave satisfied with life. And its all because its enough to help others and to love your spouse and children. And most importantly, praise God in the way he expects. That's all. This includes both men and women.

[Anne]

Your comment omits the totality of women's history with monotheism, which is a key focus on AOC. My mission is not trying to make the Bible, a book created by men to enhance their own power, woman-friendly. I don't believe God designated men as women's emissary is the religious relationship between a person and God.

Have you seen this History Channel program on Eve and the Garden of Eden? A group of all male religious scholars take up women's plight.

http://www.anneofcarversville.com/sensuality/mysteries-of-the-garden-of-eden-history-channel-in-latin-app.html

Also, I refer you to several passages in the Bible, starting with Corinthians 14:34-35

http://www.anneofcarversville.com/women/bound-tightly-by-the-good-book-gods-will.html

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. (34)

And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. (35)

I don't profess to be a Biblical scholar, but I know well what monotheism has done to women worldwide. " Biblical passages like the ones above are drummed into women far and wide. It's a travesty, and one I'm surprised God permits.

Jimmy Carter resigned from the Southern Baptist Church because their treatment of women is unforgivable, in his words. It's a patriarchal institution.

As for your comments on materialism, I agree with many of them and align myself with spiritual people worldwide who follow the caring life for others you advocate. I agree that we are not defined by the clothes in our closet and seek to change that consciousness and I seek to change our primary relationship with materialism in America.

[Reverend Roxanne Cottell]

Anne!!!

I think I love you and your message, and no matter what anyone on this planet thinks of both, I think that what you have stated here most eloquently is that we have been punished for many, many generations simply for being made the more sensual of the genders.

Having been brought up "in the church," I am well learned about how women have been made the big sexy evil, and it took me a very long time to shed the skin of conformity but I managed and it is a great time to be a woman right now.

Women are abused because of a myriad of excuses, but the bottom line in that abuse, I know, because I am an abuse survivor, is that the person who abuses us is very repressed and ashamed of the way that they view us sexually. This is the reason that women who like having multiple partners are called "whores" while men who do this same thing are congratulated for their promiscuity.

It has always been common knowledge that the Bible is written in a manner that gives more credence for a man to be a sexual creature, but that women, who, by our very nature are sensual beings, will be seen as sinful and dirty. I believe that the time has come for women who thrive because of our sensual nature stand up and say something.

I know I have and that I do, and there is nothing more sweet than the freedom to be who we are regardless of the judgment that we receive for it

This was a very good read. I will return to read again
Reverend Roxanne K Cottell

[Anne]

Thanks so much Reverend Roxanne Cottell. This 'issue' or 'fight' will be front and center at AOC in 2012. I'll return tomorrow and post several other links for you on this subject. And I'll track you down on FB. As you write, women who have clarity in our minds on the real facts of male ambivalence about female sensuality -- as it is then translated into women's sinful state by nature of her gender in monotheism -- MUST hold hands together and articulate our positions. Growing numbers of male religious scholars also agree that women have totally gotten a bad rap in the Bible.

MANY quiet conservative, religious women from around the world read AOC because they trust me -- and the people aligned with me -- to be fair, accurate and understanding of their own situations and values about religion. While respecting their love of God and spirituality, we are telling them another version of women's history, a story derived from artifacts and old writings, the real truth of women's history -- much of it destroyed because it tells a much different story about women's nature and our capabilities. The Internet is a great enabler in connecting us in learning about new scientific discoveries and archaeological digs that dispute Biblical history. I only want AOC readers and friends to understand the true facts of women's history and the unbiased scientific research about our behaviors, much of it now launched by women scientists and researchers who pose the research without innate assumptions about the conclusions. Then each woman can move forward according to her own conscience in determining her values. Like you, I am a seriously abused person and sexually assaulted, too. My primary goal with women is to free us from our guilt because it is debilitating and prevents us from being our best selves and channeling our energy to our communities and humanity as a whole. Thanks so much for your comments, Rev Cottell.