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Touching a Nerve
I love reading about how the brain works, and so was drawn to this book, by Patricia Churchland. She writes well and personally, but she really got on my nerves! I flagged a few bits for discussion with my kids. I think it’s important for us to show them examples, like this, of how scientists overstep into theology. Absent some guidance, it would be easy for such a book to seriously mislead people into a belief that faith and science are in conflict.
First, Churchland uses the word ‘dualism’ to describe the belief that persons possess both a mind/brain and a soul. Surely she is aware that most Christians have at least a vague idea that dualism is wrong, whatever it is. By using it this way, she makes use of that bias (against the heresy of dualism, according to which matter is thought to be evil) to strengthen her case that no such two-part-ness in persons is possible (thus, no soul exists). I pointed out that we actually believe in a unity of body and soul, which cannot be sundered, no matter how much we learn about the operations of the physical brain.
The author uses the word ‘evidence’ thrice, in one paragraph, in contrast to this ‘specifically religious dualism,’ and not-so-subtly puts down the ‘ghosty souls’ pre-scientific (or anti-science) persons might be expected to believe in. Lucky for us poor, benighted ones who still actually believe in non-material being (contra all that ‘proof’ – imagine!), she gives us permission to keep using the word ‘soul’ whenever we want. Oh, thank you, Pat, that we may still eat ‘soul food’ and experience ‘soulful music’ with our merely material bodies!
While she seems to think she’s just a scientist willing to deliver facts in a down-home, folksy way, she continues in this tone of utter condescension to give us permission to go ahead and believe in heaven, if it makes us feel better. “You might say, ‘I want to believe in heaven because I feel better if I do,” she soothes. As for Pat, though, she’ll just say no to feel-better-believing, because people who are that dumb are prey to scam ‘faith’ healers. “For me, I worry that such a decision might make me more vulnerable to flim-flam. Self-deception can be like a drug, numbing your from much-needed feeling, weakening you exactly when you need to master your resources for getting through a difficult reality.” Wow, Pat, I guess we could give up faith if it’s like a drug, ya think?
But scientists are Smart, not dumb. So smart that, in addition to knowing all about science and theology, they know all about history and can quickly contextualize your little monotheism for you as a modern-ish development from poly-theisms which, apparently, are the only beliefs even dumber than monotheism. While we’re all poking a little smart fun at gods in trees, and spirits in stones here, Pat reassures us of her moral goodness. “…moral behavior and moral norms do not require religions.” (That’s it…no examples of what is morally good in her book…just know that whatever it is, she’s IT).
It’s really so jolly to be joshed along out of our parents’ silly and arbitrary religious ‘norms’ by someone so smart, affable, moral and sure of herself. If that weren’t enough, Pat’s even Humble – assuring us that she doesn’t know everything. That’s how Science is, see: always open, open, open to learning something new. Never, ever closed to Evidence. Golly, let’s just let neurology suffice to explain every behavior, motivation, experience of the ‘supernatural’ and moral imperative of human beings, and have no more silly talk of ‘souls’ that clearly don’t exist because science hasn’t proved them, heaven that obviously doesn’t exist because she’s never been there, or religious beliefs that exist only to highlight “the difference between groups” (presumably with a view to identifying US and THEM so we can commit unspeakable acts against THEM).
Such fresh air! Pat has blown away all that fusty atmosphere of incense, history, obligation, mystery and eternity with a wind of science that shines with self-evidential purity and power. Yet, she gives the last word to (a higher priest?) Bertrand Russell: “Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own.”
Give me the warm fire of Christ-lit humanity, and the vigor of virtue any day, thanks, Pat.
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