Materialist biology regards organisms, including people, as mere
collections of atoms and molecules, interacting according to known laws of
physics. Life itself is believed to have generated spontaneously by some
accidental, random interaction of atoms and molecules. Some scientists
spend their lives, like ancient alchemists, trying to recreate this
accidental shuffling of matter known as abiogenesis. Darwinists tell us
that complex organisms were a gradual accumulation of infinite numbers of
accidental, random rearrangement of matter, called mutations. "Natural
selection" is supposedly the creative power behind complex organisms. By
ensuring that the most capable organisms (those producing the most progeny)
survived and the less fit became extinct, Natural Selection somehow "created"
all the complexity of life - and did so impersonally, without plan, purpose,
design or meaning,
A materialistic psychology was inevitable. Thoughts, beliefs and feelings
were "things" to be analyzed and manipulated, either by persuasion and
intimidation or by chemical and surgical manipulation of the brain. With the
rise of psychiatry, it quickly became apparent that peoples' thoughts were
eminently susceptible to manipulation by persuasion or intimidation.
Therapists were successful in convincing patients their unacceptable thought
processes were due to a traumatic childhood, male chauvinism, maternal
domination, penis envy, or whatever else was psychiatrically fashionable. It
also became apparent that there was no way to weed out therapists with
bizarre ideas. A psychology degree or a medical diploma couldn't ensure
that therapists wouldn't persuade patients their unhappiness was due to
Satanic ritual abuse, alien abductions, or imaginary or forgotten multiple
sexual assaults. Chemical or surgical manipulation of the brain has become
the accepted treatment for people with unacceptable thoughts. Even though
medical science does not understand why drugs or electric shock treatments
should bring relief to anyone, some "mentally ill" people apparently feel
helped by them. Nevertheless the number who feel damaged by such assaults
upon their brains are growing, and grass-roots opposition to psychiatry is
proliferating.
Yet, despite widespread dissatisfaction with psychiatry, many people still
want "help", and the mental health industry wants to "help" them. (Needs to
help them, in order to stay in business and justify all those psychology
degrees.)
Perhaps the most effective treatment for mental suffering might be to try
to cure people of materialism.
The inevitable conclusion of materialism was that "free will" is an illusion,
and behavior is merely the result of atoms and neural connections in the
brain. Sociobiologists have even suggested love and altruism are "survival
mechanisms", the impersonal result of "random mutation and natural
selection". Now we have added homosexuality, homophobia and rape to the
list. It is true that much behavior seems to be automatic or instinctive,
and not due to conscious choice. However to deny "free will" is to deny all
that distinguishes life from non life. Materialistic science is inclined to
declare anything it can't define or measure "not part of the real world".
Even though science can't measure, predict, define or manipulate "free will",
those of us who aren't materialists have discovered we have some power to
over ride instincts, habits and automatic behavior. We aren't necessarily
the victims of our genes, chemistry or past suffering. We are more than a
collection of matter. We have some ability to change ourselves. Perhaps
all the "random mutations" which resulted in "instincts" weren't random at
all, but the accumulation of individual exercises of "free will". So while
the ability to change ourselves might be limited, if we change ourselves to
any degree, we would be taking part in the creative process of the universe.
Wouldn't we?
Bertvan
http://members.aol.com/bertvan
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