lunes, 25 de octubre de 2010

MORALS WITHOUT GOD? grammar 600 homework

October 17, 2010, 5:15 pm

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/morals-withoutgod/?scp=1&sq=Hieronymus%20Bosch%20article&st=Search

Morals Without God?

By FRANS DE WAAL

1I was born in Den Bosch, the city after which Hieronymus Bosch named himself. [1] This 2obviously does not make me an expert on the Dutch painter, but having grown up with 3his statue on the market square, I have always been fond of his imagery, his symbolism, 4and how it relates to humanity’s place in the universe. This remains relevant today since 5Bosch depicts a society under a waning influence of God.

6His famous triptych with naked figures frolicking around — “The Garden of Earthly 7Delights” — seems a tribute to paradisiacal innocence. The tableau is far too happy and 8relaxed to fit the interpretation of depravity and sin advanced by puritan experts. It 9represents humanity free from guilt and shame either before the Fall or without any Fall 10at all. For a primatologist, like myself, the nudity, references to sex and fertility, the 11plentiful birds and fruits and the moving about in groups are thoroughly familiar and 12hardly require a religious or moral interpretation. Bosch seems to have depicted 13humanity in its natural state, while reserving his moralistic outlook for the right-hand 14panel of the triptych in which he punishes — not the frolickers from the middle panel — 15but monks, nuns, gluttons, gamblers, warriors, and drunkards.

16Five centuries later, we remain embroiled in debates about the role of religion in 17society. As in Bosch’s days, the central theme is morality. Can we envision a world 18without God? Would this world be good? Don’t think for one moment that the current 19battle lines between biology and fundamentalist Christianity turn around evidence. One 20has to be pretty immune to data to doubt evolution, which is why books and 21documentaries aimed at convincing the skeptics are a waste of effort. They are helpful 22for those prepared to listen, but fail to reach their target audience. The debate is less 23about the truth than about how to handle it. For those who believe that morality comes 24straight from God the creator, acceptance of evolution would open a moral abyss.

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