Atheist Megachurches

[eynon81]

[The Dharma Bum]

[eynon81]

[exploited]

It started out of necessity. The usual aggression-or-starvation choice.

Violence is learned behaviour, resulting mostly from lack of access to resources, sometimes from being subjected to it (thus normalizing it) and very rarely from genetic predisposition, as is the case with violent psychopaths.

[eynon81]

[exploited]

It may seem counter-intuitive, but those studies demonstrate my point better than yours. Violence and aggression in the undeveloped brain of a two-year old doesn't speak to anyone but two-year-olds. Further, a full 20-30% of the toddlers never shows any aggression, according to those studies, and the remainder quickly grow out of it. That a two year old shows violence and aggression only highlights the state of brain development - it would be like saying a car is innately broken before you finish installing the engines.

[eynon81]

[exploited]

It isn't when you are talking about a brain that has developed past a certain stage. Saying violence is innate to humanity because two year olds is like saying shitting yourself and crying all day is innate. The truth is the brain is in an early stage of development - those areas that control impulse are more developed than those that control bodily or emotional regulation.

Further, we are all capable of aggression, but that doesn't mean aggression is innate. We are all capable of compassion, too - is compassion therefore innate? What emotion or action that we can do isn't innate, by that logic?

All of these studies indicate that brain development depends largely on external stimulus. It is just like anything else: practice makes perfect. So saying violence is learned is infinitely more accurate than saying it is innate, especially when a full third of those studied never show any aggression whatsoever, and those that continue to do so throughout life do so because they are exposed to it.

[eynon81]

[exploited]

We've concluded that violence is learned behaviour. Which is what I have been arguing the whole time.

I am capable of suicide, being a doctor, beating my wife - does that mean self-immolation, medical skills and spousal abuse is "innate?" Of course not.