LENT

[Eamonnca1]

You can't answer where our conscience comes from.

Can you?

My understanding of the current state of the science is that we're scratching the surface of how the brain works. The core of the brain (which evolved first) takes care of automatic functions like breathing, digestion and keeping the heart going. Higher brain functions, or consciousness, come from the outer part of the brain and the frontal lobes which evolved later.

You can't explain where emotions come from.

Can you?  Emotions are nature's way of ensuring that we take care of each other. Without emotions, the process of evolution would be less efficient.  Early ancestors of today's animals did not have emotions and didn't go out of their way to help each other when one of their number got in trouble. When emotions were developed they improved reproductive fitness and hence stayed in the gene pool.

You can't explain where laws of logic and reason come from.

Huh? The "laws" of logic and reason are not legislation passed in a parliament. They're a function of their own existence.

You can't explain why all people know what is right and wrong.

Can you?  Most of us know the difference between right and wrong because it's innate. It's instinctive. If we didn't know the difference between right and wrong then we'd have degenerated into chaos, killed and pillaged all around us, and we wouldn't have survived as a species. Those of us who developed a sense of right and wrong were more fruitful and the instinct stayed in the gene pool. Anyone who didn't develop the instinct didn't survive long enough to reproduce.

And I take issue with your claim that we all know right from wrong.  For example most of us know that animal cruelty is wrong, you don't.

[Farrandeelin]

Too early for me this year, but anyway, I'm considering giving up the same amount of stuff as last year and see how it goes.