Religious Biology
It has long been recognized that many of the prescriptions in the Bible (whichever version you may or may not use) are biological in operation. For example, many of the dietary admonitions have to do with avoiding parasites (many unique to the Middle East) or diet related degenerative diseases. Others have direct genetic connections.
Now the phrase
“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35 KJV – Of course!)[Link]
has been demonstrated by researchers at The National Institute of Health to also be basic biology.[Link] Evidently intense gratification from giving is hard wired into homo sapiens. So does this contribute to the idea that Judaeo-Christianity has a inherent hedonistic component? Maybe the next thing will be unhereticizing Pelagius?[Link]So to make yourself feel better, by neural resonance, and if you;re so inclined, inject a bit of religious flavor to this capitalistically appropriated holiday (and I’m gonna stop with the appropriations trail here!) there is an interesting list of e-gifts in the Chicago Tribune.[Link] These include an iPod accessory to steam milk for cappuccino, blogging clothes made of fleece (so much for global warming – but I’ll stick to cotton,) real (glass) windows from Megahard (diversification, you know – we expect Bob Villa to start a new series named “This Old PC” in the new year,) and a fake WiFi receiver stick that is actually a special memory stick with zillions of pages stored so you can have “more” money to spend on the cappuccino (and has a price greater than a real WiFi stick?)
As for me, I’m gonna stick to giving the three indispensable fluids of life: Whisky, Coffee, and Fountain Pen Ink. And yes, all three have a positive (maybe) biological impact on both giver and receiver.
