# For those that do not believe in God **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668 "2015-08-12T16:44:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/41 "2015-08-12T19:01:13Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > You kidding? “God did it” works perfectly fine. It even explains away inconsistencies and awkward facts and contrary answers. So long as you believe “God did it,” you’re good. “God did it” is a possible explanation. But evolution is a better explanation. 1. We have much stronger evidence that evolution exists than we do that God exists. 2. Evolution explains not only how but also why sex feels good. The God explanation at most only explains how. 3. The evolution answer is unique. The God explanation applies equally well to any number of deities. ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/42 "2015-08-12T19:15:46Z")
For a lot of species, it makes evolutionary sense for sex to be pleasurable. But not every animal enjoys it- dolphins and chimps are especially rapey in the animal kingdom. So are rams. But for these animals, rape is usually the best way in an evolutionary sense to pass on one’s genes (if you’re a male). The rapiest fathers tend not care for their offspring. Evolutionarily and socially, it behooves a human male to stick around and help raise the offspring, hence rape isn’t the best strategy for them to pass on their genes. Wooing and making sex pleasurable to the female works much better to bond with the female and contribute to raising the family. Bonobos have a pretty successful non-raping strategy as well. How 'bout those bedbugs? > **[Traumatic insemination](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_insemination)** > > Traumatic insemination, also known as hypodermic insemination, is the mating practice in some species of invertebrates in which the male pierces the female's abdomen with his aedeagus and injects his sperm through the wound into her abdominal cavity (hemocoel). The sperm diffuses through the female's hemolymph, reaching the ovaries and resulting in fertilization. > The process is detrimental to the female's health. It creates an open wound which impairs the female until it heals, and is suscept... The male has sex with the female by stabbing her in the abdomen. Not good for wooing the female, but at least it makes a bunch of eggs, right? Yeah, in short- evolution. Whether it be horrible sex or rather nice sex. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/43 "2015-08-12T19:29:00Z")
The pleasure of sexuality goes beyond the physical sensations and way into the spiritual. It is a connection on a soul to soul level that is of a type that is not usually experienced in anything else in the ‘normal’ human world. This connection, though intense is just one of many advanced forms of soul to soul connection. Why did evolution follow this, because it’s what it does, just a natural life force that follows the patterns of the soul/spirit world. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/44 "2015-08-12T19:30:14Z")
> [@Turpentine](#): > > For a lot of species, it makes evolutionary sense for sex to be pleasurable. But not every animal enjoys it- dolphins and chimps are especially rapey in the animal kingdom. So are rams. Well, even for the rapey animals, it’s probably fair to say that half of them enjoy it. –Mark ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/45 "2015-08-12T19:34:21Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > The pleasure of sexuality goes beyond the physical sensations and way into the spiritual. It is a connection on a soul to soul level that is of a type that is not usually experienced in anything else in the ‘normal’ human world. > > This connection, though intense is just one of many advanced forms of soul to soul connection. Why did evolution follow this, because it’s what it does, just a natural life force that follows the patterns of the soul/spirit world. Nice dogma, but with nothing factual to back it up I don’t see how anyone can respond to any questions about evolution in regard to said personal dogma. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/46 "2015-08-12T19:57:38Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Is there anything you have found to be more pleasurable than the sensation experienced during sexual intercourse? (I’ve never done drugs.) Ever wonder how it became that way? Please don’t expect me to accept evolution as the reason. If that was the case, this particular sensation could have ranged anywhere from barely OK to being so enjoyable men and women seek it on a regular basis as we do today. > > Being that this sensation is the latter and that I am a theist, I find it very easy to accept that God wanted to insure His children kept His earth adequately populated. Could there be other possible explanations? > > Phu Cat 1. I kind of did standup once, and I was killing it, and if that wasn’t better than sex it was damn close. 2. As others have said, whether or not you accept evolution as a reason, it is the reason. You might not like that 2+2 = 4, but it is. 3. How come God made sex so pleasurable and declared many expressions of sex (like adultery) sinful? If women went into season twice a year, like my dog did when she was a breeder, you’d get the same population without all the hoohah. I don’t know how you people believe in such an incompetent deity. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/47 "2015-08-12T20:02:30Z")
The OP seems to assume that no one would have children if they weren’t a byproduct of sex. That’s true of nonhuman animals. But lots of people deliberately seek out children to raise despite being unable to conceive (or get someone pregnant) naturally. The desire to rear children is separate from the desire for sex, even though we understand that sex and childbirth are generally related. ---
**Author:** ![Phu\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Phu\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phu_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/48 "2015-08-12T20:24:44Z")
Shunpiker, I completely understand this: For me, the greatest sensation I’ve ever had comes from road-racing motorcycles. That feeling of quick, hard acceleration out of a curve while still leaned over is hard to trump. For me, it’s drag racing. At 66, that feeling of hard quick acceleration out of the hole when my hips are pinned to the seat pan are a solid second to an orgasm. I guess it varies from one guy to another. Even fishtailing my Triglide can be real fun at times. Others: Since the Romans were fanatics about keeping records, I think we’re gonna have to take their word for it that Jesus did actually come back from the dead, arising from the grave after being crucified. Since there are SO many things in our universe that have to be _just so_or life couldn’t possibly exist. Repeated discoveries regarding intelligent life depends on such a delicate balance of physical constants and quantities that if they weren’t in place life couldn’t possibly exist. Then DNA really seals the deal. How could all these finite details just have happened to work out by accident? We are still referring to evolution as a theory for good reason. Phu Cat ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/49 "2015-08-12T20:31:45Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Since the Romans were fanatics about keeping records, I think we’re gonna have to take their word for it that Jesus did actually come back from the dead, arising from the grave after being crucified. What are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/50 "2015-08-12T20:35:26Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Since there are SO many things in our universe that have to be _just so_or life couldn’t possibly exist. Repeated discoveries regarding intelligent life depends on such a delicate balance of physical constants and quantities that if they weren’t in place life couldn’t possibly exist. > > Then DNA really seals the deal. How could all these finite details just have happened to work out by accident? We are still referring to evolution as a theory for good reason. > > Phu Cat So much wrong here, I don’t know where to begin. This is almost painfully backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/51 "2015-08-12T20:51:18Z")
What official Roman records are you referring to? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/52 "2015-08-12T20:58:46Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Since the Romans were fanatics about keeping records, I think we’re gonna have to take their word for it that Jesus did actually come back from the dead, arising from the grave after being crucified. I, like others, would love to see these records. So would many historians and religious scholars, because they love good surprises. > [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Since there are SO many things in our universe that have to be _just so_or life couldn’t possibly exist. Repeated discoveries regarding intelligent life depends on such a delicate balance of physical constants and quantities that if they weren’t in place life couldn’t possibly exist. Isn’t it odd how water _just happens_ to take the shape of the hole in the ground? You almost \*never \*see a square puddle of water in a round hole, ya know? If things hadn’t been _just so_, we wouldn’t be here marveling over how it is such a coincidence that [conditions were so perfect for us to evolve.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropic_principle) > [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Then DNA really seals the deal. How could all these finite details just have happened to work out by accident? We are still referring to evolution as a theory for good reason. For the same reason we also refer to the Theory of Gravity? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/53 "2015-08-12T21:00:29Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > 1. I kind of did standup once, and I was killing it, and if that wasn’t better than sex it was damn close. . . . This! A crowd’s applause after a good performance is better than any orgasm I’ve ever had. (Actually, it was a little frightening, how good it was. I remember thinking, at the time, “I would do anything to have this again.” There was a scary sense of drug-like addiction.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Angry\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@The\_Angry\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Angry_Badger)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/54 "2015-08-12T21:09:41Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > We are still referring to evolution as a theory for good reason. :smack: Really? On this board? You’re going to try _that_ argument? You can add me to the list of people wanting to see those Roman records. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/55 "2015-08-12T21:09:48Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Please don’t expect me to accept evolution as the reason. If that was the case, this particular sensation could have ranged anywhere from barely OK to being so enjoyable men and women seek it on a regular basis as we do today. Once upon a time there were two groups. Due to genetic mutations, one group developed a sensation from sex that was enjoyable. For the other group, it barely OK. The first group had sex and passed their genes to offspring, and we are all descendents of them. The second group did not and their mutation died off. The end. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/56 "2015-08-12T21:20:39Z")
Benzodiazepines. At least, at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/57 "2015-08-12T21:34:14Z")
Hyping up the pleasure of sex as the end all be all, definitely a proud male tradition. It’s odd to credit it to God though, since in many if not most religious and ascetic traditions lust is seen as a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/58 "2015-08-12T21:50:10Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Others: > Since the Romans were fanatics about keeping records, I think we’re gonna have to take their word for it that Jesus did actually come back from the dead, arising from the grave after being crucified. > > Phu Cat If you could come up with these records, you’d be world famous. On the other hand, my ancestors were living in town when this happened. They seemed notably unimpressed. You’d think that a claimed Messiah rising from the dead would stir some interest. That’s something you don’t see every day, Jerry. What’s that, Irving? That Jesus guy walking around after he was crucified. I don’t know about that. You should see my wife in the morning after a party. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/59 "2015-08-12T21:51:05Z")
Just seems like evolution to me, I really don’t think a praying mantis gets much pleasure from Coitus but they are innately still driven to engage in it even if the male might lose his head over it. Sex is really great probably the pleasure humans have engaging in it has something to do with our higher intelligence and developed over a long period of time, also humans have emotions and imagination that adds to the enjoyment in a huge way, probably explaining things like sexual fetishes. Some things, depending on your state of mind and physiological reactions can be better than sex at a given point in time. One time my wife hit me when I said the expertly prepared, succulent grilled salmon I was eating was better than sex. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668/60 "2015-08-12T21:59:51Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Benzodiazepines. Ooooooohhhh yeahhhh. So snuggly at first, then they just don’t love like they used to. Fickle bitches. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-do-not-believe-in-god/727668.md?page=4)