Din From Dinesh

I heard Dinesh D'Souza on the radio making certain arguments that are apparently in his latest book about religious beliefs.

One point he made is why would people invent an afterlife that has punishment if it's all about wish fulfillment? Well, first, no one said it's all about wish fulfillment, even if D'Souza believes that's the anti-religious line. Second, when you deal with the unknown, it's not unusual to have your fears as well as your hopes represented. Finally, and pretty obviously, punishment after death is a great way to keep people in line in this life, and get even with your enemies in the next.

Another point he made was if evolution were true, why would humans spend so much time fretting about eschatological issues, wasting energy better spent on other things? He doesn't seem to have a firm grip on the concept. First, adaptations can be suited to specifics, but they can also be of general purpose--an elephant's trunk is great for picking up peanuts people throw at it, but that wasn't why it developed. Second, humans developed big brains which allowed them to think things through and come up with solutions to diverse problems--this capacity also allows for abstract thought and self-awareness, which can lead to metaphysical speculation. Third, ultimately we can't even be sure if big brains are a useful adaptation--they've worked in the short run, but in the long run could get us killed.

Perhaps D'Souza has more to say, but if this is the level he's arguing, I'm not sure he's worth checking out.