Ybgirp. Limbic system aside - this discussion is about religion. Perhaps when dolphins can join in and discuss the finer points of morality I might agree animals are the same.
Until that time, I can only conclude the animals are different, or disagree with you.

Boaz: you can draw out examples of infanticide or any given atrocity and point to it, saying that it proves humanity doesn't share some kind of common morality.

But I think it's a tad weak. Sure there's examples of these horrors - but take a walk down any given street in the world and you will encounter people with pretty similar thoughts and worries as yourself, and guess what - most look on acts such as infanticide as horrific.
It is true that we act how we have been conditioned - but as humanity moves toward a globalised civilisation, there are thosed who are raised in a civilised atmosphere, and those who are destitute.

The thing is - even most of the destitute people are decent human beings. Watch interviews with refugees fleeing the horrors of African genocide - the genocide is the example of horror the individual is not.

I say again - most human beings you will encounter in this world have a basic shared morality, acts of cruelty aside.

My point is the temptations faced by Jesus Christ were exactly confrontations by the leader of the Jewish zealots wether Matthew or Luke recorded the incident. The Satan or the Devil is one who opposes God.

Note Jesus uses this term when challenged by Peter to fight who upon his conversion becomes a devoted follower willing to be a submissive martyr for the sake of his Lord. Judas and the zealots who challenged his teaching or actions were also addressed as "the devil" or the "Satan".

The term the Satan is derived from the Hebrew and the term the Devil from Greek. However in Greeks view of the term devil as equivalent to a god in English, and had affectionate conitations. However to monotheism it is anathma as no such being exists independent of the human character, and is the expression of the human character.

Jesus was about releasing people from processes of thought that had them in their culture believe they were posessed by demons. The demons had no independence or reality of being only in the belief of the Greco-Roman world that such beings existed and controlled people. The spirits of the wicked deceased lurked waiting to find rest, usually in graveyards - hence the Zoroastrian influence on Romanism regarding purgatory.

The act of exorcism was a physical demonstration to the minds of those who believed in demons that they were now released. The casting out of demons was an effective tool demonstrating they were now personally in controll and responsible for all actions, not some demon. It was a cultural overthrow of superstitious polytheism being replaced with responsible monotheism. We stand alone and responsible before our Creator for all our actions.

There are no lesser gods (powers), there is but one God in whom all creative power exists, and man is a spiritual being in rebellion.

LIMBIC SYSTEM

Above comment has been made on the Limbic System, herein, I cite:

"The universality of myth and religion strongly suggests a common biological substratum responsible for their existence. This substratum is probably located in the temporal lobes, largely involving the limbic system. The mammalian limbic system is over 200 million years old and contains our emotional reaction to environmental stimuli. Not surprisingly, religious behaviour involves strong emotional reaction to meaningful stimuli that inspire awe, fear, and submission, all functions of the limbic area and the basal forebrain. It is no coincidence that temporal-lobe epileptics display, among other symptoms, a preoccupation with religion. We all have temporal lobes and limbic systems. Therefore, no matter how irrational our neocortex may think religious behaviour is, we cannot escape religious behaviour, including mythology.” (Shobris, 1994)

[Journal of Genetics, Social and General Psychology Monographs, Vol. 120, 1994]

[In part] What the above states is neuro-“physiologically”, Religionism is supported by the limbic system: But this does not mean neuro-“psychologically” human constructed mythical attitudes are 200 million years old [epoch relates to us and earlier mammals]: Rather, Church/Temple-based mythologies are recent. For example, with Dualism, as mentioned in recent posts, has its foundation in 500 BCE philosophies. In this way, we have mammalian/historical strata.

Hence, were we to abrogate those regions of Believer’s brain responsible for [mythological]delusions [recent in human history], we would also damage significant self-preservation regions of the brain[deep mammalian structures]. Thus, hopefully, one would recommend reasoned argument, over brain surgery any day, as an attempt at addressing said delusional behaviour

"There are no lesser gods (powers), there is but one God in whom all creative power exists, and man is a spiritual being in rebellion. "

I hope all you are doing is playing your dungeons and dragons game , just be careful it is a very dangerous thing to forget god is a fictional character and end up believing such a terrible beast is real.

Asserting one god over another and to believe it is self delusion in its purest sense and no less superstitious and no more moral than devil worshipping.

Philo you cant bag one set of fake beliefs and then assert your own beliefs in a fake deity. The immorality is that you judge humans as a spiritual being in rebellion. I would call that evil because as you well know god is your personal fantasy and for the world to be in rebellion of your fantasy is claiming the world is in rebellion of your ego. You speak for god , you claim utter nonesense onj gods behalf you are speaking for yourself and your own prefernces. You are telling us you are god and we should worship you.

Obviously the truth is there is no god and subsequently you know nothing at all about god. Leave the crime of lies to that great con fraternity the clergy and theologians. They dont peddle their lies any better but its their profession.

May I put you to the test Philo? Should those who are in your mind in "spiritual rebellion" of YOUR god be punished on any level?

Well, Philo, I read every word of your response to my question, and I think I can decipher it. Please let me know if I am misrepresenting you in any way - your prose is somewhat dense in places.

>>My point is the temptations faced by Jesus Christ were exactly confrontations by the leader of the Jewish zealots<<

This can be interpreted as "it is just a metaphor, you dummy", which would at least have been setting us on the path to an answer.

>>Judas and the zealots who challenged his teaching or actions were also addressed as "the devil" or the "Satan"... Jesus was about releasing people from processes of thought that had them in their culture believe they were posessed by demons<<

This would also seem to support the metaphor theory. We can I guess now agree that all that stuff about Satan is simply metaphorical, and not meant to be taken literally.

So that answers the first part of my question - "...is this metaphorical or literal?" - quite neatly.

Having settled that, could you now take the more important step and answer the second part of the question:

"...will you use the same standards of truth/fiction literal/metaphorical on all holy books, or just the ones you find convenient?"

And just in case you find my intentions less than clear, I am trying to find out whether you are applying the same rigorous standards of truth and accuracy to your assessment of other religions:

>>Islam despite all its retoric [sic] about monotheism teaches the reality of the spirit person - Satan. Mohomad [sic] claimed to have communed with him...<<

Are you sure they aren't being metaphorical as well?

Pericles,
Belief in spirits independent of a body and as literal beings is fantacy. The ancient world believed in them especially the Greco-Roman and was saturated by such superstition. Visit any primitive culture today, like Africa or Indonesia, and you will find they still believe in independent spirits that control physical events.

The spirit of man is the capacity to think and act independently to the social norms. West has no conscience and may try to kill a few people then he will discover the consequences of the Biblical principle "Thou shall not kill".

God is manifest in the expression of character, attitudes, actions and wisdom that evaluate human behaviour that bless or punish all human activity in the light of perfection, devoted committment and active engagement.