Homo sapiens is identified, for purposes of classification, as an animal (kingdom Animilia) with a backbone (phylum Chordate) and a segmented spinal cord (subphylum Vertebrata) that suckles its young (class Mammalia); that gestates its young with the aid of a placenta (subclass Eutheria); that is equipped with five-digited extremities, a collarbone, and a single pair of mammary glands on the chest (order Primates); and that has eyes at the front of the head, stereoscopic vision, and a proportionately large brain (suborder Anthropoidea). The species belongs to the family Hominidae.*Measures of intelligence are always defined arbitrarily, that is, subject to interpretations of individual or group preference or choice.
Nature is composed of the material world and its phenomena. Humans are a part of Nature, not apart from Nature. (The upper case “N” is offered only to differentiate this use from other uses of the term “nature.”)
Science is the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena.**
Theology is the study of the nature of a notional deity or deities.
Religion is a system of beliefs and practices usually associated with a numinous entity or entities.
Good and Bad (or Evil—and ditto on the upper case use) are always defined arbitrarily, that is, subject to interpretations of individual or group preference or choice.
Ockham’s razor is a rule in science and philosophy stating that entities should not be multiplied needlessly. This rule is interpreted to mean that the simplest of two or more competing theories is preferable and that an explanation for unknown phenomena should first be attempted in terms of what is already known.** For instance, if my car unexpectedly sputters to a halt, I should suppose that the car might be out of gas rather than being drained of its energy by an alien spacecraft.__________
*Encarta Desk Encycloped
**American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
