Instinct. I has it.

Sorry about that. The silly title is uncalled for. I hope I didn't get anyone's hopes up. To be clear, there will be no funny pictures of cats or bunnies on this blog. Instead, I offer you the usual--thoughts that I hope breed new thoughts. The title of this blog does, however, successfully get us to the point I want to make: I have instinct. I can feel it in my bones.

I know, I know, its an outrageous supposition. Me, a child of God, unique in every way, imbued with personality, can behave predictably in accordance with a set of rules discovered by science through the study of my species and gender. Yes, I am special, just like every other male Homosapien.

There are some who insist that our existence, our essence is entirely natural. These people say that the reasons for our behavior can be explained by burying our heads in science books, not scripture. The proponents of this naturalistic religion are geneticists, sociologists, historians, archeologists, and psychologists, among others. These high minded individuals might be overheard saying that you and I are predictable animals. The gall!

Whether or not the existence of these intellectuals and their ideas offends you depends upon your upbringing. Most of us were educated in public schools so I'll venture to guess we've got at least an elementary understanding of the sciences. I'm sure you're like me; inclined to reflexively respond "duh!" to the assertion that we are largely predictable animals, led about by instinct embedded in our genes. But at the same time I'm sure we share the opinion that there exists in each individual unique and special traits that help set us apart. We are more than preprogrammed robots, we've all chosen to believe.

Still, there are plenty of people out there who take it 10 steps further. They hold onto the belief that who we are, what we do, and how we feel is all God's doing. We are all well developed characters in a play written by the universe's greatest writer, God, or Jehovah. Jehovah is particulary talented at character development. He's had to come up with a unique personality for the 30 billion or so Homosapiens that have lived on this planet over the last few hundred thousand years. He knows us all by name, has a plan for each of us, and loves us all more than we can imagine. This is how great God is, and millions of people don't doubt it for a second.

For a great number-perhaps a great majority-of people whose conceptions of reality were shaped in large part by their religious upbringings, the affects of instinct (or gene-based programming/biases/inclinations) on their own behavior are hardly ever recognized or considered. You see, religion has its own explanations for human feelings and compulsions. For those who want to see truth more clearly, religious explanations muddy the water by introducing perverted and baseless concepts like Satan, the Holy Ghost, Temptation, That Still Quite Voice which speaks the Truth (the Holy Ghost), and so on.

Moreover, some may say (as some have) that those who believe in the vacuous concept of God, as well as all the baggage tied to it, will live their lives significantly insane. When asked the cause of good things, believers will answer "God"; a concept they cannot begin to describe or comprehend, but one they insist exists. The Devil will be blamed for events deemed bad. And a large percentage of believers will subscribe to the twisted notion that God is the cause of good and bad events. If one were to replace "God" with "My invisible friend Jack" or use the term "Boogey Man" instead of "Satan", wouldn't we question the mental faculties of those who spoke of God or Satan as actors in the natural world?

What concerns me more than someone blaming a natural disaster, plane crash, child drowning, sporting championship, or lottery win on the will of God is someone believing that what they feel is either directly or indirectly explained through religious ideas. When I was a youngster, I was led to believe that my sexual desire was, in part, due to temptation from the devil. I was also told that especially good, joyous, peaceful, or inspiring feelings at church were the promptings of the Holy Ghost. For years, I had no problem accepting these ideas. I had no problem accepting that my heart and mind were divine public property; open territory, so to speak, for any spirit-either good or evil-who felt compelled to push me one way or another. But it wasn't long before I began feeling uneasy about the idea. As time went by, I determined that my unease originated from the fact that what I was told was both baseless and erosive to my sense of autonomy.

And so I feel the same way now, just to a greater degree. It is worse than merely lacking a logical foundation or tearing down the fabric of personal autonomy. Religious explanations for personal feelings are unacceptable for the real harm inflicted upon innocent people. They are unacceptable for the guilt, fear, false pride, skewed reality, and general psychosis that infects the minds and "hearts" of believers. Worse still, for those with serious emotional problems, who need real help, religious belief can prevent them from getting the professional treatment they need.

The final offense of religious explanations is that they distract us from discovering the true, natural reasons for our feelings. It is difficult enough planning a progressively happier, more peaceful existence when we lack so much-we will never possess anything close to a perfect knowledge and understanding of ourselves and the universe. Our knowledge may always be fragmented and limited, but this does not mean we should settle for or allow skewed, perverted, or false ideas to take positions of importance in our minds.

What's this got to do with me having instinct?

First understand that I feel compelled to methodically explore every dry creek bed, basin, rocky outcropping, and mountain side in Owyhee County. I want to follow every trail, look behind every tree, search under all the bushes, pick up a few rocks...you get the point. And this really isn't limited to the Owyhee mountains. Give me any area, let me get to know it a little bit, and I'm going to want to explore it.

Why would I feel this way? Does religion offer a reasonable explanation? No it doesn't. What about biology and the theory of evolution? Hmm, let's see... Perhaps my male ancestors needed to familiarize themselves with their territory in order to best protect their families and tribes from invasion. Perhaps ancient humans followed herds over miles of wilderness and needed to have a good sense of the land in order to make the most successful hunts. And perhaps my ancestors were gatherers who benefited from always searching for food and resources over large areas. Those who felt the urge to roam and explore were more likely to secure the safety and resources their families needed to survive. Those who lacked these compulsions were under greater danger of invasion and starvation. Thus, the traits were naturally selected for, generation after generation. They became instinctive.

This is only a theory I know, but its a theory supported by reason and a keen emotional awareness that's unpolluted by belief in the supernatural. To illustrate the point further-I enjoy the thrill of riding my bike and the pure physical effort it takes. These make me feel alive. But there's more involved. I feel compelled to cover ground, to explore. Its an urge, a underlying sense of excitement, a drive towards some possible satisfaction.

If we didn't have the power of our minds, we'd not have a hope of understanding what purpose any urge served, we'd just feel it. We'd just do it, like any other animal. I propose that the challenge that faces us today is in coming to a fuller understanding of all the influences and controls over our minds and bodies so that we may either come to accept them or else consciously manipulate them in productive/positive ways.

And why we evolved a thinking brain as well as cultural norms that keep our instincts in check is a question for another blog.