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Why religion is so natural to some people, truly believe it and it is non sense to some others. You could see this through all societies in the past and present and among all religions, among all educated and uneducated people, among those who grow up on religious environment and those who grow up in non religious environment, Do we born with either beliveing or not believing.
Simple. Some people find comfort in their beliefs so are willing to take things on faith. Others require more concrete proof.
There is a god gene in all of us and in some it runs stronger then others. So the tendency is towards organized religion.
From Christian perspective I can say that it is God who gives you the faith to belief on HIM.
Now that's a leap of faith! LOL! I believe the opposite, belief in a god in indoctrinated into a person.Quote:
Originally Posted by califdadof3
Well it has been proven as fact that the god gene exists in all of us. Its also believed that that is where the concepts of gods came from. The religion part is for control of the masses. What a person believes is up to them but in some its stronger then others.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeedKarma
I don't think that has been proven at all. Can you point me to an objective source that did studies to find this fact?Quote:
Originally Posted by califdadof3
Here are just a few to start with.
God gene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
God gene - Psychology Wiki
The Brain Chemistry of the Buddha: Dean Hamer on the God Gene- Beliefnet.com
Amazon.com: The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired into our Genes (9780385500586): Dean H. Hamer: Books
Geneticist claims to have found 'God gene' in humans - Washington Times
Yea, I just read the Wiki one. You realize it's simply a hypothesis and not a proof by al;ong shot. It's important to read properly.
Here are some quotes:
Quote:
A number of scientists and researchers are highly critical of this theory; Carl Zimmer, writing in Scientific American, questions why "Hamer rushed into print with this book before publishing his results in a credible scientific journal."[2] In his book, Hamer backs away from the title and main hypotheses by saying "Just because spirituality is partly genetic doesn't mean it is hardwired."
Quote:
This is a long way from a "God Gene", as PZ Myers notes:
"It's a pump. A teeny-tiny pump responsible for packaging a neurotransmitter for export during brain activity. Yes, it's important, and it may even be active and necessary during higher order processing, like religious thought. But one thing it isn't is a 'god gene.'"[4]
The hypothesis simply states that a person who has the gene may feel a need to believe in a god, it has absolutely nothing to do with the existence of any gods.Quote:
John Polkinghorne, an Anglican priest, member of the Royal Society and Canon Theologian at Liverpool Cathedral, was asked for a comment on Hamer's theory by the British national daily newspaper, The Daily Telegraph. He replied: "The idea of a God gene goes against all my personal theological convictions. You can't cut faith down to the lowest common denominator of genetic survival. It shows the poverty of reductionist thinking." [6][7]
Walter Houston, the chaplain of Mansfield College, Oxford, and a fellow in theology, told the Telegraph: "Religious belief is not just related to a person's constitution; it's related to society, tradition, character—everything's involved. Having a gene that could do all that seems pretty unlikely to me."
And the whole thing is based on one person's book - that's it.
I never made any claims about it being "god". The only thing I was claiming is that there is a connection in that a belief in a supreme being or beings can come from a physical source. As you could imagine there would be great resistance to such findings. Im not trying to say there is a god or not. My belief system has me believing in one but that's just me. As for others its not for me to push my beliefs in my god upon them.
We don't know to this day what every gene combination does or how in changing it what it will do. Just like all the monies that have been poured into other research. But the fact remains that even at our earliest times there was some need / craving for religion. That is where the basis of the god gene comes from. There is also tests that have been done in isolation chambers and resonate frequencies that have shown to activate this portion of the brain. EMF sensetivity can caus these things to occur. Shamans witch doctors and faith healers have long been a part of our ancient history. I admit this research is in baby shoes at this time. But we are all one step closer to finding answers.
I agree 110% with the above comment. I do not believe in any sort of religion. Here is why:Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottGem
I am not spending my time on earth faithful to something I hope exists after death, wasteing my time hoping something happens in the after-life. I have seen no proof, I have seen no evidence, I have seen good people die, bad people go free, cities crumbled, wars started and I'm suppose to believe there is a god. If there was why let this happen? Why make the world the way it turned out.
How can anybody believe the bible, its suppose to be "very old" but how much of it was just added on, or changed throughout the years, how do we know it wasn't created by someone long ago as a just a piece of reading material?
That's my thought on the matter of religion, now with that said, I do believe in doing good, helping others and abiding by a set of moral and ethical laws but this has nothing to do with religion, the Ten Commandments, etc...
You do have to admit that you have wondered why you are on this Earth and where are you going when your life ends and what's the point of it all -- or if there even IS a point.Quote:
Originally Posted by ITstudent2006
As you can tell it is easy to find those who believe and those who don't.
The why is simple, to believe and accept a God, we have to accept that we are not in control of things ourself, that there is something bigger. And that there is a absolute right and wrong. Not a guidle line of moral opinion. So people often don't want to be controlled or do what a God requires of them.
They rebel which is part of mans nature.
And of course many as one of the above posters use the argument that there can not be , since bad things happen to good people, which of course is not a reason to believe or not believe since few religions teach that bad can not happen, ONLY that God gives them the strengh to get though it.
For or from a Christian view point, in fact God is not the God of this world right now, the evil side controls the world, and not till the end time will God finally conquer and destroy the evil.
Thus in Christianity Satan is callled the Prince of the World,
The simple fact is that I don't believe. Not because I am rebelling, not because bad things happen to good people. I am a non-believer for one simple reason (as stated above but I'll be more clear)
There's no proof "god" exists. I'm not wasteing time, resources and energy trying to believe in something no one knows exist.
But, have you ever wondered why you are on this Earth and where are you going when your life ends and what's the point of it all -- or if there even IS a point?Quote:
Originally Posted by ITstudent2006
Everyone wonders about this, and (I believe) this is why some people find religion so appealing and easy to believe because it gives them an answer to that ultimate question.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wondergirl
But
Slartibartfast: "Perhaps I'm old and tired, but I think that the chances of finding out what's actually going on are so absurdly remote that the only thing to do is to say, 'Hang the sense of it,' and keep yourself busy. I'd much rather be happy than right any day."
Arthur: "And are you?"
Slartibartfast: "Ah, no. (laughs) Well, that's where it all falls down, of course."
I think that bit sums it up rather nicely
Fertilizer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wondergirl
Can you guess what I believe in?
Yes I know this is going to offend people but I'm a bit sick of people arguing with Atheists that God exists.
Making all these points about "what is the meaning of life" isn't going to make me change my mind... that makes me think about well, how exactly did life start scientifically.
When someone says they believe in God I say "good for you" not "oh well this isn't real and that isn't real and the bible is made up".
Yet when I tell a Christian I am Atheist well... don't I get an earful!
Instead of trying to convert people, how about listening to why they believe what they do and respecting that.
They obviously chose that path for a reason.
Oh, and that's not having a go at you WG! I just wanted to make the fertilizer comment is why I quoted you!
Does God exist? I don't know. I'm not going to say he definitely does, and I can't say he definitely doesn't. I don't believe in the God that Christians preach about. If he was all loving, all caring, we're his children, blah, blah, blah, than he's one heck of a horrible parent. Just my opinion.
Personally, if there is a God, I believe he made this world and walked away. The bible, great reading, but not proof of a God. Actually, it's one of the many things that made me lean towards not believing.
If I'm wrong and God does exist, well, I'd hope that being a good person, being nice to people, helping my fellow man/woman, and not killing the jerk that cut me off in the Walmart parking lot, will get me into heaven. After all, if some of the God believing people I've met are going to heaven after treating people like crap, cheating on their spouses, beating their kids, etc. etc. are going to heaven because they believe, than I should be a shoe in. :)
He created a good world; we screwed it up (and are still screwing it up).Quote:
Originally Posted by Altenweg
No, He's watching us as we fix things. And gives us the mental and physical and emotional strength to do it.Quote:
Personally, if there is a God, I believe he made this world and walked away.
You're right. That's not its purpose.Quote:
The bible, great reading, but not proof of a God.
Obviously, they DON'T believe.Quote:
After all, if some of the God believing people I've met are going to heaven after treating people like crap, cheating on their spouses, beating their kids, etc. etc. are going to heaven because they believe, than I should be a shoe in. :)
Hello:Quote:
Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck
I'm an atheist. I believe there is an absolute right and wrong. The notion that morals ONLY come from God, is just not so.
excon
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