Born believers: How your brain creates God - Religion, God, and Theology

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Born believers: How your brain creates God

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02-23-2009 , 11:45 AM

Roland32

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http://www.newscientist.com/article/...eates-god.html

Uhm, I was unsure of what forum to post this in, this or SMP. I guess I'll post it here. I have a subscription to this magazine and this article appeared a few issues back. A very interesting read, I think all will enjoy.

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02-23-2009 , 01:48 PM

Jibninjas

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Just read the article. Very interesting read with a lot of great evidence for the existence of a personal God.

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02-23-2009 , 02:40 PM

All-In Flynn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Roland32

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...eates-god.htmlUhm, I was unsure of what forum to post this in, this or SMP. I guess I'll post it here. I have a subscription to this magazine and this article appeared a few issues back. A very interesting read, I think all will enjoy.

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Originally Posted by The Article

Atran says. "But it arises as an artefact of the ability to build fictive worlds. I don't think there's an adaptation for religion any more than there's an adaptation to make airplanes."

Very interesting article, read a small bit about this kind of thing before, mostly the over-attribution of agency as a survival adaptation.

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Originally Posted by Jibninjas

Just read the article. Very interesting read with a lot of great evidence for the existence of a personal God.

[ ] Read and understood the article.

[x] Fail.

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02-23-2009 , 02:55 PM

Aaron W.

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The origin of religious belief is something of a mystery, but in recent years scientists have started to make suggestions. One leading idea is that religion is an evolutionary adaptation that makes people more likely to survive and pass their genes onto the next generation.

I've always wondered... when scientists make these "evolutionary adaptation" type claims with respect to what seem to be innate activities, are they saying that from a scientifically provable position? I've always felt that these were just philosophical assertions.

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02-23-2009 , 03:01 PM

All-In Flynn

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Originally Posted by Aaron W.

If you're asking for "a gene" that causes this or that type of behaviour, then, often not, at least at the time the suggestion is first made.

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02-23-2009 , 03:03 PM

Aaron W.

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Originally Posted by All-In Flynn

If you're asking for "a gene" that causes this or that type of behaviour, then, often not, at least at the time the suggestion is first made.

I'm asking for anything (edit: scientifically provable) that makes it more than an assertion.

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02-23-2009 , 03:08 PM

All-In Flynn

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Originally Posted by Aaron W.

I'm asking for anything (edit: scientifically provable) that makes it more than an assertion.

Best ask the peeps in the article.

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02-23-2009 , 03:22 PM

Jibninjas

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[ ] Read and understood the article.

I most certainly read the article and definitely understood it. That does not mean that I agree with what some of the people in the article claim the proper interpretation of the evidence means.

The entire article spoke about how we have the innate desire to believe in a God. There was 0 evidence given as to why this does not mean God exists or that it is a byproduct of something other than a God existing.

As per usually the old "evolutiondidit" came off the shelf and was not back up by a shred of evidence other than the presumption that God does not exist. Not surprising.

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02-23-2009 , 03:25 PM

All-In Flynn

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Originally Posted by Jibninjas

Even someone who agreed completely with your interpretation of the evidence would be profoundly unjustified in regarding it as "great evidence for the existence of a personal God."

As for 'evolutiondidit' oh, fail even harder, why don't you?

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02-23-2009 , 03:27 PM

#10

Splendour

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron W.

I'm asking for anything (edit: scientifically provable) that makes it more than an assertion.

You should probably take a look at The God Gene by Dean Hamer, M.D. I think Hamer admits the title is a bit of a misnomer but he claims there is a spiritual gene even if its a mere VMAT-2 as some people have dismissed it as. Still they're only part way thru mapping the human genome.

I did start a thread on it a while back but it got trolled quite a bit.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/47...d-gene-143283/

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02-23-2009 , 03:28 PM

#11

Jibninjas

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As for 'evolutiondidit' oh, fail even harder, why don't you?

atheist hand waving at it's finest

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02-23-2009 , 03:35 PM

#12

All-In Flynn

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Originally Posted by Jibninjas

atheist hand waving at it's finest

You don't even know what "hand-waving" means in this context, do you?

You're rapidly becoming unworthy of my time.

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02-23-2009 , 04:11 PM

#13

Jibninjas

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Originally Posted by All-In Flynn

You don't even know what "hand-waving" means in this context, do you?

You're rapidly becoming unworthy of my time.

do whatever you must. I will continue to reply to silly statements with silly statements.

If you want to stop conversing with me that is fine, just let me know and I will put you on ignore and never respond to your posts again.

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02-23-2009 , 05:32 PM

#14

All-In Flynn

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Originally Posted by Jibninjas

If you want to stop conversing with me that is fine, just let me know and I will put you on ignore and never respond to your posts again.

Yeah, that would make such a ****ing change, wouldn't it?

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02-23-2009 , 05:40 PM

#15

Jibninjas

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Originally Posted by All-In Flynn

Yeah, that would make such a ****ing change, wouldn't it?

I always try and respond to you. The only time that I do not is when I am not posting much at all. And I am more than happy to respond to any post if notified.

It is typically me arguing with 10 different people. Sometimes I forget about posts or do not see them, but when they are brought to my attention I always do respond.

If you have specific posts that you feel I walked away from let me know and I am more than happy to go back and respond to them.

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02-23-2009 , 05:49 PM

#16

All-In Flynn

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Well, there's http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/13...4/index12.html

And I was particularly expecting you to respond to http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/13...ngless-419446/

since you didn't repsond to it in http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/13...5/index10.html

But it's not just you, of course.

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02-23-2009 , 06:59 PM

#17

Roland32

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I would just like you both to know that you have succesfully ruined my thread... thanks jerkfaces

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02-23-2009 , 07:13 PM

#18

Jibninjas

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Roland32

I would just like you both to know that you have succesfully ruined my thread... thanks jerkfaces

lol. sry

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02-23-2009 , 07:16 PM

#19

All-In Flynn

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Yeah, sorry.

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02-23-2009 , 07:22 PM

#20

sickofants

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jibninjas

The entire article spoke about how we have the innate desire to believe in a God. There was 0 evidence given as to why this does not mean God exists or that it is a byproduct of something other than a God existing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Article

People readily form relationships with non-existent others: roughly half of all 4-year-olds have had an imaginary friend, and adults often form and maintain relationships with dead relatives, fictional characters and fantasy partners.

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02-23-2009 , 07:29 PM

#21

Roland32

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jibninjas

lol. sry

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Originally Posted by All-In Flynn

Yeah, sorry.

No need to apologize, I should of put a smily face next to "jerkfaces"

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