I've posted threads before about the "god gene" but, here is an article on cnn about a new study that gives more support to the theory. Thoughts?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/04/04/neurotheology/index.html

I must be genetically incomplete then...

It is interesting but for a reason I cannot explain, it seems dangerous at the same time. If it is an innate idea (very Cartesian), hardwired into our brain that aids us in socializing, finding partners and "conquering" our fear of death (all of which makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint), then these scientific explanations could make those hanging on to their faith by a thread become disillusioned.

I imagine some atheists reading this will rejoice at this idea (possibly because of an evolutionary trait causing them to want others to belong to their group), but I think their rejoicing is somewhat foolish. True, religion causes a lot of problems, but I think humanism is a poor substitute for religion and that a lot of those who renounce their religion will go into nihilism, as I did, but never recover from it. Then there are those who say "but without God, people will do anything". Of course this isn't true for us atheists who are moral, but it makes one question the mentality of the theist who states this; maybe this statement is an indication that he's best left ignorant.

But then even if this were true, it does nothing to prove or disprove the existence of a God. There will simply be arguments springing up on forums where theists proclaim God planted the innate idea there and atheists that it's an evolutionary byproduct.

Speaking gibberish and time dilation...I bet those people die of brain tumors, or at the least, have some pretty severe CNS problems.

There is no hard-wiring that makes one believe in a god...otherwise, I'd doubt there being so many people that go through multiple periods of faith and faithlessness throughout their lives.

God is many things: from ideas, to metaphors, to scapegoats, to revered images. I'm extremely skeptical of God being genetic. Meme, yes; predisposition, no.

I must be genetically incomplete then...

Like a lot of genes, I expect not everyone will have it and that it varies in those who do, therefore varying the strength of their religious convictions.

There is no hard-wiring that makes one believe in a god...otherwise, I'd doubt there being so many people that go through multiple periods of faith and faithlessness throughout their lives.

See above.

Meme, yes; predisposition, no.

Even for me, the ideas of God being a meme is far more appealing to the idea of God being a predisposition, for obvious psychological reasons.

So those of us who don't belive in God are more evolved?

So those of us who don't belive in God are more evolved?

You don't understand evolution if you think there is such a thing as "more evolved" or "less evolved".

more evolved means being more suited for survival.

less evolved means being less suited for survival.

it's not mysticism.



and whats with the bad-mouthing of nihilism? whats wrong with it? how is beliving there is nothing beyond the physical realm a bad thing? if someone is gonna be a sociopath, then what they belive really has no bearing.

and whats with the bad-mouthing of nihilism? whats wrong with it? how is beliving there is nothing beyond the physical realm a bad thing? if someone is gonna be a sociopath, then what they belive really has no bearing.

Believing there is nothing beyond the physical realm is not what I mean by nihilism. I mean either a belief in nothing or nihilistic tendencies, such as feeling life is pointless, that there is no point in doing anything, etc. The latter can be similar to depression or simply equal a complete lack of desire to do anything "special" with one's life.

I thought nihilism was the primary condition of depression?

to believe in nothing is to believe in nothing beyond the physical world. i am sitting on a chair. i can believe it, or i can be completely insane. the physical world is not up for dispute, believe it or be wrong. to take some terms like this literally is a big mistake. nihil does mean nothing, but nihilism is a description of a belief system.

i believe in nothing. i believe that after i die, i rot. i believe that there is nothing in this world i cannot sense with my own body, that there no god, no afterlife, no binding force for anything. there isn't a point to anything, except personal pleasure. i do whatever makes me happy, and since i like to see other people happy i do what makes other people happy to. i want to achieve what will make me happy in this life. i want to satisfy my delusions, for without them there is no drive at all.

so what is wrong with that?


nihilism is not a primary condition of depression, but it can be a symptom.

RAOVQ, I was not critiquing what you mean by nihilism, I was stating what I meant by nihilism. We evidently use nihilism to refer to two different things, your stated definition does not effect my post in the least because it was not the definition I was using. Let's not get off topic and go into the semantics of nihilism in what I consider to be one of few actually decent topics in My God.

Believing there is nothing beyond the physical realm is not what I mean by nihilism. I mean either a belief in nothing or nihilistic tendencies, such as feeling life is pointless, that there is no point in doing anything, etc. The latter can be similar to depression or simply equal a complete lack of desire to do anything "special" with one's life.


There is no point in life or doing anything, especially on any grand scale. We all die one day and the world will blow up in a few million years. Thats all true and I accept it. Does that mean that my life is futile and I should be depressed? No. There are still things that make life worth living, even though it ends. Not all of us are utterly devoid of purpose if we come to terms with death.