'God gene' discovered by scientist behind gay DNA theory (reader beware)

Telegraph ^ | 11/14/2004 | Elizabeth Day

[jim35]

Why do pedophiles do it? Is there a pedophilia gene? How about foot fetishists? Murderers? Is there a murder gene? An adultery gene? Wife beater gene? A Democrat gene? Perversions are what they are... the result of a bizarre lifestyle choice.

[Khurkris]

I have the "Beer gene."

And I am forever thankful.

[GeekDejure]

I have a gene that makes me believe Jim Robinson and Free Republic are magnificent !!!

[jim35]

Ok, nice pedigree. It's a shame that all that education has gone to waste, just to promote a personal agenda.

[ElectionTracker]

"...an American molecular geneticist has concluded that a person's capacity to believe in God is linked to brain chemicals."

Cause and effect. Perhaps it is belief in God that is creating the chemicals. After all, certain thoughts/memories/etc. are related to activity in certain parts of the brain, so it would make sense if something as deep as faith resulted in some sort of chemical residue.

The same goes for his questionnaire. People who believe in spiritual forces will feel more spiritually connected.

He just got cause and effect backwards. I could also say that there is a strong relationship between forehead temperature and fevers. Does that mean that if I keep an ice pack on my head so that my forehead never gets hot I'll never get a fever?

[mjtobias]

"You believe homosexuality is a choice? Why would someone choose a lifestyle that makes their lives markedly more difficult?"

Are you saying they lead very unhappy and empty lives? If so, why then do they call themselves "gay" and not homos?

[longtermmemmory]

translation: homosexuals scientists want to set up a test for "homophobia" and stupidity for those who believe in God.

Homo-propaganda at work since they flubed up all the mythical homosexuality gene studies.

Junk science at its finest.

[CWOJackson]

The bodies capacity to produce various chemicals is often influenced by state of mind/peace of mind. The problem I have with the genetics claim is spiritual birth. How can someone find God later in life if it's genetic?

[jim35]

Having a PhD doesn't mean you are a good scientist. If you set out to prove a pre-determined idea, and structure your results in a certain direction, does your PhD make you immune to mistaken theories? Use your common sense, and don't bow down to someone just because they have a sheepskin. Do you really think that this kook is able to prove that there is such a thing as a God gene? Use your God-given ability to discriminate between what is real, and what is hype. This is total nonsense. We don't have any such ability to determine this any more than we can read each other's minds.

[MeekMom]

I say bull-pucky!

[Auntie Dem]

Dr Hamer insisted, however, that his research was not antithetical to a belief in God. He pointed out: "Religious believers can point to the existence of god genes as one more sign of the creator's ingenuity - a clever way to help humans acknowledge and embrace a divine presence."

So those who have this gene, and believe God is no respecter of persons, must somehow also believe that He didn't give this gene to all humans equally?

Oh, now I get it...

[nosofar]

It may indeed be possible that some genetic characteristic increases the likelihood a person would be 'religious'. So what? It's irrelevant whether a characteristic is genetically influenced or not. What matters is whether that characteristic is desirable in itself.

[longtermmemmory]

Is there a wife-swaper gene?
Is there a sex-slave gene?
Is there a rubber fetish gene?
Is there a cross-dresser gene?
Is there a polygamist mormon gene?
Is there a spanking gene?
Is there a animal sex gene?

Skinner would laugh at these nutjobs.