Posted on 12/13/2004 3:17:20 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Religious belief is determined by a person's genetic make-up rather than by any divine intervention, according to a study.
After comparing more than 2000 DNA samples, the American geneticist who in the early 1990s claimed to have discovered the "gay gene" has concluded that a person's capacity to believe in God is linked to brain chemicals.
His findings have been criticised by clerics, who challenge the existence of a "god gene" and say the research undermines a fundamental tenet of faith - that spiritual enlightenment is achieved through divine transformation rather than the brain's electrical impulses.
Dr Dean Hamer, director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute in America, asked volunteers 226 questions in order to determine how spiritually connected they felt to the universe. The higher their score the greater a person's ability to believe in a greater spiritual force and, Dr Hamer found, the more likely they were to share the gene, VMAT2.
Studies on twins showed that those with this gene, a vesicular monoamine transporter that regulates the flow of mood-altering chemicals in the brain, were more likely to develop a spiritual belief.
Growing up in a religious environment was said to have little effect on belief. Dr Hamer, who in 1993 claimed to have identified a DNA sequence linked to male homosexuality, said the existence of the "god gene" explained why some people had more aptitude for spirituality than others.
The Reverend Dr John Polkinghorne, a fellow of the Royal Society and a Canon Theologian at Liverpool Cathedral, said: "You can't cut faith down to the lowest common denominator of genetic survival. It shows the poverty of reductionist thinking."
So Islam can be explained away as a birth defect or something?
Does this tripe need to even be commented on?
Selective genes based on our free will choice IMHO. LOL!
Whatever. Kind of validates the Calvinist theory of Predestination though, doesn't it? Ain't got the gene? Burn, baby, burn.
It shouldn't except when mentioning the original proponent of the idea, who is a regular and much despised guest on the Art Bell Show.
The fact that 90% of the earth's peoples have some form of religious belief can only mean that humans are hard-wired for religiosity. Probably for survival purposes.
So the Designer even thought of this one. Wow.
Irresistible grace....the "I" in TULIP. Could be. Or it could be a load of crap; I could go either way on this one.
Maybe more directly "unconditional election", the "U" in TULIP.
Hey... I have a "good" gene nestled away in my brain.
Kinda sorta makes me a "good" Freeper... despite all
my strident efforts to be a "bad" boy (a ZotSnot) !!! ;-))
BTTT
Once we learn to customise these genes we will be able to go to prisons, adjust the felons genes and turn them all loose, Since its obvious that robbers, rapists killers pedophiles and others arent responsible, its their genes.
Amen! What a load! I can't believe the nerve of these idiots.
Yep. If we don't, then they will explain everything this way. so when a person is born the can say defective gene - abort it.
"So Islam can be explained away as a birth defect or something?"
No, because islam is merely posing as religion. It is really a violent, expansionist political conquest movement.
These people are so ignorant! Good grief! All they had to do was read the Bible and they could have figured out the truth.
"to every man is given THE MEASURE OF FAITH. It's spiritual not physical". And .. in Deut. 28-29, God said, "I've set before you this day blessing and cursing, now you choose".
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