Science and Religion: God Didn't Make Man; Man Made Gods

LATimes ^ | July 17, 2011 | J. Anderson Thomson and Clare Aukofer

[Steelfish]

Science and Religion: God Didn't Make Man; Man Made Gods In recent years scientists specializing in the mind have begun to unravel religion's "DNA."

By J. Anderson Thomson and Clare Aukofer July 18, 2011.

Before John Lennon imagined "living life in peace," he conjured "no heaven … / no hell below us …/ and no religion too."

No religion: What was Lennon summoning? For starters, a world without "divine" messengers, like Osama bin Laden, sparking violence. A world where mistakes, like the avoidable loss of life in Hurricane Katrina, would be rectified rather than chalked up to "God's will." Where politicians no longer compete to prove who believes more strongly in the irrational and untenable. Where critical thinking is an ideal. In short, a world that makes sense.

In recent years scientists specializing in the mind have begun to unravel religion's "DNA." They have produced robust theories, backed by empirical evidence (including "imaging" studies of the brain at work), that support the conclusion that it was humans who created God, not the other way around. And the better we understand the science, the closer we can come to "no heaven … no hell … and no religion too."

[paudio]

This is exactly why I think Christianity has the answer to all kind of such mumbo-jumbo. God revealed Himself to his people in Israeli time, and He revealed Himself everyday to those who He choose. An ‘outside’ actor who act independently from human being. While our understanding of doctrines, practices, etc., are shaped by human mind and cultures, our faith come directly from Him—without whom we cannot have it in the first place. This way, we avoid the ‘trap’ of Man Man Gods story.

[Billthedrill]

This confronts the atheistic mind not in evolutionary terms of survival but in terms of life after death...

That is precisely what I meant by the statement that neither religion nor natural selection work like that. And better put, too, for which I thank you.

I suppose I'm a little impatient with this sort of pop science. The notion that a belief in God is somehow hard-wired into our genome is a very interesting theory but if so, why? "Because it's useful" is the author's case, but that does not eliminate "because it's true" in the least.

[wastedyears]

Personally, I think the best rock songs tell stories.

This is a Brazilian metal band’s concept album about the creation. They infuse their own cultural influences into their music, and I fully believe that if the great classical composers were to listen to this music, they would be thoroughly impressed by it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gxH05P-aRM

Track listing is:
Aeternalux
And Let The Show Begin
Here Comes The Life
Spirits of Light
Humanity
Whispers And Pain of Mother Nature
Choice Time
Judgement Day
Your Majesty Gaia
Luxaeterna

[Cheburashka]

In between articles by the Lamestream Press that laud or defend Islam, I wonder if they ever consider that they will be promptly beheaded for printing this kind of article if Islam wins.

---

No. Why should they? They're smart. How could any religion triumph against their smartness?

[dr_lew]

Mark David Chapman had become a born-again Christian in 1970,[14] and was incensed by Lennon’s “bigger than Jesus” remark, calling it blasphemy. He later stated he was further enraged by “God”, and “Imagine”—even singing the latter with the altered lyric: “Imagine John Lennon dead.”[15]

- Wikipedia

[Rashputin]

Every time these dolts print this kind of thing and every time someone who believes it agrees with it, those who think this way harden their own heart a bit more. When they meet their Maker, they're going to be shown proof positive, proof that God will make sure they understand and believe, that it was their own decisions that are sending them to an eternity without God, which is by definition an eternity in Hell.

[jacknhoo]

Man made God sad.

[gogogodzilla]

This article in other words:

Nietzsche said, “G-d is dead.”

---

But in the end:

G-d said, “Nietzsche is dead.”

---

:-)

[theBuckwheat]

My interest is in studying how Gnostic teachings are manifested in modern Marxism. Allen’s quotation is amongst the most succinct on the subject that I have researched.

[JWinNC]

"Science dictates survival of the fittest and an ultimately meaningless existence, not mercy. The naturalist reaction to Katrina would be to write off the dead as unfit to live.

This type of crap has turned the once hallowed objectivity of science into a joke.

Scientific method has been substantially replaced by grant whores, who sell the outcome to the highest bidder. Peer review at the Universities is like leaving a group of bums to self-police the liquor store."

This^^^

It never ceases to amaze me that folks who believe this refuse to follow their own logic to its inescapable, nihilistic conclusion.

jw

[FormerLib]

A world where mistakes, like the avoidable loss of life in Hurricane Katrina, would be rectified rather than chalked up to "God's will."

Religious organizations were at the forefront of "rectifying" the damage of Katrina. I wonder if the author even bothered to write a check to a relief agency?

[P.O.E.]

Dogs Didn’t Bite Man; Man Bit Dogs

[Reeses]

There is no case that atheism is a superior adaptation; indeed, the lack of surviving atheist cultures is a strong argument against that case from the evolutionary point of view.

Atheist culture is at a competitive disadvantage in many areas, such business. For example: The Los Angeles Times. While their atheism is not their biggest problem, the LA Times has recently been sold, gone bankrupt, burned through a succession of editors, had layoffs, and is having continuing circulation losses. The God advantage would likely have given them greater success. A religious advertising salesman has a competitive advantage over an atheist salesman that looks at the hopeless numbers and gives up. Similarly a religious reporter has an advantage getting the scoop over an atheist report with shaky confidence and persistence. This type of advantage is everywhere in a religion accepting organization.

Leftist atheists believe that war is caused by religion, but really war is caused by envy, the same evil that drives leftism. Religion is a competitive advantage that helps win at war, and against leftism.

[Shadow44]

Wow, I never knew that! Thanks for your post, now I’m going to look into Marx and Gnosticism.

[LadyDoc]

I love when these atheists cite religion as being the cause of war and murders.

Guess none of them noticed the murders of Mao and Stalin...

Or read the history of China in the last 2000 years....

[aruanan]

I love when these atheists cite religion as being the cause of war and murders.

Guess none of them noticed the murders of Mao and Stalin...

That's because they're too busy trying to diss theistic religions that they ignore the atheistic religions (and it would probably be hitting too close to home).

[aruanan]

In recent years scientists specializing in the mind have begun to unravel religion's "DNA." They have produced robust theories, backed by empirical evidence (including "imaging" studies of the brain at work), that support the conclusion that it was humans who created God, not the other way around. And the better we understand the science, the closer we can come to "no heaven … no hell … and no religion too."

"It is conceivable that St. Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus was, in reality, a seizure caused by temporal lobe epilepsy."

ALL of this is a trite modernist filigree on things folks have been saying (for many of the same reasons) for centuries but using "science" as the glitter to make it look all new and, somehow, more true.

Remember what Felix said to Paul when Paul's message was getting a bit too personal? "Your much learning has made you mad." A slight variation on the theme, "What you're saying can't be true because you're nuts and that lets me off the hook."

[MEGoody]

"a world without "divine" messengers". In other words, a world without the likes of Mother Theresa and Franklin Graham.

"A world where mistakes, like the avoidable loss of life in Hurricane Katrina, would be rectified rather than chalked up to "God's will." In other words, a world without the people who refused to evacuate when they were warned. A world without Nagin who refused to use all at his disposal to get the people out. The deaths in New Orleans had nothing to do with people thinking it was "God's will." It was a failure to act on the part of the people of New Orleans themselves.

The author trumpets critical thinking while failing to think critically before writing.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Wonder if these worthies would be as dismissive of the religious beliefs of “indigenous pipples?”

[Zionist Conspirator]

Science dictates survival of the fittest and an ultimately meaningless existence, not mercy. The naturalist reaction to Katrina would be to write off the dead as unfit to live.

Bears repeating.

Where in the world did anyone ever get the idea that utter meaninglessness produces "compassion?"