The empirical evidence is staggering that we survived as a species over time by having this feeling that there was something more out there. This brought people together to help them build communities for survival and provide for our basic needs. Do you believe the god gene is now a genetic defect within our society?
Well considering belief in god is just a way to deal with how pointless life really is I would assume that its not genetic. I used to believe in god, I change my mind. Genetics don't change.
Belief in religion's anthropomorphic god might be, but that doesn't mean the god idea itself is. Perhaps you just didn't have the right idea back then. Not your fault if all you had to inspire you was religion's version.
Who really knows why people believe things? It doesn't really matter if it's a gene or not. The point is that belief does exist, and we just have to deal with it lol
Is it believed that there are other genes that cause belief? Otherwise having a god one is a stretch.
Well the argument of do we really have free will or not is close behind here. If we have genes controlling that then we probably don't have any control and are just along for the ride. Who really knows.
Interesting. I've thought about that sometimes. For example, I would not be able to kill someone. If somebody put a gun in my hand, I can't say that I could just "choose" to shoot the person. I would not be able to pull the trigger. Yet, other people have pulled the trigger before. Killing someone or not killing someone is not something that I have to think about choosing to do at all. I don't leave my house saying, "OK I better remember not to kill today" lol
and yet, I could imagine a situation when you might though. I don't really go in for these hypothetical thought experiments because we can never really know what we'd do until faced with the moment. But if your loved one was in one chair and a stranger in another, and either you had to choose to kill the stranger or someone would kill your loved one, I imagine you might pull that trigger. lol.
Good point, I might. But, then again I might just pull the trigger on myself in that situation as well lol
Considering that our behavior is a product of our genes , it's not much of a stretch that there is a gene that makes you more likely to think there is a God. Every culture has had some form of religion. Maybe ,because at the time when it was constantly doom and gloom having hope is beneficial. Now that we are much better off than our ancestors we are not as likely to believe in a God.