The God Gene

Discussion in 'Religion, Beliefs and Spirituality' started by high as hell, Feb 25, 2007.

  1. I am currently reading Richard Dawkin's Book The God Delusion, which has some masterful insights on this sort of thing. It is utterly fascinating, approaching the idea of God and religion using Darwinian natural selection. It is absolutely worth a read.
     
  2. very interesting read.

    I wonder if the gene might be effected over time by the way people use it. the more spiritual people's brain using one chemical to reach it's goal over less spiritual people's using another to reach their's.

    I don't began to understand the science about our brain. we all know people that are almost always upbeat and positive, and we all know people that are always down and negative. people get good at what they practice.
     
  3. Richard Dawkins is a genius, if you ask me.

    You should try "The Blind Watchmaker" next if you enjoy that one.
     
  4. I mean it is so crazy to think that all these people who have faith and a need for God may just be the result of a misappropriation of an evolved trait of some sort? Unbelievable.
     
  5. TheRiz I'd say it stems moreso from a love of pleasure than anything else. It's an extremely gratifying thing to have all the "answers" and to know you're immortal and your life does, in fact, have a purpose. People turn to religion like we do weed. It feels good.
     
  6. Yes but to think you have all the answers is a dishonest delusion. Smoking the herb is an honest, tangible pleasure.
     
  7. speaking for one believer, I don't think I have all the answers. also my spiritual being is as tangible to me as a feeling of hunger or joy.
     
  8. Whether or not it's honest has nothing to do with the fact that it still is pleasurable, which is why I think most people in modern societies choose to believe their particular religion.


    I know your response wasn't to me but I just wanted to make sure that when I said all the answers I was speaking specifically of the "God did it" types from any religion and used it as a generalization not intended to be scrutinized by individuals who differ from my generalization (otherwise I'd be way more wrong :)).
     
  9. I haven't read any of Richard Dawkins' books. But I have seen him speak on TV. I don't really value his opinion that much, he seems to argue overly simplistic ideas while telling people what their belief is in order to "disprove" it. I dunno, first impressions and all. Maybe I will take a look at the God Delusion.

    As for a "God" gene... That would be interesting if it turns out to be true. Why would we have such a thing? Would this prove God? If I were God making little intelligent beings, would I brand them in such a way so they will look for me, think about me? Or would it simply be a necessity of evolution? The last question doesn't seem to likely. *shrugs*
     
  10. maybe the reason morel orel is religous is because of the way he was brought up not some genetic trait. nature vs nurture...

    im too tired to think far into this :p
     
  11. I don't believe it works for either side to prove or disprove the existence of God. Us believers are still believers only through faith. It doesn't weaken my faith any that this gene is present. If anything, it might even help me to better understand a lot of scriptures, which I'm not very well versed in, so please don't ask my to defend myself to much here. But to me it kind of illuminates the idea that a path has been lit for us. I don't wish to offend my friends that are non-believers so I don't guess I'll delve to deeply into this, just stoned and ramblin. peace all
     
  12. a gene? perhaps. i've been aware of some kind of a switch in people, be it in their minds, wherever, that once clicked, they step out of the mystery, and into the delusion (or at least what we can only assume is "delusion") that fills in all the answers with that typical know-it-all (but really know nothing) "god-did-it" mentality that seems to sacrafice any power, any quest for knowledge, any rational comprehension, and various other faculties they had prior to flicking that switch.
    how conscious is the switch? i know not. it could be another survival genetic trait included in our make-up, because those of our ancestors who had it survived, that switches on automatically when needed... like when someone gets 1st degree burns over 80% of their body, it doesnt hurt anymore because the defence mechanism kicks in once the damage caused by the safety alarm (pain) is greater than the injury itself, and floods the brain with endorphins, because really, that's where pain is felt, in the brain. And that's the same place the notion of "god", the same one that "did it", exists.

    but then, its just speculation.

    :D

    for all we know, those who have this are maybe truely tapped into a higher understanding~ knowing, comprehension... even a thesaurus fails me there.
     

  13. I'm pretty sure me mum flipped that switch a while back. I think it was before my time but me pop told me she used to stay up nights worrying about things that were out of her control and was a wreck from lack of sleep. Then one night she decided to end it and did and now sleeps just as well as anyone her age can. I'm pretty convinced that she just decided to let God take care of her woes and let it be the answer to the unknowables. A piece of me pities her for this as I see it as a for of giving up but another piece of me envies her because it has to be nice to have the answers, or at least feel like you do. Meh to each their own.
     
  14. to me any concept of a god which one can express is vauge and lacking - and if there is a god - how would one specifically define he/she/it? some would say a god would have to have a persona of sorts whereas i see any governing force in the universe as a possible manifestation of god or god itself. just the presence of organization in the universe fills me with a religious/spiritual sense of wonder - so whether i beleive in god or not is kind of debatable - and varies from day to day anyways, lol. so if they find some kind of gene i'm curious to see if i have it.
     

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