The God Gene
Is there a part of us as human beings that leads us to believe in a higher power? Are we biologically set up to interpret certain events as religious revelations?
In Dr. Dean Hamer’s book, The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired into Our Genes, Hamer argues his hypothesis that human beings have a gene that might answer yes to those questions.
It’s important to point out that that The God Gene is not a theory that we have something in us that leads us to believe in God/dess – in whatever that title means for you. What Dr. Hamer is proposing is that events we interpret as a spiritual frame of mind, the ‘presence’ of God/dess, and other mystical or spiritual experiences.
I haven’t had the chance to read the book, but I found it yesterday while exploring in the library and thought it brought up an interesting subject.
The connection (or lack thereof) between religion/belief and science has always been one filled with arguments and disagreement. Dr. Hamer has been criticized for poorly presenting a potentially fascinating subject.
Even so, it is something that likely will be explored further in the future as we explore genes and their role in our lives.
A lot of very loud voices in the world would have you believe this sort of science exploration is evil and should not be continued despite the fact that humans are just barely scratching the surface when it comes to discovering what genes mean in our lives.
All I would like to say is that the less knowledge you have, the easier you are you are to control. Surely a creator or creators, if there are any, who endowed their creations with such curiosity would expect such studies…
March 2nd, 2008 at 7:28 pm
What on earth is the point of linking us all to a book and the contents, thereof, that you have not read yourself?
How on earth can you comment on it at all?
Yet another example of Spiritualists using the work of others in a SUPERFICIAL WAY to further their own ends….
The Supreme Being is a creation of HUMANS, not an entity that exists in a manner that we do…..
WAKE UP….stop using the ideas of others to further your own beliefs, tawdry and idiotic as they are…
Humans have been wresling with this idea for a long time now, and we have finally made the assumptive leap that a Sumpreme being just does not exist, however much some would like it to be so.
OBSERVATIONS and LOGICAL DEDUCTION have made this possible. Spritualists want to turn back the clock and set us onto a time where the general public was semi-educated to the point of beleiving in all this neo-paganism because there simply was no alternative…
Put your faith in HUMAN BEINGS….we are not “hot-wired” to do anything except procreate, and all the other bodily functions that go with and feed it.
If you need to beleive in something, beleive in YOURSELF, and what YOU are capable of doing. In changing yourself, you change others and therefore the world at large…
We can’t build bridges on faith….
And you can’t change peoples lives with faith either..
To do this you must set an EXAMPLE for others to follow, and if you are successful enough, your legend grows, you die, and become a story (or myth) with the passage of time/distance from your actual presence here….
THIS is how we create GODS…..
And they are, or once were, as human as you and me……
WAKE UP TO YOURSELF……I don’t want to be put back in the Dark Ages by people like you……So, my post here is to warn others that might be drawn in by your silliness.
March 2nd, 2008 at 7:34 pm
The point is to point and say, “You might find this interesting or you might not. You can choose to read it if you like.”
What I don’t understand is why you feel the need to attack me. I haven’t asked anyone to send me money, worship me, or even believe me.
Since the very beginning, this has been a site of possibilities, not a calling to arms.
There is nothing wrong with exploring, seeing what’s out there. If you then declare yourself a god or spiritual leader, yes, that’s wrong. But I haven’t done any of that. Yet you criticize me for taking the time to look at the world instead of ‘just keeping my head down and paying the bills’.
If you want to make a point on this site, discuss, don’t attack. If exploring and learning is silliness, then let me be silly.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:45 am
Ok…thats a fair and reasonable response…
Aura, I am really beginning to ADMIRE you!
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:49 am
I’m not sure where I showed admirable qualities, Christopher, but I am truly glad I’m moving towards the positive side of your spectrum.