The religion gene

ScumLord

Has this already come up? I don't have time to go searching a quick google search didn't bring up great

I heard about it on that "what makes us human" series on channel 4. I thought it was only a once off didn't realise it was a series. According to that show 2/3s or a half have the gene and the rest don't and won't believe in God.

I think I might have this gene which would explain why it's so hard for me to shake off the whole God thingie.

So that's everything wraped up in a neat little package, it's just a gene. But why a God gene? Maybe God implanted the gene so he co..... Bollox!

Nehpets

Why do you want to shake off your God?

Sapien

ScumLord wrote:

So that's everything wraped up in a neat little package, it's just a gene. But why a God gene? Maybe God implanted the gene so he co..... Bollox!

I find that highly implausible. And as far as I know, the suggestion is not a gene that predisposes its carrier to religion per se, but to spiritual interest, or "magical thinking". This would manifest in whatever is the closest outlet available in the society in which the carrier lived - in Western society, Christianity. I don't know if I find this much more plausible. Everybody whose opinion is worth a damn will readily list for one numerous people, books or ideas that have influenced them in a profound way, and will be able to recount their intellectual and spiritual development and waypoints. The idea that this is all just an outward manifestation of one's progression towards fulfillment of one's genetic fate, and that one's determinations, discoveries and epiphanies are predetermined, is asking a bit much.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Smells like bull****

There is no god gene, that's just stupid.

Zombrex

ScumLord wrote:

I think I might have this gene which would explain why it's so hard for me to shake off the whole God thingie.

So that's everything wraped up in a neat little package, it's just a gene. But why a God gene? Maybe God implanted the gene so he co..... Bollox!

Thats not quite how it works

Studies of twins raised in different families have suggested that genetics might play a role in how willing a person is to continue with the religious upbringing they experienced as a child once they are an adult, have left home and are no longer under direct influence of the religion. Ie, if someone will choose to continue to follow the religion when they actually have the choice.

But that is not to say that their is a religous "gene"

The genetic make up of a person will effect a wide number of social interactions, including how willing they may be to believe certain things, or how they process beliefs logically. This effects religion but it also effects a wide range of other human constructs as well.

Zillah

I have the "this is stupid gene". I also suspect I have the rather common "closing this thread right now gene".

Zombrex

Damn it I missed my 5,000 post

:mad:

Reason #53 to get my time machine finally working

Dades

Zillah wrote:

I have the "this is stupid gene". I also suspect I have the rather common "closing this thread right now gene".

Tsk tsk that's very closed-minded of you.

If they can have a Creationism thread in Christianity goddamnit we can have a Religion Gene thread here.

Aren't all our characteristics in our genes anyway? The term itself "religion gene" is misleading - as it makes it sound almost... er... curable.

Wicknight wrote:

Damn it I missed my 5,000 post

And only 4,207 of them on the Creationism thread...

Scofflaw

As far as I know, genetic predisposition to behaviour is mostly thought to be probabilistic in any case (current New Scientist).

cordially,
Scofflaw

Zombrex

The Atheist wrote:

Aren't all our characteristics in our genes anyway? The term itself "religion gene" is misleading - as it makes it sound almost... er... curable.

ROFL

Zillah

The Atheist wrote:

Aren't all our characteristics in our genes anyway? The term itself "religion gene" is misleading - as it makes it sound almost... er... curable.

I'm working on a retro virus. Soon I'll detonate the dispersal missile in the atmosphere and change our destiny for ever!

And only 4,207 of them on the Creationism thread...

Nah, at least 1000 of them were used arguing with Psi on Irish Sceptics and Feedback. I'm guilty of that myself...

ScumLord

Nehpets wrote:

Why do you want to shake off your God?

Because he's making inappropriate advances. My legs are tired anyway he's a heavy ****er..


It doesn't seem to be widely accepted but if there are genes that makes some people more intelligent than others, or more likely to smoke or more prone to cancer, then I could see how there could be genes that make people more likely to have religious leanings.

Schuhart

Based on my scientific knowledge gleaned from overhead conversations travelling on the Maynooth commuter rail service, I thought that there was a move away from the idea of genes determining things. Context is seen as having a crucial role. We all have a set of genes, many of which don’t come into play unless there’s a need. So, put us all in Utah, the religion gene will switch on, our teeth will go white and we’ll start baptising out ancestors. Move us to LA and a different set of genes will become relevant, and we’ll start making porn movies instead.

Zillah

To keep a shred of scientific consistency here, you should probably refer to "traits" rather than individual genes. Very few traits are caused by a single gene. There may be a "religious trait", or more likely a "social indoctrination trait" or a "faith trait".

Scofflaw

Schuhart wrote:

Based on my scientific knowledge gleaned from overhead conversations travelling on the Maynooth commuter rail service, I thought that there was a move away from the idea of genes determining things. Context is seen as having a crucial role. We all have a set of genes, many of which don’t come into play unless there’s a need. So, put us all in Utah, the religion gene will switch on, our teeth will go white and we’ll start baptising out ancestors. Move us to LA and a different set of genes will become relevant, and we’ll start making porn movies instead.

The original genetic paradigm was very much that genes are the sole unit of heredity, and that they are uninfluenced by their environment. It has always been left open whether they determine single characteristics or traits, since both seem to occur. In general, the more complex the trait, the more likely it is to be multi-gene.

However, it is now generally accepted that genes are switched on or off by environmental factors, possibly even in a gradual rather than binary way (so 60% on rather than just on/off). It is also beginning to look like your environment does feed back into heredity, although the mechanisms are unclear.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Giblet

Not a gene as such, but the pineal gland is somewhat responsible for religious euphoria felt by some people due to it manufacturing DMT in the body.

robindch

I vaguely remember some years back reading of research which found that the temporal lobe (the bit responsible for feelings of 'presence' amongst other things) was activated in the presence of low-frequency sounds of 16Hz and below. Does anybody else remember coming across this?

BTW, if true, it would go some way towards explaining why organs are so popular in churches

Zillah

robindch wrote:

I vaguely remember some years back reading of research which found that the temporal lobe (the bit responsible for feelings of 'presence' amongst other things) was activated in the presence of low-frequency sounds of 16Hz and below. Does anybody else remember coming across this?

BTW, if true, it would go some way towards explaining why organs are so popular in churches

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound

Wikipedia wrote:

It has long been realized that infrasound may cause feelings of awe or fear. Since it is not consciously perceived, it can make people feel vaguely that supernatural events are taking place. In a controlled experiment published in September, 2003, people at a concert were asked to rate their responses to a variety of pieces of music, some of which were accompanied by infrasonic elements. The participants were not aware of which pieces included the infrasound. Many participants (22%) reported feelings of anxiety, uneasiness, extreme sorrow, nervous feelings of revulsion or fear and chills down the spine which correlated with the infrasonic events.