New Article in Time Magazine: Is God in Our Genes?

[Batman Jr.]

Dean Hamer, a molecular biologist with the National Cancer Institute, believes he has found the primary gene determinative of a person's religiosity. A study he recently conducted and details in his new book, The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired into Our Genes, has shown a significant correlation between an individual's spirituality and the VMAT2 gene, where those who have this gene with a cytosine base in a particular place tend to be more religious than those who instead have an adenine base.

Hamer has also done research into many other facets of behavioral genetics in his career, including searching for a correlate for homosexuality. Claims that he had made regarding the discovery of the "Gay Gene" have not held up under the scrutiny of subsequent studies conducted in numerous other institutions. I suppose only time will tell if his new findings will end up the same way.

[c4ts]

You think he might be pushing some sort of agenda here, especially with the supposed discovery of the "gay gene"...

[1inChrist]

Further proof of Him.

[Piscivore]

I leafed through this article in my dentist's office, but haven't yet read the whole thing. I was struck by the obvious pro-theist bias in the presentation, though; a couple of interstial banner-sized quotes that were pro-theist, and an abbhorent "How spiritual are you" quiz that equated critical thinking and skepicism with being "spiritually" dead and/or asleep- not to mention biased wording in the questions themselves. Apparently, because I have feelings and admit I do not know the answers to every question life poses, I'm quite "mystical". :rolleyes:

[Anathema]

Originally posted by 1inChrist
Further proof of Him. The gay gene? Hmmmm....you may be on to something there.

[Yaotl]

Originally posted by 1inChrist
Further proof of Him.

Just read the title didn't you?

[Lisa Simpson]

Originally posted by Anathema
The gay gene? Hmmmm....you may be on to something there.

God is gay?!?! Why didn't anyone tell me this before?

[Anathema]

Originally posted by Lisa Simpson
God is gay?!?! Why didn't anyone tell me this before? I think it would be more accurate to say "Omnisexual"

[Anders]

Well, pure BS. I guess that he only looked at people from north america, disregarding most of the world. I think he found a gene that exist in most peoples genomes.

Secondly, how do you define spiritility?

Anways, Time Mag is not peer revieved and I predict that the scientific community will thow themself over thisproblem, and in a couple of weeks, the findings been proven wrong!

But I could be wrong, we'll see.

[Batman Jr.]

Originally posted by 1inChrist
Further proof of Him.
Actually, by my reasoning, it appears more to the contrary if it turns out to be true. For God to give some people a greater proclivity toward seeking Him out and thus a greater facility for being "saved," he is in essence creating an unfair playing field for us, and since God is supposed to be perfectly just, this doesn't make much sense.

[Lisa Simpson]

Originally posted by Anathema
I think it would be more accurate to say "Omnisexual"

Omnisexual. That means men, women, and...animals? Aliens?

Despite 1inC's post to the contrary, I don't see where this would prove or disprove the idea that god exists. It only proves that some people are more inclined to believe in god due to their genetics.

[Anathema]

Originally posted by Lisa Simpson
Omnisexual. That means men, women, and...animals? Aliens?
Certainly puts a twist on the phrase, "Is God in Our Genes (Jeans?)"

[Cosmo]

Originally posted by Lisa Simpson
God is gay?!?! Why didn't anyone tell me this before?

Gatheism, Noun. (Pronounced: gay-theism)

The lack of belief in a god or gods, but if they did exist, they probably would be gay.

I think we're onto something here. :)

[Scot C. Trypal]

Originally posted by Cosmo
Gatheism, Noun. (Pronounced: gay-theism)

The lack of belief in a god or gods, but if they did exist, they probably would be gay.

I think we're onto something here. :)

What other sort of male God would make something as girly as a rainbow?

[Nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by 1inChrist
Further proof of Him.

How could this be proof of 'Him'? I thought logic and science were the tools of Satan. Or are they only tools of Satan when they are telling you things you don't want to hear?

That little quandry aside, it would tend more to act as an argument AGAINST God (or at least your version of him), since it would be an argument against free will (i.e. some people are more inclined to believe in god due simply to the composition of one single gene).

[Batman Jr.]

Originally posted by Piscivore
I leafed through this article in my dentist's office, but haven't yet read the whole thing. I was struck by the obvious pro-theist bias in the presentation, though; a couple of interstial banner-sized quotes that were pro-theist, and an abbhorent "How spiritual are you" quiz that equated critical thinking and skepicism with being "spiritually" dead and/or asleep- not to mention biased wording in the questions themselves. Apparently, because I have feelings and admit I do not know the answers to every question life poses, I'm quite "mystical". :rolleyes:
Yes, you're right. I noticed that too. Jeffrey Kluger must be one of those people with the cytosine base. In the spirituality quiz, those who score in the lowest category are described as being "highly skeptical, resistant to developing spiritual awareness." Calling it "awareness" strongly evinces bias. I think "delusions" would be a more apt word.

[AWPrime]

Originally posted by Batman Jr.
A study he recently conducted and details in his new book, The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired into Our Genes, has shown a significant correlation between an individual's spirituality and the VMAT2 gene, where those who have this gene with a cytosine base in a particular place tend to be more religious than those who instead have an adenine base.

Lets hope that it is true, than we could think of ways to cure people from religion.

[Ipecac]

Originally posted by Batman Jr.
Actually, by my reasoning, it appears more to the contrary if it turns out to be true. For God to give some people a greater proclivity toward seeking Him out and thus a greater facility for being "saved," he is in essence creating an unfair playing field for us, and since God is supposed to be perfectly just, this doesn't make much sense.

Quite so. And this is in addition to the unfair advantage given to those born in the West, those with Christian parents, those not born in parts of the world that didn't even hear of Christianity within the first 1500 years AD, etc.