Monday, February 16, 2009
Is there a spirituality gene?
I wonder if there is a spirituality gene. It seems as if there are a great number of people who are programmed to believe in god and in the tenets of their religion. It also seems as if there are a smaller number of people who are programmed to question beliefs and want evidence before they believe in something. It seems quite obvious that we can neither prove or disprove the existence of god or that one religion is right and all the rest are wrong. However, people who have an innate inclination towards spirituality don't seem to mind the lack of evidence and are perfectly content to rely on faith. On the other hand, there are scientifically-oriented people, some of whom are considered great geniuses, who believe there is no god. However, their atheistic beliefs are no more logical or evidence-based than is the belief in god. So both are religious in a sense, basing their conclusions on gut feelings and innate spirituality or lack thereof. Are these inclinations genetically based? Probably to some extent. No doubt the strength of one's education or indoctrination can contribute to the strength of one's beliefs. However, there also seem to be clear individual differences as to whether one is inclined to see everything in the context of god and religion or in terms of random development within the laws of nature. There is mounting evidence that personality is strongly influenced by genes. So, my guess is that there exists a spirituality gene. As an example, my sister's friend lost a son in a motor-scooter accident. The parents were devastated, but got great support from the congregation of the Jewish temple to which they belonged, which helped them recover as best as possible from their tragic loss. My sister, who is a prominent physician, said that she sometimes wishes she could believe in god and religion because she would welcome that kind of support if needed, but try as she may, she just can't do it. And she is the granddaughter of a rabbi. I feel the same way. I just can't believe or disbelieve in god, no matter how much I think I might benefit from it. It's just against my nature. Neither can I believe that any particular religion is the true right one.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
"However, their atheistic beliefs are no more logical or evidence-based than is the belief in god."
ReplyDeleteSorry. But that is pretty much flat out incorrect. You are assuming that "Is there a [supreme being]>?" in the absence of any evidence at all that there is, is a legitimate question. There is no such thing, as far as I can see, as an "atheistic belief". "Belief" is a religious concept, not a scientific one. You might just as well say that failure to believe in the existence of a gnardle is not logic or evidence based. The fact that someone, failing any supporting evidence, says I believe in the high gnardle, places no demand on anyone to disprove that the gnardle exists. The same applies to the conventional array of putative supreme beings.
JG.
I don't agree. An atheist is convinced that there is no god. That is not logical because there is no evidence proving that god does not exist. On the other hand, an agnostic concludes that there is not enough evidence to either prove or disprove the existence of god. So an agnostic is the only one of the three (atheist, agnostic, or religionist) who bases his/her conclusions on the evidence rather than faith or gut feeling. Stephen Hawking may be a great theoretical physicist, but his firm atheistic belief is no more based on logic than the beliefs of Jerry Falwell.
ReplyDeleteI understand Jersey Guy's belief that, when no evidence exists, it is more logical to believe in nothing than to believe in any particular random concept. However, belief in God is not a random concept because at least half the world's population believes. That gives belief in God enough weight to at least consider it. A gnardle does not have enogh believers to make it any more worthy of consideration than a schmardle, but God does. Yet, after due consideration, I personally am quite comfortable with not knowing whether or not God exists. That doesn't prevent me from having a strong value system. In fact, I see myself as more ethical in my daily dealings than most religious people. When we look at the religious leaders of Iran, the religious Jews in Israel who stone drivers and girls with short sleeves, and Christians like the British bishop who denied the Holocaust, we can see that religion and ethics don't always go hand in hand.
ReplyDelete