How Ironic. This came out today in the Daily Mail
Why we are born to believe in God: It's wired into the brain, says psychologist
By Arthur Martin
Last updated at 9:18 AM on 07th September 2009
Humans are programmed to believe in God because it gives them a better chance of survival, researchers claim.
A study into the way children's brains develop suggests that during the process of evolution those with religious tendencies began to benefit from their beliefs - possibly by working in groups to ensure the future of their community.
The findings of Bruce Hood, professor of developmental psychology at Bristol University, suggest that magical and supernatural beliefs are hardwired into our brains from birth, and that religions are therefore tapping into a powerful psychological force.
His work is supported by other researchers who have found evidence linking religious feelings and experience to particular regions of the brain.
They suggest people are programmed to receive a feeling of spirituality from electrical activity in these areas.
The findings challenge atheists such as Richard Dawkins, the author of The God Delusion, who has long argued that religious beliefs result from poor education and childhood 'indoctrination'.
Professor Hood believes it is futile to try to get people to abandon their beliefs because these come from such a 'fundamental level'.
'Our research shows children have a natural, intuitive way of reasoning that leads them to all kinds of supernatural beliefs about how the world works,' he said.
'As they grow up they overlay these beliefs with more rational approaches but the tendency to illogical supernatural beliefs remains as religion.'
The professor, who will present his findings at the British Science Association's annual meeting this week, sees organised religion as just part of a spectrum of supernatural beliefs.
In one study he found even ardent atheists balked at the idea of accepting an organ transplant from a murderer, because of a superstitious belief that an individual's personality could be stored in his or her organs.
To reinforce his point, Professor Hood produced a blue cardigan during a lecture and invited the audience to put it on, for a £10 reward. This prompted a sea of raised hands to volunteer.
He then said that the notorious murderer Fred West wore the cardigan, causing most to put their hand down.
Although it was merely a stunt - the cardigan was not West's - the professor said this showed that even the most rational of people can be irrationally made to feel uncomfortable.
Another experiment involved asking subjects to cut up a treasured photograph. When his team then measured their sweat production - which is what lie-detector tests monitor - there was a jump in the reading. This did not occur when destroying an object of less sentimental significance.
'This shows how superstition is hardwired into our brains,' he added.
The Rev Michael Reiss, professor of science education at London University's Institute of Education and an Anglican priest, said he saw no reason why such research should undermine religious belief. 'We are evolved creatures and the whole point about humanity is that we are rooted in the natural world.'
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Debs:
What? I've read your posting 5 times and it still makes no sense to me.
Debs writes: 'Jesus Christ believed in God and Jesus believed the Bible to be true. So did the 40 different writers who wrote in a logical fashion over a period of 1600 years. No other book can claim that!'
According to Christians Jesus Christ was/is God. The Holy Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. So you would expect him to beleive in God because he thought he was God. Except that the Holy TRinity wasn't a concept when Jesus was alive - it was made up later. And who are these 40 different writers? Thousands of people have written about religion, for and against.
To be fair though, your writings are no weirder than those of most of the 'believers' here. There is no God. Get over it.
- Bob, Derby, UK, 07/9/2009 23:20
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I wonder how many of the people who have no belief in God have taken the time to look at what the Bible REALLY teaches? It explains that man was created with a 'spiritual need' and that satisfying that need would bring happiness. It also explains why man is in the mess he has brought about and, even better, what God, who created the universe is going to do about it. A belief in a creator who cares about his creation gives a much more positive outlook to life than a belief in the chance of evolution and therefore no hope of salvation, because if evolution is true, it is not the survival of the fittest, but rather a gloomy prediction of the sun running out of power, if man hasn't destroyed us all with carbon emissions, etc beforehand. Jesus Christ believed in God and Jesus believed the Bible to be true. So did the 40 different writers who wrote in a logical fashion over a period of 1600 years. No other book can claim that!
- debs, alicante, spain, 07/9/2009 22:00
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ISBN 1-902480-01-5 ( first published in 1934 ) concurs with this axiomatic scientific explanation for the hardwired Human belief in the mystery of life ( God ) as presented by Bruce Hood.
The Book goes the whole way and explains that as everyone is born with a " limited amount of free will " this belief can be rejected as a matter of choice and is independent of sectarian culture, personal social circumstances, education or level of intelligence.
How this difference in " belief " structure manifests itself in Human Society and personal behavior is, in my experience at least, best described by the difference between Gangs and Teams.
Gangs have sycophantic members.
Teams have individual players.
It really is a shame that Richard Dawkins is not aware of the difference.
- Catch-42, Macclesfield, Cheshire., 07/9/2009 21:01
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The researcher in no way suggested that religion, any religion is true.
At our basic level (in the same realm as this research) tribal creatures. In addition we are afraid of the unknown and are willing, even eager to believe anything that explains the unknowns. Yes, there are regions of the brain that give pleasure when we believe deeply. This isn't a triumph for religion, nor even a validation of spirituality, it is a mechanism for bringing humans together.
What ties this all together is what I believe is a basic human trait, namely the capability for self delusion and being deluded by outside influences. It's why a man living in a hut in the poorest part of the world can be happier than a millionaire living in a mansion.
Faith, without proof, enables us to be directed as a group to do that what we don't understand a survival plus. Now, when a single person or small group may command power enough to destroy millions even billions... Irrational belief not so good.
- Ward, Bristol, TN United States of America, 07/9/2009 19:38
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To ask "Who created God" is to introduce an infinite regression. And you cannot transit an infinite. The question, therefore, is not valid.
- Bob Williamson, Cleveland, Ga, USA,
Of course it's a valid question. You are applying a scientific rule to a non-scientific scenario. You (and people like P Timings) deny evolution, believe in creation as written in the bible, and then want to apply scientific rules to other people's thinking. Talk about double standards.
There is no God. So nobody created 'him' any more than I was created.
On the radio in the UK this week there was an interview with a well known TV journalist, who covered the famines in Ethiopa. When asked how the experience changed him, he said that it removed any possibility in his mind of the existence of a merciful God. That's my view - the pain and suffering in this world is entirely incompatible with a good and merciful God. It is however entirely compatible with a world driven purely by natural forces.
- Bob, Derby, UK, 07/9/2009 19:28
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I Just wish people would concentrate a little bit more on this life and a little bit less on the next one.
- Danny, Liverpool, 07/9/2009 19:03
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0QTKNEbJb
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