Humans 'predisposed' to believe

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   University of Oxford

Summary:

New research finds that humans have natural tendencies to believe in gods and an afterlife. Research suggests that people across many different cultures instinctively believe that some part of their mind, soul or spirit lives on after-death. The studies demonstrate that people are natural 'dualists' finding it easy to conceive of the separation of the mind and the body.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110714103828.htm

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abuayisha Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Muslim Joined: 05 October 1999 Location: Los Angeles Status: Offline Points: 5105	Post Options Post Reply Quote abuayisha Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Humans 'predisposed' to believe Posted: 15 March 2015 at 2:57pm
	University of Oxford Summary: New research finds that humans have natural tendencies to believe in gods and an afterlife. Research suggests that people across many different cultures instinctively believe that some part of their mind, soul or spirit lives on after-death. The studies demonstrate that people are natural 'dualists' finding it easy to conceive of the separation of the mind and the body. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110714103828.htm

Ron Webb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Male atheist Joined: 30 January 2008 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2467	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ron Webb Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 March 2015 at 7:40am
	The research may be new, but the conclusion isn't. Not to disparage Justin Barrett, who led the project, but he had already declared his position long before the work even started, as quoted in the New York Times: "Christian theology teaches that people were crafted by God to be in a loving relationship with him and other people. Why wouldn�t God, then, design us in such a way as to find belief in divinity quite natural?" I don't think anyone disagrees that humans have a natural tendency to put their faith in an all-powerful authority figure, whether real or imaginary. Even Darwin observed that "belief in all-pervading spiritual agencies seems to be universal." The question is, is this tendency a result of evolution (adaptive or accidental), or is it designed into us by a Creator? IMHO the adaptive advantage of having such a tendency from infancy is obvious. A child needs to trust his/her parents implicitly; and transferring this trust to a common authority figure agreed upon by the tribe or community helps to build and maintain group cohesion. (It is arguable that this is still true, although IMHO it's past time we set it aside. The belief in Santa Claus is helpful in encouraging children to behave, but at some point we need to "put away childish things", as the Bible says.) The question that needs to be answered by those who believe the design hypothesis is, why do people believe in so many different gods? If God crafted us in such a way that we would believe in Him, then He seems to have done a very poor job of it. Most people believe in the wrong God or gods, or their belief is so distorted from the "true religion" (whatever you may think that is) that they are destined for hell anyway. What is the point in including such a design feature if it fails most of the time?
	Addeenul �Aql � Religion is intellect.

abuayisha Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Muslim Joined: 05 October 1999 Location: Los Angeles Status: Offline Points: 5105	Post Options Post Reply Quote abuayisha Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 March 2015 at 8:33pm
	Let's stick to the science http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/nov/29/religion-children Edited by abuayisha - 16 March 2015 at 8:34pm

Ron Webb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Male atheist Joined: 30 January 2008 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2467	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ron Webb Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 March 2015 at 9:38pm
	Abuayisha, I assumed that your opening post was intended as evidence for the design hypothesis and therefore for the existence of God. But your second link makes it pretty clear that Barrett himself doesn't think so, so I guess I was wrong in that assumption. Which leaves me with the question: why did you post it? What point were you trying to make?
	Addeenul �Aql � Religion is intellect.

abc 123 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Male Joined: 06 January 2015 Status: Offline Points: 26	Post Options Post Reply Quote abc 123 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 March 2015 at 1:18am
	As Muslims, Mohammed P&PBUH have informed of that 14 centuries ago : �No one is born except they are upon "al'Fitrāh"/ instinct. His parents turn him into a Jew or Christian or Magian, just as animals produce their young with perfect limbs. Do you see anything defective?� It's only common sense, that the creator would brew/ formulate the instance of the creature to worship Him, .. and leave it to reason ("'aql"/ intellect) to find the truth. So the choice to believe and worship is of one's own. And Islam was not Compulsated on him. For he will be judged according to his choice later. Doubtedly, man can not be .. without a religion/ believe. It's in the genes of his creation. A funny thing, and sarcastic, is because atheist say we don't believe in a God, think that they're religiousless. Yet, they can't deny some choice of "reason" behind things. Merely, that "reason" is their God. The way I see it, .. they are lazy to have obligation and practice duties to a God. If there were any religion that have freed them from responsibilities, .. they would've chosen it, and saved them even the effort to come up with atheism. .. , Pathetic. Edited by abc 123 - 17 March 2015 at 1:19am