Are humans hard-wired for faith?

[INRM]

It's not just about churches. Even meeting a famous person, or becoming a member of a really cool club. It's all a similar feeling.

It has to do with apparently people's drive to become part of something better than themselves-- a famous person, group of great people... part of a religion...

It's a social instinct...

 

[lolurigeller]

We didn't evolve to believe in god anymore than moths evolved to commit suicide in candle flames. Instead humans evolved to place trust in a parent figures. It is comforting and we trust them. It's easy to understand why we might then transfer those feeling to god.

It sounds reasonable to me but if you don't find it compelling then that's fine.

That sounds like a good explanation, tho whether it brings benefit and welfare for an individual or collective is one to mull over.

 

[INRM]

Would you say that this would pretty much conclusively prove there is no God, and that any thing that goes along with it (Heaven, Hell, Reincarnation) are bunk?

Yea, or Nay?

Also... WHAT IS NEUROTHEOLOGY. Honestly, the name sounds very pseudosciency (I haven't got an answer in this area yet)

 

[andyandy]

Would you say that this would pretty much conclusively prove there is no God, and that any thing that goes along with it (Heaven, Hell, Reincarnation) are bunk?

Yea, or Nay?

Also... WHAT IS NEUROTHEOLOGY. Honestly, the name sounds very pseudosciency (I haven't got an answer in this area yet)

conclusive proof? What God are you trying to prove doesn't exist?


Neurotheology..

 

[INRM]

AndyAndy,

Let's say I'm trying to prove that God in general, as a concept as a entity, in any form of religion does not exist...

I mean, the feeling of being in the feeling of greatness happens with humans, but religous experiences seem to be built on it. Faith and Prayer is psychologically analogous to a kid hoping mommy or daddy will save them from their trouble. Belief in the Afterlife probably comes from the same feeling that there's something greater than them and this life, and the absolutely terrifying fear of death and the instinctive hope that God will save them from utter annihilation. (Maybe I didn't phrase it perfectly). But it sounds like all the pieces lock into place much like a puzzle (which actually I'm quite bad at doing)

To be honest, this truthfully strikes me as the death-blow to religion and spirituality, and any paranormal or supernatural belief. Absolutely honest. The only question left is where the origin of consciousness comes from-- assuming nobody figured it out. Some people like Dr Kristof Koch believs there are special nerve cells that exist to monitor other cells. A guy named Dr. Stuart Hameroff (an anasthesiologist) had noted interesting quantum interactioins in the cytoskeliton of the nerve-cells

The only real argument a person could use at this point would be like, well when I move the steering-wheel the wheels turn... but if I turn the wheels the steering wheel moves. You know what I mean?

INRM

 

[INRM]

No responses?

I've given this one some thought today. It would seem that the feeling of something greater than ones self when someone dies -- perhaps that's where people make the leap to there being something after this life.

Am I missing something, am I wong?

 

[andyandy]

i agree completely that science can go a long way to explaining how we feel and why we feel what we do. I don't think you can look to this for conclusive proof in any philosophical or indeed scientific sense with regards to "god" - but certainly one can use such science to psychoanalyze and rationalize ones own irrational beliefs.

 

[Iamme]

I personal have that feeling, where you feel God exists. It is a feeling in my gut that God is there. I know there is no proof of God and I need to fight this feeling every day.

I even see pattern in random events that show God is talking, but if I look at it closely, it falls apart and see it is just random.

Once I started to see the patterns, it was easy to stop most of the religious thinking.

Dont' give up hope, ye of little faith. As God be my witness, I was reading the book of Daniel chapter 12 regarding prophesy and the next day on the way to work, on a cloudless day, straight out over the highway, there were 3 wispy clouds (cirrus), and none anywhere else. Each cloud was this: X I I

 

[cyborg]

Hell, if I were a believer I might see clouds in binary!

 

[Darth Rotor]

Anyone have an answer to my questions?

C

DR

 

[Darth Rotor]

Are humans hard-wired for faith?

No.

Based on the anecdotal data point of me, humans are not so wired. Humans are hardwired for curiosity. You either find faith through that primal motive or you don't. It depends on what you are exposed to, and what you find, both within and without.

Seems to be a combination of nature and nurture, with nurture being weighted.

Your Mileage May Vary

DR

 

[Kopji]

Hi INRM,
The question of being 'wired' for faith seems wrong, or at least asks the wrong question.

We evolved according to certain natural (mathematic) principles, so it makes sense that we might ascribe something 'outside the natural' to a principle we realize at some level we can never know or understand. Suppose for example, that the way we evolved (physically and socially) impacts how we perceive beauty.

Does that mean we are wired to worship that principle? Have faith in it? Not really. Maybe the proper response is not to have faith in it, but to recognize that it has an aspect of beauty to it, and let it go.

I've given this one some thought today. It would seem that the feeling of something greater than ones self when someone dies -- perhaps that's where people make the leap to there being something after this life.

Here's what I think, and mind you it is an entirely atheist kind of view. Death is a time when we sometimes realize that we are all one thing. The universe came together for a short time in a way that is incredible, it has now changed again. We are the person who died, and they are us. The core of religious experience is not so much a recognition of 'otherness' but a realization of unity.
It does not take death to understand this 'oneness', things occur all the time that can remind us. There was a violin concert here, can't remember the names but the violinist was world famous, and even the violin had a name (it was a Stradivarius). There is something about that quality of music that evokes that same sense of oneness. The violin had a name because, it was like it was alive.