http://ec.libsyn.com/p/0/b/1/0b15a3e...5&c_id=1778986


"If the Lord must be disappointed in us men and our ways, so must be the Devil in the face of such courage, love, and companionship as plain people show." Norman Thomas

Negative genes? Okay...we'll call it that...but I'll go on record right now and say that I believe some kids are born bad. I know that's not a politically correct way to think of children...but what about people like Jeffery Dahmer and so forth? Doctors have stated that his parents were pretty normal, all American, middle class folks and that Jeffery had a pretty normal upbringing. That flies in the face of nuture only. Nature has to have something to do with it...negative genes or whatever.

If sexual orientation can be genetic...and a tendency to certain diseases genetic...why not a propensity towards evil as well? I see no difference with calling it genetic...although I can also understand how environment may aggravate a sitiation with a child as well.

Why should humanity take the blame for a child being born bad? If we limit reproduction among "at risk" people with "iffy" genes...that's playing God. I kind of think of it as a hit or miss thing.

I don't want anyone to think that I'm excusing the parents...cause good parenting is essential in raising productive human beings. But I also think that parents can bang their heads against the wall trying to do everything right and low and behond that child turns out to be a Jeffery Dahmer. Go figure! I think it's something in the genetic makeup.

ginscpy, et al,

This "may" (repeat "may") be more genetic than moral or ethical in your conscience. It might be amplified by your environment.

(COMMENT)

These are just two examples (MAO-A and VMAT-2) that, in conjunction, they could produce a religious fanatic or terrorist. In some measure, they may produce hundreds --- out of millions --- a cadre of spiritual followers ready to activate.

We "may" be all hard-wired to be what we are; amplified by our environment and teachings. The clergyman, tinker, tailor, soldiers, or terrorist.

(QUESTION)

• Are some people simply born evil?

Answer: It is very possible; built into your genetic code.

Most Respectfully,
R

NOTES:

Abstract:

Monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) has earned the nickname “warrior gene” because it has been linked to aggression in observational and survey-based studies. However, no controlled experimental studies have tested whether the warrior gene actually drives behavioral manifestations of these tendencies. We report an experiment, synthesizing work in psychology and behavioral economics, which demonstrates that aggression occurs with greater intensity and frequency as provocation is experimentally manipulated upwards, especially among low activity MAOA (MAOA-L) subjects. In this study, subjects paid to punish those they believed had taken money from them by administering varying amounts of unpleasantly hot (spicy) sauce to their opponent. There is some evidence of a main effect for genotype and some evidence for a gene by environment interaction, such that MAOA is less associated with the occurrence of aggression in a low provocation condition, but significantly predicts such behavior in a high provocation situation. This new evidence for genetic influences on aggression and punishment behavior complicates characterizations of humans as “altruistic” punishers and supports theories of cooperation that propose mixed strategies in the population. It also suggests important implications for the role of individual variance in genetic factors contributing to everyday behaviors and decisions.
SOURCE: Monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) predicts behavioral aggression following provocation

Entrez Gene summary for MAOA:

This gene is one of two neighboring gene family members that encode mitochondrial enzymes which catalyze the oxidative deamination of amines, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Mutation of this gene results in Brunner syndrome. This gene has also been associated with a variety of other psychiatric disorders, including antisocial behavior. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding multiple isoforms have been observed. (provided by RefSeq, Jul 2012)
SOURCE: MAOA monoamine oxidase A [Homo sapiens] - Gene - NCBI

Vmat2, or the God Gene: Reading Spirituality in the Human Genome:

As the research is still premature, it is difficult to formulate an opinion regarding the matter. The discovery of vmat2 seems to imply that spirituality is equivalent to a genetic phenomenon, such as eye color or the inherited predisposition for a particular disease. Incomplete penetrance could account for why some individuals are more spiritual than others, Mendel's 1st law of segregation could account for why spirituality may skip a few generations in a family, and genetic mutations could account for religious fanaticism.
SOUrCE:

• Vmat2, or the God Gene: Reading Spirituality in the Human Genome | Serendip Studio
• SLC18A2 Gene - GeneCards | VMAT2 Protein | VMAT2 Antibody

I don't believe that people are "born" evil, but rather become highly dysfunctional as a result of negative experiences, bad parenting, and predisposing factors which bring out a higher tendency toward horrendous actions.

__________________
"God is the name by which I designate all things which cross my path violently and recklessly, all things which alter my plans and intentions, and change the course of my life, for better or for worse."
-C G Jung

I don't suppose you'd like to address the issue of "improper wiring" for logical thought?

__________________

I do not believe anyone is born "evil", rather, depending on a variety of factors they simply have disregard for the rights of others. That "disregard" can manifest itself in severity depending on what societal mores are. For example, polygamy may be considered evil by some cultures and may be the norm in others. In the society that condemns polygamy the person may be considered evil.

Good and evil are very subjective measures for which society has punishment and reward systems.

No, people are not born evil.

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“We spend so much time bantering about the words when the real open conversations might very well be our actions. I worry about our rhetoric.”
― Anna Deavere Smith

Granny says lil' babies is like a blank slate...

... it depends on what kind of environment dey is born into...

... an' what dey are taught an' experience in dat environment...

... an' what dey are allowed or not allowed to get away with.

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Kinda funny how, instead of a 'sequester', the Wall Street bankers got bailed out.

Some people are born mentally unstable. This may lead them to not have a conscience which could lead to a career as a hit man. They just wouldn't care. Some people turn evil because of abuse. I don't know what the numbers are, but I do know that the majority of rapists were sexually abused themselves at some point, usually as children. As for being born evil, I don't think so.

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The left hates me almost as much as the right.