Humans not hard wired to believe in gods

[Luddly Neddite]

History shows atheism is as natural to humans as religion and we AREN'T wired to believe in God, Cambridge professor claims

• Researcher disputes 'religious universalism,' and idea that atheism is new
• Study says atheism was present and flourished in early societies
• When Rome adopted Christianity, acceptance of 'one true God' was forced
• After this, researcher says atheism likely didn't thrive as well as it once did

ARE WE WIRED FOR RELIGION?
Tim Whitmarsh, Professor of Greek Culture and a Fellow of St John's College, University of Cambridge argues that humans are not wired to believe in God.

He also says that atheism has long been present, despite modern assumptions that is a phenomenon of today's society.

Whitmarsh argues that the polytheistic civilizations of ancient Greece and pre-Christian Rome allowed atheism to flourish.

The researcher explains that there were no priests or clergy dictating people's lives, so disbelief was not considered to be morally wrong.

The change came dramatically after Rome adopted Christianity in the 4th Century CE, and force demanded acceptance of 'one true God.'


Read more: Humans aren't ‘wired’ to believe in God, new study claims
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook



Interesting but I would take this further and say we have to be taught to believe the impossible is possible.

This also touches on something that has always fascinated me and that is, which gods were chosen to be "real".

Why not Thor and Neptune instead of the gods that are worshiped now.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Left loons are not wired right at all, major short circuitry going on

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

Left loons are not wired right at all, major short circuitry going on

Athiests all you need to know:

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Left loons are not wired right at all, major short circuitry going on

Athiests all you need to know:

View attachment 64027

I'm in the belief it takes more faith to not believe than to believe. Atheists go to great lengths and spend an exorbitant amount of time trying to convince everyone God doesn't exist

 

[Indeependent]

It's called Aristotalian Philosophy.
We needed a new study to tell us what we've known already for 2,000 years?

 

[Dale Smith]

The Roman catholic church is nothing but a mixture of pagan rituals with some Biblical principles thrown in for good measure. There is indeed a Heavenly Father that created Heaven and earth...no doubt about that. We have a soul and that has been scientifically proven because when someone dies, they weigh 21 grams less. I have a very deep faith in God and for a myriad of reasons that I doubt that you could even grasp. I feel sorry for people that do not have a spiritual side to them because they are truly lost. I also have nothing but disdain for people that attempt to put people into categories without knowing the true history of this country and the world in general. You are not a uniter but rather a divider.....tis a pity.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Left loons are not wired right at all, major short circuitry going on

Athiests all you need to know:

View attachment 64027

As you well know, this is not true at all.

But that's not the subject of this thread.

Left loons are not wired right at all, major short circuitry going on

Instead of the usual suspects trolling, derailing and flaming, why not discuss the OP? What are you so afraid of?

The OP does not criticize a belief in a god. What it says is that atheism is as natural to us as religion.

Do you believe that is true?

Why do you believe that only RWs believe in religion/gods?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

The Roman catholic church is nothing but a mixture of pagan rituals with some Biblical principles thrown in for good measure. There is indeed a Heavenly Father that created Heaven and earth...no doubt about that. We have a soul and that has been scientifically proven because when someone dies, they weigh 21 grams less. I have a very deep faith in God and for a myriad of reasons that I doubt that you could even grasp. I feel sorry for people that do not have a spiritual side to them because they are truly lost. I also have nothing but disdain for people that attempt to put people into categories without knowing the true history of this country and the world in general. You are not a uniter but rather a divider.....tis a pity.

Again, that is not the subject of the OP.

Instead of insulting me, how about you address the OP?

Is a belief in a god as natural as the belief in no gods?

Why?

 

[Dale Smith]

The Roman catholic church is nothing but a mixture of pagan rituals with some Biblical principles thrown in for good measure. There is indeed a Heavenly Father that created Heaven and earth...no doubt about that. We have a soul and that has been scientifically proven because when someone dies, they weigh 21 grams less. I have a very deep faith in God and for a myriad of reasons that I doubt that you could even grasp. I feel sorry for people that do not have a spiritual side to them because they are truly lost. I also have nothing but disdain for people that attempt to put people into categories without knowing the true history of this country and the world in general. You are not a uniter but rather a divider.....tis a pity.

Again, that is not the subject of the OP.

Instead of insulting me, how about you address the OP?

Is a belief in a god as natural as the belief in no gods?

Why?

Don't attempt to "gaslight" me, dumb ass....I know exactly what you were doing with the creation of this thread. Your beliefs are your own.... as are mine. I don't go around trying to sway people into believing the way that I do because each and every person has to come to their own understanding and spirituality. I pity people that do not have faith that a higher power exists and that they have no understanding as to how we are able to have empathy and compassion for our fellow man...it's not something that is inherited....it is a gift that God gave us. I think back to the news article of twins holding hands in the womb while one of them was dying....you think that it's just a coincidence? If you do, that's your problem...I don't subscribe to that way of thinking and I am proud to proclaim that I have faith in God and his son Jesus Christ that was sacrificed on our behalf. Your decision to marginalize people of faith will have grave consequences in the end...make no mistake about that.

 

[hangover]

History shows atheism is as natural to humans as religion and we AREN'T wired to believe in God, Cambridge professor claims

• Researcher disputes 'religious universalism,' and idea that atheism is new
• Study says atheism was present and flourished in early societies
• When Rome adopted Christianity, acceptance of 'one true God' was forced
• After this, researcher says atheism likely didn't thrive as well as it once did

ARE WE WIRED FOR RELIGION?
Tim Whitmarsh, Professor of Greek Culture and a Fellow of St John's College, University of Cambridge argues that humans are not wired to believe in God.

He also says that atheism has long been present, despite modern assumptions that is a phenomenon of today's society.

Whitmarsh argues that the polytheistic civilizations of ancient Greece and pre-Christian Rome allowed atheism to flourish.

The researcher explains that there were no priests or clergy dictating people's lives, so disbelief was not considered to be morally wrong.

The change came dramatically after Rome adopted Christianity in the 4th Century CE, and force demanded acceptance of 'one true God.'


Read more: Humans aren't ‘wired’ to believe in God, new study claims
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook



Interesting but I would take this further and say we have to be taught to believe the impossible is possible.

This also touches on something that has always fascinated me and that is, which gods were chosen to be "real".

Why not Thor and Neptune instead of the gods that are worshiped now.

Geneticist claims to have found ‘God gene’ in humans
Geneticist claims to have found ‘God gene’ in humans

 

[the_human_being]

Actually, the Bible says the OP is absolutely correct:

Rom_8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Psa_53:1 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

History shows atheism is as natural to humans as religion and we AREN'T wired to believe in God, Cambridge professor claims

• Researcher disputes 'religious universalism,' and idea that atheism is new
• Study says atheism was present and flourished in early societies
• When Rome adopted Christianity, acceptance of 'one true God' was forced
• After this, researcher says atheism likely didn't thrive as well as it once did

ARE WE WIRED FOR RELIGION?
Tim Whitmarsh, Professor of Greek Culture and a Fellow of St John's College, University of Cambridge argues that humans are not wired to believe in God.

He also says that atheism has long been present, despite modern assumptions that is a phenomenon of today's society.

Whitmarsh argues that the polytheistic civilizations of ancient Greece and pre-Christian Rome allowed atheism to flourish.

The researcher explains that there were no priests or clergy dictating people's lives, so disbelief was not considered to be morally wrong.

The change came dramatically after Rome adopted Christianity in the 4th Century CE, and force demanded acceptance of 'one true God.'


Read more: Humans aren't ‘wired’ to believe in God, new study claims
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook



Interesting but I would take this further and say we have to be taught to believe the impossible is possible.

This also touches on something that has always fascinated me and that is, which gods were chosen to be "real".

Why not Thor and Neptune instead of the gods that are worshiped now.

Geneticist claims to have found ‘God gene’ in humans
Geneticist claims to have found ‘God gene’ in humans

That's interesting but it pretty much says the same thing - that some are hard wired to believe in a god and some are not.

 

[sealybobo]

History shows atheism is as natural to humans as religion and we AREN'T wired to believe in God, Cambridge professor claims

• Researcher disputes 'religious universalism,' and idea that atheism is new
• Study says atheism was present and flourished in early societies
• When Rome adopted Christianity, acceptance of 'one true God' was forced
• After this, researcher says atheism likely didn't thrive as well as it once did

ARE WE WIRED FOR RELIGION?
Tim Whitmarsh, Professor of Greek Culture and a Fellow of St John's College, University of Cambridge argues that humans are not wired to believe in God.

He also says that atheism has long been present, despite modern assumptions that is a phenomenon of today's society.

Whitmarsh argues that the polytheistic civilizations of ancient Greece and pre-Christian Rome allowed atheism to flourish.

The researcher explains that there were no priests or clergy dictating people's lives, so disbelief was not considered to be morally wrong.

The change came dramatically after Rome adopted Christianity in the 4th Century CE, and force demanded acceptance of 'one true God.'


Read more: Humans aren't ‘wired’ to believe in God, new study claims
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook



Interesting but I would take this further and say we have to be taught to believe the impossible is possible.

This also touches on something that has always fascinated me and that is, which gods were chosen to be "real".

Why not Thor and Neptune instead of the gods that are worshiped now.

People in the ancient world did not always believe in the gods, a new study suggests – casting doubt on the idea that religious belief is a “default setting” for humans.

Disbelieve it or not, ancient history suggests that atheism is as natural to humans as religion

atheism – which is typically seen as a modern phenomenon – was not just common in ancient Greece and pre-Christian Rome, but probably flourished more in those societies than in most civilisations since.

As a result, the study challenges two assumptions that prop up current debates between atheists and believers: Firstly, the idea that atheism is a modern point of view, and second, the idea of “religious universalism” – that humans are naturally predisposed, or “wired”, to believe in gods.

 

[IsaacNewton]

Archeological findings show humans had reverence for their dead, taking great care to bury them with elaborate rituals dating back thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of years. Humans gradually came to worship most things in nature that could kill them: lightning, floods, volcanoes, fire, bears, tigers, lions, snakes. They also developed worship of tree gods, gods of the corn (any corn or grain), fertility gods (if you have 40 members in a tribe and 8 babies are born, but 4-5 of them die, you have an ongoing serious problem). Anything that could ruin the tribe's year became a god to worship and 'appease'. It was a way for early humans to try to control nature, and thus, their fears. If we sacrifice a virgin in the volcano the volcano god won't kill the rest of us. If we offer up some of the harvest to the god of the corn our harvest will be good next year. Many rituals that grew up out of the worship of the gods of the corn are still alive today around the world, usually modified as time has gone by.

I think it is natural for the humans to see a drought wipe out their crops for the year and ascribe it to a higher power. We still see this today even in the US. In some places, when they had a prolonged drought recently, some of the law makers prayed to 'god' to bring rain. Many preachers still claim hurricanes, volcanoes, droughts etc are caused by an angry god.

The thing that has changed is monotheism replaced many gods that people used to believe in like the three god and the god of the corn. However this is not universal. Even among staunch 'believers' there have always been those that relied on reason to explain droughts and volcanoes and over time they have revealed how nature and physics actually cause all these things.

 

[hobelim]

This also touches on something that has always fascinated me and that is, which gods were chosen to be "real".

Why not Thor and Neptune instead of the gods that are worshiped now.

Its because what is hard wired in humans is the survival instinct. If people hadn't been threatened with real and imaginary violence, tortured, and persecuted, for unbelief over the past several thousand years no one would be seeking spiritual life from a cracker anymore and no one would be getting down on their hands and knees 5 times a day as a sign of submission to whoever is threatening them with torture and dismemberment.

 

[Blackrook]

The OP sets up a strawman, "atheism – which is typically seen as a modern phenomenon" then proceeds to knock it down, "was not just common in ancient Greece and pre-Christian Rome, but probably flourished more in those societies than in most civilisations since."

I have never heard anyone say that atheism was a "modern phenomenon." The idea is absurd.