Atheists and hardcore skeptics struggle against evolution

[Snorrius]

Nice news from scientists: Why we are born to believe in God: It's wired into the brain, says psychologist

Spoiler :

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.'

So the irony is that atheist and hardcore skeptics struggle against evolution and lower their chances for survival!

 

[Left]

Beliveiving in god and evolution arn't exclusive dude.
also this isn't a new conclusion.

 

[Defiant47]

.....

 

[JollyRoger]

Did I die and end up in hell?

 

[Snorrius]

Beliveiving in god and evolution arn't exclusive dude.
also this isn't a new conclusion.

The article is not about believing in god and evolution at the same time . And it is not about if God(s) exist(s) too .

 

[Onionsoilder]

we are born to believe in God: It's wired into the brain

Apparently my wiring is messed up.

In all seriousness, I can see why Religion would be useful several thousand years ago. Humans needed a both a unifying force and a form of comfort in dire times to survive; religion provided both of these. That is why we have different religions that have developed all over the globe. Religion does provides a lot of benefits. Even in these modern times religion has some benefits. The problem arises when people use religion as a reason to prohibit something in society because it goes against their beliefs. Forbidding things stem cell research, gay marriage, women's rights, hamburgers, money, etc. because it goes against some faith is detrimental to society.

 

[Gigaz]

If atheism would always be a disadvantage, it would have long died out. I guess once in a century the religious people become too many and start killing each other and the atheists have the chance to outbread them for a sort time. It's merely an adaption to another environment.
Seriously, I think 5% of the people are genetically determined to become atheists or deeply religious people, the others just accept their heritage.

 

[Truronian]

The article is pretty poorly written and jumps about all over the place, but then it is the Daily Mail we're dealing with here. You only need to know a child to recognise that they are happy with supernatural explainations for mundane things... there is no reason why these supernatural things need to be religious.

I would like to see a better article on the crux of his findings... namely the spiritual brain area (I wonder how close it is the imperialistic area? ) which the article mentions briefly then subsequentlyy ignores in order to talk about unrelated rubbish.

 

[Perfection]

I think the main thing this article shows is that Arthur Miller sucks at science reporting.

 

[Miles Teg]

So the irony is that atheist and hardcore skeptics struggle against evolution and lower their chances for survival!

Dear lord. You actually think this is news. What's worse, you actually think this is relevant in regards to atheism.

Look, I know you want to be taken seriously, and this is obviously going to prevent that for... well, I want to say forever, but you might live this down in a decade or two. But I like you, so let you in on a secret. Before you make threads, run the opening post by someone who can't fairly be described as a dittohead. If he bursts out laughing, don't post. If he simply want to argue with you, post. If he thinks it's reasonable and insightful, definitely post. If he actually starts to choke from laughing too hard (more likely) call an ambulance, less you accidentally decapitate him trying to help.

Now at this point, I can imagine you staring in confusion at the torrent of big words (because I posses basic logic, practical imagination, and reasoning skills) with more than two syllables a piece, so let me break this down into easy, three point (big numbers can be confusing) explanation of what exactly is wrong with this thread. I'll try to use small words, but do alert me if I accidentally use grown-up talk, or concepts requiring a high school level education to understand.

1. First, Evo-lut-ion no god. That Christ-ian talk. Evo-lut-ion fact of life. No good, no bad. We Ath-e-ists no care what Evo-lut-ion tell us to do.
2. Sec-ond, Evo -lut-ion like pe-ople who bel-ieve in fake stuff. Cave-man who always thinks a lion gonna hide in bush and eat him die less than cave-man that no think that. Rel-i-gion piggy-back on that.
3. Now that there no lions in bushes, we no need that junk any-more. We can use log-ic and rat-ion-al think-ing, and not be killed by anymore lions than the Christ-i-ans.

I may have overdone that a little bit, but I want to appeal to Creationists of the lowest common denominator.

 

[Snorrius]

I may have overdone that a little bit, but I want to appeal to Creationists of the lowest common denominator.

You are aiming wrong target(s). Personally, I am nor religious, nor Christian, nor Creationist .

 

[Miles Teg]

You are aiming wrong target(s). Personally, I am nor religious, nor Christian, nor Creationist .

Ah. In that case I hit upon someone who apparently has a problem with Atheists and the theory of evolution without any discernible reason.

The LCD is lower than I thought!

 

[Snorrius]

Ah. In that case I hit upon someone who apparently has a problem with Atheists and the theory of evolution without any discernible reason.

Actually if I would not believe in evolution the key point of funniness in OP would be missing. The research in article talk more about belief in supernatural (belief in God is just one thing from this spectrum) belief The serious point is that there is more to supernatural than a lot claim if it is was supported by evolution.

For example, besides "working in groups" it may be that belief in supernatural actually helps humanity to go ahead. If there is something unknown there will be people who will delve into it. Chemistry was born from alchemy, large share of psychology - from occult and magic practices etc. Compare it with some skeptics of different times: "Earth is flat, everyone knows it. People can not fly, are you mad to think otherwise? Meteorites do not exist - rocks can not fall from the sky. Skyscrapers can not be built. What the point of space explorations?"

Supernatural is mystery, and mystery is what drives people's curiosity.

 

[Munch]

Nice news from scientists: Why we are born to believe in God: It's wired into the brain, says psychologist

That was one of the more interesting points in The God Delusion, if I remember correctly. It is natural to believe that something is there when it isn't, for example you might imagine that a bump in the night is an intruder or something else malevolent, or you might imagine you saw a face in the darkness out of the corner of your eye. This instinctive pattern recognition behaviour is exactly that; creatures without it would be jumped by predators more often than those who were extra cautious and believed (falsely or not) that there was 'something there'.

 

[Snorrius]

That was one of the more interesting points in The God Delusion, if I remember correctly. It is natural to believe that something is there when it isn't, for example you might imagine that a bump in the night is an intruder or something else malevolent, or you might imagine you saw a face in the darkness out of the corner of your eye. This instinctive pattern recognition behaviour is exactly that; creatures without it would be jumped by predators more often than those who were extra cautious and believed (falsely or not) that there was 'something there'.

Another interesting hypothesises about origins of religion were described in a book "God part of the brain" (which tells about roughly the same as in article) and bicameral mind (my favourite).

 

[Brighteye]

the atheists have the chance to outbread them

I like the idea of atheists outbreading religious people.

The article is pretty poorly written

What he said. The article is very poor.

 

[Neomega]

Why do British news articles pump out the lamest "new study suggests" articles? They are always such steaming piles of nonsense. I get so tired of them. every day, it's a "new study suggests this.... " blah blah blah, and its always pop psychology crap. The BBC is just as guilty as the telegraph.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Daily Mail, huh?

 

[Snorrius]

I like the idea of atheists outbreading religious people.

Just move to Russia.

 

[Moggy]

It had to be Bristol University didn't it.