[Silver]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/washpost/20050314/ts_washpost/a32444_2005mar13

All you'll have to do it write "Jesus did it" for every answer, and Rick Santorum will make sure you get an A.

 

[Toshi]

i was wondering why that was an answer choice on all of my physio exam's questions this morning

 

[sanjuro]

I like the line about "If you can cause enough doubt on evolution, liberalism will die."

Liberal or conservative, what does this have to do with science?

 

[Westy]

I like the line about "If you can cause enough doubt on evolution, liberalism will die."

Liberal or conservative, what does this have to do with science?

Ultra conservative christians feel that fact and logic are liberal values.

 

[MMike]

I blame the jews.

 

[Andyman_1970]

Ultra conservative christians feel that fact and logic are liberal values.

Strangely though, the Bible these Christians extol and some unfortunately worship (King James Version onlyist's) teach that those are values a follower of Jesus should have..................

 

[N8 v2.0]

But what about this....????



Genes contribute to religious inclination
NewScientist.com | 16 March 2005 | Maggie McKee

Genes may help determine how religious a person is, suggests a new study of US twins. And the effects of a religious upbringing may fade with time.

Until about 25 years ago, scientists assumed that religious behaviour was simply the product of a person's socialisation - or "nurture". But more recent studies, including those on adult twins who were raised apart, suggest genes contribute about 40% of the variability in a person's religiousness.

But it is not clear how that contribution changes with age. A few studies on children and teenagers - with biological or adoptive parents - show the children tend to mirror the religious beliefs and behaviours of the parents with whom they live. That suggests genes play a small role in religiousness at that age.

Now, researchers led by Laura Koenig, a psychology graduate student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, US, have tried to tease apart how the effects of nature and nurture vary with time. Their study suggests that as adolescents grow into adults, genetic factors become more important in determining how religious a person is, while environmental factors wane.

Religious discussions
The team gave questionnaires to 169 pairs of identical twins - 100% genetically identical - and 104 pairs of fraternal twins - 50% genetically identical - born in Minnesota.

The twins, all male and in their early 30s, were asked how often they currently went to religious services, prayed, and discussed religious teachings. This was compared with when they were growing up and living with their families. Then, each participant answered the same questions regarding their mother, father, and their twin.

The twins believed that when they were younger, all of their family members - including themselves - shared similar religious behaviour. But in adulthood, however, only the identical twins reported maintaining that similarity. In contrast, fraternal twins were about a third less similar than they were as children.

"That would suggest genetic factors are becoming more important and growing up together less important," says team member Matt McGue, a psychologist at the University of Minnesota.

Empty nests
Michael McCullough, a psychologist at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, US, agrees. "To a great extent, you can't be who you are when you're living under your parents' roof. But once you leave the nest, you can begin to let your own preferences and dispositions shape your behaviour," he told New Scientist.

"Maybe, ultimately, we all decide what we're most comfortable with, and it may have more to do with our own makeup than how we were treated when we were adolescents," says McGue.

About a dozen studies have shown that religious people tend to share other personality traits, although it is not clear whether these arise from genetic or environmental factors. These include the ability to get along well with others and being conscientious, working hard, being punctual, and controlling one's impulses.

But McGue says the new work suggests that being raised in a religious household may affect a person's long-term psychological state less than previously thought. But he says the influence from this early socialisation may re-emerge later on, when the twins have families of their own. He also points out that the finding may not be universal because the research focused on a single population of US men.

Journal reference: Journal of Personality (vol 73, p 471)

 

[Silver]

But what about this....????

What about it? I don't quite see where you're going here...

 

[Toshi]

"That would suggest genetic factors are becoming more important and growing up together less important," says team member Matt McGue, a psychologist at the University of Minnesota.

yeah, that's one explanation. the social sciences really bug me...

 

[Changleen]

But what about this....????

Wow, does this mean we could breed it out of the population? Now that would be a service to mankind!

 

[$tinkle]

Strangely though, the Bible these Christians extol and some unfortunately worship (King James Version onlyist's) teach that those are values a follower of Jesus should have..................

ok, spongebobbiblepants, riddle me this (cuz i just don't know).

noah took on how many species on the ark? let's call it X.

how many species exist today? let's call it X+ some BFN

i'm left with either:
- the great flood was a regional (vice global) event, or
- species have evolved since this event

 

[mack]

At my school all the kids thought the teacher was nuts when he said that Darwin is "only one way it could have happened". :nuts: We smacked him up and said god was a bunch of Bs and of course darwamism happened. There is way too much evdience. Every 1 agreed except for some stupid girl in the back.

 

[arboc!]

is she just stupid because she believes in god?

 

[Changleen]

is she just stupid because she believes in god?

Yes...

 

[Westy]

i'm left with either:
- the great flood was a regional (vice global) event, or

I'd say that there is a good chance it was just regional. Since the world was flat back then things probably just got tilted and all the water ran to one side.l

 

[Changleen]

I'd say that there is a good chance it was just regional. Since the world was flat back then things probably just got tilted and all the water ran to one side.l

There is considerable geological evidence of several large floods in various places around the world at various points in history. Therefore Noah's all encompassing flood, if it based in reality at all, is actually just a small event in the greater history of the world, not a world changing pivotal point. A nice metaphor for religion itself I think.

 

[Andyman_1970]

ok, spongebobbiblepants, riddle me this (cuz i just don't know).

noah took on how many species on the ark? let's call it X.

how many species exist today? let's call it X+ some BFN

i'm left with either:
- the great flood was a regional (vice global) event, or
- species have evolved since this event

Spongebobbiblepants...............LOL

Good question, I'm no creation/flood expert, but I have a good friend online who is (and is converting to Judaism BTW, just so everyone knows he is not some frothing fundamentalist Christian) - I'll ask him what he thinks, he's an actual scientist also.

I'll also do some googling and see what the rabbi's think.

 

[$tinkle]

is she just stupid because she believes in god?

Yes...

are you saying hitler was stupid?

 

[fluff]

are you saying hitler was stupid?

You can't tell me that you believe in Hitler?

 

[$tinkle]

You can't tell me that you believe in Hitler?

i'm just saying, it's more than coincidence that nietzsche - a fellow kraut & author of the anti-christ - said "god is dead"

 

[N8 v2.0]

Apparently Lib Dims are not above using god either...

“The American people believe there should be some places on this earth left the way the Almighty made them in the first place. When we finally meet our Maker, we are not going to be asked our position on evolution or the Big Bang. We are going to be asked about what we did to protect the resources we were given. The Congress still has time to pull back from this folly, and we must do everything we can to see that it does.”

-From Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey’s ANWR press release yesterday

 

[$tinkle]

now if he can say that while jesse jackson is drinking a glass of water, then i'll believe it

 

[Silver]

i'm just saying, it's more than coincidence that nietzsche - a fellow kraut & author of the anti-christ - said "god is dead"

Your knowledge of history and philosophy is surpassed only by your knowledge of logic and statistics.

Hitler was Austrian, by the way, not German.

 

[$tinkle]

Your knowledge of history and philosophy is surpassed only by your knowledge of logic and statistics.

are we talking magnitude or absolute value?

you probably think madeleine albright is still czech, when really she is a lumpy-thighed american

 

[axlvid23]

is she just stupid because she believes in god?

Not necessarily stupid....but weak minded and mislead perhaps....Maybe incapable of thinking for herself? There's a whole variety of reasons why people choose to be religious...but I suspect it's mostly from personal insecurities and not from stupidity.

Anyway, I loath religion...especially organized religion...so that's my very biased 2 cents. :mumble: