Reply #11

In the discussion thread: Our founding fathers were not Christians. [View all]

Sat Apr 14, 2012, 09:47 PM

longship (17,660 posts)

11. Not sure of the neurology on that

There is conflicting data. But there sure is a good argument that there is an evolutionary advantage to something which may be called a God gene, although there's not likely such a specific gene.

AFAIK the science is fuzzy here. Lots of data pointing in the general direction, but I haven't heard of anything definitive and notable neurologists are not in agreement even though they can trigger religious experiences with drugs and other methods. Unfortunately the brain is a very complex system. There is not likely a collection of God neurons, at least none that are localized.

We may be resigned to the fact that religion is a cultural affectation. But not even Dawkins calls it a meme. Dennett does, cautiously.

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68 replies	Author	Time	Post
Our founding fathers were not Christians. [View all]	RKP5637	Apr 2012	OP
You can beat fundies over the head with this,....	lastlib	Apr 2012	#1
Yep, all logic and truth fails with fundies ... best to just write them off as prehistoric. n/t	RKP5637	Apr 2012	#2
This is a zero sum game for many on both sides.	Kaleva	Apr 2012	#3
Yes, BOTH sides are equally impervious to evidence	MNBrewer	Apr 2012	#12
Yep	Kaleva	Apr 2012	#15
that's the impression i get from this thread.	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#37
oh frickin' please.	cali	Apr 2012	#4
1797 Treaty of Tripoli	hobbit709	Apr 2012	#9
Did you actually read the writings of Madison and John Adams	JDPriestly	Apr 2012	#17
Fundamentalism hadn't been invented when the forefathers signed the Constistuition.	kwassa	Apr 2012	#20
I have read Jefferson's correspondence with Adams on this issue	JDPriestly	Apr 2012	#35
Priestly invented soda water.	kwassa	Apr 2012	#63
From your link	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#24
Actually, George Washington was quite religious and certainly Christian....	Moonwalk	Apr 2012	#26
George Washington never identified himself as a Christian	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#28
You are trying to define yourself to victory, and that...	Moonwalk	Apr 2012	#30
You keep ignoring what I wrote and instead wish to debate what I didn't write	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#31
the Creator vs. the Christians	freefaller62	Apr 2012	#33
Many of the founding fathers were either deists or were very sympathetic to deism	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#39
Ethan Allen for example	flamingdem	Apr 2012	#66
and yet hamilton insisted his wife should believe in God.	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#38
Belief in god does not make one a Christian	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#40
do you think the god he wanted her to believe in was something other than the christian god?	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#41
Hamilton was married in 1780	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#43
all your "guesses" are predictated on your own faith, and must be taken on faith.	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#44
Excuse me	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#48
I think that's an overreaction. Maybe I was trying to be too clever in phrasing, but all I meant	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#50
They were Deists	underpants	Apr 2012	#56
Jefferson was not a Christian in the usual meaning of the word.	eomer	Apr 2012	#25
in private letters Jefferson refers to himself as "Christian" (1803),[2] "a sect by myself" (1819),	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#42
That's why I said it the way I did.	eomer	Apr 2012	#45
what's the usual meaning of the word? in my world, "christian" refers to anyone from the fundie	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#46
It's not a "stupid" distinction to those who push the meme.	eomer	Apr 2012	#47
But the faith of the fathers is irrelevant. What's relevant is their faith in separation of church	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#49
It's not irrelevant - it is one of the lies they use in their campaign to establish a religion.	eomer	Apr 2012	#52
It's not worth debunking when it's an unwinnable pissing match that distracts from publicizing	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#61
I think it is worthwhile to point this out to people who claim that Jefferson was a Christian...	eomer	Apr 2012	#68
You are defining a Christian as a follower of Christ. In that sense, many deists would be	JDPriestly	Apr 2012	#64
Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Thomas Paine, Monroe, Madison, Adams, Hamilton.... any questions?	underpants	Apr 2012	#57
Five founders who were skeptical of organized Christianity and couldn't be elected today!	yortsed snacilbuper	Apr 2012	#5
How does one break the faith argument?	longship	Apr 2012	#6
This comes to mind, "The God Spot," but I certainly doubt it will bring	RKP5637	Apr 2012	#10
Not sure of the neurology on that	longship	Apr 2012	#11
actually, there is, it's called the God Nodule and it's a specific cerebral locus.	nebenaube	Apr 2012	#59
Okay.	longship	Apr 2012	#60
Please Define "Fundamentalist"	freefaller62	Apr 2012	#34
Now you are making a strictly rhetorical argument	longship	Apr 2012	#51
Religion vs. Governmental Philosophy	freefaller62	Apr 2012	#53
That is the crux of the problem	longship	Apr 2012	#62
The prohibition against murder and theft is not unique to the Christian and Jewish religions.	JDPriestly	Apr 2012	#65
Well the Bill of Rights/parts of constitution were borrowed from Iroquois confederacy - not	Kashkakat v.2.0	Apr 2012	#7
No, they weren't	Spider Jerusalem	Apr 2012	#8
It's both from common law but influenced by the Iroquois form of government as	JDPriestly	Apr 2012	#18
No, it wasn't	Spider Jerusalem	Apr 2012	#19
That's a feel-good popular myth with no factual basis.	Odin2005	Apr 2012	#13
No use trying to reason with religious people.	Odin2005	Apr 2012	#14
Yep, it's just a lost cause. Also, "if" they had divine knowledge with a capital T, many of	RKP5637	Apr 2012	#16
Most forms of organized religion require one to abandon reason	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#29
Thank You For Posting This.	Left Coast2020	Apr 2012	#21
Thank you! I'm pleased you're finding it helpful!	RKP5637	Apr 2012	#22
Why does it sadden you?	Daniel537	Apr 2012	#54
And even if they were they were not in favor of having an official national church. They were for	jwirr	Apr 2012	#23
Yes, they were Christians, but the problem with this argument from Fundies is....	Moonwalk	Apr 2012	#27
No, they weren't Christians	Major Nikon	Apr 2012	#32
+1	HiPointDem	Apr 2012	#36
Jefferson and Adams did not believe in the divinity of Christ. Read their correspondence.	JDPriestly	Apr 2012	#67
Well, Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves and enjoyed raping the female ones.	Nye Bevan	Apr 2012	#55
Many were christians	TNLib	Apr 2012	#58

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