Tuesday, September 14, 2004

A Gene for Belief in God??

From the reviews for The God Gene : How Faith is Hardwired into our Genes by DEAN H. HAMER , on Amazon.com:

"The overwhelming majority of Americans believe in God, expressing a conviction that has existed since the beginning of recorded time and is shared by billions around the world. In The God Gene, Dr. Dean Hamer reveals that this inclination toward religious faith is no accident; it is in good measure due to our genes. In fact, he argues, spiritual belief may offer an evolutionary advantage by providing humans with a sense of purpose and the courage and will to overcome hardship and loss. And, as a growing body of evidence suggests, belief also increases our chances of reproductive survival by helping to reduce stress, prevent disease, and extend life."

"...Popular science at its best, The God Gene is an in-depth, fully accessible inquiry into the cutting-edge research that is changing the way we think about ourselves, our world, and our culture. Written with balance and integrity, without seeking to confirm or deny the existence of God, The God Gene brilliantly illuminates the mechanism by which belief itself is biologically fostered."

"DR. DEAN HAMER is a preeminent geneticist and author of The Science of Desire, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and Living with Our Genes. Together with his scientific collaborators at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, he has authored more than one hundred articles for popular and academic science journals. His television appearances include Good Morning America, Dateline, Oprah, the national news shows, and documentaries for HBO, PBS, and the Discovery Channel. Dr. Hamer received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Ariens Kappers Award for Neurobiology."

Those who, like myself, are not persuaded to "believe" are evidently condemned to live with more stress, more disease, and a shorter life. And evidently (almost) all cosmologists are likewise condemned. See Sean Carroll's straightforward arguments on "Why (Almost All) Cosmologists are Atheists."


3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

uggs on sale, ray ban sunglasses, nike roshe run, michael kors, christian louboutin outlet, jordan shoes, polo ralph lauren outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, chanel handbags, oakley sunglasses, longchamp outlet, louis vuitton, tory burch outlet, nike free, cheap oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton outlet, tiffany and co, nike outlet, nike free, ugg boots, longchamp, prada handbags, longchamp outlet, kate spade outlet, ralph lauren pas cher, air max, louboutin outlet, louboutin, louis vuitton, louboutin pas cher, oakley sunglasses, louboutin shoes, longchamp pas cher, ray ban sunglasses, nike air max, gucci outlet, ugg boots, replica watches, louis vuitton outlet, sac longchamp, oakley sunglasses, nike air max, replica watches, ray ban sunglasses, burberry, oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton, prada outlet, tiffany jewelry, air jordan pas cher

6:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

nike air max, north face outlet, nike air max, hollister, jimmy choo shoes, asics running shoes, nfl jerseys, wedding dresses, vans, ray ban, new balance, babyliss, hollister, louboutin, timberland boots, ghd, converse, birkin bag, baseball bats, longchamp, giuseppe zanotti, mcm handbags, nike huarache, ralph lauren, chi flat iron, bottega veneta, hollister, vans shoes, insanity workout, beats by dre, lululemon, nike trainers, mont blanc, north face outlet, oakley, abercrombie and fitch, mac cosmetics, herve leger, p90x workout, valentino shoes, gucci, iphone cases, converse outlet, instyler, reebok shoes, soccer jerseys, nike roshe, ferragamo shoes, celine handbags, soccer shoes

6:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

louis vuitton, ugg boots uk, replica watches, louis vuitton, montre pas cher, pandora jewelry, hollister, moncler, bottes ugg, moncler, marc jacobs, thomas sabo, doudoune canada goose, swarovski, barbour, moncler, juicy couture outlet, swarovski crystal, wedding dresses, canada goose, sac louis vuitton pas cher, barbour jackets, lancel, canada goose, karen millen, pandora jewelry, links of london, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, louis vuitton, canada goose outlet, toms shoes, louis vuitton, pandora charms, ugg pas cher, moncler, pandora charms, moncler outlet, moncler, moncler, canada goose uk, supra shoes, juicy couture outlet, canada goose, moncler, canada goose outlet, canada goose, coach outlet

6:55 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home