Comments on: Technology and Religion

By: sieber

sieber — Sat, 12 Feb 2005 18:57:03 +0000

Take a look at today’s editorial column in the NYTimes, reporting on the “God Gene”. In the column Nicholas Kristof claims that we have a genetic predisposition to religion (I use the word “claim” instead of reports because he’s writing as an editorialist and not a journalist). He writes “the evidence is explored in “The God Gene,” a fascinating book published recently by Dean Hamer, a prominent American geneticist. Dr. Hamer even identifies a particular gene, VMAT2… People with one variant of that gene tend to be more spiritual, he found, and those with another variant to be less so.”

Of course, Kristof, bless his equivocating heart, never distinguishes between superstition and spirituality in the possible role of the gene. Indeed, superstition may have unique evolutionary advantages, for instance, preventing us from an overreliance on the empirical and compelling us to rely instead on our intuition. But, hey, the column is about selling newspapers.

By: Henry Balen

Henry Balen — Fri, 11 Feb 2005 03:46:31 +0000

According to some cosmological theories there are an infinite number of universes each with different physical properties. If this is the case then at least one (or more) of them would be our Universe. This may mean that our Universe is rare, but does not mean that the odds were against us and therefore does not mean that there has to be a creator.

(This also ties in with the quantum computer – which some says relies on a multiverse…)

By: Liam

Liam — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 20:39:23 +0000

Technology has become another thing a lot of people are content to not understand, and so will blindly put faith in it. It seems to be the more I learn, the more I discover there’s more things to learn. It strikes me a lot of people will rely on technology, religion, or many other things, to avoid what are otherwise very uncomfortable realities.

Of course the agnostic in me immediately takes issue with the idea we need a purpose, that we, our planet, or the universe could not have come about through ‘natural’ forces, and if Hera and Zeus are really that concerned with us trying to uncover some understanding about the universe we’re living in. : )