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...
This is just a bunch of naturalistic bunk! Naturalists do not want to face up to the truth of the God of Abraham,Isaac & Jacob, so that try to twist the truth about rebellion (rom.1: 18 ff) in such a way that people do not have to take responsibility for their Sin against a Holy, omnipotent, loving, graceful Creator who may have built a lot of information into our DNA but not info that can be manipulated so as to release us from God's judgment on us all. IF naturalism were true, then our lives would be totally determined by natural selection. If this is so, what are we thinking & talking about here? What has already been predetermined by DNA, genes and accidental mutations?? NO, not so. Otherwise, why ask why? Why care about your neighbor, & debate about sexual orientation, etc. because it is already predetermined. How many naturalists would admit this concept?? The Lord has chosen us. He created the universe, He came to earth as Jesus of Nazarath so humans could be released for the penalty of rebellion. He died for us, & accomplished what we could never accomplish for ourselves- a life free from false guilt, etc.
Dr. Alan Cairns | 4/6/2009
COMMENTS | 
