Faith

Is Belief in God Ingrained in Our ‘Human Nature’? A New Study Says So

An exciting, new Oxford University study has found that faith and religion come to human beings naturally — possibly instinctively.  The initiative, entitled the “Cognition, Religion and Theology Project,” took three years to complete and involved more than 40 different studies in 20 countries around the globe.  According to CNN, the study has some intriguing findings:

Studies around the world came up with similar findings, including widespread belief in some kind of afterlife and an instinctive tendency to suggest that natural phenomena happen for a purpose.

While the results don’t speak to whether or not God (or gods) exists, Roger Trigg, the project’s co-director, believes that the findings are immensely important to religious freedom and human rights.  When considering the idea that some governments restrict religious activities, Trigg said:

“If you’ve got something so deep-rooted in human nature, thwarting it is in some sense not enabling humans to fulfill their basic interests.  There is quite a drive to think that religion is private.  It isn’t just a quirky interest of a few, it’s basic human nature.  This shows that it’s much more universal, prevalent, and deep-rooted. It’s got to be reckoned with. You can‘t just pretend it isn’t there.”

Is Belief in God Ingrained in Our Human Nature? A New Study Says So

CNN points out the notion that both atheists and the religious can use the study to validate their beliefs.  Trigg explains that the faithful can look at the data and say, ‘If there is a God, then … he would have given us inclinations to look for him.”  On the flip side, atheists would potentially accept the notion that faith appeals to the human heart and mind, but that humanity must evolve and move beyond simple myths.

Arguably, the former argument seems more compelling, especially considering the fact that religious beliefs remained consistent, despite major cultural differences.  Clearly, a common thread connects the human search for a higher being.

In the end, the study contends that, regardless of culture, belief in the afterlife and in purposeful happenings (or happenings with divine purpose) are completely natural and ingrained in human nature.  Rather than existing as a remote or infrequent societal occurrence, faith and religion are normal (and frequent) human experiences.  What do you think?

Read more about this project on CNN.com or on IBN Live.

Comments (496)

  • OlefromMN
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:35pm

    It is in mine. Enough things have happened throughout my short 44 years here to leave me no doubt.

    Report Post » OlefromMN  
    • Hephzibah
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 10:21pm

      Same with me. I KNOW there God is because I‘ve experienced Him working in my life and seen His presence in others’ lives.

      Report Post » Hephzibah  
    • BetterDays
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 1:03am

      I as well, I’ve had supernatural answers to mental unspoken prayer manifested in tangible physical answers, within hours, sometimes minutes of the unspoken mental prayer in Jesus’s name. I ask the Lord to direct my path, simple things and I hear Him lead me by his Spirit within me, He calls me faithful, and friend, and brother, and I’m crying again, thank you Jesus for changing my heart of stone, my act of unrighteouness, and my double mindedness, I am not my own.

      Report Post »  
  • Silat
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:34pm

    The law of God is written all mens hearts. They are without excuse not to recognize His existence.

    Report Post »  
  • QuranisBookofDeath
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:29pm

    I wonder which “religion” compels its followers to wipe out all those who are not like them.

    Hmmm…./think /think /think

    Report Post » QuranisBookofDeath  
    • Hickory
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:36pm

      Oh, it couldn’t those peaceful people who own all the oil. Just sayin’.

      Report Post » Hickory  
  • Qoheleth
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:29pm

    Reactions to studies like these usually tell us more about the people doing the reacting. Faith is not something you can suss out completely, yet real faith uses reason to make sense of what one believes and to keep it consistent. To those who believe, this study illuminates the “God-shaped-hole” present in all humanity. To those who don’t, it explains why so many fall for superstitions.

    Report Post » Qoheleth  
  • A Steiger
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:26pm

    @ NOSLACK327

    You, by far, have the best post.

    Report Post »  
  • ofallon
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:26pm

    Man is born with a sin nature not a God nature. Nevertheless, “…since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly see, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead..” Romans 1:20.

    If you seek him, you will find him. What’s so wonderful is that he chooses us. We don’t choose him. But we have to take the first step. It’s called faith.

    The universal deception, “ye shall be as gods”, as uttered by the serpent to Eve, has been around since Genesis. This concept is nothing new.

    Report Post »  
    • joel228
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 3:03am

      Do you believe that every word uttered by evil or every thought placed in the mind if done by Satan is a lie? If that were the case he would have no power of persuasion whatsoever. To make the argument that if Satan said it, it is therefore a lie, is in itself the lie.

      Read Genesis 3 in it’s entirety. Why do you think the tree placed in the garden is called the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:9)? Satan told the truth about that as is amply demonstrated in the rest of chapter 3. Adam and Eves eyes were opened and they immediately gained the sence of modesty which they did not have before. They lost the child like innocense they previously had. They also became potential subjects of Satan if they acted against the knowledge they gained.

      Moreover if Satan lied about that so did God.
      “Gen 3:22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:”

      Satan used the truth to entice them to do what he wanted them to do. His lie was “Ye shall not surely die”. Liberals, evolutionists and many others in cluding religionists have learned this lesson well. Tell them some truths to get them to believe the greater lie and thus gain control over them.

      Report Post » joel228  
    • joel228
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 3:03am

      Most religions have and teach many truths. Unfortunately many myths and falsehoods have been mingled in. Satan will deceive you to whatever degree he can. Some more, some less. The bigger lie is what most religions teach as the nature of God. Three in one is biblically unsustainable. Who do you think God was speaking to when he said “the man is become as one of us”? Hopefully you don’t think he was speaking to himself.

      Atheists, agnostics and liberals who like to think of themselves as intellectually superior argue well against religions mainly because of the falsehoods the religions teach. Truth will eventually prevail because “the Lord shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth shall hear it; and the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly.”

      Report Post » joel228  
  • epeel2
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:25pm

    You‘d better hope we’re wrong! There’s a God sized hole in all of us that only your Creator can fill. Start a relationship with Him today, through Jesus Christ!

    Report Post »  
  • glorious
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:25pm

    At leasr US taxpayers didn’t pay for this ridiculous and unnecessary study.

    Report Post »  
  • mutslie
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:25pm

    h’mmmmm…. I’m agnostic
    heard someone say once ….. ”the rich invented religion to confuse the poor”
    ………………….. worth a thought’ ?

    Report Post »  
    • A Steiger
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:30pm

      Everyone has the means nowadays to find answers. Wealthy or poverty, anyone can visit a bookstore and purchase a Bible or any other book they may be interested in.

      Report Post »  
    • vennoye
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:31pm

      No.

      Report Post » vennoye  
    • avenger
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:36pm

      nope…to control the poor…

      Report Post »  
    • A Steiger
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:53pm

      Okay VENNOYE, AVENGER:

      You both said “no”, please ellaborate. I want to hear both of your perspectives.
      (BTW, I’m nice:) I enjoy talking with people)

      Report Post »  
    • vennoye
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:36pm

      @A Steiger
      Sorry, your fingers were just faster than mine. My no was not to you, it was to Mutslie’s question of “worth a thought”

      Report Post » vennoye  
    • Islesfordian
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:37pm

      No, it isn’t worth a single brain cell considering it. Why would the powerful ever create the idea that there was a God who was more powerful than they? Then their hold over the poor would lose strength because the poor could appeal to God.

      Study Totalitarian governments and how they all try to control or supress religion.

      Report Post » Islesfordian  
  • DoctorRon
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:22pm

    There certainly is a God but it is not a “he.” Like us, God is spirit or in scientific terms – an electromagnetic force. Quantum physics is very close to proving the existence of this force. It is a failure of science, not religion, that God’s existence is not yet proven.

    Report Post » DoctorRon  
    • Islesfordian
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:32pm

      No. God is not an IT. God is a person, or rather, THREE Persons. He is personal, and he has made us to know him personally That electromagnetic force, or whatever, is just what the Bible calls his glory.

      Report Post » Islesfordian  
    • LetUsReason
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 12:03am

      If God is simply an electromagnetic force, then how is it that we are created in His image…in His very likeness?? It doesn’t make sense. Also, “The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” (Ex: 33:11) Do you speak unto your friend like he/she is merely an electromagnetic force? It doesn’t say, that Moses spake unto Him “face to force”. Ha! God made it clear that He is our Father and we are His children. The scriptures could not be any more plain on this topic. Additionally, the doctrine of the Trinity, which states that God is a 3-in-1 nothingness “without body, parts, or passions” is a farce. The resurrected, perfected Christ made this abundantly clear to His disciples and to those to whom He appeared. He ate and drank with them…..after He was a glorified, perfected, resurrected Being.

      Report Post »  
  • Hickory
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:21pm

    We believe in God because he is there and will always be there……….. you can count on it.

    Report Post » Hickory  
  • Properlytoastedbagel
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:20pm

    If you don’t believe in God, you better be right.

    Report Post »  
  • Lone Ranger
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:19pm

    I have always said that if there is no God, why has man always searched for him? And it took a study to find this out?

    Report Post » Lone Ranger  
  • Lord Shell
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:19pm

    I just want to know if Hell is pro-rated.

    Report Post »  
    • vennoye
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:05pm

      Heard someone say that there were levels of evil. The lower the level, the more evil the life lived. Sorry, no more info than that.

      Report Post » vennoye  
    • Lord Shell
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 6:32pm

      So it‘s like Dante’s “The Divine Comedy”?

      Report Post »  
  • vennoye
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:18pm

    All you have to do is look at how the human body is designed, our DNA and the order of the sun, moon, stars and seasons to realize it is all by divine design. Divine design means there is a creator. That is why the evolutionists have found no missing links to support their “theories”

    Report Post » vennoye  
    • avenger
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:28pm

      I will buy into that concept…now, which God/religion is the right one ? islam is willing to kill/die for theirs ? http://thereligionofpeace.com help me out people…

      Report Post »  
    • vennoye
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:46pm

      Our Bible tells us that Jehovah loved us enough to send his son to die for our redemption and to be reconciled back to him. The religion of Islam recognizes Jesus (Isa) as a messinger from God, but not his son. Our Bible tells us over and over again how much we are loved–while in Islam believers need to die for their god…that is their best change of going to heaven. The only thing that Allah ever said he loved in their Koran was the creation. Nothing about loving his people. There is a website: http://gospelformuslims.com/. People involved in this have belonged to both faiths. You might find information there that will help you.

      Report Post » vennoye  
    • veruca salt
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:23pm

      What’s so wrong with saying “I don’t know” when contemplating the great questions of mankind, besides the fact not knowing makes a lot of folks uncomfortable. Non-believers get labeled as arrogant for their beliefs, but arrogance is also saying “I know how this unexplainable phenomena occurred. God (Allah, Zeus, etc) did it.” It’s OK to question and search for answers. The believers’ certainty in the answer kills intellectual curiousity and stops the search.

      Report Post »  
  • Meyvn
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:18pm

    God Is.

    Report Post » Meyvn  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:18pm

    The most convincing theory I’ve read is the book, “The origin of consciousness in the break down of the bicameral mind” by Julian Jaynes. The book is over 40 years old and no one even reads it. it doesn’t disprove God, on the contrary he leaves that question open. Basically it postulates that 3000 years ago the human brain didn’t perceive thought as self, it perceived thought as commands from God, there was no sense of self.

    Report Post » mossbrain  
  • noslack327
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:16pm

    @ Eric, if I did not know that there was a god, that is the safest and most logical bet to make. Your 100% right. I used to wonder, so I went ahead and made that bet. What I have learned since is that he shows himself to those that are looking. Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened. If anyone has doubts about whether He is there, don’t worry, everyone has those thoughts, let him prove them wrong for you. The smallest amount of faith will be honored by Him. Ask him to make himself known to you, if you really are wanting to know, you won’t be disappointed. Mr. Butcher, I hope you make that bet, I think you will be satisfied with the payout.

    Report Post » noslack327  
    • NotGoodAtKeepingQuiet
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 9:48am

      Very well said, NOSLACK. This information flies in the face of the atheistic view that “stuff just happens”, for as Christians we are taught to seek, to learn, to love–all of which are actions that require conscious decisions, focus and, at times, hardship–but all are efforts that will result in knowing Him. That is proof enough. How wonderful that we have Him to guide us!

      In the end, this report only has confirmed that scientists have discovered the “God-shaped hole” in the human heart. Beautiful.

      Report Post »  
  • avenger
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:08pm

    all the experts are always so sure…history is riddled with bodies of believers and non believers…let the big guy sort it out.

    Report Post »  
  • Thunderstorm 316
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:04pm

    In the end days the wrath of heaven will fall upon the earth, and they will still not belive.

    Report Post »  
    • DanB
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 7:23pm

      That is true. There is a scriptural story I am fond of that some men that denied God saw an angel and were rebuked. It was merely moments after the angel left before they were back to complaining. A complete contrast to the conversion of Paul.

      Report Post »  
  • CrackerSmurf
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 6:56pm

    I’d rather follow my dreams and hope I did well enough to be good in whoever has eyes that are watching. I think it is a choice personally. People make it or dont.

    Report Post » CrackerSmurf  
    • mermaid7
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:10pm

      That sounds similar to what Obama has said. That’s not good enough.

      Report Post »  
  • antirino
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 6:56pm

    RO 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

    RO 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

    Report Post »  
    • Vanquisher
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:03pm

      You beat me to it! :)

      Report Post »  
    • ofallon
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:30pm

      Amen. You beat me to it too : ]

      Report Post »  
    • mermaid7
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:08pm

      Great verse, I didn’t know that one! Thanks!

      Report Post »  
    • dealer@678
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 10:12pm

      @ Antirino. keep em coming.

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 8:52am

      If one takes the time, and it doesn’t take much time at all, to dissect and analyze those verses, it’s easy to see how they lack real truth of any kind. More lazy thinking from ancient authors.

      Report Post »  
  • adouglass1
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 6:52pm

    Yes their is biblical scripture that says just this!! More to follow gotta get back to work post in fe hours!! But im sure everyone else will beat me to it, oh well!!

    Report Post » adouglass1  
    • ilovethiscountry
      Posted on May 14, 2011 at 9:33am

      @adouglass1
      I was going to post the same thing but you did it first. You are right, the Bible states this very thing. They could have predicted the outcome.

      Report Post »  
  • Eric_The_Red_State
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 6:52pm

    Id rather follow God and be wrong than not follow God and be wrong.

    Report Post » Eric_The_Red_State  
    • adouglass1
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 6:53pm

      Mr Butcher would rather follow Facebook and Twitter and nothing at all!!

      Report Post » adouglass1  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:58pm

      If you’re believing in god as a safe bet, god would know so it wouldn’t count.

      Report Post »  
    • enemy of the statist
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:58pm

      And if you truly do, you will eventually fall into his hands. Then, the belief becomes fact, the faith becomes knowledge, and the act becomes life.

      Report Post » enemy of the statist  
    • jhaydeng
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:37pm

      Eric the Red: Love that line!!!LOL!

      Report Post »  
    • LetUsReason
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:04pm

      @Beckisnuts

      Why would God knowing that you believe in him merely as a safe bet cause him to make irrelevant your belief?

      When Christ was healing the sick, and the man came to Him for the sake of a child possessed of a devil, Christ new that he didn’t have the faith. The man said, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Jesus didn’t say, “I would, except you don’t REALLY believe.” The man had his doubts. But the man saw Christ as a “safe bet” that could possibly help him when no one else could or can. The healing increased the father’s faith in the Savior. Perhaps we’re not all that different.

      Report Post »  
    • Islesfordian
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:25pm

      Beckisnuts, you remind me of G.K. Chesterton‘s saying that the problem with atheists isn’t that they don’t believe in God, it is that they believe in God too much.

      Report Post » Islesfordian  
    • veruca salt
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 10:54pm

      If God exists, this age old wager will either prove God awards the unquestioning sycophant who’s hedging his bets, or the person who in all sincerity looks for proof of His existence and honestly questions why that proof is so hard to find.

      Report Post »  
    • Citizen
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 11:58pm

      The kingdom is within.

      So many people go looking for proof of God with their eyes. I often think God must laugh at this because everything they see is proof of God yet they see it not.

      God wants you to seek him with you heart.

      Your mind and all that humanity has to offer trying to logicaly decipher God is like ants trying to outsmart man. He made the rules and knows your mind and what you can comprehend and he is going to try your heart and weigh and measure it.

      No one escapes it – thats the best news

      You are judged on every word that comes out of your mouth even if you dont believe in God – good luck.

      Report Post »  
    • Citizen
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 11:59pm

      It is impossible to follow God and be wrong. The heathens just dont know that yet.

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 8:11am

      There is/are no god(s). People created the concept to explain things that are now known and obvious. Religious people are simply lagging behind the growth the rest of us have experienced. If their delusions keep them feeling protected, fine. But please don’t try to place the burden of your delusions on the shoulders of the rest of us. It’s insulting to our intelligence.

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 8:31am

      letusreason, when one says something that is not true, it is a lie. For one to say they believe in “GOD” when one really does not, it is a lie. The rest is obvious.

      Report Post »  
    • Wayner
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 10:08am

      Beckisnuts goes to no end to make a fool of himself spouting off his narcisistic pseudo- philosophy

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 12:05pm

      Hey Wayner! I read that!

      hahahaha wow

      Report Post »  
  • MrButcher
    Posted on May 12, 2011 at 6:49pm

    Humans are prone to superstition and junk theories, I agree.

    Humans are also born without knowing how to use a toilet so I wouldn’t hoist this flag to high.

    cheers

    MrButcher  
    • bikerr
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:02pm

      Not all people have toilets, poor analogy.

      Report Post »  
    • Eric_The_Red_State
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:04pm

      Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. – Ronald Reagan

      We are never defeated unless we give up on God. – Ronald Reagan

      Report Post » Eric_The_Red_State  
    • godlovinmom
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:05pm

      Humans are made in God’s image, above the angels and animals, which allows us to choose to believe in him or not..Thank God!

      Report Post » godlovinmom  
    • GONESURFING
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:08pm

      The fool has said in his heart that there is no God.

      Report Post » GONESURFING  
    • The Divided States of America
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:11pm

      how did something from nothing become something ?

      Report Post » The Divided States of America  
    • johndylan1
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:12pm

      Mrbutcher, we can agree that we don’t know, other than by faith, that there is a God (or gods), but even you must admit it is a possibility, no? So, why so contrary?

      Report Post »  
    • Ironmaan
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:14pm

      It is more likely that a tornado would assemble a mint condition 57 chevy after passing thru a junk yard than for humans to emerge over time from primordial pools of sludge. Sorry butcher, something doesn’t come from nothing.
      http://guerillatics.com

      Report Post »  
    • Thatsitivehadenough
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:24pm

      @MRBUTCHER Not everyone have any class. Like you, for example.

      God has placed everything we will ever need in our chromosomes. We evolve according to Gods design. Scientists can keep looking forever. But they will never prove or disprove anything concerning God or our belief in God.

      And, besides, why would ANYONE believe in a God they could prove existed?

      Report Post » Thatsitivehadenough  
    • Pastor Melissa
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:25pm

      Your reasoning seems flawed. The study never said we were born with an innate need or understanding of something beyond us; only that humanity, as a whole, had an understanding of something bigger than ourselves. Also, you learn to use the toilet while you never learn faith or hope. Feelings exist while social habits are learned.

      Report Post » Pastor Melissa  
    • Libertarian
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:43pm

      Look at it from a philosophical perspective.

      Did we come from order or chaos? I would contend order because there are laws within every science. Chaos does not establish law, only randomness. So if there are innate law(s) in every science, then it should be easy for progressives to understand that there must be a planner or designer for there to be laws.

      It is why I find it ironic that progressives tend to be the nonbelievers in society, science screams law, law screams lawmaker.

      There is a God.

      Report Post » Libertarian  
    • SYLVIA1969
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:48pm

      I believe in God and I was raised in a home where we went to church twice on Sunday and every Wed. night.
      I only question this,and maybe I don’t question it so much as I am curious.If the scientists say (and with global warming BS you can’t really believe anything they say anymore) the earth is billions of years old….then why is it we can only trace God and human life back 3,000 years ago?
      Someone said to me that they think we keep re-setting.And NO,I don’t think we evolved from monkeys otherwise why would there still be monkeys?
      I hope someone can put this question to bed for me.It is the only point of contention in my faith in God.

      Report Post » SYLVIA1969  
    • stifroc
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:48pm

      there, the science is settled, the debate is over.

      Report Post » stifroc  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:52pm

      This study is interesting, but it certainly has nothing to do at all with an awfully lot of people who do not have any use for superstition.

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:53pm

      I’ll post what I posted before:

      “Free will, by definition, is not constrained by determinism.”

      And because of this, only a pre-existent being that is also not constrained by determinism can be the source of our free will.

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:54pm

      The fool is the one who attempts to place his imaginery burdens on the shoulders of a free thinker.

      Report Post »  
    • Dandylyon
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:56pm

      Its only ingrained in you if you don’t have the ability to think and do for yourself.

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 7:57pm

      There is aboslutely no such thing as Zeus, Santa Claus, 4 leaf clovers that really bring luck, Allah, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. AND THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS GOD EITHER. Face it and grow up.

      Report Post »  
    • veruca salt
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:08pm

      Sylvia, with all due respect, even the simplest of Google searches on “ancient man”, “human evolution”, even “arrowheads” should provide enough information to convince most anyone that man dates back > 3000 years. As Glenn says, don’t take my word for it, do your own research.

      Report Post »  
    • Virgil_Lance
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:11pm

      A NEW study?
      Descartes proposed that the idea of God is Innate.
      (See meditation 3)

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditations_on_First_Philosophy

      Report Post » Virgil_Lance  
    • jeff1158
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:29pm

      Read Romans 1. All men are born with the knowledge of God. Inside we each know He exists. To bad for the ones who ignore Him. Their end is also in Romans 1.

      Report Post »  
    • vennoye
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:29pm

      @SYLVIA1969
      They count backward in generations in Genesis and approximate creation at something about 4030 BC. So that means that this is about the end of the 6th day after creation. There is a book:
      http://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Mysteries-Creation-Subtitle-Explorers/dp/0882704729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305246400&sr=8-1
      That might answer your questions.

      Report Post » vennoye  
    • jhaydeng
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 8:33pm

      So, a study from Oxford decides why we believe in God! God created the people that performed the study about why people believe in God! Our arrogance is going to be our demise!!!!

      Report Post »  
    • Virgil_Lance
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:01pm

      @ JEFF1158
      Thanks – I found Romans 1:18-20
      http://www.abible.com/devotions/2003/20030512-0946.html
      God Bless

      Report Post » Virgil_Lance  
    • Blacktooth
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:06pm

      vennoye – They count backward in generations in Genesis and approximate creation at something about 4030 BC. So that means that this is about the end of the 6th day after creation.

      Excellent point! So many mistakenly think the creative days were literally 24 hrs long each.
      However I would like to suggest for your consideration that the sixth creative “day did end at Genesis 1:31 through 2:3
      So, the seventh day began after that, and over 6000 years later, we still remain in the seventh day.
      Hebrew 4:1-11
      I find this fascinating.

      Report Post » Blacktooth  
    • dealer@678
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:31pm

      We were born with HIM in our heart. After that we could accept him or reject him. HE gives us a choice. I made my choice when i was 8 years old and i will die with that decision.

      Report Post »  
    • dealer@678
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:34pm

      One other thing. Praise Jesus

      Report Post »  
    • Glenn in Virginia
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 9:36pm

      There is no truer believer in his faith than an atheist. A Christian occasionally has doubts; an atheist never does.

      So, which one is the ideologue?

      Report Post »  
    • Ari Ben TZion
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 10:00pm

      Kohelet – Ecclesiastes

      He hath made every thing beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that G-d hath done from the beginning even to the end.

      Report Post » Ari Ben TZion  
    • Ari Ben TZion
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 10:05pm

      It’s got nothing to do with instinct. The Creator has place eternity in every man’s heart.

      Report Post » Ari Ben TZion  
    • thermonator
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 10:10pm

      Yea. Junk theories like evolution and global warming.

      Report Post » thermonator  
    • BrownBear
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 10:36pm

      Before you congratulate yourself on both the speed and glib of your hubris, I’d like to point out the irony that you used the wrong “too”. Guess you haven’t evolved as much as you thought.

      Report Post » BrownBear  
    • WhiteFang
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 10:59pm

      Brownbear,

      Who are you responding to? or is it too? or maybe two?

      Report Post » WhiteFang  
    • MiketheTrucker
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 11:01pm

      Beings of higher intelligence could not possibly evolve from sludge in the swamp, therefore. we have a natural tendency to believe in creationism by intelligent design. Which is why liberals and communists don’t believe in God.

      Your soul is what gives you the calling to “find” God, as well as a relationship with Him. Funny though, that even with the numerous biblical prophecies that have already been fulfilled AND recorded in history, an atheist still can’t believe there is a God.

      Report Post »  
    • FSM_47
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 11:03pm

      You have obviously never been in Afghanistan :-)

      Report Post » FSM_47  
    • kevtheatheist
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 11:22pm

      This has been a theory of evolutionary psychologists for a while. Belief is inherent in the species; it is not taught. When you short-circuit this need to believe, it manifests itself to the point where people act religious even though they insist they are not. It is like all instincts, when you ignore or deny them, they manifest themselves anyway.
      Liberalism has been foisting its own morality on this country and legislating it. PC, hate crimes, the imperative to acknowledge race all are examples of this. Has science proven that multiculturalism is a good thing? People tend to stick with groups they are familiar with, because it provides some measure of security. Ask the French and British about “multiculturalism.” They’ve learned.
      When the whole global warming/climate change deal started, I was skeptical but willing to listen. Now, the one concrete piece of evidence I have that they are wrong is that the proponents treat it like a religion with censorship and its own moral code. Like most devotees of religion, they have little facts about what they believe in, just that it’s true. It is just a frustrating to talk to them, or liberals at all without seeing the similarities to talking to devotees of a particular religion.

      Report Post » kevtheatheist  
    • WhiteFang
      Posted on May 12, 2011 at 11:58pm

      kevtheatheist is trying to dazzle us with his important, “educated words”, like we are going to be impressed. He sounds like the evolution espousing professors in college who speak to us as if we were uneducated boobs, and we only need his superior help to understand the deep things of science.

      Well, understand this Kev, you are not as smart as you think, and we are not as dumb as you think. If you want to make friends, do not talk down to others.

      Report Post » WhiteFang  
    • kevtheatheist
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 12:20am

      Wow Whitefang, sensitive much?

      Report Post » kevtheatheist  
    • kevtheatheist
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 12:24am

      Oh, and yeah…there was a story on the Blaze that showed that agnostics and atheists tended to do better on quizzes on religion than the devotees did.

      Report Post » kevtheatheist  
    • BetterDays
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 12:41am

      But GOD what is your name, GODs answer “it’s is enough that I AM.”
      Sigh, I know, that I know, that I know, and nothing can ever change me save the Lord my GOD.
      Anyone can die for Jesus, will you live for Him today?

      Report Post »  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 4:22am

      Every so many generations comes along a generation of people who are more prone to the Holy spirit. And they are looking for that generation right now at this moment in time. You may have seen a news article at one point saying, “Where is the fourteenth colony that went to the U.S?”

      Report Post »  
    • sbeejustsaying
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 7:35am

      Acts 17:22-26

      22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

      24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

      NIV

      Report Post » sbeejustsaying  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 7:46am

      Syliva, to dismiss all science because some scientists postulate that global warming exists and it is man made, is very sloppy thinking and you are smarter than that. So rethink your position and it should become clearer to you why science can be trusted today.

      The second question you raised is interesting. Why has “GOD” only made his presence known for the past few thousand years when our species has been on earth in its current form for hundreds of thousands of years? Good question. Many intelligent thinkers believe the answer is simple and it’s like this: the concept of the Jewish god was created by mankind 3 or so thousand years ago, hence the belated arrival of the Heavens to our little earthly party.

      And why are their still monkeys around if we evolved from “them?” The answer is Sylvia, we did not evolve from the monkeys on earth today. Science has discovered that we did evolve from a common ancestor we did share eons ago however.

      It‘s easy enough to delve into these matters on one’s own, so feel free to do your own research and discover the truth yourself. Good luck Sylvia.

      Report Post »  
    • bboatmanable
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 7:47am

      @SYLVIA1969, ” I only question this,and maybe I don’t question it so much as I am curious.If the scientists say (and with global warming BS you can’t really believe anything they say anymore) the earth is billions of years old….then why is it we can only trace God and human life back 3,000 years ago?”
      That would be because every method of “dating” that science has is extremely flawed and “assumes” that the method is correct even when the facts state otherewise. Think about this. When Mount St. Helens erupted, it created (in just minutes) sedimentary levels that look very similar to what “scientists” say took billions of years. I recommend going to http://www.faithfacts.org. They have a great argument about the issue of evolution as well as many other things. Also, if you “believe” God, then shouldn’t you bleieve EVERYTHING He says? Imagine how you’d feel if someone called you a liar when you told them your name when they asked for it. That‘s basically what you’re saying to God when you don’t believe His word…..you’re calling Him a liar, and that is not His character.

      Report Post » bboatmanable  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 7:59am

      Glenn in VA, non-believers do not have “faith” in their knowledge. They simply digest information/knowledge/scientific proof/evidence and form the logical conclusions that the real world demands. It’s very simple. As newer information is discovered, the views of a free thinker becomes for refined and updated. Without the blinders of “faith”, one can see things as they really are and one grows wiser with the passage of time. To believe the same as primitive people who existed thousands of years ago simply because one is told to under threats and great promises that are impossible to prove is foolish. Free thinkers won’t have any of that, which is a far cry from what you like to call “faith.”

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 8:20am

      bboatmanable, to dismiss the wisdom of science, which can be empirically proven, and embrace that which cannot be proven, seems to be an inferior way to approach the world one lives in. It’s rather like insisting that leaves owe their color to unseen fairies who paint them while we sleep, instead of believing in the fact that chlorophyll gives leaves their color.

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 8:26am

      To ignore science is foolish. Man cannot fly and breathe in a vacuum, yet mankind is in fact living in space many miles above our heads (at the space station) and we have flown to the moon and back. Science has saved the lives of most all of us too, through discoveries mad at a microscopic level. All of these things would have been considered miracles in the past, but we know now that they are not miracles at all. Science cannot and should not be dismissed in favor of the supernatural. One can pray for light, to be healed and any manner of thing. But the fact remains, science will get the job done, not prayer.

      Report Post »  
    • Tony
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 8:40am

      all hunans at birth know how to use the “toilet”, just ask your mother who changed your diaper.

      Report Post »  
    • EdGunz
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 8:42am

      SYLVIA1969
      I totally understand your question regarding the age of our planet. I had the same questions as well as questions regarding dinosaurs. My dad is a geologist also so I have argued with him a lot over my new beliefs. check this website out or his CDs he gives some very good arguments for creation. http://toptenproofs.com/article_evolution.php. The arguments about the validity of carbon dating are one of the things that changed my mind. Good luck in your search for the truth, it still requires some faith until the science community pulls their heads out of the ass. If they focused their energy on proving creation to be true instead of trying to prove it false we would get an answer much quicker.

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 8:48am

      Ilesfordian, lots of silly quotes can be attributed to G.K. Chesterson. Thanks for providing an example of one.

      Report Post »  
    • Luke21
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 9:08am

      @Blacktooth,

      Interesting theory/interpretation. However if I understand what you’re saying, I think you run into problems when you get to Exodus 20:11 for the Lord says in 6 yom (days) – meaning literal days. While some use the day into a 1000 yrs & vise-versa, argument it doesn’t fly w/ the whole council of God. I believe “the rest” Hebrews 11 is speaking of is Jesus Christ, not a 6000+ yr & counting 7th day. Jesus rose on the 1st day of the week (or 8th day if you will), signifying a new begining. Folks like Silvia run into problems when they don‘t take the Bible for what it says and instead try to fit it into what man’s suedo-science claims (though she seems to be on the right track recognizing GW for what it really is). Meanwhile suedo-science perpetually attempts to discredit the Bible and mock God (who will not be mocked), only to have one man-made theory after another dumped in the ash heap of history. DNA was the final nail in darwin’s coffin (though, like a mortally wounded animal, the “devout anti-Creation types” howl still the louder). In the end God will be glorified, and His Kingdom will come and His will, will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven. Grace and Peace to you (definately not an issue to divide over).

      Report Post »  
    • seanthepatriot
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 9:10am

      Here is a great website to help http://2wordstory.com/got-questions/ it should answer all you questions

      Report Post »  
    • Wayner
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 10:01am

      MrButcher you’re a sad and lonely person. It shows in that you continually go out of your way to make believers seem to be the fools. I know you‘re searching but don’t know how. Try reading God’s Word where in Romans Chapter 1 we are told that man instinctively knows there is a God. That same Bible says “the FOOL in his heart has said there is no God.
      Better start searching today… eternity is a long, long, long time to wish you could get just one drop of water.

      Report Post »  
    • Sinista MACE
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 10:06am

      Everything is encoded on the vortex.

      You cannot avoid him. He is Omniscient and Omnipresent.

      The Black Hole vortex is EVERYWHERE at all times. It is contiguous.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 10:39am

      That’s it wayner – use a big old threat to persuade another to believe in your delusions.

      Report Post »  
    • NeoFan
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 10:50am

      What is even more amazing is how many so called “believers” can not see the reality of the existence of Satan.

      Report Post »  
    • ozchambers
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 11:09am

      God shaped holes

      Report Post » ozchambers  
    • DanB
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 11:15am

      “The fool is the one who attempts to place his imaginery burdens on the shoulders of a free thinker.”

      This quote is great! Unfortunately for the person who wrote this, I happen to believe in God, a higher power, a higher purpose. So if I believe in God, that we existed before this life, and that we will exist after this life… then why would I think this statement is still very true?

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 1:56pm

      And now danb claims we existed before our current existence, a claim more outrageous than most of the nonsense seen here by believers. But why stop there? Here’s a statement for you: we are a source of nutrition for alien beings whose lifespans are each a million years+ and they’ll be stopping back any day now as harvest time grows near. Oh, and the ones among us that are religious will be the appetizer and first course. Yes. Now disprove that one.

      Report Post »  
    • GONESURFING
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 3:18pm

      I better say it again, the fool has said in his heart that there is no God.

      Report Post » GONESURFING  
    • Mark Carlton
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 3:31pm

      Mr. Butcher, You seem confused. Please re-read the article. Using the toilet is a learned behavior, like atheism, for example. Belief, on the other hand, is our natural state. It would seem that faith, then, is a basic or intuitive type of knowledge and the implications of this are profound.

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 3:38pm

      Believers in the supernatural feel much more comfortable when everyone else is delusional as they are, but it still doesn’t make their delusions true.

      Report Post »  
    • DrFrost
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 4:02pm

      The religious look at this and take it as further evidence that we were created to have a relationship with God. The non-religious look at it as more evidence that the religious have fallen victim to the species’ superstitious tendencies.

      I‘m sure someone in Obama’s administration will have a plan to deal with this that involves more government, higher taxes and less personal freedom….

      Report Post »  
    • DanB
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 7:38pm

      If man is just an animal, then our fascination with a higher power has an extremely high probability of being born from a survival mechanism. Why do I say that?

      If two birds fly around at night, one is black and one is white, then we expect the black ones to survive better in their nocturnal lifestyle. Well, it seems that man has been surviving in a great many areas because we can think beyond mere survival. We survive in tundra, in desert, even in some jungles. In all these climates, man seems to consider that there is something beyond himself. This ability to consider that there is more has allowed us to even access atomic energy.

      So when I read of atheists attacking men for seeking something greater than ourselves, I wonder if perhaps they are at conflict with themselves. For are they not potentially trying to undo one of the tools that has allowed man to adapt and expand as a species.

      As for myself, I don’t see this as just a survival mechanism. Even before I heard of this study, I had pondered that so many cultures believe in some form of life beyond this. So many cultures believe in some form of higher power. I saw this as evidence to those who had eyes to see and ears to hear that there was indeed a God in Heaven.

      Either way, a belief in something greater may be a survival mechanism, or it may be a grand design from a higher being. As for me, I chose to believe in God. My choice and things have happened since that I see as validating that choice.

      Report Post »  
    • sodacrackers2
      Posted on May 13, 2011 at 9:57pm

      MrButcher, and your point is? Many animals are born knowing everything they need to know to survive. Humans are a little bit more complicated than that. That empty feeling we all feel inside at one time or another is a longing for God.

      Report Post »  
    • Sinista MACE
      Posted on May 14, 2011 at 10:23am

      OZCHAMBERS said: “God shaped holes”

      This is a very profound statement. In this statement lies the truth of everything and nothing simultaneously.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • boogeo
      Posted on May 14, 2011 at 10:36am

      Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. – Ronald Reagan

      We are never defeated unless we give up on God. – Ronald Reagan I like the way people invoke the name of Reagan into religion. I think I have attended church more than St. Ronnie ever did.

      Report Post »  
    • DL
      Posted on May 14, 2011 at 10:51pm

      In the end, junk theories will win the day.

      BTW, All are born with the innate ability to know when to take a dump. Where they do it is not relevant..

      Report Post »  
    • Seventeen_Year_Old_Politician
      Posted on May 21, 2011 at 8:59am

      Romans 1:6. Enough said

      Report Post » Seventeen_Year_Old_Politician  

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