IN THEORY:Is faith a matter of genetics?

In a recent debate, Daniel Dennett, a professor at Tufts University, argued that religions are like genes, the most successful ones survive not necessarily because their ideas are true, but because they have succeeded as the “fittest” religious arguments through the years. Since not all religions can be true, he suggested that other reasons must be at play in perpetuating them — such as the idea that mankind may be genetically predisposed to being religious.

What do you think of this notion? Could there be a genetic link to religion?

In addressing this question from a Bahá’í perspective, two important principles come to mind. The first is our abiding belief in progressive revelation, the concept that throughout history, God has sent and will continue to send, holy individuals endowed with perfect, divine knowledge, with teachings to renew and advance civilization and man’s understanding of the nature of the Creator. In this regard, the supposition that “not all religions can be true” comes into question.

All the major revelations, including those founded by Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ, Buddha, Muhammad and Bahá’u’lláh, are actually true when understood as part of an eternal divine plan. Misunderstandings of some of the symbolic aspects of ancient teachings have led to arguments and schisms, but this is man’s immaturity at work, not a failing on the part of God or of His divine messengers.

The second Bahá’í principle that finds relevance to this topic is the essential harmony of science and religion, and the acceptance of both as mutual means of understanding existence and the human condition.

Evidential science and intangible belief provide parallel paths to truth and knowledge, and we encourage scientific exploration as a partner to religion.

Perhaps the theory that we are genetically predisposed to a greater or lesser inclination to believe may help explain what drives our thirst to know the unknowable. Perhaps God has given us a small assist to finding faith by creating within us a chemical, biological or genetic blueprint that gently pulls us toward Him. We have far to go to fully understand the nature of faith. There is merit to approaching that understanding by scientific method, as well as by simply and humbly accepting what our souls recognize to be true, without needing proof.

BARBARA CRAMER

Secretary

Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Glendale

I do not believe that human beings are genetically connected to religion. Perhaps, instead, we are linked to religion by the common factors of fear and superstition. No one can know how religion had its birth originally, but I have always suspected that it grew out of primitive man’s fear of the elements, fear of wild animals and fear of the unknown. At first, what we now call religion was likely something more like communal superstition — based strictly on fear.

Life must have been tenuous at best in those times, as danger lurked everywhere. Primitive man probably reasoned that he had little or no chance of success in such an environment without help. He may have invented this possible source of protection — or perhaps he came to understand intuitively that a God really existed. In those early days, it was more likely plural gods rather than a single god.

Since fear was one of man’s strongest emotions, these gods were undoubtedly called upon for protection.

Such calls were met with success at times, but at other times, with failure. Out of this uncertainty grew the practice of sacrifice. Every effort was made to appease “the angry gods,” including offering a prize animal or a handy young virgin as a sacrifice. Even sacrifice didn’t always work, but since it seemed to at times, primitive man made even more grandiose sacrifices, always trying to win favor.

The one central element in the rise of early religion was almost certainly fear. Unfortunately, it still is today in many religions, including Christianity. Millions fear that God will punish them eternally. Only a relative few worship a loving and forgiving God, even in Christianity. Most seem to worship a vengeful, angry God who will burn us, or worse, if we don’t toe the line. Only a few believe in an absolutely good God. Only a few ever find peace in life as a result.

Wonder what would have happened if primitive man had taught his children and others in the tribe to love God instead of fear God? Wonder what religion would be like today if love was its primary emphasis, rather than fear of God and fear of punishment and torture for eternity?

There is nothing genetic at all about religion. The common link is that one generation after another of human beings has passed along unreasonable fear of God. And that, come to think of it, is un-Godly.

THE REV. THOMAS E. WITHERSPOON

Unity Church of the Valley

La Crescenta

Religion is our way of explaining the human condition and the mysteries of life. Since the beginning of time, humankind has struggled with the big questions: Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going?

Religion has given answers to these questions, and to much more.

Certainly, along the way, as knowledge and thought have evolved, the parameters in which religion is expressed have changed. Religious systems do not exist in vacuums, and so they evolve.

For instance, a primitive man looking out at a field sees lightning striking the earth. His only understanding of the storm is within the confines of his own knowledge base. He may assume that someone or something is trying to hurt him in the same way that he kills an animal to eat or to make clothing. Later in history, as societies developed and justice systems became necessary, moral tags may have been placed on the same storm. Man saw the lightning as a punishment upon him and his possessions by some supernatural being. Today, knowledge takes away the wonder and we accept the reality of weather systems that charge the air with negative and positive forces.

Yes, we are predisposed to religion. We do look for wonder and we try to bring order out of chaos. In my own tradition, our history is filled with chaos, with barbarians that stormed through Armenia, raping, pillaging and seeking genocide. The notion of a suffering God, who is betrayed, tortured and crucified, parallels our existence. We find hope, and therefore the will to survive, in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. To us, this was God intervening in our own history. It is the reason for us to believe in brighter tomorrows.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

In His Shoes Mission

The Bible presents a very good, and nongenetic, explanation for the existence of different, contradicting religions throughout mankind’s history.

Scripture teaches us that there is one eternally existing God. He created us, loves us, and wants us to know the truth about Him so that we all could enjoy an eternal relationship with Him. He has revealed Himself through prophets and apostles and ultimately in His son,Jesus Christ. Throughout the ages, people keep turning to Him because He really exists and because He draws us to Himself through faith in His son.

So why are there contradicting religions? Satan, a created angel, rebelled against God because of his pride. He opposes God and every good thing God does. He hates every human being because we are created in God’s image. As “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44), he continually works for man’s destruction. Because “God … desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), Satan keeps propagating religious and atheistic lies to keep this from happening.

Search your heart. Do you really think you’re just a genetic blob held captive to believe only what your genes dictate? I don’t think you are. And God definitively says you’re not.

PASTOR JON BARTA

Valley Baptist Church

Yes, it’s believed by Christians that this is the case. Scripture says that everyone knows there is a God, they simply deny the fact so as to continue living their sinful lifestyles (Romans 1:20). God created man in His own image, meaning that man has the genetic proclivity to morally act and have a relationship with this relational God. Thus, we are invariably and inescapably religious.

Pascal is often credited with describing man as possessing a constitutional “God-shaped vacuum” that is always going to be filled with something, whether God, false religions or temporal pleasure. Some quote Ecclesiastes 3:11 where it says that God has created people with “eternity in their heart,” a desire to seek the meaningful beyond.

One article suggested that our brains are predisposed toward prayer, because when believers engage that activity, it shows up on electronic graphing equipment. This too makes sense if our relational God intended that His unique creation, made in His own image, should come to Him by this means. Where would such a disposition derive if not designed? How would it serve Darwin’s survival of the fittest, especially if it means persecution, martyrdom and crucifixion?

If God has revealed Himself truthfully, then contrary religions are necessarily false, though they would still serve to fill the void with an artificial god-flavored substitute. Whole cultures have so confused their national identities with religious ones that their people would rather believe myths than admit error and risk collapsing something that provides them with belonging.

God didn’t leave us wondering. He revealed Himself to us in a most personal way — by virtue of the Messiah, by becoming man. Rather than continuing to reject Jesus, take this season to investigate the claims. Visit a Christian church and see if God doesn’t connect with your spiritual genes this Easter.

THE REV. BRYAN GRIEM

Senior Pastor

MontroseCommunityChurch.org

I disagree with the premise that “not all religions can be true.” The Torah teaches that Judaism is the right path for Jews, as is Christianity for Christians and Islam for Muslims. As long as one believes in a divine power that presides over our universe and practices religion in a peaceful, nonthreatening manner, then they are living a purposeful, spiritual life.

In fact, Judaism discourages conversion and teaches that one can be a good person within the parameters of the religion of their birth.

I feel that the reason religion perseveres and is a powerful force in people’s lives — today more so than ever — is because a world without religion and spirituality can spiral dangerously into chaos and destruction, as we have unfortunately witnessed during the past century.

In the span of a mere 20 years, the Godless duo of Hitler and Stalin murdered hundreds of millions (including many of my own family members) more than were killed by all religious strife combined during the previous 3,000 years.

Religious teachings require us to abide by a moral standard dictated by a higher power, and not by humans.

If mortal beings were to determine moral values, then one person’s moral principle can be considered by another as an insignificant idea.

When we follow a universal code of morality that is not up for interpretation, however, then murder or theft is abhorrent regardless of the religion, race, color or creed of the victim.

RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN

Chabad Jewish Center

Mankind may be genetically predisposed to being religious, so there could be a genetic link to religion. But what I find interesting is the assumption that not all religions can be true. That is a huge assumption.

While I’ll grant that Satanism and Christianity don’t have anything in common, Christianity, Judaism and Islam do have some things in common, such as the link all three have with Abraham, the father of Isaac and Ishmael. There are other things, too, including the call to be righteous and to show mercy on the powerless.

What’s more, the assumption that not all religions can be true really limits the awesomeness of the Living God. My mother had a book that I saw as I was growing up called, “Your God is Too Small” by J.B. Phillips. The point of the book was that most of our concepts of God are so restrictive and limiting.

I personally have always had a tough time with any religion that claimed to be “the one true church” or “the only way to God.” How can any person of any faith possibly make that arrogant claim? (I am familiar, by the way, with John 14:6. And I hold that that verse is open to interpretation as to what exactly Jesus meant.) Have you ever contemplated the universe? It’s huge, and the God who created it is even greater.

Psalm 19 starts out, “The heavens are telling the glory of God.” How can we puny humans possibly attempt to put any limit on that glory?

THE REV. C. L. “SKIP” LINDEMAN

Congregational Church of the Lighted Window

United Church of Christ

La Cañada Flintridge