"God Spots" in Human Brain Discovered!

[Dr. Bob Gonzales]

Modern man is making huge strides in understanding and subduing the world in which he lives. In the 20th century, he managed to unlock the incredible energy contained in minuscule particles called atoms. Now, in the 21st century, he has accomplished the reverse. He has taken the infinite and almighty Creator of the universe and reduced him to a mass of neurons in the human brain. Astounding!

Fox News reporter Jeremy Hsu recently reported this breakthrough in an article entitled, “Scientists Locate ‘God Spot’ in Human Brain” on Foxnews.com. The study employed the technology of an fMRI to scan the human brain and detect neural activity while participants (both believers and non-believers) responded to statements reflecting various propositions related to God and religious beliefs. According to one of the researchers, neuroscientist Jordan Grafman, the findings show that “religion is not a special case of a belief system but evolved along with other belief and social cognitive abilities.”

These findings raise important questions for the Bible-believing Christian. Do these “God-neurons” distinguish humans from non-human species? More importantly, do the presence of these specialized neurons or religious neural reactions in the human brain account for the true origin of the God of the Bible? That is, is this “God-thing” all in our heads? The blog post below attempts to provide a brief response to these questions.

"God Spots" in Human Brain Discovered: Is the God of the Bible Really Just a Mass of Misfiring Neurons?

Your servant,

 

[Skyler]

These findings raise important questions for the Bible-believing Christian. Do these “God-neurons” distinguish humans from non-human species? More importantly, do the presence of these specialized neurons or religious neural reactions in the human brain account for the true origin of the God of the Bible? That is, is this “God-thing” all in our heads?

To quote Sarah:

no

EDIT: I like your thinking. Suppressing the truth was the first idea that popped into my head when I read that.

 

[charliejunfan]

hmmmm.... I don't think the world would want me to be an atheist, if I was I would take advantage of the waste of life and being and I would kill millions and steal whatever I wanted, I would probably just rape too. I would have absolutely no point to live accept my own happiness in climbing the death ladder to become supreme tyrant until someone killed me or I died of old age.

 

[Knoxienne]

hmmmm.... I don't think the world would want me to be an atheist, if I was I would take advantage of the waste of life and being and I would kill millions and steal whatever I wanted, I would probably just rape too. I would have absolutely no point to live accept my own happiness in climbing the death ladder to become supreme tyrant until someone killed me or I died of old age.

Such would be exactly our lives had the Lord not converted us. Praise the Lord for His rich mercies.

 

[AThornquist]

hmmmm.... I don't think the world would want me to be an atheist, if I was I would take advantage of the waste of life and being and I would kill millions and steal whatever I wanted, I would probably just rape too. I would have absolutely no point to live accept my own happiness in climbing the death ladder to become supreme tyrant until someone killed me or I died of old age.

Indeed.

 

[Craig]

I wonder what the study would have proven if no section of the participants' brains lit up when considering God?

 

[LadyFlynt]

Hey! A new way to figure out the elect...Brain Scans!


(I'm kidding!)

 

[Theognome]

This is old news, actually...

[video=youtube;qvijJTjZ8Rg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvijJTjZ8Rg[/video]

Theognome

 

[PresbyDane]

That was cool

 

[August]

Mm. I don't quite get this. I don't see anything that lights up when they look for the "evolved from primordial soup thus there is no God" spot. Maybe they are scanning the wrong locations of human anatomy to find that spot.

Jokes aside, how do they know the increased neural activity is both a cause and an effect? If it is just an effect, what causes it? Or are they arguing that the mere mention of the word God triggers a pre-determined (evolved) response? But how does that explain ardent atheists becoming Christians or professed believers becoming atheists? Do they "evolve" while growing up, or develop this increased neural activity at the age of 85, like Flew?

 

[steven-nemes]

Is that the sensus divinitatis? Also, discussing this question would seem like a good time to deploy the EEAN....

 

[ColdSilverMoon]

What's the big deal?

The brain scans showed that people use known, higher-function brain regions to sort out their thoughts on God and religion. For instance, parts of the brain linked with theory of mind (ToM) lit up when trying to understand a supposedly detached God's intentions – although individual minds varied wildly when pondering a more involved God.

So this study basically proves that people use higher-function brain center when they contemplate God. Isn't that pretty obvious? Do we really need an MRI and a federally subsidized study to tell us that?

 

[py3ak]

It would be particularly ironic if they found a "skeptical" or "scientific" point in the brain. Although they might not see the point, they are caught on the horns of a dilemma. If their "researchy" thoughts are produced by the firing of neurons in a certain region of the brain, it rather undermines their universal validity (or causes my "undermining of universal validity spot to light up" at any rate). But if they could demonstrate that those thoughts are not physically or mechanically caused by the brain, they've left the door open.

 

[August]

What's the big deal?

The brain scans showed that people use known, higher-function brain regions to sort out their thoughts on God and religion. For instance, parts of the brain linked with theory of mind (ToM) lit up when trying to understand a supposedly detached God's intentions – although individual minds varied wildly when pondering a more involved God.

So this study basically proves that people use higher-function brain center when they contemplate God. Isn't that pretty obvious? Do we really need an MRI and a federally subsidized study to tell us that?

Does that imply that non-Godly or non-religious thoughts are lower brain function? Just wondering.

 

[ColdSilverMoon]

What's the big deal?

The brain scans showed that people use known, higher-function brain regions to sort out their thoughts on God and religion. For instance, parts of the brain linked with theory of mind (ToM) lit up when trying to understand a supposedly detached God's intentions – although individual minds varied wildly when pondering a more involved God.

So this study basically proves that people use higher-function brain center when they contemplate God. Isn't that pretty obvious? Do we really need an MRI and a federally subsidized study to tell us that?

Does that imply that non-Godly or non-religious thoughts are lower brain function? Just wondering.

No, not all non-religious thoughts. Only those that didn't require a higher level of processing.

 

[Staphlobob]

hmmmm.... I don't think the world would want me to be an atheist, if I was I would take advantage of the waste of life and being and I would kill millions and steal whatever I wanted, I would probably just rape too. I would have absolutely no point to live accept my own happiness in climbing the death ladder to become supreme tyrant until someone killed me or I died of old age.

Amen! You made a good logical connection. If only atheists (and worst of all, universalists) could do the same. Years ago I had a seminary professor point out that the future of apologetics wouldn't revolve around issues like inerrancy, or even the existence of God, but concept of meaninglessness.

 

[MW]

We didn't really need a scientific breakthrough to inform us that man is to use his brain in service to God.

 

[ZackF]

Hmm. Atheist proselytizer, Sam Harris, has gone after such things.

"He has currently acquired a phD in neuroscience at UCLA,[2] using functional magnetic resonance imaging to conduct research into the neural basis of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty.[5"

 

[JimmieD]

Modern man is making huge strides in understanding and subduing the world in which he lives. In the 20th century, he managed to unlock the incredible energy contained in minuscule particles called atoms. Now, in the 21st century, he has accomplished the reverse. He has taken the infinite and almighty Creator of the universe and reduced him to a mass of neurons in the human brain. Astounding!

Fox News reporter Jeremy Hsu recently reported this breakthrough in an article entitled, “Scientists Locate ‘God Spot’ in Human Brain” on Foxnews.com. The study employed the technology of an fMRI to scan the human brain and detect neural activity while participants (both believers and non-believers) responded to statements reflecting various propositions related to God and religious beliefs. According to one of the researchers, neuroscientist Jordan Grafman, the findings show that “religion is not a special case of a belief system but evolved along with other belief and social cognitive abilities.”

These findings raise important questions for the Bible-believing Christian. Do these “God-neurons” distinguish humans from non-human species? More importantly, do the presence of these specialized neurons or religious neural reactions in the human brain account for the true origin of the God of the Bible? That is, is this “God-thing” all in our heads? The blog post below attempts to provide a brief response to these questions.

I think it would be more troubling than all else to find that evolution wasn't concerned with the formation of true beliefs.

 

[DonP]

It would be particularly ironic if they found a "skeptical" or "scientific" point in the brain. Although they might not see the point, they are caught on the horns of a dilemma. If their "researchy" thoughts are produced by the firing of neurons in a certain region of the brain, it rather undermines their universal validity (or causes my "undermining of universal validity spot to light up" at any rate). But if they could demonstrate that those thoughts are not physically or mechanically caused by the brain, they've left the door open.

Yea I was thinking they want to find a predisposition to believe these fables.

But you know they would never consider it scientific to look for a skeptical spot in the brain. The Atheist spot or agnostic predisposition.

Wouldn't it be interesting to see if these blinded folks didn't have a god spot that lighted up when they were asked questions? Hmmm...

"Evolved in man..." what a joke. How do they know if we have such a thing it wasn't put their in creation by God. Like a conscience, that keeps us all from being like our good buddy CharlieJunFan would have been, so that we didn't destroy ourselves eliminating the species from the gene pool?

Professing themselves to be wise... they manifest their reprobacy. Is that a word? Hey maybe I evolved a new word.