| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"maff" |
| Date: |
21 Jun 2005 04:11:14 AM |
| Object: |
Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes |
Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/21/science/21gene.html?pagewanted=all
By BENEDICT CAREY
A team of political scientists is arguing that people's gut-level
reaction to social issues is strongly influenced by genetic
inheritance.
Genetics
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/talk.origins/msg/428422b6b30e2b8b
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| User: "Kate " |
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| Title: Re: Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes |
21 Jun 2005 08:34:01 AM |
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On 21 Jun 2005 02:11:14 -0700, "maff" <maff91@yahoo.com> wrote:
Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/21/science/21gene.html?pagewanted=all
By BENEDICT CAREY
A team of political scientists is arguing that people's gut-level
reaction to social issues is strongly influenced by genetic
inheritance.
I've thought that there are some genetic components to political
stance - kind of like the population of cats that hangs out in my
rural neighborhood. Some cats will tame down easily and others will
never trust people and their kittens are more likely to too. I think
some people have a genetic inability to like working as a group and
don't want the group helping each other. They find it distasteful to
do so and wrong to accept in any form. They are less social than
others.
I think the author is simplistic when he assumes that people as a
population are becoming more polarized in this trait. He says that
people tend to choose a mate who has the same traits as they do in
this so we are becoming more a more distinct and concentrated in this
trait. Genes don't work that way. Some do, but you can't assume
that.
Humans used to travel very little, so the gene pools tended to be
localized. That's not true any more at all.
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| User: "john" |
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| Title: Re: Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes |
21 Jun 2005 05:50:28 AM |
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You may remember recently a scientist made the news after claiming that
a propensity for religious belief was genetically influenced. I think
he was probably correct along with those now saying the same about
politics.
The biggest tragedy is that so few people have the ability to use
logical thought and to discern truth by observing the world around
them.
Agression is genetically programmed, and many are now able to control
these impulses, so I guess there is hope for the future that political
and religious fanaticism will be reduced.
maff wrote:
Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/21/science/21gene.html?pagewanted=all
By BENEDICT CAREY
A team of political scientists is arguing that people's gut-level
reaction to social issues is strongly influenced by genetic
inheritance.
Genetics
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/talk.origins/msg/428422b6b30e2b8b
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| User: "Michael Voytinsky" |
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| Title: Re: Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes |
21 Jun 2005 05:42:12 PM |
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john wrote:
Agression is genetically programmed,
It (like a lot of things) is a bit more complex than that.
The relationship between genotype and phenotype is rarely especially
strong.
In case of agression, there have been some studies that show that there
are genes that increase predisposition to violence - if the person
grows up in a stressful environment, the genes seem to "turn on".
Otherwise, they seem to do nothing.
From evolutionary perspective, this makes perfect sense. If you are
not in a violent environment, and you are violent, people will hate you
and this is not good for your chances of survival. But if you are in a
violent environment, being violent will give you a chance.
This also fits the observation that most violent criminals have had
abusive childhoods - but that most people with abusive childhoods do
not become violent criminals.
I wonder if political and religious predispositions can be similarly
"turned on" by environmental factors.
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| User: "Bill" |
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| Title: Re: Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes |
21 Jun 2005 07:41:23 PM |
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"Michael Voytinsky" <michaelvoy@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1119393732.431973.56740@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
john wrote:
Agression is genetically programmed,
It (like a lot of things) is a bit more complex than that.
The relationship between genotype and phenotype is rarely especially
strong.
In case of agression, there have been some studies that show that there
are genes that increase predisposition to violence - if the person
grows up in a stressful environment, the genes seem to "turn on".
Otherwise, they seem to do nothing.
From evolutionary perspective, this makes perfect sense. If you are
not in a violent environment, and you are violent, people will hate you
and this is not good for your chances of survival. But if you are in a
violent environment, being violent will give you a chance.
This also fits the observation that most violent criminals have had
abusive childhoods - but that most people with abusive childhoods do
not become violent criminals.
I wonder if political and religious predispositions can be similarly
"turned on" by environmental factors.
After many months of reading religious news groups it does appear that
many so called "believers" are genetically wired to be believers.
The recent Asian Tsunami that cost the lives of 270,000 men, women and
totally innocent
children of all religious persuasions brought home the point.
Non believers thought this was a horrible natural catastrophe. Believers
assigned
it to their Gods wrath or just claimed we cannot understand Gods methods.
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