Swearing and the God Gene

Last week I saw a FB post that stated that a study now shows that people who use vulgar and profane language were very intelligent.  You can be assured that everyone who commented on that post made sure to use foul expletives to impress everyone with their high “IQ”!  Later I read that a geneticist named Dean Hamer who works for the National Cancer Institute, claimed he has found a “God gene” in people.  He has published his hypotheses as the God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired Into Our Genes. Roughly stated, Hamer, a materialistic evolutionist claims a gene is the reason we believe in God.  Previous to the “God gene finding” Hamer, in 1993 said he found there was a “male homosexual gene” which also received great fanfare.

For many people these sorts of claims are believed and passed on as fact – after all, Hamer is a scientist and, most believe that FB is a very reliable source of information! Besides, the word “study” strongly implies that there has been thorough research on the topic at hand.  But, are studies and polls always reliable? 

The truth is they can only be as reliable as the people and the facts used by those who are conducting the study.  The past election has educated the public and fostered a very real skepticism towards the “experts”, and their “studies” and “polls”, and rightly so!   

We should keep in mind that we are living in an informational age, but also an age of “agenda- driven” research and news, now known as “fake news”.  However the Bible warns that there will be liars whose consciences have become callused; there will be lovers of self, self-adulation, arrogant, malicious gossips and haters of good, just to name a few things! (1Timothy 4:1-2, 2Timothy 3:1-5) Granted there have always been liars, but in our day, lying has become acceptable.  The shame associated with lying is gone and now we not only excuse the lies of politicians and just about anyone else, but some even commend them for it!

Only a very foolish or perverted person would believe the so-called link between intelligence and cursing (casual observation will prove otherwise).  But, what about Mr. Hamer’s gene “findings”, can we believe him? We will leave that to another evolutionary scientist, Carl Zimmer.  Zimmer blasted the “God Gene” and “male homosexual gene” as very bad science and a reckless argument!    You can read his response at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/faith-boosting-genes/

So let’s be on guard and not swallow every expert’s claim.  After all, Proverbs 18:17 states: “The first to plead his case seems right until another comes and examines him.”  

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Gary A. Smith
(Repost from 12.15.16)

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