Skip to main content

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)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

To Trick Or Treat Or Not

  As new believers in Christ and young parents, my wife and I really struggled with Halloween and whether we would allow our kids to participate in it or not.   While growing up, Halloween was such an intriguing time of the year, with ghosts, witches, goblins, ghouls and all sorts of eerie stuff, how fun, since I was taught all these things weren’t real.   As I got older, and a little too old to roam about town looking for treats and tricks, I would help my parents hand out treats for the Trick or Treaters that came to our house.   It was fun putting candy into their bags, looking at all the clever and creative costumes, and trying to guess who was behind the masks.   Sometimes we would even recognize neighborhood kids who were way too old to be out Trick or Treating! I also have a memory of another side of our innocent candy collecting adventures.   It was when my friend Jack and I were invited in by a man with the promise of candy.   He kept stalli...
Post a Comment
Read more

SECULAR HUMANISM – AMERICAN’S NEW RELIGION

  Though the evidence of Secular Humanism can be found everywhere in our culture few individuals seem to be able to define it or identify its pernicious presence. Many do not recognize that Secular Humanism has become America’s new religion; for this very reason we must learn what it is and how it is affecting us. We need to seek answers to these questions: What is it? What does it teach? Where is it at work in our society today? First let us define it: (I have taken the liberty to copy this brief definition from a commentary of the late Bible scholar Dr. Donald C. Stamps.) “Secular humanism teaches that humanity, the universe and all that exists consist only of matter and energy shaped into their present form by impersonal chance. It teaches that humans have not been created by a personal God, but are the product of a chance process of evolution. It rejects belief in a personal, infinite God and denies that the Bible is God’s inspired revelation to the human race (atheis...
Post a Comment
Read more

ETERNAL JUDGEMENT and THE JUDGEMENT OF THE BELIEVER

Did you know that judgement is a basic teaching of Christianity and the Jewish faith? Here is what the New Testament writer of the Book of Hebrews said; “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites (baptisms), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.” Hebrews 6:1-3 You may have noticed that this is not a common topic in today’s church! Personally, I do not think I have ever heard a sermon on it, though books have been written that cover the topic quite well. (For example Derek Prince’s book on Eternal Judgement is exceptionally good.) But, in the past this was not always the case, as we can see when the Apostle Paul stood before Governor Felix and his wife Drusilla explaining “faith in Christ Jesus”. “He sent for Paul and listened t...
Post a Comment
Read more