I found this fantastic post on Ps James Macphersons blog:
THE LATEST psychological research suggests evolutionary thinking is unnatural.
Research published in the latest edition of The Scientific American, has found that, regardless of the parents' religious beliefs or lack-thereof, children aged 8-10 give exclusively creationist answers about the origin of life.
It's only after the age of 10 that children of evolutionist parents begin to give evolutionary answers as to how things came to be.
Researchers claim a "cognitive glitch that invades our rationalist thought whenever we’re pondering the subject of life’s origins" causes us to naturally believe in creation, until taught to think otherwise.
Click HERE to keep reading.
Please do leave a comment and let me know what you thought of the post.
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12 comments:
Humans are capable of making themselves believe whatever they want to believe. I haven't read the Scientific American article but I don't find young children defaulting to a creationist thinking good support for creation as fact. That children reason on lower level is confirmed by Paul: "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways."
I'd consider neuro-circuts that are set up as a child grows and influenced by parental and other input as the reason children reason as they do once older until they educate themselves to a reasoned position on their own. (Or they have a God encounter where they can no longer deny the presence of God - though one could argue that experience too).
I'm a creationist through and through but I find the use of children's default to justify creation falls short scientifically.
Well I have always thought it takes much more effort and intention to choose to understand and believe in the big bang theory and the evolution theory etc than in a Creator God who seems so much more intuitively plausible... to be honest I found the argument in the article dry and the lack of methodology as to how they reached this conclusion suspicious. Not very scientific!
Just shows you how amazing is our God, we believe in him before we are even taught to believe in him. That is just crazy. Then just to jump to another topic quickly that has boggled my brain a bit, what is your take on the belief of past lives. I have recently come across a few people who believe in God - Our God , Jesus etc and also believe that we have past lives and that is how we get closer to God because we could never get it right in one lifetime??
Hey Maryke...
Thats a great question. Many people carry various opinions about life and the afterlife.
Hebrews 9:27-28 has the following to say:
27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
The story the rich man and Lazarus also clearly shows that we can not return to earth.
On the subject of being close to God... our perception of God being near or far to us is nothing more than perception. The truth is stated in the Bible that when we ask Jesus into our lives that God's Holy Spirit dwells in us as a guarantee of heaven. (2 Cor 1:22; 2 Cor 5:5; John 14:16-18)
Can we get closer to God than having Him live in us?
What do your friends mean by being close to God?
Hey Anonymous... thanks for your comments!
I wouldn't use children's position on creation as a fact... simply another pointer.
I agree too that we can convince ourselves and rationalize just about anything. That's exactly why people can not believe in God in the face of over whelming evidence (even just looking at creation alone...)
And now for a confession... I didn't read the article from the Scientific American... slack hey!!!
Hey Clive
Wow thanks for that now I can go back with some scriptural back up cause they also read the bible.
Sorry I think I didn't explain very well they believe that you return to earth each time so that you can become a better person each time and do less wrong each time and t=in that way get closer to God?? Who knows it's all a bit freaky if you ask me.
Yeah I got that... but the above Scriptures clearly show that we only get one shot at this.
Feel free to flick me anymore questions you or your mates have. : )
Thanks Clive makes sense not really a question but something I have been really struggling with the past couple of years and I am not sure where it came from but I just can't seem to get over this. I can't remember exactly when this started but I have developed this most incredible phobia for dying and the few people I have told can't believe I have this phobia because of my faith and strong beliefs but I do. Literally to a point where I almost think about it every day and get gripped with fear almost breaking out in a cold sweat just at the thought of it. I have prayed about it and I don't think about it as often but that fear is still not gone, I don't know how to get rid of it. Any suggestions? Any words of comfort? I havn't really spoken to anyone at church about it , I just feel so silly, I spoke to the guy who married us once and he gave me a few scriptues to read but I have not been able to find any peace or comfort on this subject. I can hardly even watch anything on TV where someone dies and my heart starts racing etc. Maybe you have some advice? Thats how I got onto this whole previous lives story, this friend who believes in it says it might be something I am carrying from a previous life and saw a show once where people get like hipnotised to go back in time and find out where this phobia comes from so they can get rid of it, of course I don't believe in all that stuff that scares me even more than death, but I am just kind of at a desperate point. Sorry for this really long comment, but just thought maybe you had some views on it for me.
Thanks
I think it would help if you tried to think about what event / circumstance really triggered all of these fears.
I'll ponder for a few days and then let you know my 2c worth.
maryke - I think some Refocussing counselling would help you with that fear. I think that approach would be really valuable to you - if you can get to Auckland I know a couple of really good people I could recommend up there for you.
As for personal experiences, I have been as close to death as I would like to get for a while once and let's just say that experience has given me a real peace about the process of dying. Often what people fear about death is the process rather than what's on either side. I don't know if that's true for you or not.
Anyway ... if you think you'd like to know more about Refocussing counselling (very God centred) check out www.godspaces.com and I'm happy to recommend someone to you, though the only two people I would confidently recommend are in Auckland.
Judy.
Hi
If I really think about it it is probably since my grandfathers death 8 years ago, the only person really close to me that has ever died. I also wanted to be with him when he died becuase I didn't want him to be alone when he died. I didn't get that chance, it was also quite a sudden thing and a very traumatic time come to think of it. Not sure but thats probably maybe what triggered all this. Thanks for giving it some thought and look forward to hearing from you.
Take care:-)
Hi Judy
Thank you for that I am really going to look into it. Unfortunately though I live in South Africa not New Zealand but I will look into it here.
It is exactly as you say it is the process I think that scares me most.
Thank you for the feedback, really appreciate it.
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