No.

Read the article and try to keep up.

What it means is that what you believe is true is reinforced by a response in the pleasure/reward centers of the brain and what you disbelieve is reinforced in the pain/disgust centers of the brain.

So what this does is it reinforces whatever the person was taught as a child. It shows that children are indoctrinated into religions and then tend to stay there because of that indoctrination. It takes extra effort to then break away from that belief. People get addicted to belief.

It is like smoking. If you force your child to smoke they will initially not want to do it. But then they become addicted – cigarettes trigger reactions in the pleasure reward centers of the brain. The smoker may know that they are slowly killing themselves, but they care for that less than the immediate reward of smoking.

How does it feel to be a God junkie?

No. I don’t have “religious” beliefs, but I do believe in the one True God. It’s my heart, not my brain that tells me what is the truth. The Truth that was implanted in me by the Holy Spirit, who lives in me.

No…some of us are born again..

its like any belief, you believe in what has been ingraved in your head, until your smart enough to make your own determination on what you think is true, false, ect.. as far as religion goes, why do u think children are brought into it so fast, at a young age you are schooled on it, and pushed to live the way your denomination tells you to, until you grow up, mature and believe what you want…

i think it’s largely a geographic and demographic thing. if a baby is born into a christian family, they’ll be brought up christian, just as if a baby is born into a muslim family, they’ll be brought up muslim. it’s only when people are exposed to other beliefs and/or something happens that causes them to question the beliefs with which they have been brought up, that there is this perceived change.

All intellectual activity is centered in the brain, so as far as that goes, religion is in the brain. If you’re wondering if one physical/chemical brain make-up pre-determines one’s religious orientation, then I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.

You ask an intriguing question, however, from the quotation you included, I don’t see any evidence that religious preference can be determined by the VMPC. I do find it interesting, however, that the last sentence in the section you quoted could be used as a basis to promote belief systems or to denigrate them.
Just pondering…..

It certainly appears to be able to determine the depth of such beliefs attainable by the owner of the brain–I’m still up in the air about any particular link between organic make-up of the brain and the ability to believe/disbelieve, etc….

No usually your up bringing determines your religious beliefs. Then when a persons matures and lives on their own they can change beliefs according to their social beliefs. So religion like other things are determined by your surroundings.

Well …if it isn’t your brain , then what does the thinking ?

In love matters….I already know the answer to that.

and it isn’t the brain.

Cheers !

The woodster

Um… If it’s not the brain that determines religious belief’s, then what would it be? Your foot?

I understand what the article is saying, but really it comes down to the brain for everything you believe, know, think, feel and otherwise sense.

I’m not a scientist, so I can’t really give an informed answer. But I will say that I’ve been skeptical and had trouble believing all my life – even when I was trying to believe, it was like forcing myself. The little voice at the back of my mind yelling “Bullshit!” never DID go away.

I think some personality types may be more predisposed to religious belief, but I believe most of it has to do with the culture in which you were raised.

yes

nah. i think it is the events in our life that make us who we are. i don’t think we’re born with a religion already programed in us. i think it’s the things in our life that make us who we are that determine that.

So if someone grew up with religion forced on them by their parents for 18 years, then ran into opposing beliefs, those beliefs would disgust them? That makes sense.