Ever since people began believing in God [that's like forever],
skeptics have questioned the big guy. Atheists poke holes in the
god-thing by Logic. Lately, they have Science to help them [especially
the brilliant science of Evolution].
But while evolutionary
biology has suggested our species doesn't need a God to function
effectively and behave morally, most Americans still tell Gallup they
believe in God [even if they don't spend a lot time worshiping Him on
weekends].
At first that sounds like a draw -- we kinda admire
God as we do any other nice useless icon. Until, that is, we keep
reading dramatic reports God is outmoded. Consider the latest,"The Moral
Molecule," by Paul J. Zak. In it he says: "After centuries of
speculation about human nature and how we decide what is the right thing
to do, we at last have some news we can use. Empirical evidence that
illuminates the mechanism at the heart of our moral guidance system:
Oxytocin."
Zak and others argue levels of this brain chemical can
determine how morally good and social we are. If true, presto God and
centuries of prophets and messiahs are fairly expendable! Enough
biochemical and genetic engineering, and just maybe we can create a
brave-new-world. Biology trumps theology...!
Some will say
where's the evidence this is happening? After all, most scientists are
not exactly preaching this. However, others will say, the more people
read proponents like Zak, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, the more no
one will have to PREACH it. We'll just begin to BELIEVE it.
If
you remember, in the first brave-new-world by Aldous Huxley, drugs like
"Soma" didn't work out so well. In Zak's envisioned second
brave-new-world, "Oxytocin" is likely to prove no better. But here's the
kicker. If we erroneously kill God on the way to that new-world, how
would we ever get Him back?
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