Beyond genetics and environment?

Question

Is it possible that beyond genetics and environment that belief or non-belief is achievable through a process of reason? Is belief only the result of family and upbringing or is there some choice made as an adult to accept or refute the beliefs passed down by genetics and environment based on sound thought and serious reflection?

Answer 1

If you make the jump of Faith you will be able to believe. Take a look at Descartes and Kant, they have tried hard to prove faith only through reason.

Answer 2

It all depends on whether you believe that information can come from essentially nowhere or not.

Most scientists actually believe that it can. The genetic code might be thought of as a kind of information... a reflection of the environmental conditions in which an animal might be found. And they generally agree that this assembled on its own through natural forces.

Likewise for all of human knowledge and culture. Logically, at the very beginning of thought, there was nothing. Then someone figured something out without a precedent. Or perhaps from some other creature or natural force... which is essentially the same thing. Slowly this knowledge accumulated and snowballed until it grew into the vast stores of it that we have today. All - essentially - from nowhere.

Now if you don't believe that this can happen, then you HAVE to have some other source than nature. Even if you do believe that this can happen, possibly (as scientists do) as a localized exception to entropy that is paid for with a much greater increase in entropy elsewhere, then you might still choose to believe that this wasn't the ONLY source for such information. Or you can take the road that says that since the scientific explanation can account for anything there is no need for any other.

There isn't really any concrete way to choose one of those three choices over the others. Perhaps Occam would suggest the simplest one (the last), but then Occam's Razor is a tendancy, not a rule. So believe whatever provides you with the most benefits.

Peace.

Answer 3

The famed philosopher Jean Piaget closely followed very small children that had NO exposure to moral systems, secular or religious education. Their familes/parents were not religious at all, or totally neutral and had taught nothing. Piaget followed these children from babyhood through toddlerhood so he would not miss any development.

In all these children he found (among other things):

1. A God concept (the children unanimously saw design behind the universe and the idea of an over-arching authority)

2. Concept of fairness and rules

Obviously, there is more to belief than environment and it has nothing to do with genetics as the soul is a spiritual entity.

God puts within every one a spiritual hunger. There is no culture in the history of earth that has not formed some type of religion or cult, along with social rules and/or governments.

It's baked into the cake, brother!

Answer 4

First off man will be around and within him is the gens of all men. The creator has seen to that.
Second off the environment will also be around becasue the Creater is moving her and he is eternal.
And his son will Rule for 1000 years.
(Rev 20:4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(Rev 20:2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
(Rev 20:3 ) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
(Rev 20:5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.
(Rev 21:2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
( Rev 21:1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
When that happens there will be no one to dought any more.

Answer 5

Your question is impossible to answer properly. You wish to know if it is inherent in the person (genetics) or the result of environment. Since knowledge comes from our environment and our nurture is part of our environment, then genetics is all that is left and it is struck down specifically. Your question becomes unanswerable. The subject is not instinctual.

Answer 6

Of course you can have belief through reason. If I tell you something, and you think it sounds reasonable, then you start to accept it as fact. The easiest way to affirm that it is a fact and not just wishful thinking is if it makes sense, you can imagine it, it has solid reasoning that is not paradoxal or faulty, is logical with no illogic to it, and is above all intelligent, sound, intellectually stimulating, wise, and honorable/virtuous.

Answer 7

True believe, and understanding comes from deep inside, All could be achieved, if only we knew how..

Answer 8

I'm not quite sure I follow. If it's not based on something inherent in your brain and not based on anything you have ever encountered in your whole entire life, what is it based on?