Catholic Ping
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Posted on 11/28/2008 7:21:15 AM PST by NYer
Dr Justin Barrett, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford's Centre for Anthropology and Mind, claims that young people have a predisposition to believe in a supreme being because they assume that everything in the world was created with a purpose.
He says that young children have faith even when they have not been taught about it by family or at school, and argues that even those raised alone on a desert island would come to believe in God.
"The preponderance of scientific evidence for the past 10 years or so has shown that a lot more seems to be built into the natural development of children's minds than we once thought, including a predisposition to see the natural world as designed and purposeful and that some kind of intelligent being is behind that purpose," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"If we threw a handful on an island and they raised themselves I think they would believe in God."
In a lecture to be given at the University of Cambridge's Faraday Institute on Tuesday, Dr Barrett will cite psychological experiments carried out on children that he says show they instinctively believe that almost everything has been designed with a specific purpose.
In one study, six and seven-year-olds who were asked why the first bird existed replied "to make nice music" and "because it makes the world look nice".
Another experiment on 12-month-old babies suggested that they were surprised by a film in which a rolling ball apparently created a neat stack of blocks from a disordered heap.
Dr Barrett said there is evidence that even by the age of four, children understand that although some objects are made by humans, the natural world is different.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
This is nothing more than that part of the Divine, eternal Law that is written onto the heart of every man by God, i.e., the natural Law. We are able to conclude by our reason in this way that God exists. Some come to “unlearn” this but it is universal to all.
Wow. This is pretty insulting to believers.
“And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
Not at all.
“Wow. This is pretty insulting to believers.”
Why do you say that?
“Wow. This is pretty insulting to believers.”
Did you think you came up with the idea?
The take away is: people who believe in God are child-like in their mental development.
If that's not insulting, I don't know what is.
Maybe I'm reading too much into the story.
Remember all the things that amazed you when you were a kid and all you had to do was "look".
Take a look at number 3.
To me it means we are born with an instinct for God. I can’t remember ever not believing in God, even as a very small child. We are created to believe in God and desire a relationship with Him. No surprise there.
You are....
the message is that children completely TRUST. That’s what God/Jesus is asking for. Complete surrender and trust in the Lord.
Choosing to enhance their belief at a later date, they might follow the faith of their parents or join a church...where others also believe in the "Gifts from God".
Adults could learn a lot from children.
I’ve always said that nothing in the Universe was put here for the sake of beauty. Look at the things that we need to survive. They’re all about us.
Too much reading indeed.
Yes :-) And I am still amazed!
Not at all. Are you able to enlighten me why you think so?
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