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 ...
Is it possible to willingly "unlearn" something you learned? Forget maybe, but "unlearn"?
I believe that many just harden their hearts like Pharaoh did with Moses in Exodus 7:14.
It is permanently written onto the heart of every man and it takes sin or the refusal to listen to it to turn away from it. Perhaps “willingly ignore” would be a better phrase.
Fixed it.
Godless researchers on the other hand, deny what was obvious to them as kids, leading to ridiculous assumptions.
We were created for Him, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Him.
Anybody want to know what life’s all about? Long go to Tibet and ask the head Guru what the secret of life is?
Now you know it.
I believe that is true. When we are young, we are strong believers, and through tough times, some of us get jaded and say, “how could there be a god, when terrible things happen?” Then we have a harder job reaching that faith again which we instinctively had as children, but was buried under all the worries, responsibilities and sadness of life as we age.
“The take away is: people who believe in God are child-like in their mental development.”
Oh boy! Here we go. Child-like and childish are two vastly different things.
Better is the wide-eyed innocence of a child than the narrow-eyed cynicism of a jaded adult.
Childish is when you never grow up in intelligence, knowledge, experience, abilties - arrested development.
The complete Christian is mature in Christ and chooses to stay out of those things that make us cynical.
I think the difference is having strong believers in the Word that surround you, that help you understand the true meaning of God, particularly during difficult times.
Neither of my parents believed or worshipped and it took me YEARS to come to know, believe and accept Him because of that.
Timothy 3
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Although I do not have children of my own, I am an aunt and former Sunday School teacher. I loved it when I was out with my nieces anywhere and they’d discover something that as an adult I just overlooked. Each time we were together I’d see God through their eyes and ears which caused me to hug them even tighter!
Being a Sunday School teacher for the two year olds was a humbling experience. So much so that when I had to leave them (due to a transfer) I cried!! Now, for most of those who have also lead this age group know, it’s usually them who cry after mom and dad drop them off for an hour! One of the girls, a twin, was very clingy to her mother. One Sunday I parked near them. When I got out, the shy one ran up to me and jumped into my arms! Her mom teared up and told me that she doesn’t do that to more than a couple of people. We do see Christ in them!
Romans 1 (letter of St. Paul)
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Acts 17 (Paul on Mars Hill)
22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, [1] 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Bookmark.
..., quia fecisti nos ad te, et inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te.
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. [Luke 18:16]
Better yet, some very young children retain memories of having been with God and other souls before they were born.
I’ve heard some remarkable stories from just ordinary parents. One about a child who died unexpectedly but had forteold her coming suffering and how God had assured her of His help.
Dr. Justin Barrett isn't a Godless researcher. Check his Wikipedia entry, even.
Barrett is described in the New York Times as a "prominent member of the byproduct camp" and "an observant Christian who believes in “an all-knowing, all-powerful, perfectly good God who brought the universe into being,” [and] “that the purpose for people is to love God and love each other.”
While I realize there is a tendency for the Christian community to welcome any sort of positive recognition from the scientific community, it shouldn't be so quickly embraced.
In most cases, the "recognition" is an explaining away of some psychological trait associated with supernatural belief.
Most Christians in academia are so far removed from what would be recognized as Christian, especially Christianity in America, that it's laughable.
I wasn’t referring to the author or anyone specific, but rather evolutionists and “so called” scientists that can’t recognize what’s obvious even to kids.
Ah, okay. My mistake.
A lot of people will assume - especially since he's an Oxford guy (eg, Dawkins ;)) - that he's anti-religious. He isn't
I'm not sure what, uh, 'flavor' of Christian he is, but he claims to be one.
>> Children are born believers in God, academic claims
Hmmm.... the Disciples were commissioned for a reason.
That said, I guarantee they don’t believe in abortion.
You don't have to guarantee it, they said it themselves in the Didache:"you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten."
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