“YOU’VE HEARD IT!  ‘IT’s ALL IN OUR GENES.’ WELL, NOW THEY GONE AND DONE IT! A LEADING GENETICIST CLAIMS TO HAVE CRACKED OUR DNA CODE, AND FOUND WHY 
WE believe IN GOD!””

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about a supposed new finding that blows the lid off of man’s reasoning concerning belief in God…

…A leading Geneticist today, named Dean Hamer, says he has cracked the code behind what causes people to of all things – “believe in God!” In a mind boggling book, Hamer claims that our DNA has bridged the gap between religion and science. In short it appears from his findings that our faith in God is highly influenced by the presence of what he calls “the God gene.”

As billions around the world believe in God, expressing a conviction that has existed since the beginning of recorded time, Dr. Dean Hamer, a leading geneticist claims to have found the reason why.

Hamer reveals in his latest book, The God Gene: How Faith Is Hard-Wired Into Our Genes, says that this inclination toward religious faith is no accident; it is in good measure due to our genes. Well make no mistake, Dr. Hamer’s findings have been strongly criticized by religious leaders, who challenge the existence of a "God gene" and say the research undermines a fundamental tenet of faith — that spiritual enlightenment is achieved through “divine transformation,” rather than simply our brain's chemical manufacture and electrical impulses.

So friend, with such a controversy raging that is poised and ready to destroy the faith of billions, we’ll talk about it now. But first let’s pause once more to listen to this…

… Recently an American molecular geneticist, Dr. Dean Hamer, has concluded, after comparing more than 2,000 DNA samples, that a person's capacity to believe in God is actually and simply linked to one’s brain chemicals. Hamer, the director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, asked volunteers 226 questions in order to determine how spiritually connected they felt to “the universe.” Hamer discovered that the higher their score, the greater the person's ability to believe in a spiritual force or being and the more likely they were to share the DNA gene known as: VMAT2.

 Studies on twins showed that those with this gene, a “vesicular monoamine transporter” that regulates the flow of mood-altering chemicals in the brain, were more likely to develop a spiritual belief. However, his findings, published in his book, The God Gene: How Faith Is Hard-Wired Into Our Genes, were greeted offensively by many in the religious establishment.

Well all I can say is “WOW! Does this mean we Christians among other religionists have been moved to believe in God as a result of a shot of chemicals our body injects into our brains caused by a lone gene which Hamer dubbed, “The God Gene?” Is that all there is to our faith in God? Well evolutionary scientists just love this report. Because for them, it is some sort of “proof” that the existence of God, and even our faith, is just a hallucinating dream of the mind, conjured up by our evolutionary genes. Now when the religious community and its leaders became greatly offended, Hamer tried to placate them by saying,

“Spiritual belief may offer an evolutionary advantage by providing humans with a sense of purpose and the courage and will to overcome hardship and loss. And, as a growing body of evidence suggests, belief also increases our chances of reproductive survival by helping to reduce stress, prevent disease, and extend life.”

Now that all sounds good, but it doesn’t soften his idea that faith in God is nothing but a dream that can help us cope with the fact that life is just a meaningless and random journey of blobs of protoplasm spinning through space and time, going nowhere, worth nothing, which soon dies by annihilation.

Just think about it now – HARDWIRED FOR GOD? – Now if you can get past the shock of it, it’s an interesting idea. However the truth is religious belief is not just related to our gene makeup and a chemical reaction.

Of course all this can be traced back to the evolutionists desire to prove religion, especially Christianity, is nothing more than a hallucinating dream on a psychotic level of human existence. In the physicalist worldview, the entire human experience is explained by genes, chemicals, natural selection, and the environment. In “The God Gene,” Dean Hamer attempts to explain religion and spirituality in purely physical terms. In his quest to link faith in God with our genes, Dr. Hamer redefines faith itself as nothing more than "self-transcendence which provides a numerical measure of people's capacity to reach out beyond themselves--to see everything in the world as part of one great totality; And, if I were to describe it in a single word, it might be 'at-one-ness'." Sound like New Age gobblygook to me.

Well as far as this scientist is concerned, all faith can be lumped into one big evolutionary bucket from which, individuals draw the beliefs that suit their genes hallucinatory needs. Well all I can say is the idea of this “God Gene” is not only bad science but bad theology too.

Of course, all this becomes suspect due to the background of the good doctor who extrapolated this. Many aren’t aware that Dr. Hamer is the one who earlier on, in 1993 proposed the “Gay gene” theory that homosexuals are predisposed to their corrupt and perverted sexuality because it is the way they were born. This of course, was examined and found to be totally unsubstantiated scientifically, but from there became reality for the news media and world of evolution to justify such sick behavior. Nevertheless, all Christians today must answer this new idea that our faith is nothing more than a chemical reaction in our brains due to the presence of “the God gene.”

Where do we begin? Well that answer is to question “why” has this new supposed finding been proposed and promoted by evolutionists? Answer:

THE TRUTH IS EVOLUTION CANNOT BE ACCEPTED DUE TO THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING IN EXISTENCE POINTS TO INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Wherever the atheist looks in the universe, he finds intricate exquisite design and complex and perfect operation of that design. This is something that can NEVER have occurred simply by natural happenings and events, NEVER!! So, for years the evolutionist tries to cause acceptance of their origin of life theory simply by stating it is fact over and over again, and trying desperately to point the mind and inquisitive follower away from considering this “Achilles heel” of input. The “God gene,” is a perfect addition to this subterfuge. In fact, evolutionists are now hiding from a recent happening that has them shuddering in their shoes.

Britisher Anthony Flew, one of the world's leading proponents of atheism, has now abandoned his disbelief in God. Flew stated that the latest biological research "has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce [life], that intelligence must have been involved."

Anticipating the inevitable shock of some of his co-atheists to his spiritual transformation, Flew said, "My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato's Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads."  

Again, “WOW!” The truth is when one searches honestly for the truth about the existence of God, guess what – they will find Him! In our Christian Bible, the revelatory Word of God we read this promise,

Jer 29:13-14 (NIV)  “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD …”

In fact, God’s Word goes on to say that those who do not seek God, and refuse to believe in His very existence, are in a sense those who are hallucinating and worse those who were be judged for such refusal and denial. Listen again to God’s Word on the matter,

Psa 53:1 (NLT)  “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil…”

Rom 1:18-20 (NLT)  “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. 19 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. 20 From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.”

Contrary to the “faith” of many atheists, especially those who believe that Christians are “reality-challenged and science-averse,” theism, especially Christianity is supported by reliable evidence in nature as well as by testimony and change in the life of human beings who embrace God and His truths found alone in the New Testament.

Actually there is another twist to this whole idea, that mankind has a physiological disposition to believe in God. Since the Bible tells us that man is “without excuse,” to find and acknowledge Him, there must be some conclusive proof that we are guilty if we do not seek God and reject His existence. Guilt can only come through knowledge of what is right and wrong. So how can an evolutionary creature have this, or more how can there be anything right or wrong if all evolved from mindless nothingness? The Bible again answers,

Rom 2:11-15 (NLT)  “ For God does not show favoritism. 12 God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written law. And he will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. 13 For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God's sight. 14 Even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. 15 They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.”

What is the Bible telling us? It states, God, in creating us, the human race, designed that everyone from the jungle to Wall Street would be equipped in our very being with what is often called a “spiritual conscience.” That illusive thing in our minds that speaks to us about what we are doing whether it is right or wrong according to a higher standard. We don’t need any laws or even God’s written law, for God has “put the reality of His existence and His will,” in our very hearts.

Now the “heart” in the Bible refers to our mind, emotions and will, the center of our very being. So imagine that! God has indeed “programmed” us to believe in His existence, even apart from what around us proves Him. This is NOT a chemical reaction to a DNA gene, it is something God has placed in our soul and spirit that cannot be measured or even discovered scientifically.

So in sense, Dr. Hamer may be on to something that is akin to what the Bible says. Man was created “knowing God,” and all that have left this path and reality, need to get back there because all rejection of God’s right to rule this universe and particularly our own universe of our minds is sin punishable by death!

Rom 1:21-25 (NLT)  Yes, they knew God, [in the beginning] but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead… 24 So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. 25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped [served] the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.

Rom 3:23 (NIV)  for [this] all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Rom 6:23 (NIV)  “For the wages of sin is death…”.

Rom 8:6-8 (NIV)  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Well there you have it. Evolution is a lie and perhaps the greatest hallucination of the mind of man ever contrived. Even the avowed atheist must work hard at denying the existence of God, and continue to do this all through his or her life. Yet the evidence flows forth from the creation around us that “Intelligent Design” brought it all together before our eyes. Many evolutionary scientists today are moving toward accepting “intelligent design,” rather than “mindless random chance” as to the cause of our existence. Yet only the “fool,” the Bible says, continues to deny God’s handiwork and existence.

So where does this leave us? Dr. Hamer’s newest premise seems to point to belief in God is a byproduct of some chemical imbalance. Furthermore,  no matter what good it does for us, it is something un-proveable and remains as just another foolish theory to bolster the demise of evolution.

How much better to acknowledge the reality of God which every heart cries out to do, but resists because of our sin nature’s desire to be our own gods! Remember God’s challenge to skeptics,

Jer 29:13-14 (NIV)  “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD …”

So I challenge all in my listening audience. If you are not sure there is a God over you, get yourself a Christian Bible and open to the New Testament book of the Gospel of John, and just before you read it, pray this prayer sincerely,

“O God I am confused. I really do not know if you exist. If you do, I want to take you up on your promise. If I read this with an open mind, and You reveal yourself to me through these Word I read, I make this promise to You –‘ I will believe in You and follow You and surrender my heart and life to You as my Creator and God.’”

Now think about that prayer! You would be asking God to reveal Himself to your very mind and heart, based on one thing – your willingness to believe and follow God. That’s not such a big deal is it? Unless of course, your unbelief is not based on knowledge or fact, but upon sinful rebellion and resistance to have any being over you. So suggesting such a challenge will do two things. Number one, it will bring you to faith in Jesus Christ as your God and Savior, or show you the real you who doesn’t believe because of any evidence, but rather a sinning heart that says to God – “You will not reign over me!” For that the Bible says an eternal Hell is coming where you and all others of like faith, will be cast into Hell, to live forever in the torment of the mind and body, knowing you rejected so great salvation and life eternal. The Bible says,

Rom 5:8 (NIV)  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16-17 (NIV)  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

.Dr.  Hamer’s newest theory based on his sampling of humanity and an examination of the gene pool, has led him to believe there is no God, rather just a fanciful hallucination of the mind brought about by a lone “gene” that emits chemicals to produce this belief. So, those with VMAT2 – the God gene – apparently have freer-flowing mood-altering chemicals in their brains, making them more inclined toward spiritual beliefs. How convenient a premise to guide people away from asking the real deciding question – “How did all this come into existence without intelligent design?”

Today faith in the God of the Bible, that is Jesus Christ as one’s Creator God and Savior from their sins, is not a fairy tale, nor is it a hallucination – rather it is based on the absolute revelation of God in His Word the Bible. We Christians have nothing to fear from the silly findings of men who reject God and desperately look for proofs He does not exist. All of this of course is to justify their lifestyles that put them on the throne of life. The very fact that the goal of their lives is to prove there is no God, shows their guilt for which God says a judgment is coming. May God grant to all who listen or read a transcript of my message on the internet, an open mind to seek, to know and experience real faith in God that comes not from a genetic explanation, but from the inner capacity God has placed in us all to know Him…

… “The God gene,” is the newest hype of evolutionary explanation for all religion, especially Christianity, but it miserably fails to prove its case. Rather it seem to bolster the fact that God has indeed put in the heart of man, that is his entire makeup, the knowledge of His existence, and the need to seek him for forgiveness and blessing. I trust and pray you have done that by acknowledging Jesus Christ as the one true God and Savior of your life.

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·         Radio talk #4005

·         Broadcast date: October 02, 2005

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 60033 Grand Junction, CO 81506

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The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 24 years, and serves as General Director.

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