Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 65 (9162 total)
5 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,815 Year: 3,072/9,624 Month: 917/1,588 Week: 100/223 Day: 11/17 Hour: 0/0


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Neurology, the next debate frontier in the controversy?
Kairyu
Member (Idle past 204 days)
Posts: 162
From: netherlands
Joined: 06-23-2010


Message 1 of 2 (651398)
02-07-2012 10:54 AM


In the eyes of some people on both sides of the debate, Christianity has been in a long uneasy battle with Science. Others may deny that this is happening in the mainstream, or hold the personal belief that they are in harmony. However, this very forum is evidence of the debate between secular scientific viewpoints and Christianity wotj its claims about the world, humanity, and the existence of a supernatural Creator.
There have been struggles about certain viewpoints once held in the past, ones that shook Christianity's claims about the world.
A famous overcited example: The claims about Galileo about the earth not being the center of the solar system caused quite a struggle back in the day, but the issue has long been resolved in the favor of Galileo.
The next famous example is in this forum's very name, with far deeper theological implications: evolution. Most of science has accepted it, along with secularists and a large number of religiously inclined people. Christians have both claimed that evolution can be harmonized with Christianity, or that it is ''just a theory''. I disagree with the latter, and frequently doubt the former. However, it's quite clear Evolution used to be/still is a major frontier in debate about Christianity's exact nature, and possibly, truth. However, evolution is not my topic's main subject.
That neurology itself as a valid branch of science is undisputed. Neurology is often used to support evolution in debate. However, over recent decades radical progress has been made in our understanding of the brain, and it has reveals opportunities for new research. Among these discoveries, many facets of the brain don't seem to quite match up with the views Christianity have of humans. It has shed light on many things, such as the workings of sexual attraction, aggression, morality, and much more. The other implication of increasing knowledge is that is becomes harder to pinpoint the role of the soul, or even to prove if the soul is necessary. It was not a single theory that did the job, it was slow but steady progress over a few decades.
Christianity claims humanity is sinful, and Jesus eventually died on the cross to atone for these sins. Humanity has a knack for being ''sinful'', I have never doubted that. However, take the new findings on neurology, and the picture changes. While the ''sinful'' traits are true, neurology is showing that these traits are intrinsically present in humanity. Doesn't Creationism teach God did design us to the smallest detail? Then why do we have natural neurological traits, that make use prone to unnecessary agression (especially males, which is another proof for it being a neurological trait), hard to control sexual desires, that makes us want sex far too often and early (From a conservative POV), and in general is focused on physical attraction. A related concern is our natural bias for Charismatic people. Humans naturally trust good looking people, with certain body language, or a rousing voice, even if there may be ugly, twitchy people, who may have better ideas in the end. This is quite hard to match up with ''being made in God's imagine'' at times. The soul being nowhere to be found is also problematic, for reasons that speak for themselves.
And despite all the discoveries, neurology is still in a developing phase. If we know that much by this point, what about 30 years in the future? Conservative Christians will have a hard time providing answers. In my opinion, it's an even larger problem for Christianity than evolution. It hasn't come to large-scale debating yet, but even the current neurology is a huge problem for creationists. Even without bringing evolution up (although that is eventually needed to make any sense of the ''why is it so'' aspect of neurology, should creationism fail to do so). And it's not ''just a theory'', it's objective evidence, that is gradually being understood as it is studied more and more. Eventually, it could be possible it becomes mainstream education, and then, would the US get lawsuits again, trying to prevent it from being taught as truth? My own prediction is that, yes, eventually it will become the next frontier of the secularism vs Christianity debate, and that Christians will have a disadvantage.
So, I'd like to invite Creationists/Christians to comment on my prediction, and perhaps give evidence why neurology is not a problem. So, I request this to be placed in a subforum with no restricted posting for creationists. And since my own knowledge is still currently lacking on the specifics, some supportive evidence and reasoning from those with better knowledge would be appreciated.
Edited by Admin, : Fix typos and spelling and grammar errors.

Admin
Director
Posts: 12998
From: EvC Forum
Joined: 06-14-2002
Member Rating: 2.2


Message 2 of 2 (651407)
02-07-2012 12:04 PM


Thread Copied to Creation/Evolution Miscellany Forum
Thread copied to the Neurology, the next debate frontier in the controversy? thread in the Creation/Evolution Miscellany forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.

Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024