Summary
Dr. David Comings, an internationally renown physician, human geneticist and neuroscientist, proposes that spirituality is genetically hardwired into a specific part of the brain, is pleasurable, is critical to the evolution and survival of man, and will never go away. It strives to allow readers to develop a rational spirituality in which the fact-based rational brain and the faith-based spiritual brain can live in peace. In an era when politicians are judged on the basis of the strength of their belief in God, when schools are urged to teach Intelligent Design, and when religious terrorists threaten the existence of Western civilization it is critical to dispassionately examine the question - Did man create God? A wide range of issues are examined including intelligent answers to intelligent design; the relevance of modern cosmology to the existence or non-existence of god; the role of genes in spirituality; innate morality, the problem of evil, and many others.The longest chapter examines the evidence for the role of the temporal lobes in man's innate spirituality. Michael Shermer called this the most detailed and up-to-date science ever generated on the subject of religion and suggested it will be the definitive scientific reference on religion for some time to come. The world recently learned that Mother Theresa had life-long doubts about her faith. This book is for others who have also questioned any part of their faith but treasure their spirituality and want answers that are not hostile to spirituality or religion.
About the Author
Dr. Comings is a physician, neuroscientist, behavioral and molecular geneticist who was the Director of the Department of Medical Genetics at the City of Hope National Medical Center for 37 years before retiring in 2002. He is an internationally known scientist-physician who has written over 450 scientific articles and three books including Tourette Syndrome and Human Behavior. His research areas included cytogenetics, human behavioral and molecular genetics, and he ran a large behavioral medicine clinic specializing in Tourette Syndrome, ADHD and oppositional defiant behavior in children. He was past editor of the American Journal of Human Genetics and past president of the American Society of Human Genetics.
Reviews
"The scientific attempt to explain religion has been around for over a century, but only recently has it exploded into the cultural scene with the renewed interest in the relationship of science and religion, and particularly with the advance in the neurosciences. It now appears that we are getting close to understanding what is going on inside the religious mind, and David Comings has written a remarkable analysis, that includes the most detailed and up-to-date science ever generated on the subject of religion. Did Man Create God? will be the definitive scientific reference on religion for some time to come."
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Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine monthly columnist for Scientific American, and the author of Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, and How We Believe.
"-Religion plays a huge part of everyone’s lives, irregardless of if they attend a church, synagogue, or mosque – but is it interfering too much with the sensible thought of the world? “Did Man Create God” Is Your Spiritual Brain at Peace with Your Thinking Brain” believes so, but keeps a spiritual stance throughout it’s questioning of the world’s faith – stating that spirituality is a hard wired part of the brain of humanity. An objective look at religion as a whole, it tackles all concerns and issues with religion such as fundamentalism and barriers to social progress. “Did Man Create God” Is Your Spiritual Brain at Peace with Your Thinking Brain” is highly recommended for community library collections dedicated to religious studies of all sorts."
- Midwest Book Review
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Table of Contents - PDF File - 146kb
