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Rutgers University evolutionary biologist Lionel Tiger thinks we can: “Religion is really made by the brain. It is a secretion of the brain,” says Tiger, who thinks the root of religious belief is an evolutionary drive to seek this "secretion"—namely serotonin—which provides the believer with feelings of well-being. A neurotransmitter that regulates mood and appetite, serotonin is linked to feelings of well-being when it floods the central nervous system.
And atheists are just as unyielding from their belief that there is no life after death. Thinking involves actually considering evidence instead of coming up with broad stroke explanations to shut it down immediately.
I don't know about that, atheists have often been the easiest to convince about my beliefs (but it also has work vice-versa). But there is a wide diversity of people that apply that label to themselves or for whom that label would apply. Atheists can belief in after-lives and I've met a few, it's actually Naturalists (or Physicalists) that wouldn't believe in disembodied spirits nor the supernatural. Skeptics are the people who revel in coming up with explanations that contradict any single idea. I've met atheists that thought that the movie "Paranormal Activity" was a documentary. But I think Skeptics do consider evidence, they just like considering it all-around. I don't think Skeptics have a bias to have atheism be true, atheism wouldn't be as nice as the more appealing possibilities. Skeptics often have to fall back on how unassailable the agnostic position is.
Rutgers University evolutionary biologist Lionel Tiger thinks we can: “Religion is really made by the brain. It is a secretion of the brain,” says Tiger, who thinks the root of religious belief is an evolutionary drive to seek this "secretion"—namely serotonin—which provides the believer with feelings of well-being. A neurotransmitter that regulates mood and appetite, serotonin is linked to feelings of well-being when it floods the central nervous system.
So, it was serotonin which gave me the dream, which came to pass eight hours later and caused real life changes! And all this time, I thought it was God!
So, it was serotonin which gave me the dream, which came to pass eight hours later and caused real life changes! And all this time, I thought it was God!
What a Fool I was!
He might not have been talking about you specifically, just the "feelings of well-being" that people in general experience with all the contradicting religions. I don't think a "prophetic dream" would "cause real life changes" since its supposed to be predictive, not self-fulfilling.
Christians believe that God is sovereign Lord of all. He makes it clear through His Word that prayers may be answered if according to His will. God's not some genie in a bottle there to grant us our demands. He is Lord. Prayer is really not about praying to God to help us find the lost keys or whatever. Although I'm sure this does happen, really prayer is about us coming to God through Christ to discern His will for our lives and give us the power to live the Christian life.
There is no proof really besides a changed life and a testimony that Jesus Christ is the source of all of it. Which is all God really asks of us anyways. He doesn't ask us to try and find proof to persuade the skeptics and argue or force anybody into repenting to Jesus Christ. He just tells us to speak the truth and to walk in His ways demonstrating what is right unto God.
The gospels say otherwise. They clearly say that if you ask the Lord for ANYTHING in Jesus' name He will give it to you. The only condition attached is that you believe it will happen. The gospels say nothing about your request having to be within the will of God, or be of a spiritual nature, or anything else.
Quote:
"If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.
I speculate this impossible promise was later added to the text in an effort to win more pagans to Christianity. Nothing like promising them riches beyond their wildest imaginations to get them to switch from Mithra and Zeus to Christ. Only later do they find out it's bogus, but by then the doctrine of eternal torment in hell has its hooks in them.
The gospels say otherwise. They clearly say that if you ask the Lord for ANYTHING in Jesus' name He will give it to you. The only condition attached is that you believe it will happen. The gospels say nothing about your request having to be within the will of God, or be of a spiritual nature, or anything else.
I speculate this impossible promise was later added to the text in an effort to win more pagans to Christianity. Nothing like promising them riches beyond their wildest imaginations to get them to switch from Mithra and Zeus to Christ. Only later do they find out it's bogus, but by then the doctrine of eternal torment in hell has its hooks in them.
To whom was Jesus speaking? His disciples. Them only. Not for today. This is a fact that Christians understand. Seems not something that skeptics know or pretend to not know.
To whom was Jesus speaking? His disciples. Them only. Not for today. This is a fact that Christians understand. Seems not something that skeptics know or pretend to not know.
If this promise was made only to the apostles and no one else then what use is it to the millions of Christians who rely on it on the basis of faith?
And atheists are just as unyielding from their belief that there is no life after death.
As usual when you discuss atheists you simply end up mis-representing them.
The point of atheism is not believing there is no life after death. The point is in seeing no reason to think there is one.
Seeing no reason to think X is true is not the same as believing the opposite of X. This is a subtle difference that you have missed for your entire posting career here so far. Whether you are missing it because you simply just do not get it...... or because you are actively and wantonly ignoring it..... is anyones guess.... but taken in the context of some of your other MOs on this forum I rather suspect and fear it is the latter.
There is nothing "unyielding" in this either. Were you to present substantiation for the idea there is life after death then most atheists, myself included, would adopt that belief with you.
The fact is you simply have not done this. Actually.... to be accurate.... the fact is you have not even made the ATTEMPT to do it. Because as long as you refuse to evidence your claims you can keep up your fetid little canard of declaring we will never accept it anyway.
In other words you simply stack the deck in your favor, while all the while decrying the intellectual dishonesty of everyone else.
To whom was Jesus speaking? His disciples. Them only. Not for today. This is a fact that Christians understand. Seems not something that skeptics know or pretend to not know.
The whole thing is not for today
Which is why Christians ignore the four gospels (of the many others they decided to burn as heresies) and stick to Paul's Epistles.
Don't give away your stuff
resist evil
care about tomorrow
etc etc
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And all this time, I thought it was God! 
