– Advertisement –

Have Scientists Established a Link Between Brain Damage and Religious Fundamentalism?

by | May 15, 2019 | Blog, News | 0 comments

✪ Read this article ad-free and leave comments here on Substack

Raw Story reports that scientists have established a link between brain damage and religious fundamentalism, stating that in a study published in the journal Neuropsychologia,

The findings suggest that damage to particular areas of the prefrontal cortex indirectly promotes religious fundamentalism by diminishing cognitive flexibility and openness—a psychology term that describes a personality trait which involves dimensions like curiosity, creativity, and open-mindedness.

Of course, the problem with this “study” is that it comes to the table with the presupposition that “open-mindedness” is necessarily a good thing. Did they also establish a link between atheism and brain damage? Atheists tend to be some of the most closed-minded people in the world, actually, many admitting that even if there were some form of scientific proof of God, they still probably wouldn’t believe.

The study, obviously biased and clearly not based on sound scientific reasoning — something that only biblical theism can provide, by the way — paints religious fundamentalism as an erroneous expression of conservatism based on a faulty “transmittal” of supernatural events and entities.

Religious beliefs can be thought of as socially transmitted mental representations that consist of supernatural events and entities assumed to be real. Religious beliefs differ from empirical beliefs, which are based on how the world appears to be and are updated as new evidence accumulates or when new theories with better predictive power emerge. On the other hand, religious beliefs are not usually updated in response to new evidence or scientific explanations, and are therefore strongly associated with conservatism.

Claiming that religious beliefs are not updated in response to new scientific evidence is asinine. While I can’t speak for all sects of all religions, especially the cults — some cults actually do this — it is clear that this is not a scientific study, this is biased hogwash. It is a historical fact that biblical Christianity opened the doors to the scientific revolution and that an innate belief in God’s revelation — something all human beings possess — lays the groundwork for logic and reasoning. Apart from God’s revelation, there can be no account for logic and reasoning, rendering this supposed “scientific study” null.

Join Us and Get These Perks:

✅ No Ads in Articles
✅ Access to Comments and Discussions
✅ Community Chats
✅ Full Article and Podcast Archive
✅ The Joy of Supporting Our Work 😉



Here are the questions I would pose to the author of this study:

How can you account for logic and reason? How can you account for truth? How can you know for sure that anything is true?

You can’t. Your study is self-defeating.

Three Ways to Support DISNTR


The Dissenter is primarily supported by its readers. The best way to support us is to subscribe to our members-only Substack site where you will receive all of our content ad-free, plus you will get member-only exclusive content.

Support us with a monthly donation on Patreon

Support us with membership to our ad-free Substack

Make one-time or monthly donation on Donorbox


👕 Or make a purchase from our online store. 👕
Make a Dogecoin Donation

- Advertisement -

Latest

The Teen Who Waited Too Long to Murder Her Child is Sentenced

The Teen Who Waited Too Long to Murder Her Child is Sentenced

In a Nebraska courtroom, justice was finally dispensed—but not in the way most would assume. Chloe Coplen-Anderson, now 18, was sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison after being convicted of slitting her newborn son’s throat shortly after giving birth in her bedroom....

Anti-Trinitarian Heretic, TD Jakes is Stepping Down

Anti-Trinitarian Heretic, TD Jakes is Stepping Down

At long last, the velvet-tongued emperor of Christian celebrity culture, Bishop T.D. Jakes, has announced his exit from the pulpit of The Potter’s House—the crumbling empire he built atop the rotting carcass of the Word of Faith movement and anti-Trinitarian heresy....

- Advertisement -

Subscribe

Store

Follow Us

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -

You Might Also Like…

The Teen Who Waited Too Long to Murder Her Child is Sentenced

The Teen Who Waited Too Long to Murder Her Child is Sentenced

In a Nebraska courtroom, justice was finally dispensed—but not in the way most would assume. Chloe Coplen-Anderson, now 18, was sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison after being convicted of slitting her newborn son’s throat shortly after giving birth in her bedroom....

Anti-Trinitarian Heretic, TD Jakes is Stepping Down

Anti-Trinitarian Heretic, TD Jakes is Stepping Down

At long last, the velvet-tongued emperor of Christian celebrity culture, Bishop T.D. Jakes, has announced his exit from the pulpit of The Potter’s House—the crumbling empire he built atop the rotting carcass of the Word of Faith movement and anti-Trinitarian heresy....

False Teacher of the Day #62: Levi Lusko

False Teacher of the Day #62: Levi Lusko

Levi Lusko has built a reputation as the quintessential hip, modern megachurch pastor—tattoos, trendy sneakers, polished storytelling, and a high-production platform that attracts the crowds and flatters the culture. But beneath the fashionable exterior and charming...

False Teacher of the Day #61: Craig Groeschel

False Teacher of the Day #61: Craig Groeschel

He walks onto the stage with a flawless smile and a perfectly-timed pause. The lights dim, the audience leans in, and for thirty minutes, the man speaks with the cadence of a TED Talker and the certainty of a Silicon Valley mogul pitching salvation like a subscription...

- Advertisement -

 

Want to go ad-free with exclusive content? Subscribe today.
Already a subscriber? Click Here

Three Ways to Support DISNTR



The Dissenter is primarily supported by its readers. The best way to support us is to subscribe to our members-only Substack site where you will receive all of our content ad-free, plus you will get member-only exclusive content.

 

Support us with a monthly donation on Patreon

Support us with membership to our ad-free Substack

Make one-time or monthly donation on Donorbox


👕 Or make a purchase from our online store. 👕