8
   

Atheists embarrassed: study proves atheism uses less brain function

 
 
Setanta
 
  3  
Reply Tue 12 Jul, 2016 05:04 am
The antipathy toward atheists is rather sad when you think about it. If one is not sufficiently comfortable with one's own belief, but feels obliged to denigrate those who do not believe, that belief system must not be of much use.
farmerman
 
  4  
Reply Tue 12 Jul, 2016 05:32 am
@Setanta,
All this shows is that it really takes less of ones brain to understand and accept the obvious than it does to make up a complex story line of gods and demons and to create a complex system of authority to maintain this story.
I wonder if that part of the frontal cortex is also the location from where entertaining stories and jokes originate?

Hell, I coulda told you that without spending a huge pile of cash on studies to reveal the obvious.
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  2  
Reply Tue 12 Jul, 2016 05:42 am
Look at Walter's link--that's not what the study was looking at, and that's not what it found. The god botherers like to make sh*t up.
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  4  
Reply Tue 12 Jul, 2016 05:49 am
Here's the précis from the beginning of the study:

People cleave to ideological convictions with greater intensity in the aftermath of threat. The posterior medial frontal cortex (pMFC) plays a key role in both detecting discrepancies between desired and current conditions and adjusting subsequent behavior to resolve such conflicts. Building on prior literature examining the role of the pMFC in shifts in relatively low level decision processes, we demonstrate that the pMFC mediates adjustments in adherence to political and religious ideologies. We presented participants with a reminder of death and a critique of their in-group ostensibly written by a member of an out-group, then experimentally decreased both avowed belief in God and out-group derogation by down-regulating pMFC activity via transcranial magnetic stimulation. The results provide the first evidence that group prejudice and religious belief are susceptible to targeted neuromodulation, and point to a shared cognitive mechanism underlying concrete and abstract decision processes. We discuss the implications of these findings for further research characterizing the cognitive and affective
mechanisms at play.
0 Replies
 
Smileyrius
 
  3  
Reply Tue 12 Jul, 2016 05:49 am
new York times wrote:
A mentally ill young man who shot himself in the head in a suicide attempt suffered a brain injury that apparently eliminated his phobia of germs and his obsession with washing his hands, doctors say.


Interestingly this report suggests by the same logic as the OP, that healthy minded people use less brain function than the mentally unwell

I admit I lolled at the general agenda of the thread from the point of satire, but I would hold caution over using the data to assert that Theists > Atheists when it comes to mental ability, I would place this in the "debate mechanics" drawer and move on.

0 Replies
 
giujohn
 
  1  
Reply Thu 14 Jul, 2016 08:52 pm
@izzythepush,
Izzy wrote:
Quote:
No proof or evidence you could understand anyway

No... I believe they understand... what's worse is they just choose not to.
0 Replies
 
Charlie4U
 
  -1  
Reply Fri 15 Jul, 2016 04:14 pm
@rosborne979,
I read that article by Dr. Joel McDurmon. He seems to use more brain function than the non believers.
0 Replies
 
chai2
 
  2  
Reply Fri 15 Jul, 2016 04:27 pm
How is everyone here missing the point that the theist has the burden of proof to demononstrate there is a God.

Atheists are simply stating lack of/no belief. Believers are the ones that need to produce concrete evidence.

chai2
 
  1  
Reply Fri 15 Jul, 2016 04:32 pm
@chai2,
Wait!

This just in.

Here's proof of God!

The actual soul leaving the body. It Must be true because all of the people making comments agree that's what it is!

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/160714083033-saul-vazquez-accident-figure-exlarge-169.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1073673669354523&set=a.111858522202714.15346.100001357011917&type=3

Thanks Saul Vazquez!
chai2
 
  1  
Reply Fri 15 Jul, 2016 04:34 pm
@chai2,
Here's proof that a Munchkin hung himself on the set of the Wizard of Oz.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kNWB0ppPii8/hqdefault.jpg
Charlie4U
 
  0  
Reply Fri 15 Jul, 2016 04:55 pm
@chai2,
Ahhhh. You sold me Chai. Here's your thirty pieces of silver.
0 Replies
 
thack45
 
  2  
Reply Fri 15 Jul, 2016 07:40 pm
Funny how for some, it's all "science ain't proved no nuthin" until the science looks to be in their favor
0 Replies
 
thack45
 
  2  
Reply Fri 15 Jul, 2016 07:55 pm
@chai2,
chai2 wrote:

How is everyone here missing the point that the theist has the burden of proof to demononstrate there is a God.


Because lacking brain function. Duurrr
0 Replies
 
 

Related Topics

 
Copyright © 2024 MadLab, LLC :: Terms of Service :: Privacy Policy :: Page generated in 0.03 seconds on 10/08/2024 at 10:20:57