Genes, genetics, and Genesis

“Why is spirituality such a powerful and universal force? Why do so many people believe in things they cannot see, smell, taste, hear, or touch? Why do people from all walks of life, around the globe, regardless of their religious backgrounds or the particular higher power they worship, value spirituality as much as, or more than, pleasure, personal power, or wealth? I argue that the answer is, at least in part, hardwired into our genes. Spirituality is one of our basic human inheritances.” 

So writes biologist/geneticist Dean Hamer in The God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired into Our Genes. Hamer says the God gene includes special DNA and that those who inherit it have a higher spiritual experience than others. Wait! Is the argument, then, that God plays favorites? 

Spirituality is a powerful force, and as a Bible student I would argue it is a divine heritage, not a physical genetic code, that determines who we are. The first book of the Bible reveals that we are made in the image and likeness of God. In effect, this divine heritage guarantees that we are totally Godlike, identical with Spirit regardless of appearances.  

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