Reprobate mind

[JohnR7]

The Bible talks about people who have a reprobate mind.

Romans 1:28-31
    And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; [29] Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, [30] Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, [31] Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Sense many of the followers of evolutionary theory do not believe in a "God". Then what is their explaination for someone who has a reprobate mind? For example a person who is always involved in disputes, contentions, division and so forth. Can you tell by looking at the DNA if someone has a reprobate mind or not?

 

[notto]

Today at 03:44 PM JohnR7 said this in Post #1 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=672965#post672965)

Sense many of the followers of evolutionary theory do not believe in a "God". Then what is their explaination for someone who has a reprobate mind? For example a person who is always involved in disputes, contentions, division and so forth. Can you tell by looking at the DNA if someone has a reprobate mind or not?

I've been reading Jane Goodalls observations of chimpanzee communities. Each of the things you describe can be found in their communities. (They even have similar facial expressions when exibiting them). Chimpanzees also display empathy, compassion, and the willingness to risk their own life to help another in their community (orphans are even adopted by others which is certainly not selfish).

Much of this probably relates to genetics, body chemistry, and hormones. There are studies that have confirmed you question but I don't have them handly.

These attributes can either hurt or help a being living in a society dependent on interaction with others. Many may be shadows of defence mechanisms or other characteristics that helped survival before a species became a "community" oriented one. Remenants of our selfish genes.

 

[lucaspa]

Today at 10:44 AM JohnR7 said this in Post #1

Sense many of the followers of evolutionary theory do not believe in a "God". Then what is their explaination for someone who has a reprobate mind? For example a person who is always involved in disputes, contentions, division and so forth. Can you tell by looking at the DNA if someone has a reprobate mind or not?

So what you are asking is if atheists have an answer for a "reprobate mind". God-of-the-gaps again.  So, if the gaps are filled in, does that mean atheism is correct?

Since many of the activities named as constituting "reprobate" are actions of choice, they are not dictated fully by the DNA.  Do these fill in the gaps and turn you into an atheist?

6.  M Roach, Why men kill.  Discover 19: 100-108, Dec. 1998. Summarizes study of Amazon tribe where half the males are murdered. looking for the evolutionary roots of violence.
11. CD Frith and U Frith, Interacting minds -- a biological basis, Science 286:1692-1695, Nov. 26, 1999.  Describes studies locating ability to "mentalize" -- understand and manipulate other people's mental states. "These studies indicate that the ability to mentalize has evolved from a system for representing actions."
1. WR Clark and M Grunstein, Ar We Hardwired?  The Role of Genes in Human Behavior, 2000.  "The number of genes involved in most behaviorswould certainly be in the range of dozens, and perhaps hundreds." But variations in serotonin levels are associated with behaviors ranging from agression or depression, and there are known genes controlling serotonin levels. 

 

[Morat]

Offhand, a study done on death row inmates shows that virtually every person had two things in common: They were routinely abused as children, and showed distinct neurological damage.

In other words: It appears as though there is a correlation between children who were mentally, physically, or sexually abused (coupled with some form of brain damage from head trauma) and being a serial killer.

Take from that what you want.

 

[Cantuar]

Can you tell by looking at the DNA if someone has a reprobate mind or not?

Not yet. When studies of human genetics are more advanced, who knows what we'll be able to find out, though. It isn't worth speculating at this point. I remember one doctor telling me that he thought a lot of things would end up being answered by genetics when our knowledge base was big enough.

 

[notto]

Today at 10:39 PM Morat said this in Post #4 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=673632#post673632)

Offhand, a study done on death row inmates shows that virtually every person had two things in common: They were routinely abused as children, and showed distinct neurological damage.

In other words: It appears as though there is a correlation between children who were mentally, physically, or sexually abused (coupled with some form of brain damage from head trauma) and being a serial killer.

Take from that what you want.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/01/health/main517241.shtml

This is an interesting article that ties abuse and a specific genetic makeup that leads to violence in adult life. Maybe this is the "retrobate" gene John seeks.

This God of the Gaps argument is getting smaller.

 

[JohnR7]

Today at 11:01 AM notto said this in Post #2

Much of this probably relates to genetics, body chemistry, and hormones. There are studies that have confirmed you question but I don't have them handly. 

Actually, I just read the study where they blocked and also increased the  "female" hormone progesterone in male mice. They though that by increasing the progesterone that the male mice would act better toward the baby mice. It turned out that just the opposite was true. Less progesterone made the male mice better fathers. 

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993428

 

[JohnR7]

Today at 04:35 PM lucaspa said this in Post #3

So what you are asking is if atheists have an answer for a "reprobate mind". God-of-the-gaps again. 

My choice of wording may not have been the best. My pastor preached a sermon on the reprobate mind last sunday, so I have been looking into that. Also I was thinking about looking into secular humanism, so as to compare that to Christianity.

So really what I had in mind was the Christian perspective vs the Scientific perspective, or the Christian perspective vs the Secular Humanistic perspective. If there is a difference between being a scientist and a humanist. Sense it seems to me that the scientific community tends to follow the humanistic beliefs.

If you wanted to discuss the christian perspective vs the atheistic perspective, then I guess I would need to know what atheists believe and just what their perspective is. I did not think that to be a atheist was to have a belief so much as not to believe.

 

[JohnR7]

Today at 06:50 PM notto said this in Post #6
[urlhttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/01/health/main517241.shtml[/url] This is an interesting article that ties abuse and a specific genetic makeup that leads to violence in adult life. Maybe this is the "retrobate" gene John seeks.

That is an interesting study. It shows how heredity and invironment can both be a part of behaviour.

This God of the Gaps argument is getting smaller.

It is? Why is God getting smaller? Or has science found a way to fit the whole ocean of knowledge into that little thimble that they use to scoop knowledge up with?

 

[lithium.]

It is? Why is God getting smaller? Or has science found a way to fit the whole ocean of knowledge into that little thimble that they use to scoop knowledge up with? [/B]

Well i don't think he said god is getting smaller but the god of gaps is. There is a difference. I'm i'm wrong correct me.

 

[JohnR7]

Today at 12:05 AM seesaw said this in Post #10

Well i don't think he said god is getting smaller but the god of gaps is. There is a difference. I'm i'm wrong correct me.

He said the arguement was getting smaller. I guess I took it out of context so I could say what I wanted to say.

 

[Gracchus]

Yesterday at 10:05 PM JohnR7 said this in Post #11

He said the arguement was getting smaller. I guess I took it out of context so I could say what I wanted to say.

That is a very rare insight indeed for a creationist!  I am astounded.