Play your cards

May 15, 2007

Is there a God gene? A gay gene? A Murdering gene? People have long been fascinated with the question of whether genetics will show that we are not responsible for our behaviours. The evidence is producing a clearer picture: the answer is yes and no. Francis Collins, author of this and head of this has described the situation well: "There is an inescapable component of heritability to many human behavioural traits...for virtually none of them, is heredity ever close to predictive...Yes, we have all been dealt a particular set of cards, and the cards will eventually be revealed. But how we play the hand is up to us." Many traits (cognitive ability, agression, conscientiousness, etc) are estimated to be around 50% hereditary; in other words, we are roughly half-responsible for what we do. Or, to address the issue in the way it is often put to me as a Christian thinker, God is only about half-to-blame for the situation you find yourself in. More here.

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