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Oxford to Study Faith in God

Oxford Researchers to Spend Nearly $4 Million to Ask Why Mankind Believes in God

The Associated Press LONDON Feb 19, 2008 (AP)



University of Oxford researchers will spend nearly $4 million to study why mankind embraces God. The grant to the Ian Ramsey Center for Science and Religion will bring anthropologists, theologians, philosophers and other academics together for three years to study whether belief in a divine being is a basic part of mankind's makeup.

"There are a lot of issues. What is it that is innate in human nature to believe in God, whether it is gods or something superhuman or supernatural?" said Roger Trigg, acting director of the center.

He said anthropological and philosophical research suggests that faith in God is a universal human impulse found in most cultures around the world, even though it has been waning in Britain and western Europe.

"One implication that comes from this is that religion is the default position, and atheism is perhaps more in need of explanation," he said.

The study will be funded by the John Templeton Foundation, a U.S.-based philanthropic organization that funds wide-ranging research into questions that deal with the laws of nature and issues of spirituality.



http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4310991

You forgot to add the part where you don't want this to turn into a debate...

That would be lying. These always get deliciously ugly.

I know but you are at least supposed to disclaim it so when it does you can claim to be innocent..

Hey Oxford: Give me the $4 million and I'll tell you the answer.

Saves time, and you can research something else then.

I love these "studies"...one of Yahoo's stories the other day was something about a "study" that was done that showed that the longer one was in a marriage, the more irritated they were by their spouses.

God is the enemy of reason.

and we're off.....

Your God

Thank you for spelling that correctly.

We all are.

I would actually love to read this report when it's completed. The question of why people can believe in something that has never proven to exist is an exciting and interesting area of study. I better stop there before I continue down a path for all the god lovers to come out and throw rocks!

He didn't say "You're God".. which is why I thanked him.

I'd say each side, the believers and non-believers, have equal proof to back their belief. You can't prove that God doesn't exist.

I don't believe these experts exist.

It can't be proven or dis-proven, that was my point.

It's not that black and white. Proof is subjective to the individual is my point.

Quote:

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Define what you would accept as proof.

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I could ask the same question when asked to prove God exists...

I was responding to someone who was saying the existence has never been proven. I was just pointing out that neither side can prove the point to the other.

Even if God the being doesn't exist the idea of God is beautiful and this is from a nonbeliever. JMHO

The ironical thing is the same people who claim Man caused Global Warming with a passion, want to claim God doesn't exist.

I think that is a very large part of it, man has a need to feel responsible for it because if man is responsible for it, then man can fix it...

Quote:

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It can't be proven or dis-proven, that was my point.

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Exactly.

Just like no-one can dis-prove the existence or non-existence of Zletyxl.

I can never understand how the supposed Experts just don't get it....God may or may not exist....IF they want to spend $ 4M to prove or disprove it , let them try....However , Faith is a relative thing and to spend $ 4M on why we do or do not have faith seems odd and wasteful JMHO ....

What exactly is this 4 million dollars getting spent on? Long distance phone calls to God?

My God...



Generally...

For the non-believers that would be oh my goodness or oh my god...

God or religion is relative...?

So how does one prove wind is real or exists...?

If something is not black and white it can't be proven? Some of you actually believe that? Interesting...

No more hunches, intuition, belief, faith, prayers or asking for help or foregiveness, for those of you that have to have concrete proof...

The proof is their you just can't or won't see, feel or let it in...

Or maybe this, is getting in the way... GB you all.

Well that should be a nice waste of $4 million.

Is 4 mill enough?

I think what they are studying is man's desire to want to believe in something that you cannot touch or see. Not whether or nor God does or does not exist.

Since the beginning of man, it is believed that he attributed unexplainable things to a supernatural force or being. (IE: lightning and thunder being anger of the gods). The question is why.

Why do we often use God as an explanation to things we cannot explain or understand?
Even in cultures that have not been exposed to Christianity as we know it, often believe in almighty gods that interact with the earth and environment. Why is that? Why don't they just believe lightning and thunder are just things that happen, why do they think the gods are doing it?

I think that is what they are studying.

That is what they are studying and the answer, if you are a believer, is quite simple. We are born with an inherent desire to be close to God... so in the absence of somebody to teach about the real God, we still have a longing for a connection with a higher power, even if we don't understand who, what or why...

I want to be in the group that gets four million to study why Oxford researchers get four million to do research