The trouble in this age of easily obtainable WMDs, is that religious extremists cannot be dismissed as just crazies, but should be seen as a very serious threat.

Moreover, the religious moderates who claim that when reason conflicts with revelation we should choose revelation, would unknowingly be justifying the actions of the extremists. If there’s anything true about fundamentalists, it is that they know their religious texts only too well.

If “major wars break out between opposing factions , eg between Christians and Moslems, with…chemical and nuclear warfare”, the probable outcome would be that everyone would be wiped out, not just humans with the “God gene”.

May I here suggest another book which deals on the point you mention? (Sam Harris – The end of faith (Religion, terror, and the future of reason).

” Also, for a gene/trait to be wiped out, not only has it to confer huge disadvnatages, but its allele has to confer huge advantages”

The God gene trait does not, at the moment , confer any significant advantages, but it does’t take much imagination to foresee a future where major wars break out between opposing factions , eg between Christians and Moslems, with the type of chemical and nuclear warfare that would be available within a few hundred years it would be quite plausible to suggest that most religious factions would wipe each other out, or that that secular societites would predominate.

Regarding such a gene/s (if it exists at all) being wiped out, once again, Antoine is correct here. If it exists at all, it would seem likely that the majority of humans have it (I would actually say that most atheists would probably have it as well). Therefore, I find the belief that such a gene (if it exists in the first place) would be eradicated in a 1000 years, frankly absurd, for the following reasons: It would be present in millions, and evolution is not that quick to eradicate a trait or gene possessed by millions in a few thousand years (unless a catastrophe wipes these millions of people out). Also, for a gene/trait to be wiped out, not only has it to confer huge disadvnatages, but its allele has to confer huge advantages. Usually, when both a gene and its allele confer benefits, what happens is that an evolutionarily stable equilibrium is reached, where both a gene and its allele flourish in the gene pool (not necessarily in equal numbers).

Just a small correction there, you NEVER speak about “proof” in science. It’s just not relevant. Science is based on theories, which in turn is based on evidence, speculation, experiments and quite often other theories. Proof is for mathematicians and suspicious spouses.

“. . belief in a God is very likely to have developed as a genetic trait. There is no doubt that believing in a God conferred a significantly increased chance of survival . .”

Of course there are doubts. You are referring to one of the many theories about God (or about the evolution of humans, for that matter). In science, unless you have incontrovertible proof, you never say “without doubt”. You cannot even say “very likely” when it’s just an opinion of a few authors who are simply conjecturing about a possibility.

I’m not being personal but you do not seem to be familiar with genetics. For a gene to be “wiped out”, as you say, it would have to be so disadvantageous that anyone carrying it would die, either without reproducing or reproducing on a very limited scale. Even if we were to say, for argument’s sake, that there is a ‘god gene’, you yourself admit that it is not harmful but simply non-useful. There would therefore be no selective pressure for it to be removed from the gene pool.

You are also mistaken when you claim that humans are living in “modern democracies” in “most parts of the world”. Only a small proportion actually live in democracies and the percentage is destined to go down. I could find out how many if I looked but, to be honest, can’t be bothered right now.

Where did you get the 1000 year figure for the disappearance of the ‘God gene’? Billions of people follow some kind of religion – according to you most of them have this special gene. Do you realise how long it would take for such a widespread gene to disappear? Lino, with all due respect, you’re taking wild guesses and dressing them up as scientific facts.

http://www.amazon.com/Puff-Magic-Dragon-Peter-Yarrow/dp/1402747829