>So, if you like, one could concoct many "just-so" stories about child-hood
>coercion in relation to <God>, and this coercion *destroys* a persons
>ability to think about that subject -- and so the belief lasts even in
>individuals who are otherwise quite intelligent.
I think one subtle point we seem to be missing here is the fact that most of
these scientists have held the <God> meme since childhood. (Implanted with
very little or no coercion, Eric. How many two year olds have pre-existing
ideas about God which must be overcome to get them to go to sunday school?
The coercion would not be aplicable until the teen years when they naturally
begin to question all of their parents most friercly held memes, religious
or not.)
For these scientists the <God> meme is `grandfathered' into their meme
complex and as such, all future memes must find a way of becoming compatable
with the <God> meme. That can either be by refusing to accept data contrary
to the <God> meme (seldom the case with scientists) or by reconfiguring
their <God> meme as something which exists outside of the realm of hard
data.
As memetists our interest should be with the facinating way in which this
interial balancing act is carried out--realizing that it is something we all
do with our pre-existing memes. (And recognizing that having the <Atheist>
or any other meme spoon fed from your parents likewise effects ones future
processing of new memes for a lifetime.)
-Prof. Tim