Nature vs. Nurture

[ElijahDrew]

I've only recently told my christian mom that I'm atheist. Now, my father passed away when I was two and my mother never remarried. She claims that if my father had lived, I wouldn't be this way. I made the argument that I more than likely would've become an atheist whether he lived or not. I believe we are born with our own unique personality and set of morals. I also know we can change depending on obstacles life throws at you. But you don't change too drastically. This brings me to the old nature vs. nurture argument. I'm curious as to how fellow atheists feel about this, since I am obviously surrounded by christian opinions.

[Epimethean]

If by nurture, you mean "brainwash," sure, christianity can have that effect.

[Welsh cake]

I've only recently told my christian mom that I'm atheist. Now, my father passed away when I was two and my mother never remarried. She claims that if my father had lived, I wouldn't be this way.

Well, we'll never know.

...

Uh-oh... this is where the conservation grinds to a halt isn't it?

[Annik]

Nature vs Nature is something that is still debated today.

In matters of religion, it's all nurture. We are taught religion, we are not born with it. :3

[Shell B]

I've never been one for the age old battle between nature and nurture. I am of the mind that nearly every personality quirk we have is a combination of both. Nature plays a greater role than some would like to admit and, in some cases, vice versa.

I've always loved the serial killer example, as the aspects of the scenarios are so drastic as to make it very clear. There have been connections between abuse, head injury and serial killers. Relatively few serial killers have been subject to both. So, you have head injury as nature and abuse as nurture. Either can have the same result. In some cases, there isn't even a clear cut reason, so we might say genetics or mental illness. Who knows? What we do know is that it can be a combination of nature and nurture, but it is never neither.

Now, in your case, you can form a very good argument against your mother. If both of your parents are/were religious, you might very well have wound up just as you are. Extreme religiosity in a home can often have the opposite effect a parent is hoping for. Two atheists parents can also have a religious child. Perhaps that child felt like it was missing something. The bottom line is, you were born with some things and you were raised the way you have been raised. It is likely a combination of both that made you an atheist. (Remember nurture is sometimes done to oneself. Reading, critical thinking, etc.)

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Nature vs Nature is something that is still debated today.

In matters of religion, it's all nurture. We are taught religion, we are not born with it. :3

Hmmm. I agree that religion is not something we are born with. However, I do not agree that it is always all taught to us. How did the first religious person come about then? How does a child raised without religion later become religious? The concept of god did not come from the mouth of anyone. It came from someone's mind first. Erroneous thinking or not, it was thinking, not learning, that brought religion into this world.

[Annik]

Nature vs Nature is something that is still debated today.

In matters of religion, it's all nurture. We are taught religion, we are not born with it. :3

Hmmm. I agree that religion is not something we are born with. However, I do not agree that it is always all taught to us. How did the first religious person come about then? How does a child raised without religion later become religious? The concept of god did not come from the mouth of anyone. It came from someone's mind first. Erroneous thinking or not, it was thinking, not learning, that brought religion into this world.

Sorry, I realize I was overgeneralizing.

What I meant was that in modern times, indoctrination is the most common path to religion (I really need to pay more attention to what I write, I always end up clarifying a miswording).

[Shell B]

I just overanalyze when I am reading. Too bad I don't do it when I am writing. Well, I do, but I don't have much success with it.

[Tempus]

I am of the mind that nearly every personality quirk we have is a combination of both.

Beat me to it. I don't understand why it needs to be nature or nurture. There's probably specific cases where it's only one, but the two aren't mutually exclusive.

I personally think nurture plays a very big role in child development, although I don't think we're born as blank slates. I think people can be easily conditioned, especially at a young age. For example, fear of most things, in my opinion, is learned. I'm only a layman in psychology though.

[Gambit]

I agree with Shell. Almost everything is or can be a combination of both. The fact that different countries typically have a majority who follow the same religion, points clearly to nurture. However, nature dictates that our curiosity, which is an inherent human trait, leads us to question the status quo - resulting in a shift of beliefs, over time.

[FallentoReason]

I personally think nurture plays a very big role in child development, although I don't think we're born as blank slates. I think people can be easily conditioned, especially at a young age. For example, fear of most things, in my opinion, is learned. I'm only a layman in psychology though.

I reckon we all start as blank books but we have the tools to write the 'useful stuff' down for survival. Like you say, we learn what things to fear or be careful with, such as hot things through our 5 senses toolkit.

I'm just curious, what do you think we're born with when you say we don't start as blank slates?