Are we born believing in god?

According to an Oxford University research, children are born believing in God?
Is that true? If so, what are children's answers to this question : where is God? ?

What other explanation would a child come up with for the creation of the universe? The point to be taken from this study isn't 'Belief in God is universal and natural' but 'A belief in a Creator is childish and simplistic.' I also read an interview in the same vein of studying the logic of children. They asked them what the Tooth Fairy needed all those teeth for. Several of them deduced that she must be building a house out of teeth. What makes sense to a person with little to no ability to reason laterally, only lineally, doesn't make it so.

The idea that the universe is somehow a stable, orderly realm filled with purpose is egocentric. The universe no more cares for the lives of human beings than a cloud cares for a termite mound. Why humans think they are so privileged as to be the focus of divine attention is, to say again, childish.

No. If you read the reports, the news is that - supposedly - belief in the supernatural is built into humans to some degree. That's a far cry from believing in god(s), let alone any specific religion.

Hi Mouici (:-)

Hi I'm not a child anymore.I am 22 years old now.I just wanted to share with you something that happened to me.

Nobody I know remembers the moment they were born.For some reason I do.

I always told my mother I felt as if I was born vertically like I was falling down.For years she told me I was talking nonsense.That I couldn't have remembered the moment I was born.Then when I was 16 she gave up and told me that she was sorry.She gave birth to me in the waiting room.While she was standing lol.She grabbed me really hard and for some reason that movement woke me up.I could sense a lot of things like being awaken from a deep sleep .It was very vivid.At that point I was very aware.And the first memory I ever had up tp this day I don't know how or why it was possible.But the first thing I could sense was darkness and light and falling down.Then this feeling came almost suddenly.It wasn't a question.It was like a knowing.That God exists.

I am a Christian now.I have to mention that my parents are not religious.I come from a Muslim populated island.So I was not pressured at all to become a Christian.A lot of times I've had a lot of difficult questions and argued with God.But I never once doubted that he existed.Sometimes when I sit down I wonder if it was all really possible for me to have been born with the knowledge that God exists.

If there's a research study on this subject at Oxford I'd love to participate.I've been very curious all my life.I think I am one of the few that consciously remember knowing that God exists as a baby.

children arnt born beliving in god
they later on chose to belive or not, or there religiouse parents make the decision for them
there are lots of instincts and things humans are born with
but the beleif in a god is not one of them

'The idea that the universe is somehow a stable, orderly realm filled with purpose is egocentric. The universe no more cares for the lives of human beings than a cloud cares for a termite mound. Why humans think they are so privileged as to be the focus of divine attention is, to say again, childish.'

That's absolutely great quote material, and absolutely true. Religion is a testament to man's arrogance, that they think their lives that important, that some being must be watching over them.

shays860.

It's not religion that is destroying the world. Its the people in it. You cant blame any religion on what is happening in the world. What you can blame is the hatred, wars, violence, drug use, and ignorance.

What a load of rubbish some people speak about... lol
As if...

no

no thats ridiculous

That's right. Babies, who can neither speak, nor reason in any sense, and who aren't even familiar with the natural world, are nonetheless born with a belief in God and a complete understanding of the supernatural.

We know this because we interview babies as they are popping out and ask them about their religious beliefs. Since most adult can't speak 'baby', we have to get dolphins to translate for us, and since most of us don't speak dolphin either, we have to get a dolphin whisperer to tell us what the dolphins are saying. And the dolphin whisperer tells us that the dolphins tell us that the babies say they believe in God.

Oh Shays860...That's an awesome question...Actually it's very true what you said...

When I felt the existence of a higher being...nobody mentioned Christianity or Jesus.

I just knew that God existed.Living in a Muslim populated country I would have naturally been more influenced to practice the Muslim faith.Since my parents were anything but religious.You see I believed in a God and I could have had any chance of being in a different faith.

The only difference is...Jesus was introduced to me first.I was 10 years old playing around then another 10 year old girl gave me a present.It was a huge thick New International Version of the Holy Bible.I mean being 10 looking back I thought it was the most oddest thing a ten year old would get from ANOTHER ten year old of all age groups lol!

It had no pictures and I remembered having to read them stopping every 5 minutes to ask my mum what some words meant.Took me awhile.But I read it.A-Z.Just read it didn't take notes of it or anything.And because I had this imprinted in my mind that God existed you can imagine the huge impact it had in my life.I was like blown away by every chapter to the point of addiction. I just had to read it like kid's wanted to watch their favourite tv show.

What I am trying to say is you are absolutely right.I could have been in any different religion.But I became a christian instead of a Muslim because of that small incident.

Till this day I have great respect for all religion.I always put myself in their shoes in how they view the world.

But the truth is religion isn't important to me.It is man made.I believe in Jesus and the Holy Bible.Because apparently that's my faith.

And I understand that all faith are simply a way to try to reach God.

Of course to practice my faith fully it would mean to obey God's commands by making other people believe in him too.I always pray according to my faith for this to happen.But in no ways am I implying that I preach to people or force them or judge them.I personally don't think that any good man or woman in this world has to worry about the afterlife.My faith teaches that everyone will know who Jesus is.And if your a good person and in the end accept him you will be saved.And actually good people who don't know Jesus are the only ones who get a chance to be saved AFTER they die.That doesn't apply to Christians or ex Christians.If we call ourselves Christians and continue to do wrong they'll be no second chances when we die.

In my faith personally I stress more about living right today.And I don't judge their religions.Or unbelievers.

What's my life is mine...What's yours is yours...

Oh yeah by the way I do see a clear difference from religion and God...and I think religion is responsible for a lot of injustice in this world...

God is God

Religion is man trying to play God

When people ask me are you religious?I usually answer I do what God wants me to do according to my faith...

Obeying rules made up by man about God is being religious

Obeying rules made up by God is being faithful

According to the bible, babies are born as non-believers=Atheist
And make poor children believe they are not worth while because
Of their sinful nature, now if that is not a way of breaking down
The image of one self, I don’t know what is! To make things worse
You have to listen to people telling you, you need to be humble
And submissive to an invisible supernatural being, who would
Decide your faith in life, sh!t or not! No Sir/Madam you can’t
Achieve anything in life yourself, god did it for you! If you loose your job and can’t feed your children, you blame yourself,
Hmmm I had to do something real bad and deserve it!

Typical Rape victim syndrome – First blame yourself for all the bad
things happening to you in your life!

The final revelation (Islam) teaches that all human beings have the recognition of the one true God imprinted on their souls as a part of their very nature with which they are created.

When a child is born, it has with it a natural belief in God (called in Arabic the “Fitrah”).

If the child were left alone, it would grow up aware of God in His oneness, but all children are affected by the pressures of their environment.
The Prophet,reported that God said : “I created My servants in the right religion but the devils made them go astray” (Saheeh Muslim)
The Prophet also said: “Each child is born in a state of “Fitrah”, but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any (young animal) born mutilated before you mutilate them?”( Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
The Prophet also said: “Each child is born in a state of Fitrah. Then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari)
If his parents try to make him follow a different path, the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents

***If the child were left alone, it would grow up aware of God in His oneness, but all children are affected by the pressures of their environment. ***

An odd claim, given that many cultures both prior to and contemporary to Islam have grown up with totally different religious convictions than Islam.

Babies probably have no beliefs about anything. It is grown-ups who are trying to project their own biases onto innocent babies.