Did Man Create God?

This book is intended for all inquisitive readers who are interested in why humans are such a spiritual species; whether Intelligent Design is a valid alternative to Darwinian evolution; whether our sacred books were written by man or by God; whether God Created Man or Man Created God; whether man made up the theory of God as our creator and protector; and whether our rational thinking brain can live in peace with our spiritual brain.

If you treasure your spirituality but have ever questioned any part of your faith or religion, this book is for you. It is written for those who are spiritual but would like answers to their doubting questions. It explores the possibility that our rational brain created God to satisfy the transcendent yearnings of our spiritual brain and that man wrote all the sacred books.

Unlike some recent books that call for the end of faith and religion, this book proposes that spirituality is genetically hardwired into a specific part of the brain, is pleasurable, is critical to the evolution and survival of man, and will never go away. It strives to allow readers to develop a rational spirituality in which the fact-based rational brain and the faith-based spiritual brain can live in peace. Intolerance, wars and terrorism based on religion make the assumption that one person’s God is better than another’s and that the sacred books are the literal word of God. A rational spirituality illustrates the fallacy of these assumptions and allows individuals of all religions to live in peace.

Introduction	Review of the seven parts of the book

Part I. Evolution

Chapter 1	The Evolution of Evolution
Chapter 2	The Tree of Life

Part II. Intelligent Answers to Intelligent Design
Chapter 3	The Cambrian Explosion
Chapter 4	Does the Cambrian Explosion Disprove Darwin's Theory?
Chapter 5	No Intermediate Fossils Anywhere?
Chapter 6	Not Enough Time?
Chapter 7	Complexity Introduction
Chapter 8	Complexity - Eyes
Chapter 9	Complexity - Ears
Chapter 10	Complexity - Citric Acid Cycle
Chapter 11	Complexity - Blood Clotting
Chapter 12	Complexity - Cilia
Chapter 13	Complexity - Flagella
Chapter 14	Evolution Now: Introduction
Chapter 15	Evolution Now: The Peppered Moth and Industrial Melanism
Chapter 16	Evolution Now: Darwin's Finches
Chapter 17	The Evolution of Man
Chapter 18	The Origin of Life
Chapter 19	Evolution: Conclusions

Part III. Cosmology
Chapter 20	Quantum Physics
Chapter 21	The Big Bang
Chapter 22	String Theory: A Cosmic Symphony
Chapter 23	The Anthropic Principle
Chapter 24	Cosmology and Spirituality

Part IV. The Neurology of Reason and Spirituality
Chapter 25	Consciousness, the Spirit, and the Soul
Chapter 26	The Frontal Lobes

Chapter 27	The Pleasure Brain
Chapter 28	The Social Brain
Chapter 29	The Rational Brain
Chapter 30	The Spiritual Brain
Chpater 31	The Meditating Brain
Chapter 32	The Hopeful Brain
Chapter 33	The Happiness Brain
Chapter 34	The Biology of Faith versus Reason
Chapter 35	Neurology: Summary

Part V. The Genetics of Reason and Spirituality
Chapter 36	Polygenic Inheritance
Chapter 37	The Genetics of Bad Behavior
Chapter 38	The Genetics of Good Behavior
Chapter 39	The Genetics of Reason
Chapter 40	The Genetics of Spirituality

Part VI. Natural Selection
Chapter 41	The Evolution of Intelligence
Chapter 42	The Evolution of Spirituality

Part VII. Other Aspects of Spirituality and Reason
Chapter 43	The Origins of Religion
Chapter 44	Mysticism
Chapter 45	Myth and Ritual
Chapter 46	Psychedelics and Religion
Chapter 47	Does God Play Favorites?
Chapter 48	The Evils of Religion
Chapter 49	The Benefits of Religion
Chapter 50	The Problem of Evil
Chapter 51	Are the Sacred Books Literally True?
Chapter 52	Is God Dead? Ask the Pentcostals

Part VIII. Summary Did Man Create God?

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What Reviewers Have Said

" The scientific attempt to explain religion has been around for over a century, but only recently has it exploded onto the cultural scene with the renewed interest in the relationship of science and religion, and particularly with the advances in the neurosciences. It now appears that we are getting close to understanding what is going on inside the religious mind, and David Comings has written a remarkable analysis, that includes the most detailed and up-to-date science ever generated on the subject of religion. Did Man Create God? will be the definitive scientific reference on religion for some time to come. "

Michael Shermer, Publisher of "Skeptic magazine", Monthly columnist for "Scientific American", and the author of "Why Darwin Matters", "The Science of Good and Evil", and "How We Believe"

Did Man Create God?

By: David E. Comings, M.D.

Did Man Create God?

Table of Contents

What Reviewers Have Said