Center for Inquiry Panel on Evolutionary Origins of Religious Belief

The Center for Inquiry-New York City and the All Souls Unitarian Church are co-sponsoring a panel discussion on the evolutionary origins of religion. Why does religious belief persist? Is there a so-called ”God gene?” What is the relationship between biological and cultural evolution in the development of human religion? How does unselfish behavior fit into the evolutionary mix? Is there really such a thing as “free will,” a basic tenet of many religions? These are a few of the questions to be explored by a panel that includes Randy Thornhill, Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of New Mexico, and David Sloan Wilson, Distinguished Professor of Biology at SUNY Binghamton. The panel will be moderated by Austin Dacey, a philosopher and author of The Secular Conscience. Admission is free and open to the public.