Religion versus Science II: Why Science Is Wrong about Life and Evolution, and Where Religious Beliefs Can Find Objective Traction

Traditional religions posit a nonmaterial, spiritual aspect of life. Science rejects that possibility and given the contemporary intellectual hegemony enjoyed by science, that has greatly deflated support for religious perspectives. This paper introduces the countervailing position, that the extraordinary claims associated with the scientific vision have always been a stretch—beginning with a reliance on DNA for exceptional behaviors. That stretch is now unfolding in a broad failure as huge efforts to identify the DNA (or genetic) origins for disease and behavioral tendencies (in the realms of personal genomics and behavioral genetics, respectively) have been an “absolutely beyond belief” failure. This paper will discuss this unfolding heritability crisis, and then indirectly further it with consideration of challenges posed by some unusual behaviors including taboo and accepted paradoxes. A basic point herein is that objectively challenging science’s bedrock position of materialism—which has been an immense obstacle in the path of finding meaningful support for religious perspectives—is not difficult. A final point touched on here is that science’s physics-only based model of evolution never made sense as a possible vehicle for dualistic or transcendent phenomena, and thus the unfolding failure of genetics further deserves the attention of those investigating religious perspectives.

Genomics Education in the Era of Personal Genomics: Academic, Professional, and Public Considerations

Since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, genomic sequencing has become a prominent tool used by diverse disciplines in modern science. In the past 20 years, the cost of genomic sequencing has decreased exponentially, making it affordable and accessible. Bioinformatic and biological studies have produced significant scientific breakthroughs using the wealth of genomic information now available. Alongside the scientific benefit of genomics, companies offer direct-to-consumer genetic testing which provide health, trait, and ancestry information to the public. A key area that must be addressed is education about what conclusions can be made from this genomic information and integrating genomic education with foundational genetic principles already taught in academic settings. The promise of personal genomics providing disease treatment is exciting, but many challenges remain to validate genomic predictions and diagnostic correlations. Ethical and societal concerns must also be addressed regarding how personal genomic information is used. This genomics revolution provides a powerful opportunity to educate students, clinicians, and the public on scientific and ethical issues in a personal way to increase learning. In this review, we discuss the influence of personal genomics in society and focus on the importance and benefits of genomics education in the classroom, clinics, and the public and explore the potential consequences of personal genomic education.

The Rise of Personal Genomics: An Overview of the Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Industry

This chapter begins with an overview of the industry, including a discussion of the different types of tests available and prominent companies. It divided into sections addressing each of the different types of tests available. These discuss the companies operating and the issues which each type of test raises, including the implications for consumers. This draws upon the author’s research on the industry, some version of her dataset are available via Zenodo. https://zenodo.org/record/1183565#.Xfa18i1L0_U

The Science Behind that Click of the Mouse

This chapter provides a brief introduction to the scientific developments that have enabled the personal genomics industry to develop. This is intended for a general audience and those with a background in genetics could skip this chapter.

Buying your Self on the Internet

The personal genomics industry (aka direct-to-consumer genetic testing) has created a market for genetic tests as consumer services. This has taken genetic testing out of the clinic and into people’s homes. The industry is diverse offering tests for various health conditions and ancestry, as well as more dubious tests, such as ‘peace of mind’ paternity, ‘infidelity’ (or surreptitious testing), child talent, and even matchmaking. It is growing rapidly, but at present many tests are not standardized and the industry has not been subject to specific regulation. As with many other Internet based industries, companies tend to rely on their electronic wrap contracts to govern their relationships with their consumers. This book provides an introduction to the world of personal genomics and examines the rise of the industry and its use of ‘wrap’ contracts, drawing upon the author’s review of the contracts of 71 companies that provide tests for health purposes. It explores the different types of tests available and the issues that this industry raises for law and for society.