[–] PeaceSeeker ago (edited ago)
Take birds as an example. Their temperament, practices, rituals, etc. are all controlled by their genes.
I am not talking about animals with irrational souls; I am talking about humans with rational souls who therefore possess free will. It is an ontological difference. What you are saying is correct when applied to irrational creatures because they do not possess free will. It is false when applied to rational creatures (human beings, made in the image and likeness of God).
When you go from the quantum level to the neuronal level, that wild-factor is, while real, not nearly as significant as the deterministic behaviors.
It is entirely significant because it is the essence of human behaviour itself.
All that changed was the coat of paint, because the underlying element (Africans) was still the same.
No ontological change takes place when converting to Islam. Guiding principles do differ, which may influence decisions somewhat, but there is no grace involved, and therefore no elevation of the nature whatsoever. As for Christian Africans, you are correct that they would revert to their old ways if the faith was lost, which might result if "pressure from the Vatican" was withdrawn, since sin would predominate due to concupiscence, which would deprive the Africans of the sanctifying grace received at Baptism, and without priests to hear confessions that sanctifying grace could not be restored.
The same thing has happened in the West, revealing just how low the nature of Europeans is also when without grace.
Behavior is a trait.
No, it is the sum total of all decisions, and decisions are the actions that follow deliberation, and deliberation is a conscious act of the free will unique to rational souls.
[–] Inquisitioner 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Incorrect. Disabling parts of the brain with magnets weakens faith in God, as an example. Ergo, faith is below biological function.
Replicable in machines. Not unique. General intelligence and creativity is still special to humans over computers, but not unique to humans; dolphins are a good example of this, though their creative output is limited by a lack of manipulative appendages.
Becoming Catholic doesn't change your genes, or your brain structure. Mechanically, the brain overrides faith.
WOULD result, and DOES result, not "might." African genetic inclinations, particularly lower time preference and higher aggression, push them further from Catholic ideals. Your ideology isn't natural for them, and can only be maintained by constant pushing against nature, not with it. It would be like trying to make an Aboriginal into a Theoretical Physicist; only possible by taking resources and effort away from your own people to prop others up. Speaking of which, your non-Catholic racial kin are still higher priorities than Africans. They produce more benefit to you, they are closer to you, they are more meaningful to you, and your fate is entwined most strongly with theirs.
Rome is a good example of how whites still tend to create freedom-loving, individualist societies in the absence of Catholicism. There is also a strong evolutionary basis for whites leaning towards individualism; hence why we have the most varied eye and hair colors of any race.
[–] PeaceSeeker 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
As I said before, humans are physical creatures, meaning a union of corporeal / material and spiritual / immaterial. Obviously conscious functions are related to the body; that does not mean they are fully reducible to the body. If you conducted a study where you cut off the arms of 500 test subjects you might perceive a change in faith as well, but this does not prove that faith is reducible to or "below" biology - it only proves what was already obvious, that consciousness is related to the body.
I am talking about what exists in nature. Obviously those with rational souls can use their rationality to create machines that imitate deliberation, but the dependence on the natural intelligence remains. The same logic is one demonstration of the necessity of a perfect Divine Intelligence in order for intelligences such as ourselves to exist. And yes there are intelligent animals, but not rational animals, except for humanity - for only humans, and that which is created by humans, can deliberate...and only humans can deliberate based on a telos or purpose which they themselves have freely chosen. This is not to say humans can decide their own natural telos -- which is eternal happiness -- but they can identify, falsely or truly, their own conception of happiness and make decisions accordingly. No creature under heaven possesses this capacity to freely choose except human beings.
That second sentence is a position of faith irreconcilable with Truth. And genes or brain structures do not need to change in order for behaviour to change -- at least so my unfalsifiable faith states -- except for relationally (which is to say the decision made by the will will have a manifestation in the brain but that manifestation will not be the prims causa of the action). Your unfalsifiable faith may be different, but the consequences of my faith are coherent whereas the consequences of yours are not -- such as the absurd claims of materialism I have already named.
The Catholic faith is not natural to anyone. That is why evangelization is essential. That is why grace is essential.
Again, true of anyone. Concupiscence is a part of man's fallen nature. Life is a constant struggle against it. That is why the Church that Jesus Christ founded has Sacraments to assist the faithful in this lifelong struggle, Baptism, Confession, and the Eucharist most importantly.