Religion a Choice?
The Panda's Thumb reports on research suggesting that "Genes contribute to religious inclination".
Now, if I were writing the story, no doubt a thriller pitting anti-evolutionist Christians against brilliant, couragous, but slightly naive scientists studying evolution, I'd probably plan a climax in which it is revealed that genes — those bugaboos that keep throwing Darwin in the face of the self-righteous creationists — in fact are the cause of anti-evolutionary behavior. It would be delicious, ironic, and the source of lots of exciting conflict right there at the end of the book.
I just wish I could think up things this good.
They find, apparently, that young people tend to believe what their parents believe, but that as they grow older these children go off in their own directions. This pretty much describes what my upbringing would have looked like, although I can tell you that when I was young I did not so much believe as my parents did, but instead I went to church the way they insisted that I do. When I was grown enough to say no, I did and thence began my descent into my current gay, atheist lifestyle.
Whatever would happen to the culture wars if it's discovered that being gay and being Christian are both genetically determined?