Nature Vs. Nuture

nd genetic factors. Nature or nurture? The media reports numerous acts of violence every day, for example, in 1998, a 15-year-old boy in a small Oregon town took a gun to school one day and randomly opened fire on a crowded cafeteria. Was this horrific act a product of nurture or nature? This individual was supposedly raised in a loving, supportive, two-parent home with a strong moral upbringing, yet his obsession with weapons and violence may have led to this tragedy. It is possible that Kip Kinkle was exposed to a great deal of violence on television and in the media, but it is also likely that, due to a glitch in his “mainframe”, he was predisposed to violence, hence the attraction to it. If media exposure is to blame, then it is conceivable to assume that all children will eventually display similar behavior. To examine another theory, Dean Hamer, a geneticist at the National Institute of Health, has found evidence that biology could play a part in determining violent behavior (Pool, 1997). He found that low serotonin levels in the brain contribute to violent tendencies. So which theory explains Kinkle’s outburst of seemingly senseless brutality? Based on the evidence that he was raised in a wholesome community, the most comfortable answer is a biological dysfunction he was born with, perhaps low serotonin production. We as a society do not want to believe that we are capable of producing abhorrent individuals, therefore it is easy to choose nature over nurture as an explanation, even though it is most likely a combination of the two. One of today’s most controversial arguments is whether homosexuality is due to chromosomal predetermination or a conscious decision. This argument is fueled by religious conviction, scientific findings, and standard social structure. Individuals with certain religious beliefs that cannot believe that God would make or accept a homosexual support their thoughts by quoting from The Bible, specifically Leviticus. To defend that theory, passages such as Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is abomination”, or, Leviticus 20:13, “If a man lies with a male as with a woman both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them”, are cited. Based on biblical reference, these particular individuals interpret that being homosexual is purel

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