INTERESTING--We may pre-disposed to 'believe

Started by cpicturetaker12, November 27, 2013, 09:17:18 AM

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cpicturetaker12

Quote from: cpicturetaker12 on November 27, 2013, 09:17:18 AM
So why do many of us believe and many not believe??  Higher cognititive


http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/11/seven-evolutionary-reasons-people-deny-evolution

Prematurely hit the button but this is an interesting article.  SOMETHING FOR BOTH POLITICAL SIDES.  to ponder.

Solar

Quote from: cpicturetaker12 on November 27, 2013, 09:19:07 AM
Prematurely hit the button but this is an interesting article.  SOMETHING FOR BOTH POLITICAL SIDES.  to ponder.
OR....COULD IT BE LIBS HAVE A CLOSED MIND?

How the Grand Canyon makes us religious: Natural wonders increase our tendency to believe in God and the supernatural

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2513796/How-Grand-Canyon-makes-religious-Natural-wonders-increase-tendency-believe-God-supernatural.html#ixzz2ls3WeuvF
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cpicturetaker12

Quote from: Solar on November 27, 2013, 10:12:16 AM
OR....COULD IT BE LIBS HAVE A CLOSED MIND?

Nope!  I know more believers than NOT.  But NONE are into the DOGMA driven, science deniers, homos are an abomination types.  Thank GOD!

How the Grand Canyon makes us religious: Natural wonders increase our tendency to believe in God and the supernatural

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2513796/How-Grand-Canyon-makes-religious-Natural-wonders-increase-tendency-believe-God-supernatural.html#ixzz2ls3WeuvF

Solar

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walkstall

A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation.- James Freeman Clarke

Always remember "Feelings Aren't Facts."

Sci Fi Fan

Quote from: Solar on November 27, 2013, 10:12:16 AM
OR....COULD IT BE LIBS HAVE A CLOSED MIND?

How the Grand Canyon makes us religious: Natural wonders increase our tendency to believe in God and the supernatural

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2513796/How-Grand-Canyon-makes-religious-Natural-wonders-increase-tendency-believe-God-supernatural.html#ixzz2ls3WeuvF

Translation: belief is based on intuition and emotional stimuli, not on reason or science.   :ohmy:

Egg

Quote from: Sci Fi Fan on November 27, 2013, 04:45:25 PM
Translation: belief is based on intuition and emotional stimuli, not on reason or science.   :ohmy:

So what?  There is a place for logical thinking.  There is a time for emotion and intuition.  We should not make a fetish out of intellect, as if the human brain can solve every problem or answer any question.  When I want to do my tax returns or solve a puzzle I will use my intellect.  When I want to enjoy music or ponder "Big Questions" I will use my emotion, intuition, creativity and sense of imagination. 

I have often told people that I can't "prove" there is a God.  I certainly won't argue that "because my religion says it's true, or it's written down in the holy book, it is therefore 'proof'." 

I do, however, intuit there is a God, and I believe most people do, even many self-styled atheists.  Where things get complicated is when humans (using their rational minds) start attempting to talk about and describe this Thing which they intuit, which is ineffable.  You look up and you have a dozen or so religions. 

I do admit this:  to believe in God is not rational, it is extra-rational, but that's why they call it "faith."

supsalemgr

Quote from: Egg on December 16, 2013, 03:13:29 PM
So what?  There is a place for logical thinking.  There is a time for emotion and intuition.  We should not make a fetish out of intellect, as if the human brain can solve every problem or answer any question.  When I want to do my tax returns or solve a puzzle I will use my intellect.  When I want to enjoy music or ponder "Big Questions" I will use my emotion, intuition, creativity and sense of imagination. 

I have often told people that I can't "prove" there is a God.  I certainly won't argue that "because my religion says it's true, or it's written down in the holy book, it is therefore 'proof'." 

I do, however, intuit there is a God, and I believe most people do, even many self-styled atheists.  Where things get complicated is when humans (using their rational minds) start attempting to talk about and describe this Thing which they intuit, which is ineffable.  You look up and you have a dozen or so religions. 

I do admit this:  to believe in God is not rational, it is extra-rational, but that's why they call it "faith."

Well stated.
"If you can't run with the big dawgs, stay on the porch!"

grace_note

Quote from: Egg on December 16, 2013, 03:13:29 PM
So what?  There is a place for logical thinking.  There is a time for emotion and intuition.  We should not make a fetish out of intellect, as if the human brain can solve every problem or answer any question.  When I want to do my tax returns or solve a puzzle I will use my intellect.  When I want to enjoy music or ponder "Big Questions" I will use my emotion, intuition, creativity and sense of imagination. 

I have often told people that I can't "prove" there is a God.  I certainly won't argue that "because my religion says it's true, or it's written down in the holy book, it is therefore 'proof'." 

I do, however, intuit there is a God, and I believe most people do, even many self-styled atheists.  Where things get complicated is when humans (using their rational minds) start attempting to talk about and describe this Thing which they intuit, which is ineffable.  You look up and you have a dozen or so religions. 

I do admit this:  to believe in God is not rational, it is extra-rational, but that's why they call it "faith."

^This. Which is why, despite my being an atheist, I have no qualms with other people being religious so long as it makes them happy and gives purpose to their lives. But, often times the practice and belief of religion does cross into territory that makes it fair game for rational scrutiny.

For example, a religiously inclined person may intuit from looking a the grand canyon or a thunderstorm that there is a higher power: emotion and intuition. But it's when they say "Therefore being gay is a sin and/or eating pork during Ramadan is haram and/or anyone who doesn't believe in him is condemned to eternal damnation", that's when it's perfectly reasonable for someone to ask "Can you prove it?" Because if this is the fate of my eternal soul we're talking about, that's too important for me to just take someone at their word, isn't it?

But of course, I respect anyone's right to believe what they want to, and if it's a positive force in someone's life, then it's a good thing in my book :)

Egg

You're exactly right, Grace. 

Though religious people have as much right to engage in the public square as non-religious or atheist persons, it is incumbent upon all members of a democracy to use persuasion based on logic, universally recognized common sense, and ethical arguments.  One's religion may command good behavior, but it's not enough to say "We must do it because religion says to do it."  It must be convincing and sensible to any logical, decent person that we do so, aside of religious arguments. 

kevmo

Quote from: Egg on December 16, 2013, 03:13:29 PM
So what?  There is a place for logical thinking. 
And a very proper place for logical thinking is when considering God.  God tells us to love Him with all our heart, all our strength, and all our mind

Quote
There is a time for emotion and intuition.  We should not make a fetish out of intellect, as if the human brain can solve every problem or answer any question.  When I want to do my tax returns or solve a puzzle I will use my intellect.  When I want to enjoy music or ponder "Big Questions" I will use my emotion, intuition, creativity and sense of imagination. 
And when I want to ponder God, I use logic, critical thinking, rational thought process, emotion, intuition, and all that.  There is an entire section of books in any christian book store called "apologetics".  That comes from the greek word apo, which means away, and Logos, which means Word.  It was a formal way in greek society that people would be put on trial and given a chance to give their Word Away From critics, because critics would drown out the speech otherwise.

QuoteI have often told people that I can't "prove" there is a God.
And I have often told people that I can prove that Jesus claimed to be God Himself.  That was why He was condemned to death, for answering the question of His identity before the sanhedrin, under oath. 

Sci Fi Fan

Quote from: Egg on December 16, 2013, 03:13:29 PM
So what?  There is a place for logical thinking.

The ironic part is, you are trying to use logic at this very moment to defend God's existence. 

QuoteThere is a time for emotion and intuition.

Not when discussing issues of the origins of the cosmos, life, or any other observable phenomena.  That is the realm of science, and science is not intuitive.

Quote
We should not make a fetish out of intellect, as if the human brain can solve every problem or answer any question.  When I want to do my tax returns or solve a puzzle I will use my intellect.  When I want to enjoy music or ponder "Big Questions" I will use my emotion, intuition, creativity and sense of imagination. 

If you want to enjoy music, you use your emotions.
If you want to figure out how to download a piece of music, you use your brain.

Being comforted by God is an emotional thing; whether God exists is an intellectual question.

Quote
I have often told people that I can't "prove" there is a God.  I certainly won't argue that "because my religion says it's true, or it's written down in the holy book, it is therefore 'proof'." 

I do, however, intuit there is a God,

Substitute "unicorns" for "God", or "alien UFOs" for "God", and your argument doesn't change at all; it would still be retarded.

Quoteand I believe most people do, even many self-styled atheists.

Yes.  But some people know how to think rationally.  I "intuit" that there be ghosts in a dark mansion because I sometimes hear weird sounds, but I reason that they don't exist.

QuoteI do admit this:  to believe in God is not rational, it is extra-rational, but that's why they call it "faith."

"extra-rational" is a funny word.  It implies that faith is somehow superior to reason.  In reality, faith could just as easily be used to justify the existence of the Invisible Flying Dancing Unicorn in the Sky.  You may believe in it all you want, but that doesn't mean it's real.

Solar

Quote from: Sci Fi Fan on July 28, 2014, 09:39:30 PM
The ironic part is, you are trying to use logic at this very moment to defend God's existence. 

Not when discussing issues of the origins of the cosmos, life, or any other observable phenomena.  That is the realm of science, and science is not intuitive.

If you want to enjoy music, you use your emotions.
If you want to figure out how to download a piece of music, you use your brain.

Being comforted by God is an emotional thing; whether God exists is an intellectual question.

Substitute "unicorns" for "God", or "alien UFOs" for "God", and your argument doesn't change at all; it would still be retarded.

Yes.  But some people know how to think rationally.  I "intuit" that there be ghosts in a dark mansion because I sometimes hear weird sounds, but I reason that they don't exist.

"extra-rational" is a funny word.  It implies that faith is somehow superior to reason.  In reality, faith could just as easily be used to justify the existence of the Invisible Flying Dancing Unicorn in the Sky.  You may believe in it all you want, but that doesn't mean it's real.
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Darth Fife

Quote from: Sci Fi Fan on November 27, 2013, 04:45:25 PM
Translation: belief is based on intuition and emotional stimuli, not on reason or science.   :ohmy:

Then why aren't more Liberals "believers"? :rolleyes:

-Darth