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 An exhibit of Rodin's "The Thinker."
April 27th, 2012
04:01 PM ET
Study: Analytic thinking can decrease religious beliefBy Becky Perlow, CNN (CNN) - When was the last time you sat down and questioned your decision to believe in God? According to a new study, that simple act could decrease your religious conviction – even if you’re a devout believer. In the study, published Friday in the journal Science, researchers from Canada’s University of British Columbia used subtle stimuli to encourage analytical thinking. Results from the study found that analytical thinking could decrease religious belief. “Religious belief is intuitive - and analytical thinking can undermine intuitive thinking,” said Ara Norenzayan, co-author of the study. “So when people are encouraged to think analytically, it can block intuitive thinking.” CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories Some of the more than 650 Canadian and American participants in the study were shown images of artwork that encouraged analytic thinking, while another group was shown images that were not intended to produce such thinking. One of the images used to trigger analytic thinking was of Rodin’s statue “The Thinker.” A previous study showed that such images improved performance on tests that indicate analytic thinking. In addition to the artwork images, the religion study used other stimuli to promote analytical thinking. After exposure to such stimuli, researchers gauged participants’ religious beliefs through a series of questions. Subjects who had performed analytical tasks were more likely to experience a decrease in religious belief than those who were not involved in such tasks. That included devout believers. “There’s much more instability to religious belief than we recognize,” said Norenzayan, noting that life’s circumstances and experiences, from traumatic events to joyous occasions, can lead people to become more or less religious. “Religion is such an important part of the world and we have so little understanding of it,” he added. “So regardless of what you think about religion, it’s important to understand it because it’s so important in the world.” Norenzayan is quick to mention that the experiments did not turn devout believers into total atheists. But he speculated that if people habitually think analytically, like scientists or lawyers do, it would lead to less religious belief in the long run. Robert McCauley, director of the Center for Mind, Brain and Culture at Emory University, and author of "Why religion is natural and science is not," found the study particularly interesting because he thought it was difficult to make even a minimal change in religious belief. “It’s not likely you would argue someone out of a religious belief very often because they don’t hold those beliefs on argumentative or reflective grounds in the first place,” said McCauley, who believes religious beliefs rely primarily on intuitive thinking. Analytical thinking alone does not necessarily lead to a decrease in religious belief, emphasized Norenzayan. “There’s a combination of factors [as to] why people become believers or nonbelievers - this is only one piece of the puzzle,” Norenzayan said, explaining that his team doesn’t think analytical thinking is superior to intuitive thinking. “It makes the story we need to tell about religion and religious belief all the more complicated,” said McCauley. “That’s what great scientific research does – ask more interesting questions.” soundoff (3,468 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Next »
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"According to a new study, that simple act could decrease your religious conviction – even if you’re a devout believer."
WWHHHAAAAAAATTTTTTT??????!!!!!! OM!!!!!!!!RREEEAAAALLLLYYYYY!!!! I can't believe it!
BUT WAIT....
What study says that?
"In the study, published Friday in the journal Science, researchers from Canada’s University of British Columbia"?
Ah, ok.
Canadians are gay because you disagree with them? Being gay is immoral because your magic book from antiquity says so? Got it.
The pacemaker that keeps me alive was invented in Canada.
It's just so special when the obviously stupid cast aspersions on the intelligence of others.
just sayin/captain america under a new name. Shocking.
True faith requires more then just your mind, it requires your heart as well. Feelings are involved.
Faith only requires that you fear the unknown.
The heart is simply a muscle. It is incapable of storing or releasing any emotional feeling or faith whatsoever. Therefore, the heart is irrelevant when it comes to faith. It is not involved.
Chair,
Fear means reverence, not being scared of God.
Mirosal,
The heart is not being referred to in a literal sense here. It is a metaphor for an emotional state. Really? Someone had to point that out to you?
@Mirosal The heart is just metaphorically involved in feelings. Don't sweat the metaphor. It's the feelings that matter.
Mirosal is a card carrying "GEN-I-US", don't ya know. Mensa my ass.
so it had to take a study to come up with a very obvious conclusion
Few 100% true Reasons why Atheism is TERRIBLE and unhealthy for our children and living things:
† Atheism is a religion that makes you stupid, ignorant & blind.
† Atheism is a disease that needs to be treated.
† Atheism makes you post stupid things (90% of silly comments here on CNN blogs are posted by closet Atheists)
† Atheist are satanic and have gothic lifestyle.
† Atheists causes problem in our religious society.
† Atheists are mentally ill, that's why they have no faith.
† Atheism won't take you to kingdom of heaven and paradise.
† Atheism making you agree with Stalin, Hitler (Denied his faith later), Mao, Pol Pot & other terrible mass murder leaders.
† No traditional family lifestyle, no holidays, no culture, boring and feeling 'outsider'
† Atheists are angry, drug additcted and committ the most crime.
† Atheist try to convert people over internet because they feel "safer" behind closet.
† Atheists do not really exist, they just pretend that they don't believe in God and argue with religious people.
† Atheists have had terrible life experience, bad childhood and not being loved.
† Most Atheists are uneducated... No Atheists could run for presidency.
† Atheism brought upon the French Revolution, one of the most evil events of all of history.
† Atheism cannot explain the origins of the universe, therefore God exists.
† All atheists believe in evolution, which means they don't believe in morality and think we should all act like animals.
† The Bible says atheism is wrong, and the Bible is always right (see: Genesis 1:1, Psalms 14:1, Psalms 19:1, Romans 1:19-20)
† Countries where Atheism is prevalent has the highest Suicide rate & Communist countries = Atheism!
**Only 2-3% of the U.S. are Atheists/Agnostics VS. over 90% who believe in God (80% Christians) in the U.S.**
† † Our Prayers goes to Atheists to be mentally healthy and seek their creator † †
ATHEISTS WILL BURN IN HELLFIRE BRIMSTONE WHERE THEY BELONG AND I CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH
WWJD,,,,,,,,,,,, ,.,...,,
Could you please quit it with your holier than I mumbo jumbo of the ingrascious kind? We are all in the same bathtub! We should wash each other's backsides and not be at each others' throats!
Well, isn't this just precious.
ATHEISTS WILL BURN IN HELLFIRE BRIMSTONE WHERE THEY BELONG AND I CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH . What an evil thing to say. Not very christ like !
Wow! I didn't know someone could be so stupid till I read this.
Anyone who yearns to see another man burn in Hell will get a closer view than expected.
A: There is no god!
T: Then how do you explain the fine tuning in our Universe?
A: There are an infinite number of universes. Given an infinite possibility, any finite tuning becomes possible.
T: Can you prove that infinite Multiverse ?
A: No, but it makes sense.
T: To my views I do agree in there being infinite universes with the Grand Cosmos!
A: Because of all the killing in the world done in the name of god, I won't accept that as an answer. I'll believe in far more unlikely things because Mathematics proves to me that even if it is unlikely, it is still possible. Like given enough time, a group of monkeys can produce the entirety of Hamlet if trapped in a room full of typewriters.
T: What you seem to forget is the finite yet infinite formations of cellularized mini-universes making up all of Life, be it animal or insectual or even plant based!
A:Are you saying that our bodies are made up of mini-universes of the cellular types?.
T:Yes, for have you not read in scripture that the Kingdom of God is inside us? We are also His Buildings and He is our husbandy!
A: Show me that scripture and I will meditate upon it!
T: Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 1Corinthians 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, [ye are] God's building.
A: Is there any scientific way to prove your so-called belief that there cellularized mini-universes inside all Life thingamabobs?
T: There are many varied scientific compositions regarding "Fractal Cosmology"! I prefer Mr. Robert Oldershaw's rather symplistic amalgum! He or rather his positioning regarding Fractal Cosmology his still but an infancy! Here is his website,,,,,,,, http://www3.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw/stars2/menu.html I hope you will find it enlightening!
Cute scripture regurgitation there. Very cute. Now do a good search on "bible contradictions." Post them when you're done doing your homework.
I know fully well that scriptures are a rancid amalgumation of bluntly devisive clamorings and yet some Truth can be confiscated from it! There are more verses that the commonalities of lessor egoists can fathom and bridge the gaps so to write/speak! One does not just throw the baby out with its' bathwater!
In this case, the baby is dead. The bible is useless. That is unless you're camping and in need of toilet paper, or kindling. In that case to birds, one stone. You can't find truth in something that's based on a lie. Why would you even bother? Faith equals fear.
Using a vocabulary of elongated words only shows your bigotry towards others. No apostrophe is needed for the word "its" in your sentence. The possessive of baby's bathwater is fixed.
Something tells me this guy would drink a baby's bath water.
A Chair To Your Face,,,,,,,,,,,, ,.,.,,..
To you, a psychology book is useless propoganda made up by bigotted folks wanting to cash in on other's mental aberrations,,,,, 🙁 🙁 🙁
I don't think he would drink the bathwater. I think he'd rather drink directly from the baby's "spigot" while the baby was IN the bath.
No.
Psychology has value. Religion does not.
Mirosal,,,,,,,,,,,, ,.,.,,..
I do know I have a bigotted writing personality, yet how else is someone of limited vocabularies going to learn about "elongated" words? 🙁 🙂 🙁
Use of vocabulary does not denote intelligence. And the use of moronic emoticons... just plain goddamn stupid. Did you just discover AOL?
A Chair To Your Face,,,,,,,,,,,, ,.,.,,..
Whatever has religion done to you that you need to hang on to being the bigotted and disgruntled omnivore?
Humans ARE omnivores, get used to it. And there is only one "t" in bigoted. If you are going to subject us to your mindless meanderings through the modern version of a lower Germanic dialect, please learn to spell properly.
Now that is a pathetically veiled insult. Seriously.
personally i feel that the fact that there are higher levels of logical thought to be attained...and have been demonstrated by many, is a testament the the fact that there is a source of consciousness from which it comes.... some call it god.... problem with religion is they all use different words and definitions to try to explain the same thing... then end up killing each other over that...rather than using intelligence to learn to communicate with a higher intellect. either way... the pooch is screwed... to many humanoids will never rise above square one....
Too bad humanoids think square two exists. Imagine where humanity could have been.
One would hope so, eh?
Prayer changes things.
*fart*
Do any of you ever watch late night premium television such as the programming offered on HBO, Cinemax or Showtime? It's far better than watching infomercials. Plus, there's a lot of banging. I bet the people banging each other on television aren't even married to each other. I wonder if jesus is going to send them to hell for their transgressions.
You didn't read my last post closely enough Mirosal. You're coming from your viewpoint, I'm showing you the Bible theology (that's what we were discussing) correctly.
My post said "...demons that influenced primitive society to turn from the true God and create superstions worshipping the elements" – this means that all Mankind had the truth in the beginning, but the majority rejected God and turned to idolatry. This was the beginning of religion, rather than the personal relationship we had in the Garden, which only Christ can restore.
Please reply, I want to read it, but I can't reply anymore tonight... must turn in for the night.
Back later!
We have fossil records that predate the "creation" dictated in the bible. Please stop typing.
So this "god" waited thousands of years to "correct" an error made my imprefect beings made by a perfect being? And in the meantime, held US at fault for those imperfections which "he" gave us? As far as your little garden goes, just HOW can you start such a complex species like humans with only TWO viable specimens? By the way, don't you know how to use a reply button?
Oh, the old "all who believe differently were influenced by mythical creatures from my own silly myths" argument again. Perfect example of faith maintained through LACK of analytical thinking!
* 'illustrate' (do forgive the typo, it's rather late.)
Goodness, I am tired. This was meant to be a reply. Wish there was a way to delete an accidental comment...
"I'm tired."
Always an excuse for stupidity. Too bad it never works.
A: There is no god!
T: Then how do you explain the fine tuning in our Universe?
A: There are an infinite number of universes. Given an infinite possibility, any finite tuning becomes possible.
T: Can you prove that infinite Multiverse ?
A: No, but it makes sense.
T: To my views I do agree in there being infinite universes with the Grand Cosmos!
A: Because of all the killing in the world done in the name of god, I won't accept that as an answer. I'll believe in far more unlikely things because Mathematics proves to me that even if it is unlikely, it is still possible. Like given enough time, a group of monkeys can produce the entirety of Hamlet if trapped in a room full of typewriters.
T: What you seem to forget is the finite yet infinite formations of cellularized mini-universes making up all of Life, be it animal or insectual or even plant based!
A:Are you saying that our bodies are made up of mini-universes of the cellular types?.
T:Yes, for have you not read in scripture that the Kingdom of God is inside us? We are also His Buildings and He is our husbandy!
A: Show me that scripture and I will meditate upon it!
T: Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 1Corinthians 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, [ye are] God's building.
If we pretend for a moment that this article's legitimate, then it's findings are a reflection of our generation's analytical atrophy rather than a negative implication of religion. A weak, main stream education has created such an a priori leaning toward naturalism that, without any grounding in basic logic & critical thinking to discern it's credibility, the well is already poisoned. This only demonstrates that our cultural reasoning is heavily slated toward a given presupposition, one that happens to combat an intuitive leaning toward an opposing presupposition - neither conclude the validity of the subject matter. Ether way it's a fallacious appeal to emotion.
No.
This just says (in a politically correct way of course) that if you're intelligent, you'll skip out on the religious bullshit and opt for reality.
If you're a retard, then you're more likely to stick with believing in what the cavemen scribbled onto paper as fact.
@ A Chair To Your Face
Your reply only serves to further illustrates my point.
Your reply illustrates nothing, as does your original post. Thanks for wasting your time.
@ A Chair To Your Face
"An ad-hominem seems to be a last ditch defense of the losing side." – Bertrand Russell
Lori, I found Russell's teapot around the sun. However, I'm the only one who can see it, so you'll just have to trust me on this. It's there, I saw it, but no one else can. But if you believe me, you'll say it's there as well. Welcome to the general principle of X-tianity.
Oh for fuck's sake. Do your kind have anything outside of the term "ad hominem" to say? Hypocrite much, Lori? Why don't you take a good, long hard look at your first reply to me. Shove your ad hominem up your fat ass.
@ Mirosal
With the exception of the, 'X-ianity' comment (I'd much rather have a neutral discussion on merit, rather than aggression. Even a subtle ad-homimem undermines an individual's respectability), I find you to be a little more interesting to talk to.
It's in dealing with Russel's Teapot assertion is where Christianity is in bit more unique. Unlike the other main contenders of divinity (Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, Islam, Judaism) here is a historical figure existing in our realm of reality that is allegedly claiming himself as God (i.e. – the teapot shows itself). Here we will come to a stand still, as you will more than likely suggest that such a historical figure never existed (despite what even secular historians like Bert Erhman have confirmed) or that you find the evidence of Christ's divinity less than satisfactory.
If Christianity is true, then the historical record of Christ's existence discounts the magical teapot. Depending on your investigation of the material, ether atheism or Christianity will prove itself to be a more satisfying explanation to the historical evidence - also how much you're willing to believe in a cosmic accident that is mathematically 10 to 1 to the power of 40,000 in it happening by chance - especially when the thresh hold of impossibility is 10 to 1 to the power of 50 (something which former atheist Anthony Fleu was not able to reconcile.). That, along with a list of 93 additionally unlikely events for life, stands as fact - unless you counter with the multi-verse which is the atheist's magic teapot.
All this running around and we're faced with a pair of magic teapots that cannot be substantiated.
@ Mirosal
Strange, my post didn't seem to take. Let me try again, I apologize for chastising you for your use of terms at the beginning of my reply. That wasn't really my place. I hope we can continue a dialog with no hard feelings.
Actually, life itself is fairly easy to create. Take base amino acids, fuse them with a lightning bolt, and "viola" watch the mitosis in action.
Mirosal –
The Miller experiment has been discredited by the majority of the scientific community. The accurate answer is that no one knows for certain how life appeared on the planet.
Lori is just being a cunt by over complicating everything. Note how it attempts to predict the reply. Presumptuous little pile ain't it?
Let's look at this in terms of reality, shall we? The guy who they called "jesus" in the bible may or may not have existed. If he did, he's dead. If you read the bible closely, the words of jesus prove his own divinity to be impossible. But, so many idiots are wrapped up in the fairy tale they completely overlook it. This is not rocket science, it's common sense.
As for life existing on Earth or anywhere else, you'd better check your numbers. Chance doesn't mean a thing. You can't pull a number out of your ass when you don't actually know what the number is. You forget, you're basing this on what you think someone else knows. In other words, you just regurgitated someone else's information without knowing anything yourself.
Not knowing leads to the fun in searching for the answer. it might take days, weeks, or hundreds of years from right now. Who knows? But to just raise your hands and say "god did it" without ever showing that any god exists in the first place is the lazy and gullible man's way to say they give up. One of my favorite quotes ... Philosophy is all about questions you may never find answers to. Religion is all about the answers you may never question.
With all the extra-solar planets they are currently discovering, do you really think we're the ONLY planet with life in the universe, let alone this galaxy? If we truly are alone, then this "god" really isn't very powerful is he?
Mirosal,
I respect your position, although I don't agree with your conclusion. Being a Christian, for example, didn't stop Professor Georges Lemaître from pioneering his theory of the Big Bang or Dr. Francis Collins from heading the team that mapped the human genome.
Mirosal –
I don't understand your statement, how is the possibility of life on other planets relavant to the existence of God?
Tender are the hands of God's nurturing ways,
Meek one should one be yes and always!
In check the baggage is packed,
Now just waiting I am not slacked!
Love does censor the clothes that one wears,
Tattered and worn well, we know well that Christ' cares!
Fucking stupid.
A Chair To Your Face,,,,,,,,,,,, ,.,.,.,,..
Your have got to be one of the most dimly lit bulbous ingrate in this Blog! Do yourself a favor and go wash your mouth out with soap!
Wash the manchowder out of your mouth first, cocksmith.
Jesus' second coming is about to happen. All over your face.
idiot
Mirosal: "If you have direct evidence of ANYTHING aupernatural, just contact James Randi. He's got $1 million to give away if it's real.As far as my "disbelief", you are a little off the mark. My mind can be changed, IF you have the support your claim needs. You're the one who doesn't get it. It's just that simple. You say there is a "god", yet you'll readily dismiss the thousands upon thousands of other "gods" worshipped throughout history. All Atheists want to know is "WHY is yours real and all the others are not?" You'll agree with Atheists that all the others were not real, yet you claim yours is. Ok then, time to back up that claim. Show us. I don't know any simpler way to phrase it."
Your statement can actually be broken down into two statements: one is the demanding of physical evidence of God, and the other is a more philosophical question of why do i believe that my God is real and dismiss the other gods?
The answer to your second question is that you dont understand the nuance of the theology here. I dont dismiss the other gods at all; on the contrary they are very real. Just because the Bible calls them "false gods" does not in any way mean that the Bible dismisses them as being non-existant. No, on the contrary, each and every false-god, idol and false belief-system has hidden behind it in the spiritual realm, a demonic intelligence.
These false gods and philosophies capture the hearts of women and men world-wide. Read the book of Daniel to gain insight into this realm. Also a couple of other OT prophets, as well as Jude in the New Testament. Not to mention Paul, et al, and the Lord Jesus as well.
As to the first question, ie, physical proof, Randi, money, etc. – you miss my point altogether. My original point, and I stand behind it, is that for an individual, especially a trained sceptic such as are the athesits, to be convinced contrary to all you hold true, is the necessity of the skeptic to witness the miracle up close and personal. As long as it's just Dr reports, film, etc, the good skeptic can (and should) scoff, saying "people lie and evidence can be forged". But when you yourself are healed, you'd be a moron NOT to believe in the God who miraculously healed you.
Somebody sounds desperate. What's wrong, herbie? You think you're going to get a crown and a dress in Heaven if you can fool just one person? LOL
Next time you become ill, do NOT go to a physician of any kind. Just stay home and pray the illness away. Just because YOU believe there is some invisible being in the sky watching us judging us, does NOT make it true. As far as Zeus, Apollo, Thor et. al., surely you jest!!! You say THEY were real as well? Ok, now you've shown just how delusional you really are. Apollo, the sun god. We now know how the sun moves across the sky, and WHY. No more need for Apollo. Do you think he's out wandering around the Elysian Fields? Thor, god of lightning. I think every 4th grader knows what causes lighting and thunder. Maybe he's retired now and lifting a stein in Valhalla? No more need for Thor now, is there? I'll wait until YOU are rather sick, and not from the common cold. Don't get medical help, just pray it away. Let me know how well that works, will you? A lot of DEVOUT parents tried that with their kids, and look .. they are in jail and their kids are dead. Guesss they weren't devout enough?
b4bigbang,,,,,,,,,,,, ,.,,..
Of your stated "thousands upon thousands of other gods" is a literal statement of fact and YET! There is only One God above all of your seanced gods! He, the God of Creation and grand designer/architect of all Life's creations! God is the Father of all the gods and although we may never know His given name, rest assured the God of all gods is so very real!
Great thinking. STRETCH as far as you can. Useless drivel.
Mirosal,,,,,,,,,,,, ,.,,..
You just can't get enough sarcasm to lay waste upon another's trying rationale can you? Your such an imbecile when it comes to straight forwarded sarcasms that with one blow of my fingers, I could put you in your disgruntled places of rude witticisms! Get a Life will ya and quit beating up those who are less taught yet they seek to be understood without your calamitous nurturing getting in their ways of trying!
At least I know the difference between "your" and "you're". Zeus, Osiris, Apollo, Loki, et. al. are not real, what makes yours any more real?
Thank you Mirosal, you're actually proving my point. ALL the stuff you said regarding what some people do on their own presumption resulting in failure can be attributed to spiritual strongholds deceiving people into tempting God by with-holding medical treatment.
New Testiment Christianity in no way teaches abstinance from medicine or wine for that matter. In fact, Paul advised Timothy to 'take a little wine for his stomach's sake, for his many infirmities'.
So, what we have are some tragic cases of Christians acting presumptuously and suffering accordingly.
Also, you make my point completely regarding Apollo, Thor, Sun, Thunder, etc. The same demons that influenced primitive society to turn from the true God and create superstions worshipping the elements are active today but in other forms/ideas.
There's never a shortage of idols in any generation, no matter how "enlightened".
The bible borrows from Greek mythology. That's one way to tell that the bible is fiction.
Ok, so an Athenian, or a Spartan, living in .. oh... say .. 350 BCE, who had NEVER met a Jew or Zooroatian, knew absolutely nothing of any monotheism, praciced polytheism, was automaticcally condemned, just "because"?
Sorry for the typos, I have a new keyboard, and not quite used to the feel of it yet.
Monotheism was invented to make it easier to control people. Fewer gods = easier to dupe idiots into believing in them.
The Heading of this Essay is a Blinding Flash of the Obvious.
Critical Thinkers do not make god redundant, but redfine what the interaction of the Universe and the Individual is. What genuine critical thinkers say is : we don't know and leave it it that.
To define god is to deny god. Vedanta. Bhudhism and the Tao.
A traditional Atheist vs. Theist debate:
A: There is no god!
T: Then how do you explain the fine tuning in our Universe?
A: There are an infinite number of universes. Given an infinite possibility, any finite tuning becomes possible.
T: Can you prove that infinite Multiverse ?
A: No, but it makes sense.
T: To me it makes more sense to believe in god. It takes a giant leap to believe in imaginary infinite universes than one creator.
A: Because of all the killing in the world done in the name of god, I won't accept that as an answer. I'll believe in far more unlikely things because Mathematics proves to me that even if it is unlikely, it is still possible. Like given enough time, a group of monkeys can produce the entirety of Hamlet if trapped in a room full of typewriters.
T: Then why don't we believe that a group of monkeys built the pyramids ? Why when dealing with relics from the past you must 'assume' that 'intelligent life' created it ?
A: Because it would be stupid to assume monkeys did it.
T: At least you should admit that you believe that there is no god, and you'd spend your life figuring out answers, no matter how unlikely, to prove he doesn't exist, and I believe there is a god. How come you call your 'belief' based on 'facts and scientific evidence' while mine is wishful thinking ?
A: Because religions are organized, and I can use stuff fringe representations of religions have done in the past to speak against religion. Atheism isn't an organized way of life so you can't do the same to me. Hence, I sound smarter.
T: *Dumb-founded*, Walks away.
Conclusion, this debate goes nowhere. Both factions 'believe' in their ideologies very strongly and fanatically. Besides 'witty' remarks and intelligent-sounding word plays, atheists don't have strong arguments to prove that their belief isn't really 'belief'. And religious fundamentalists do not understand, at times, that there is no 'scientific' argument for religion, just like there isn't one 'against' it.
Bottom line is, no matter how strong Atheist movements looks, they always were and always will be a minority. Sum of human experience shows that Humans have always believed in a creator. An atheist was once asked: "WIll you fight for your beliefs?, Will you dominate people to espouse your ideas?, Do you believe in spreading Atheism with zeal and military might all around the world?" He replied 'no' to all of the questions. The questioner responded: "Then Atheism will never change the world... Religious extremists will always form the main opposing parties in a war that Atheists will just be found holding placards and conferences in".
That's just the reality.
Well, that was a lot of rubbish. Thanks for stopping by.
I agree. Waste of goddamn time.
What is a Religion.If it is a religious belief it is not a religion it is a belief. What is religion is to be kind, to be open, to love yourself, recognize you are part of the whole. To question everything and come to your own conclusions from you heart. What is religion? To know you magnificence and dignity, to up lift someone when they are down. To pick yourself up and start over to trust you inner wisdom.
What you described sounds a lot like jerking off.
Terrible piece, told form the inside of a lab. Your reared characterization of the religious experience as an "intuitive" form of experience is reductive. A religious experience is not inside the set of intuitive/rational, it transcends both. Science is stuck in it's own echo chamber, which is mostly useful for making phones and plastics and medicine. But when science tries to explain theology using it's simplistic, dualistic language, the results are laughable. CNN should not try to present such gobblty took as science, or theology, or as useful in anyway.
Science doesn't attempt to explain theology. The relevant science fields in religion's case is psychology and neurobiology.
All of science, all of history, show no sign of even the tiniest bit of proof that your god, or any god for that matter, exist or even interact with human beings or even affect anything in a physical way.
Plus, since you believe a clearly delusional belief system and use it to view the world in a schizophrenic way, your theology doesn't matter. Theology is usually the study of a delusion from the inside of the schizoid echo chamber that is belief in the supernatural.
We can prove that supernatural beings do not exist because none of them do as described.
We can prove that magic is utter rubbish, that being superst.tious is schizophrenic, and that you will have uncontrollable fits of perceptual bias and engage in all sorts of fallacious reasoning.
I challenge you to present any factual evidence or rational argument to the contrary, sir. Otherwise you can STFU and GTFO.
In Psalms 14 :1 and Psalm 53 :1 Both say a Fool has said l in his heart there is no GOD . The word used for fool
is translated from Nabal which refers more to a moral fool . Maybe being so analytical we fool ourselves into justifying
our own immorality . Thinking there is GOD frees us to commiting sins against GOD and ourselves . In the end only
to discover that perhaps what kept us in check also kept us free from cancer , h.i.v. , liver disease and so on and so on ...
I meant to say "Thinking there is NO GOD frees us to commiting sins against GOG and ourselves .In the end
only to discover that perhaps what kept us in check also kept us free from Cancer , H.I.V. , Liver disease and
so on and so on ...
Your understanding of diseases is almost as bad as your logic. Cancer, HIV, humans, and giant Lions that eat humans are all 'natural'. "God" created them and it has little to do with your idea of a "sin" more to do with logic and what we call "reality". Now wash your hands -despite whatever your beliefs are in little things scientists call 'germs' -no you can't see them, but do the world a favor and just believe a fraction. Even if it's a fraction of your belief in sky people and magic.
So you're saying, just to be clear, that being immoral gives you cancer, H.I.V., liver disease, and so on and so on? Do I have that right?
Funny.
I'm an atheist. I go to work, I come home. I sleep. I hang out with my wife and my dogs. Occasionally I go and take pictures or go hiking. I eat food on occasion, usually once a day.
Tell me, what horrible sin am I committing that should condemn me to hell?
By the way, I recommend reading the rest of that bible. There's more to it than scripture condemning people for not believing in the shit. In fact, if you actually read the whole thing, you'll probably stop believing in it.