Faith
Posted on: June 29, 2007 - 4:03pm
Offline
Faith
I have spent a lot of time analyzing religion using the same thought process that I would use to troubleshoot a malfunctioning machine. I have come up with some ideas that I would like to post here for discussion.
People believe in gods because they have faith in god sellers who use the same faulty logic and bullshit stories that theists bring to these forums. If a believer says that they believe in a god because they have faith in a priest, the priest is subject to scrutiny, but by calling their faith, Faith in God, the priest not only insulates himself from scrutiny but he can use the believers’ faith-fantasy as a tool to control him.
- Login to post comments
I believe that as soon as you let a theist get away with saying that they have faith in a god, you have lost any debate from the theist point of view.
I don't know if I totally agree.
It seems that it has never occurred to many theists to question amything.
While you're not going to convince them in one or two conversations, I believe it's a good sign if a theist will start questioning why they believe certain things.
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
I find that most thesists are afraid to question why they believe certain things. And they get very defensive when their faith is challenged by facts or reason. Some even get downright hateful. Afterall, a future in heaven is all that some of them have. If you try to take that away from them they get very pissed.
RickRebel
Frosty's coming back someday. Will you be ready?
I've been working on a unifying theory of belief, if you will, for several years. I'm not going to say it's finished, but he're my basic idea:
1) Indoctrination at a young age, which hard wires the idea that "faith is a virtue."
2) Fear, particularly in formative adolescent years, which conditions people to be afraid of "natural processes," especially sexual. Fear of eternal punishment, fear of losing loved ones, fear of death, fear of social censure. (This will become very important in a minute.)
3) Social Construction: Building a social network around the theist, so that any attempt to question religion results in immediate and harsh retribution from all sides. This one is the crucial one, I think. This sets up the REAL hell. If you question or leave, you will lose loved ones, friends, business associates... in short.. your whole life!
4) Cult of Personality: This is probably closest to what the OP was talking about. Once the theist is trapped, charismatic leaders become demigods of a sort, and faith transfers from the invisible friend to the visible manifestation of the invisible friend. Thus, the theist can move freely within the community, so long as the fixation is on a person whose favor with the community is strong. This allows a certain freedom of belief, giving the illusion of a questioning intellect.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
I like your ideas, Hambydammit, but it seems very much like that is describing the structure and dynamics of a faith community (perhaps cult would be a better word
).
I think the basic reasons for taking up a belief of the religious kind are much more psychological than societal. Of course, this would only be needed as an explanation for those that take up belief later in life, but it is still a part of the social structure.