Psychology question
Posted on: May 9, 2007 - 2:45pm
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Psychology question
I believe the leading atheists say that religion may go extinct on its own as people become more enlightened, although I'm happy to help it die sooner rather than later. Through history, Christian mobs have been willing to murder or destroy anyone / -thing that threatens their faith (library at Alexandria). Do we have to worry about more of this behavior while theists are losing their security blankets? I've read that people are hardwired to invent gods (I can't cite anything right now). If all traces of the supernatural are banished from human thought, does this pose a deprivational threat to public mental health?
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Humans are not hardwired to invent Gods. Humans have a tendency to want certainty and to have explanations for things. So, when they can't explain something they just fill in the blanks or make things up. For example, when stories don't make sense, people add in fillers and speculate as to why someone did this or that. Humans are hardwired to devleop beliefs and views of the world. This does not suggest that they have to believe in God or the supernatural. We base our beliefs on experiences and what we are taught.
"Those who think they know don't know. Those that know they don't know, know."
I recommend that you visit Western Europe and Scandinavia if you'd like to view the answer to this question first hand. All the big Quality of Life survey's that come out put these countries higher than the USA, despite the low levels of religous adherance.
On a personal, non-scientific not... in my experience a month in Europe was far more intellectually stimulating in day to day life than a year in the USA.
www.andyhanson.net
Andyy, I'd like to experience Europe someday. I should clarify my point: will those among us who fiercely cling to superstition go crazy and wreak havoc if their superstitions are actively attacked? For example, if all evidence of creationism and ID in the USA were systematically purged by militant atheists - not physical harm by atheists to theists, but probably some emotional trauma that could incite them to mayhem.
Oh I see... you're thinking the religous people could go crazy
I thought you meant maybe I society of atheists would simply go crazy....
It could be a possibility. I used to work in social services with mentally ill people and a huge proportion of mentally ill people had issues with religion. I suppose when someone is mentally ill, giving them threats of damnation and eternal suffering can't be too helpful...
If the theorectical time machine were invented, and people went back and viewed Jesus' time and found out he didn't exist, or that his body was stolen or something... I'm not sure what would happen.
My personal deconversion was fairly sane... however my grandparents and few christian friends were particularily emotional... I think they may be vulnerable to a mental breakdown.
I guess I'm not really adressing anything in particular, but I do think the psychological effect of religion is of great interest.
www.andyhanson.net
I don't really see this as being a problem since all "evidence" of creationism and ID have been systematically debunked and refuted.
"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan
I don't think they would start mayham if they were denied theistic ideology. They would just make up their own superstitions.
Theists are already actively supporting global mayham. Maybe they would do it less if we took away their bibles.
Well, there are two sides to this...
First, religious people don't really get uppity when their religious beliefs are demolished. They get ants in their pants when their political rights are demolished. In America, we are getting close to a theocracy. Will there be anarchy if religion becomes less of a political force? No. But, there will be a media war the likes of which Rupert Murdoch would cream his pants for.
Second, people have survived as well as we have because we're so adaptable mentally. It ain't our physical prowess... that's for sure. Religion will adapt. It always does. If we get rid of the monotheistic religions, there will be something else to replace it. I can only hope it would be something less harmful, and more grounded in reality. This is not unprecedented. There have been many cultures that had religion as more of a social function.. and for ritual.
Oh, and yes, there will be a few crazies who will blow shit up. But that's happening now.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
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