Field of Science

Why Im an Atheist, part XVI

So I should be a XXX, YYY, ZZZ, or any other major religion why again? Because it looks to me like individuals are essentially indoctrinated into whatever religious culture is en vogue. Am I wrong here?
I guess more importantly, for those of you who are in the predominant faith of your region (catholicism/protestantism or sunni/shia reflect opposite sides of the same coin in my opinion), why are you what you are as opposed to Buddhist (or Protestant if you happen to be Buddhist)?

If you changed mindset, why? Did this happen without being exposed to your current belief system prior to your change?

Suffice it to say, why do you believe what you believe? for example, I believe in science because it pays dividends, case in point: Moon landing, internet, corn, dogs, life expectancy, birth control, antibiotics, etc.

HT sandwalk


Anonymous said...


SnapperGas said...

Doesn't it just make sense? To me, it is the same reason my hippocampus doesn't want me to stare at the Sun or chase skunks.

Do you think there is a genetic predisposition to faith vs. reason? It is probably no coincidence that most of the truly crazy patients I see are fixated on religion.

The Lorax said...

Mmmm corndogs

Abssolutely makes sense to me. Religion is a cultural construct, where you are born generally defines your religion. It reminds me that the mind is easily molded and one reason why I think its important to keep religion out of schools. Of course the leaders on the other side know the mind is easily molded too, which is why they want religion in the schools and all other aspects of society.

Interesting thought on the insane (is this an appropriate term?) and religion. If you do not feel like you are in control of yourself and your thoughts, how do you cope? Maybe religion serves in some way as a coping skill for these individuals (and I am not suggesting the same is true for the non-insane although Im not not suggesting it either)

Eli said...

Do not question corn dogs.

The reason I believe what I do is that it's the only internally consistent, externally applicable, honest system of belief I've found. Religions all suffer from a plurality of tenets: while some may explain the universe or morality or some other such curiosity, taken together they're just a total mess. Paring down the contradictions doesn't help much, either, though, because even then religions say very little about how one can reliably affect the world. Assuming any religion can get past that point, none of them are willing to admit the power of ignorance: simply dismissing a hole in one's knowledge base is not intellectually honest. The best thing that a religion could do, it seems, would be to defer to science on issues that its worldview doesn't or can't account for - but, if so, why bother starting from a religion at all?

libhom said...

The geographical arguments is one of the strongest ones against religion.

I think that part of what causes the upsurge in religious fundamentalism globally is that new communications and travel technologies have put people in contact with people whose religious beliefs are mutually exclusive with their own.

Instead of accepting the falacy, people are digging in their heels and becoming more stridently religious.

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