Religion

trotsky

(49,533 posts)

56. "given that belief has persisted, it speaks to a psychological need"

Fri May 5, 2017, 03:24 PM

May 2017

Lots of things have persisted in humans from our earliest days - and just because they have persisted doesn't mean they are needed, nor necessarily good.

You need to keep working on your argument if you want it to be taken seriously.

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How our beliefs influence how we perceive things: [View all] guillaumeb Apr 2017 OP

The best part: ExciteBike66 Apr 2017 #1

Every believer LOVES quotes like that... trotsky Apr 2017 #2

I really appreciate when you explain to non-believers what "every believer" guillaumeb Apr 2017 #9

You have repeatedly defined what atheism is for every atheist. trotsky Apr 2017 #10

Except I have not. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #13

Oh good grief are you really going to make us dredge up threads where you did? AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #20

Feel free. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #21

Except it isn't. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #22

Because you personally define it that way. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #23

You personally define it as a belief system, trotsky Apr 2017 #25

The burden of proof is on the one making the claim. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #28

Why can't you just defend your position in your first thread? trotsky Apr 2017 #3

Ugh, seriously? AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #4

One of the main mistakes you make, I think, Volstagg Apr 2017 #5

You made an OP to respond to on-topic post in another thread? Act_of_Reparation Apr 2017 #6

FWIW... MedusaX Apr 2017 #7

We read different things. The point of the post. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #8

"Given that most people believe in a deity, one could argue that belief is the default position." trotsky Apr 2017 #11

I am not making an argument, but an observation. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #14

Then use a different word than 'default'. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #19

You said an argument could be made. trotsky Apr 2017 #26

I used the the conditional. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #31

So you can't. trotsky May 2017 #40

You're citing a guy who didn't believe... as evidence... that belief is the default position.... AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #12

If we accept that over 80% of humans are believers in a religion, guillaumeb Apr 2017 #15

You said default. Default is universal. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #16

Default, in this case, does not mean universal. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #17

Under 80% for american humans, and words mean things. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #18

You're describing eisegesis. Act_of_Reparation Apr 2017 #24

Logically silly ExciteBike66 Apr 2017 #27

AND a misconstrual of the word 'default'. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #29

Atheism seems to be the default position Volstagg May 2017 #47

So the fact that over 80% of people identify as believers guillaumeb May 2017 #49

Specific religion is cultural. Volstagg May 2017 #50

But that merely divides belief into belief "as an attribute" and guillaumeb May 2017 #51

Have you read Dawkins? Volstagg May 2017 #53

Anything that promotes group cohesion is an advantage. guillaumeb May 2017 #55

"given that belief has persisted, it speaks to a psychological need" trotsky May 2017 #56

I recognize Guil's theology from my younger days Bretton Garcia Apr 2017 #30

Ask 100 people to define religion at Du and we would probably see 120 guillaumeb Apr 2017 #32

So yes? You hold that God cannot be firmly defined Bretton Garcia Apr 2017 #33

What is necessary to a discussion depends on the type of discussion. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #34

Ok. But at times, you do like to stress some likely particulars about God, nevertheless. Bretton Garcia Apr 2017 #35

I speak about my own feelings regarding the Creator. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #36

That's not quite right. The "spiritual" has big problems too. Bretton Garcia Apr 2017 #37

Define spiritual. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #38

Being spiritual is easy to define from the dictionary and philosophy Bretton Garcia May 2017 #39

You are taking as your example a tiny subset of believers guillaumeb May 2017 #41

The root meaning of spirituality ... Bretton Garcia May 2017 #42

Which actually avoided my response. guillaumeb May 2017 #43

You, specifically, endorsed separate "magisteria" Bretton Garcia May 2017 #44

Separate magisteria refers to employing different approaches. guillaumeb May 2017 #45

Different approaches, often mean different results. Bretton Garcia May 2017 #46

Scientists can be evil. or amoral at best. guillaumeb May 2017 #48

No. Science is often a giant good. Bretton Garcia May 2017 #52

Science is bad because some scientists invented bad things. guillaumeb May 2017 #54

Not nearly as often as mirespresentation. Act_of_Reparation May 2017 #57

All faithful believers ARE bad Bretton Garcia May 2017 #58