Escaping Indoctrination - Faith Isn't a Virtue.

by cofty 144 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Viviane
    Viviane

    But, still, can you provide an example?

  • mrhhome
    mrhhome

    If you are really interested, do a web search on "funding bias scientific research".

    Ironically, everybody seems to be concerned about bias in privately funded research. What about publically funded research?

  • cofty
    cofty

    When I place my faith in God, I am placing my faith in something that I will probably never understand - mrhhome

    Again you have changed the intention of my OP.

    I am not talking about trust but about the meme that believing religious claims devoid of evidence is a praiseworthy thing. It is not.

    Jesus commended those who would later believe that he was the son of god who rose from the dead without ever seeing the evidence. James encourages those who doubt to pray for faith.

    To talk about trust in god is to start from an unjustified position.

    First we need to wrestle with the extraordinary claims of religion and show that the evidence passes muster. Then and only then can we talk about trust.

  • steve2
    steve2

    Each cultural group normalizes things that are deemed fit to believe in. Those from other cultures are often astonished by the strange beliefs held by another cultural group - but to those within the group, they are not at all strange and are "logically" explainable.

    The Judaeo-Christian-Islamic "cultures" have common teachings about a talking snake who represents Satan that is intent on misleading humankind. We accept this teaching as acceptable because it comes down to us through our culture which normalizes it - with absolutely no evidence apart from "tradition".

    The very trust-bound faith that is applauded as essential to believe such a teaching as a talking snake would be criticized were the teaching about some magic or "pagan" teaching. Faith is applauded in one context, criticized in another.

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    Cofty said " First we need to wrestle with the extraordinary claims of religion and show that the evidence passes muster. Then and only then can we talk about trust."

    It is pointless for a believer to talk about their god if they cannot prove that he/she exists.

    I see Mr Home is already diving for cover with the last resort of the god-apologist, that we "cannot understand god " "that we cannot speak of god in words that humans can understand " etc etc

    If you cannot explain your god, and prove these claims, such as this god exists, this god is omniscient, omnipotent etc, if you cannot do that, then your god is meaningless. Trusting in a meaningless concept is rather silly.

  • Band on the Run
    Band on the Run

    I see no intellectual honesty. For someone to be so focused on disparaging people of faith, psychological burdens are present. Faith may not be a virtue but it is not a bad thing, either. Cofty, you make assumptions all the time. They are judgmental. You can't show respect for people who disagree with you. You are a cat playing with a mouse. True scholarship stands alone. You say. Cofty said. The world can rest. Cofty spoke, I see bigotry. Bigotry from a side that normally lacks bigotry.

  • Viviane
    Viviane

    If you are really interested, do a web search on "funding bias scientific research".

    Ironically, everybody seems to be concerned about bias in privately funded research. What about publically funded research?

    You asserted it, the onus is on you. If you really are a scientist, you would understand this. So, do you have an example?

    Cofty, you make assumptions all the time. They are judgmental. You can't show respect for people who disagree with you. You are a cat playing with a mouse.

    Besides not liking Cofty, do you have a point?

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    I have found it both traumatizing and necessary to test my beliefs on more than one occassion. I've had to give up some cherished concepts. I think the exercise was good for me, sort of like an intense workout. Painful at the time but the end result is sleek.

    On the other hand, I don't think I could convince any other person to go through the same exercise if I told them that their entire belief system is crap.

  • cofty
    cofty

    For someone to be so focused on disparaging people of faith... - Band on the Rant

    I am challenging the meme that religious claims are exempt from the same burden of evidence as any other assertion. I am not disparaging "people of faith" - whatever that means.

    Do you use full sentences in your real life Band?

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    I think religions should stay out of science and logic altogether. That doesn't mean they have no value, just no value in science discussions.

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