How to Make Someone Believe in God (According to Science)

[Heyo]

I'm not the greatest fan of posting OPs that are just a YouTube video but Drew summarises the scientific findings in a concise (about 10 minutes) and clear manner, so here it goes:

Main talking points:

• you can't convince people of religion by logical arguments,
• the best way to promote religion is by example,
• people are more likely to turn to religion if there are existential threats,
• people are more likely to turn to religion if they are poor.

If you are proselytizing, will this change your mind?

If you are an atheists, does this help you understand religious people?

 

[PureX]

There is no need or reason to "believe in" God.

There are, however, good reasons to choose to trust in the God idea as a real possibility. Both objective, and subjective reasons. But the objective reasons are of a philosophical nature, and the subjective reasons are experiential. So both have to be honestly chosen and sincerely acted upon for their validity to become evident. And if someone is not willing to make that choice, honestly, and act on it with sincerity, they will not find any validity to the proposed possibility.

 

[Rachel Rugelach]

I don't proselytize -- it's not really something that's done in Judaism. There is Chabad, a Jewish organization that does outreach to other Jews in an attempt to promote observance, but Chabad does not attempt to convince non-Jews to change their religion to Judaism. Judaism, in fact, discourages conversion. Converts are accepted in Judaism, but only after they have first studied under a rabbi for at least a year -- sometimes longer. Conversion to Judaism is a forever thing, and is something that is not taken lightly.

I agree with the person in the video who quoted: "Religion becomes less central as people's lives become less vulnerable to the constant threat of death, disease and misfortune." This may be why Jews have remained Jewish throughout the millennia, stubbornly resisting the efforts of others to convert them (or worse).

I think that, rather than trying to convince people of religion, I am more inclined to promote tolerance by example. I do consider myself to be a religious Jew, and I make no attempt to hide this. I also hope that I am a kind person, and I think that kindness is more important for promoting tolerance of one's religion than any conscious plan to convince others to become religious themselves.

 

[Sirona]

I'm not the greatest fan of posting OPs that are just a YouTube video but Drew summarises the scientific findings in a concise (about 10 minutes) and clear manner, so here it goes:

Main talking points:

• you can't convince people of religion by logical arguments,
• the best way to promote religion is by example,
• people are more likely to turn to religion if there are existential threads,
• people are more likely to turn to religion if they are poor.

If you are proselytizing, will this change your mind?

If you are an atheists, does this help you understand religious people?

I think there may be more to it, for example sociological and psychological factors such as the question of belonging to a (sub)group of religious or non-religious people (peer pressure) or the individual attitude towards authority.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm not the greatest fan of posting OPs that are just a YouTube video but Drew summarises the scientific findings in a concise (about 10 minutes) and clear manner, so here it goes:

Main talking points:

• you can't convince people of religion by logical arguments,
• the best way to promote religion is by example,
• people are more likely to turn to religion if there are existential threads,
• people are more likely to turn to religion if they are poor.

"...existential threats"?

If you are an atheists, does this help you understand religious people?

Nah, it's obvious.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

If you are an atheists, does this help you understand religious people?

It shouldn't, because some of these talking points (I don't have the time to watch the video right now; heading to work) don't reflect non-Abrahamic religions. I'm sure I could come up with some unexpectedly logical arguments for my religion, and my religion doesn't particularly care about class anymore. As well, my religion doesn't do the whole "existential threat/dread" thing.

 

[Heyo]

"...existential threats"?
Damn spellchecker didn't mark that one. ;-) (Corrected)

 

[Heyo]

It shouldn't, because some of these talking points (I don't have the time to watch the video right now; heading to work) don't reflect non-Abrahamic religions. I'm sure I could come up with some unexpectedly logical arguments for my religion, and my religion doesn't particularly care about class anymore. As well, my religion doesn't do the whole "existential threat/dread" thing.

And, afaik, you neither proselytize.
But even if you are not threatening people yourself, you still benefit from outside threats, like war or famine. People get more religious in general and your religion will get it's share of converts.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'm not the greatest fan of posting OPs that are just a YouTube video but Drew summarises the scientific findings in a concise (about 10 minutes) and clear manner, so here it goes:

Main talking points:

• you can't convince people of religion by logical arguments,
• the best way to promote religion is by example,
• people are more likely to turn to religion if there are existential threats,
• people are more likely to turn to religion if they are poor.

If you are proselytizing, will this change your mind?

If you are an atheists, does this help you understand religious people?

It take a god to know a god. Assuming a god exists for sake of argument.

Not other people.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

And, afaik, you neither proselytize.

Correct, we really don't.

But even if you are not threatening people yourself, you still benefit from outside threats, like war or famine. People get more religious in general and your religion will get it's share of converts.

I'm not so sure, because my religion doesn't really offer answers for that kind of stuff. The gods aren't going to save us, or fight with us, etc. We might get some yahoo who wants to die in battle to "go to Valhalla" but... Well, even our most devout would likely tell them to prepare for disappointment.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

As someone who follows Earthseed I am not like most people who contend that God is a being. Adonai is a being. Yahweh is a being. Jesus is a being. Even the Holy Spirit is a being. But the concept of God is a description of something, an adjective rather than a noun. God is typically viewed as a top-down approach. God exists, then created everything. I contend that the reverse is actually true. Everything being created then creates God. If you own an ant farm, are you not God of those little tiny ants crawling around? I don't believe there is a being that holds all the divinity, but rather, a prime substance which all space and matter comes from - The Omniverse, that entropy is breaking down that nature and extropy is rebuilding that nature for useful purposes humans create themselves, becoming divine in the process.

So what am I trying to say? Believing in God doesn't require the spiritual nor the supernatural, it doesn't require large books with metaphors and outdated information, or myths about certain people, to be very observable to most people. Both pantheists and syntheists believe in God very much so, and rejects this top-down approach that the monotheists and polytheists place amongst us. Humans are the syntheos of Earth, we are of dominion to this planet, even explained in the beginning of Genesis in the Bible. Is it not apparent at that point, then, that as our influence spreads we'll be the syntheos of many areas of the Universe? As Earthseed explains, it's our destiny to take root among the stars. It's easier for me to believe something like this than one of the many fables scattered across the Bible. I am not saying that the Bible isn't important, it is, but it is apparent to me that much of it is not meant to be taken literally.

 

[Jose Fly]

You mean standing on street corners with huge obnoxious signs and screaming at people over a bullhorn that they're going to hell isn't the best way to gain converts?

I'm shocked.