Is belief a choice?

[Twig pentagram]

Is belief a choice or is something that you don't have much control over? Now I'm not talking about freewill or anything like that. Is belief a decision you make?

I don't choose to believe anything. If it's real then I have no choice but to believe and if it's not real then I have no choice but disbelief
and If I don't know then I just don't know.

 

[crossfire]

It wouldn't be simply a choice. If you believed there was a purple dragon in your garage, if you honestly really believed that, then you must have had some reason behind that belief. Some experience which led you to that belief. Something which happened which you cannot internally deny which causes you to believe as such. I cannot simply choose to believe that there is a fairy sitting atop my monitor without cause to do so. If I had been given cause then I could not deny such and there would be no choice involved.

If you wanted to believe there was a fairy sitting on top of your monitor, but you knew there wasn't, wouldn't that also be an example of counterfeit love?

 

[Draka]

Maybe someone from RF told me about said dragon and I just took their word for it. Doesn't matter what compels me what matters is what I choose to believe. It could even be by faith alone based on some book.

But you were compelled by something either way then. You perhaps are compelled by the trust you place in the person who told you. Your experience with that person compels you to place your trust in them. It is them you place your faith in. What makes sense to you, your own reasoning. If it didn't make sense to you, in some way, you would reject it. Your mind could not accept it. You cannot simply choose to believe in something your mind cannot logically accept. By believing in it, then your mind must obviously accept its premise. If it did not, then you could not.

 

[Warren Clark]

Belief is learned through experience. Such as the foxhole expression. But it all matters with the person's personality.
I thick skinned, tougher person, may be more accepting of the idea that there is nothing out there looking over us.
While someone who may need comforting will believe in something just to be soothed. Even if the person doesn't realize its just subconsciously a defense mechanism for survival.

 

[Draka]

I said it is a choice though. Is it genuine if it wasn't by choice?

You choose whom you love? How is that managed? I've never been able to manage that. I don't think I've ever met anyone who ever really managed that. In fact, I think the only genuine love is that which is not by choice.

 

[Willamena]

Is belief a choice or is something that you don't have much control over? Now I'm not talking about freewill or anything like that. Is belief a decision you make?

It is "the innermost decision that you cannot but obey."

 

[idav]

I don't choose to believe anything. If it's real then I have no choice but to believe and if it's not real then I have no choice but disbelief
and If I don't know then I just don't know.

If it is simply real then you don't need belief since you would have the knowledge. You don't choose to have knowledge but we choose to believe when we don't have enough evidence to say for sure.

But you were compelled by something either way then. You perhaps are compelled by the trust you place in the person who told you. Your experience with that person compels you to place your trust in them. It is them you place your faith in. What makes sense to you, your own reasoning. If it didn't make sense to you, in some way, you would reject it. Your mind could not accept it. You cannot simply choose to believe in something your mind cannot logically accept. By believing in it, then your mind must obviously accept its premise. If it did not, then you could not.

The premise is where the choice stems from. You can choose to believe a premise that doesn't have backing and the logic simply goes forward from there. Yes we are influenced but it is us making the decision not our pasture or buddy etc.

 

[Twig pentagram]

If it is simply real then you don't need belief since you would have the knowledge. You don't choose to have knowledge but we choose to believe when we don't have enough evidence to say for sure.

If I don't have enough evidence then I just don't know, & If I don't know
then I don't know.

 

[idav]

If I don't have enough evidence then I just don't know, & If I don't know
then I don't know.

Fair enough. Like those agnostic fence sitters.

 

[crossfire]

If I don't have enough evidence then I just don't know, & If I don't know
then I don't know.

Is there room for doubt in your knowledge, or does that just go into your "don't know" basket?

 

[idav]

It is "the innermost decision that you cannot but obey."

So it wasn't a "decision" then. Having inner reasons to choose doesn't take away from the choosing.

 

[idav]

You choose whom you love? How is that managed? I've never been able to manage that. I don't think I've ever met anyone who ever really managed that. In fact, I think the only genuine love is that which is not by choice.

We still choose based on reasoning even if there is some emotion involved. Is possible to choose not to love a parent or child? What about choosing to love God, would you need reason?

 

[Draka]

We still choose based on reasoning even if there is some emotion involved. Is possible to choose not to love a parent or child? What about choosing to love God, would you need reason?

No. Just, no. We do not choose to love. We either love or we don't. I never chose to love my children, I just do. There was no decision to it, no choice involved. We sometimes love those whom we really shouldn't, those whom if we really had a choice, we would choose not to love for our own sakes and sanity, but we don't choose whom we love. We just don't.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I never chose to love my children, I just do.

Yep ...

 

[Twig pentagram]

Is there room for doubt in your knowledge, or does that just go into your "don't know" basket?

If I doubt then I doubt.

 

[idav]

No. Just, no. We do not choose to love. We either love or we don't. I never chose to love my children, I just do. There was no decision to it, no choice involved. We sometimes love those whom we really shouldn't, those whom if we really had a choice, we would choose not to love for our own sakes and sanity, but we don't choose whom we love. We just don't.

You addressed the child comparison while ignoring the parent or god. I would agree that loving a child is less of a choice due to our biological imperatives.

Something that has heavy influence doesn't mean we didn't still make the choice or else we would have to let the murderer off cause they didn't have any choice.

I'm not sure why a person would choose to fall in love with a serial killer but it happens all the time against peoples better judgement. If anything they are choosing to have faith that really this serial killer is really a good guy inside despite the evidence that the "good guy" has yet to show up.

 

[idav]

In fact, I think the only genuine love is that which is not by choice.

I don't think actually having reasons to love diminishes it. How could love just be inexplicable not knowing why? Granted it is hard to express when someone asks why.

 

[Draka]

You addressed the child comparison while ignoring the parent or god. I would agree that loving a child is less of a choice due to our biological imperatives.

It's not less of a choice. It's just not a choice.

Something that has heavy influence doesn't mean we didn't still make the choice or else we would have to let the murderer off cause they didn't have any choice.

Are you comparing loving someone to murdering someone now? Are you putting an emotion on parallel with a violent act?

I'm not sure why a person would choose to fall in love with a serial killer

Simple, they aren't choosing.

but it happens all the time against peoples better judgement.

Because they aren't choosing.

If anything they are choosing to have faith that really this serial killer is really a good guy inside despite the evidence that the "good guy" has yet to show up.

Or, now try to follow here, they aren't choosing whom they love.

 

[F0uad]

I think it is a choice since people can also convert to other religions it supports the idea of free will.

 

[idav]

It's not less of a choice. It's just not a choice.

You've said this but I've give reasons to say otherwise.

Or, now try to follow here, they aren't choosing whom they love.

Repeating it doesn't make it true. So everyone just uses love at first sight? People don't choose their friends? How does a mom choose to love their abusive spouse over their children, that isn't choice? If love is anything like an addiction then it is only choice in the beginning and becomes less of a choice after. For kids it is just biological imperative yet their are some moms that struggle to feel affection.